Restoration of my 1971 911T Targa

[Neilnaz]

This is where we start the story - my 1971 911T Targa purchased 7 years ago for cheap. A bastardised LHD to RHD conversion but in reasonable running order. It had some interesting quirks with a VW pedal box and all the controls in the wrong place due to a 'cut and shut' dashboard rehash.

After having the car on the road for 5 years which were relatively uneventful with moderate improvements like a correct pedal box and replacement of missing parts the car failed a Warrant of Fitness due to crack in the sill:

Upon investigation that was the least of the issues - plenty of previous repairs:

Repairs commenced with half floors decided upon but as investigations continued it became obvious that, in order to make this a decent car, some of the cars history needed to be removed. The area under the petrol tank was sound but totally non-standard. The story will continue....

[Neilnaz]

More grot was uncovered:

The scrap pile grew:

The car was on a Cellete jig needing many repair panels:

A complete floor-pan was ordered and the extent of the repairs was better understood. The car deserved to have some of the wrongs put right. The dashboard layout was all wrong due to the LHD to RHD conversion. The heater controls were on the right of the steering wheel whilst the ignition switch was on the left. This wad definitely a cut and shut dashboard!

[Neilnaz]

The floor-pans were cut out:

The new floor-pan had arrived and was waiting patiently:

The floor-pan with pedals were welded and set out:

The car was not looking particularly Porsche shaped at this point but progress was being made. I was going to take home some of the parts of the car and make a start on refurbishing components big and small so that, by the time the car was to be re-assembled, it had parts that looked tidy and presentable to go on.

To be continued...

[Neilnaz]

The sills were reconstructed:

The car was on the Cellette and pulled back to shape:

There were good parts of the car - it wasn't all to be scrapped!

It was at this point that the car began to get heavier with more repair panels being welded on than parts being removed.

To be continued.....

[Neilnaz]

The sills were looking more complete:

The car was coming together a little more:

Here is the cut taken from a scrapped 80s RHD 911:

This was going to be welded in to where the dash/bulkhead had been removed and ended up in the scrap pile. It was nice to think that the car, although originally LHD, having been sold in Germany in 1971 then the UK from 1974, 'converted LHD-RHD' in 1977 (I think) when it arrived in NZ, it will finally have the 'correct' parts be 'correct'.

To be continued...

[Bootsy]

Great to see another resto thread - good work

[Neilnaz]

A new front panel was welded in once repairs had been completed to enable this to happen:

The doors were checked over and deemed to be too rusty to be worthy of repair so new(er) frames were supplied, sand-blasted with new skins attached:

The doors were ready to be fitted to the car and the sills finished to match:

This just about brings the work up to date with regards the bodywork. The sills will be finished with the doors hung, The cut will be installed and some repairs to the rear where there is a minor tweak to the driver's side outrigger. At that point the car should be ready for paint

[Neilnaz]

It is at this point I will turn to the parts I have been working on:

The crust handbrake mechanism:

This is the original paint colour - Signal Orange:

This started me off ruminating about the colour. I did meet a New Zealander who owned the car between 1974 and 1977 whilst he was living in London and he assured me the car was Orange when he owned it. I discussed with my wife but was pretty sure I was going to go back to the original colour.

[Neilnaz]

I continued titivating some of the components from the car. I had the suspension components distributed around the floor of my garage in various states of finish:

The Instruments part way through refurbishment:

The wiper mechanism:

Various parts were taken to be Vapour blasted to clean them up - what a difference!:

I decided to Vapour blast more components and get things Zinc plated. Mmm am I getting obsessive?

[Neilnaz]

Components like the bonnet catch came up beautifully - I can look at things like this for quite some time - just lovely design:

The Petrol filler cap came up beautifully post Zinc plating:

Some shiny parts - please note that the Steering tube was modified from LHD to RHD by cutting off the Steering lock bracket, creating a new hole and TIG welding it back on, finishing and getting the unit plated. This stuff looks like jewelery:

[Neilnaz]

More:

My refurbished handbrake:

The completed Instruments with new bezels - looking good!:

I purchased the bezels from Krombacher as mine were rather too far gone but I didn't want the Instruments to be totally reworked. I am really happy with how they came out. I cleaned them up inside and cleaned the glass (etc.)

[Neilnaz]

Lastly, I decided to make my own take on a 917 gear knob. It is really highly polished and feel lovely in the hand. I have the original Gear knob but it was cracked so I repaired it and have it as a reserve.

I am currently painting and refinishing some components. Many are finished ready to go back on the car once it is finished. The main components still to go that I have is the Air box which just needs a clean, the front calipers and the Petrol tank.

There are a few missing pieces that must be back with the Workshop that I need to fetch. For instance, I haven't seen the rear calipers or the rear disks.

Anyway, I will post some more photos as things happen.

Cheers, Neil

[rhd racer]

Great stuff, thanks for sharing.

Struggling to orientate that bulkhead / dash panel. Is it a genuine RHD panel, so therefore will remain RHD as you drive on the left? So correcting the wrongs of the previous conversion? Or going back to as produced?

Either way, you are doing a great )on by the looks. And I love a bit of orange, the world needs more

All the best
Wayne

[Neilnaz]

Hi yes, it is a genuine RHD panel from an 1980s 911. We drive on the left in New Zealand and I want a RHD drive. Yes I am correcting the wrongs of the past but making it a 'correct RHD' as opposed to a 'bodged RHD'.

I have established that the trailing arms are a mismatched non-pair. I didn't realise until I took the driveshafts off to re-do the CV boots and re-grease the CVs themselves. One is an early trailing arm and the other is a slightly later one with extra 'gusseting'.

The earlier trailing arm:

The later trailing arm:

I think I have decided to get additional gusseting to be added to the earlier trailing arm by a skilled welder.

Cheers, Neil

[Neilnaz]

Some further photos of suspension work:

Zinc plated spring plates:

CV joint and driveshaft work:

Another shot:

Cheers, Neil