A - Charlie, that “good and cheap” is a favorite oxymoron of mine. I prefer “above average” and “resourceful”. Good and cheap usually doesn’t work out too well, but I will give this a try. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

The fading is easy. At the local auto parts store, there is a product called “Carpet and Vinyl dye made by Duplicolor. I have used it to restore rear hatch carpet on 924 and 944, the package shelf carpet on 911 and it works fantastic. I don’t sell it but I could. It works that well. I did my door pockets with it and it took longer to mask off the doors than it did to apply the product. In two hours, I was “back to black”.

Since this is the Motor City, there are many sources that sell automotive carpet. I found a source that one would never suspect could match the black 80’s Porsche carpet; Seat Cover King in Pontiac. When I got a sample the comment was made “it’s not an exact match, I’m not sure you will like it”. Fact is, it is NOT an exact match, it is actually better! The pile is thicker and it has no backing (just like the original). For the compound curves inside a Carrera, it is excellent and inexpensive. Far better than “good and cheap”

For the backing, I have seen rubber glued to the back of the carpet to help keep it flat. It looks pretty tacky and makes the carpet sit higher too. What I tried was poly urethane glue (A.K.A. Gorilla glue) from the local hardware store. I cleaned the carpet very well and dried it with cement blocks on top to flatten it.

Once it was mostly dry, I created a waffle pattern on the back with Gorilla glue. I covered it with wax paper and again used cement blocks to squish it thoroughly into the carpet. When it was dry, the piece was nice and stiff and sits proudly where it belongs, looking fresh and beautiful.

Of course, there are those who might say: “why bother, just buy the doggone kit”. Well I might someday, but this time I can proudly say “I did it”.
MC

A - Marc, I respect that, I would not endorse cutting either but there are options. Although there are many excellent products, I prefer Blaupunkt. Since Blaupunkt is a subsidiary of Bosch and Bosch is the engineering God of German electricity, it is a natural choice. Blaupunkt was the original manufacturer of the sound system in your Cab. Blaupunkt systems can be fitted that will leave the wiring intact. Regardless, do not cut the harness! That would be a sin. Now since, you can keep the original harness, relax. Now how about speakers?

When you cue “Drive my car” and John starts his lead riff it has to feel solid. When Ringo and Paul kick in, you want your solar plexus to thump as you tap the steering wheel. At the first chorus when the piano run anchors the chorus “Baby you can drive my car” Paul’s bass line has to be crisp and solid, not muddy and distorted.

Speaker location and size are the limiting factors. And as everyone knows, size DOES matter. So what can you do? Simple. Hide a subwoofer and upgrade the door and rear quarter panel speakers to the best components possible. Blaupunkt has an 8 inch self powered 140 watt subwoofer that fits neatly under the passenger seat. It is only 80mm thick and it works! On some cars, the seat needs to be raised an inch but no one will notice.

No, you car won’t thump like that jacked up Camaro at the stop light. And you won’t annoy your neighbors. But your spouse might wonder why you sit in the car until the song is over. It sounds that good.
MC

A - Joe this may absolutely disgust you but I suggest a 2 X 4. Yes, I said a 2 X 4 but not JUST a 2 X 4, but a well concealed, elegant spacer that resembles a 2 X 4 (which no one will recognize as a 2 X 4).

Since you just need space and carving up your interior is not an option, you can fashion a well fabricated spacer out of wood that works just fine. The trick is locating the mounting bolts correctly and securing it well. Caution: The penalty for doing a half baked job is VERY severe! So if you lack woodworking and fabrication skills, don’t try it. However, once the mock up of your new dead pedal is complete, and utter integrity is assured, your local trim shop can provide a type of carpet called “trunk mat” that is very thin and can be glued securely to the 2 X 4. Performance Products does not sell these but if you are creative, it can be done quite effectively for about $20.00 or less.
MC

Q - My 2005 Carrera just lost all its oil and the shop tells me that the engine needs to be replaced. Prior to this, two main engine seals were replaced and even though the dealer is replacing the engine under warranty, I want to know if there is anything I could have done to cause or prevent this.

Q - My 2001 Boxster died on the freeway and I had it towed to the dealer where I was told that the engine needs to be replaced. I have about 90,000 miles on it and it is not under warranty. They estimated about $16,000 to replace the engine. I have always had the oil changed and I use synthetic oil. What the heck! I am really upset.

A - These engines have a defect that Porsche is aware of and they are very gracious to clients with vehicles under warranty. When the warranty is up however, you can expect a hassle. You need to keep meticulous records of oil changes and services performed. If you lose them or miss an interval, heaven help you because Porsche won’t. What the future holds for those who were shown no love by the company no one knows but certainly a quality oriented company like Porsche is well aware of the problem and very sensitive to the negative feedback that comes from it.

