Front panels off for paint prep.

I also started getting rid of a little weight where the undercoating was really thick. The car has been hit driver side at some point in it’s life, so when they replaced the front driver quarter, they really laid the undercoating on thick.

Today while Wes and I were troubleshooting our next SPEC rental 944, Val was busy working on the hood. We pulled the front and side bracing off the underside in preparation for the motor. Normally the LSx motors require a 1/2″ spacer drop on the crossmember to clear the hood (throttle body in particular). By removing the un-needed bracing, I am hoping to clear the hood with minimal spacing. This allows me to eliminate having to do anything about the steering rack being lower causing bump steer. The hood will be pinned, instead of using a latch. She took quite a bit of weight off the underside of the hood, and we really didn’t lose any rigidity as we left the 90 degree bends at the edges. Here you can see the outline of where the bracing was.

Sanding out the old adhesive and paint.

Then it was time to strip the hood back to primer. It takes a heck of a lot of time to sand through paint.

And the finished product, ready for some primer and paint.

Then we got the battery box/battery mounted up and secured. Pretty decent progress for the day.

Last season the car had fuel cut out issues at the end of about 1.5 hour stints. We would only get about 10-12 gallons in the tank on refills, far less than it should take. So we need to try and figure this out. The car has had rear end damage in the past, and I think the tank has been replaced. First thing I wanted to do was to check the baffle system in the tank. Luckily….I can get my hand and arm inside the tank somehow…..getting it out is a little scary, but I haven’t failed yet, lol.

With the fuel sending unit removed, I started pulling out the pieces of it from the tank, lol.

And the multiple piece sending unit….note it shouldn’t be multiple pieces. The one rod was completely broken and loose from the unit, so I’m not sure if it was causing an issue with vapor/fueling or not.

Not sure what happened to this tranny, likely damaged in the rear end accident in it’s former life. This transmission has been pulled.

I couldn’t get one of the top bolts out the transaxle as it was backing out against the tank. So either our tank was hanging too low (which is likely since it is resting on the shock bolt), or the tranny was too high, lol. I finally got it out by lowering the crossmember.

Tranny out of the car.

Then it was time to do rod bearings as they have had quite a few hours on them. Dropping the front suspension and crossmember to get to the pan.

And inside the pan.

#2 rod bearings next to the new set of bearings.

Assembly lube on the new bearings, and back together she goes.

There was about a 1/4″ of sludge in the bottom of the pan, so I pulled the baffle out and cleaned everything up.

We also had a hint of a coolant leak at the end cap on the radiator, so we pulled that and replaced it with a new unit. If that had failed at the track, it would definitely end the weekend.

New radiator.

This miata came in due to this issue after the owner installed an aftermarket exhaust. The dealer told him the stock exhaust needed to go back on or else there was no other fix. But we disagree

The goal is to trick the downstream O2 sensor into seeing a reduced amount of air flow coming past it. We use a simple plug that restricts the direct flow on the sensor.

Modified. The tip of the o2 sensor will have enough area around it to read a reduced flow.

And installed inline with the rear o2. No more CEL.

The following are the results of inspection on Mark Sherwood’s 968 for those following the Rennlist and KCWS posts. Mark unfortunately has recently passed away and his family is selling the vehicle.

For interested buyers, please contact Chris McIntyre via email at (Chris at Merrillcompanies.com)

PRICE: Updated to reflect the price I have been told. The fellow who financed Mark would like 7800 for the car, 7500 would likely take it. Anything below 7k will likely lead to ebay auction. Car will sell to highest offer.

Pre Purchase Inspection: Typically I am thorough to a fault on my inspections, but I want the potential buyer to understand exactly what they are buying. Sometimes ignorance is bliss, and many issues I bring up may never be discovered by a future owner and are not major things. Hopefully I answer the major issues that people look for in these vehicles. Keep in mind, in this case, the car has 175k miles on it. It will need some work throughout the remainder of it’s life to keep it in tip top shape.

February 13, 2012

Pre-Purchase Inspections (“PPI”) are a result of an examination of many facets of a car’s interior, exterior and certain internal working systems. The PPI includes cosmetic appearance of the car as well as a comprehensive review of the mechanics of the car including, but not limited to

• Leak down test
• Compression test
• Paint/Body analysis
• Interior analysis
• Suspension wear analysis

A PPI is a limited overall picture of a car’s physical and internal condition based on a brief appointment with a car given a limited time frame. I acknowledge there are items that may have not been reviewed and still others that without tearing apart the motor, specific systems will not be detected. However, I provide my PPI customers uninterrupted time and complete attention to each detail in order to produce a PPI that may be trusted and relied upon by potential buyers.

