Rebirth of a garage queen, Anyone ineterested? Options

[Pat Garvey]

My 60 year old frame finally got the guts to think it was forty one again this weekend. It's suffered since!

Background: my 72 has been a basic garage queen since '75. Yeah, it was concour'ed, auto-x'd 7 rallyed until the early '80's, but has been seeing 4 white walls for most of the time since. 17 thousand miles since 1975. It's been a perfect 914 for many years. Won over 40 concours awards & 2 Parades between 1974 and 1989. Has hardly seen the light of day in 5 years, since it developed an oil leak from the #1 cylinder head gasket/seal.

I want it back!

So, first order of business is to raise it up, drain all old fuel & change all lines, gasket & seals fuel related. Last gas I put in this car was probably about $1.50/gallon. Kept the topside up OK, but the bottom has suffered from spiders & cobwebs - I saw one today that was big enough to need a flea collar? Slithered up inside one of the front struts - made me leave the underside quikly!

So, I ask in case someone is interested in watching this progress. I'll do all the fuel things, but don't have the energy to pull the motor & replace the #1 gasket - I'll have to farm that out. Let me know if anyone's interested in the progree & I'll post it.

I REALLY hate to admit this, but nearly 20 years since the last time this car was on jackstands has made me recognize that I'm not as flexible as I once was. Kills me - thought this would be a walk in the park!

The will is there - the body.....? And I work on my feet every day!
Pat
LMKII

Hey there Pat..What Are the miles on your car???
And engine has never been dropped??
Thanx Rx

Miles are 67,914 (wierd, huh?).

Engine has been dropped 3 times - all for concours prep (yeah, I'm a Concdweep). It's really pretty easy, after the first time - takes about an hour & a half & makes cleanup sooo much easier.

Unfortunately, the last time was in '89 & I'm starting to forget the sequence - mostly because I've been lazy & too busy with work. Well, that's done (the work thing). So, now I become "reborn"! Though, this time, I'll take the motor to a pro to have the number one head re-sealed (leaking, because I didn't follow the proper torque sequence - let this be a lesson to everyone. It makes a huge difference). Don't have a motor stand anymore either.

[Pat Garvey]

Thought an update might be appropriate here.

The fuel lines (except the upper engine) are done. Old gas drained & taken to a shop that heat the floor in the winter with it (and old oil).

Most of the spiders have been euthanized. So now I'm working on cleaning/redoing finishes left unattended for too long.

Looked closely at the brake calipers & they need to be refurbished - Eric will get these in the fall.

Need new XAS's. Will get them from Coker. Problem there is I need to find someone who won't touch the fronts or backs of my wheels. May have found someone close by, but haven't talked with them yet.

#1 cylinder oil leak was non-existent. Sealed just fine. Oil leak was coming from improper drain plug seal, which travelled to the left side.

I now have a spare set of yellow top injectors, which will be sent to Canada for refurbishment in a couple of weeks. Will put them in & send my originals for the same treatment.

What I'm noticing is critical rubber pieces splitting. The "Doctor" has what I need, but I'm surprised, since they have been treated for 35 years.

It continues & I'm certain I'll spend a bunch before completion. Just wish I could find that early rain tray!

Pat

[Johny Blackstain]

Check the gaskets on your door switches- mine were disintigrating. Original on left, replacement on right.

[Pat Garvey]

Check the gaskets on your door switches- mine were disintigrating. Original on left, replacement on right.

Al,
It gets worse every week with the miniscule rubber parts. I keep finding pieces that have begun to "go south" all over the car. Most of these have been replaced once before & they've all been "treated" annually. Building a list for George, but want all at once.

Scares the crap out of me & I'm wondering when my dash will crack. Last one cracked 21 years ago, while garaged!!!

Damned old cars!
Pat

[Johny Blackstain]

Paranoia- the state of mind that occurs when one buys a white vinyl, cloth backed table cloth to keep over the dash... inside the garage. When I wash the car I have it over the dash. The dash does not see sunlight & this has me freaked regarding concours- don't know what I'm going to do. Maybe I'll pull it off & fold it up @ the last minute. In some ways Pat I'm ten times worse than you (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) .

