My Intro . . . and The Deal
This is my original introduction to our Board and the story of getting the car, along with pictures from the original PPI . . .
http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...found+Hemmings
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Fun with Fenders (part 2)
This is the driver's side.
1) bottom of the left front fender --- un-marked
(compare this to the condition of the right-side fender, above --- it always bothered me that they would be different)
2) up inside the same fender --- un-marked
3), 4), and 5) left front wheel house --- note the after-market air-horns and strut brace. See the original factory horn still in position, beneath the battery box?
Brace is gone, now. And see the big chip in the lower of the two air horns? And the small tweeked bracket, on the outside of the battery box? I'll come back to that.
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Fun with Fenders (part 3)
Here are some shots of the metal repair done to the lower part of the right front quarter, along with some shots of the car when all the preliminary bodywork was done . . . the last shot was just after getting my first tank of gas . . . during my first drive of a '901' 911!
Total cost for this 'first-cut' at the bodywork, including the new Restoration Design rockers was $1500
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Driving out to California . . .
. . . this is the thread when I brought 1059 to California:
http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...%2C+costa+mesa
Car's a 'runner.'
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Alu Rear License Panel Detail
Here are some comparisons between original and reproduction alu rear license panels. (In the following photos, the reproduction part is the shiny one):
1) and 2) seal channel: the channel that accepts the engine lid seal is substantially wider on the repro than on the original, and needs to be cut back before the seal will fit properly. Keep in mind also, that the spot-welds on the repro channel will fail or be missing (like on mine) if it isn't gas-welded in place
3) reproduction bumper bracket attachment: blobby gas-weld tacks to fix the bracket to the panel --- remember, spot-welding alu requires very high energy to do properly
4) original backet: spot-welded --- with no other welding
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Alu Rear License Panel Detail (more)
1) and 2) Original and repro panels, side by side: this repro has some kind of re-enforcement spot-welded in, looks like around where a license plate would be attached
3) Original panel has no re-enforcement
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Alu Rear License Panel Detail (more)
The original panels have a much crisper stamping than the repros, too . . .
1) and 2) original, outer edge 'step,' at the bumper guard. . .
3) and 4) . . . vs the repro
Compare the radii, at the bottom of the step . . . . notice how tight the corner is on the original (and how it's torn there, too), vs the wide radius of the repro.'
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Alu License Panel Reinforcement
Quote:
Originally Posted by
70SATMan
. . . I've seen other original panels that do have the reinforcement plates. Looking at the pictures I see a hint of edges under all the grime/possible undercoating. I think you'll find them after stripping the panel down . . .
Well, something was there, at one point --- not welded. Glued maybe? All that's left is this residue.
What do the steel panels have here?
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More Fun with Fenders . . .
After I brought the car back to California, I called John, filled him in on the work had been done on the car, what my concerns were, and what kind of work I was looking to get done. I brought the car to his shop a few days later, walked and talked some more, then left the car, so John could look everything over at his own pace, pull a few pieces off, get a feel for what was going on with the car, come up with some numbers . . . and make sure that 1059 was something he wanted to do.
After a few days, we talked again. John had a better idea of what was needed, could do the work, and liked the car, so I was relieved. We started with an estimate of $13.6k, discussed payment terms, then . . . I wrote a check and we shook hands.
John didn’t waste any time. 1059 came apart pretty quickly ---- and right away, stuff started turning up. Lots of funky fastener stuff --- like, sheet metal screws where there should be machine screws (ouch!), not all the fasteners were there (like on the front bumper) . . . . and some were missing entirely (like on one of the tail light housings). Rockers had been improperly installed --- seems some tabs had been cut-off; one was still attached to the original rocker that I'd saved. Wiring harness had been cut --- only inches away from where it could have been easily dis-connected.
But a lot of the car was solid and original and John seemed pleased with it. Front and rear bumpers were perfect, never hit, no rust in the doors (although the glass and motor in the pass side had been replaced), and no other surprises. I still expected some other issues to turn up as the car came apart, but its still a relief to hear the Body Guy sound positive.
