Malmz
Apr 21 2004, 03:21 PM
Found this, I believe the original origin of DWD, aka Dirk Wrights Disease. Kind of funny to look at these groups 7 years later...:
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914 Digest for 22 Aug 1997
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5 Message:0005 5
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To: 914@porschefans.com
From: Dirk Wright
Subject: shipwright's disease
What is shipwright's disease ...
In LBC terms it goes something like this:
The glovebox light is out, I'll just replace the bulb, but look, the
contacts are a bit corroded, so I better put in a new socket. To do that I
have to pull out the glovebox itself, and look here! The heater is leaking.
I'll just pull off the leaking hose and whoops! The core is rusted.
Off with the dashboard, out with the heater core, and oh my, there's rot in
the firewall. IN the engine compartment, I take out the battery to
see the rot, and I can't weld the patch on it without taking out the engine,
so out with the hoist. While the engine's out I might as well rebuild
it, and the transmission and clutch. And I noticed that the shocks are shot,
so off with them, and the suspension bushings have seen better
days, but look! The spring tower's cracked, so I have to weld it, but I
can't get at it without removing the body, so....
...so replacing the glovebox bulb led to a frame-up restoration.
Dirk Wright 1974 Porsche 914 2.0
"What is your favorite internal organ?" 1971 BMW 2002
"Standard disclaimers apply" 1973 BMW Bavaria
Malmz
Apr 21 2004, 03:27 PM
Here is where it started to take form:
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914 Digest for 7 Dec 1997
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15 Message:0015 15
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To: 914@porschefans.com
From: Dion Dunn
Subject: My Christmas Story
PFans,
......
I have a lot of Dirk's disease; start doing one thing and the next thing
you know, the engine is all over the floor in thousands of pieces. But it
has been an experience that has helped me beyond just learning what part
goes where. Once again, thank you list members for the great advice,
bargain parts, and a lots of friends I've made along the way.
......
Take Care,
Dion
Dion Dunn
D&D Racing
72 Porsche 914 #6 AP
96 Dodge Neon ACR #14 DS
Malmz
Apr 21 2004, 03:30 PM
And the first time, from what I can tell, it was all put together to the term we know and love today...
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914 Digest for 19 Dec 1997
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28 Message:0028 28
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To: 914@porschefans.com
From: Alan Barrilleaux
Subject: My Christmas Intro
........
Summer '95 began a concerted effort to get it running again and this turned
into you guessed it, DirkWrights disease. At present the car is stock,
mechanically fine, but needs paint. Over the years the car has been reliable,
and has never left me stranded except for once when a transaxle broke. I've made
the usual repairs (most recently) - minor rust, clutch tube, pedal assembly,
brakes (SS lines, 19mm mc), shift linkage, rear springs, KYB shocks,
re-upholster seats, new seat belts, new MPS, trigger points, couple of
injectors,
reseat rear window, rubber, bursch, etc., etc., etc.
.......
Happy Holidays to all.
Alan B.
Jeroen
Apr 21 2004, 04:27 PM
Man, that's what I'd call a blast from the past!
I wonder what ever happened to those guys
I wouldn't be surprised if Dirk was killed by his own wife and lays burried in his own backyard.
(I'm sure she couldn't take it any longer that he junked the kitchen with his home-plating techniques for brake calipers and what not)
Any other "old timers" lurking here?
cheers,
Ya-Roon -graphic guru-
Dave_Darling
Apr 21 2004, 05:26 PM
Nope!
Hey, anybody here from the Porschephiles days?? Now
that is a
long ride in the Wayback machine...
--DD
Malmz
Apr 21 2004, 06:42 PM
I lurked on porschephiles right before porschefans took over...
sm
Bleyseng
Apr 21 2004, 08:28 PM
What did happen to alan? I know Dirk sold his pile of parts in disgust one day.....
CLASSIC status!
SpecialK
Apr 21 2004, 09:23 PM
So there IS a name for what I've got....
I always thought it was the "well, while I've got it this far apart I might as well...disease. It all started when I brought the '73 home and saw a little surface rust. Before I knew it (or could stop myself), there was nothing left to take apart. And you guys are enablers...up grading this, up grading that...where will it end!
Kevin
krk
Apr 21 2004, 09:52 PM
Malmz,
I gotta admit this is a cool thread. I bought my 73 in 96 when I arrived in CA. I plowed through lots of painful stuff with a couple of manuals and old AA/tweeks/automotion catalogs. Someone pointed me to 914@rennlist -- what a change! (In those days, I was on the road a lot, so the email list format worked well for me -- I picked it up with the rest of my email and read it on planes.) Having access to the BTDT experience was huge! And it was where I first ran into many of the folk that are on here. ('cept Crusty of course)
But in those days my toy budget was low and it made a big difference to have good quality coaching around. I no longer get the rennlist email -- my account screwed up somehow and I just haven't managed to get back to figure out how to fix it -- who am I kidding... these days my time is again limited, and I barely have time to drop in here!
