Restoration of my 1971 911T Targa

[Neilnaz]

I was working on my window regulators yesterday evening. I noticed what looks like a build/manufacture date on the arm one being 2/71 and the other 1/71. These are consistent with the car being registered in 1971. Am I correct in thinking these would have been stamped with a month of manufacture?



Stamped here:


Cheers, Neil

[911hillclimber]

Month/Year was common back then, but day/month/year common today as quality traceability systems are far more advanced now.

[RobFrost]

You can see from the photo above which was taken a while ago that the door fit was very good except for the top front curvy section where the door and front wing seem to have become fallen out of love with each other.

I think my car is as it left the factory, (having spent its life in New Mexico) and you could insert a burrito in that gap.

Sent from my SM-G988B using Tapatalk

[Neilnaz]

At you Rob

I have mostly spent this evening cleaning and deconstructing my door latches. Oddly, maybe this is a ‘thing’ both have one spring missing. One broken one was found in my box of bits. Anyway any information on whether 2 is normal or 1 is better.

I started with this:


Went through this:


And this:


And got to this (note both have only a single spring)


Hopefully, I can track down a similar strength spring to complete both.

I have to say one of the wonderful things about owning a Porsche is finding all of these details about components that can be deconstructed cleaned and reconstructed. Great design and wonderful use of good materials. It may be a while before I get to enjoy the car as a whole!

Cheers, Neil

[Neilnaz]

I obtained some ‘extremely similar’ springs from my local hardware store and replaced the single springs that were on my door latches with twin balanced ones. They are slightly shorter and, I am fairly sure, slightly lower rated than the single springs. I didn’t like how the latches were slightly lop-sided with just the single spring. The proof will be in the pudding but they look fine to me.



I also cleaned up my pedal box. It was pretty tidy just grubby as I bought it 7-8 years ago soon after purchasing the car. When I bought the car I knew it had a bodged lhd to rhd conversion back in the day. I don’t know when it was installed maybe when the conversion was done but someone had used a beetle pedal box. Although it did work it felt very wrong. The throw was wrong and you felt like you had to almost dislocate your ankle to disengage the clutch. The issue was also that the floor hadn’t been changed so the pedals sat too high.

I purchased the correct pedal box and had it installed but it was never quite right. Things should be much better now I have the correct rhd floor.

Anyway I may still clean it up a little more and paint it in places as it looks very slightly tired after 7-8 years.



I only have a few more things to clean up. Mostly trim that needs cleaning and polishing.

Cheers, Neil

[Neilnaz]

This is needing a little bit of a spruce up. Are the panels often painted black? I see evidence of black paint that has mostly disappeared. I will deconstruct and paint the panel if so. Mostly really grubby but in good order underneath the grime.



Cheers, Neil

[911hillclimber]

Ref the door check straps..
The holes need to be a really good fit in the arms and the body brackets otherwise the door will demonstrate a nasty cracking noise when in use as the clearances allow sharp movement just as the catch goes over centre.
Will drive you mad!
Drivers side wears more of course and to my eye the one looks a touch ovalised?

[Neilnaz]

Thanks for the pointers regarding the check straps Hillclimber. I called them latches
One of the holes is ovalised slightly when compared with the other. I suppose I could look at welding up the hole and re-drilling. This is, apart from the clean-up and new springs, how they came off the car. I do recall the door on the driver’s side having a definite click. That supports your prognosis.

I will ponder and maybe try to replace or improve.

Cheers, Neil

[RobFrost]

I have in my possession a broken spring found somewhere in my 1970T, looks like it's one of those you replaced here. Thanks for showing me where it came from!

Sent from my SM-G988B using Tapatalk

[Neilnaz]

Well I am pleased that it has helped you out Rob. I have 2 old springs pictured that are ok, one broken and one missing. I might well try to fix the ovalised hole as I think that could be as easy as getting the hole welded up and then re-drilling it.

I have quite a few little jobs if tidying, cleaning and the like to do. There aren’t that many things awaiting my attention except for the fuse boxes and wiring. My loom (I think it is the tunnel loom) was chopped near the front probably close to the fuse boxes. I am not particularly chuffed about this. I was considering repairing it but I need to be able to locate the fuse boxes and residual wiring. That I have not got at the moment.

I didn’t really want to be buying new wiring looms but that might be what I need to do.

I have the wiring diagrams. Does anyone have a diagram showing how the looms relate to flatbed wiring diagram?

Cheers, Neil

[RobFrost]

Would a few photos help of where the wires go? Also, I think having a look at another car would be useful. I think there are a few key routes where most of the wires go.

Sent from my SM-G988B using Tapatalk

[Neilnaz]

Hi Rob, photos would be really helpful. Any information regarding the wiring looms and how everything pieces together would be really good.

Cheers, Neil

[911hillclimber]

Ref Door straps.
Could be they are case hardened (the link arms) so may not weld well.

I put the passenger side on the driver's side as it is the most used door, but when I converted to RHD I have the snap sound again!

A rub with a file will say if hardened. If hardened, the high carbon steel will weld ok but you may not be able to drill it after.

Some have used a hard C roll pin of the right (6mm?) diameter which expands to take up most of the slack, but it might still click.

IIRC Gary fixed his in recent past.

[Gary71]

The bit on the door is just old mild steel I think. I welded them up and drilled them.

Key thing is to do this before you put the A pillar lower on, and definitely before the sill otherwise you can’t get the angle to drill them.

[Neilnaz]

Thanks about the advice regarding the check straps. I will look into whether they are repairable.

Today I have been cleaning up the engine bay electrical panel and associated wiring.
I started here:

and here:


And got to here:

And here:


The wiring is in good order. I am working through an understanding of what goes where. There are a few things like connectors that don’t go anywhere - like the speed switch so I am gradually making sense.

I will post more later. I need to paint the panel and tidy up the units that were rather grubby.

Cheers, Neil