First up was the right front fender, the one with the metal-finished rust repair. That fender wasn’t fitting. Turns out that the replacement metal piece had been lap-welded in. Not good. Especially on an exterior body panel. Lap-welding leaves a small space between the pieces for moisture to get in, which leads to corrosion that will eventually fail the joint and the panel. John repaired the panel by removing the previous repair, then butt-welding in a replacement section. Once that was done . . . John said the panel went right on, fit perfectly.
1) and 2) Right front quarter with Repair One; notice corrosion starting already, in the lower corner
3) and 4) Repair One exposed; notice the irregular edge at the joint, and the small amount of what looks like filler --- that’s a lap-weld --- and that little bit of extra material is why the fender didn’t fit
5) Filler removed from Repair One
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Front Seal Channel (continued)
1) New channel from Stoddard . . .
2), 3) and 4) . . . . and fitted
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. . . and Stripping . . .
Getting close to the end . . . of the sheety-part. Keep in mind that all the stuff you see done up to now --- was done with a razor blade . . . by hand!
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. . . and Stripping . . .
Now we're down to it . . .
That's Tito working with the hand sander, cutting down to the paint and primer that 'sticks.' Notice how the right-side door has green paint again --- even though it was showing 'primer' above -- lotta paint on not-a-lotta-car.
I mentioned earlier that two things showed-up.
The first was an old-school lead repair, on the left rear quarter, that John found was unwinding, probably done sometime in the early 70s. John said that this kind of repair was already being phased-out, back when he was first starting out doing body-work, so it was probably done back then. Well-done, too --- John was impressed. We talked a little about lead repairs. Lead is a effing deadly poison. If you've ever seen really old cars being taken down these days, the people doing the work are usually in full-on haz-mat suits because of the lead-based primers and fillers used 'back in the day.' Granpa's Buick is a Super-fund Site. I suppose lead repairs might make sense for some projects --- leading small seams or panel-edges --- but modern materials are not only safer, but better -- as in more stable. The lead in 1059 was beginning to bubble the paint, which was how John found it, in the first place. Plastic fillers don't effect paints. Or metals. Or chromosomes.
The second item that showed-up was a factory-primed replacement left front quarter. Remember that chunked after-market air-horn, busted bracket, and the braze-repaired battery box? Looks like 1059 took a hit of some kind after all. Like the lead-repair, the fender had been replaced a long time ago --- long enough to have the old-style olive factory primer on it. That's probably when the later 'S' front bumper-cum-spoiler was added, I'll betcha.
As the title search gets going, I'll try to find out more about all this stuff.
Anyway, the short version is that there were no big surprises revealed by the stripping. But I bet John and Tito will be tramping 1059's old green paint dust around for a while! . . .
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Priming and Prepping . . . .
John didn't mess around --- as soon as all the paint came off, the primer went on. Ans as soon as the primer went on, the car got sanded and smoothed. Then more primer. Then more smoothing. Exhausting.
The thing I've noticed --- and it was something John brought up, too --- as you prime and paint, then re-paint and re-paint (remember that 1059 had places with as many as five coats of paint!) --- the car gets funny looking, especially around the closures. Things start to 'round-off' and go blunt, lose their crispness, edges especially don't look as sharp.
John talked with me at length about prepping a car. He also had a customer's car that I looked at closely --- very crisp, very sharp closures and panel edges, especially around the doors. Its a subtle thing to see, but once you see this 'sharpness,'well . . . its something I've looked for since my 356 days. And John is super sensitive to it.
Here's some shots of 1059 in primer. Not much to see . . . but notice the lines. And gaps.
This is where John started from.
He'll spend 4 more weeks getting the car ready for paint.
(Like I said . . . John is relentless . . .)
Here's the left side.
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Priming and Prepping . . . .
Here's the right side . . .
One of the things that John commented on, several times, was that this car almost wanted to go back together. Fenders, hood, doors engine cover, didn't need persuasion to fit.
