My 1994 Riviera Blue Porsche 968 Club Sport Diary
Discussion
Thanks all, really kind comments.
Obsessive, OCD? Perhaps a little
I just see it as pride of ownership when realising your twenty year dream. Pride of ownership is expressed with my interpretation of a "good condition" car. A term well overused in the classifieds, let's be honest.
Cars can be all things to all people. Some like to race, some like to polish, some like to photograph, some like to modify. Horses for courses and no one persons enjoyment trumps anyone else's.
Never have I been grilled more that I should be using this car "as it was intended". I prefer to concentrate on the 110 dead Club Sports that, presumably, have all been used as intended. Whatever that means.
I also hold my hands up to being thoroughly out of date with Autoglym Super Resin. I am no detailer and have used that for twenty five years. Perhaps I should try something new.
One more (unplanned
) trip to the paintshop coming for the next update and we are good to go for this summer.
Kind Regards,
JKM
Obsessive, OCD? Perhaps a little
I just see it as pride of ownership when realising your twenty year dream. Pride of ownership is expressed with my interpretation of a "good condition" car. A term well overused in the classifieds, let's be honest.
Cars can be all things to all people. Some like to race, some like to polish, some like to photograph, some like to modify. Horses for courses and no one persons enjoyment trumps anyone else's.
Never have I been grilled more that I should be using this car "as it was intended". I prefer to concentrate on the 110 dead Club Sports that, presumably, have all been used as intended. Whatever that means.
I also hold my hands up to being thoroughly out of date with Autoglym Super Resin. I am no detailer and have used that for twenty five years. Perhaps I should try something new.
One more (unplanned
) trip to the paintshop coming for the next update and we are good to go for this summer. Kind Regards,
JKM
ubbs said:
...he also had a 968 which caught fire!
Woken up in the early hours with what seemed like somebody trying to start it, by time he’d got dressed and downstairs fire had taken hold.
That sounds exactly like the starter motor harness issue - which hopefully I have rectified (documented above).Woken up in the early hours with what seemed like somebody trying to start it, by time he’d got dressed and downstairs fire had taken hold.
Sorry to hear about that - one of my worst nightmares!
jay-kay-em said:
That sounds exactly like the starter motor harness issue - which hopefully I have rectified (documented above).
Sorry to hear about that - one of my worst nightmares!
Yes it probably was and he was very lucky, they we’re having a massive extension/refurbishment done, and where it was parked the front of the house was exposed no windows, luckily he’d left it in gear and it shunted along by itself away from the property. Sorry to hear about that - one of my worst nightmares!
The car wasn’t very old when this happened around 1995, the car was a K plate.
bolidemichael said:
OP, what's 'TFR'?
Sorry, my bad, it's an acronym I've grown up with; Traffic Film Remover. Really aggressive washing shampoo for trucks and busses. I remember one of my first jobs for a motorsport team at 17 years old, I was asked to wash the race transporter. It had beautiful Alcoa wheels. I liberally sprayed TFR and let it soak in whilst I made a cup of tea. It totally destroyed the wheels. The boss wasn't happy. Used it with respect ever since.
I wouldn't put it near my paintwork in a million years but its good for cutting the mucky stuff.
jay-kay-em said:
bolidemichael said:
OP, what's 'TFR'?
Sorry, my bad, it's an acronym I've grown up with; Traffic Film Remover. Really aggressive washing shampoo for trucks and busses. I remember one of my first jobs for a motorsport team at 17 years old, I was asked to wash the race transporter. It had beautiful Alcoa wheels. I liberally sprayed TFR and let it soak in whilst I made a cup of tea. It totally destroyed the wheels. The boss wasn't happy. Used it with respect ever since.
I wouldn't put it near my paintwork in a million years but its good for cutting the mucky stuff.
bolidemichael said:
Okay, so a similar thing to Bilt Hamber Surfex HD.
