My Red '97

[Qingdao]

I like the clean look

[78F350]

I'm still planning to keep the 16" wheels assigned to it. ...but I realized that I have a set of 17s with tires that are getting dated (about 5 years old), but still have some good miles left on them. I swapped them out today.


I plan to keep the 17s on it for a couple months now and run the car as my primary daily to see how it holds up.


Not bad for $2,500 and a couple weekends worth of work. Still lots of stuff to work on: rattles in the track arms, no power steering, cracked and missing plastic underneath, window/top issues. Yes it's old with lots of miles and some lumps and dimples, but for a fun, no-cares roadster that I can take a dog along in, it's perfect.

[BruceH]

Looks great, nicely done

[Traco]

Originally Posted by 78F350

Thanks. Yes it's a Bio Circle, nice to have around so I don't have to dispose of as much waste. I'm not a mechanic, but there's an aircraft hangar where I work with lots of tools I get to use.

Well done - I'm that same on my car, think I have a few DIY threads on here but most of them are on the Ireland site. There's a lot of satisfaction in getting a job done and knowing its been done right even if it was heart break at the time.

We sell Bio-Circle in Ireland, great little unit and excellent chemistry for cleaning. Some of their other products are also really excellent. I use the CB100 a lot in a 500ml spray bottle for cleaning and de-greasing.

[maytag]

Ok.... somebody learn me up: what's a "bio-circle"?

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[GLImages]

Originally Posted by maytag

Ok.... somebody learn me up: what's a "bio-circle"?

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I think they are talking about the Bio Circle parts washer/chemicals.

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[78F350]

Originally Posted by GLImages

I think they are talking about the Bio Circle parts washer/chemicals.

Yes, it is the green parts washer in the pics with the muffler. Rather than using harsh petro-chemical cleaners it has a water based enzyme solution that 'eats' the oil and sludge.

The car is running well and the only leak observed so far was from the screw on oil filter not being tight enough. Next week I start 7 days of day shift at work and that should be a good time to work on some issues that won't put the car out of commission or get me too dirty. I plan to fix the problems with the top and windows.

Windows: The driver side window usually doesn't stay dropped when the door is open. It can't be pushed down by hand when open. That is most likely a problem with the door latch.
The passenger side window will drop if it's pushed down by hand, then raise back up normally when the door is closed. That is most likely the 'slack regulator cable' issue that many people have fixed with a spacer. I think the root cause is actually the window motor. I have parts... and will report further next week.

Top: Lots of issues when I got the car. The frame for the top and lift arms for the clamshell were broken, a plastic ball link was broken, and all the linkage was disconnected. I expect that there are still multiple problems, but I have complete sets of parts boxed up and ready to replace the whole system if needed.

[Traco]

That's a nice to do list I replaced the driver's side window regulator last year. Not a bad job, ordered an OEM one and a new foam liner for it while I was at it.

Marking the glass where the original backers clamped it and the position of the alignment bolts in the bottom of the door meant there was virtually no fiddly alignment afterwards.

Not sure if I posted it in the DIY section.

Older but not any wiser!

[78F350]

I had a little free time in between remodeling my living room (new flooring and a built-in shelving unit) and going house-hunting with my son and his wife (I just got word their offer was accepted on our favorite house from yesterday). I seized the free moment to hide in my garage and huff welding fumes. The cracked brackets on the Dansk are repaired now. I hope to have it installed tomorrow, but no promises.

I learned how to use a welder by reading the instructions on the box it came in. Not making pretty welds yet, but the metal seems to stay stuck together. I wish that I had masked off the rest of the muffler - I got little slag bumps scattered around.

[Qingdao]

Wise man say "bad at welding good at grinding" LOL

Guys at work are always laughing at my welds, but they don't break. And once I grind them down you can't tell the difference.

Gas MIG is easier than flux core if you get the chance to upgrade.

[78F350]

I received a set of headlights and taillights with black covers. Why not try them out on this car..? I plan to go with a Red/Black theme, painting the wheels a glossy black. With the headlights still black it's sort of a 'Clark Kent' glasses look.


I loaded the pic on my computer and colored them red to see if they will look decent painted.


Filling more of it in (I think the best look would be turn signal where the corner piece sits and the fog and turn lights filled in) changes the character of the car where it really doesn't need to be changed.


I decided to stay with the stock lights. Nothing against what Bran and JBauer have done with theirs, but I like the classic lines of a 986. Dividing up the shape of the fried eggs into little pieces has a busy, discordant appearance. For what it is, I prefer the original shape and contours.

[78F350]

Oh Noooo... Stop me!

[WillH]

How much do you want for those covers if you’re looking to get rid?

[78F350]

Will, I won't decide what to do with these for a while. I just checked eBay and there's plenty for around $99 shipped or less. That would probably be your best bet right now.

Edit:... actually four for $99 more from about $129 up to $250. I can't get my eBay link to post correctly, but searching "porsche 986 headlight cover eyelids" found a variety of them.

[WillH]

👍🏻 Will check the bay

[Qingdao]

Originally Posted by 78F350

Oh Noooo... Stop me!

I love this too much. LOL

[BRAN]

lol...I know I know...you can't stop it anymore welcome to the club

[78F350]

Yesterday late in the afternoon I decided to install the Dansk muffler. The weather was nice and I thought I'd be able to have it done before sunset, so I did it in the driveway.
You don't have to take the rear bumper off to remove the muffler, but after doing it once, I realized that 'bumper off' is the way to go.

• Raise the spoiler and remove the top, then unbolt the spoiler from the lifting arms.
• Unscrew the bumper cover from the car - 3 under the spoiler, 2 at the top of the fender wells and I think it was 6 across the bottom.
• Remove the bumperettes, 1 bolt each, inside at the bottom.
• Pull the bumper cover out, then disconnect the license plate light.
• Remove 2 bolts for the bumper reinforcement bar. Heat shield attached to the bottom should come away with it.
• Now you have enough space to access the bolts and supports for the muffler and room enough to remove it.
• Dealing with the rusted bolts on the exhaust may require uttering some sacred words and a small sacrifice of blood. Use penetrating oil liberally and have a breaker bar handy.
• After the bolts on the clamps are loose, I like to pry them wide open with a small pry-bar or heavy screwdriver before trying to move them.

It got dark earlier than I expected. Then my wife came out to say that dinner was cold and she put it in the microwave for me to reheat when I was ready. "I'm almost done." I ignored a couple phone calls from my boss. *Why is he calling this late anyway.* Oh, late..., yes, it's almost 7:30 pm. I paused work on the car for a moment to text my boss: "I'm just 'finishing' an 'easy' job and will call back as soon as I can." He restores old Mustangs and I knew he'd understand.


Eventually it was done. Nothing was particularly difficult, but working with the old bolts and getting everything lined up right to mount the Dansk took a little more effort than I expected.


Most of it is covered by the bumper and the change is subtle, but I like it a lot.

[Hasbro]

This makes me smile. Well done!

[78F350]

While I have the 16" whells off and bad tires on them, I decided to paint them. I was thinking of glossy black with my spray gun, but then saw black Rustoleum with a hammered finish and decided to give it a try. I plan to let the paint set and harden for about a week now before i mount new tires