Clark's Garage Message Board

[mikepellegrini]

I bought this car early last August 06 from a Navy guy in Bremerton WA for $500. It was not running. The odometer shows 33,000. The guy said it broke earlier in the year so his best guess was that the car has around 140,000 miles on it.

Transmission Code: QM17103


Click on the image to view it at its original size

All the interior carpet in the rear and the rear side panels were stripped out - absolutely bare metal in back. The PO had also removed the rear seat and seat belts as well.

The passenger seat had been removed then reattached with one bolt which was loose.

I'm guessing the guy had raced the car.

The car would crank but had no spark. The PO diagnosed this as a bad computer.

I also found a whole lot of oil in the coolant. I found this on my own; the PO professed that he had no idea there was oil in the water. I'm guessing he did know, and that's why he agreed to sell it so cheap, figuring it had a blown head gasket or cracked block.

I had the car towed home.

Compression was great in all cylinders (around 180 PSI), so I replaced the oil cooler gaskets, then flushed the oil and cooling systems.

The spark problem turned out to be bad crank reference and speed sensors.

The car runs really great now - but I've still got a lot of work to do.

She's really a sweet car. The PO's had really let her go to heck. But I think I have her back on the road to recovery.


Here's some more pictures: http://www.mikepellegrini.com/Photos/Porsches/index.php

Here's what I've done so far:

1) Removed oil cooler and installed new gasket set; pressure tested cooler (ok at 70 psi)

2) Flushed cooling system; refilled with coolant.

3) Flushed oil system with 2 Qts of Gunk Engine Flush - let the Gunk sit in the engine two days, then drained;
Purged Gunk from system by pouring several quarts of oil through and draining; refilled with oil and new filter. Then after running several hours, I did it again, re-filling with Casterol Synthetic 10-40.

4) Installed hood shocks.

5) Dyed and then installed rear carpets.

6) Dyed and then installed rear side panels.

7) Re-dyed passenger seat.

8 ) Fixed driver's side exterior door handle

9) Replaced passenger side exterior door handle

10) Repaired and repainted front valence; installed new bumper rubber

11) Installed new computer (which as it turns out was unnecessary)

12) Installed new Crank Reference and Speed sensors - runs great - 9-6-6

13) Fixed rear view mirror (which had been ripped off the windshieild)

14) Replaced lower radiator hose

15) Replaced passenger side tie rod

16) Front end alignment at Firestone - lifetime - 9-30-6

17) Repaired interior hood release handle

18 ) Reinstalled back seat

19) Installed new fuel pump and line to filter - 9-16-6

20) Removed tint from rear hatch window

21) Had muffler welded back on tail-pipe (Bucky's muffler)

22) Repaired driver's seat (it was stuck)

23) Replaced Thermofan switch - 9-30-6

24) Replaced heater blower relay

25) Replaced struts - 10-6-6 (Boge/Sachs performance struts and shocks)

26) Replaced shocks - 10-7-6

27) Replaced hose from water pump to pipe 10-7-6

28 ) Front end alignment - Firestone - to adjust camber and caster - 10-7-6 - caster way out of spec

29) Front end alignment - third time a charm - Firestone - 10-11-6 - better but still not in spec for caster.

30) Replaced front tires - old tires rubbed on bumps - Yokohama AVS ES100 - 205/55/15 - 10/14/6

32) Replaced hood latch

33) Replaced driver's side mirror - old one was from passenger's side ("Objects may appear closer...)

34) Repaired heater blower switch. 10-15-6

35) Front end diagnostic - Larson Posche. 10-16-6

36) Replaced rear tires - Yokohama AVS ES100 225/50/15 - 10/16/6

37) Replaced fuel pressure regulator - 11/4/6

38 ) Replaced gas tank to fuel pump line

39) Cleaned fuel strainer

40) Replaced fuel filter 11/4/6

41) Repaired windshield wipers (they were flopping) 11/5/6

42) Replaced rear hatch locks - 11/17/6 - now it locks!

43) Repaired dash lights (several were burnt out)

44) Replaced rear hatch lock pins - 11/22/6

45) Repaired odometer

46) Repaired fuel guage (by wiggling the wires at the tank sensor) - 12-4-6

47) Repaired rear "Porsche" light (installed new wiring harness)

48 ) Bled brakes and clutch - 12/11/6 - completely changed brake fluid

49) Removed gas tank and transaxle (gas tank was leaking) sandblasted tank, and then had 2 hairline cracks welded; painted tank - 12-29-06

50) Removed front valence and repaired cracks and scratches 12-29-6

51) Reinstalled gas tank - 12-30-6

52) Reinstalled transaxle - it runs (and doesn't leak gas!)! 1/3/07

53) Reinstalled new (Trav's old) muffler

54) Started belts and rollers job; disassembled - 1/6/7

55) Replaced all front oil seals; replaced rollers and belts; replaced oil pump drive sleeve, replaced valence - 1/9/7 - BACK ON THE ROAD!

56) Replaced lower hatch seal

57) Installed new stereo and sub - 2-3-7

58 ) Installed new sound insulation on hood 2-3-7

59) Had the right front wheel fixed by Wheelmaster - there were 2 good dents in it; had it re-balanaced and reinstalled on 2/21

60) Checked belt tension - ot was okay; changed oil - Mobil 1 10-30, and changed oil in transaxle - Redline MTL

61) Replaced front sway bar bushings - 4-5-7

62) Replaced driver's side tie rod - new front end alignment at Firestone 4-9-7

63) Recharged A/C - blows COLD - 5-26-7

64) Started clutch job - 5-27-7 - finished on 6-3-7; replaced piliot bearing, clutch disc and pressure plate;
resurfaced flywheel; replaced rear main seal; replaced throw-out bearing; replaced clutch slave cylinder; bled slave;

65) Replaced enigine mounts - 6-3-7

66) Replaced exhaust gaskets (BTW headders and cat) - 6-9-7

67) Replaced A/C compressor and drier - 7-1-7 - re-charged on 7-7-7

68 ) Replaced alternator - 7-1-7

69 ) Repaired odometer - again - 7-4-7

70) Clayed car - 7/21/7 - polished and waxed car on 7-25 and 7-26

71) Repaired odometer again. Adjusted mileage to reflect actual miles (from 38,??? to 48,900) - 8/14/7 - the
odometer drive gear had been free-spinning for most of the last month, working only when it felt like it.

72) Replaced alternator - 8/16/7


73) Odometer messed up again, so I fixed the spare and swapped them out - 9-1-7

74) Replaced rear heater hose - to heater valve - 10/21

And a couple more pictures:


Click on the image to view it at its original size


Click on the image to view it at its original size