The following is a summary of the PPI results for Mark Sherwood’s 968 Coupe performed on February 13, 2012: Vin: WP0AA2969PS820516 Mileage: 175,309

Leak Down Test

Cylinder Leak down : Compression
1 % 175psi
2 % 170psi
3 % 175psi
4 % 165psi
5 NA NA
6 NA NA

Leak down test not performed at this time. An engine in great shape will show numbers 0-10%, while an engine in pretty good shape may show up to 20%. More than 30% leak down is cause for concern. It is unlikely to see a cylinder with less than 2-3% leak down on a cylinder, which could be contributed to sealing ability of the leakdown tool in the spark plug hole.
Compression test is done with the dme relay pulled, throttle body open, one plug at a time, on an engine at operating temp. Cylinders all show similar results with no outliers, indicating a fairly healthy engine considering the mileage.

***
Background on car: Car was owned by a friend in St. Louis, Tim Krumm, who was very active in the St. Louis PCA. All of the work/receipts were performed by Tim when he owned the car, up to about 155k miles from what I can tell. Mark Sherwood then bought the car I believe in 2008 and drove it for another 20k miles. Mark was very active in the Kansas City PCA, and was the announcer at our annual club race. Many people heard his booming voice over the loud speakers throughout the race weekend.
***

Paint and Body Analysis:
–Car has had entire repaint when Tim Krumm owned the car due to hail. Paint job was done very well at the time. All body seals, etc were replaced as they should have been. Tim was a very meticulous person. Since Mark’s ownership, the car has likely been parked under trees, so if you look up close, you can see some sap markings in the paint. I think a good polishing will remove most of those marks and swirls, and the car will look excellent.
–Recently, someone backed into the front end of the car while Mark owned it (parking lot). It was repaired by Butler C&D here in Kansas City. There are some minor imperfections at the corners of the front bumper cover between the headlights.
–Paint meter findings are consistent with the entire car being painted. Normal readings on a Porsche range from 4.5-6.5 mils thick in most areas. This car presents as 14-20mils thick which is typical with paint work.
–Car is a very good looking car for it’s age and mileage.
–Rear hatch is delaminating.
–Sirius radio antennae is mounted on the roof at the windshield line.

Interior Analysis:
–All switches function as they should.
–Driver seat shows some wear/cracking on seat bottom. Slight wear on outer bolster
–Clock does not illuminate with lights on
–Alarm/Remote entry
–Custom Porsche leather armrest cover
–Sirius radio installed (antennae on front roof line)
–Aftermarket stereo head unit
–Factory owners manuals are present in the glovebox
–Driver side door card needs to be reattached at top. When closing the door, you can see it move slightly, which indicates it may not be hooked at the top edge
–Spare tire and jack are present
–Tool kit and compressor are NOT present
–986 shift knob

Drivetrain analysis:
–Transmission shifts smoothly and properly
–Likely due for fluid service
–No leaks
–Axles appear tight and no torn boots
–No pinion noise heard.

Brake, Suspension, and Tire Analysis:
–Koni front strut conversions with coilover spring conversion
–Koni rear shocks
–Front and rear brake pads have about 50% life left
–Tires need to be replaced front and rear
–S/S brake lines
–Front control arms have been rebuilt

Undercarriage of Car:
–Nothing abnormal found.

Engine:
–When vehicle was delivered to the shop, it sounded like it was running rough. After sitting overnight, we have not been able to reproduce this running issue. Since it is a 968, it is very likely the hall sensor needs to be replaced, or maybe just a fresh tank of gas. The car has been sitting for a few months.
–Front engine seals leaking
–Radiator end cap shows very slight signs of leaking and should be replaced along with thermoswitch. Radiator was replaced with used 2 years ago
–One coolant drip hanging off lower belt cover,but can not locate leak without pulling covers.
–Power steering pump is leaking and needs seal kit
–Cam/timing belt cover (distributor cover) is cracked on the rear section. Possibly due to cross threading a bolt in?
–Factory upper engine covers are present
–Lower engine cover is NOT present
–Power steering pump appears to be leaking
–KLA strut brace

Stack of Reciepts from Tim Krumm:
There are tons of receipts for maintenance items from spark plugs to radiator fan switches, door handle stuff, switches, hoses, alignments, way too much to list out individually. I haven’t seen a set of receipts like this in awhile. Mark on the other hand, really didn’t keep any receipts, so the maintenance history since Tim had the car is sketchy.

