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Thread: Ten Fifty-nine

  1. #421
    Early S Reg #1395 LongRanger's Avatar
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    More Thanksgiving Day, 2012 . . .

    My car ‘thing’ came kinda late --- after high-school. I’d had a lotta things that I ‘wanted to be’ . . . but they’d never turned-out. Did a year of college, then left, got a job, put some money in my pocket . . . shopped for a car. And that started it

    Bought a little BMW 320i coupe --- brand new . . . cosmically different from my Grampa’s hand-me-down Plymouth wagon. Had to learn how to drive a stick. But I loved the way my BMW handled bumps, cornered, how smooth + light + lively it was --- easy on gas, too. Fun

    After a few months driving to work, then doing some highway drives ‘just-for-the-hell-of-it,’ I’d started searching-out some of the quieter + twistier + funner roads to play on. Like The Ortega. And Black Star + Santiago Canyon/Old El Toro Road. Friday nights, after work, or any week-end morning . . . I’d go out --- for a drive. Had a lot o’ fun in that 320i, buzzing around on those roads. Thought I was a pretty good driver, too --- nothing crazy . . . but fast, smooth

    My Best Friend had come down one Spring Break, and I’d offered to take him for A Ride. So, late on Friday night . . . . Black Star + Santiago + Old El Toro

    Done that drive more than a few times, by then --- so? . . . I was comfortable. No traffic, no homes/civilization --- just two lanes of Old School Country Road. Hauling a$$. Faster + smoother w/ every mile. I’m sure My Best Friend was impressed. I know I was

    At one point, we blew past this Big Ford Sedan --- lights on the roof, shields on the doors, sitting at the verge . . . . poised for launch. As it turned-out? . . . he never bothered w/ us. Too fast . . . too smooth

    The Last Corner of Our Little Drive was a sneaky one . . . . a blind-apex + decreasing radius + off-camber + left-hander. I hadn’t paid much attention to it before --- but that night . . . driving w/ My Best Friend in the my shiny little BMW . . . and driving smoother and faster than I’d ever driven before . . . I did

    I took us into that corner at just about full-chat, in 4th. The 320i’s suspension soaked-up/smoothed-over anything it rolled-over so I was pretty comfortable/under control. Got into the corner, car leaned-over a LOT --- as any softly-sprung car would. Done that before --- no surprise. But --- as that corner tightened + the car leaned more + started sliding . . . the tires got to the edge of the asphalt, started licking + nibbling at the dry-dirt shoulder . . . about 6-feet-worth . . .

    No problem --- need to slow my progress ---- juuuuuuuuuust a bit, so? . . . .

    I did the one thing one should never ever EVER do on a softly-spring + swing-axled anything

    I brushed the brakes

    W/ the car cornering at full-Kamikaze, I had two back tires balanced against two front tires . . . w/ the whole car sliding slowly out of the corner. When I ‘brushed’ those brakes? --- the car pitched forward juuuuuuuuuust a little bit . . . but enough to un-load + get my inside rear tire off the ground

    W/ one less rear tire to balance against? . . . . those two front tires took over/off. Now, instead of going off the road on the right? . . . . my 320i instantly darted over to the left . . . . + into on-coming traffic

    I caught it --- got everything settled/pointed straight . . . . + right at/into some headlights in front o’ us, coming at us --- couple sets

    I had two choices --- both real bad

    I could take my/our chances --- stay on the road . . . hope that the drivers in front of us could react correctly/quickly enough to save my sorry dumb a$$ . . . . or? . . . .

    . . . I could take the car 'off'

    EL Toro Rd is a 6-lane suburban feeder road, these days. Back then --- they were just starting to build all the neighborhoods that line it now. There was a built-up/pushed-up berm, on the left side of the road, maybe 10-12 feet high, 45-degree incline, soft dirt --- fresh

    Done

    So I took us 'off' . . . . and we hit that berm, at about a 60-degree offset, at just under 100 MpH. I remember seeing a wall o' dirt rush up --- bright + brown-grey, in my headlights . . . then suddenly seeing stars --- like, the up in the sky-type . . . . as the car contacted/deflected/ricocheted + went airborne --- motor zinging waaaay up, to/past redline as the back tires came off the ground . . . . until? ---

    BOOM!

