I'm no fan

[Frank Beck]

I'm confident that there exists an "Ultimate Fan thread" but I'm too lazy to find it right now.

We have several engine restorations going right now and alternator fans seem to be a constant challenge as it is the focal point of the motor. As my NOS supply is drying up I have to be more and more creative.
For those of you who think you can buy your way out of the problem and bite the bullet from Porsche for a new one (for $900+), think again.

Pic on the left is 25 year old NOS. Fan on the right is what you'll get from Porsche, who is apparently not concerned with providing accurate restoration parts.
I would appreciate pics of restored fans that closely resemble the NOS.

Thanks

Chuck,
Bad morning?

Lighten up dude.

[John Z Goriup]

Frank,

In my humble & honest opinion, you can't do better than Mark Motshagen to have your clients' 911 fans refurbished and / or restored.

Attached please find a small slection of photos I took at Mark's display at the LAX Hilton's L.A. Lit show last year.

The total quality package of Mark's projects not only provides the most authentic and aesthetically perfect restoration, but involves the correct and fastidiously researched selection of methodology, materials, the type and quality of his surface finishes, etc.

Highest rcommendations.

JZG

[Frank Beck]

John,

I couldn't agree more; Mark is doing the best work out there.


That's the problem.


When finished they don't accurately represent how Porsche did it back in the day. The restored fans in your photos look nothing like my NOS fans.

[Mr9146]

What's your beef with the new part, Frank? The color?

If that's the case, send the car to the east coast for a year. The surface corrosion from the damp air will patina the finish with a quickness.

And, fwiw, Mark will do your fan however you so choose. I've had him do a number of them for me with no coatings. Just a re-plated hub and, cleaned and repaired fan (he repaired a few broken blades), and a healthy dose of oil.

[RSTarga]

"When finished they don't accurately represent how Porsche did it back in the day. The restored fans in your photos look nothing like my NOS fans."

Frank, you can say that about lots of restoration items. The factory was never worried much about perfection, but as Marco says, use will take care of that on most items.
Mark's work is exceptional.

[Cabot]

Would a coating of Tectyl 506 give it the NOS look?

[Frank Beck]

"When finished they don't accurately represent how Porsche did it back in the day. The restored fans in your photos look nothing like my NOS fans."

Frank, you can say that about lots of restoration items. The factory was never worried much about perfection, but as Marco says, use will take care of that on most items.
Mark's work is exceptional.

David, exactly why I'm not content using many "restoration items" currently available. The real art in restoring is matching up the "imperfect" features that are the hallmarks of some Porsche parts.

Of course Mark's work is exceptional. And I'm very anal when it comes to original finishes. Last time I spoke to him about this he had no idea how to duplicate the "yellowing".



Tectyl 506? Isn't that for yeast infection? In case I can't find in my wife's medicine cabinet where would I procure?

[Cabot]

It would definitely cure a yeast infection.
http://www.petroleumservicecompany.c...FYOTfgod5XIAgA

Not recommended to be applied to a person.

[55Outlaw]

Maybe this will help people (including me) get a hold of Mark.

http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...981#post495981

[John Z Goriup]

John,

I couldn't agree more; Mark is doing the best work out there.


That's the problem.


When finished they don't accurately represent how Porsche did it back in the day. The restored fans in your photos look nothing like my NOS fans.

Frank, not disputing what you say and I trust this won't digress into an endless political or personal difference, but I think there are additional factors in play here. There is not much to argue about in what you said, although I would say that it's not quite as cut & dried / black and white as you make it sound. In my view, Mark's work is still the most consistent and faithful restoartion of the parts he has chosen to specialize in avalable, since he is not subject to batch production, changes in suppliers, and the vagaries of mass production and EC mandated restrictions that a large manufacturer like Porsche has always and always will be subject to.

BUT, and it's a huge but, I think a large part of the reason for noticable, but often only subtly different appearances of today's authenticity-centered restorations of 40 to 50 year old cars is the fact that the (automobile) industry has undergone profound changes in how it can operate and what materials, methods & processes are "permissible".

Witness what's happened in the chrome plating, anodizing and painting & powdercoating segments of the business………..I wonder if anyone, assuming they are committed to stay in business and do so legally, can make any rerstoration project of any marque of automobile look anything like the damned things looked like when Eisenhower or Nixon were presidents. Just talk to Marco at King of Trim doing his thing, or any of the best painters on how they like the water-based products mandated today in several states. Hell, see if you can get JetHot to powdercoat your exhaust in the same light gray finish they applied up to a few years ago.

I have spoken to quite a few of the Pebble Beach judges on this subject, and they are well aware of the hardships facing restorers, both professional shops and / or individual hobbyists, as a result of taking whole swathes of traditional products off the market because they failed to measure up to today's legislation based on environmental hysteria.

I think all that is bound to have certain consequences on how finished restored products look like today, which in turn may require a re-calibration of how close we can come to a legal, yet aethetically & historically acceptable restoration standard. How much one is willing to compromise is purely an individual choice, but personally, I feel life's way too short to obsess and devote unreasonable amounts of time and money in the quest for absolute fidelity as we remember it. If that effort involves disproportionate experimentation, research and expenditure of money solely for the sake of appearance……… only you can say what's reasonable in your restoration.

Didn't mean to blindly jump to Mark's defense, just wanted to expand the discussion to all the relevant elements.

Respectfully,

JZG