Klokwerk
Well-known member
I swear we have the same taste in cars and houses! Amazing work on the fireplace.
Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT Denver MCM garage expansion
- Thread starter kwyjibo
- Start date
Workspaces between 485 and 705 squarefeet.
I definitely need to stop by the next time I'm in the area. Thanks for reading
I knew this was coming, but I posted anyway! My bad. I was busy talking and only took a few photos. Here are mine:
And a couple that I poached from friends' IG:
my only other photo was of the rarely-seen-in-the-US late 90s Alfa Romeo Spider
I forgot to upload the update.
But first, we went through the trouble of buying full-sized candy bars and decorating the house for Halloween and a grand total of zero kids came by! The neighborhood has always been quiet, but zero?!? Even the squirrels are against us - here's one of the pumpkins that was customized by them. I think the squirrels must be fans of the Minions
The targa body is still waiting on the paint shop. But the top should be going in for restoration soon, and I need to refurb a few of the components that the upholsterer doesn't like dealing with. The latching mechanism has a weakness that is very similar to the one in the window lift mechanism that I repaired earlier. I'll post photos once I get into it. I also need to strip and repaint the rain gutters. Here's a photo to remind you how the top looks
but like most of the car, it looks worse than it really is. In this case the vinyl is oxidized and torn, but the structure is completely solid. In fact the framework and the fasteners look almost new.
But first, we went through the trouble of buying full-sized candy bars and decorating the house for Halloween and a grand total of zero kids came by! The neighborhood has always been quiet, but zero?!? Even the squirrels are against us - here's one of the pumpkins that was customized by them. I think the squirrels must be fans of the Minions
The targa body is still waiting on the paint shop. But the top should be going in for restoration soon, and I need to refurb a few of the components that the upholsterer doesn't like dealing with. The latching mechanism has a weakness that is very similar to the one in the window lift mechanism that I repaired earlier. I'll post photos once I get into it. I also need to strip and repaint the rain gutters. Here's a photo to remind you how the top looks
but like most of the car, it looks worse than it really is. In this case the vinyl is oxidized and torn, but the structure is completely solid. In fact the framework and the fasteners look almost new.
At least the squirrels are in the Halloween Spirit. In our Neighborhood in Wheatridge we got 10 visitors. We took the kiddos to a McMansion Neighborhood up in Arvada and there where kids everywhere. Apparently the word got out that there is a major Candy Score up there. Great progress on your house (and Garage). The Porsche content is also nice.
@kmcteer - I was talking to someone a few streets over who had lots of kids stop by so I don't understand why they didn't come down our street.
I've meant to pick up a small torch for a while, so when I needed to separate the rubber bushings on the targa's front suspension I made a quick trip to Home Depot. The easiest way to do this is to heat the housing, melt the rubber and separate the parts. Next up: get them blasted.
I started on the targa top. The first job is that I need to replace the pin that couples the handle to the latches. These are potmetal and a common breaking point so I'll replace both the "good" one in addition to the broken one. The problem is that these both seem to have been previously repaired. Normally the two halves of the case are held together by inserting and twisting tabs through slots on the other half (seen as the small rectangles around the edges of the case). Unmolested tabs are taller than mine which have been ground down. The problem is that without the longer tabs, the case is now held together with JB Weld. I've never tried to undo JB Weld but it sounds like heat or acetone may be the most reliable method. I'd appreciate any comments, but my plan is to try heat first.
I've meant to pick up a small torch for a while, so when I needed to separate the rubber bushings on the targa's front suspension I made a quick trip to Home Depot. The easiest way to do this is to heat the housing, melt the rubber and separate the parts. Next up: get them blasted.
I started on the targa top. The first job is that I need to replace the pin that couples the handle to the latches. These are potmetal and a common breaking point so I'll replace both the "good" one in addition to the broken one. The problem is that these both seem to have been previously repaired. Normally the two halves of the case are held together by inserting and twisting tabs through slots on the other half (seen as the small rectangles around the edges of the case). Unmolested tabs are taller than mine which have been ground down. The problem is that without the longer tabs, the case is now held together with JB Weld. I've never tried to undo JB Weld but it sounds like heat or acetone may be the most reliable method. I'd appreciate any comments, but my plan is to try heat first.