    Dust --- everywhere . . . . in the lights, in the car . . . in my stupid . . . . open . . . . mouth

    We'd flown about 30 yards . . . . landed right-side up . . . . in the still-soft dirt of the construction site, beyond the berm . . . . dumb-effing-lucky



    I was 19



    When I see an 'off' . . . in a canyon . . . or a little country road . . . . or anywhere . . . I remember

    Didn't see a Meat Wagon --- or a helo . . . so I'm hoping everybody walked away from this one. It's late in our fire season, so all the Fire Guys are prolly there making sure nothing catches


    Except for the Emergency Vehicles --- and the smoke . . . .

    . . . . this is me . . .

    Dumb-effing lucky

    Thankful



    + Lazy fast
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    Last edited by LongRanger; 11-30-2012 at 07:23 AM.

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  2. #422
    Early S Reg #1395 LongRanger's Avatar
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    Dec '12

    Quiet month

    After great weather + no chance to drive in November . . . this month was bad weather + all kindsa chances. We’re having a mild El Nino this winter so there’s actually been some rain. And 1059 can get wet --- just not underneath. Besides . . . rain is what BMWs are for. (I speed up in the rain)


    Open stuff

    Still need to pick-up a longer steering wheel hub --- to move the wheel in closer + out of the same plane as the shifter, so I can get my knee up + behind the wheel + out of the way of the shifter. I’m thinking Classico --- same vendor as my current wheel . . . but, with the holidays + etc . . . . that purchase ’ll have to wait a bit

    Wanna to fit a proper (old) steering wheel + button, then, too . . . as soon as I figure out how to get the @#$%& horn button that's on there off

    And I’d like to tidy-up the insides a bit, too . . . noticing some dusti + junkiness --- all kinds of nonsense is cluttering-up the place . . . papers + magazines, a jacket, + think I saw a pair of shoes --- even a roll of tape! . . . where do I get all this crap?


    I keep a small logbook w/ 1059 . . . and it’s nice to have a working odo, again. Fuel econ = 19.5, since service --- 39.37 gallons/780 miles. Good miles, too --- freeways, mostly . . . but I’m still looking forward to a drive up The One, some time soon. SMMTaG has commented how much she enjoys (!) being in The Nasty Car (!!), so . . .

    . . . I will work that for absolutely all that it’s worth

    Anyway, the only real Drive in the last month was out to SMMTaG’s, then on to The Geraces for New Year’s. Mornings = ~40 F, so The Nasty Car takes a good while to show + get any oil temp . . . which I don’t really mind since it takes me ditto. Didn’t get back ‘till later that evening, so . . . ended-up having to take 1059 to work w/ me the next AM

    Many are called . . . but few are chosen

    Apart from recycling/disposing of ~20 gallons of gas, my one accomplishment this month? . . . was adding another fingerprint --- well . . . changing one, anyway


    1) Week's worth o' drips . . . . whew (--- the two faint ones are old)

    2) + 3) Read/saw some comments about the 'tunnel' number --- see post #16 . .

    http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...ocations/page2

    . . . so? --- decided to look for mine. Pulled the coupler-cover, could feel something stamped into the metal, on the right-hand side of the opening . . . but the carpet is WAY too glued down to get a good read --- and, no, I'm not tearing it out, so? . . . . time to pull that panel under the dash, see the 'production' number. In the mean time, tunnel looks really nice inside . . . + another reason why I love un-restored cars

    4) My kinda Commuter

    5) And I always thought that place was in France
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    Last edited by LongRanger; 01-04-2013 at 01:29 PM.

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  3. #423
    Early S Reg #1395 LongRanger's Avatar
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    Not Broken

    Took 1059 to the Pomona Swap, Sun, 13-Jan

    Pretty cold for CA --- high-30s/low-40s? . . . when I left Simi. Car’d sat in the garage over-night, so, no problems starting-up, spent some 5-or-so minutes buzzing away @ ~1500, on the hand-throttle, out front, then --- good-to-go

    Thought that I’d left early enough. Didn’t really notice the time --- hey, it IS Sunday . . . but it was still dark, getting blue, dawn breaking. Very different drive, out to Pomona, too --- going-down-from-Simi vs coming-up-from-OC . . . and, @ just under 70 miles one-way. . . longer, too. (>300 mi week-end) Early Sunday, Play-offs . . . so almost no traffic out-bound. Speedo light = MiA, but not missed/noticed @that time o’ day. Usually cruise just under 3k RpM = 75 MpH/120KpH?, any way, so . . . solo, far right, flying low