Exactly. I note on BH website "Spot tests are always advisable"... !
Spring 2023
Thanks for all the kind comments.
Been working really hard to sort what I believe needs sorting before my first summer of use.
Headlamps
First wash, pop the headlamps up, and...
...and there's more...
Bu88er...
This wasn't part of the plan. Another paintshop trip on the cards then...
Disassembly...
These headlamps are German engineering personified. Fiendishly over-complicated and not very service friendly. Remember folks, this is the lightweight version of the marque!
All the trim rings had seized fixings. All the captive nuts - only captive by being knurled within plastic - became very un-captive and had to be drilled. Very difficult to drill something that spins...
The water is a vain attempt to keep the heat down as drilling = melted plastic.
Mounting points at the car seized and snapped (left). Drilled and re-tapped (right)...
One new "pod" and one new trim ring was required. Still available (thank goodness) from Cambridge OPC...
Thankfully I only needed these two parts. Famous last words... read on!
All six pieces (four old and two new) painted... and looking like a Tate Gallery exhibition...
Rebuilding the rings...
Not going with captive nuts again. Decided to stainless nut & bolt with nylocs. These are tightened to virtually nothing (the nylocs mean they won't go anywhere)....
Ready for reinstallation...
Final tighten of the retaining screw and the one remaining old (but freshly re-painted) pod goes CRACK!...
Remember I was thankful it only needed one pod? Yeah, make that two...
Didn't even do the screws up tight either. Tale of caution : 30 year old plastic is really brittle.
Time to repeat the whole darn process. New pod, collect from Cambridge, deliver to paintshop in Wisbech, two weeks, collect from paint and install, disposing of some money along the way.
Anyway, all done, and proud to have them raised...
Auxiliary Lamps
More lamp issues!
This can't be right; Nothing seemed to line up...
Disassembly revealed a broken mounting clamp...
The broken piece was fitted the wrong way round, so it had actually been reassembled like this. Crazy.
These units are about £550 each new - and you need a matching pair to be visually identical. Best I pray to the Gods of Araldite then....
Araldite repair successful and lamp refitted properly...
Given their price (much pounds) and material (glass) probably best for some protection.
Ordered some 3M Heli-tape in the hope of fending off stones...
... applied and then model knifed to shape...
Rear Lights
Err, yet more lamp issues
My rear lamps were not quite the same intensity when illuminated, left vs. right. This really annoys me.
Took the clusters out, checked the bulbs and...
One of the sprung loaded bulb terminals fell on the floor!
The bulb holders are integral to the rear lamp harness. Had a little look for a replacement...
Sorry, but at that price, the soldering iron is coming out
New tails made and soldered to the sprung loaded pins...
Which, with a bulb inserted, poke through the holder...
Wires soldered to these tails, heat shrunk and sealed-in...
Blackened and corroded bulbs also not helping much either...
All renewed and bench tests made...
Bench testing is important as it eliminates vehicle earths. If they ain't right when installed, you have eliminated the lamp.
I also cleaned the earths in the luggage compartment. All nice and bright.
These foam harness rings had turned to a disintegrated mess...
They presumably exist for anti-rattle reasons.
Yes, I know it looks like 15mm copper pipe insulation from Wickes, but this is genuine
All fitted and very satisfying...
Front Registration Plate
I have a bit of an issue with the front number plate on the 968. Some don't look right in my eyes...
When screwed directly to the front bumper they often form a shape that looks at odds to the air intake. Ugly even.
Some cars, especially German models, must have a number plate bracket. Certainly, this motorshow car has its number plate on some kind of mounting bracket, and I think it looks much better for it...
...same with period press photos...
I did a bit of research and front plate brackets do exist...
... however, I wasn't comfortable spending a notable sum of money on what is a piece of tin, and I wasn't convinced it would give the effect I needed. On that basis, I decided to make my own.
Out with the welder...
