DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

Hi guys,

Just had my account activated - took almost a year (thanks for helping hook me up Kirk!)

I've had my 73T MFI Targa since about 1995. It had a bit of a bump when I got it, so I picked it up cheap. I had it repaired and it scraped through its MOT once I had added a bit of metal filler around the rotten suspension pan etc. Had it tuned up by Francis Tuthill on the way to the ferry, and took her on a 2000 mile spin around the north east of Spain. Ran and drove like a dream, aside from the engine popping when it got super hot. After I got back, I parked it up in the garage and it has hardly been out since. Then I started restoring it which, in practice, mostly entailed taking bits off and misplacing them. After a bunch of training courses, incl. Contour Autocraft over the last 10 years, I have been spending quite a lot of my spare time over the last 2-3 years or so, using and improving my fabrication, welding and bodywork skills to restore the tub. Over that time, I have replaced the front latch panel with OEM, front half suspension panel, and battery panel, fabricated a shed load of patch panels to replace even the tiniest rotten or pitted sections. This was mostly in or around the floor, and the rear footwells and tunnel walls (I have 100's of photos). Other than those bits, the car was really solid. Outstanding bits to do are kidney panel and rear wing section adjacent to Targa bar and the door latch panel. My preference is TIG, with and without filler, but I have MIG and spot too. I must have spent more on all of my tools that the car originally cost. My favourite tool is a Lidl 3-inch grinder, which I most use with Roloc 2-inch disks. The car was originally 334 met blau, and the back half is still in a similar Vauxhall (remember them!) shade of blue that the previous owner painted it in. I change my mind every week about what colour to eventually have it painted, or even wrapped first to see if I can live with it.

So, long journey to date, and at the moment I am going round and round and round and round and round in circles trying to get a pair of new OEM wings to fit well (mostly at the door ends), and trying to decide which of 3 bonnets to use (all have slightly different curvature and issues) and trying to work out how to position the hinges to make the bonnet sit right once the shocks are in. I am hoping that you guys might be able to give me some pointers - will post soon.

I have tried to add a recent pic of the car, but I dont know if its going to work - fingers crossed.

All the best, Dean, Coventry area.

Hi Dean

Welcome to ddk. That’s some story. Northern Spain and Northern Portugal are on my list of tours and not just because I enjoy a drop of port and a bit of seafood.

Metallic blue is a rare sight. I’d be sticking with that. Lovely colour when done right.

All the best

Regards
Mike

welcome to Ddk

Welcome to DDK Dean. I am with Mike on the colour.
Alignment of panels on an early 911 can be a pain.
Regards,
Kirk

Great to have you on board and a great intro! Hopefully we can help

Welcome to DDK and a restro thread on your car would be great!

Thanks for the welcomes guys, that's very nice of you all!

Honestly speaking, I'm not a great fan of the original 334 colour, although there is a bit of a debate about the actual shade and if/just how much it differs from 324 which is not my cuppa T. The old colour charts suggest that 334 should be a bit darker than 324, but pics online and debates that I had a long time ago on Pelican with a very famous 334 owner (Chuck, I think, but not Chuck Norris - his is Black ). I had a spray can made up years ago based on the actual colour code badge 334-9-3, and it was completely different to how 324 looks on the web, and I quite liked it but I only painted inside the engine bay while the engine was out. In there, it looks kind of like VW's common Silk blue. I think I prefer Petrol Blue this week. This is for a 73 Targa remember, with black horn grilles and stainless Targa bar. I like the darker blue metallic's like Ocean and Baltic blue. Shoot me, but also love Candy Apple Red colours, like on the new 2020 Heritage Targa.

I'm going to start a restoration thread, as suggested, and going to post some pics and questions on the bit that I am really stuck and need help on, namely getting sensible gaps at the door ends of the new OEM wings...

Cheers again!

Welcome. I’ve fought my bonnet/hinges/struts to get a good fit recently. There no easy method but the only way I found to get it low and forward was to lever the hinges (gently) against the scuttle with the fixings slightly loose and get a helper to tighten them up.

My bonnet had fitted previously so I knew it was possible though! Otherwise you may need to open the holes out to get enough adjustment.

Do you have pics of the door wing gap? If they are sitting right to the scuttle then there isn’t much you can do with building up the edge of the door.

Hi Gary, thanks for your tips...

I did the levering against the scuttle, and its kind of OK, but I think I have found a better way.

- with the hood up and supported, I disconnect the shock on one side, loosen the hinge mounting bolts til its free to move around, push the mounting bracket down and back as far as it will go on the bolts, tighten it up, and re-fit the shock.
- do this both sides, and protect the scuttle from the tips of the bonnet!
- this is my starting point.
- with the bonnet raised just enough to get to both hinge bolts on the bonnet itself, position the bonnet and nip up the bolts (I do the front ones from under the car because the petrol tank is out and I can).
- if the bonnet won't go far enough forward (which I did find), the hinges are too far back.
- repeat, and brings the hinges forward to smidge (but not up!).

This works great on the left side, but the right side wants to show off and stay high!

Cheers!!