    Got to the Gate ~7:00 AM?, paid-up (pre-75 Porsche = $25), parked-up . . . . then did The Swamp . . .

    http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...n-13-Jan/page3

    Got some nice comments about the car + color . . . even ran into a Guy finishing-up a resto/refresh of a Conda ‘S’ --- knew about Our Little Corner . . . anybody here? Anyway, the 2nd question everybody asks is ‘What color ‘zat?’ . . . which is what 1st got me

    Stayed a coupla hours, saw some sights + took some pictures . . . even found a frame . . . Trans Ocean, in Pasadena . . . ‘70s, maybe? . . . $60 = cheap enough + worth the trip

    Anyway, going was busier than coming, traffic-wise . . . + more fun, too . . . warmer --- sun shining, etc. And driving in/around/through traffic, on ~hour’s-worth o’ weavy/turny/climby freeways, points up another signal feature that I appreciate + enjoy about Early 911s

    Steering


    I didn’t drive any 911 until the early '90s. This one year, my pal Craig Stevenson had organized + arranged to have some of us 356 Guys get in + park inside the venue of/at the Long Beach Grand Prix. So, one of Craig’s other 356 Buddies was taking his Little Car in --- but he’d driven up in his Every Day --- an ’83 SC Cab

    Meanwhile, Craig had come up w/ The Idea + gotten some other Somebody to bring along this video-cam set-up . . . all that he wanted/needed was a car to shoot some footage from

    Hey --- that Guy’s Cab would be perfect

    Now . . . if we only had someone to maybe, like, etc . . .

    . . . so --- here it comes . . .

    Hey, Rick . . . you wanna maybe, like etc . . .

    Uh ---- yay-uh

    That initial enthusiasm took a bit of a shot, though. ’83 Cab didn’t look too promising . . . lighter-colored --- creamy- or champagne-like?, w/ this kinda-nasty/dirty beigy-colored interior, + --- wait for it . . . . >200k miles on the clock. I already thought that Cabriolets were Old Man’s Cars, anyway --- heavy + kooky + ugly pile-o’-canvas stacked-up high on the back . . . . now add two trips ‘round the odo?

    Oh, what a feeling . . .

    Anyway, so --- I swallow/hold my nose, jump in, Video Guy in back . . . start the car + smoothly (= no stall) proceed. Cab’s not making much of an impression + I’m taking it easy, warming ‘er up --- old habit . . . as we take this turn, then head on down Bolsa Chica + off to Long Beach --- car shuddering . . .

    So? . . . . . what’s w/ this Kooky Kar?

    Easing down the road, the Cab’s steering wheel is just about jumping out of my hands. Like, something’s broken, maybe . . . or a HUGE case o’ ‘square-tire’ ---from sitting/flat-spotting/something

    And we as keep going? --- this whole hula dance does not let up . . . wheel fidgeting/struggling/wiggling-around in my hands, over camber + road surface changes, then spazzing-out at every joint + bump. Only thing that settled the commotion down? . . . was speed. Sorta

    But then ---- after a while? . . . like, after twingling all the way to Long Beach . . . I figured it out

    It’s not broken

    It’s a 911



    Heading back from Pomona, growling-/howling-along on the 210 . . . I remembered . . .

    Coursing through traffic . . . going in a more-or-less straight line takes only a coupla fingers . . . the wheel tingling/fiddling constantly . . . sorta soothing/not exactly relaxing. Little changes = ditto effort. But anything more? --- that steering wheel loads right up --- immediately + steeply . . . even turning those dinky little 185s. And Big direction changes? --- almost take getting out of that bikini seat to make, any required effort magnified by having to lever a smaller dia steering wheel

    The ‘delta’ --- from zero- to full-lock . . . is pretty impressive

    What’s weird is --- all this drama + effort? . . . all this steering? ---- actually makes the car feel more secure. Can’t really help but know what’s going on, out under the front of the car. I mean --- there’s nothing accidental about steering a 911

    Of all the control inputs, for me, it’s the steering that’s probably the most involving when driving + using this car . . . probably ‘cause I’m always doing it. Throttle + clutch + shifter take concentration, sure --- but I do all that stuff in moments/bursts, sporadic --- OK, more in town, maybe . . . but much-less to not-at-all out on the highway. But steering? --- trying to keep The Nasty Car gathered-up + pointed? . . . never stops