Attachments
slik560
Well-known member
JB Weld: a panacea for the previous owner - a curse for the next owner.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I also have some suspension parts at the powdercoaters, and should be bringing more soon. Here are a couple before and after sandblasting photos of the rear trailing arms. I need to get a ball joint pivot for the anti-sway bar welded onto them before painting - my car was the base model so rear sways were optional.
I turns out that a combination of grinding, heating and prying got them open. I don't know if my level of heating was necessary or excessive but I burnt the galvanization off a couple places. I'll shoot some paint on them to keep corrosion to a minimum (targa tops are not famous for their weather tightness). Once I get the rain gutters back from the powder coater, I'll take photos of the targa top parts before bringing them up to the upholsterer.
I also have some suspension parts at the powdercoaters, and should be bringing more soon. Here are a couple before and after sandblasting photos of the rear trailing arms. I need to get a ball joint pivot for the anti-sway bar welded onto them before painting - my car was the base model so rear sways were optional.
Thanksgiving visitors are now gone so I was free to join in with the regular Sunday morning pastry and coffee with friends. Rather than loiter by the usual bakery or deli, we made a nuisance of ourselves on one of our friend's streets.
[I hope to have updates on the targa soon]
[I hope to have updates on the targa soon]
slik560
Well-known member
Gotta love clear weather clear into November! Our local PCA chapter meets for breakfast every Saturday at the same restaurant; starting at 7AM. Over the years a small group of die-hards has grown to an average of 40-50 cars each week....until the snow & ice arrives. I kind of envy your group - a lot more personal. Be safe out there. 
Our local PCA also has a long-running Saturday morning breakfast club. I join them a couple times a year but its not really my scene.
I'm lucky to have this group of friends - a bunch of good guys that happen to share common interests.
I'm lucky to have this group of friends - a bunch of good guys that happen to share common interests.
RocketJohn
New member
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2016
- Messages
- 4
Back to that green front door. Would you say that is a light or heavy door?
Ha! Heavy. Very heavy. You know that door was made of material from the center of a black hole.
I didn't know that you've been lurking here since 2016. RocketJohn is one of my friends that I call on when I need help or someone to go on a drive or just stand around.
Met up with the guys for Sunday morning pastries and cartalk - but once again we skipped the usual bakery and met at someone's house. I have just a few photos because I couldn't stay for very long, but I'm sure you get an idea of how unique this place was. I have permission for the photos but I still have mixed feelings about posting these for security reasons.
Speciale, Carrera GT and F40 (and photobomb by Diablo mirror)
best view for a pool hall that I've ever come across
993Carrera RS and turbo targa
and the last photo that I'll post
Yes, that is an in-ground turntable that the RS (a factory test mule that was in 000 magazine) is perched on
I was supposed to check out a not-pictured car a few weeks back but I had to ferry my visiting inlaw around town. I hope to get back for a more leisurely visit soon.
Speciale, Carrera GT and F40 (and photobomb by Diablo mirror)
best view for a pool hall that I've ever come across
993Carrera RS and turbo targa
and the last photo that I'll post
Yes, that is an in-ground turntable that the RS (a factory test mule that was in 000 magazine) is perched on
I was supposed to check out a not-pictured car a few weeks back but I had to ferry my visiting inlaw around town. I hope to get back for a more leisurely visit soon.
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slik560
Well-known member
Nice place & cars. Meeting at someone's house is fine, as long as someone remembers to bring DONUTS & COFFEE. 
Trapps
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Pardon my drool.
We have a few special collections in the Detroit area; this collection would be near the top of any list, anywhere.
We have a few special collections in the Detroit area; this collection would be near the top of any list, anywhere.
RocketJohn
New member
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2016
- Messages
- 4
I signed up in 2016 to research and get access to pics when I was building my current house and wanting a lift for it. I had no idea. you were documenting all your amazing work here. So nice to see.
Guys, I've seen all this work, in real life, as it was being completed. All way better in person. These pics don't do the hard meticulous work justice.
Also that Green door is insanely heavy. Makes me realize my age immediately.
Thanks John. I owe a lot to the help I got from you guys. I figured that we'd start light with the upper cabinets. Then if you guys were still willing to come over, move up to the heavier things like pergola beams, shed walls, that d@mned 4x8 laminated glass, etc. But, I saved the door job for you!
