The good news is I got my H4s on tonight. The bad news is, only one of them works because I had to pry the plug out of the right one; the plug had apparently gotten hot at some point, and baked the plastic from the female plug right to the male end on the lamp itself. So I need to get a female H4 plug (and some electrical tape). I’ve also got some 80mil film I’ll be slapping on the lenses before it goes for a drive. At the moment, just a massive improvement in terms of appearance.
It’s a small detail, but the sticker on the bonnet was driving me crazy with the drop shadow. If it’d been a proper RS sticker, it might’ve been tolerable, but I found a local guy via Pelican selling an OEM part in perfect shape for $50 (think $130 new) and pulled the trigger. Night and day difference in my opinion.
They did a post-purchase inspection when I took it in for the fuel pump/filter; needed neither, but did need a few other little items. Shifter still a little funky here and there, probably going to look at the bushings soon.
Shouldn’t merit a post, but buying such a great car was ironically among the most unpleasant experiences I’ve ever had purchasing a vehicle. I grant some allowances for people being uncomfortable with letting their cars drive off without money in the bank, but made every effort–even extending myself into some personal risk–to put the seller at ease as a means of establishing trustworthiness, bargaining in good faith, or whatever you like.
In the end, I had to basically pry the title out of his hands, some two weeks since funds had cleared, and only after I’d sent a pretty scathing email calling him out on his bullshit. The longer version needs no retelling, but the short version is that I got the title on Friday and have the thing all registered in my name.
And now it finally feels like mine. Shame it’s in the shop at the moment. ><
I’d call some of this a stretch, and where appropriate, I’ve noted differences in brackets. Suspect this was simply what was provided to the previous owner when he bought it.
EXTERIOR
930 steel front fenders
930S steel rear fenders
930 rocker panels
RSR front and rear bumpers [let’s say “RSR style”]
1976 930 turbo whale tail [piece is fiberglass]
Roof mount antenna
New windshield and pop out quarter windows
All new body and glass seals and rubber
New turn signal switch assembly.
Hella H-4 Headlights
Hella horn kit
Grand Prix white Glasurit paint with clear coat
INTERIOR
Recaro LS Seats [actually Recaro SEs]
RSR lightweight perlon felt carpet
RSR Door panes and pulls [again “RSR-style,” unless the RSR had a cupholder I’m not aware of]
New headliner
AM/FM CD in dash with door speakers
Electric Windows
Electric Mirrors
MOMO Competition Steering Wheel
Short shift kit – WEVO/with reverse lockout
Center console
SUSPENSION and BRAKES
Bilstein Sport Struts and Shocks
Front and rear urethane suspension bushings
Carrera Torsion bars front and rear
Turbo tie rods
Weltmeister front strut brace
Bump steer kit
NASCAR-style reinforced front suspension pan with anti-dive geometry
Front and rear Carrera calipers and rotors
New master cylinder with power assist
Mintex street track pads
Stainless Steel D.O.T. brake lines
All new wheel bearings and seals
Lightweight forged HRE 3 piece Wheels 8X15” – 10X15” & powder coated red
Lowered aligned and corner balanced
Carrera sway bars with urethane bushings
ENGINE and DRIVE TRAIN
3.2 Liter 1986 engine – rebuilt
Deeves rings, Ehlring gaskets and seals
Kolbenschmidt bearings
New valve guides and valves with multi angle seats
Cylinder heads milled and ported high compression – need 92 or higher octane fuel
Leakdown all cylinders: #1 80/78, #2 80/78, #3 80/79, #4 80/78, #5 80/78, #6 80/79
SC cams – advanced
Front spoiler mounted oil cooler by Mocal with thermostat
Clewitt/electromotive programmable crank fire ignition system
40 IDA Weber carbs rebuilt and rejetted with K&N water shield air cleaners & powder coated red
SSI stainless headers with heat
2 custom built dual outlet mufflers – 1 “street” on car/2nd “loud” extra
New oil lines
Fuel tank dipped and sealed
High volume Big Red fuel pump
Rebuilt alternator
New fuse box assembly
915 transmission with 7/31 ring and pinion 8:31 is standard
Lightweight flywheel
Lightweight aluminum Sachs clutch
Amsoil 75w90 synthetic gear lube
Rebuilt drive axles
New BF Goodrich rubber: Front 225/60/15, Rear 245/60/15
Haven’t had a chance to go out and do a proper “shoot” with the car, but here it is as photographed the day I test drove it on Saturday, 26 Jul 2014.
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Picked the car up the following Saturday (02 Aug 2014), and had an uneventful ~80 mile drive home.
The basics are as follows: The car is a 1977 911S with a transplanted 3.2 out of an 1986 Carrera mated to a 915 of unknown year. Approximately seven years and 19,000 miles ago it was given a bare-metal restoration, during which it received the transplanted engine as well as 930 fenders (steel), a new interior, and all manner of upgrades both mechanical and aesthetic. I’ll post a full list of its modifications in a future post.
The car puts down a claimed 300hp, and I’ve no doubt of that figure; pulls very hard. Its ride is very firm but not a backbreaker. Shift action is good with predictable clutch take-up, but it’s also a less-than-modern transmission, so everything is very deliberate. Car feels very well-sorted, no major leaks, and appears to have been well maintained. In short, very happy with the car, and look forward to many years of ownership.
