Engine detailing - or What to Do When You're Bored in the Winter...

This engine is kind of an ugly little spud. I don't like the color of the fan, it's a leaky pig and 26 years have not been kind to the "aesthetics" of this engine. Well since I'm taking the long block up to Seattle next week to have the headstuds replaced, that leaves all the other bits un-attached. So I thought maybe you guys would get a kick out of what I'm doing.

***Be Warned*** this is NOT going to be "factory style". It's going to be MY style which we all know is a little off-center!

BEFORE and the new Valve Covers. The valve covers will have the raised PORSCHE lettering in black, but they aren't finished cooking yet. angela

I'm sure Mr. Butters will look smashing in his new butterscotch valve covers.
Mmmmmm-mmmmm-good, just like Mom used to try to make!

"***Be Warned*** this is NOT going to be "factory style". It's going to be MY style which we all know is a little off-center! "

We start, with a nice Earth-Tone background for the valve covers, not unlike that seen on the side of the road in Tuscany, to which we add traces of a burnt-taupe, added with deft strokes of a Faux-Marble sponge.

Leaving that to dry, we move on to the rust and pseudo-black muffler, haviong already removed it for the transformation, for which we've planned a Harvest Mustard background, on which we'll silk-screen "Porsche Advanced Projects Lab" in "Guards Red", having found the appropriate, authentic, German terminology from an obscure web site in Bavaria: "Porsche Unberground Go-Fastmish Laboratory"

Moving on the the Fan Shroud, we have been lucky enough to find some original, NOS 911 parts in the garage of Hans Kleber, noted Porsche historian and Thai noodle chef, that will become the centerpiece of our fan shroud work of art, "Das Shroud der Puffinharder", using pigmented paints derived from various insects, as well as true, Platinum-over-Gold-over-nickle-over-stainless-steel plating of all add-on parts (hoses, plug wire holders, distributor housing, etc.).

Finally, the engine tins will be processed in a swirled, multi-color and multi-viscosity, molten glass applique process developed by Dale Gilhooley, expressly for this project (Mr. Gilhooley being a distant neighbor of the Lanes and currently on leave from the Glass Masterworks Advanced Techniques school in Barcelona. Mr. Gilhooley stated: "I've always wanted to do a project with the Lanes, and this backyard Porsche project lends itself to my new glass-over-rust technique perfectly as a rust-preservation advancement.

Stay tuned for the next chapter; "Low Budget Interior Beutification Techniques"

Gordon

You've been watchin' Martha, aintcha?

On good drugs would be my bet.

You guys KILL me! But funny that you mention the interior as that is next. Repair the seats and redye them. The fan shroud will be this same Cummins tan with a black fan. The fan housing will be basically a flat aluminum color. Anything to cover up the magnesium (fan and housing).

Right now the long block with the heat exchangers still on is loaded in the back of the Jeep for transit north. Tell ya what. We are either going to have to get cars with good motors or a lift because throwing a motor in the back of a Jeep is hard! It's awkward, makes your back hurt and your husband YELLS at you because you aren't lifting enough.

Meanie. I think I'll burn his dinner tonight.

angela

Why burn it? I'd bet it's going to smell like enamel anyway!
Hey -- you're doing a bang-up job. Please keep the photos up, eh?

I just figured out where those missing jugs of beer from Carlisle went!

Ahhhh......"Eau de powda coat"

Angela wrote: "The fan shroud will be this same Cummins tan with a black fan."

WOW! Can you imagine a diesel in the back of a Speedster? (catch up, you guys....the Cummins paint got me started...)

Fire that puppy up and it would sit there rattling away, sounding like something was grinding up Walnuts back there.

Then, you slowly pull away from the stop, the low growl of the diesel abandoning it's Walnut-crushing and climbing slowly in pitch until the turbo spools up to a crescendo, the driver looking furtively about seeking V8 Corvetts to leave in the dust...and all the while smiling to yourself that you're getting over 50 mpg......

Boy! I LOVE being on this stuff to get over my cold infection!!

Got any to share? I think I feel a sneeze coming on.

Gordon,
If she put a diesel back there it would put up a black cloud at every intersection and look exactly what folks think out "antique" cars look like.

Rats! There goes my bad typing again. How come this thing doesn't have spell check?!!

I typed "out" and meant to type "our"

Grrrrr . . . .

Dusty - Use "edit' icon on the original message, and then "submit" again. It ain't spell check, sorry, no SOC manual available!

Anyone happen to see the FOUR diesels (I think they were from Audi and Peugeot) at the last LeMans??? I remember that they were leading for quite a while (all four of them - 1,2,3,4) and they weren't spewing out any black clouds. Plus, three of them were getting some unheard of fuel mileage for a car of that class, and the fourth had slightly higher fuel consumption because it was missing a big chunk of front end fairing.

Every major manufacturer selling cars in Europe offers diesel engines across most, if not all, of their selling line up, and they have done so for years at competitive pricing. Even the VW Vanagon is/was offered with a diesel (google "vanagon diesel"). Here in America we get, instead, "Hybrids".

