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Posted by: CptTripps Aug 19 2013, 03:00 PM

Hey gang!

I'm back in the mix, and getting ready for another 914 restoration. Not sure this will play out as well as it did http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=27647, but we'll give her a go and see what I can come up with!

After I find the right starting-point, here's what I've been dreaming of doing to it.

Subaru EJ20 Turbo 4 engine & Trans. (250-275hp target)
Steel flares
5-bolt hubs
Boxster brakes
Stiffen up the body. (MAYBE a roll-bar.)
Satin silver paint, blacked-out chrome, black satin rims...with colorful calipers.

I think I've found the right starting-point car (70-1.7 with carbs) so I'll drive it a bit while I'm stock-piling parts. That way I can start the project in earnest this winter while the snow falls.

I'm going to use the 901 side-shift trans I have in my basement to mount up to the EJ20 after I can locate a decent one. That way, I should be able to get everything right and then mount it up a lot easier after I drop the 1.7 out. (Best intentions...always lead to disappointment, but I'll try anyway.)

Things I learned the last time:

* Do the body work all the way up to the primer, then let a pro take it from there.
* It's much easier to work when you have a lot of light.
* Garage heaters are your friend.
* When in doubt...STOP and look for an answer. (Doubling your bad efforts never works.)
* Wearing those blue latex gloves alleviates embarrassing situations in meetings
* The search button is your friend. (Spelling is also...thanks Andy.)

Here we go!

UPDATE: I ended up with a 1975 with a V8 conversion as a starting point.

UPDATE 2: The engine I found had a good Trans on it, so I'm going to have a Subaru 5MT not a 901.

UPDATE 3: 350 is my new HP goal

UPDATE 4: I'm naming the project "Grey Matter" because the car is going to be a lot more than just a restoration. That...and project names are cool.

UPDATE 5: April 17th is the "due date" to have it complete. Not as fast as my last build, but there is a LOT more to this one.

Posted by: CptTripps Aug 19 2013, 03:07 PM

Here's what I'm shooting for as a color combo...but on a Carrera GT.

Posted by: jimkelly Aug 19 2013, 03:25 PM

talk to dbcooper - seems he would have gone suby 6 if he were to do it over - unless I recall a post incorrectly.

though how cool is it to be running a closed deck suby with boost : )

Posted by: CptTripps Aug 19 2013, 05:33 PM

I'm digging through a LOT of threads this week. Looks like I need to decide pretty quickly if I want the 901 transmission, or if keeping it will be more work than it's worth. The idea of buying a complete engine/trans combo that could bolt on a lot easier is appealing. The cable-shift transmission conversion is what has me puzzled right now. I need to plot/plan and talk to a few people first.

I guess Ian is on/returning from his honeymoon, so I'll hold off a few weeks before I make that decision.

Just ordered my steel flares and the rear floorboard. I KNOW I'll need that for either of the cars I'm looking at right now, so it was a safe bet to get them in sooner rather than later. Wish I could remember who I got the door panels from last time. I need to dig into that old email account and see if I can find it. Going to get the chassis stiffening kit too. Sad about Engman...he was a 1-stop-shop for a lot of the things I need this time around.

Posted by: Chris H. Aug 19 2013, 05:50 PM

For that much power you should do a 5MT Subie trans...much better fit for your application. Bolts right up with no problem, no adapter required. We're all muddling through the cable shifter thing but many people have done it successfully. I'll be attempting it in a few weeks myself.

Posted by: CptTripps Aug 19 2013, 06:08 PM

So what engine/trans combo should I be hunting for? I was looking at EJ20G, EJ20H, and EJ208 engines on eBay. There seem to be a lot of variances in what people here are using.

I'm also confused as to if I should be buying with/without the ECU.

Posted by: CptTripps Aug 19 2013, 06:13 PM

Nevermind...figured out that the 5MT is about the ONLY trans that came with the EJ20.

Posted by: Chris H. Aug 19 2013, 06:21 PM

Any 5MT will bolt up but you should look for one that was mated to a "turbo" car. The newer the better is the rule. Mine is from a stock 2006 WRX that had a 2.5T in it. I bolted it to a 3.3L SVX engine. Haven't driven it yet but it LOOKS REALLY GOOD!

Someone else will chime in on the engine piece I'm sure. EDIT: Get the ECU and engine wiring harness for sure.

Here's a thread you might want to check out. ON A PRIVATE ROAD some guy was embarassing kids in their Mustangs and GTOs with his lowly 914 2.0T. I'm sure it wasn't DBCooper though...he was just taping it. Note how quickly the 914 pulls away...

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=210228&hl=roush

Posted by: CptTripps Aug 19 2013, 09:49 PM

QUOTE(Chris H. @ Aug 19 2013, 08:21 PM)

Posted by: Travis Neff Aug 20 2013, 11:44 AM

Good to see you back!