    Put it another way . . . on-the-move ---- I never let go of the wheel. Ever. As in, two hands, firm --- all the time

    So, out on the highway, flying along, even in a more-or-less straight line, w/ not all that much going on, traffic-wise? --- still a lot to do . . . constant + steady + minor corrections as the road shifts/changes under, or when any puff of air tugs/pushes over. Windy = extra busy

    But comforting. The road’s not smooth --- pretty patched-together in places, un-even, pocked + divotted, just-plain p!ss-poor . . . but w/ that busy-busy steering, The Nasty Car chatters about everything. And notta lotta filter = zero surprises

    So, being well-informed --- I get comfortable . . . + speed up . . . which 1059 is happy to do, anyway . . .

    . . . Start barreling . . . + my attention + concentration move further-and-further out . . . a few cars, at first . . . then a few more . . . then way more

    Then I only really notice the steering when I use it

    I’ve written about compensating for 1059’s small size/vulnerability by speeding-up. My MO = actively driving/moving through traffic, engaging it --- vs following along. Another Truth is . . . I don’t have a lot of regard for most drivers, really . . . most seem pretty-much un-interested/distracted, oblivious to/unaware of the whole concept of ‘traffic,’ in general . . . + don’t seem to ‘drive’ their cars so much as sit in them, wear them, show-up in them. Cars are more adornment than transpo. No fun

    Signals, lane discipline, situational awareness? --- never mind common courtesy? --- or common sense? . . . a joke

    Sometimes? --- I swear . . . I’m The Only Knucklehead Out There using his turn-signals

    So --- I do my best to go around/stay away from Other Drivers w/ the least amount of nonsense possible

    Aggressive? I’d characterize my driving as . . . ‘purposeful’ . . .

    Like the steering . . .


    Did have some drama. Sunday night, after the Swap + sitting all day in the garage, I tried to start The Nasty Car, take ‘er back to The Nest. Did our usual drill --- key ‘on,’ 5 seconds, charge the pump, then turn-to-start . . . but I missed firing the engine, on that 1st little ‘catch’ . . . and then . . . . could not get the Little Beastie to wake up. Figured I’d flooded it --- in the 40s, after all . . . so gave her a few minutes to pull herself together, tried again . . . no dice. Popped the hood, smelled gas, opened garage, waited 15 minutes, tried again . . . but nothing doin’

    Once more? . . . uh-uh

    B!tch

    Waited almost an hour --- tried again . . . this time w/ the hand-throttle up high --- as in ‘all-the-way’ . . . then let the starter turn + turn + turn + turn . . . .

    Was already thinking about the What’s the Worst That Could Happen-type scenarios . . . having to stay the night + getting a flat-bed to TLG next AM + excuse to Boss, etc . . .

    . . . and by-the-way ----- everybody has a proper fire extinguisher in their cars ---- YES? . . .

    --- when? . . . .

    . . . The Nasty Car finally ‘caught’ + started, cleared ‘er throat . . . . settled + idled, etc. Got home . . . late = fine


    Hhhh

    It’s not broken

    It’s
    1059
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    Last edited by LongRanger; 02-03-2013 at 04:39 PM.

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  4. #424
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    Nice! You had me worried for a few seconds. I have a vivid memory of fuel-filled heat exchangers remodelling themselves....

    Great reports as ever!

  5. #425
    Early S Reg #1395 LongRanger's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stevie View Post
    . . . had me worried for a few seconds. I have a vivid memory of fuel-filled heat exchangers remodelling themselves . . .
    Yeah, really. My Biggest Fear

    Extinguisher is always sitting within hand-reach . . . . wouldn't leave home w/o it
    Last edited by LongRanger; 02-03-2013 at 10:03 PM.

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  6. #426
    Early S Reg #1395 LongRanger's Avatar
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    'Secret Number'

    Been wanting to do this for a while, now --- find/‘eye-ball’ + document 1059’s production number --- Porsche’s internal identification for its vehicles . . . the so-called ‘Secret Number

    I had some vague notions about where this number could be found, but . . . . it just wasn’t that Big a Deal. I mean, really --- once the VIN + engine # ‘match’? . . . who needs more numbers, right? Or tension/fear?