But like those days, it's the coaching and the BTDT that is the genuine attraction for this BBS -- but bigger (more people) and better (pics!).
Ah, it brings a tear to the eye. Ok. Not really.
(but I do hope the Capt'n is doing well! He saved my butt a number of times)
kim.
Brett W
Apr 21 2004, 10:00 PM
I remember that post. Yeah I joined Porschefans right before the change over from Porschelist.
dgw
Apr 21 2004, 10:18 PM
QUOTE(Dave_Darling @ Apr 21 2004, 03:26 PM)
Nope!
Hey, anybody here from the Porschephiles days?? Now
that is a
long ride in the Wayback machine...
--DD
Yep. I remember wading through all model email in those days. Of course it was possible to do it then.
Brad Roberts
Apr 22 2004, 01:30 AM
Alan lives in Austin Texas. Nice guy. I'm not sure if he still follows Rennlist or not. I speak to him every year that I attend the MUSR.
B
Rusty
Apr 22 2004, 02:04 AM
I knew Dirk (and his nickel plated calipers) on Porschefans. I felt bad for the guy... he kind of self-destructed.
Alan is a really good guy. He is (or used to be) part of the MUSR planning committee. I haven't been in the loop. Last year, I couldn't go. This year is looking messed up, too.
Geoff - I second the nomination for Classic status.
Dirkwright Disease.
Jeroen
Apr 22 2004, 04:20 AM
I joined porschefans in early '97 (taildragger list)
Then it became porschelist and I joined the 914 list
It's been hopless ever since
cheers,
Ya-Roon -graphic guru-
mike_the_man
Apr 22 2004, 06:37 AM
I thought that Dirk Wright was just a mythical person, kind of like the boogey man, used as a warning. I didn't actually realize that he was a real person that got a little too caught up in the insanity that is 914. Very cool! It would be interesting to find out what happened to him. I also nominate this for classic status.
DNHunt
Apr 22 2004, 06:44 AM
For us guys that weren't around then it's fun to read that stuff. It's a bit unsettling to find the guy my affliction was named for kinda self destructed, Hope that's not in my future.
I'd like to hear more about the caliper plating in the kitchen.
Dave
maf914
Apr 22 2004, 07:24 AM
QUOTE(DNHunt @ Apr 22 2004, 04:44 AM)
I'd like to hear more about the caliper plating in the kitchen.
Dave
Then you need to ask Qarl, or do a search for his posts. He set up a home plating (cad?) operation and he did all of the small hardware for his car. The pics looked very good.
I'm not sure if he did it in the kitchen though, because he seemed to do most of his work on the dining room table!
Mike
Bleyseng
Apr 22 2004, 07:52 AM
IIRC correctly, Dirk did the powdercoating in the kitchen and the oven had the smell burnt into after that. The wife wasn't too happy.
I have to say that when all these crazy posts were going on I was going thru a hellacious divorce. I would read the posts and laugh my ass off! It was one of the few things that was funny in my life at that time. Dirk and his "I was trying to fix this and so I took this completely apart " posts, Dave Darling had his moments, Brett W was trying to build his killer motor,MikeZ and the Rocket and I think Mike Mueller was taking apart his first 914 back then.
Geoff
airsix
Apr 22 2004, 11:26 AM
QUOTE(Dave_Darling @ Apr 21 2004, 03:26 PM)
Nope!
Hey, anybody here from the Porschephiles days?? Now
that is a
long ride in the Wayback machine...
--DD
Yep, I remember. I was there starting in '95. I remember the first time you posted pictures. I couldn't see them because I was using on a 14.4Kbaud VAX terminal (text only). You had a web-page up by the time I got my hands on the first graphical web-browser - "Mosaic". I remember when you posted pictures of the red 914 with the angle-iron bar bolted across the underside of the pan to keep the passenger seat from falling out the bottom of the car! The was the worst case of "DPO" I'd ever seen.
-Ben M.
Dave_Darling
Apr 22 2004, 11:41 AM
Ben, I think you're confusing me with Tim Jones, the guy who put up
http://www.914fan.net ! I provided some of the content for his page, but he very definitely did all the work putting it up.
--DD
airsix
Apr 22 2004, 01:31 PM
QUOTE(Dave_Darling @ Apr 22 2004, 09:41 AM)
Ben, I think you're confusing me with Tim Jones, the guy who put up
http://www.914fan.net ! I provided some of the content for his page, but he very definitely did all the work putting it up.
