Targa Rebuild Project

[rodoredas]

I'm sure some of you must know this Targa, it was on Carsales.com.au in January 2012 as a non-running 2.7 and after some consideration I jumped in the 4WD, hired a trailer and drove to Sydney to pick it up and take it home. The car had been garaged for some years and we had some trouble dragging it on the trailer as the wheels barely turned, but with help from a local Porsche mate we had it on the trailer and I headed home. I left midday saturday, stayed overnight just outside Sydney, picked up the car around 9am, and headed home arriving back in Melbourne 8pm Sunday night, Targa in tow.

It's been sitting in Melbourne garaged for 15 months and I have now started to get it going. The plan is to install a 3.0L engine that I've been building up for time now and a 5Spd LSD, sort out the Brakes, clean the fuel tank and oil lines and see if she goes.
Fuel tank and Front Oils lines are out and being cleaned up.

Targa in Sydney day before pickup, and back in Melbourne a few days later.



She is a 77 (9117310158), was originally a LHD, imported from Germany in the mid eighties (according to NSW Vehicle registration system), but has been made into an SC look alike, and it seems very well done. Has matching numbers 2.7 Engine and gearbox, 16" Fuchs, tyres are good, interior is A-Grade and paint job is 8/10, suspension seems in good nick. It has PCNSW stickers on it, so I'm guessing someone on the forum may know more about it, and I'd more than welcome any history.

With some help from my son and ex son in-law we have started to tear it down. We've removed the engine/gearbox. The engine was locked up, would not turn over, so who knows what's actually wrong with it, but now that's it out of the car and gearbox detached, spark plugs out, she turns freely without any obvious signs of something seriously broken inside. So she might be ok. I'll rebuild that and the gearbox one day.



I'm installing the 3.0L and the LSD seen in the background in plastic wrap.



The Engine has SSI's Dansk and heavily modified Zenith Carbies. I'll be using M&W Ignition PRO-10R system, with matching Coil and Spark Plug leads from Performance Ignition.

We are in the process of pulling all the brakes off and getting the calipers fixed (pistons are ceased) and discs machined.



I have the car on a scissor lift, these are worth the investment and make this so much easier, especially with the small amount of space I have. My Sporto in the garage as well.



Having lots of problems with the rear axle nut, had 6ft breaker bar on their last night and she won't budge so later in the week I attack with impact gun and hope she comes off.

I'll keep you posted.

cheers

[rodoredas]

Things are moving along, wheel bearings out, new ones going in next week, brake discs being machined, calipers getting sorted, but have issues with fuel tank - she's no good.

I'd be interested to hear if anyone has one spare that's in good cond, or know someone who may have one, not that keen on importing a reproduction but that may be last resort

cheers

[9er]

How about one of the kits to seal the inside? KBS works for me.

[rodoredas]

Hi 9er, thanks, maybe that would done the trick, but trusted advise i had was that it was too far gone and not worth the effort and trouble it may have caused in the future. I'll keep looking for replacement.

cheers

[coolngroovy]

I ended up buying a replacement tank from our hosts.

From memory the tank was around $500, & freight another $500.

I thought it cheap considering a used tank with no guarantee from a W.A supplier was $2500.

[rodoredas]

Thanks Coolngroovy, managed to source new dansk reproduction through mechanic here in Melbourne for $650, so that problem is sorted



Been drilling out some broken bolts/studs, these just snapped off when, couple up the front for the brake shield, drilled and tapped, one on the oil tank snapped and this one on the heater control box. these will be replaced, sourced some decent second hand ones. Decided on new brake discs, old ones too worn.




next set of jobs is to strip wiring from engine bay and get the pressure washer going with hot water and degreaser in the wheel arches and clean engine bay and figure out how to replace the front flexible fuel hose that runs from the fuel pump to the fixed line through the body, looks a bit tricky. Pistons from callipers have been removed and can now get them cleaned up too.



cheers

[ozracer]

nice thread on another note how easy is that scissor lift to move around the garage by yourself when its not under the car?

[rodoredas]

Hi Ozracer,
yeah you can, it's a heavy piece, some 450kg from memory, the hydraulic trolley has foot as the base with large spigot that is used in plate at one end of the lift to raise that end. Other end of lift has some solid steel wheels. It's possible, just a little awkward.
cheers

[kfe911]

Nice job Shane,
Shall keep watching. These projects keep you interested.

Cheers,
Ken

[rodoredas]

Had the pressure washer out last weekend, ran hot water through and had sprayed degreaser and let soak for a while. It's better than it was. Found some second hand heater boxes, decided to keep the CIS Fuel pump and buy a new set of factory fuel pressure and return lines which I'll extend with some braided hose up to a PMO Pressure Control Unit. Used some Citrus Stripper and fine steel wool on the glue residue in the engine bay from the sound pad and will get some matching Minerva Blue from the Body Shop and give the engine bay a coat.




plenty of things to get on with while I wait for parts though!

cheers

[ozracer]

Nice work shane looking great minerva blue is a lovely colour looks like it was originally gp white from the underbody

[rodoredas]

It may well have been GP White, ozracer, who knows, don't care that much, I like the blue. Not sure what this really, surprised no-one has come forward with any history on this car given it was NSW since mid eighties. Engine number 637xxxx indicates 911.81 ROW I'm presuming it was LHD and was narrow body, but someone's gone to great expense to convert and put steel rear guards on, not fibreglass. I don't know what the front trunk looks like on a converted car but I would have thought a bit more chopped up than what I can see here. So I don't really know. It's a Blue RHD Porsche 911 SC Body beyond that I'm not fussed.


