70 S, RHD, Signal Orange, UK->Australia->UK

[inaglasshouse]

Many thanks to all who have commented. Still don't know what to do!

Anyway the final modify or not decisions are still a little way off. And reversible....

Today I have mostly been making brake pipes:





This may seem unnecessarily masochistic, when pre-bent kits are available from various places. I went DIY partly for entertainment value - pipe bending is another curiously satisfying pastime, and there's the extra fun of brake pedal roulette when it's time to use them.

The other reason was material choice. Pre-made pipes seem to be either mild steel (plain or coated), copper or kunifer (copper-nickel alloy). I'll admit that kunifer is probably the best stuff for the job, but without wishing to offend anyone who is using this excellent material, to me it looks wrong on an early car.
So I've gone with annealed stainless steel, which is also wrong, but looks a bit less offensive to my delicate eyes. It's not bad at all to work with, although a bit tougher than kunifer.

[Barry]

Seems to me that it would be worthing building a 'Clapton Spec Kit' whilst everybody concerned with the build is around (me, Steve The Paint, and you are in build mode anyway).

Therefore, rear bumper, trims and plate panel set, pre-fitted and tweaked as approriate, painted in same paint by same painter, front over-riders, sill trims checked for fit and so on. Much of the other stuff must be in your storage facilities right now.

This way, the car is truly reversible with, what, one day's work to retro-fit and every nut, bolt, washer and screw is all in 'the kit' ready to go. As you're in 'resto mode' anyway at the moment, it's probably true to say you're in the best possible possition to do this in an economical way. Otherwise it'd never get done, and you'd certainly need a lot of will power to dismantle an up and running car, trial fit a load of bits, then undo the whole lot again. But at this stage? Surely much easier. O.K. you won't drill the holes for the sill trims, but you'd check the fit, tweak the end caps and make sure the quality generally was good.

I'd even be tempted to make a nice plywood case for as much of the kit as possible, suitably stencilled up.

The fact the car has had such an A-list owner*, coupled with that video lends far more weight to the issue, and perhaps the above could satisfy both camps. Also, in the event that you (or let's be grown up here, your family) ever wanted, or had to sell the car, it can be marketed in the way that will achieve the best return. I always advise that anybody needs to have half an eye on what happens when it comes to selling. That could be a completely positive thing: e.g. you're offered an RS project or whatever.

The above means it's not a case of 'in theory the car could be returned to 100% original, given enough work', but the car has already been as fully prepared as possible to almost instantaneously transform back to exactly as seen in the video.

A further investment I know, but a fraction of the cost of either doing it later on, or not realising the value of this particular provenance. Also I think, perhaps allows you to crack in exactly as you intended knowing you can also answer any critics (including your own internal one) should you feel the need.

*I mean, Eric Clapton, of all the possible owners! Can you think of many more where car, celebrity image and timing are all so perfectly matched? Clapton surely at his best at this time, the 911 in one of its most pure and precise forms. Totally different level to a B-lister having a car perhaps well before or well after they are at their peak. I don't 'do' celebrity generally, but Clapton? Yes please.

[tim69s]

Wise words from Barry.
And, then you can market the “Clapton spec kit” in it’s handmade wooden case.
Every self respecting 2.2S owner will want one!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[inaglasshouse]

Hi Barry

*I mean, Eric Clapton, of all the possible owners!

I know! Had I been aware of this up front, I'd have had the metalwork done properly

Therefore, rear bumper, trims and plate panel set, pre-fitted and tweaked as approriate, painted in same paint by same painter, front over-riders, sill trims checked for fit and so on. Much of the other stuff must be in your storage facilities right now.

Not a bad idea, this... thank you.

For completeness, I think we would need:

Rear bumpers both sides, with S trims and reflectors
Number plate panel (aluminium)
Rear chrome bumpers with rubber inserts (my hot rod spec uses the earlier chrome-only versions)
Exhaust silencer

Front bumper (steel) with S trim
Front overriders with rubber inserts

S sill trims
Bumper and sill end trims with rubbers

Rear wiper mech (RHD - not easy to find)
Rear wiper wiring
A pair of deep 6s and tyres
Some standard length wheel studs (currently have long ones because using spacers with the 7Rs)
A pair of "comfort" Recaros, refurbed in basketweave, with runners etc
A pair of Repa seatbelt receivers (short type)
A 400mm leather steering wheel
A batwing horn push
A pair of H1 headlights (RHD lenses)

I think that's it...????

Not too bad and, as you say, I've got nearly all the non-bodywork bits in my storage facility (aka house). I don't think I have a rear wiper mech, but patient searching could begin.

I like the way you always couch the forced sale scenario so positively. I remember last time we discussed something similar, the story included me being offered a hypothetical 904. More realistically, you are right, it's my wife / kids / wife's divorce lawyer who really care what the car is worth! Perhaps I won't bother, let them figure out where to get seats re-trimmed.

Let's discuss when I see you post-CLM.

Cheers, Richard.

[inaglasshouse]

Obviously the wooden box would allow the painted parts to be stored "face up". So that whenever I take the car out, I also open the box to make sure they get the same UV exposure as the car itself. Don't want them fading unevenly.

[BILLY BEAN]

Richard,
What about those fancy coil overs you have? Original front struts required to add to your Eric Kit List.

