another 73T Targa restoration thread

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deano
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another 73T Targa restoration thread

Post by deano »

Hi guys, having recently introduced myself and the car, it was suggested that I start a restoration thread so here goes!! Please have a read of my intro for background.

I have already completed a lot of the metalwork, including new OEM latch panel, and front half suspension pan, and all the dodgy bits in and around that area. Have also taken care of all the rear footwells, including the areas around the rear torsion bar and tunnel. Outstanding metalwork is right side door latch panel, kidney and a small section of the adjacent rear wing below the Targa bar (the other side has been done by previous owners and looks good / like new.

I have used some of the warmer weather to strip rear bumpers, front bumper and engine lid back to bare metal - these ones were all the most solid of the multiple parts that I have accumulated over the last 20 years. These are all in 2k epoxy, straight, solid and looking greaaaaaat! A bit of TIGing, and skim of filler was of course necessary. I have some interesting pics of some dissected spare body parts that I will post soon.

Looks like I need to re-size all of the pics I spent all morning cropping, so I'll post them later for each section of the car. I'll hit enter now, and also post the bit that I am completely stuck on separately....

Bye for now! Dean

73T Targa, MFI (ex USA, imported and converted to RHD many moons ago, under restoration)
80' 924 Turbo (bought yesterday :) not home yet)
996 C4 cab (first engine destroyed itself, second one blew head gaskit - sold)
A bunch of 944's all gone.
My old love, an 83' SC Targa in Pewter, gone.
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Latest pic
Latest pic
Dean
1973T Targa MFI 334 met blu- under restoration https://www.ddk-online.com/phpBB2/viewt ... 28&t=67060
1980 924 Turbo, blu/grn tartan - restored
deano
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Re: another 73T Targa restoration thread

Post by deano »

Here is just a tiny selection of the frontal repair photos...

I am lucky to have a spot welder with various long and short arms, plus TIG and MIG and switch between them as necessary, including when the gas runs out on TIG, again!!

The other thing that I found is that the Dansk and OEM coatings, even when sanded off, cause the TIG to 'spit' and leave great big lumps of metal on the end of the electrode. The MIG is much happier with that metalwork, but much hotter and the welds are much bigger and take longer to grind down than the tickle needed with TIG on low amps. I prefer the TIG for seamlessly (and sometimes invisibly on a good day) patching in plain steel, with and without filler rod (thanks to Contour Autocraft for teaching me to TIG without filler rod). The spot welder never complains, and just does its job - has been a God send!!

OK, so now I have just learned that 3 attachments is the maximum, and they are in the reverse order :lol:
Attachments
I replaced the end of the left side panel by fabricating and TIGing in a new section. M* weld nut MIGed in on the bottom for the battery strap.
I replaced the end of the left side panel by fabricating and TIGing in a new section. M* weld nut MIGed in on the bottom for the battery strap.
New OEM latch panel and Dansk pan half spot welded in, suspension reinforcements in (MIG) plus new left sections all fabricated by me (TIG). Marked up ready for the battery support panel.
New OEM latch panel and Dansk pan half spot welded in, suspension reinforcements in (MIG) plus new left sections all fabricated by me (TIG). Marked up ready for the battery support panel.
Front sections, test fitting
Front sections, test fitting
Dean
1973T Targa MFI 334 met blu- under restoration https://www.ddk-online.com/phpBB2/viewt ... 28&t=67060
1980 924 Turbo, blu/grn tartan - restored
deano
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Re: another 73T Targa restoration thread

Post by deano »

