Rusty legs...

...I've read a lot about corrosion on the rear chassis legs, in particular where they meet the lateral supports (that give rigidity to the rear body panels and bumper). Good write up here by Jackal. On the forums you'll see a fair share of horror stories when 993 owners decide to investigate, so I decided not to take any chances and tackle the problem head on, as soon as possible, hoping to get there before the oxygen and water does. The only problem is, with these cars being around 20 years old, the odds are normally against you. So, I went off to see Tyrone to strip the car and take a look...

Step 1. Strip the car

Rear wheels off. Remove rear reflector & lights, arch liners and bumper. Disconnect wiring loom to right rear light and disconnect engine lid light, to avoid a flat battery. Some of the nuts & bolts may be a bit stubborn, especially if they haven't been touched since the factory, so it's advisable to buy replacements as some may need hacking off. A light spray of WD-40 also helps to loosen them off.

Step 2. Remove the heat shields and support plates

Only some light surface rust, but nothing to worry about. Phew.

Step 3. Prevention 

A) Sand back any surface oxidation, taking it right back to the bare metal

B) Etch Prime

Etch primer is combined with acid so that it microscopically etches the surface of the substrate forming a physical and chemical bond between the two.

C) Seal

Seal with TIGERSEAL, a polyurethane sealant and adhesive that's ideal for keeping the oxygen and water out, whilst bonding the chassis leg to the support plate. Applied with fingers giving it a rough textured surface to match the finish on the inside of arch. Drying time 30 - 60 mins. Once cured over-painted with some satin black aerosol paint to blend it all in.

D) Reinstate the support plates and heat shields

I thought it best to do the job to last a life time so bought some new parts. Ty had the support plates sprayed in matt black for an additional layer of protection. And then Craig smothered them first with some spray-on Waxoyl (rustproofing for cars) and then secondly with another generous helping of Waxoyl - this time the clear gunky stuff. Layer upon layer of protection.

Step 4. Put car back together 

Rear wheels on. Reinstate rear reflector & lights, arch liners and bumper. Not forgetting to connect wiring loom to right rear light and engine lid light (which Craig says has happened, more than once, oops).

Job done. A big thanks to Craig who did the work. And a pleasure to hangout with the guys at Riviera today.

Here are the materials:

Here are the part numbers for the original Porsche parts:

993.504.116.00 GRV Support Right, £74.94
993.504.115.00 GRV Support Left, £74.94 
993.505.645.00 Heat Protection, £59.39 
993.505.646.00 Heat Protection, £59.39
999.049.025.09 Retaining Nuts, £0.56 x4 

- end - 

A sheep in wolf's clothing...

...here's another one of Greg's projects - currently undergoing metamorphosis, from a basic C2 (very much like mine) to a menacing RS replica. With RS prices now well over the quarter of a million pound mark I'm not surprised C2 owners are upgrading. That said, I'm not sure I'd want to RS mine...as I kind of like them relatively unmolested.

Not one. But two.

You never see a Singer. Let alone two. Especially when there's only two in the UK. But a little birdie told me that Gregg had both of them at his place, so I couldn't resist, I had to go and take a look for myself - and there they both were...(deep breath)...

To the Cotswolds!

Jamie and I headed out to the Cotswolds early this morning for our very first outing to Cornbury House; Porsche Club GB's Headquarters. It was their last open day of the year, which promised to attract a lot of members, so as 'freshers' we thought it best to poke our noses in and join in the festive cheer (despite the weather being wet & miserable). First stop was Martha's Coffee House in Moreton-in-Marsh to fill up our tanks - a lovely little independent with warm wholesome food and friendly staff, set in delightful stone cottage. Nice to know that the owner is 'one of us', as the 997 parked outside belongs to her! Second stop Cornbury House. As always nice to see a variety of Porsches, old and new, and to grab a quick coffee with a bunch of like-minded enthusiasts, even if everyone seemed that bit older than us - of course there's nothing wrong with that but I did think that our hoodies probably raised a few eyebrows! I was fascinated by the 1:1 wireframe rear-end of a 993, with exposed powertrain, and all those original racing posters and dealership prints that plastered the walls (I think it's about time that I treat my office with one). All in all a nice excuse to blow some dust off the Flat 6s, even if the cars came back looking like a pair of mucky pups that had spent all morning splashing in puddles. Sad to say, but I think that's probably the last outing of the year. So, here's to a bunch more in 2015! I'll drink some mulled wine to that - Cheers! 

Rare beast...

...I just stumbled across this rare beast on Pistonheads - 993 GT2, 1 of 7 UK RHD cars built, with 2 owners from new. POA so I can't begin to imagine how much this is up for, but inevitably there will be somebody out there with deep enough pockets. Whoever you are, enjoy!

The last breakfast...

...rendezvous at the Little Chef on the A3 for the last Goodwood Breakfast Club meet of the year - always a good excuse to all get together for a good old country blat through West Sussex. This time we decided to set off a little earlier as last time we were 'paced' by some pesky Sunday drivers - only this time to find ourselves paced by a pesky lorry on our way down to Petworth. Grrr. Wet, windy, and slippery roads, but nevertheless a chance to convoy, chinwag, indulge in a Full English, and gawp over some motors - this time of the 'Vee-power' variety. Here's to some better driving conditions in 2015!

Left to right: Rupert's 997, Rob's Boxster, my 993, Adrian's 996 Turbo (who we met there and then) and Jamie's 997.

BBS LM appreciation...