Angle of inclination just so, with integrated captive nuts for number plate bolts, all using the standard bumper mounting points.
This went to powder coat with the last batch of items and subsequently fitted with a rubber gasket to protect the paint....
Perfect in my eyes...
...giving that lovely separation and perfectly parallel to the air intake...
Rear Registration Plate
Rear plate removal horror...
All cleaned...
My plates from Cambridge OPC are actually aluminium and have REALLY sharp edges. Especially the corners. For the rear, I decided to make a raised plinth out of plastic and then backed it with foam...
It just creates that separation to eliminate the plate corners chafing the paint...
Aerial
Not looking great...
Still available with a 928 part number...
Much better for the radio I don't have
Bonnet Struts
The bonnet has been in the raised position most of the winter and the struts have lost their zest...
New struts obtained....
I was in half a mind to go aftermarket as I thought there'd be no difference, but really pleased with genuine as they still have the VP kite mark and 944 part number...
Very happy with that.
Stone Guards
Both my 944's had at least three of these, but the 968 parts catalogue shows only one (21)...
...and sadly I don't have it.
I don't like that because it suggests the car has been painted - which is somewhat inevitable after 28 years.
New stone guards obtained and fitted...
Not going to lie, totally screwed the first set up and they went in the bin. They're a pain.
Practice makes perfect and second set went ok when applied wet and squeegee'd.
You can just about see them which is the whole idea I guess...
Seat Adjustment
I popped the seats out for a few reasons...
It's no lie, they are super lightweight to lift out. Totally hernia safe.
They have a covert build sticker which when checked, displayed my "production number". This number, via the build sheet, corresponds to my VIN. On that basis the seats are factory genuine which is a huge sigh of relief.
The car didn't come with any floor mats. The RHD mats are still available from Porsche and very nice they are too...
Seat removal allows the fitment of the mat securing brackets (pictured).
It also allows me to use a vacuum cleaner where I couldn't before...
Minging!
I also adjusted the height (left and right). They were set to church pew mode, and i'm a bit more relaxed than that, so a swap of the bolt holes took place...
Sadly I'm a victim of bolster wear. Can't be helped. The previous keeper had used the fluffy side of Velcro to disguise the smallest of nicks, pictured left...
I had some fabric wiring harness tape (pictured right) which is a much better match. Ultimately not ideal, but adequate.
The fabric is NLA from Porsche, but I'm fairly chilled out about it; i'd rather have the genuine seats with some wear than a brand new pair of replicas.
Ignition Key
At the time of purchase, both my 944's and now my 968 all had a defective key torch. Does this not irk anyone else but me !?!
New battery, bulb and a bit of tinkering...
Then finished with the original and best key fob...
Toolkit
Thankfully I have the toolkit and compressor. The tool bag is a bit rust stained, but that's originality...
I'm not convinced of what else the 968 had in terms of auxiliary items though.
Every other German car I know (Mercedes, BMW etc) have a first aid kit and warning triangle - often in a dedicated and clearly marked compartment.
924/944/968 has never had such a compartment to my knowledge and I cant see any such items in the parts catalogue either.
Seems crazy to me that 968 designers would make a dedicated compartment in the engine bay for gloves, but not provision for a first aid kit or warning triangle. Hasn't a warning triangle been law in Germany for donkeys years?
Anyway, be it right or wrong, I added some extra contents to make my German car feel more complete...
A period first aid kit with a 993 part number (with some very out-of-date plasters) and the Porsche warning triangle.
Also, the official dipstick wiping cloth that will never see oil
Colour Code Sticker
Sadly i'm missing my colour code sticker. It lives in the wiper scuttle next to the fusebox lid. This is an area open to the elements and it's not very durable.
Here's a file photo and even this one isn't too clever...
The sticker is NLA from Porsche and is not in the parts catalogue that I can find. Originally they were supplied to the factory blank on a roll...