Picked up a few things at Pristine Powder Coating last week and dropped a few more at BlastTech (both in the Denver are). I was lucky that the car was generally free of rust and most parts could be reused after being cleaned and/or painted. This round looks very nice.
Rain gutters for the targa top look better than new
front suspension parts. I don't think that I'll assemble until they're needed to save space
Motor mount cross bar
I decided to have the engine cooling tin powder coated, so that's what is currently in the works
Picked up a few things at Pristine Powder Coating last week and dropped a few more at BlastTech (both in the Denver are). I was lucky that the car was generally free of rust and most parts could be reused after being cleaned and/or painted. This round looks very nice.
Rain gutters for the targa top look better than new
front suspension parts. I don't think that I'll assemble until they're needed to save space
Motor mount cross bar
I decided to have the engine cooling tin powder coated, so that's what is currently in the works
Is powder coating stable on heated parts, or is it a special formula? I know it is baked to set it, just curious if it is a good application here.
Hmmm, it looks like I haven't logged in here since before Christmas.
@Bakafish, I wondered the same thing because there are special formulas for "high temp" (ie: < 1000F) so what is the upper limit for standard coatings? Depending on the source, it seems that regular heating above 250F is not recommended. For comparison, the normal oil temp for an air-cooled engine is less than 210F. Sounds like a narrow margin to me but powder coating these parts is very common. Lastly, my go-to Porsche engine rebuilder said that he's never seen powder coating problems on a well-running engine.
Targa update: still waiting for the paint shop. The targa top is out at one of two guys in the US that are trusted with top restorations.
I still have a few parts out at the powder coater. but I did get a few things back, including the original seat rails. Their surface rust roughness looks way more obvious with the shiny paint, so I decided to replace them with new reproductions. The original pair are on the right and I shot this angle to show the paint in the worse possible light.
A couple gifts I bought for myself. A two volume book set called Abarth - the Scorpion's Tale, which is over 1000 pages of factory photos, technical data and advertisements of some of my favorite cars.
Another of my favorites in 1:18, an Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint
@Bakafish, I wondered the same thing because there are special formulas for "high temp" (ie: < 1000F) so what is the upper limit for standard coatings? Depending on the source, it seems that regular heating above 250F is not recommended. For comparison, the normal oil temp for an air-cooled engine is less than 210F. Sounds like a narrow margin to me but powder coating these parts is very common. Lastly, my go-to Porsche engine rebuilder said that he's never seen powder coating problems on a well-running engine.
Targa update: still waiting for the paint shop. The targa top is out at one of two guys in the US that are trusted with top restorations.
I still have a few parts out at the powder coater. but I did get a few things back, including the original seat rails. Their surface rust roughness looks way more obvious with the shiny paint, so I decided to replace them with new reproductions. The original pair are on the right and I shot this angle to show the paint in the worse possible light.
A couple gifts I bought for myself. A two volume book set called Abarth - the Scorpion's Tale, which is over 1000 pages of factory photos, technical data and advertisements of some of my favorite cars.
Another of my favorites in 1:18, an Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint
Those books look very interesting, I feel off my seat once when I first saw this car: Fiat Abarth 2000 Scorpione
I have always placed myself under the Tag "sympathetic restorer". AKA fix the part I have as best as I can and as a last resort seek out a new/used replacement. I don't know if I could handle the mental anguish of being a concourse restorer, knowing there where some little imperfections I just had to accept for time and cost reasons while the rest of the car was 100%. It seems like you have a great balance on sympathetic vs concourse.
I do question the seat sliders needing to be new, are they visible in a 911? I assume as much if you went through the work above.
-Kelly
I have always placed myself under the Tag "sympathetic restorer". AKA fix the part I have as best as I can and as a last resort seek out a new/used replacement. I don't know if I could handle the mental anguish of being a concourse restorer, knowing there where some little imperfections I just had to accept for time and cost reasons while the rest of the car was 100%. It seems like you have a great balance on sympathetic vs concourse.
I do question the seat sliders needing to be new, are they visible in a 911? I assume as much if you went through the work above.
-Kelly
@kmcteer You're right on target! I'd love to do every project 100% "correct" but usually need to make compromises based on saving time or money. Usually money. The decision to reuse a specific part is dependent on its cost, availability, function and visibility.
