DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

That you did, looking great








Fortunately restorations and repairs getting more and more airplay. Nice little piece by KS on hillclimbing too, featuring Paul’s RSR. I must try harder, my times did not get a mention!!




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The 911 took me and the Boss to the Aircooled Only event at Caffeine and Machines via the Cotswolds in the sunshine.
Lovely trip, report in General Section with pics.

For last few 'starts' of the 911 (above) the starter etc has not kick-in immediately, after moving the ign switch/key against the usual spring resistance nothing would happen, not a click or a buzz, nothing.
This happened as I prepared to leave the Caffeine/Machine event so a heart stopping moment. Second try it fired in it's usual lumbering manner (so called high-speed starter fitted yeares ago, no quicker than stock, but a lot lighter). Drove home a dream.
Also on the way home a sudden loud rattle appeared in the passenger door, and also I felt I was sitting too low in the car (hill climb FIA seat installed).
So, 3 jobs to do today.
Ignition:
Just for once I thought I would start with the simple stuff. Checked all the leads to the starter, battery etc and all solid, but cleaned the clean earth points also. Noted that the silver Bosch batteries are 11 years old.
Got to be the ignition switch, the original 1973 item. Got that out after a bit of a fight and remembered this is the first time I've disturbed this snakes nest of wires since 1989.
Ordered a new one from Design911 and saved £40 over the same thing from another supplier. That never happens to me normally.
The original looks ok, but the starting position spring only covers about 3 degrees of the key rotation with an awkward 'step' before it, so pleased to be fitting new.
Should add the car started on the first key turn this morning

Remembered the steering column lock has gone. Bob Watson insisted I removed it for racing..Long time ago now.

To the seat:
and fixed in 5 mins by raising the seat on it's racing side mounts, amazing what 15mm can feel like.

And then the door:
Found the rattle easy, the door glass drop limit stop had come adrift, so readily fixed and a dab of Loctite applied for good luck, dangerous to have an irritated Mrs H on board.

Final bonus was she enjoyed the run/event at Caffeine and is looking forwards to the pending Silverstone Classic and the PCGB stand.
The tides might be turning.

Took the 356 and met up with KS (last pic) on route to Classics at the Clubhouse - Aircooled Edition.











A lot of the usual suspects, but it was good to get out and drive. Weather stayed warm but grey, and the rain stayed away - which having seen the forecast was a result

It was great to be out and about again, and so good to catch up with people (some of whom appear to have aged since I last saw them! )

Dry journey back as far as Honiton, at which point, with 85 miles to go, the heavens opened. Thank heavens for Rain-X and Radio 4...

Stopping for fuel on route to Classics at the Clubhouse

Love your 356

thanks

Passed the MoT this morning, just 633 miles in the last 12 months...

911hillclimber wrote:Passed the MoT this morning, just 633 miles in the last 12 months...

Need to use it more me thinks

Tell my wife!
Of those 633 miles, 150 were in the last week.

Lowest annual miles ever in 32 years with the car. Used to average 3000.

Nice looking car and an excellent colour, it’s what I’d like if I was daft enough to buy another.

As a result of pressure from Mr Bardsley I bought a couple of Chinese Solexes for my 356C. When I dismantled my engine I discovered it was 1720cc and had the later cam and crank in it, that the engine was good apart from barrels and pistons, which I replaced, so despite it working well on Zeniths, I decided to switch to Solexes, or Chinese rip offs to be accurate.

I could have just borrowed the Solexes of my spare 356SC engine I should have sold and didn’t, but that would have been easy and although I’d rebuilt them, I couldn’t t resist brand new carbs.

They’ve been a nightmare, there was a dreadful flat spot at a little over 2000 that I may never have tracked down if it wasn’t for someone on the 912 Forum who explained that, depending on which versions I’d been supplied with, there might be a small bleed hole in the accelerator pump non return valve. This is needed on the early type as it stops excess fuel being squirted into the engine when small changes to the accelerator pedal were made. Big ones and the car went well and revved easily to over 6000 if I didn’t pay attention. Small ones and it cut out.

My Chinese no return valves looked like the real thing and were marked with 036 which is the size of the drilling, but it wasn’t there. Bloody maxspeedingrods.com refused to help and stopped answering my emails, so I can’t recommend them. It’s a pity because the carbs are very nicely made.

In the event PRS had one valve and I bought a scrap Solex off board member Davidoft for the other and now the car is running almost perfectly. It occasionally fluffs if it’s lugging at about 1800rpm in too high a gear following your typical comatose Brit motorist or several of them.

This is excellent because it means I have also completed my spare 356C motor and will shortly be able to run it on the garage floor and make sure it’s good. I have a spare new Bosch starter motor and a suitable bracket. I like that there’s a label on the motor telling me not to hit it with a hammer.

I rebuilt the SC engine a few years ago and was going to put it in my car until I discovered I didn’t need to. I even advertised it, which was a bit of a nightmare. Not having run it, I lacked confidence and some potential purchasers made it clear they only bought engines built by a name, which is sensible I suppose given the nature of engines and the competence of many amateurs. In the event I took it off the market, I built an engine shed on the side of the garage and now I’m looking forward to getting it going. It’s a very good engine, with good cases, superb, unspoiled heads etc, so I’m excited.

I might even bore you with a short video when the day arrives and it bursts into life rather than sharp oily pieces.

Interesting about Chinese carbs.
I have recently finished my Honda CB175 restoration (incidentally, how is the LD doing?).
Could not get it to run on the double ultrasonically cleaned dipped in everything originals so bought a pair from China for £70 in my garage.
They are made in Ningbo, east China in the seaboard zone, a place I used to go to, good engineering area, so had some confidence.
Bolted them on, choke, 3 stabs of the electric starter and vrrrummooomm it ran.

Tricky on cold starts, but once it has caught everything is perfect, hot starting immediate too, steady tickover.

http://Www.maxspeedingrods.com are agents for a huge range of tuning accessories and replacement parts, but are not the manufacturers. I’m sure that if an could contact the manufacturers, they’d resolve the issue, but their agent is being unhelpful.

As I said the carburettors are superb, but there’s one small mistake.

I believe there are two types of non return valve and in this picture you can see two with a screwdriver slot and 036 stamped on the head and one without either. It is the late type as fitted to split shaft carburettors. The one on the left is the Chinese one stamped with the size of the bleed hole and with the screwdriver slot, but missing the bleed hole.



Below is a drawing of the missing bleed hole.



I’m afraid I’ve stalled on my son’s Lambretta, I built the engine and lost interest in it, preferring to work on my spare SC engine and the one in the car.

I bought it!

I have a great 550 Spyder which is mega but today I picked up my 912 and had an amazing 130 mile drive home. The car ran great and I am so pleased with it.

It is so Orange if you stand next to it you get Vitamin C by Osmosis,