...I stumbled across this nice Rennlist thread appreciating the love for BBS LM wheels on 993s. The 'Le Mans Forged Split Rim' definitely goes onto my wish list. Might consider treating myself if I can find a decent second-hand set - I'll reach out to the guys at Jasmine to help with the search. Wish me luck!  

Spotted...

...a lovely 993 C2S on other side of the world in Sydney, courtesy of my good friend Barry.

Aurelia's seat

After some extensive research in child seats for the particularly tiny rear seats of the 993 I learned that the Maxi-Cosi Rodi is ideal. Most recommend the SPS (the budget model) but I went for the AirProtect (approx. double the price at £100 but the best-tested model with some fancy side impact technology for extra protection) - it fits in nice and snug. And not that aesthetics should matter but the full black cover with red accents, matching the body work and brake callipers of my car, was a nice touch I thought. One good tip is the Diono Ultra Mat to protect the leather against wear & tear and prevents the seat from slipping. All in all, I'm very happy - shame Aurelia wasn't! The seat belt around the neck suggests she needs to do some growing before she's ready for her maiden voyage in Daddy's car - but that's okay, at least we're set for next summer. Looking forward to taking her out for her first run. :-) 

Petworth Rendezvous

Rendezvous at Petworth on our way down to Goodwood for the Breakfast Club. Greg, in his lovely Mk1, joined the Porsche convoy for this month's theme: Hot Hatch Sunday. Nice. 

C2 meets Turbo

Festival of Porsche at Brands Hatch

...hats off to Porsche Club GB for throwing one of the best, if not the best, Porsche events of the year. Everything from the 356 to the 918, on-track action to off-track gawping - thousands of Porsche owners from all over the country displaying their prides and joy at the legendary Brands Hatch. We had never seen so many Porsches in one place - it was truly epic! And it was Turbo heaven as the festival coincided with 40 years of the 911 Turbo. I convoyed down with Jamie and Rupert (who have almost identical 997s by the way) and had my older brother Salve riding by my side. Great day all round - and we'll never forget the Porsche Owners' Parade Lap - the sun was setting and everyone was in high spirits, which made for a truly magical moment as we drove around the track with hundreds of other enthusiasts. We loved it so much we all decided to become PCGB members - looking forward to see what that brings!

Thanks Salve for the pics.

New pipes!

Porsche offer a Motor Sound Package for 993s, which consist of the drilled out air filter and the big oval exhaust tips (normally seen on Turbos) for a richer and sportier sound. I already had the air filter so it was only a matter of time until I indulged in a pair of Big Ovals! They really do help enhance the sound - a bit more 'gurgle' to add to the already deep raspy tones of the RSR mufflers and 200-cell high flow sports cats. Thanks Gert for all the bits. She sounds perfect now. 

All very 60s...

...a Ferdinard "Ferry" Porsche 356 Coupe parked outside a Peter Foggo and David Thomas 'H-House'. (Not that Aurelia was interested!)

Ps. Very nice to meet George, the proud owner of both. Sadly the 356 was in the process of being sold.

Porsche Picnic at Mapledurham House

Great run to reading this morning and a good turn out for this year's 911 & Porsche World Picnic. Set in the grounds of a beautiful Elizabethan stately home. Nothing quite like a Porsche or two to go with my tea and scones. :-)

My 993, Jamie's 997 and Rob's Boxster. Jamie's 996 is somewhere in the background as he turned up late. Tut-tut.

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Le Mans here we come...

The Mulsanne Straight

We took the opportunity to jump out the porker and take a quick snap with the GoPro, before being moved along by the Gendarmerie. (Shame about the photobombing runner!)

The All Blacks!

A black 996 (Jamie's), a black Boxster (Rupert's Dad), a black 993 (mine) and a black 997 (Rupert's) all decided to get together this morning for a quick tour on the windy country roads in and around Marlborough, Wiltshire. Too. Much. Fun. Here's to the next impromptu tour! 

Spotted that orange GT2 Clubsport again!

I said 'ou la la' the first time I saw this car (see previous post) and I said it again today - spotted it at Ty's place up on a ramp awaiting some of that lovely blood orange paint - apparently the owner races it (as the only one like this in the UK and over half a million pounds, better him than me!) and somehow the bonnet 'flipped' so that needs putting right. It's one hell of a machine. Nice to see you again!

By the way I was speaking to Ty about buffing out some light scratches on my paintwork and addressing some rust on the chassis legs - which Greg spotted whilst fitting the sports cat. I'll be back to have that done in a few months as it's not super urgent - just going to enjoy the car whilst the weather's good. :-)

A bit more sound

Before:

After:

Greg fitted my new exchange cat -  Carnewal high flow sport cats with 200 cells for a bit more sound and a bit more horse power and torque. Nice. 

Mission 2014. Our Return.

We're back to Circuit de la Sarthe to see the epic return of Porsche to the LMP1 class of the 24h of Le Mans (after 16 years absence). Strong performance by the two 919 Hybrids but sadly not enough to challenge the dominate Audis. And the 911 RSRs represented well with 3rd place in GTE-Pro class and 2nd place in GTE-Am class. Another great year and made even more special as I had my very own 911 to mark the occasion - thanks to my good friend Barry who rode shotgun the whole way.

And it was great to visit (and be part of!) the Saint-Saturnin Classic British Welcome on the Friday. An amazing collection of classic cars of all shapes and sizes, from all around the world, gathered together on the northern outskirts of Le Mans. Not-to-be-missed event - we'll definitely be heading again there next year.