This sticker is a fascinating insight into the early 90's Stuttgart factory. It appears to have been fed through a knackered dot matrix printer by a paintshop operative, hopefully with a big moustache and wearing those Germanic dungarees.
I'm thinking that because "paint-to-sample" was such a thing, this sticker gave them the freedom to print whatever they liked as it emerged from the paintshop.
I looked at some reproductions... but they didn't seem real. The text was just as jet black as the border, which I don't think is so...
There are some really good repro's in America for $69 + delivery + import charges. That wasn't going to happen.
In the end, decided to make my own. I found the most basic computer font I could find, plus added some effects to mimic that knackered dot matrix printer...
My best effort applied...
It's such an important colour, you can't not have this sticker.
Tax!
Only now can I tax the thing!
Went for a drive May 1st and a perfect first opportunity to get the camera out...
I'm funny with a new car. They just don't feel like "mine" until I have put some effort into them. Lost a bit of blood, sworn at them. Hopefully I have put enough effort in now to rightly call this car mine and I look forward to writing a summer running report after a few miles.
Kind Regards,
JKM.
Thanks for all the kind comments.
Been working really hard to sort what I believe needs sorting before my first summer of use.
Headlamps
First wash, pop the headlamps up, and...
...and there's more...
Bu88er...
This wasn't part of the plan. Another paintshop trip on the cards then...
Disassembly...
These headlamps are German engineering personified. Fiendishly over-complicated and not very service friendly. Remember folks, this is the lightweight version of the marque!
All the trim rings had seized fixings. All the captive nuts - only captive by being knurled within plastic - became very un-captive and had to be drilled. Very difficult to drill something that spins...
The water is a vain attempt to keep the heat down as drilling = melted plastic.
Mounting points at the car seized and snapped (left). Drilled and re-tapped (right)...
One new "pod" and one new trim ring was required. Still available (thank goodness) from Cambridge OPC...
Thankfully I only needed these two parts. Famous last words... read on!
All six pieces (four old and two new) painted... and looking like a Tate Gallery exhibition...
Rebuilding the rings...
Not going with captive nuts again. Decided to stainless nut & bolt with nylocs. These are tightened to virtually nothing (the nylocs mean they won't go anywhere)....
Ready for reinstallation...
Final tighten of the retaining screw and the one remaining old (but freshly re-painted) pod goes CRACK!...
Remember I was thankful it only needed one pod? Yeah, make that two...
Didn't even do the screws up tight either. Tale of caution : 30 year old plastic is really brittle.
Time to repeat the whole darn process. New pod, collect from Cambridge, deliver to paintshop in Wisbech, two weeks, collect from paint and install, disposing of some money along the way.
Anyway, all done, and proud to have them raised...
Auxiliary Lamps
More lamp issues!
This can't be right; Nothing seemed to line up...
Disassembly revealed a broken mounting clamp...
The broken piece was fitted the wrong way round, so it had actually been reassembled like this. Crazy.
These units are about £550 each new - and you need a matching pair to be visually identical. Best I pray to the Gods of Araldite then....
Araldite repair successful and lamp refitted properly...
Given their price (much pounds) and material (glass) probably best for some protection.
Ordered some 3M Heli-tape in the hope of fending off stones...
... applied and then model knifed to shape...
Rear Lights
Err, yet more lamp issues
My rear lamps were not quite the same intensity when illuminated, left vs. right. This really annoys me.
Took the clusters out, checked the bulbs and...
One of the sprung loaded bulb terminals fell on the floor!
The bulb holders are integral to the rear lamp harness. Had a little look for a replacement...
Sorry, but at that price, the soldering iron is coming out
New tails made and soldered to the sprung loaded pins...
Which, with a bulb inserted, poke through the holder...
Wires soldered to these tails, heat shrunk and sealed-in...
Blackened and corroded bulbs also not helping much either...
All renewed and bench tests made...
Bench testing is important as it eliminates vehicle earths. If they ain't right when installed, you have eliminated the lamp.