[Pat Garvey]

Paranoia- the state of mind that occurs when one buys a white vinyl, cloth backed table cloth to keep over the dash... inside the garage. When I wash the car I have it over the dash. The dash does not see sunlight & this has me freaked regarding concours- don't know what I'm going to do. Maybe I'll pull it off & fold it up @ the last minute. In some ways Pat I'm ten times worse than you (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) .

Al,

The Gods-o-Vinyl will determine when your dash will crack. You are helpless with your silly table cloth. One day you'll lift it and THERE IT WILL BE - a very small split, just to the right of the guage cluster. My theory is that it's a function of two things:

1. Stress - like most plastic/foam parts, it's manufactured to be linear. When it's mounted it becomes stressed downward at the corners. The foam underneath gives it the ability to flex, but after a period of time #2 thing comes into play.

2. Loss of plasticizer. I use the term loosely, but it is a chemical compound in the vinyl that is supposed to keep it flexible. It dries out over time, making the "stressed" part less flexible & more brittle. It's not the foam interior that is to blame, but the exterior vinyl cover. The plasticizer is in all cars - witness the fog that accumulates on your windshield on hot days - that's it escaping. Modern cars seem to have changed compounds & do do that as much, but we don't have modern 914's do we?

So, what can be done? I have no magic potions & am waiting for my current one to split. Buy a new one (if you can find it - and you can)? How old is it? How's it been stored? COULD crack as soon as you mount it, and it's no walk in the park to do (especially for an old fart like me).

Keep your fingers crossed, I guess. As with all sojourns to a Parade concours (assuming you're going), it will crack as you pull into the lot, or on the way. But, maybe not. Something seems to happen to all Parade concours people who drive the cars. It's usually minor, but a good idea to take along spare critical parts.

Pat

[highways]

Why don't you set off a flee bomb fogger thing in the garage? I think they kill spiders too...(should say on box) and will get all the hidden ones you didn't get.

[Pat Garvey]

Why don't you set off a flee bomb fogger thing in the garage? I think they kill spiders too...(should say on box) and will get all the hidden ones you didn't get.

Other than under the logitudinal (rocker)covers, I've sucked those suckers(and the nest) up with my mighty super vac, so that issue is sorta over. Though I may find surprises in the panel covers. No matter, I wear gyno gloves under there. Not a problem so far.

Afraid to set off bombs of any kind because my 73T is also in there. Worried about fallout.
Pat

[Pat Garvey]

Boy, I never expected a day like today. It's high summer & been too hot to work in the garage. But today started out in the high 70's & actually cooled down as it progressed. My day off, so I spent 10 hours out there. Looked at the 911 & said nah! Need to pull some parts from the 914.

Pulled the drivers' side turn signal bucket out - the wiring boot turned to dust in my hands! Expected that.

Put new fasteners of the DS headlight motor bracket. Expected that.

Cleaned up & polished the metal brake lines on the DS - no problems.

Removed the foglight grills, to clean up & polish - disaster! Sfter 35 years of care, they have given up! I blame it on spider crap. Must be acidic & it was rampant.

So now I have to find some others. Yeah, I can buy new, and No, they aren't overpriced. I thought about buying new ones in the mid-80's , because I had a small chip in each. They were about $90/each then, so I decided I could put up with the chips. They're only about 25% more after all these years, so unless I can find some pristine ones for less, that's what I'll have to do.

All in all, a pretty good day - lots of things accomplished & never broke a sweat.

[ScooterD]

Pat,
Where are you going to buy new grilles from and how much are they exactly?
Scott

[Pat Garvey]

Pat,
Where are you going to buy new grilles from and how much are they exactly?
Scott

Scott,
They aren't cheap from anyone. But the price increases since the mid-80's are less than 30%. I checked both of the PP's - Performance Products and Pelican Parts, and they are within 3 bucks of each other - for each side. It'll still set me back about $230-240, plus shipping. Don't know what George has them for - his website is horrible (get that George? - you're losing sales, bud!). I'll buy new, because I cannot bring the old ones back. But they sure won't go on the 914 for travelling - I'll put the old ones on for that & carry the new ones inside.

Seems like every area I touch needs refurbishment. A hundred here, couple hundred there, the tires!!!!!!, the brakes (no problem with that, after 35 years). Starting to turn into a small money pit. What the heck, it's our only child! Far cheaper than Penn State!
Pat