    Then again ---- just knowing it was around there + out there + somewhere, meant that sooner-or-later . . . .

    Anyway . . . started asking around, got some pointers, tips, vague references, but ---- the thing was . . . nobody was really super-clear on where to find this number --- left side, right side, around the radio, ‘down yonder’ . . .

    . . . or exactly how to get there

    Whatever

    So, I started off by just yanking-out the nasty ashtray

    Nope --- no numbers there. But my ashtray fits reeeeeaaaaaaaaaaal good

    Next up was the left-side lower dash pad. Not too tough to take off --- I could only find/touch two itsy-bitsy-little nuts holding it on . . . except that nothing felt like it’d moved in a coupla decades so? . . . . juuuust a little --- gummy. I’ve had some interesting experiences w/ Old German fasteners, so I went in pretty easy, taking stuff apart. Not a tough job --- nothing kooky . . . but? . . .

    . . . no numbers

    On to the right-side. Basically a mirror image of the left- . . . except that one of those nuts was juuuust about impossible to get my ratchet on to. Figures. Ended up using an open-end wrench to tickle that Little Mischief-Maker loose

    And there it was, a bit rougher/scratchier than I would’ve expected --- looked like it’d almost been ‘chewed’ into that dash panel, too --- directly below the radio . . .

    . . . One, zero-zero, two-four, five-four . . .

    . . . And ‘secret’ no more


    2) Not a tough job. Both lower dash-pads came out easily --- kinda ‘gummy’ but nothing kooky . . . and everything loosened + re-attached w/ me working upright + in front of the dash --- no gymnastics. Mine fit surprising-well, too --- considering how rough they look behind. You can juuuust make-out the position of the Production Number --- imprinted in the black dash metal, just below the radio

    1) + 3) Right-side lower dash-pad, removed . . . all hardware in-place

    4) Tools used. Compact/low-profile ratchet w/ 8mm socket, + open-end for the inner of the two fasteners, which was tucked-up + behind something-or-t’other. Next time? . . . I’d recommend a box-end --- for everything

    5) The Money Shot. Notice the finishing --- these numbers almost look gouged-out + metal still raw . . . the paint (brushed-on/-over) --- w/ a big ole drip!


    Here's some other threads on production numbers + their interpretation . . .
    http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...00-Dash-Number
    http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...l=1#post481472
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    Last edited by LongRanger; 12-03-2014 at 09:40 AM.

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  7. #427
    Early S Reg #1395 LongRanger's Avatar
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    Transmission ID + Gear Ratios

    Interesting table that I came across, from an old post, a few days ago --- see post #5 . . .

    http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...ht-data-needed

    Don't know where this table came from, originally . . . but it looks kinda 'official,' so . . .

    I've seen different dash numbers appended to 901 transmissions ---/13 + /54, etc . . . but never knew what they meant

    Also seen/read references to various gear-sets --- like A, F, M, S, Z . . . but never knew what the letters stood for, either --- or their associated ratio

    1059's trans is a 911/01|10

    I knew that '|10' = LSD

    Now I know the stock ratios . . .

    . . . A, GA, O, V, ZA
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  8. #428
    Senior Member beh911's Avatar
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    Rick,
    If you liked that chart, you will probably like a visual depiction of the ratios as well...

    Name:  901gear-chart003.jpg
Views: 710
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    1969 S Coupe #761
    Early S Registry #1624

  9. #429
    Early S Reg #1395 LongRanger's Avatar
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    Hey, Bryce . . .

    Thanks for that chart, Man --- love this kinda stuff

    Now? . . . I think I'm gonna blow-up your chart . . . and high-light my ratios . . . then compare them w/ some of the other gear-sets from above

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  10. #430
    Quote Originally Posted by LongRanger View Post
    Hey, Bryce . . .

    Thanks for that chart, Man --- love this kinda stuff

    Now? . . . I think I'm gonna blow-up your chart . . . and high-light my ratios . . . then compare them w/ some of the other gear-sets from above
    I've got them all here in a book ... many, many, many gear charts. I think I even have Spyders and Carreras, too.
    -Marco
    SReg. #778 OGrp: #8 RGrp: #---
    TLG Auto: Website
    Searching for engine #907495 and gearbox 902/1 #229687

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