Probably the only angle that consistently looks awkward across 911 generations

It’s time for me to part ways with my 2016 allroad 2.0t Premium Plus. Lightly, and if I may say, very tastefully modded 😎. Black on Chestnut leather. Currently sits at 48,681 miles, though I’ll be enjoying it until it sells.

I’m the second owner. The car doesn’t have an entirely clean title: I was rear ended by a kid in a Jeep in 2019 just a few weeks after I bought it, and in October of the same year the PPF and ceramic was thoroughly put to use when it was covered in outdoor paint. Long story, but if you’re interested, you can read about the whole thing in my car’s diary thread. It looks beautiful now, if I do say so myself. I had bodywork done by Paramount Center in Fife, an Audi certified shop.

Email me for more information or to come see it

Asking: $20,000

VIN: WA1UFAFL6GA003488

BadVIN Report - I prefer BadVIN to CarFax

Mods

• IE CAI
• IE Stage 1 tune
• H&R Coilovers
• H&R Rear Swaybar
• Porsche Macan 4-pot front brake calipers
• RSNAV S4 Head Unit, integrated dashcam and HD backup cam
• Europrice FBSW w/ paddle shifters
• Xpel Fusion Paint Protection Film and Ceramic Coating
• Module to add hatch close by remote

Details

Macan/Q5/Sq5 Brembo 4-Pot Front Brakes and 345mm Front Rotors

• Brake Pads:
  • Brembo: 8R0698151R + 1 Sensor
  • Akebono: EUR1546
• Front Rotors: OE: 8K0615301M / ZIM-100333252
• Rear Rotors: OE: 8K0615601B / ZIM: ZIM-100333320

Maintenance Sticker OCR

WA1UFA FL 6 GA003488 
8KH 52A 2811863=3
A4 Allroad   q.2.0  R4
162 KW  ABS. 	07/15
CPMB	KRR 	QCU
LY9T / LY9T   N1F/VR
EOA	7D5	4UB	6XL	5SG	5RW
1KW	J1N	1LA		1AT	1BP
3FU			5MG 7X7		
FOA		9G3	0G7	0YM	0JJ
TL6	3NZ	8EH	U1B		GZ7
1XW		8Q3	9Q8	8Z6	D60
7T6	CH9	7K6	4X3	VJ1		
3L4		VW1	3Y0	4I3	5D2
1SH		7GB	Q1A		4GQ

Decoded

Decoded with the [VW/Audi/Seat/Skoda Option Code Decoder][36]

E0A = No special edition
7D5 = DVD player
4UB = Air bag for NAR
6XL = Exterior mirrors: with memory function, automatically dimming, electrically foldable/adjustable/heated
5SG = Left exterior mirror: flat
5RW = Right exterior mirror: convex (US) large viewing field
1KN = Disc brakes, rear
J1N = Battery 420 A (75 Ah)
1LA = Disc brakes, front
1AT = Electronic stabilization program (ESP)
1BP = Suspension/shock absorption for special rough-road design
3FU = Big roof system
5MG = Decorative inserts, burr-walnut
7X7 = Park distance control rear with rear view camera
F0A = No special purpose vehicle, standard equipment
9G3 = Alternator 120-180 A
0G7 = Tiptronic
0YM = Weight range 12 installation control only, no requirement forecast
0JJ = Weight category front axle weight range 9
TL6 = 4-cylinder gasoline engine 2.0 l unit 06H.H
3NZ = Rear seat bench unsplit, backrest split folding
8EH = Bi-functional headlight with gas discharge lamp, for driving on the right(US design)
U1B = Instrument insert with mph speedometer, clock, tachometer and trip odometer
GZ7 = Power latching for sliding door right
1XW = Leather trimmed multi-function sports steering wheel
8Q3 = Automatic headlight-range adjustment dynamic (self-adjusting while driving)
9Q8 = Multi-function display/on-board computer
8Z6 = Hot country
D60 = 4-cyl. SI engine 2.0 l/162 kW 16V turbo FSI, homogeneous base engine is T61,TW6,TP6,T1P
7T6 = Navigation system (MID)
CH9 = Alloy wheels 8J x 18
7K6 = Flat tire indicator
4X3 = Side air bag front with curtain air bag
VJ1 = Reinforced bumpers
3L4 = Electric seat adjustment for both front seats, drivers seat with memory system
VW1 = Side windows tinted green, from B-pillarto rear window gray tinted safety glass
3Y0 = Without roll-up sun screen
4I3 = Central locking system "Keyless Entry" without deadlock
5D2 = Carrier frequency 315 MHz
1SH = Additional engine and transmission guard
7GB = Emission standard ULEV 2
Q1A = Standard front seats
4GQ = Windshield in heat-insulating glass)

