Suggestions welcome

[Islander41]

Hi there, I'm looking for any suggestions you have regarding a '69 911T purchase. I'm new to the world of 911 ownership but fairly mechanically inclined, having wrenched on a 914 I had in the 90's and have been a BMW guy ever since. I am working with the dealer to set up a 3rd party inspection on the car as there are no service records at all available. The long term owner passed away and the widow sold the car to a family before the dealer picked it up. The widow said she never saw records on the car, but the engine was allegedly built up to S specifications, and i must say, it does sound good. So I am having the whole car inspected by a reknowned local Porsche shop and am curious to hear what the forum thinks, and specifically what I should request be inspected and what to ask for.
The car shows very very well in original unrestored condition. The interior is complete, the body is straight and rust free, and the engine appears to very clean. I think it was well-maintained by the long term owner but has mostly sat for the last 10 years being driven only ocasionally.
Thank you for your thoughts,

Islander

[Scott72]

I would start by reading through this thread. Lots of unique parts on a 69.

https://www.early911sregistry.org/fo...highlight=1969

It's tough to tell you much without seeing the car but rust would be my first concern. Lots of places on a 911 to hide it. I would search though the forum and look at some of the restoration threads. Will give you an idea where the problem areas are. Usually starts with front Pans/battery boxes/rockers but really can be lurking anywhere.

Scott

[Islander41]

Thank you, Scott. Your response is appreciated and the thread makes for good reading.

[xpensivewino]

A rust free 69 in the bainbridge island area would indeed be rare. Like the previous poster, I’d ensure a proper body inspection be completed.

[Jeff Higgins]

Any of our "renowned local Porsche shops" will certainly have a far more extensive list of routine inspection items on such a car than we could ever come up with here. We are unusually blessed in this area with a number of absolutely top-notch shops, any one of whom I would trust to do a thorough job.

Assuming it works out for you, let me be the first to say "welcome to the club". Sounds like you've found a pretty nifty car.

[beaker]

Islander --

You came to the right place for any and all information regarding early Porsche. As Jeff has mentioned above, we are blessed with a number of world class shops that cater to these fine cars here in the PNW. I have owned a number of P cars over the years and most recently had a 69T sunroof coupe restored to a very high level. Please feel free to reach out.

David

[raspritz]

I have a matching numbers '69T. It is a great car, and rebuilding a 2.0L T engine to S-spec is fairly routine. That said, because 1969 was the transition year between SWB and LWB, there are a lot of 1969-only parts. When I started restoring my '69 in 2014 most of those parts were unavailable as repros; as the result, my '69T is perhaps the "newest" 1969 on the planet, having been restored with mostly NOS parts. Today, perhaps half of those 1969-only parts can be obtained as repros; as for the rest, good luck! Your inspection needs to include a vigorous search for rust, which can be rampant (and expensive!!!) in these pre-galvanized cars. And a leakdown test. Your "renowned local Porsche shop" will certainly know how to do both those things.

[Islander41]

Thank you all for your thoughtful suggestions. I'm wondering if it's normal for a 1969 911T to have trouble shifting down from 2nd into 1st as you approach a stop light while still moving. This is on the 901 transmission. Clutch lets out at the top, too, so I'm wondering if it's a synchro issue or a clutch adjustment. Appreciate the experts weighing in...

-Islander

[xpensivewino]

All 901 boxes are tricky going from 2nd to first, even a newly rebuilt box can be notchy. It’s not necessarily a sign of “health” of the gearbox. Fluid types, warmth of the box, synchros, and especially shifter bushings and linkage adjustment can all play a part. Have a proper PPI done on the car and that should answer some of your questions.

[raspritz]

Even shifting into 1st from neutral at a stoplight is finicky with a 901 trannie.