Probably time for a little update.
Next were the valances and cill covers which had already been painted on the inside. A couple of quick coats of primer filler
I rubbed smooth the damaged paint on the rear edge of the froot lid and primed where necessary. When I repainted the top of the froot lid I also top coated the cill covers and valances.
Decided to push the car out into the sun and start some colour sanding.
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I noticed a few ‘holes’ in the paint above the rear wheel arch – a bit like a fisheye, but not. Possibly deep dust that pulled out when I rubbed the paint. I used a cocktail stick and touched the ‘holes’ in, left them a couple of days and removed the tops / excess. All was good until I noticed another. I polished it out, but in trying to get rid of ‘just a little more’, I managed to rub through the top coats and the primer is ghosting through. Bu$$er
. Given that it’s 2k topcoat which is not good for patching and blending, I guess that means a respray of the rear wing is in my imminent future.
I walked away for a while, and as the weather is changing and not for the better, I looked for other things to do.
The bumpers still needed more stripping, so I set to with the poly disc, various bits of sandpaper and skin from my knuckles. Having used paint stripper I couldn’t stop and say enough was enough – I had to remove everything. In the end I resorted to pouring some thinners over areas like welds that retained bits of paint. My goodness ( or **cking Nora), the epoxy on the rear bumper didn’t want to come away.
As an aside, I thought that you had to etch prime aluminium and that you couldn’t use epoxy primer over etch primer. Having bought another litre of etch primer I’ve now seen that Rust Buster’s epoxy primers (121 & 421) (and Jotun HB) state that it can be used on stainless and aluminium. Guess that will be epoxy primer for me then.
Needed to see Jonny H, so while there I called in on Lee at Octane and collected my engine bits from his 'man in a shed who builds drag cars or his wife to race'. Crank was on limit but fine but the heads were the worst they have ever seen. I expected valve guides at 76k miles which is what they went for, but ended up needing all valves and springs replacing as well. The main thing was that the exhaust studs had been replaced previously. When I say replaced, that might suggest a proper job. However let's leave it that it is normal to have studs perpendicular to the head and in the right places. The heads needed the studs removing, boring, plugging and re-drilling for new studs. Rockers were refaced and a set of 964 profile cams fell into my box
. I'm trying to do everything myself on this resto, but certain machining things are obviously out of my ability and tooling, and I'm glad of people like Lee and his 'man in a shed' for their experience and skill.
Weather is still not good, so what next. Maybe the oil tank. No photos, but the oil tank was quite shiny in large parts, where the paint has lifted. It was also covered in yukiness. A good scrubbing with heavy duty degreaser, followed by a bath in my parts washer, followed by poly stripping disc, thinners and lots of rubbing got it looking a lot better.
It looked like stainless, but there are a number of pockmarks, like normal steel. Out with the magnet and it stuck. Had the magnet not stuck then it would definitely have been stainless, but as the magnet stuck it could be cheap stainless or normal steel. A quick Google suggests that oil tanks for my vintage of 911 are 400 series (slightly magnetic) stainless steel. I was expecting to have to etch prime, but following my findings above, more epoxy primer will follow, probably just black epoxy without a colour coat on top.
Didn’t know whether phosphating treatment would have any effect, but I tried It anyway. Judging by the black spots in/on the surface, it was worthwhile.
I tried to think of all of the little items that would need painting before they are refitted, but which had not yet got any attention. I dug out the front winglets and the torsion tube covers (they were bought new less than a year ago but the retaining plate of one had already started to rust !). Time for some more sand blasting. I sorted out a number of brackets (such as the fuel accumulator and filter bracket), some tin ware and the air deflectors from the side of the engine and various other bits and bobs. Sand blasting, wire brushing, general scrubbing and another little pile has formed. All were then phosphated.
That brings us up to date. I want to get all of the other painted parts, such as the front wings, doors, froot and engine lids, and colour sand them. Could this be in case I rub though and they need more paint
- surely not. The weather is supposed to be good again next week, so I’ve a few days to prep my growing pile of parts and work out my schedule. Some need black epoxy, some grey, a few need stonechip, some need primer filler and all need top coat.
Repairs needed to the rear edge now - sorry that the iphone operator focused on the wall rather than the froot edge it's never the fault of the tool, always the tool operating the tool).
. Bit of a moment for me - does the ride height look OK 