More on the front section, in no particular order...
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I am sure that everyone has seen this done before, and many have been there done that, but I am quite proud of the workmanship, and that I actually finished something!! :lol:
I am sure that everyone has seen this done before, and many have been there done that, but I am quite proud of the workmanship, and that I actually finished something!! :lol:
Fabricated a new section to go under the left battery box. I almost wish I had purchased one of those inner wing end sections for this patch, but they are a bit pricey I think. I persevered instead and it worked out pretty well I think.
Fabricated a new section to go under the left battery box. I almost wish I had purchased one of those inner wing end sections for this patch, but they are a bit pricey I think. I persevered instead and it worked out pretty well I think.
Patched the right side member where it was weak after removing the old battery support. Enlarged the hole so I could weld the suspension pan top and bottom. Added  a weld nut under the existing battery strap hole - lets just say that was quite difficult, and there might have been a bit of swearing involved :) TIGed the patch in to make it virtually invisible.
Patched the right side member where it was weak after removing the old battery support. Enlarged the hole so I could weld the suspension pan top and bottom. Added a weld nut under the existing battery strap hole - lets just say that was quite difficult, and there might have been a bit of swearing involved :) TIGed the patch in to make it virtually invisible.
Dean
1973T Targa MFI 334 met blu- under restoration https://www.ddk-online.com/phpBB2/viewt ... 28&t=67060
1980 924 Turbo, blu/grn tartan - restored
deano
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Re: another 73T Targa restoration thread

Post by deano »

OK, last pics of the front section, and enough for today (the wife said)....
Attachments
Always mark the side and orientation of patches when you are fabricating them, otherwise it can be tricky to get them to fit the hole....
Always mark the side and orientation of patches when you are fabricating them, otherwise it can be tricky to get them to fit the hole....
Just to show the lengths that I go to if I find any dodgy metal... these are the tools I use to fabricate my patches and associated card templates. I try to leave about a half mm gap around the patches, and tack then seam weld with TIG on around 9 Amps to 13 A depending on how it goes... Inevitably, the patches move and twist as they get tacked in, so I reposition with a Stanley knife blade in-between tacks and always use filler rod in these cases because of the thinness of the original sheet metal (helps spread the heat).
Just to show the lengths that I go to if I find any dodgy metal... these are the tools I use to fabricate my patches and associated card templates. I try to leave about a half mm gap around the patches, and tack then seam weld with TIG on around 9 Amps to 13 A depending on how it goes... Inevitably, the patches move and twist as they get tacked in, so I reposition with a Stanley knife blade in-between tacks and always use filler rod in these cases because of the thinness of the original sheet metal (helps spread the heat).
Close up of the spot welds. This battery support (Restoration Design, from Bray's) was drilled for MIG, which I regret, but I MIGed them in anyway after this pic was taken. By the way, I tried a Dansk battery support panel (because they look pretty in Black) but it was an absolutely shocking fit and I returned it. The RD panel fitted (my car) perfectly.
Close up of the spot welds. This battery support (Restoration Design, from Bray's) was drilled for MIG, which I regret, but I MIGed them in anyway after this pic was taken. By the way, I tried a Dansk battery support panel (because they look pretty in Black) but it was an absolutely shocking fit and I returned it. The RD panel fitted (my car) perfectly.
Dean
1973T Targa MFI 334 met blu- under restoration https://www.ddk-online.com/phpBB2/viewt ... 28&t=67060
1980 924 Turbo, blu/grn tartan - restored
stretch
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Re: another 73T Targa restoration thread

Post by stretch »

Nice work. Enjoy the journey
70T barn find...... to ST.
1998 C2 996 Kettle
deano
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Re: another 73T Targa restoration thread

Post by deano »

A few pics of the rear footwell repairs

.... the beige paint is Hammerite No1 Rust Beater (my favorite paint for interior pitted bits - chuckle)
Attachments
Original rear footwell, prior to cutting out rotten areas
Original rear footwell, prior to cutting out rotten areas
New floor section TIGed in (cheap galv RetroLine panel from Des911, covered in green paint and rust, poor replica - suggest avoiding)
New floor section TIGed in (cheap galv RetroLine panel from Des911, covered in green paint and rust, poor replica - suggest avoiding)
Tacked in (ground bolt brazed in place first)
Tacked in (ground bolt brazed in place first)
Dean
1973T Targa MFI 334 met blu- under restoration https://www.ddk-online.com/phpBB2/viewt ... 28&t=67060
1980 924 Turbo, blu/grn tartan - restored
deano
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Re: another 73T Targa restoration thread

Post by deano »

