8/6/16
What to do? What to do? This question has haunted me since I purchased the 912. It is a testament to the bubble in which I live my life that that is the question I ponder on a daily basis. Of course, I am aware of the desperate times in which we live. Even I cannot avoid the awful events of this year, ranging from the US election process to ISIS actions, with a very sobering dose of Florida and Dallas thrown into the mix. Obviously, I am concerned about these events. I just do not dwell on them. Instead, I focus on what to do with the 912, mainly because that is the only thing I have some control over.
Though it sounds like a simple question, the answer is not so simple. Is the car going to be rebuilt as a collector car with every effort made to keep it original or as a fun car with changes made to the original specifications. My 912 has already been modified somewhat. It does not have a numbers matching engine, as the engine was replaced. Its transmission started as a 5 speed, but was replaced with a 4 speed sometime before 1991. It has been repainted in a color that is different from its original color. A passenger side mirror has been added, which does not work because the mirror refuses to stay in the position in which it was placed. I can never fix the lack of a matching numbers engine, though I can restore the remaining anomalies, should I desire to do so. The benefit of this would most likely be that I could maximize the resale value of the 912. Of course, I am not doing this for the money. If that were the case, I never would have bought it.
The current state of the 912 forced me to postpone my real decision with respect to long term issues, as it was really clear that it had suspension problems and the engine was running like shit. Before I could modify anything, I had to get the infrastructure functional. So this week the 912 got new shocks, ne
w side view mirrors, and a new carburetor float. Due to the failure of the float, a part that is no longer made, the 912 would not run well. It stalled at idle and putting it in motion or maneuvering around a corner was an adventure. As I drove it to the shop, I really thought I would not make it. It turns out that the smell of gas that I was getting re-acquainted with was not as normal as I remembered. The float just did not float any more. The result was a constant state of carburetor flooding and the lovely smell of gasoline.
The 912 did not have a passenger side mirror when it was built. Porsche did not offer one as an option. It took me a long time to really understand why. Now I have absolute clarity about the issue and a slightly expensive failure to address. Sometime in its life, a prior owner added a passenger side view mirror to the car. At the same time or some other time they changed the original Porsche driver’s side mirror and put on an inexpensive aftermarket mirror. By the time I got the 912, both side mirrors needed replacing.
I went on line and purchased two inexpensive replacement mirrors, one for each side. I brought them with me to the shop. That is where I learned why there was no passenger side mirror and if you add one why it is in a different location on the passenger side than it is on the driver’s side. If the passenger side mirror is in the same location as the driver’s side mirror, then the driver cannot see the passenger side mirror due to the roof support. It’s odd and irritatingly non-symmetrical, but the mirror needs to be in a different location. Foolish me. I assumed that when the previous owner had the passenger mirror installed, it was in the right spot. I asked the shop to just replace it where it was. I also didn’t want to move it because it would require adding more holes to the body of the 912, and I am not ready to deal with the body yet. Irrespective of its location, adjusting the passenger side mirror is a pain in the butt because there is no way to reach it from the driver’s seat.
When I picked the car up, I was really more concerned with the engine performance and the ride. I was not disappointed. Both were great. It was like driving a different car. I loved it. And the smell of gasoline was just about non-existent. The passenger side mirror was not aligned, but I decided to deal with that later. I was just happy that the mirror stayed in whatever position it was left in.
I was driving it to Seal Beach today and tried to adjust the mirror. Guess what I found out. There is no way to adjust it so I can see alongside the passenger side of the 912. If I get the left and right adjustment right, then the mirror points up too high and all I see is sky. If I get the height angle right, then the mirror points way too far to the right of the car. I guess the prior owner had the same issue. I am now looking tor a convex attachment to alter what I see in the mirror. In the meantime, I will just ignore it. The visibility in the 912 is so good, that I really do not need it. When I get around to painting the car, I will pony up the $400 or so for an original Porsche driver’s side mirror and have the passenger side mirror removed. So the good news Is that I have made at least one decision.