Took the allroad out to BSCC’s last autocross cup event of the season. Running novice class per BSCC rules - you’re a novice until you’ve completed six events. Not sad about it: 8+ years away from the sport has unsurprisingly left me quite rusty.

Very happy with how the Dad Wagon performed. It’s very heavy and not especially nimble stock. But the H&R Coilovers and sway bars improve the handling considerably.

All runs were clean, and each run was faster than the last. Very happy with the cars performance, and pretty pleased with my own!

Run 1

Run 2

Run 3

Run 4

Itching for a long drive on back roads.

A few shots from today’s Italian-themed Avants Caffeine and Gasoline in Tacoma.

Golden hour vibes

Went out to the BSCC Novice School with the 911 last weekend. Despite the withering heat - well over 110ºF on the course - the car was up for the task. Keeping temps low all day, rising only when idling in the grid between runs.

It’s been years since I last autocrossed, so it was good to get some instruction. Jeremy reminded me that the car can hold much more speed than I’m expecting it to, and that it can brake much harder than I’m accustomed to in street driving. It’s funny, I knew these things but it’s tough to put it into practice when I haven’t been doing it.

My first run was just getting used to the course. Second was trying to put a little more speed in. In both first and second videos, I hadn’t learned to set the start/finish of the course appropriately so the time and finish of the course is off, but by watching just the speed you can see it makes sense.

The third video, Jeremy’s driving and I’m just riding along, seeing how a very competent autocross driver would approach the course. The fourth video I’m applying what he demonstrated, and I had by a long-shot the fastest lap of my day. I could have done better if I’d shut up and not overthought & discussed my mistakes in the moment. At least I figured it out a third of the way through.

Run 1

Note the finish line isn’t in the right spot on the overlay so the time is wrong.

Run 2

Note the finish line isn’t in the right spot on the overlay so the time is wrong.

Run 3 - Jeremy

Run 4

Peekaboo

A month or so ago I shipped the 911’s clock off to Pelican to be rebuilt. The clock hadn’t worked in some time, but it works gorgeously now, and since it’s the ‘88, it has the quartz movement.

I also dropped in Rennline’s Exact Fit Phone Mount and Induction Charger. I didn’t realize I wouldn’t be able to find a path from the USB port on the back of the new SQR-46 head unit to the gauge cluster without drilling, which I didn’t want to do¹. I ordered this 12v to USB module from Amazon, and made a quick wiring harness to tap the 12v positive and negative from the clock. Boom, clock and MagSafe charger work. Hype.

This immaculate 11k mile ‘79 930 auction is going to be a blast to watch in a few days. It’s already a blast to just look at the gorgeous photos.

911s in ‘88 and ‘89 (and at least some from earlier 3.2 years; can’t quite find an exact demarcation point) had the same headlights that made it into the 964s. I had to pull them apart to replace my bulbs last night after noticing that my low beams were out. This video was an enormous help. In a short:

1. Unscrew the bottom bolt on the rings which holds the rings in place¹.
2. Lift and pull to remove the ring, which is held in place by a small lip on the body-side above the bucket. If the lights haven’t been opened up in a while (20+ years in my case) it might take some effort to pull the rings. I used a hook tool wrapped in a microfiber towel placed into the bottom bolt’s hole and pulled hard on the right side. Left side lifted with no issue.
3. Remove the four bolts which hold the light assembly in place (one each at 2:00, 4:00, 8:00, 10:00)².
4. Unclip the harness, remove the light assembly, remove the star-shaped retaining clip and replace the bulb. Use conductive grease to prevent connector corrosion.
5. Assembly is the reverse of the above.