Rear right tunnel section repair....
Attachments
Using a mirror, carefully positioned to see the spot weld tip positions from under the car, through the opening in the footwell kick board...
Using a mirror, carefully positioned to see the spot weld tip positions from under the car, through the opening in the footwell kick board...
Spot welds and positions approximately replicate the originals (perhaps a bit anal, but also neat and easy).
Spot welds and positions approximately replicate the originals (perhaps a bit anal, but also neat and easy).
All TIGed in and ground flush, ready for the beige stuff...
All TIGed in and ground flush, ready for the beige stuff...
Dean
1973T Targa MFI 334 met blu- under restoration https://www.ddk-online.com/phpBB2/viewt ... 28&t=67060
1980 924 Turbo, blu/grn tartan - restored
deano
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Re: another 73T Targa restoration thread

Post by deano »

Been a while since I updated - I was stuck on getting the new OEM wings to fit sufficiently well, and same with the bonnet. It looked like to me like both doors needed to come forward by a couple of mm but the top hinges were already flush up against the hinge posts with no shims.

Anyway, I shouted out for help, and it arrived in the best form from Barry who, with a little tiny bit of assistance from me occasionally like to lift away the fully assembled doors (heavy buggers!!) and remove some bits and pieces out of the way for him to work his magic, hammered, slapped and fettled everything into a really nice shape :cheers:

The edges of the doors, scuttle and sills were sanded back to reveal the bare metal and check for filler in preparation - no filler found, only the previous Aubergine paint and primer layers on solid shiny sheet metal. The original met blue was gone, suggesting that the previous Aubergine was part of a bare metal paint job.

I learned an incredible amount from watching Barry (mainly, to be braver - its only metal, and even the most expensive new OEM panels dont fit well) and now have a plan and instructions for taking it forward. The towel trick was particularly impressive for shaping up the curvature of the bonnet. The sledge hammer tweeks of the door hinge posts were slightly painful to watch, and needed special tooling, but as used by the factory apparently. Tweeking the shape of one of my shiny new wings around the door support on the floor was worrying too (I was holding it down to stop it running away!), but worked a treat.

So, the next steps.....

Learned that my sills were not welded on properly, and found a little bit of corrosion and few mm of filler at the front end of the left sill where it begins to slope up, and there is corrosion around the jacking point, so this will be replaced by the correct OEM part and installed plug welded in properly. Jury is out on the right sill....

Right latch post and some of the quarter panel needs some repair sections. Left side latch post has been done previously and looks good.

The left and right sides of the scuttle panel that curve around the screen need leading up to the rain channel to fill out the gap between the scuttle and the new wings - this gap could potentially be closed with a bit of chiselling, but this will likely twist the tips of the wings and increase the door top gap, not to mention it might crease 'somewhere'. The wing to door top gaps look like they might need closing only by perhaps 1 mm so, but they are not fully bolted up yet and the wing sealing tape and rubber seal is not in place yet so may need more. Then the options are a skim of filler or blobbing on and filing lead around the door edge.

These pictures may not do it justice, but I can assure you that everything is looking straight now with good gaps.... :bounce:
Attachments
FettledRightDoorBottomGap.JPG
FettledRightDoorWingSideGap.JPG
FettledRightDoorLatchSideGap.JPG
Last edited by deano on Wed Oct 14, 2020 12:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Dean
1973T Targa MFI 334 met blu- under restoration https://www.ddk-online.com/phpBB2/viewt ... 28&t=67060
1980 924 Turbo, blu/grn tartan - restored
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Re: another 73T Targa restoration thread

Post by deano »

Left side...
Attachments
FettledLeftDoorBottomGap.JPG
FettledLeftDoorWingSideGap.JPG
FettledLeftDoorLatchSideGap.JPG
Dean
1973T Targa MFI 334 met blu- under restoration https://www.ddk-online.com/phpBB2/viewt ... 28&t=67060
1980 924 Turbo, blu/grn tartan - restored
deano
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Re: another 73T Targa restoration thread

Post by deano »