For example, the rails are an extension of the floor that the outer seat sliders are perched on. I don't know why Porsche made them separate stampings from the floor (the inboard sliders bolt directly to the floor), but they are easily seen on 911s - indicated by the red arrow in this photo
You can see the stamped gussets of the rail running along in the area between the door sill and seat bolster. I'll be using a pair of vintage seats recaro rs buckets, which are sized and shaped similar to the seats in the photo below. I think the narrower design makes the seat rails even more visible. Ultimately I thought it would have been one of those dumb little details that would annoy me every time I got into the car so I spent the extra $ (I hope to recover some of the costs by selling the original ones later)
Also, I had never heard of that particular showcar, thanks for pointing it out. It checks all the boxes for me: small (not even 1m tall), powerful (over 100hp/L) and kinda strange looking. Here's a couple pages from the book that cover that car
For example, the rails are an extension of the floor that the outer seat sliders are perched on. I don't know why Porsche made them separate stampings from the floor (the inboard sliders bolt directly to the floor), but they are easily seen on 911s - indicated by the red arrow in this photo
You can see the stamped gussets of the rail running along in the area between the door sill and seat bolster. I'll be using a pair of vintage seats recaro rs buckets, which are sized and shaped similar to the seats in the photo below. I think the narrower design makes the seat rails even more visible. Ultimately I thought it would have been one of those dumb little details that would annoy me every time I got into the car so I spent the extra $ (I hope to recover some of the costs by selling the original ones later)
Also, I had never heard of that particular showcar, thanks for pointing it out. It checks all the boxes for me: small (not even 1m tall), powerful (over 100hp/L) and kinda strange looking. Here's a couple pages from the book that cover that car
uh oh, it's been over two months since I've checked in. The first signs of spring are here so I'm just coming out of hibernation.
I'm hoping to have some good news on the targa soon - we've been waiting over a year to get it into the paint shop. In the meantime I've been cleaning parts that I plan on reusing.
I did send out the engine tin and airbox to the powdercoater
I also decided to cerakote the fan and housing and should get those back soon. The magnesium fan is probably the most visible part of the flatsix engine so I wanted mine to look good. Here's the raw fan with the test-fit new center before I sent it out
The first outdoor project was to finally install a curved downspout by the front door. I was hoping to make it disappear on the post
Here's an older photo where you can see the straight, temporary downspout in front of the left-most pane.
I think that was the last thing that I wanted to finish before moving on to painting the rest of the house
I'm hoping to have some good news on the targa soon - we've been waiting over a year to get it into the paint shop. In the meantime I've been cleaning parts that I plan on reusing.
I did send out the engine tin and airbox to the powdercoater
I also decided to cerakote the fan and housing and should get those back soon. The magnesium fan is probably the most visible part of the flatsix engine so I wanted mine to look good. Here's the raw fan with the test-fit new center before I sent it out
The first outdoor project was to finally install a curved downspout by the front door. I was hoping to make it disappear on the post
Here's an older photo where you can see the straight, temporary downspout in front of the left-most pane.
I think that was the last thing that I wanted to finish before moving on to painting the rest of the house
wasfast
Well-known member
Finding locations for downspouts with conventional gutters is always tough to make them less visible. Did the option to put it on the opposite side of the fence help any? Probably ruins the inside view then,,,,,
LaCorski
Well-known member
"The first outdoor project was to finally install a curved downspout by the front door. I was hoping to make it disappear on the post"
Nailed it!! The flora placement looks fantastic in the last pic!
Nailed it!! The flora placement looks fantastic in the last pic!
Thanks! Once again, I probably spent way too much time planning this area out, so I appreciate it
The downspouts were added at somepoint around the time of the reroofing. The houses in our neighborhood didn't originally have gutters - in the last 60 years either gutters were added to the edge of the roof or, as in our case, curbing is used to collect water near a drain. Ours is a terrible design that clogs and floods if you're not constantly cleaning it out. Anyway, all that is to just say that I was stuck with the downspout placement. A few years back, when I was designing the entry, I decided to build the wall in front of the downspout so that it had the cleanest look from the street. I was also planning on a small tree on the inside that would help hide the downspout. Now I'm just waiting to see if the curved tube can handle the spring downpours.