[210bhp]

Notice how Barry (above) still reveres the RS above your car, the inference being that it’s ok to create an Eric Clapton box for your car but you could never do such a thing to an RS, and yet your car is 15 TIMES RARER than a Rhd 73 RST.

I’m off to put my ducktail, sill trims, headlights, bumper overriders, steering wheel, in a box for my kids to turf in the bin when I’m dead and gone. Meantime, at least I’ll be able to drive my individual RS as all the others look too much the blxxdy same.


Regards
Mike

[BILLY BEAN]

Very amusing Mike.
Saturday 30th June
BBC 2 9pm
BBC 2 Independent Republic of Scotland 12 Midnight.
An opportunity to see this 15 times rarer 911 S with some bloke called Eric.

[inaglasshouse]

Keep talking it up, gents. Still not for sale. Only this morning I shed some more blood fitting the steering column.
Rarity is not everything. An RS is just... better! BMW didn't sell a fat lot of Rover 75s, but I'm not looking for one of those. Although actually, perhaps I should - might be all I can afford for daily transport at this rate.

Kirk - suspension - oh yeah, I remember. Thanks. I do have the original (well, probably original, correct date stamps) Koni struts, which look like they will refurb OK.

[210bhp]

Perhaps I should have put the last sentence in capital letters as that’s the main thrust of my point and not the rarity aspect.


Regards
Mike

[Barry]

Hi Barry

*I mean, Eric Clapton, of all the possible owners!

I know! Had I been aware of this up front, I'd have had the metalwork done properly

Therefore, rear bumper, trims and plate panel set, pre-fitted and tweaked as approriate, painted in same paint by same painter, front over-riders, sill trims checked for fit and so on. Much of the other stuff must be in your storage facilities right now.

Not a bad idea, this... thank you.

For completeness, I think we would need:

Rear bumpers both sides, with S trims and reflectors
Number plate panel (aluminium)
Rear chrome bumpers with rubber inserts (my hot rod spec uses the earlier chrome-only versions)
Exhaust silencer

Front bumper (steel) with S trim
Front overriders with rubber inserts

S sill trims
Bumper and sill end trims with rubbers

Rear wiper mech (RHD - not easy to find)
Rear wiper wiring
A pair of deep 6s and tyres
Some standard length wheel studs (currently have long ones because using spacers with the 7Rs)
A pair of "comfort" Recaros, refurbed in basketweave, with runners etc
A pair of Repa seatbelt receivers (short type)
A 400mm leather steering wheel
A batwing horn push
A pair of H1 headlights (RHD lenses)

I think that's it...????

Not too bad and, as you say, I've got nearly all the non-bodywork bits in my storage facility (aka house). I don't think I have a rear wiper mech, but patient searching could begin.

I like the way you always couch the forced sale scenario so positively. I remember last time we discussed something similar, the story included me being offered a hypothetical 904. More realistically, you are right, it's my wife / kids / wife's divorce lawyer who really care what the car is worth! Perhaps I won't bother, let them figure out where to get seats re-trimmed.

Let's discuss when I see you post-CLM.

Cheers, Richard.

I have to admit, that is a somewhat longer list than I had anticipated. The bad news is that's a lot of stuff to buy. The good news is it saves building the box. You can just brand up a nice new garden shed.

Catch up after lemons

[BILLY BEAN]

There is marketing opportunity for
Eric Clapton upgrade kits. These are authentic kits containing all the parts you need.Convert your manky modified 911 with a carefully boxed EC conversion kit and produce a rare car with a "Slowhand" association and enhanced market value.
1964 to 1965 MY Yard Bird edition
1966 to 1968 MY The Cream Compilation
1969 MY One year only Blind Faith Super Set
1970 to 1971 MY Derek & the Dominoes

And for those models not listed above the Special
Delanie & Bonnie & Friends Hot Set.

[inaglasshouse]

Don't forget:
The 72- "Heroin is a bit More-ish" collection.
Doesn't much matter what's in that kit, no chance you'll be arsed to fit it anyway.

[Barry]

Reminds me of when a friend bought a 2.4S coupe as a stripped but complete project. I say 'complete', it was complete with some MGB bits and a super lightweight gearbox.

My chum had heard how light mag cases were, but even so was highly impressed at the difference it made, much lighter than his later 911 boxes. He was less impressed when a year or two the project was sufficiently advanced to warrant a fresh gearbox build. Phone rings, 'where's the rest of it?'. It was practically empty .

[inaglasshouse]

I have to admit, that is a somewhat longer list than I had anticipated. The bad news is that's a lot of stuff to buy. The good news is it saves building the box. You can just brand up a nice new garden shed.

Catch up after lemons

It's not so bad. I've got the following bits stashed away (although not yet refurbed in most cases):
Rear wiper wiring (not the mechanism, unfortunately)
A pair of deep 6s and tyres
Some standard length wheel studs
A pair of "comfort" Recaros, needing refurb. In fact I have 3 sets of these, not quite sure how that happened...
A pair of Repa seatbelt receivers (short type)
A 400mm leather steering wheel
No batwing horn push - sold mine a few weeks ago. That will teach me.
A pair of H1 headlights (RHD lenses). I have a lovely set of these, bought from John Audette in the US. Probably more effective overall than Biodes, but only 10% as cool.
The original Koni struts (need refurb)

No spare shed, though. Surely some of my children should be leaving home soon, will just use their rooms I think.

Have fun at CLM!

Cheers, Richard.