The Obligatory Ride Up PCH...

The Obligatory Ride Up PCH turned into an obligatory breakdown in Malibu. Nice sunny Sunday drive when I get stuck in traffic and she dies. Luckily I was able to get her in the median lane as I was in the left.

After a couple of tries and a cool down session at the liquor store across the street, I went back and wrenched on her a bit in the middle divider as people slowly creeping by staring, laughing, and a couple thumbs up.

Turns out the new spark plug wires i got at Pep Boys instead if Porsche issued ones have a smaller boot and the ignition coil was spiting it out with engine vibration. So I think.

Ordered some new cables, red ones to dress things up a bit, and a new bright blue Bosch Ignition Coil just to be safe.

Californication

Yippee! After 3 weeks and a shit load of money I got her back from the shop. Now it's all about elbow grease. I'll post the list of what was done to detail after I go see back to the shop to get the brakes re-bled. For now enjoy a few picks from Shai and I rolling through Abbot Kinney on 1st Friday in July and some shop pics here...

http://birdgunblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/californication.html

The Day of Reckoning

Well after much hesitation on my part, I went into the shop today to see what my damage was.... OMFG as the kids say these days...$6,300 in parts and labor...WTF...

My "mid-life" crisis hobby has quickly turned into my "mid-life" financial crisis.

The good news is that I will basically, and better, have a good solid powerplant. Maxing the credit cards for now. I guess it will be pure elbow grease for a little bit now.

Rear springs come in Tuesday and I should be getting her back on the weekend, with some convincing Otto to let me pay him out on the 15th. Either way I'm out of town for 2 weeks on that weekend so the winding canyon roads or full payment will have to wait for my return.

I bought 2 lottery tickets tonight for Friday and Saturday... Wish me luck!

What Started it All...

Thats right.. The OG 914.

When I turned 15, I had accumulated a bunch of money (in 15 yo standards) working in the family's restaurant since I was 12. That's when dad agreed to help me restore a car... my first car...this little red race car.

After much debates over why a California Open Dunebuggy wouldn't be practical in the winters of a quaint Southeastern Massachusetts harbor village, we decided on this 1974 Porsche 914 2.0.

I could tell you stories for days, and so can my buddies in High School, about the fun I had in this car. However, the best ones come from me and dad, he wearing his chef pants and a stained apron, wrenching in the bitter winter cold trying to figure out what those crazy Germans were thinking when they engineered a bracket.

Now, at 37, I find myself still cussing at those Germans while underneath another '74 914 2.0 in my driveway in sunny Venice Beach, CA... I swear I still hear dad telling me not to shake the flashlight while I'm under this car.

I wish he was still here now to see this.

Update - 6/18/2010

So looks like I'll basically be getting a new car!

Here's the list of what we are doing at the moment:
- Full 911 Clutch kit including Flywheel. Both were toast.
- New Bilstein shocks front and rear.
- New Rear springs.. why it was sagging.
- New Super 911 Brake kit Front and Rear. Rotors, Calipers, Master cylinder, stainless steel lines, etc.
- All wheel bearings, shift bushings, seals, etc.
- New 911 transmission mounts, o rings, etc.

Phew... Well I'm up to about $2500 in parts alone. Hahaha. I'm glad cause this way i know what is in there. All the good shit and done well. I've been spending my lunch breaks at the shop daily. They love it that I'm into it so much. Plus he's real happy about the chassis and that I made a good choice.

Its nice too cause as they are taking the shit off, they are cleaning it and I'm going to have them repaint the parts. Like the control arms for example. They do it all there. Really nice shit.

I'l be in a new car essentially even though it will look exactly the same. Anything else at this point is cosmetic.

Update - 6/11/2010

Finally took her to the mechanic today. He drove me back in it. Right away he said new clutch. He did say the engine was really good which was def a relief. I think he was impressed. Apparently the guy is hard to get along with but we hit it off. He's the 914 guy. Has 18 of them! He of course laughed at the yellow seats and the ignition procedure and said he'll fix that right away.

Feeling good about her more and more. I'm stoked!

She comes home - 6/4/2010

After much searching and looking for a perfect candidate, I finally found her. 1974 Porsche 914 2.0 with matching numbers and barely any rust.

Cranny and I took the trek to North Hollywood to pick her up. After a short trip on Roscoe blvd to In and Out burger, we decided the clutch wouldn't hold all the way back to Venice.

After a few trips to the local Pep Boys, a few starts and stops and some clutch cable adjustments, we made the call to have her towed.

5 hours after calling a tow truck on a Friday rush hour down the 405, she got back home.