It's still a lot of work --- John showed me how much adjustment there is to the factory's passenger door hinge-plates on a '70 . . . . maybe a millimeter? And he told me what it takes to get the hood to fit --- turns out, one also has to adjust the cowl panel! Since 1059 has never had a big shunt, all the panels that were built up into the main body shell 40 years ago are still where they're supposed to be. John would still massage and finesse these panels until he was satisfied.
This is John's starting point.
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Thank you, John Esposito . . .
. . . . . . .
Yours, truly,
Rick Kreiskott
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A Bath, A Spin, Safety . . . and Personalizing
Had a break in the weather over the last few days so --- gave 1059 a bath --- the first one since it came back from John's, back in October. I know how that must sound but the car just wasn't that dirty. The weather's gone cool here, so there aren't many bugs out, and, apart from exhaust and road grime, there's not much mess to even drive through. Besides, with the thorough polishing and waxing John did --- nothing sticks!
John told me, when I got the car --- no car washing . . . sponge baths only. So? Got a micro-fiber cloth, a bucket of water, a good cotton terry cloth, then had at it. Took about an hour --- and I was loafing, believe me --- and did the deed. Went every where, too --- doors and jambs, windows, underneath the valances --- not the engine, though --- that's a separate deal. Used maybe a gallon of water? Pretty proud of that. Makes up somewhat for all the fuel and pollution this thing kicks out --- what a stink-bomb! (Although, I have to admit . . . . love the smell of an old hot Porsche: oil, tires, brakes, clutch, pipes crackling, upholstery toasting --- yum.)
Anyway, got her cleaned-up --- decided 1059's a Girl --- then headed-off to my old neighborhood for some glam shots --- a wash and some product (on the trim and tires) to even out the finish a bit --- then?
. . . A little run through Silverado and Black Star Canyon. Nothing too crazy --- mid-day when I got there, some traffic . . . but mostly? I just wanna hear her run out. 4000 RPM, then squeeze the throttle, feel her pull --- then pull hard and clean -- way up. Love, love, love her voice.
Took some more pics . . . then put her away. Hope to go to the New Year's Run, coming up this week-end.
Meanwhile, Santa got me a new Halotron extinguisher . . . to replace the museum piece that's in there now --- before anything really naughty happens. Halotron is a liquid but is specifically designed to be less caustic and harmful to metal and electrics. Hope I never find out.
And?
Broke down and personalized 1059. Sorta. I almost never personalize my cars. I like my cars clean, with no visible identifying marks. I like 'em to get noticed because they're not personalized, you know what I mean? And when I do, it's usually something only I or a Mechanic or a Body Guy would ever pick up on.
But occasionally I make an exception. Something I picked-up from my Grandfather. My Grandfather was a tradesman --- Painter and Decorator --- very Old School. Learned his trade in Germany, before The War. Anyway, he never owned a car --- couldn't afford one --- until he came to Canada, then the US, back in 50s. He wasn't a Car Guy per se, although he owned some pretty interesting cars . . . but he really loved driving. Probably because he had to wait 'till he was here, and in his 40s, with a fresh Inter-state Highway System to drive on. Growing up, I spent a lot of time, in the back of a station wagon, with my Grampa driving. Anywhere. Didn't matter.
Still doesn't. I drive . . . just to drive.
My Grampa was not a real demonstrative kinda guy, you know? --- I don't think that anyone from his generation was. But he was a real softie. Used to keep a mascot in his car . . . a little Steiff cat.
I got 1059 a mouse. Pilla.
When I can't drive any more . . . I'll still be that kid, in the back of my Grampa's Plymouth . . . his best mascot . . .
Vielen dank, Vati . . . .
Rick Kreiskott
Limited-slip Differential Identification
I posted questions about transmission numbers in the Technical Info section:
http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...ission-Numbers
The consensus is that the |10 stamping means that the trans is fitted with an LSD --- which coincides with the CoA for this car.
Rick Kreiskott