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Thread: Back to life...double entendre intended : )

  1. #1

    Back to life...double entendre intended : )

    As this is the ESR, and we periodically get "sidetracked" with stuff that is not about the cars we are passionate about...I thought I would try to provide a pleasant distraction to some of our daily politics. Here goes...

    About ten years ago I was offered a 2.4 S MFI engine complete from a friend that ran a shop. Price seemed high, but I trusted the individual regarding the condition of the engine, so I bought it. Can't ever have too many 911 S engines under your bench. Hey, if times get tough, I could trade them for food or ammo.
    Never had an application for the engine so it sat mothballed under my bench awaiting the perfect project. Fast forward to three years ago. Same friend asked casually one day if I had any interest in the matching chassis for the engine. Uhmm, yes. I won't go into the details of the circumstance, but the chassis was potentially available if I was interested. Price was what it was and I bought the chassis.
    Before I received it (but after I had paid for it), back when PCNA was still providing COAs...I confirmed the engine was original to the chassis.
    It took about six months for me to get the paperwork done and get it shipped to me. Again, it was an "on faith" transaction. All I knew was that it had originally been light yellow (but had been repainted) and was a targa...and I had the numbers matching engine. When it finally arrived, I felt like I had been introduced to my blind date for the first time. Not only was it black...it was a matte black, sort of a rat black and had awful purple window tinting, as well as a nasty fiberglass turbo tail, and rubber bumperettes up front, as well as an Amco rear bumper bar. It wore 215 60 15 7 inch cookie cutters, and had a very cheesy aftermarket alarm system, and an awesome tape deck that was probably installed by the same idiot that wired in the alarm system.

    First step was removal. Of the body components that were an eyesore...tail went away, bumperettes went away, as did the Amco bar. I had an extra steel decklid that I could install (red and it would look ...uhmm, different against the matte black) in the place of the tail. Next was the removal of the window tinting (quite the process) as well as the alarm and stereo.
    Only visible rust on the car was inside the drivers side battery box under the dead Odyssey 925. I made an attempt to bring the Odyssey back to life but it got very hot and the casing started to swell significantly...so that ended quickly. I didn't bother to do a leakdown on the engine, as a cold leakdown simple tells you cold leakdown numbers. Also known as worthless. I prepped the engine compartment for the reinstall (hoses, oil lines etc) and reunited the engine with the chassis for the first time in 25 years.

    The cookie cutters with the weird tire size (with slow leaks) bothered me. I pulled some 71-72 early fuchs of the shelf, sourced new 205 50 15 Dunlops and mounted them. Ugh...ride height had been to accommodate the 7 x 15 cookies and with the 15 x6 fuchs and lower profile tires...it looks awkward to say the least. But ride height is easy to adjust up front, and doable in the rear. Might replace the non-adjustable spring plates with an adjustable set to ease the indexing of the torsion bars.

    Fast forward...battery box was going to be too time consuming to patch, so I replaced it. Brake reservoir and hoses were toast so they were replaced and brakes bled. I rebuilt the fuel pump and figured I would test it with a new single Miata Deltek battery. Fuel pump came to life when I keyed the ignition...long enough for it to choke on the rusty varnish I didn't realize still sat in the gas tank. Bummer.
    I pulled the gas tank and restored it inside and out (including the sender) and removed and rebuilt the fuel pump...again. With everything reinstalled and tested, I was ready to bring this beast back to life after a long separation.

    Yesterday afternoon the weather had warmed enough to open the garage door after three days of rain and 40 degree weather. Added oil, turned it over with a disconnected coil and got oil pressure, primed the fuel filter console, checked all my electrical connections. Didn't check for spark...but just assumed. With some trepidation, I keyed the started and it begrudgingly turned over and popped a couple times...sending smoke rings out the exhaust. This is it! I tried again and it sputtered...more smoke rings. Third try it fired up and all gauges looked good. It smoked a bit and from the rear view mirror I could see it spewing debris out the exhaust (turned out to be mice droppings and seeds). I nursed it for a few minutes till the smoke dissipated. Shut it down and walked behind the car. Wow, lots of "stuff" from 25 years of being host to a mice commune was everywhere, luckily no mice.
    I fired it up again a little more easily and it settled into a decent idle. Wahoo! Love these cars.
    A bit more to do before it hits the road, but that will happen soon.
    I wish I had pics of the nasty condition it was in when I got it, vs what it looks like today...but oh well. The goal is to drive it and when the time is appropriate, to strip it and return it to it's original light yellow. I'll get a couple pics posted after I get the ride height adjusted.

    There...I was pleasantly distracted while I should have been working. No politics, just Porsche.

    Cheers!

    Speedo
    Last edited by speedo; 10-03-2019 at 10:22 AM.
    registry# 1283

  2. #2
    Senior Member
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    Thanks for sharing.
    Any pictures of the adventure, so far?

  3. #3
    Senior Member patrick911's Avatar
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    Great story Speedo, and fantastic it started relatively easy.
    But yes, we do like some pictures!
    Member #3508
    1973 911 2.4T
    1976 911S -> 2.8RSR replica
    "if nothing goes right, go left!"

  4. #4
    Senior Member Macroni's Avatar
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    speedo to the rescue........ pics or it didn't happen.....
    86 Sport Purpose Carrera "O4"

  5. #5
    So either I made all this up to distract you guys...or it actually happened.
    Maybe....I'll post some pictures.
    registry# 1283

  6. #6
    Senior Member StephenAcworth's Avatar
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    need pics of the entirety... but what a great story and just the right tonic!
    1966 911 Coupe - Slate Grey - 304598 - still in restoration!

    Member #1616

  7. #7
    Senior Member
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    Great story that is really the stuff we love about this passion for these cars, the garage time, the project, putting them together and getting them fired up!!

    Best Regards

  8. #8
    Great story, not surprised that *you* pulled it off.
    Would also love to see pics.

  9. #9
    Senior Member 911kiwi's Avatar
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    Feb 2003
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    Auckland, New Zealand. And Los Angeles, USA.
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    827
    Thanks for sharing. THIS is the reason we are all here!!!! A great reminder.
    Kiwi
    1972 911S
    1967 912
    1959 356A Conv D
    Early S Registry # 306

  10. #10
    Moderator Chuck Miller's Avatar
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    Outstanding speedo....
    Chuck Miller
    Creative Advisor/Message Board Moderator - Early 911S Registry #109
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    TYP901 #62
    '73S cpe #1099 - Matched # 2.7/9.5 RS spec rebuild
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    ’98 Chevy S-10 – Utility
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