What's the story behind your 911?

[dictoresno]

my father purchased this 1986 911 from a work buddy of his in 1987. he owned it for a few months and realized at 6'3", it wasn't a practical car for him so he sold it to my dad. been in the family ever since. he used to drive us around town in it, and its always been a weekend car or never driven. when I got old enough, I started to try to maintain it for him. car means a lot to me and I vowed to keep it going.

he always had it serviced by either a Porsche dealer or a Porsche specialist. they moved to South Carolina and the car just sat in his humid garage. after me complaining about that, and my recent early retirement, he decided to finally sign the title over to me to be able to care for, maintain and use it. I spent thousands purchasing tools and renovating my garage specifically for its housing. two weeks ago, I drove to SC to get it and began working on the little things it needs. I have an order from Pelican arriving tomorrow so I can finish fixing the seized brakes and doing some other general maintenance. already registered and insured and ready to go. she has 48,000 original miles.

pics from the day after we got it "home"

[lpsalsaman]

Originally Posted by My82SC

Nice story and also is cool you keeping your Dad's car, I'm sure he is proud of you. Love those old BBS, they look good on a Champaign color 911.

[My82SC]

Originally Posted by lpsalsaman

Nice story and also is cool you keeping your Dad's car, I'm sure he is proud of you. Love those old BBS, they look good on a Champaign color 911.

Thanks Ipsalsaman. It definitely has been a great experience so far. Both my Dad and I have really enjoyed this car and hope that have a lot more great memories with it.

[My82SC]

Originally Posted by dictoresno

my father purchased this 1986 911 from a work buddy of his in 1987. he owned it for a few months and realized at 6'3", it wasn't a practical car for him so he sold it to my dad. been in the family ever since. he used to drive us around town in it, and its always been a weekend car or never driven. when I got old enough, I started to try to maintain it for him. car means a lot to me and I vowed to keep it going.

he always had it serviced by either a Porsche dealer or a Porsche specialist. they moved to South Carolina and the car just sat in his humid garage. after me complaining about that, and my recent early retirement, he decided to finally sign the title over to me to be able to care for, maintain and use it. I spent thousands purchasing tools and renovating my garage specifically for its housing. two weeks ago, I drove to SC to get it and began working on the little things it needs. I have an order from Pelican arriving tomorrow so I can finish fixing the seized brakes and doing some other general maintenance. already registered and insured and ready to go. she has 48,000 original miles.

pics from the day after we got it "home"

That’s a beautiful looking car, and the garage looks awesome. I’m sure it’s happy in its new home and hope that you can get it running and driving soon. Best part about these cars are when you can get them out on the road. Good luck and enjoy it.

[dictoresno]

Originally Posted by My82SC

That’s a beautiful looking car, and the garage looks awesome. I’m sure it’s happy in its new home and hope that you can get it running and driving soon. Best part about these cars are when you can get them out on the road. Good luck and enjoy it.

Actually just installed the new radio this morning and fixed the ground on the tach. She starts right up. Just need front brake parts and it’s good to go. I’m also in the middle of a clock repair. New capacitors didn’t work so I ordered a new IC chip for it.




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[Franks89-911]

My dad bought this jet black 911 Targa when I was 18 years old, brand-new. He let me drive it exactly once, Christmas night that year. I was never allowed to again.

Many times I begged him, if I can't drive it, can I at least change the oil? At every turn, I was rebuffed.

Fast-forward to the summer of 2014, when he passed. I found the glovebox filled with copies of speeding tickets he received over the years. He kept every one, like a trophy or badge of honor.

Diving in further, I found he hadn't tuned it up in 20 years and the alternator didn't work. I didn't know a thing but I learned all I could and did all I could: how to change oil, spark plugs, wires, rotor and cap, adjust valves, change fuel filter, change transmission oil, change the front and rear shocks. My little one was eager to help.

I hope I love it as much as Dad did.

[PeteKz]

Frank, great story. And I hope your son will love it and care for it as much as you will.

[CHP-POR]

I'll bite at this.
I acquired this somewhere around '00/'01 as an impulse purchase. I thought (should say "I felt") at the time my Q45 engine was toast (it wasn't) and rationalized that I needed a car I could work on myself. That's what my dad and I did in the 70's/80's with his Mustangs and my 240Z. Well ... it's 2024. Life happens and 7 kids, 3 houses, a boat rebuild, and two companies later (same wife ) I've still got 'er (the car and the wife) and still plan to get 'er (the car) on the road. Is there a record on Pelican for longest running project, or most obstinate wrench head?

My financial situation in '01 along with the PI factor (Porsche ignorance) led to a Chevy 327 conversion route. To condense the 20+ year drama within one sentence, in my fifties my means, skills, space, and time allow for better standards of work than in my 30's, so I've re-done everything (and still going) that I once did, and then gone further. It's still a budget project relative to most things Porsche, but I've not been in a hurry and don't mind paying for what I want. I think I am in a hurry now though, because I'm about to build a house and the wife says the 911 is not making the move unless under its own power. My two paragraphs are up.



I can still buy that hood graphic, and I think I will.

Before digital camera


My son (now married with first baby), when his mom informed him dad's Porsche "had to go". Note 930 fiberglass flares. I decided against that.



More recent picture:

[PeteKz]

If there's a record for the longest project, you ain't even close. Yet.

If you have to acquire a replacement Porsche engine, go with a 3.0 or 3.2. The aluminum cases are a big improvement over the magnesium ones originally installed up through 1977.

[CHP-POR]

That makes me feel more normal, only 23 years.

I’m too far down the SBC path to be interested in going back to Porsche power. This time though none of the new sheet metal will be cut per the general Renegade plan. That will preserve the opportunity for the next owner to go back to Porsche power.


Interestingly, the engine I sold out of it was an ‘82. A guy drove down from Toronto with an Astro van and paid $3,000 cash for it. I thought that was remarkable at the time.
I also had two pairs of Fuchs 9x15 that came with the car. Sold them for $3,000. Thought that was remarkable too. Didn’t know much, but knew I had a roller for $500.

[Matt at Pelican Parts]

When all is said and done you really cant beat that price! I'm sure it's going to boogie with that SBC!

Originally Posted by CHP-POR

Didn’t know much, but knew I had a roller for $500.

[L Sjoberg]

we bought our first 911 (a 67 disaster) right of out school, with me never having so much as changed the oil on a car. besides all of the rust repair that was needed, we managed to crater the engine after less than a single summer with the car. so I made my wife a deal that, if I taught myself how to fix everything that was wrong with the car, then I could buy something newer and much nicer. so that's pretty much exactly what I did, lol.

found a guy to do the floor pan work that was needed (back in those days this was known in Detroit as a "Hamtramck Special"), I put just about 200 hours into fixing the motor and cleaning up all of the rest of the rust, etc. sold it for 6,000 bucks and then found our lifelong 911 - an 83 SC Targa that we bought in 1994 for a little more than 16,000 bucks.

with the exception of 2 clutch changes in the past 30 years and 110,000 miles, plus an emergency alt / VR swap when our sons were several hours away from home on vacation, I shadetree pretty much all of the work on the car and always have. like a lot of guys, when our 3 kids were younger the car spent its share of time as a bike rack, etc., and it spent some extra years in storage while we lived overseas. so the past 8 or 9 years have been a ton of hours just bringing it back to life, and trying to make sure we can keep enjoying it right up until it gets buried next to us somewhere.

anyway, we still absolutely adore the car. we've had lots of other cars, and still have way too many cars relative to our storage space, but this one is still the best of the bunch. oh, and thanks to Pelican, who has been here more or less since the day we bought the car, and it still sports one of the early steering-column bushings and the collapsible oil return tubes (all going strong after more than 20 years).

[theiceman]

My Story is really a story of 3 cars.

My Story actually starts with my 944S . I loved that car and swore i would never sell it . i tinkered with it every weekend and always kept it in top shape i had always wanted a Porsche and this was my first . The real estate agent selling my neighbours house had a 944 Turbo and watched me tinker with it on Sundays ..
One day he knocked on my door and asked if i would sell him my car .. i said no way .. He then told me he got t-boned in his Turbo and the insurance company gave him 15 grand. he asked if i would give him the car for 15 Grand.. i handed him the keys.. 944s in those days were going for between 5 and 7 G and i payed 8 for mine.
So fast forward about a year i had no Porsche but was enjoying driving an Audi 90 my neighbor gave me for 1 grand as it had over 350K on it ( km ) . i fixed it up and was loving it. one day on the highway the gas light had been on for about 20 minutes ( typical man behavior ) , I thought , ill be fine , ill make it home.. unfortunately the car was thinking " oh no you wont ! " car sputtered . i did the f1 weave to get more gas and it burst to life for one final run off the next exit, I slipped it into neutral as the engine completely died and coasted into the first gas station i saw ( luckily for me i went through a green light ) . I dead sticked it into the gas station right up to the pump with no PS.. fate struck that day .
This gas station had a used car lot attached to it , and as i'm filling up i see this little brown sad filthy 911 sitting in the back. i knew nothing about the 911 at the time. So i talked to the guy, and he handed me the keys . I couldn't even figure out how to get the rear engine lid open, there was rubber falling off it everywhere, including a giant bite out of one bumperette. It was filthy and a mess.. I went home did some research figured out how to open the rear engine lid and went back ... after thinking on it I came to the conclusion i could save this car ... it was rough but i could do it .. At the time , my wife thought i was insane as the the 944 was so beautiful in its Diamond blue metallic paint, and this thing looked horrible and didnt even have power windows and barely ran. she said i should take it and put it against that new Porsche that just came out a while back ( 996 ) Sure enough .. i did the deal for this one and got it for .. you guessed it ... 15 Grand...
My wife thought i was crazy spending that on this car .. i had to explain to her i basically traded a very nice daily driver Porsche ... for a motoring icon !!




and the rest is history.

[AG81]

Born in Germany and delivered to Los Angeles in 1972. Purchased by Mark Koffman 11/21/1972.
Mark owned the car until June of 1987 where the car relocated to Texas. Larry Torrence owned the car a short time. I believe he passed away and the car was sold to Mr. Dearing in September 1990. John had the car serviced at Mayo in Euless and I've known Ed and Chris a long while. My understanding is that John's wife hated everything about this car. No air, carb motor with those fantastic smells did not sit well with the wife. Based on what Chris knew about the service history, John drove the car just enough for it to always need something. The car had a lot of neglect.
Based on the body work alone it seems to catch the brunt of many years, parked in a garage packed full of kids bicycles and had the dents to prove it. I took it on last year.









I've got it this far:




Motor and Transmission are not in the car at this point.

What I have done:
Repainted in original Signal Yellow (body work/glass/hood/doors/decklid all reworked)
All new rubber
Dry ice blasting of the undercarriage
Lots of electrical work. Lots.
Steel S bumper
Carbon Fiber Mini Ducktail (thanks Jon)
Door handles
mirrors
LED Headlights
LED Tail lights
Suspension: Tarett Engineering sway bars, drop links, Bilstein Shocks, Rebel racing adjustable spring plates, RSR front bushing set, Elephant racing rear bushing set.
Full brake refresh
Group 4 wheels
Full interior including headliner and new dash. Gauges sent out to North Hollywood and Specialty Gauge.
Detailed the Frunk.

Engine and Transmission details to be added later due to details changing.....

[Matt at Pelican Parts]

I always love seeing updates on this car! Such a gorgeous color

Originally Posted by AG81

I've got it this far:

[GH85Carrera]

I turned 195,000 miles on Barber Motorsports at a DE. I need to add Talladega now as well. We got to 125 on track. At 110 or below one must steer up into the slope. 120 is neutral steering. It was the first time I dot to triple digits and my nag-a-gator iin the passenger seat did not yell out slow down!

I turned 195,000 miles on the track somewhere. I was too busy driving to watch the odometer.

[DaBlueKa]

Nvidia paid for mine.

Thank you Nvidia!

Went to Brooklyn to buy it...

Drove it home to CA

Only 1 Ticket!!

[Rich in Vancouv]

My Brother in law bought this 1972 911E in California in 1989.
He drove it back home to British Columbia and drove it for a couple of years
at which time it broke down (Likely the EFI or fuel pump) he pushed the 911 home
and locked it away in his garage where it still sits to this day (33 years!).
Sadly he recently passed away and the car has come into my possession. I expect to be able to get it home in a couple of weeks.
The plan is to do a mechanical restoration and possibly repaint the faded Cali finish at a later date. This will be my first Porsche as I have always been an MG guy, currently driving a 2003 MG ZT-T. I have a background in restoration and mechanics so see this as an interesting project.

[JKarow08]

My wife called me at work one day and said her coworker just told her she had a '73 911t for sale at an obscenely low price. I immediately said I'll take it, to which she retorted "you've never even seen a picture." I said, at that price, I don't need to. I then asked what the story was on it and she said her coworker told her her husband had passed away a few years prior and she was trying to get rid of all of his "junk." When prodded what kind of "junk" she had, she mentioned he was a car guy and had a bunch of tools and a couple of old cars. My wife asked about the cars and she said she had an '87 rx7 and a Porsche "aahhh, Cururah?" My wife corrected her with "Carrera" to which she replied, "yeah that's it." My wife asked about the history and she told her that her husband bought it in the mid to late 70s and took it in for a respray in 1979, and that the painter "stole" some of the chrome trim (my guess is the owner didn't pay the full bill and the painter didn't return the trim as a result). She said he put it in their garage and lost interest in it for about a year, at which point he tried to start it and it wouldn't start, resulting in him permanently losing interest. And there it sat in a heated garage for the next 35 years, completely untouched until I drug (seized caliper) it back out into the sun when I went to pick it up. The story of my 911 is a true example of the "barn find" we have all dreamed of, minus the barn. Here she is on her first day out after three and a half decades of hibernation...

[997RS1]

Damn, that was a score for 73 911T. I'm curious what the obscenely low price was haha