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Thread: New member with questions

  1. #1

    New member with questions

    Hi, Im Seth and I just joined after seeing a link to your site in Traction magazine. Im from Davenport, Ia, drive a 96 BMW 318ti California Edition and I am part of the Projekt German Auto Gruppe. The 318ti isnt anything too special, the California Edition part means that the majority of the roof is made of canvas and folds back. 1996 was the only year true Cali Editions were made, mine is one of 600. Its a pretty cool feature and is nice in the summers. Heres a few pics of it-







    And the Cali roof-



    Well as I said I found out about this place through Traction magazine and but have loved these cars for a while although I guess I am new to them and dont know much about em. My dad owned a 80s 911 (Im not sure on the exact year) and sold it right when I really started getting into cars. My 318ti has been a bit of a disappointment for me because it is a automatic and lacks real potential, but for a first car it is amazing. Ive had it for a few years now and still love it to death despite its shortcomings. That said I always have the idea of a project car in the back of my mind. So I guess I have a few questions, sorry if theyve been answered before-

    What does a complete project needing a fair amount of work go for these days? Ive searched ebay before and the results wernt promising for someone on a budget.

    I almost hate to ask this since its such a noob question but what kinds of mods are common with these cars?

    And finally, how often do good project cars show up in the midwest? I always see beautiful project BMWs out in Cali but never around here, Im assuming this is the same way with early 911s.

    Sorry for the noob questions and the long post. Thanks in advance for the help!

  2. #2
    Hey, Seth. I've never been a big fan of late-model Bimmers, but I have to say that roof reminds me of the old VW rag tops. Cool stuff.

    To answer your question, these cars (1964-1973 Porsche 911s) are not really something you should be looking into if you're working on a tight budget. First and foremost the buy-in cost for a suitable project platform (i.e. running/driving car that needs work) will set you back upwards of 10K. And, I'm sorry to say, that 10K won't get you too much car. Even clapped out pieces of junk are getting hard to find.

    The second problem you're going to encounter is the availability of parts - as time goes on parts are getting harder and harder to find, and when you do find what you're looking for it ges EXPENSIVE rather quickly.

    Third - and this is the one that you need to take to heart - you need to have a lot of patience and time when it comes to one of these projects. Many people on this board have spent YEARS scouring the world for rare, hard-to-find cars and parts. They've spent YEARS completely disassembling and reassembling their ENTIRE car, only to spend a few more YEARS getting it dialed in perfectly. This is a hobby of patience and time - although I will say that the end result is usually worth the wait.

    I'm not trying to discourage you from taking on a project early-911. In fact, I will give you a piece of advice that I find to be true time and time again: if you want to build a hot-rod Porsche on a budget, TAKE YOUR TIME. Find the best car you can for your money (preferably a running/driving example), and spend your free time researching and reading and scouring the internet forums and historical websites while you collect parts and ideas for your project. The longer you take, the cheaper the project ... and ultimately, the greater the reward when all is said and done.

    You might find this forum to be a good resource, but I think the Pelican Parts forums might be more your speed. Go here: http://forums.pelicanparts.com

    Take it easy, Rag Top.
    -Marco
    SReg. #778 OGrp: #8 RGrp: #---
    TLG Auto: Website
    Searching for engine #907495 and gearbox 902/1 #229687

  3. #3
    Seth,
    Welcome. I would suggest that you read through the tech forums here and over on pelican.com. and get a general understanding of these cars and he major issues associated with maintaining them.

    The worst mistake you can make is to buy a cheap project 911 which will soon take you to the cleaners financially. Unless you can do quite a bit of the work yourself don't even think about it. Are you ready for $8K engine rebuilds, 3K transmission rebuilds and $1.5K clutch jobs?

    My first 911 was a 78SC that I bought on ebay for 10K. I lucked out and got a very good example but over the years I put at least another 8K into it before I sold it for my current 70T.

    Good luck with your search.
    Ulrich

  4. #4
    Wow thanks for the in depth responses guys, I really appreciate that. Yeah Ive looked into enough projects to know that anything worth doing will be a long term project. Thats true with old restorations and and new modifications. Thanks again for the advice and hopefully will be able to find one of these great cars!

  5. #5

    Go for it!

    Hi,
    Welcome to the Porsche world! I have a 1983 320i E21 BMW 5-speed manual as a daily driver and a 1971 911S as a fun car.

    I too am on a tight budget but I encourage you to follow your dreams. My car is modified for autocross but is registered for the street. It is a great canyon carver, if you have heard of that California term. I work on my car as money allows. I don't like having it down over the weekends and have been pretty successful in getting a hot rod 911 RS tribute without spending too much money. It just is a very slow process of modification. It did take a long time to convert the body to GT Racing fiberglass panels, lexan windows, gutted interior, RS spec motor, and sticky Yokohama Advan A048 tires.

    Having said that, I have a very fun, fast car that is quick, responds like a cat in the corners, and weighs 2000 pounds. I still have original S suspension and brakes, except for some adjustable anti-sway bars, but I will be upgrading to new Polybronze bushings and rebuilding the calipers. I may go to stronger torsion bars, too.

    The car is a blast but is pretty harsh. I suggest looking on Pelican Parts and this forum for information and cars. I am Flieger on Pelican, too. There are good people on these forums who will help you out. Look for a mid year car like a 911SC or Carrera 3.2 which will be reliable and carry you over between mods. Half the fun is doing the mods and enjoying the work in progress. You should also befriend any good mechanic you can find. Get a PPI done and look in the local Porsche Club of America region's classifieds and get involved with them. The best cars will be in there. Then just keep on improving the car and making it faster as you are able to.

    Go for it- this is how I am proceeding.
    Attached Images Attached Images    
    1971 911S, 2.7RS spec MFI engine, suspension mods, lightened
    Early 911S Registry Member #425

  6. #6
    Wow, your car is absolutely beautiful. Thanks for the advice, Ill definitely head over to Pelican Parts. Fortunatly having a good mechanic with a lot of experience with German cars is one of the few things I have going for me so that part is covered.

  7. #7
    Thanks; glad you like my car. You will have a lot of fun with Porsches if you find a nice 911SC and have a pre-purchace inspection done by someone who really knows Porsches. These cars will be very reliable and tough, and they can be modified to fit all of your performance desires.
    1971 911S, 2.7RS spec MFI engine, suspension mods, lightened
    Early 911S Registry Member #425

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