Anyway been working on some small jobs, like many of these projects before me, they start out on the assumption that "I'll just fix a few things and get it going" and end up much bigger. Brake shields have been cleaned up, have gone from this, to this, after being soaked in brown vinegar (I hear molasses is good too) for a week to remove rust, a blast and the sand blaster, clean and repaint.




Wheel hubs been blasted, cleaned, painted, new discs installed



Removed front stabiliser bar, all the bushings are cracked, new ones on the way.


And getting ready to replace the fuel lines with a new set. Removed the rubber plugs surrounding the lines front and rear by cutting and pushing these though the holes in the firewall, front and rear.


I'll leave the old lines in place for now until the new ones turn up and use the old to pull through the new.

[rodoredas]

Pulled out the front and rear suspension on the weekend and the steering rack today, got much more access to fuel lines which will be removed and replaced. Also going to pull the through the body brake line out and replace all the metal and flexible brake lines.

Bushes in rear trailing arms need replacing too, as do the gaskets on the front torsion bars. Steering will be upgraded with turbo tie-rods

rear suspension came out, bushes worn.



front support, shocks and torsion bar wishbone out. Borrowed a ball joint separator to split lower shock mount from ball joint. Things are so much easier with the right tool.



and Steering Rack


much more access here to replace these fuel and brake lines


cheers

[rodoredas]

Also been cleaning the brake callipers, soaked in brown vinegar for a week to remove rust after they had the pistons removed, a quick sand blast, a bit more cleaning to be done, think I might paint these Red or Yellow.

started like this, soaked for a week



now look a bit cleaner than this taken a few days ago


cleaned and thoroughly checked and blew out all the brake fluid channels

cheers

[rodoredas]

The Garage


The work benches


The spare room


just removed the torsion bar spring plates, will refurbish those with new bushes and yellow chromate. Can't take anymore off this thing, ran out of room, but many jobs to do before I start putting this back together - parts cleaning, parts cleaning and more parts cleaning for the next few weeks.

Did my 3rd Porsche Club day at Phillip Island in the Sporto (green 911 in some pics) last week, what a great track that is, after 3 separate club days at the track over past 12 months feel like I'm beginning to know how to get around it, doing 2:07's in the Sporto, still can't beat my son Steve who is doing 2:04 - bloody kids!!

Trying Sandown in a few weeks.

cheers

[ozracer]

vinegar is great for rust I use it all the time amazing how it peels rust off. All my nits and bolts get dropped in it.

[rodoredas]

Been messing around with the parts cleaner last few weeks, got the trailing arms looking good, i'll clear coat these



The rear spring plates were a little troublesome to remove from the torsion bar a few weeks back. Took about 1 and 1/2 hours each. Drilled hole in spring plate torsion bar cap, removed it and with heat and various punches finally got the torsion bars free. Tried the "pry off with screw driver" as mentioned in the manual - sure!
and got some repairs to do on the torsion bar tube.



Dismantled the steering rack, just as well, needs a clean too. New turbo ties rods arrived to go here.




And the CV joints, not sure what I should do here, there are some pit marks and obvious wear, so I'll seek some advice.




Otherwise some new parts arrived stashed away in the spare room, new centre fuel lines and a few gaskets and bushings. Lots of stuff to be powder coated and plated. I'll replace all the metal and flexible brake lines

[ozracer]

hey shane any updates love this thread its a beauty want to do the same suspension refresh next winter

[rodoredas]

Hi Ozracer

yes been a bit quiet lately, been off the tools for 2 weeks, but prior to that break spent hours with bench grinder wire brushing a whole heap of parts, spring plates are ready for re-plating, steering rack has been cleaned and is being rebuilt. I've ordered new front and rear shocks and my CV joints are too worn to repair so will get my hands on second hand set or buy new, not sure yet. I've got to get my green Sporto out of the garage and over to my son's place so I have some room to setup large bench and spread things out a bit. I've sorted all nuts/bolts and other parts into lots that will be re-plated, replaced new or powder coated and I hope to have all that done in the next 2 weeks.

I'm really hoping I can start getting this back together at the end of this month.

I'd love to have the Targa on the road by Xmas, but we will see what problems crop up once I get back on the tools next week.

Cheers

[strikee]

My car looks strangely similar!

Few questions.

Are you going to recover your targa top? DIY?
Are you sand blasting your own parts or shop.

Cheers
Ed.