912 Targa : A slow restore / refresh

[Mr Pharmacist]

At least one of mine is the plastic one on the website - dont know if it will work or not but the catch its for looks the same as the rear catch above.

The other I have (I think!) is the full front catch off a 912.

I'll send pics when I dig them out

[Lightweight_911]

There's a vague chance I might have one - will have a look tomorrow.

[MT]

The retainer is Mazak and cannot be plated, they haven't lost them, they have dissolved. I don't think you can blame the platers for that.

I think we can, Nick. The latches had been dismantled into all their constituent parts- I re-assembled them for the photo below. They also told Neil this is what they planned to do when they took them from him.

I think they have done a poor job, and charged a lot. The photo if anything flatters them - they are dull, dull, dull.



And as for the horn grills - they were like this when I took them off. I recommended Neil to just Autosol the hell out of them and live with the pits, but he could try a few chromers if he wanted, but that it was essential they at least filed the pits flat. If this is the best that could be achieved then I think they should have declined the work.



£110 worth - not in my mind.

[visualfx]

Neil out of interest which chrome plate company did you use?

[neilbardsley]

Unfortunately the wing mirror stand seal that Andy supplied doesn't fit so I'm still looking if anybody else has something suitable



Garry I sent you a pm

I don't want to keep increasing the cost of this but at this stage I'm tempted to buy some new ones.

Anyway on to the better stuff

It doesn't look like much at the moment but some photos from Mick





It looks like I have the correct seal from the rear of the targa bar



is is the one that I saw at Hedingham



Pretty dusty but the front













The bit which was taken from the door

[mycar]

As for the horn grilles, they're made from mazak too and you will never get them back to what they were.

Doesn't matter what any plater might tell you. Ask me how I know.

Just buy a new pair from Auto Foreign Services and be done with it. Nothing finishes a car off like a proper pair of shiny horngrilles.

http://www.autoforeignservices.com/

IMHO, Mike.

[neilbardsley]

Just found this photo of my first 912 which got rear end (and later nicked)!! Nice car.

[MT]

I've also told Neil his door striker plates are missing/losing the bottom section as you can see, but he says they worked ok before and nothing has been done to them, so we'll see how they function when the doors are back on.

Agree with Mike re AFS - that's where I got mine for the Doctors car. They are costly though and as you can see from the scope of the respray he's going for Neil is trying to do this as a 'refresh' not a restoration, but I think he's getting that well known 'well as we're in there' feeling!

I have a pair of shiny new, but plastic, repro horn grills I got from Roger Bray before I found out about AFS and piggy-backed onto an order Garry was placing, and I've offered to fit them at cost i.e., £35 each. However if you decide to push the boat out with AFS 'while we're in there' Neil, just let me know! They are really, really good, and on the face of it at $160 a pair very reasonable, but the shipping for one pair can be pricey now Eric will only post to the UK using UPS apparently. Might well be worth asking the total to get them.

Incidentally I see Roger Bray is now also offering 'metal chrome' grills like AFS, but at £132 each!

Mick

[MT]

Oh and a windscreen installation tip.

Charlie who runs the body shop had worked in the past as a screen fitter and after I'd done all the hard bit of fitting the seal and re-shaping and fitting the chrome trim he showed me how quick and easy installation should be.

The trick is to create two cord loops, not one, and to create these at either side halfway up the A post. Position the screen, and then fit either side first with your assistant just holding the screen gently pressed down in the middle. This centralises the screen and holds it firmly while you then unzip the top and bottom. Took him 3 minutes maximum - admittedly aided by the fact it's a targa and you can reach over the top and push the top edge when you pull out the cord, but still.....

Amazing to watch. I've done this probably a dozen times now and thought I was getting pretty competent - but you can always learn something from the pros!

I'll be trying this next time

Mick

[neilbardsley]

Can somebody tell me what mazack is? Google isn't helping

[mycar]

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=mazac ... al&spell=1



Mike.

[myatt1972]

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=mazac ... al&spell=1



Mike.

Ahhhh! Its what my Dad calls monkey muck

[210bhp]

I'm ordering a whole package of stuff from auto foreign soon. (just waiting on one item which is still out of stock). If you want to piggy back your horn grilles Neil let me know. It's taken a few weeks wait up to now so it might be a week or two more. If anybody else is thinking the same then pm me and I will add to the order. It all helps reduce the overall postage costs. There will obviously be a bit of internal postage once here but has got to be less than one pair of grilles from the US.

Regards
Mike

[MT]

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=mazac ... al&spell=1



Mike.

Ahhhh! Its what my Dad calls monkey muck

Nahh, monkey muck shines up better, lasts longer and doesn't rust. Give me monkey muck any day

[neilbardsley]

MT

I'm guessing these are the plastic ones that you already have?

http://www.rosepassion.com/en/cat/porsc ... left/P1280