Making Slag and Planning for the Future

Today was a good day. I did some MIG welding, first time, and have the "sunburn" to show for it. I knew that the ultraviolet light could cause a burn but didn't know it would happen quite so fast - after only about 60 minutes of welding. Being the first time this was really just to get a feel for the process and the tools. It was a good time and, other than the burn, I'm looking forward to doing some welding for the 1974 Porsche 911 project. I came across some great resources for first time welders and recommend TheFabricator.com and articles by Marty Rice.

Looking at some images of '74 Porsches I came across a great looking Gulf RSR with an interesting tail light and reflector treatment. I'm going to consider this approach for my 911 as the tail light assemblies are showing their age and the reflector is in poor condition. I think with some effort and a trip to the scrap yard I can find some round tail lights that will recess into panels that replace the stock units.

All you first time welders remember, long sleeves and gloves.

Porsche 911 Build on a Budget

Maybe I've been watching too much "Wheeler Dealer", "Auto Trader", "Rides" and "Monster Garage" but my motivation to get back into the Porsche project, despite budget restrictions, is increasing. My thinking on this project has definitely changed. I'm less interested in new parts and rebuilding the car with the latest and greatest technology and more interested in getting the car back on the road at the lowest incremental cost possible.

The fact is, when I took the Porsche apart it ran and drove pretty well. I took it apart because it needed body work. Now the car is a freshly painted rolling chassis with the engine and trans under cover and the rest in various boxes.

What I've learned is it's time to make a list. Start somewhere and start listing the next steps. Listing the things that have to happen to move the project forward and get the car back on the road. Not having budget to invest in the project has actually made this easier. No more time wasted on tracking down and buying new parts. The focus has to be on making what I have work and in cases where I don't have the parts, finding the low cost approach to getting a good result.

So here's a start at making a list:

• Pull the front fiberglass bumper out of the attic
• Fit the turn indicators and driving lights
• Fill the gaps and fix the scratches, dings and other imperfections on the bumper
• Attach the bumper securely to the car using the original mounting points
• Paint the bumper
• Mount the bumper on the car