Bob checks in once again with an update on Project Valdy, a somewhat tired-looking Porsche 912. If you missed part one of the Valdy 912 story, you can find it by clicking here.

When beginning the restoration process, one of the first items of business is to complete a proper and thorough examination – an annual physical for the car, so to speak. This helps to get a more in-depth idea of the condition of the car, and avoids the likelihood that there will be as many surprises down the road. This step is imperative to planning out a successful restoration, and being able to give the owner an accurate idea of the work that needs to be done. When a car has been in the family for a long time, the owner(s) usually have a pretty accurate understanding of the general condition of their car since they know how it’s been driven and kept. However, as is the case with Valdy, when a car has passed through multiple owners and has not been kept in a heated storage facility when not on the road (and no, the side of the road in summer doesn’t count. Rain, we’ve been told, is not the same as a car wash), the general condition can be a bit more of a mystery as the elements aren’t always favourable to the car. Even when the exterior looks decent enough to the naked eye, it is not uncommon to find rotted out and rusty floor boards, pipes hanging on by a thread, and parts clunking all over the place on a car that has been kept outside for more years than it should have been.
A proper inspection has multiple components, but in its simplest form we are looking at the condition of the exterior body shell, the interior, the mechanics, the electrical systems, and the underside. Keep in mind this type of examination is relative to the age of the car, as well as other factors such as how it’s been stored.
The Exterior Body Shell:
Upon the first walk around of the car, the exterior body shell of the car appears to be is in quite good condition. Sure, there is some surface rust and the paint is rather spotty and tired, but all things considered the degree of corrosion is minor and there aren’t any panels missing. The wheel arches aren’t bad, and after a proper tidy-up they’ll be perfect. Overall, the shuts and gaps are pretty nice, and will only require some minor attention.  When we lifted the bonnet to examine it, we found that the front bonnet slam panel does need to be repaired, and the bonnet itself is rusted through underneath. It is repairable, unless of course someone out there has a spare bonnet for a ’67 Porsche 912 that isn’t rusted away that is just taking up space in their garage? Keep an eye out at yard sales, folks – you never know what treasures might turn up in between the Tupperware pile and Christmas decorations from 1985 that you will inevitably see at the side of the road this summer.

Overall exterior body shell condition: 5/10

The Interior:
In a previous life, Valdy has already had a re-trim. Unfortunately, as can be expected with a car that has stood and been neglected for years, the interior is worse for wear with torn seats and musty carpets, and will all need to be replaced unless of course passengers are willing to wear masks when in the car. Good news is nothing is missing, and since we were planning on installing new carpets, seats, and other interior panels, the condition isn’t really important. As you will remember from part 1 of our series, the seat ratchets are not reliable, so those are definitely going to be done!

Overall interior condition: 4/10

The Mechanics:
Having already taken Valdy for a test drive, I had a pretty good understanding of the general condition of the engine as well as the work that would need to be done in order to get it in top shape. We had established that Valdy drove remarkably well for a car that had barely moved for 8 years, but prior to lifting the car up on the hoist and as part of the inspection process, I did a compression test on the engine. Diagnostics revealed that there was low compression on 2 of the cylinders, so even though the car doesn’t drive that badly now, the engine isn’t operating anywhere near what it is capable of. By rebuilding the engine and transmission as part of Valdy’s makeover, both the power and level of driving enjoyment of the car will be significantly increased.

Overall mechanics condition: 5/10

The Electrical System:
Good news – all of the electrics appear to be working! No fire extinguishers had to be used during the inspection (always a bonus) and we didn’t see any misguided sparks, which is most definitely a good sign.  We’ll be giving the electrics a full overhaul to ensure that the wiring is safe and up to standard, but things don’t look too bad at all upon first glance.

Overall electrical systems condition: 8/10

The Underside:
With the compression test over and done with, I secured Valdy on the hoist and began to lift the car up about 6 ft. so I could walk under and check things out. I was optimistic that I wouldn’t have too many unpleasant surprises when I started snooping around with my trusty flashlight – after all, how bad could it be? – But experience has taught me to never be overconfident. Getting under a car can be a bit of a wildcard. Sometimes, the cars that look the best on the outside are a complete mess underneath, and sometimes those that look worse for wear aren’t in that bad of shape on the underside. Besides, just when you think the car is in great condition underneath, you can find yourself with a concussion from a rusty exhaust pipe that chose that exact moment to fall off and hit you on the way down. Thankfully, walking under Valdy did not result in an ER visit or a tetanus shot. Valdy for the win!
While poking and prodding my way around Valdy, I was pleasantly surprised. The suspension on Valdy is in surprisingly good condition – remarkable really for a car that stood for so long. While far from what they’ll be when the car is done, the brakes also weren’t in too bad of a state. Of course, we’ll be putting in new seals, pipes, and the whole lot to bring the braking system up to speed…or lack thereof. I was also pleased to learn that Valdy has Koni shock absorbers, and we will hopefully be having these reconditioned.

My inspection also revealed some not-so-great news: it appears that at some point in time, a well-meaning individual or company thought they were doing Valdy a favour by repairing the floor with flat sheet steel. Unfortunately, the end result is less than desirable and not structurally sound so we are going to cut the floors out and put new ones in. Granted, it wasn’t so bad that the floor boards fell out while I was driving the car and had to Flintstone it all the way back to my shop (oh what an adventure THAT would have been!), but the standard is nowhere near acceptable.

Overall underside condition: 3/10
Once I was satisfied that I had sufficiently poked and prodded my way through Valdy, I lowered the car and moved it into its own bay so I could begin setting it up for a full dismantle. With that comes a list of all the parts we know we’ll need to purchase, so that we can work together with the owner to ensure the needed bits are all arriving at the correct time.

Join us next time for a reveal of just how big (or small) that list might be!