993 restoration

[Ferry Man]

So, if you delete the motor you are left with two options:
1. cheap & simple = fill the hole with a rubber bung.
2. expensive = replace the glass.

The bung or plug is effective but not very elegant.
The screen replacement is pricey but is the correct thing to do.

You then have two other options:
1. Genuine Porsche RS rear screen (lightweight, thin glass, no heating elements)
2. Genuine Porsche Turbo rear screen (standard thickness and with heated screen)
Most turbos had the wiper but you could specify a car without rear wiper. Hence the availability of that glass.
I've gone for the standard glass with integral heating. And no hole.

[Ferry Man]

Stripping the car was quite satisfying. Not too tricky either. Some things that I was concerned about proved easy. The bumpers came off with not too much effort. The door pins I was convinced would be impossible without specialist tools. They popped out with the gentlest of taps.

[Ferry Man]

As we go through the thread I'll try and point out the issues unique to 993's.
There are many faults that develop and you'd be wise to look out for them if you're buying.
I thoroughly recommend you read Jackals guide. It's the definitive work. I cannot add anything to this very comprehensive article. Look for 'Buying Guide'. Or any of the many 993 topics. I tip my hat to him.
http://www.jackals-forge.com/lotus/

[Ferry Man]

One of the faults to look out for is corrosion in the front & rear window apertures.
This is an affliction that curses all 993's. If you see a bubble in the screen corners there is a whole heap of trouble brewing under those rubbers...

My car was good. Or had once been bad.
It turns out the fronts had already been repaired. And - I have to say - repaired very thoroughly and very well. So that was nice.
However, there was rust in one of the rear screen edges.
I felt it was likely only surface rust but I had it blasted anyway. It hadn't perforated but Sam (at Early911) wasn't taking chances and cut it out and let fresh metal in.

[Ferry Man]

The front screen corners. All good here.

[Ferry Man]

Just one troublesome spot on the rear.

[Ferry Man]

My reckoning was that for a colour change I'd want it done thoroughly.
So, obviously no sign of the original colour in the door shuts.
But also none in the engine compartment, front trunk, under arches, etc, etc.
Now that does mean a lot of work. Much more work that I realised.
These cars are much more complex than an early 911. There was to be a lot to be removed.

[Ferry Man]

My aspiration was to completely restore the car to as new.
So, each component I removed I would clean, or repaint, or recondition, or refurbish so it was like new. In some cases that might mean replace with new.
Certainly things like seals and rubbers I just purchased brand new from my local OPC. After 25 years it was invariably perished or hard, so replacement was the best course.

[Ferry Man]

As I dismantled the car I took photos. I needed to remember how it went back together.
I ended up with over 1,500 images and I could have done with more.
But usually the PET tells you the story. I certainly know my way around a 993 now.
I also took care to bag and label everything as I went. I bought 500 grip-seal bags on eBay and I bought a load of cheap storage boxes from Ikea.
A 911 takes up a lot of room when dismantled.

[911hillclimber]

Interesting to be the 'anatomy' of a 993, so similar to the early 911 (so far).
Great refreshing thread!

[Tp81]

This is moving at a pace! Rubber seals are not cheap, I tend to change these out on cars I have had, not cheap! Nothing with Porsche on it seems to be.

[mycar]

Agreed. I would have got to the rubber seal stage and called it a day.

[Ferry Man]

not cheap! Nothing with Porsche on it seems to be.

I'm spending too much with Porsche again. And the prices are constantly being increased.
Now, it's their business and they evidently run it well. Charging as much as you can is understandable.
But even I'm tiring of it.
I baulked at £320 + VAT for a headliner. But I paid it.
Now that's a lot of money for not a lot of fabric. However - unlike the early 911's - cheaper copies aren't easy to source for the 993.
But when it arrived I only had the main headliner, the second panel (for the insert) was missing.
Upon quizzing my OPC it turned out the sliding panel was listed separately with a different part number, another £170 + VAT. And that piece of fabric is tiny!
Now that seems like profiteering to me.

So, I have purchased some reproduction parts. Door seals for instance. And very good they seem to be (I'm not finished yet, so I'll reserve judgement).
The Porsche door seals were something like £335 each side, the copies less than half the price.

So, in summary, 90% of what I've bought is genuine Porsche but I now don't discount buying unbranded. Otherwise Porsche will just keep ramping up their margins....

[Ferry Man]

As the bumpers & wings & doors & bonnet came off I cleaned them as best I could and stacked them up ready for paint.

[Ferry Man]