Georgia Lunch

Man, it was nice to get out of the congestive traffic, play my favorite tribute song, and just drive! The new front tires and alignment definitely made a difference. What a smoooooooooth ride. "Porsche. There is no substitute." http://popup.lala.com/popup/432627047858615528

(2) New Front Tires, Alignment, Ball Joints tighten

Phillip is a genius. Starke Auto & Tire in Starke, Florida. There is allot to say about vehicle maintenance in a small town. #1 They want and need your business. #2 They take care of local folk. #3 Usually the only man in town who does the work. In result, customers are treated well, and wants you to come back. My initial alignment problem, coupled with a loose ball joint, caused both front tires to wear on the inside to slick tread, and today was the end of it's venture. (2) New Front Tires: 215/55/1g, w/Balance $159.90, Alignment $49.95; Tire Disposal $3.00, Florida Impact Fee? $2.00, Tax $11.54; Total cost: $214.85. Just because the Chevy/Ford town in North Florida called the car: quote a "UFO." He charged no labor fees, and fixed the driver's-side door handle, a loose interior door panel, and cleaned the carburetor FREE :) Nevertheless, no matter how great the deal, Mom will not be happy..........

New Paint Job & Body Collision Work

Nice a$$! The picture (top) is before the work, and the picture (below) is her presently parked at the motel during Army drill. Anyway, I picked up 'Cheryl' on Friday, March 12, 2010. Someone, who I am terribly indebted to, had cleaned up a huge paint chip on the left rear, and re-painted the entire rear-end; in addition, touched up a few scratches throughout. Also placed some adhesive on my driver door handle, so it would not fall off. "Looks sweet!" I have military drill for the week, and using her as a 'daily driver,' and will probably log another 1000 miles. :) Of course, she is getting lots of attention from fellow soldiers; however, also lots of daily abuse by transporting supplies, and military equipment. My rear-hatch interior leather moldings on the sides are now falling, and will think of a logical way to put them back up. I am thinking a spray adhesive glue, however there are wires running along the sides of the rear window, so I do not want to permanently affix it. I am thinking maybe Velcro or double-sided tape of some sort. Stay tuned...........another garage day.

Techron Toast - Enjoying a day off together

"Techron" Techron is a patented additive developed by Chevron, consisting of a family of compounds known as polyether aminess. Techron reduces accumulation of deposits in fuel injectors and on intake valves, and minimizes build-up of deposits in the combustion chamber. With the introduction of Techron, Chevron gasoline became designated as meeting TOP TIER standards for fuel cleanliness. Techron is also available as a packaged concentrate, for use with lower quality gasoline ("under-additized"). Both Volvo and Mercedes-Benz have issued factory service bulletins advising the use of concentrated Chevron Techron in repair procedures for vehicles with certain mechanical problems. Of course, reading many posts of Rennlist '928 Forum: http://forums.rennlist.com/ many owners had positive chat-posts and experiences, helping them with rough idles, and at times with no starts. My personal experience was I believe the additive stopped my 928 from 'shaking,' while at low speed, and low rpm's. When I initially emptied the entire bottle in the tank, and started it up for the first time; a dark cloud of 'brown colored' smoke came out of the tailpipe, and I believe I flushed out allot of old carbon. I then drove at high RPM's for 180+ miles, at high speeds. I refilled twice, once at Chevron, and another at Shell. I could only imagine the old grime, which could be in the fuel injection system and tank from a thirty-two year old car. I really thought I would be traveling with brown smoke for awhile; however, only noticed it on the initial start up. Maybe the traffic behind me witnessed more? LOL. I was hesitant at first as my 1978 Owners Manual states on page 51 in bold letters:

Porsche recommends not to use any fuel additives. Oh well, like I listen anyway most of time. However during my rennlist experiences, and as an Internet 928 mechanic. Sometimes I read another owners post, and try to prevent or clean, or whatever. I have come to the conclusion every 928 is different, and each one has their own individual temperamental issues. What is good for one 928 is not good for all......

Reeves Porsche Tampa Feb 9, 2010

A free 28-point inspection until the 28th? Why not? I call and make an appointment. The service manager says 7:30 am. I arrive at 8 am, due to daily commuter traffic in Tampa on I-275. What was I thinking? The overall experience was pretty impressive. I was greeted with friendly salesman, and service. Most important, free fresh gourmet coffee! While I was waiting, I spent most of the time like a kid at Toys-R-Us, and got to droll, and play in the 2010' Boxster, Cayman S 911 series' cars, and the new Cayenne. Of course, I grabbed all the sales material I could get my hands on to read and effortlessly study and learn later, and the accessories for sale; well, they got me for a $17.00 t-shirt. To think I drove in a 32 year old car, older than most of the 'certified mechanics;' however, one of the old timers had remembered distinctively "Hey, that's Tony Montana's 'Scarface" car! My old dream car." When I peeked through the "Employee's Only" window, all the mechanics were conducting/learning the inspection, so I know it was completed, as they were gathered throughout the vehicle. What was most impressive, as she actually passed; ie..headlamp alignment, CV Drive axle boots, exhaust system, steering linkage, and of course, knew the tranny, and fluids were good due to prior service. I am concerned both front upper ball joint boots were documented as torn, as all the struts are original, so I must investigate.

Battery Test - Feb 6, 2010

Yesterday, while she was in idle, after a two (2) day cold start, I noticed the motor was whinding as the idle was fluxuating, and the headlamps were dimming and brightening. My first thought was the battery was old, and maybe a cell had died or something, or the alternator was bad, and the battery was taking too much of the load. I disconnected the battery, and had taken it to Advanced Auto Parts to confirm the battery was better than good! "12.74V" I also purchased (2) anti-corrosion washers (98 cents) * Side note: Well, while I was there, I picked up a bottle of 'Techron, ' a fuel system cleaner for $7.99, ...another posting later. Anyway, I returned home, and put the terminals back on. I also know disconnecting the battery is always a good thing with electronic gremlins, knowing the electrical system will 'reset' itself. I also asked the wife to press on the gas pedal, as I checked the cable on the idle control. While looking under the hood, it seemed to be moving alright, however noticed it was a brown rusty color on the old parts. I sprayed WD-40 on it (fix-all), and (wa-la), problem fixed. I think the car was looking for idle, and it was stuck? Who knows? Anyway, I think she was just mad at me for sitting for a few days with no attention. This weekend, she is getting another 300+ mile road trip with Techron in the gas tank, so I am planning on blowing out some thirty-year old carbon out of the pipes. :)

Preventive Maintenance Checks & Services Feb 1, 2010

Today was a slight rain, but it did not matter. For the past few days, I have read several articles about types of coolants, and over-heating issues on https://www.928gt.com/ This has been pressing on my mind for the past few days. One important lesson I learned in the military is PMCS, (Preventive Maintenance Checks and Services) which is designed to ensure your military vehicle is combat effective, and to ensure your mobility is not compromised during a mission. After reading several posts at rennlist, and research from other 928 owner pages on this issue, I have made two 'concrete' conclusions:

#1 The motor is aluminum, and a recommended brand is: Zerex G-05® Antifreeze with low-silicate, low-pH, and phosphate-free formula.

#2 My high maintenance 'priss' prefers: "distilled water." Of course on my previous Publix trip, I had to get a Crystal bottle for $1.09, so I completed a top off this morning.

I guess, I will spend some time with my wife now :)