I also cleaned the earths in the luggage compartment. All nice and bright.
These foam harness rings had turned to a disintegrated mess...
They presumably exist for anti-rattle reasons.
Yes, I know it looks like 15mm copper pipe insulation from Wickes, but this is genuine
All fitted and very satisfying...
Front Registration Plate
I have a bit of an issue with the front number plate on the 968. Some don't look right in my eyes...
When screwed directly to the front bumper they often form a shape that looks at odds to the air intake. Ugly even.
Some cars, especially German models, must have a number plate bracket. Certainly, this motorshow car has its number plate on some kind of mounting bracket, and I think it looks much better for it...
...same with period press photos...
I did a bit of research and front plate brackets do exist...
... however, I wasn't comfortable spending a notable sum of money on what is a piece of tin, and I wasn't convinced it would give the effect I needed. On that basis, I decided to make my own.
Out with the welder...
Angle of inclination just so, with integrated captive nuts for number plate bolts, all using the standard bumper mounting points.
This went to powder coat with the last batch of items and subsequently fitted with a rubber gasket to protect the paint....
Perfect in my eyes...
...giving that lovely separation and perfectly parallel to the air intake...
Rear Registration Plate
Rear plate removal horror...
All cleaned...
My plates from Cambridge OPC are actually aluminium and have REALLY sharp edges. Especially the corners. For the rear, I decided to make a raised plinth out of plastic and then backed it with foam...
It just creates that separation to eliminate the plate corners chafing the paint...
Aerial
Not looking great...
Still available with a 928 part number...
Much better for the radio I don't have
Bonnet Struts
The bonnet has been in the raised position most of the winter and the struts have lost their zest...
New struts obtained....
I was in half a mind to go aftermarket as I thought there'd be no difference, but really pleased with genuine as they still have the VP kite mark and 944 part number...
Very happy with that.
Stone Guards
Both my 944's had at least three of these, but the 968 parts catalogue shows only one (21)...
...and sadly I don't have it.
I don't like that because it suggests the car has been painted - which is somewhat inevitable after 28 years.
New stone guards obtained and fitted...
Not going to lie, totally screwed the first set up and they went in the bin. They're a pain.
Practice makes perfect and second set went ok when applied wet and squeegee'd.
You can just about see them which is the whole idea I guess...
Seat Adjustment
I popped the seats out for a few reasons...
It's no lie, they are super lightweight to lift out. Totally hernia safe.
They have a covert build sticker which when checked, displayed my "production number". This number, via the build sheet, corresponds to my VIN. On that basis the seats are factory genuine which is a huge sigh of relief.
The car didn't come with any floor mats. The RHD mats are still available from Porsche and very nice they are too...
Seat removal allows the fitment of the mat securing brackets (pictured).
It also allows me to use a vacuum cleaner where I couldn't before...
Minging!
I also adjusted the height (left and right). They were set to church pew mode, and i'm a bit more relaxed than that, so a swap of the bolt holes took place...
Sadly I'm a victim of bolster wear. Can't be helped. The previous keeper had used the fluffy side of Velcro to disguise the smallest of nicks, pictured left...
I had some fabric wiring harness tape (pictured right) which is a much better match. Ultimately not ideal, but adequate.
The fabric is NLA from Porsche, but I'm fairly chilled out about it; i'd rather have the genuine seats with some wear than a brand new pair of replicas.
Ignition Key
At the time of purchase, both my 944's and now my 968 all had a defective key torch. Does this not irk anyone else but me !?!
New battery, bulb and a bit of tinkering...
Then finished with the original and best key fob...
Toolkit
Thankfully I have the toolkit and compressor. The tool bag is a bit rust stained, but that's originality...
I'm not convinced of what else the 968 had in terms of auxiliary items though.
Every other German car I know (Mercedes, BMW etc) have a first aid kit and warning triangle - often in a dedicated and clearly marked compartment.
