29 Oct Long And Short
Some cars roll through our garage for only a little bit, whereas some will have a more extended stay at FMU HQ. Here’s a sampling of both.
First up, we showcased a blue one of these not too long ago, now we have a white one rolling through the shop. Once again, a 997-generation Porsche GT3 RS 3.8 rolled into the shop, this time for a bit of basic maintenance — general inspection, fluid top-offs and replacements, you know the deal. Although we always have a hard time rolling it into the garage and onto a lift, as it’s just so gorgeous to stare at from the parking lot.
It must be getting close to storage time for these cars, as we’re seeing an uptick in rare cars rolling around. Undoubtedly, the owners want one last nice day to spend with their cars, blasting down streets and generally causing a little bit of trouble. And hey, while you’re out for that nice day, why not swing through Fluid MotorUnion to make sure your car is ready to be stored for the winter? We think that’s a good idea, especially with cars like the GT3 RS; after all, those Michelin Pilot Sport Cups won’t be giving much in the way of grip once the temperatures drop a little more.
In a complete departure from the subtle, timeless stylings of the 911, we have something that’s decidedly more new age and definitely not subtle. This Toyota FJ rolled into the shop at the tail end of last week, also looking for a bit of maintenance prior to the onset of winter. It definitely strikes a more imposing figure than a stock FJ, thanks to the massive wheels and off-road tires in conjunction with (what seems like) a lift kit and some heavy duty front and rear bumpers.
There’s all sorts of little details that we really like about this vehicle. From the big spacers required to get the wheels at the right fitment, to the individual bolts holding the bumpers in place, everything comes together to make one interesting (and surprisingly large) vehicle. Hurricane or no hurricane, this FJ looks ready to tackle just about anything that’s thrown at it.
Now that we’ve covered two vehicles here for the short-term, let’s move to a longer-term build. Tim’s 911 is moving along nicely, and we should have some very big progress for you in the coming days. For now, though, we’re focused on the last couple steps necessary to get the motor and transmission back into the car. We have the transmission at the ready, but we found that installing the new sensor for the flywheel would require a small bit of modification to the bell housing in order to accomodate both the trans and the sensor. Don’t forget, when you’re doing things that the manufacturer didn’t ever really intend, there need to be a few changes somewhere along the line.
Thankfully, a little bit of grinding and smoothing produced the notch in the bell housing, and we were good to continue bolting everything up. With the transmission notched, we set about bolting the flywheel and clutch assembly to the motor, followed by the transmission itself. It’s currently resting on jackstands while Ed grabs some lunch, but he’s confident that we should have the engine back in the car by the end of the day. Keep your fingers crossed!
Have a good start to your week! And if you’re in the path of Sandy, well, we wish you the best of luck! Be smart!
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