Restoring Dad's Old 911

I don't post here much, but that's because not much has changed with my '73 S Targa. At least until last September when I started on a restoration project!

My dad bought the car new in '73 and I bought it from him about 15 years ago. It has 45k miles, no accidents, and is largely unmolested. It was resprayed in the 90s and had some bits replaced over the years, but a lot of typical wear items are original including the interior.

Anyway, we're doing a full resto: engine, transmission, suspension, brakes, bushings, weather stripping, etc. Patina will be preserved wherever possible and originality is critical. At the same time, I want a no excuses car that I can enjoy any time and drives like new.

Pictures to come.

EDIT: In case anyone asks, I'm not doing this to hype it for sale or anything. This car will never be for sale.

Thanks for posting this.
We don't get enough of these enthusiast threads around here anymore.

Looking forward to reading what you share

Here it is the day my dad brought it home, brand new from the dealer.

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EDIT: Funny, I just noticed the negative for this image was flipped! Or my mom flipped it when she scanned it in.

Off to restoration!

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Quick wash and it's looking better

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Dirty but running perfectly (no, really)

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Engine out! Lots of accumulated oil and dirt, but nothing alarming at this point.

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Corrosion or metal failure on the cam. Miles are low, so this isn't likely due to wear.

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As expected, anything rubber is shot.

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A lot of cleanup to come.

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The body and interior look great. Are you only doing a mechanical restoration?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Longballa

The body and interior look great. Are you only doing a mechanical restoration?

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The interior is about as good as I've seen for an original. My dad always kept sheep skin covers on the seats, so they are nearly perfect. The only flaw is a wide crack on the driver's shoulder area. The carpet is fantastic except for wear under the pedals. Of course there is a dash crack and some sagging on the parcel shelf.

I will see about possibly patching the dash crack to keep it from growing, but I want to keep the original dash. Same with the seat. I'd like to see if we can fix the warped shelf or maybe replace it (it sagged from the weight of the speakers the dealer installed).

Otherwise there isn't much to "fix" on the body or interior. It's never suffered any kind of body damage and so far we haven't found any real rust.

Another interior shot.

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The seats look great. I rarely, if ever, see factory mismatched seats like this. But that's how it came and I have the documentation to prove it!

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Even the carpet in the trunk, which I don't think you can buy anymore.

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OG stickers on the engine (sorry for the quality - I took these for insurance, not beauty)

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Original tool kit. I also have all documentation going back to new, including the window sticker (such as it was in 1973), receipt, and every single maintenance record with documented mileage.

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The spare with period tire is probably not something you'd want to rely on. :)

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All the wheels look great, but the black is thin after so many years.

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looks nice, a real treasure.
my brother has my dad's car he bought new.
did in not have engine decals in the indents?