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1988 Venetian Blue 3.2 Carrera Coupe
Hi there!
I'd just like to document my guardianship of the car on one location so that it is easier to follow (#ritno88911 on Instagram). I picked up a 1988 Venetian Blue 3.2 Coupe on 1/30/22 after months of searching. This car is supposed to have a bit of a sentimental value to me. It is my birth year car and I am graduating with my master's degree the year I bought it! A little early graduation present for myself. I have done a bit of work to it trying to bring it back to what I consider to be an acceptable daily driver. It is far from a concours car, I just wanted a quality/reliable car that I can add miles and miles of smiles. The interior carpeting and upholstery were done right before I bought the car, but the paint/exterior was in neglected condition and the service history was largely unknown. I'll update/backdate the progress on what I'm doing and what I've done so far. Please feel free to provide feedback and teach me all things air-cooled! The two Facebook Marketplace posting images are below. I reached out to him the night he posted, after I test drove a 993 tip that day that I wasn't happy with. The seller of this G50 car had about 50 messages, I just got lucky somehow and saw it the very next morning. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652712725.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652712725.jpg Pre-Purchase Inspection at European Auto in Salinas, CA showed a clean bill of health. Leaky exhaust valve cover gaskets and tires from 2007. I got lucky and had a guy who used to work at Porsche of Monterey inspect the car. Even driving to the shop, I could tell that despite the neglected appearance, the 1988 911 drove much better than the 1994 I test drove the day before. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652712725.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652712725.jpg With my 2007 Cayman S in the background. The Cayman is a DD that has 135k miles and I've owned it since 2019. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652712725.jpg Interior shot http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652712725.jpg |
Congrtas and welcome to the fold.
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http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652714959.jpg First week of ownership (2/6/2022): -New Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 S http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652714959.jpg -Fixed the interior dome light wiring/grounding (in case it helps others, the brown grounding wire leads to the back on my car. By unzipping the headliner I was able to fix the connection for good) http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652714959.jpg -Fixed the the lock control mechanism. I would have to ask my girlfriend or reach from the passenger side to lock my door each time we parked somewhere. I couldn't lock it from the outside. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652714959.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652714959.jpg New part vs old part http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652714959.jpg |
My the force be with you
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On 2/12/2022, I got 2 boxes of parts from Pelican Parts to do service on the engine. Keep in mind, the previous owner couldn't tell me when the valves, oil, belts, air filter, fuel filter, and plugs were done. I went ahead and tackled all of that but the belts. I will do the belts and another round of oil change (after running her in hard for about 2k miles and Sea Foam the gas) and transmission fluid change together shortly. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652789483.jpg My German translator, Hershey. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652789483.jpg Took my car for a midnight spin after the job was done. All the valves were TIGHT when I got to them. I adjusted them (probably adjusted them more on the loose side) and the car started easier, felt more powerful, but the valve train noises were certainly louder. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652789483.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652789483.jpg It's a shame that the top of the car paint/clear were completely faded. The sides that are not sun damaged cleans up extremely nicely. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652790026.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652790026.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652790026.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652790026.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652790026.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652790026.jpg |
Nice Carrera, man, if it weren't for the clear coat, the base paint actually looks OK
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Congratulations on a nice find. I love your garage partner Hershey. I had 2 miniature Dachshunds, sisters from the same litter, but am sadly down to just 1. Great doggies.
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Paint like that is freedom. Drive the hell of it.
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Cayman and the Carrera look very at home together. Love the car
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On 2/14/2022, I fixed the sunroof that would not retract. I could hear the motor struggling, and the right side moved just a bit. The driver side did not budge with the control. So I tore it apart and found that the left cable broke/detach from the sunroof mount. I cleaned up the cable as best as I could and reattached it back into the original mount. Works flawlessly!
This was my last mechanical fix before going into a paint shop in Sacramento on 2/19/2022. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652891620.jpg How the cable looked, detached from the sunroof mount. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652891620.jpg Cable reattached. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1652891620.jpg Quote:
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Just for fun, on 2/18/2022 I refinished the shift knob. This is the evening before I drove the car to Sacramento to get painted. Done with acrylic, and the shift patterns painted to match the gauges then protected with 3M clear bra.
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Last update before I pick it up!
I dropped off the car at a friend's paint shop in Sacramento on 2/19/2022, it was stripped (seals out/replaced, glasses off, trims off) down to the gel coat and painted factory Venetian Blue. Being a California galvanized car, there was virtually no rust to deal with. He fixed some dings and deep gouges. He would also advise me on what hardware/rubber parts needed replacing while stripping the car down. It came out of the paint booth on 4/4/2022. I am hoping to pick it up next week, we're just waiting for the glasses to be reinstalled. The front windshield went back in without breaking, not bad for 34 year old glass! My intent is to put Llumar PPF film on the full front, Air80 tint all around (windshield too) to protect the interior from the UV/heat, and alarm/remote entry. Then I'll put miles and miles on it! http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1653052032.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1653052032.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1653052032.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1653052032.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1653052032.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1653052032.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1653052032.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1653052032.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1653052032.jpg I did drop off a spare Carrera/Whale Tail and spare trunk, but I decided to keep the factory sleek look. No wing on this car for me. I may be posting those 2 parts for sale shortly. |
Picked it up from paint earlier this week. Protected the plastics, vinyls, leathers, and paint with their appropriate coatings and CQuartz UK 3.0. Also fixed some switches and attached the sunroof seal.
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Most excellent.
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Absolutely beautiful car. I hope to see it on the road.
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84K miles. With the minimal airflow comes out of the air vents, I cannot afford to lose airflow due to phone holder vent clip in this summer heat. So I got this 3D printed one and modified it to work with my magnetic phone case. It mounts and clamps onto the clock. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1661385316.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1661385316.jpg I changed the oil level sensor gasket behind the right rear wheel. The cork gasket was completely flaking apart when I switched it out for a rubber one. I believe it's the original one, 34 years before it finally gave out. Not too shabby! This cork gasket failure led to the first oil leak I've seen from this car on the garage floor. Luckily, it was an easy fix. I also switched the washers and used nylon lock nuts. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1661385316.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1661385316.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1661385316.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1661385316.jpg I also did not realize that my door stoppers were severely worn. When we open the doors, they just swing wide open rapidly. I threw on the new OEM door stoppers from Pelican Parts, along with Rennline reinforcement plates on both sides. The doors now stop in their range of motion nicely and provide a hefty resistance when opening and closing the door. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1661385316.jpg Coming up next, oil change, transmission fluid change, and alternator belt change. It has been a pleasure to drive (on days cooler than 80 degrees)! |
Some pictures from fun cruises and Cars and Coffee. Parking next to modern 911s is always conversation provoking to see the evolution over the past 3-4 decades.
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I tend to take the car around town here in the Bay Area daily. When I have time to kill, I'll drive it to the coast. Pacific Coast Highway, Highway 17, and Highway 9 are some of my favorites. Gotta have fun posts about driving the car too, not just chasing minute repairs!
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Just found this thread, it's great. Love that interior! Keep sharing pics, beautiful car.
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Well, I've been enjoying the winding roads and grippy Michelin tires a bit too much. My rear sway bar mount ripped on the driver side. The symptom was clunking coming from the rear. I discovered it when I did an oil change at 85,000 indicated miles.
My temporary solution was to remove the sway bar completely to not wear down the other side's mount or lose the bushings. I'm looking into replacement welded in mounts. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1664892557.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1664892557.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1664892557.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1664892557.jpg |
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