951 Resurrection - after 7 years of storage

[Meine44]

I'm game

One of the bolts that attached the original AFM to the original air cleaner housing

Very possible, but I would be surprised that it didn't bounce out of the engine bay a long time ago. The MAF has been on the car at least since 2010 from the previous owner.

My guess is one of the bolts for the water pump. If we win, do we get your old coolant tank as a prize?!

Also possible; I did replace some studs and bolts when the water pump was changed in 2018. I'd be happy to part with the coolant tank if anyone wants a one that can't be seen through!



Plans for this weekend, pending free time, are to change the oil, flush the coolant, and repair some sunroof clips. The plastic sunroof hinges are cracked on both sides. I've ordered the OEM plastic replacements and hope they work out. Otherwise, there are aluminum hinges available or full billet latch kits. Hopefully the plastic replacements will be OK.

[Meine44]

Small pieces for the sunroof have arrived. The roll pins were easy to remove from the sunroof latch pieces, but not so easy to go back in.

Does anyone know the proper tool to compress the metal roll pins for re-installation?

[O875]

there are roll pin punches that allow you to insert the pin into the end of the punch then push the pin into place.
Since you're putting them into plastic though I'd be very careful not to put too much force on the plastic.
Another way I've worked with them is to squash the pin in a pair of pliers with the pin protected by a piece of shim steel. That way you can sort of squash them and ease them into place.

[Meine44]

there are roll pin punches that allow you to insert the pin into the end of the punch then push the pin into place.
Since you're putting them into plastic though I'd be very careful not to put too much force on the plastic.
Another way I've worked with them is to squash the pin in a pair of pliers with the pin protected by a piece of shim steel. That way you can sort of squash them and ease them into place.

I ended up buying replacement 1/8" roll pins. The stock ones looked like they had sprung open due to age and weathering. Even with new roll pins at the correct diameter, pressing them into the plastic pieces wasn't going to work without breaking the plastic. I re-drilled the tabs to 9/64" so that they are clearance fit instead of press fit. Hopefully this will release some tension at the connection and prevent them from breaking again in the future.

The roll pins are loose in the hinges but still press fit into the lever / latch piece so they should stay in place just fine.

[Meine44]

More progress on the sunroof yesterday. Fuse #8 for the central locking system / sunroof relay was replaced and now the central locking system is working. The sunroof is still not working, so I spent some time taking the motor off of the rear inner fender wall.

Working on this car after a few years of non-use has shown me just how many simple fasteners are just... missing. The sunroof motor cover had only two (2) of five (5) screws!
This tells me that the sunroof was touched under previous ownership.

It also looks like the wiring for the in-trunk lights is left unplugged. My car has no trunk lights, the spaces in the rear carpet are empty.

Onto the new issue: it appears that the sunroof cable has been sucked inside of the guide tube. I know that this was connected to the motor when I first bought the car. I was able to operate the sunroof arms manually for a few years. It looks like the hardware that keeps the cable attached to the sunroof motor is missing.

I will have to work out whether I can fish the sunroof cable back through somehow.

[Meine44]

Upon further inspection, it appears that both sunroof drive gears have been stripped. The plastic pieces that broke are stuck to the grease on the lifting arms. This is a common issue with the plastic drive gears.

I'm going to try the brass replacement gears.

If you look closely at the photos, there is something missing inside of the sunroof cable guide tube: the sunroof cable! I'm not sure at what point this cable went missing, but I have a replacement on order.

[Meine44]

I have not made a lot of progress on the 951 lately; home projects have taken priority. I am at a standstill on those, so back to the project car this weekend.

Plan is to get as much done from this list as possible:

Sunroof - install worm gear cable, lifter arm gears, and test the motor.

Timing belts - Drain coolant to remove the rear belt cover, inspect water pump. Replace belts.

Cooling system - Flush cooling system and refill with new coolant. I will not be removing the engine block drain bolt.

Ignition system - Full tune-up (distributor, caps, rotors). Parts arriving Friday.
- I will try to (remember to) upload a picture of how melted the distributor got in the hands of an . independent shop


**Power-wash the underside of the car - there are residual oil stains and other grim under the car that need to be cleaned to determine if there are any leaks present. There have been no leaks onto the garage floor but still need to check for small leaks. I need to find a way to get better clearance for my pressure washer wand under the car.




High-level goal is to get the engine started with a functioning sunroof this weekend.

[Meine44]

Also, I would appreciate any help identifying two small pieces that I need to replace:

-The clip that holds the rear interior trim piece to the body of the car. Two are broken and one is missing. This clip holds the interior trim / leather side panel to the inside of the trunk.

-There is a hard-line clamp near the oil pressure sender that has disintegrated - the rubber is thrashed.