The 911 just got back from Squire’s after dying on me on the way home from a gorgeous PCA tour to Artist’s Point on Mt. Baker a couple weeks ago - the pic above was from Artist’s Point. After pulling over and getting out of the car, I could hear a hissing from the trunk, and opening the luggage compartment revealed a wet, steaming battery and the smell of sulphur or rotten eggs that’s typical of an overcharging event. My hunch was that either the alternator or voltage regulator had failed, and the batter was being overcharged. I replaced the battery with a new one from Interstate (MTX-49/H8; the car still wouldn’t start. Now I suspected that the overcharging cooked the DME relay or the DME ECU itself. I was out of my depth, and got back in touch with Squire’s. Once they got the car, they confirmed that the alternator was failing (outputting 17.8v under load!) and had cooked the DME ECU. They installed a new alternator, swapped in a shop DME and sent my unit out for repair. I’ll get my DME back in a few weeks.

In the interim, I wanted to document some obvious signs of overcharging that I saw in case anyone else runs into this.

1. Interior bulbs getting bright and dimming or flickering, especially indicator lights
2. Flickering seatbelt light
3. Radio would die when I pushed the gas
4. Moisture in the gauges when the blower was switched on¹

This photo really deserves its own post.

Spent yesterday morning cleaning up the shift assembly in my ‘88 911. The car was optioned with the G50 transaxle’s short-shifter, but a previous owner had put a knob that added a few inches of throw. It looked like at some point some water had been spilled onto the knob and down the lever, because there was some surface rust under the knob which I wanted to clean up. Most notably, though, there was a ton of play in the lever when in neutral and some slop between gears, both of which are indications of worn shift bushings. Replacing the shift bushings isn’t too tough a job - half a day on the long side, and I thought I’d tackle the rust cleanup and shift knob replacement at the same time.

Using Brad Phillips’ G50 refresh article for Hagerty as a reference, I pulled the console, shift lever, and shift housing out of the car. Removed the surface rust on the lever with a smoothing stone on my Dremel, sandpaper, and a wire brush. Then I taped off the lever and repainted. I vacuumed the old bushing dust out the cavity in the floor revealing a little more surface rust on the floor of the car. I wire-brushed that, then used a sanding block and vacuumed until bare metal was exposed, then I used a tacky cloth to remove any remaining dust and painted the exposed surfaces.

Reassembly was a bit of a challenge since the new bushing is much less pliable than the quite-worn original. In addition to using a heat gun to warm the bushing and housing, I found a link to some photos of this old article in “Excellence” magazine in which the author gives some tips for replacing failed G50 bushings. Relevant paragraphs excerpted below:

Installing the bushing was simple. First, we clamped the shifter in a vice to hold it steady - applying a thin film of grease ont the bushing, we installed it in the housing. The bushing goes in from the rear of the housing with the large flared end pointing toward the rear of the car. The bushing is a very snug fit, and we worked it into the hole much like mounting a tire on a tim; first, we pushed half of the bushing into the hole and then pushed the remaining half of the bushing Into place with a heavy screwdriver, working in one direction. Once the bushing pops into the housing, it self-centers due to a recess in the bushing.

We wiped a film of white lithium grease inside the bushing and used the shop vacuum to remove the remains of the old bushing from the floor recess. The shifter shaft was also wiped clean and a thin coat of grease was applied to the shalt. Prior to installation, we decided to take the time to remove the shifter pin, clean it, and apply a thin layer of grease. This is a simple matter of removing a lock clip, sliding out the pin, and cleaning and greasing the pin. We also applied a small amount of grease to the pivot-ball portion of the shift lever.

At the end of the day I have a nice, tight shift feel, a shorter throw thanks to the removal of the long shift knob, and cleaned up the shift lever.

Took the car out for a drive with my neighbor and found a picturesque spot by a mill. Couldn’t ask for more.

If you need a new ride and you’re close to Seattle, I’m selling my beloved Mini.