Information from 2008 Sale ad when Tim Krumm sold the car: This is a very abbreviated list from a small notebook he has with the car.
Date: Mileage: Work Performed
6-27-08: 150170 Rod bearings, oil pickup, baffle, pan gasket, 200lb springs
4-20-08: 146800 S/S brake lines and KLA strut brace, shifter bushings
3-8-08: 144750: Redline transaxle fluid
2-24-08: 144171: Koni adjustable struts with 200lb springs, motor mounts
1-20-08: Koni rear shocks
9-1-07: 137130: New waterpump, belts, rollers, coolant hoses
8-18-07: 136450: New oil cooler and o rings
6-26-07: 135700: New Maf
4-18-07: 133500: New windshield
4-5-07: 133248: New steering rack and tie rods
8-15-06: New paint and majority of rubber body seals
6-26-05: 114529: Installed refreshed head, lower mileage cams, new chain and pads, injectors cleaned
2-6-05: 109865: New front wheel bearings
1-22-05: 109494: New clutch, rear main seal, lower mileage flywheel

Summary:

Car’s overall rating is 8.0 of 10. It is obvious that this car has been very well cared for, and in my professional opinion cosmetically is above average for most 968’s and mechanically average. With lower mileage and a little more recent maintenance, I would definitely rate this car higher. There are some things noted in the PPI which the future owner should address, and others that they may or may not choose to worry about. There are no major issues discovered in the inspection. If the buyer is looking for a concourse quality car, this is not likely the car with the little issues here in there. If the buyer is looking for a good daily driver or fun weekend toy, I feel this would make a very fine candidate.

By:___________________________
Karl E. Wilen
RennsportKC, Owner.

Weather has been uncooperative to clean the car of bugs, etc that are caked on.

Body seals, mirror seals, etc all replaced when Tim painted the car.

Rear undercarriage. No transaxle leaks or axle issues.

Front undercarriage. Weeping seen on the pan is from the front engine oil leaks.

Front koni conversions with coilover kit, plus stainless steel brake lines

Since front belts and waterpump was done 4 years ago and 40k miles, the belts and front seals are due for service. Power steering pump should be resealed.

Tires need to be replaced. Right rear is bald on the inside.

Engine bay with KLA strut brace.

Front cam housing cracked likely due to too long of a bolt used, or cross threaded. Does not appear to be anything but cosmetic. Heater control valve beneath appears new.

Interior is in very nice shape for the mileage.

Driver seat bottom shows some cracking near the front inner corner of the seat bottom. Hard to see in pictures.

Driver seat back is in good shape with minor outer bolster wear.

Door cards in good shape. This side needs to likely be removed and reattached at the top as it is slightly loose.

Custom center console lid.

Boxster shift knob and boot, and aftermarket head unit.

Rear hatch area.

Option code list. Yea, I can’t make it out either. It is a non LSD car.

Running the paint meter around the car, but it didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know since I knew the history of the car. Normally it is the final say.

Factory owner’s manuals present.

Cylinder #1: 175

Cylinder #2: 170

All of the plugs look like this which is fairly normal.

Cylinder #3: 175

Cylinder 4: 165

Radiator shows very slight evidence of premature failure. Possible it is coming from the thermofan switch or the nipple above it, but radiator should be replaced.

Stack of receipts from when Tim owned the car.

Hard to see, but the upper rear arms are the issue.

After pulling the lower pan, I discovered the oil pan was coated in oil. Not often a pan leaks in these cars, so I followed the leak upwards.

Turns out the oil filter housing gasket is leaking, which is pretty common on these inline BMW motors. It is a cheap gasket, but a bunch of labor to go in and repair it. While in there, you should replace the oil line to the vanos system as well.

A little quiz. There is one light that isn’t illuminated with the key on that should be. Can you spot it? And why is it important? Not many people catch these things in PPIs, lets see how good you guys are.

First things first. Getting a decent throaty exhaust like a sports car should have. A Catbypass pipe and secondary muffler bypass….ohhh yea.

Pulling the old exhaust tip off, it is pretty rusty and ugly. Since we have to reuse this, off to the bead blaster it goes I love the new blaster for things just like this!

Blasted all the rust off of it.

And a couple nice coats of high temp VHT paint brings it back to new. A great way to spend $13 bucks versus buying a new $200 tip.

And a little size comparison between the old secondary muffler and the bypass pipe. Between the cat and the secondary muffler, we dropped about 40lbs off the rear of this 911.

Old cat coming out.

Much better! New bypasses in place!

The sound is incredible. God, looking at that rusty primary muffler makes me want to yank it and give it a blasting and coating!

Then I called my buddy Steve up and Rennsport Systems out in Oregon for a little more hp with an ECU tune. He sent out a chip for a little bump.

Opening up the ECU.

And we pop out the old DME chip and insert the new chip/tune and away we go!

Ready to go.

My digital torque wrench that shows you the actual torque as it is applied. Makes torquing fasteners much more accurate and easy.

Almost there. The wrench will flash yellow as you approach the torque setting, then beep once you reach it.

Torque angle specs are something we are seeing more and more from manufacturers. With a regular torque wrench, you need an additional torque wrench angle gauge to correctly determine your swing. These are a real pain to try and use, and not very accurate. With this torque wrench, it will measure angle just as it did torque.

At 13 degrees and still going.

41 degrees.

And 75 degrees. The torque wrench is also smart enough that you can ratchet the wrench back if you run out of room, and it will keep your degree count perfect. Pretty cool. Once you reach your specified torque setting, the wrench will beep and will also tell you the torque that was applied. In this case, the torque comes out to be about 55ft/lbs.