I think spell check would be cool on here, too.

Yes I think a modern diesel would be insteresting and you're right, here we get the Hybrids yet across the pond they get clean burning diesel fuel. I've read that our diesel is many times as "dirty" as what's available elsewhere although apparently we are catching up.

The Mercedes Blue Tech (sp?) diesels looks interesting, although expensive. Plus I think I read that one of the Asian big names has come up with a clean diesel that does not need a consumer serviced/maintaned part (like the Blue Tech does) to maintain its clean burning status.

For my limited money I have been looking for an older Benz 300TD, preferably the straight 5 as opposed to the 6 cylinder unit and idealy with the optional 3rd seat. They're out there but are commanding pretty good prices for a pedestrian Benz. Then I'd fit it with a hydrogen generator and have my own "hybrid".

David,
How can you correct a message that has already been posted?

Dusty (often computer challenged)

Dusty:

Theron has set up a 30-minute edit window on new posts. Once you hit "send" you'll see an "edit" icon in the upper left of the post for 30 minutes, allowing you to go back in an make spell/grammar edits and so forth.

After the 30 minutes time out, the post is locked (no further edits possible). I guess this was to prevent people going back in and changing the context or meaning of past posts when there was a site argument going on a while back.

The bottom line: Do your own "spell check" before you hit "send"

gn

problem is... out is not spelled incorrectly, so it would not have been picked up

I get a lot of "god" ideas that should have been "good" ideas. Makes me look like an egotist, actually, just can't type!

Reading my inept "wroting" makes everyone seriously question my years as an editor and publisher of magazines and newspapers. I blame it all on these keyboards that let me coarse along with no sound! I come from the days of Klackity-Klick. Believe it or not, I actually learned to type as a 12 year old running a Linotype for the local paper. That is a completely different keyboard and I had to relearn to use the QWERTY keyboard we now use. They have finally proven that humans can be multi-lingual but cannot be multi-keyboard. All of this is just a little background to help reinforce my excuses for bad typing.

Happy Trails,
Dusty and the bored Miss Sharon

OK,
I just went back and hit the 'edit' button. IT WORKS, IT WORKS!
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you :-)

Yep, those were the days...lower case on the left..upper case on the right. You'd be amazed how it's done now a days.
*End Hijack*
Now what the heck were we powder coating?

An Underwood Number 5 typewriter. Thanks for keeping up, Bill.

My camera ran out of battery today, but this is part way thru my busy afternoon. The engine now has the wiring sorted out/repaired and the CIS manifold back on. Maybe just "maybe" we'll get it installed this weekend.

Also realized that Butters did not have the underseat control unit for the CIS... That is major bad news. Fortunately, we still have the 82 targa here. So all morning was spent pulling the control unit and wiring harness. The harness goes from the left rear corner of the car, thru the passenger compartment on the RIGHT side, then crosses under the driver's feet, pops up in the trunk and goes to the fuse panel. GAHHH!!!

Anyway, all of that is in Butters now - nice and sano. Also this engine has new rings, valve seats., etc.... In addition to new heat studs!
angela

So which car are you bringing to Carlisle - Butters or the Spyder?

Hey Dusty,

ETAOIN SHRDLU forever!

Tomm

Angela called me the other day to say the car was operational. How COOL is that?

Tomm and Dusty,
My dearly departed father was a Linotype operator all his life and ran a small typesetting business. I worked there many summers during college.
I always wanted to buy a Linotypoe machine and put it in my living room, running. What an interesting piece of machinery.
Great memories!
End of Hijack.
Thanks,
Jim

Yeah that car started up so easily that Steve and I just stood there looking at each other... Like wow, man, guess we did it right!

Fuel injection, even buttugly CIS fuel injection ROCKS! The transmission also shifts beautifully. That was Steve's first attempt at a transaxle overhaul. Nice job Handsome Husband!

angela

John Preuss........The Mergenthaler Linotype was a mechanical marvel....I worked on Mergenthaler's equipment for a short time in my widely varied career.(sp) Makes the kit cars seem simple, until you break one down for repair....

Thanks for the mind trip....

DONE! DRIVING! Onto another beater project!

angela

Brilliant!

NICE!!!

Angela,
I bet that would make it over the continental divide to little ol' Loveland.

Side note: It was incredible visiting with you. Come back soon.

Dusty and the lovely Miss Sharon

Tell ya what, spending the afternoon with you and the Lovely Miss Sharon has been the best time I've had without doing anything illegal in years!!! LOL!

It is going to be worth driving to Colorado in September just to spend time with the two of you again.

angela

Car looks fabulous, and I am sure runs even better. Congrats!!

I wish I could be bored in the winter. Looking for a job takes a lot of time!!!!!

Been there, done that, don't wanna go back. I feel for you, Jeff. What kind of job are you looking for? My company is always hiring.

Graphic design. I'm currently teaching at ITT tech but not full time. Full time, good pay with benefits and I'll go almost anywhere!

Unfortunately that's one of the few we don't usually need. Still, I know of several people here in the business, and I will ask around.