--DD
No I very clearly remember you on Porschephiles back in '95. You had a nasa.gov email address. I could swear that you had a red 914 with bad rust that that had channel-iron holding the pan together. Wasn't that one of your cars? (I know you weren't responsibel for the condition of the car - that was the PO). I remember Tim too. He worked for a company that makes backup software. It was kind of fun having all the models represented on one list - remember the old guy with cabriolet always talking about his cats? And the kid who bought a 944 and the seller said "Don't drive it. Have it towed and don't drive it until the belts are done." and the kid drove it home and a belt broke on the way home. And the guy who got pulled over doing 80+ in a 928 he was test-driving and talked his way out of the ticket. I wish I had all those old archives. I wonder who else is here that was around back then?
-Ben M.
davep
Apr 22 2004, 01:59 PM
Well, I do remember the porschelist and the troubles John had with Porsche lawyers. Then he started Rennlist to carry it on. Also the 914 club on dgi.net, now gone, but remembered in any search for Porsche 914 links. The chatroom there was nice.
airsix
Apr 22 2004, 03:06 PM
I just thought I'd post this as strong evidence that DDD has in fact worked on his 914 (as recently as 1995!)
Unfortunately it looks like the bbs is going to mangle the nice ASCII-art sig. See, we were all "newbies" once-upon-a-time.
-Ben M.
QUOTE
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 12:51:35 -0600
From: darling@simlab.arc.nasa.gov (Dave Darling)
Subject: 914 Sheet Metal
YES! I did it! The 2.0 engine came out of the car
yesterday afternoon! I did it all by myself, with advice
from The List, and loan of tools from Josh Hadler. Also,
thanks to Josh for letting me assist him on his first engine
removal--it gave me the confidence and let me see some of
the "gotchas".
However, I ran into a wee little problem. I can't
seem to get the Lower Right Warm Air Guide off the *%#&^$%
engine. It seems that Klaus and Fritz back at Karmann used
slot-head screws to hold the sheet-metal together (it even
shows 'em in the factory manual!) and so I want to kill them.
I've got two (out of three) very stubborn screws on that one
piece of metal. I've tried Liquid Wrench and some thumping,
but to no avail. Every time I try to get 'em out, I wind up
chewing up the head a little bit more. One screw is just
holding sheet-metal to sheet-metal (with one of those welded-
on nut things), but the other one goes into the case.
HELP! Any suggestions? Should I just continue the
"spray-and-beat" technique for a while? I want to get the
stupid thing off so I can clean up the leaked oil above it.
(Yecch!)
Thanks for all the previous help, and thanks again
for any suggestions now!
- --DD
"No cones, no cones..." ____--/~|___\_____. _____
( _ _ > |_____|___|__/____|_
Dave Darling ~' `~~~~~~~~~~~' `~ _____| | |
darling@simlab.arc.nasa.gov `~' `~'
seanery
Apr 22 2004, 04:59 PM
ok, what was the response?
Dave_Darling
Apr 22 2004, 05:38 PM
As I recall, it was something along the lines of "Get the right-sized screwdriver, ya idjit!!"
And no, I did not have the red car with angle-iron. I'm pretty sure that was either Tim's orange car, or a red car that belonged to some third party whose story Tim posted on his site.
--DD
Gint
Apr 22 2004, 05:59 PM
QUOTE
Unfortunately it looks like the bbs is going to mangle the nice ASCII-art sig.
Ben,
Try the code button and see if the original ascci art will display properly. It will tag it and isolate it from being interpreted by php. I really wanna see it!
Thanks for posting the "DD the newbie" post.
rhodyguy
Apr 22 2004, 06:55 PM
sort of like kaiser sooze. great legend. i was never sure of the case polishing story jp told me. fun stuff.
kevin
Gint
Apr 23 2004, 04:42 PM
Ben...
QUOTE
Try the code button and see if the original ascci art will display properly. It will tag it and isolate it from being interpreted by php. I really wanna see it!
Come on man! ASCII art turns my crank.
airsix
Apr 24 2004, 03:34 PM
QUOTE(Gint @ Apr 23 2004, 02:42 PM)
Come on man! ASCII art turns my crank.
Ok, the code tags didn't work, so I'm hitting an all-time low here and posting a "picture" of ASCII characters (sheesh I feel stupid).
-Ben M.
Dave_Darling
Apr 24 2004, 06:02 PM
QUOTE(airsix @ Apr 22 2004, 11:31 AM)
...And the kid who bought a 944 and the seller said "Don't drive it. Have it towed and don't drive it until the belts are done." and the kid drove it home and a belt broke on the way home...
Jay something. That happened to him, and he wanted to sue the seller. Boy, did he get ripped a new one for saying that!
He's also the kid (I think he was about 18 at the time??) who bought a 912E. Not just
any 912E, but the first one, serial number ...0001. Bought if off the widow of a friend of the Factory, in fact. Took it to a mechanic to get some issues dealt with, and said mechanic wrapped it around a telephone pole while test-driving it.
Last I remember, he bought or built a Corvair-powered early 914. It used a 911 transmission to avoid having to re-flip the R&P in the 914 box or reversing the rotation of the Corvair motor.
--DD
Gint
Apr 24 2004, 10:25 PM
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