924/944/968 has never had such a compartment to my knowledge and I cant see any such items in the parts catalogue either.
Seems crazy to me that 968 designers would make a dedicated compartment in the engine bay for gloves, but not provision for a first aid kit or warning triangle. Hasn't a warning triangle been law in Germany for donkeys years?
Anyway, be it right or wrong, I added some extra contents to make my German car feel more complete...
A period first aid kit with a 993 part number (with some very out-of-date plasters) and the Porsche warning triangle.
Also, the official dipstick wiping cloth that will never see oil
Colour Code Sticker
Sadly i'm missing my colour code sticker. It lives in the wiper scuttle next to the fusebox lid. This is an area open to the elements and it's not very durable.
Here's a file photo and even this one isn't too clever...
The sticker is NLA from Porsche and is not in the parts catalogue that I can find. Originally they were supplied to the factory blank on a roll...
This sticker is a fascinating insight into the early 90's Stuttgart factory. It appears to have been fed through a knackered dot matrix printer by a paintshop operative, hopefully with a big moustache and wearing those Germanic dungarees.
I'm thinking that because "paint-to-sample" was such a thing, this sticker gave them the freedom to print whatever they liked as it emerged from the paintshop.
I looked at some reproductions... but they didn't seem real. The text was just as jet black as the border, which I don't think is so...
There are some really good repro's in America for $69 + delivery + import charges. That wasn't going to happen.
In the end, decided to make my own. I found the most basic computer font I could find, plus added some effects to mimic that knackered dot matrix printer...
My best effort applied...
It's such an important colour, you can't not have this sticker.
Tax!
Only now can I tax the thing!
Went for a drive May 1st and a perfect first opportunity to get the camera out...
I'm funny with a new car. They just don't feel like "mine" until I have put some effort into them. Lost a bit of blood, sworn at them. Hopefully I have put enough effort in now to rightly call this car mine and I look forward to writing a summer running report after a few miles.
Kind Regards,
JKM.
Great job, looks fab.
I would never put that kind of effort into a car, but I think with the age of these and how celebrated they were in period, it's a good thing that at least one owner is going to such painstaking lengths to restore originality, as a kind of 'reference example' of how they were from the factory
I would never put that kind of effort into a car, but I think with the age of these and how celebrated they were in period, it's a good thing that at least one owner is going to such painstaking lengths to restore originality, as a kind of 'reference example' of how they were from the factory
samoht said:
Great job, looks fab.
I would never put that kind of effort into a car, but I think with the age of these and how celebrated they were in period, it's a good thing that at least one owner is going to such painstaking lengths to restore originality, as a kind of 'reference example' of how they were from the factory
Thank you.I would never put that kind of effort into a car, but I think with the age of these and how celebrated they were in period, it's a good thing that at least one owner is going to such painstaking lengths to restore originality, as a kind of 'reference example' of how they were from the factory
Now that I can take some pictures, next update i'll go through the build sheet and detail the factory CS "quirks and features" as our Doug says.
Be warned; it'll be a geeky one
My favourite Reader's cars thread right now and I love the attention to detail. The car is worth every hour you spend in it, it's a credit to you.
One quick question if I may, who do you use for paint in Wisbech as I live near by but haven't been here long and need a good paint shop for a couple of jobs on my S2000?
One quick question if I may, who do you use for paint in Wisbech as I live near by but haven't been here long and need a good paint shop for a couple of jobs on my S2000?
emmetb said:
One quick question if I may, who do you use for paint in Wisbech as I live near by but haven't been here long and need a good paint shop for a couple of jobs on my S2000?
Hi Emmet; thanks. For my sideskirts and headlamps I used J.S. Holmes in Wisbech St. Mary. It's a Nissan dealer with an insurance approved bodyshop. The colour match on the sideskirts was critical as they bolt up against the body. They nailed it with their scan tool. Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff