Repaint, 2nd time round, 73T

[911hillclimber]

Or any other shade from white to yellow!
Special Hot Rod paint exclusive to me. The paint was very cheap...

Must charge the camera?

[911hillclimber]

Significant day today for me, all the glass back into the car.
Thanks to a DDK contact and a few phone calls a fresh front clear/green top tint and the original rear screen all expertly fitted by someone who knew what he was about. Neil did a great job, and it was surprising how many people and areas we both shared at different times, Brummies stick together!

Rear side glass cleaned and back in and the rest of the interior.
Mastic sealer applied on the front wing mating flanges hopefully for wings on this Friday.

[911hillclimber]

The 'To-Do' list is getting considerably shorter after a few long afternoons chipping away at the car.

Spent what seemed ages fitting the door panels and getting everything done up tight, and it shows or rather it sounds like it when you close the doors.
The new glass seal in the passenger side has worked a treat, the glass almost glides up and down now. A much better fix than a load of PTFE spray.

Wax Oiled the inside of the doors so they should last a few more decades and everything looks good. The blacking out of the door inner panel really looks neat.

Took a deep breath and started on re-fitting the front indicator units, always a pain and so they were....

I fitted (evostick) a new gasket to the perimeter of the driver's side unit and that was a tedious process as the centre runs did not want to stick. The new seal is about 30% plumper than the originals and it shows when in the Dansk wing. I'm not 100% happy and still pondering to remove the seal and fit the old gasket.
The fight to fit the loom female plug into the hole in the inner wing was as irritating as ever, and some hot air gun softening won the day. The trombone oil cooler makes the inner wing area very congested. But, done.

The passenger side was nice, it all went in and fits well as the gasket is a bit perished but usable original, 1973, and it all popped together a treat. Wheew.

Feeling enthusiastic it was time to stick the front number plate on the bumper, easy, then to fit the Limo Dark tint film to the inside of the screen. I have no sun visors in the car due to the roll cage, so need a thick dark additional shade to block the low sun. After some careful juggling and lots of water spray it's on and looks as good as it used to.
Interior was finished by re-fitting my early 80's Momo wheel

So, what is left to do this final week of this little re-build?

Headlamps in when the new seals arrive (oh no, but I have the tatty one from 1989) and fit the wipers after a full electrical test of lights and wipers, washers etc as so much has been disconnected.
Change the rubber hose between tank and filler tube as the original is very hard and add 2 gallons of V Max.

Turn the engine over to get the first 10L slug of oil into the galleries and fire it up I hope, topping up as usual when hot.

This leaves the wheels.
Tempted to strip the old weights off and have all 4 re-balanced after a very good clean, maybe the wobble will go away then.
Or maybe refurbish my 7" Cookies.

To finish this thread off I'll do a precis of +/- and costs as I think the few watching will find it interesting.

[Gary71]

Looks good Graham. Those little finishing bits take ages.

[911hillclimber]

Thanks Gary, indeed they do.
The fight with the seals on the front of the car has been a trial. I simply am not a patient person.

The pictures flatter the car. Close up it is no beauty in terms of fit and finish, but it never was!

[stichill99]

Maybe the pictures do flatter the car but I think you should give yourself a pat on the back for getting the car tidied up and knowing you have a solid well sorted 911 for a sensible budget( I hope) and doing a lot of work yourself. Well done

[chud]

It’s all come together quick - still on course for late January outing?

[911hillclimber]

I expect to drive the car on the road next weekend.

In March this year I will have had the car 30 years, a birthday present, and some compensation for me leaving the world of Hot Rods (USA style) which had been my main interest since 1973.
I wanted to do hill climbing in the car, so it was 'restored' with this in mind in '89.

Then I had little money, a young family and a BIG mortgage so it had to be DIY, but all my cars were. Coming back to this car for a refresh has been great and it looks smart with no rust and even paint all over.
I've always thought it the worst car on DDK, but maybe it is one rung up from that position now!

I will be doing the sums end of next week and will share them here, the wife has a good idea on the cost of this little adventure, ( ) but I know I am well under £5000.
Wish I had added up all the hours I've spent, many many of them, but I have saved a lot, an awful lot.

I won't worry about my first or any stone chips just as I didn't back in 1990 when I got the car on the road.

Then, my first drive in my 911 (or any 911) was from Bob Watson's place by the bakery after he had done the suspension and back home, a 60 mile trip.

That was truly memorable.

[sladey]

Nice work Graham

[Bootsy]

This leaves the wheels.
Tempted to strip the old weights off and have all 4 re-balanced after a very good clean, maybe the wobble will go away then.
Or maybe refurbish my 7" Cookies.

I'd do the Cookies so you have an alternative to enjoy but I'd really consider detailing your Fuchs - I think it would transform your car.

You could use a DIY method as you're more than capable of producing something with a good finish. There's loads of threads on Pelican for example http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche- ... inish.html

[911hillclimber]

Thank you for the kind words and thoughts.

I've had it easy this time, it was hard going in '89 with 8 months of part time welding between overseas trips for work.
Not sure I would want to do a 'Gary' or 'Sladey' rebuild now, but I admire anyone who does a DIY re-build.

To the wheels:

There are a few reasons to consider the Cookies.

Firstly, the irritating steering wobble the car has at 67/72 mph may be the wheels, don't know. I do know the car runs perfectly with the Cookies (and different tyres). I used them for when I was hill climbing the car so as not to damage the 'Fuchs' wheels.

Secondly, the Fuchs wheels are in fact Dage/Compomotive split rims, cast alloy centres with a one piece cast rim bolted on. These came off a GIRO series 911 back in '91 so have been raced hard and may not be true. To refurbish these and still have one 'bent' would be a waste. I have checked these for run out and all 4 seem ok, tyres are near new and Dunlops so a good well made brand.
These tyres would go on the re-furb'd Cookies.

Thirdly, with the car having been re-freshe'd it feels right to have a change of wheels to mark my 30 years with the 911, bit sentimental and all that but I think some on here will sympathise.
It also takes the car away from a bit boy racer and more classic. The wheel company yesterday can powder paint the Cookies 'Old fashioned silver' a phrase from the 19 year old who quoted me!

The car started out on 6" Cookies when I first drove it.
I'm 75% convinced to do it, wife has approved the idea.

Went looking for some early pics of the car on Cookies...

1989 and outside Bob Watson's place in Bicester by the Bakery.



How time flies, 1991 and contemplating my first hill climb at Loton Park, day before my first race. You only needed a License, a helmet and a bravery pill. Folding chairs in the boot, picnic too and the family inside. Very happy days, and typifies my time with this car.

free pic hosting sites

[majordad]

Somewhere in the back of my mind I remember there being an issue with some Dage Sport rims, centers pulling out at races. Mentioned in a Porsche Post circa 1990/1. Steve in PCGB Motorsport might remember.

[911hillclimber]

Indeed you are right, but they were the 3 piece wheels which had, I think, spun inner/outer rims on the cast centre.
Bob warned me about the issue back then and I've kept an eagle eye on mine since, but they are sound. I think mine came off a car run by Oliver (surname).

Thank you though for the heads-up.

I got the new headlamp seals today from Type911 and although they looked plump they thinned-down when stretched into the groove around the bowl.
After a bit of a faff the 2 lights were in leaving just 2 jobs left.

I put 1.5 gallons of VPower Shell into the dry car and turned the engine over for about 5 seconds as the fuel system totally filled and the car came onto 2 then 4 and then 6 and settled to a steady hum6m6mm in a further 5 seconds.

Don't you just LOVE these air cooled engines!

Assembled in 1985, into my car with 60k miles and given an oil change every year for the next 30 of it's life and a further 70K miles and has never been apart, no smoke, just starts and runs and all on the stock bosch ecu.

FAB

The one headlamp on dipped lasted about 5 seconds too before it went AWOL...

Also, I have a small petrol leak on the banjo on the tank feed despite 2 new alum seal washers, so drained the fuel and will get new ones tomorrow. Never leaked for 28 years, then it does now!

SO, the job is done, my 911 is back together and looking good if the same underneath.

The plan for the wheels is to clean and remove all the weights and have all 4 re-balanced and see if the wobble is gone. If not, then I will do the Cookies and try again.

To finish this little story off, here are the Accounts.

Budget: £5000 max.
Plan: 3 months to do it so to keep the storage costs of the Lola race car to a minimum.

Parts:
2 new front wings, £850 special deal from Euro Parts. I only bought them because of this offer. In hind-sight I should have repaired my originals. (for fit and money save)
Rear panel: £100
Rear bumpers: £120
Screen: £350
Trim: £30
Misc parts: clips/screws/bolts grommets and such like: £200

Sub Total: £1650

Services:

Painter: £1500 inc everything
Fit screens: £180
Storage of the race car: £400

Sub Total: £2080

Consumables:

Primers, WaxOil, Hammerite etc: £150

Sub Total; £150

Total: £3880

Maybe: Cookie refurb £225 (5 wheels) + fit and balance tyres etc £40

What I have found out!

Firstly, thank you to the generous gift of the CV joints, The DDK charity got a few £££ too.
Secondly, thanks to the buyers of some of my surplus parts, about £240 payback, so the wheels covered I hope.

I should have chosen the painter more carefully as it was rushed and all a bit 'too-much' I think and it shows, but a solid job that will last my lifetime.
I should have been less lazy and repaired my original wings. May well still do that in the summer.
I should have kept a log of my hours throughout as the time has been staggering, and if £50/Hr was the rate the cost would have been astronomical and prohibited.

I could not have afforded the re-build if I had not taken the (preferred) DIY route.

It has been a great little project and the car looks tidy and no rust.
I hope the thread has been of some interest to those who have watched it, I've enjoyed 'reporting' it here.

[mrk]

Great result - have enjoyed following your work... and such a great history and connection you have with your car... love the old photos - such memories, I’m sure!

[Lightweight_911]

.
A great result !

I think (as Thomas said earlier) a change to the wheels - either refinishing the Dage Sports to look more like the finish of early Fuchs or fitting the refurbished Cookie Cutters - would make a big improvement to the overall look.

.