Don’t beat yourselves up it’s not your fault. My ex brother-in-law had a total failure at 11,000 miles and although it could have been HIS fault, Porsche still bought him a new engine. As far as the replacement engines go, you can rest assured that the problem has been remedied. After all, rumor has it that the warranty department pitched a tent in the hallway outside engineering and has refused to leave until they can get some rest. And for all those dealer techs who got tired of fixing squeaks and rattles, they now have job security that other folks can only envy.
MC

A - Many of your fellow hobbyists are in the same boat (or tub, if that’s your flavor). The first thing I recommend is forwarding copies of your receipts to your insurance agent to put him on notice of your expenses. I prefer to fax them or email since this stamps them with a time and date for reference. Next you need to ask if your present carrier offers coverage for your project. Many don’t offer the coverage that I prefer which is “agreed value”. Your receipts, an appraisal, and pictures of the car bolster your valuation if you experience a loss. Even if your car is not done, it should still carry agreed value insurance.

Many companies offer “stated value” coverage. I have found this useful to at least let the adjuster know that my car was not just a (in my case) garden variety Rabbit. When my car was “totaled” (their opinion) I was paid in full for the needed repairs and allowed to keep the car. I fixed it and it still wins “best of show” awards 25 years later. Beauty is in the eyes of the motorhead. I don’t recommend stated value coverage since the adjuster will want the value proven to him/her. If you suffer the trauma of a loss, the last thing you want to do is debate the wisdom how you spent your money to a bean counter.

“Actual cash value” coverage is what the majority of policies contain. For a collectible car, this is worthless unless you like arguing with an adjuster about why your car is special. For your daily driver, it’s no big deal unless you have tricked it out.

These topics are expanded on in an excellent article about insurance written by Dennis Denyer a few years ago. Dennis kindly agreed to freshen it up for a future P4 so stay tuned for more.
MC

A - I take a unique approach to flushing the brakes so I will let you in on some of my “trade secrets”. To keep air bubbles from the fluid stream, remove the bleeder valves altogether, “chase” the threads to remove corrosion, and wrap Teflon tape around the threads then reinstall them. Not only does this keep bubbles at bay, it also prevents the possibility of corrosion seizure of the valves.

The other processes that I employ are pressure bleeding and foot bleeding. When I flush the brakes, I combine pressure bleeding, vacuum bleeding and foot bleeding in an approach the gets as much of the old fluid out of the system as possible. First I suck the fluid out of the reservoir with the vacuum bleeder and see what is in the bottom of the reservoir. If it is full of black gook, remove it and clean it first with a strong detergent then with CLR (calcium, lime, rust remover). If you can’t get it clean, replace it. Once it is clean, I fill it with fresh fluid and connect a pressure bleeder that keeps about 15 pounds of pressurized brake fluid in the system.

At this point, a few cautions are in order. Brake fluid is corrosive and removes paint. If you plan doing a brake flush, protect your fenders and trunk against spillage and if you do spill any fluid, clean it up with soapy water immediately. Wear eye protection! And finally, if you have a tiny little hose connected to the top of the brake fluid reservoir, clamp it shut. It is the vent hose and if you leave it open, all the fresh fluid that you are pumping into the reservoir will end up on the floor!

Let’s say that you have the bleeders clean, taped and ready. You have the pressure bleeder hooked up and you are ready to begin. Connect the vacuum bleeder up to the valve, open the valve then have your assistant slowly push the brake pedal down then gradually release it. This flushes the master cylinder much more effectively than simply pressure or vacuum bleeding. You will be surprised at the color of the fluid that is expelled from the master cylinder. You will also be surprised at how quickly the flush itself is accomplished once you get through all the prep work.

Final cautions: Relieve the air pressure on the pressure bleeder and shut the valve before you disconnect it from the master cylinder or you will make a big mess. Anticipate spillage when disconnecting the bleeder and don’t forget to install the bleeder caps. Clean the mess off the calipers, tires and wheels and if you have any questions contact me.
MC

A - Frustrated, I had the same experience with my own car except the person who squashed it was no friend of mine. The emblem seems to be such a logical place to push the hood shut. After all, who wants a hand print on the paint!

A few tricks I have learned are to first make sure the pins on the emblem are straight enough that they will fit into the holes in the hood. If they are not (and they often aren’t) you can gingerly straighten them while applying pressure to the face of the emblem (so you don’t distort it and break the cloisonné)

Next I mix up a little epoxy to fill the void on back of the emblem so when it gets pushed on (and it will) it will not squash. After the epoxy dries, I warm the gasket up in the micro wave in a cup of water until it is very soft and pliable then stretch it over the emblem. As far as those pesky nuts, I use a nut driver with a small glob of butyl tape (bubble gum would work) to stick the nut to the driver while I am fishing it up into the hole. It works like a charm.
MC