Damp patches.....

decompressing · 24 Nov 2002

New to 911's.

Looked at a 1988 3.2 Carrera today. No apparent leaks anywhere in the cabin, and in great overall condition.

However, upon opening the bonnet (the front!), was having a look at the tool roll and found it to be a bit wet. I queried this with the seller, who said that its a common thing with 911's of that age for the water to get into the luggage compartment at the front. The well for the space-saver seemed dry enough, so does this sound right?

Also, in relation to engine compression- the reading on the dash showed approx 1 bar at tickover, rising straight up to around 3 to 4 bar when you revved it.....are those readings right? (the car felt fine to drive and the engine was quiet, and dry.

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers,

Marc

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Jamie Summers · 25 Nov 2002

Marc,

Unfortunately it is a common problem for water to get in under the bonnet, but it is not a real cause for concern. The seals never were the greatest and if the channels in the seal get clogged with dead leaves and other detritus then rain water can manage to seap its way through. It is also worth checking that the bonnet is properly seated and that the panel gaps are even - a poor fit or distorted bonnet could point to accident damage and a botched repair job. Also have a good poke around to see if there is any concealed rust which might point to a longer term more serious problem requiring more serious work - if it is rotten walk away.

I've got an '89 3.2 which I've had for about 6 months. When I purchased it I was warned to expect that the front would get wet. Mercifully mine has stayed dry so far despite the volume of rain we've had of late, but I am keeping an eye on it.

As far as oil pressure goes, the readings you report are about right. As a general rule you should have a bar of pressure per 1000 revs. So if you're seeing 3.5 bar at about 3500 revs that's about right.

I took a little trip along to Prestige & Performance (911virgin.com) a couple of weekends ago as I was in the area with time to kill. I was impressed with the range of cars on offer and with how busy they were. If you are serious about buying don't go on a Saturday as you won't get the attention you really need. I spoke to Tom, and he certainly knows his stuff and will make sure you are buying the right car for the right reason. Their prices are extremely competitive so they have a pretty fast turnover, if you see something on the website that appeals to you then get over there pronto as they move quickly !

Hope this helps,

Jamie

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James Ball · 25 Nov 2002

Hi Marc

Jamie has pretty much said it all. The leaking could probably be fixed with new seals and cleaning out the drainage holes. However I am not so sure I would be happy about it. It is exactly this sort of thing that leads to rust in those little, out-of-the-way places. If I found damn I would have a damn good root around the whole of the bonnet area. If you find any rust it is likely to be only the tip of the iceburg. Give any suspect area a poke with a key or any relatively pointy metal object to ensure the metal is intact.

And as Jamie says, double check for accident damage.

Oil pressure sounds right, although don't confuse oil pressure with cylinder compression (which can be tested as part of a PPI).

Cheers, James

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decompressing · 25 Nov 2002

Thanks for that guys- I am going to go over to Prestige and Performance on Saturday to have a look at a couple of cars that might fit my (meager) budget

Cheers.

Marc

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Decolliber · 14 Dec 2002

Leakage in that area is not good, because the front suspension mounts (control arms) depend on the structural integrity of the front suspension pan. It may just be that the rubber seasl along the side of the luggage lid need to be replaced. But if the lid is bent, that may suggest accident damage. Another way water can get in is through the hole on top of which sits the fan for the front A/C condensor.

Very important to check the front suspension pan in any 911, before buying. In the US it costs about $1500 to have that pan replaced and a new one welded in.

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Damp patches.....

decompressing

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Jamie Summers

Sao Paulo

James Ball

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decompressing

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Decolliber

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