Bonnet to wings...
Attachments
FettledFrontView.JPG
FettledBonnetScuttle.JPG
FettledBonnetScuttleGap.JPG
Dean
1973T Targa MFI 334 met blu- under restoration https://www.ddk-online.com/phpBB2/viewt ... 28&t=67060
1980 924 Turbo, blu/grn tartan - restored
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Re: another 73T Targa restoration thread

Post by Gary71 »

Excellent Right man for the job
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Re: another 73T Targa restoration thread

Post by Bootsy »

:cheers:
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Re: another 73T Targa restoration thread

Post by deano »

During the last week, I was preparing to run the MFI engine before dropping it to take care of the back of the heel boards properly and do sill work without the weight of the engine. I last ran it 4 or 5 years ago (that wasn't the plan), following which I removed the fuel tank for front end panel work. So, with a new fuel tank just fitted and 5 litres of 99 RON fuel, I went through the usual pre-start prep work: remove plugs, turn by hand, prime the pumps with fuel, fill the injection pump with oil (tough job!), crank a few times (with plugs out, HT lead disconnected and held close to the case, cold start solenoid wire disconnected) to build pressure (gauge showed 40 psi, so looked good), cleaned re-gapped and put back the plugs, cranked again with HT lead still disconnected. Re-connected CSS wire and HT lead and then tried to fire her up...... guess what?! she fired up on the first turn of the key... and idled smoothly!! unbelievable! I really wish I could take her out for a spin now, but I'm not tall enough to drive while sitting on the back seat, and the initial smokiness until she cleans out her pipes might draw attention :lol: :cheers:
Dean
1973T Targa MFI 334 met blu- under restoration https://www.ddk-online.com/phpBB2/viewt ... 28&t=67060
1980 924 Turbo, blu/grn tartan - restored
deano
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Re: another 73T Targa restoration thread

Post by deano »

Getting ready to tidy the welds on the back side of the heel panels - B&D Power File ready with new belts...

Dropped the engine for this (see separate thread), and also in readiness to tackle sills and kidneys.

First though, I decided to take a break from welding and grinding (poor neighbours!), remove the heater flap boxes, and then clean all the gunge off of the underside to see whats (left) under it.

Had sprayed WD40 on the flap box nuts a couple of times over previous days. After a tweak in the wrong direction, all 6 nuts backed off easily. Had to hit the boxes, which are toast and will be replaced, with a mallet to free the mated ducting ....

Used my wife's tooth brush and Auto Glym Engine and Machine cleaner for this, which I found to be a mild and effective (I want to keep the garage dry and the car dry). I used a sponge to lift off the loosened dirt and washed the sponge off in water + squeezed it as dry as possible. Two applications and it was all clean enough to eat off of. Used (whole tins of) carb cleaner through a straw to remove the dirt from the hard to reach corners.

Thankfully, I think perhaps 98% of the original cream coloured underseal is still in excellent condition and still properly adhered. :cheers:

The small areas that are not e.g. around the fuel pipe welded-on brackets only have really minor surface rust and will be cleaned back to bare metal and primed to protect it and ready for new underseal - I am undecided about what to use e.g. either Por15 or brush on epoxy 2k primer, then underseal touch-up either the proper 3M stuff or Gravitex.
Attachments
CleanBum.JPG
CleanBumLeftSeatBack.JPG
CleanBumLeftRightBack.JPG
Dean
1973T Targa MFI 334 met blu- under restoration https://www.ddk-online.com/phpBB2/viewt ... 28&t=67060
1980 924 Turbo, blu/grn tartan - restored
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Re: another 73T Targa restoration thread

Post by deano »

I would prefer to remove the MFI fuel pump cradle to cleanup and protect the area around it, but this looked like a real pig to remove, and just as difficult to put back....

Has anyone done this please - any tips on how, without damaging the tube?

The fuel pump is now out...
Attachments
MFIpumpCradle.JPG
Dean
1973T Targa MFI 334 met blu- under restoration https://www.ddk-online.com/phpBB2/viewt ... 28&t=67060
1980 924 Turbo, blu/grn tartan - restored
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