I've started to rebuild the brake calipers. First step was to pop out* the pistons with compressed air ( * the car has been non-op since the '90s so I'll skip all the words muttered to get the frozen pistons to just "pop out" like the internet describes). They also sprayed out fountains of muddy brake fluid. I'll be able to better check the internals for rust once I get them split open. I'll have my friends' shop inspect them to be sure but the pistons don't show enough pitting or galling to keep me from reusing. Assuming that everything is ok, I'll have the calipers zinc plated like they were originally.
Andrew S
Well-known member
This is probably too late to be helpful, but you can use a grease gun instead of air to remove really stuck caliper pistons. The fountain is usually minimal since there's no compressed air to rebound when the piston finally pops loose. Really enjoying both the architecture and Porsche content!
Andrew
Andrew
quick update
I joined some friends to check out a couple car events on Sat. The temperature got up to 70 over the weekend so I decided to spend the rest of my free time cleaning and organizing the garage
The garage door opened for the first time in months
I immediately got distracted and took a few minutes to separate the targa's caliper halves
I have all the new seals and hardware but I'll wait to have the parts re-plated before reassembly. Because the plater charges by weight, I started going through the boxes to find other parts that need to be plated. Some of them needed to be disassembled...
so, I didn't get very far in my cleaning goals. In fact, the shop area is probably more disorganized now than it was on Friday. Oh well.
I joined some friends to check out a couple car events on Sat. The temperature got up to 70 over the weekend so I decided to spend the rest of my free time cleaning and organizing the garage
The garage door opened for the first time in months
I immediately got distracted and took a few minutes to separate the targa's caliper halves
I have all the new seals and hardware but I'll wait to have the parts re-plated before reassembly. Because the plater charges by weight, I started going through the boxes to find other parts that need to be plated. Some of them needed to be disassembled...
so, I didn't get very far in my cleaning goals. In fact, the shop area is probably more disorganized now than it was on Friday. Oh well.
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No updates on the targa project.
First real drive of the year. I went on an early morning drive up to the closed Echo Lake Lodge - the family that ran it for decades did not get their lease for the city-owned property renewed. The roads still had some snow and gravel, but it was nice to get out. On the way back down the hill, I met some friends for breakfast and a quick stop with a Porsche group
First real drive of the year. I went on an early morning drive up to the closed Echo Lake Lodge - the family that ran it for decades did not get their lease for the city-owned property renewed. The roads still had some snow and gravel, but it was nice to get out. On the way back down the hill, I met some friends for breakfast and a quick stop with a Porsche group
Time is really flying by me this year. I haven't done much, just a whole lot of little projects.
One major thing was completed. There are basically two upholstery guys that people trust to restore their targa tops and they both have long waitlists. Luckily one of the guys is not far from me in Boulder so I could easily work with him to get the best results and to speed mine along (like post #940). Well, I finally picked it up last week and it looks absolutely fantastic.
One major thing was completed. There are basically two upholstery guys that people trust to restore their targa tops and they both have long waitlists. Luckily one of the guys is not far from me in Boulder so I could easily work with him to get the best results and to speed mine along (like post #940). Well, I finally picked it up last week and it looks absolutely fantastic.
slik560
Well-known member
Hope that shop trains a few apprentices so that the art of Targa top refurbishing will not become a lot art.
Unfortunately, Dave, the local targa top restorer, is not training anyone. I've heard that Dan, the other top guy in NJ, had his daughter or granddaughter in his shop. But I've never talked with him so I don't really know.
Here's a couple photos of the targa's fan. I had the fan and housing carakoted with titanium H-170. Next step is to rivet the center to the fan... and assemble the engine
Automezzi, the annual Italian car show, was held last Sunday. A couple friends had real cameras so I didn't take many photos. Here are a few of mine:
Pietro's Dino
ex-Wilt Chamberlain Countach
poor people's parking area
some guy named RocketJohn
Pietro's Dino
ex-Wilt Chamberlain Countach
poor people's parking area
some guy named RocketJohn
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kmcteer - for whatever reason, this year was a little under-attended but it's still worth going
I haven't been able to get out as much this summer as I had hoped, so it's always a good day when it starts out with a drive with a few friends
targa update: A friend let me use his shop's cabinet to mediablast a few parts prior to replating. Here are the brakes and carb linkages.
I haven't been able to get out as much this summer as I had hoped, so it's always a good day when it starts out with a drive with a few friends
targa update: A friend let me use his shop's cabinet to mediablast a few parts prior to replating. Here are the brakes and carb linkages.