Posted by: CptTripps Aug 20 2013, 12:49 PM

QUOTE(Travis Neff @ Aug 20 2013, 01:44 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Aug 29 2013, 11:12 AM

So I'm stocking up parts already. Trying to use 914World members wherever possible.

1975 914 w/V8 (xsJerry)


3.5" 911 Struts (sebring66)
Boxster Brake Conversion (a914guy)
986 Brake Calipers (eBay)
Pontiac Solstice Rear-View Mirrors (eBay)
17" Boxster Rims (Cleveland Craigslist)
Steel Flares (dr914)
Fiberglass Rockers (dr914)
10-Piece Chassis Stiffening Kit (dr914)

Still waiting on a set of rotors to materialize that will work.

My assistant's boyfriend wrecked his 03 WRX, so I'm going to grab that motor/tranny and some other assorted parts in a few weeks. I'm not going to tackle the engine swap until the snow flies. At that point, I'll sell off the Renegade V8/901 combo or perhaps just sell the engine locally. (I may be able to just trade it to her BF for the Subaru engine.)

Here we go!

Posted by: CptTripps Aug 30 2013, 06:47 AM

Parts are showing up every day...the car is still stuck in California.

Picked up rear-view mirrors for a Pontiac Solstice.

$85 Shipped...brand-new.

I'll need to modify them a little bit, but this should be a great starting point for a modern looking mirror.

Make sure you get the "Manual" version and not the electronic. They're the same price (imagine that) but these move a lot easier. (Guy down the street has one, and I tried moving the mirrors manually and they "clicked" across the servos.)




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Posted by: CptTripps Aug 30 2013, 06:49 AM

Brakes arrived!

...and they're wrong.

I open box: Sweet!

I read the part numbers: Shit!

Here's what they sent me.

996.352.422 (RR)
996.352.422 (RR)
986.351.422 (RF)
996.352.421 (LR)

So I got 3 rears and a front. Doh!

Quick email to the seller, and they're going to send me the correct calipers, and take these back. Once I get them, I'll send the calipers and a few other pieces-parts off for powder coating.


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Posted by: CptTripps Aug 30 2013, 06:53 AM

Rims I picked up locally off of Craigslist.

$500 for all 4, but they have winter rubber right now, so that'll be fine for placement and the rest of this summer.

Front: 17x7.5 - 205/50-17
Rear: 17x9 - 255/40-17

Thinking about powder-coating them, but another member (jbyron) suggested I'd give PlasitDip a shot. They came out VERY cool...so I'm going to run them this year to see what it holds up like. Not bad for $5.


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Posted by: uncle smokey Aug 30 2013, 09:38 AM

The wheels look great. I am curious to see how they hold up. Is it just the regular rubber coating or is there a different one?

Posted by: CptTripps Aug 30 2013, 07:10 PM

Just the regular PlastiDip Spray you buy from Home Depoti have the Glossifier spray too, and I'll put a coat of that on tomorrow.

My caps came in today...so I sprayed one to see what it looks like.


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Posted by: cwpeden Aug 30 2013, 07:12 PM

Have you considered a vinyl wrap? Uniform colour and sheen. Plus some cool colours. That GT looks like vinyl.

Posted by: CptTripps Aug 30 2013, 07:15 PM

QUOTE(cwpeden @ Aug 30 2013, 09:12 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Aug 31 2013, 12:44 PM

Parts fairy showed up today...with a great delivery from the ATL.

Steel Flairs
Rear Chassis Stiffening Kit
GT Rockers

...still don't have the car.


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Posted by: CptTripps Sep 5 2013, 06:57 AM

Got the RIGHT calipers in today. They're quite dirty, so I'll get them soda-blasted and headed off to get powder-coated this weekend. I have a set of trailing-arms that I'm going to stiffen, and send off as well. Need to work out the e-brake from a 911 first though. That'll take some fabrication first. I'll wait to powder-coat those until after I have all of that done.

Car should be headed to Cleveland later today, and I'm TOLD I'll have it by the 13th. :woot:


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Posted by: 914forme Sep 5 2013, 09:42 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Aug 31 2013, 02:44 PM)

Parts fairy showed up today...with a great delivery from the ATL.

Steel Flairs
Rear Chassis Stiffening Kit
GT Rockers

...still don't have the car.

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 6 2013, 06:40 AM

I have the long kit coming as well. Ordered that from Pelican along with a host of other goodies. The GT kit is a "just in case" and didn't add all that much weight, so I figured I'd go for it. The suspension brace isn't a bad idea though. Maybe I'm making it TOO stiff for a road car...

The center caps were on eBay. I think $30 shipped. These fit perfectly, and the Porsche crest is surprisingly nice. (And removable, so if you ever think you need some chrome creasts, those are cheap!

Wait till you all see what I have planned for side-marker lights!

Posted by: green914 Sep 7 2013, 12:21 PM

The 75 V-8 conversion is on its way.


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Posted by: CptTripps Sep 7 2013, 05:49 PM

Thanks Jerry!!!

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 8 2013, 07:39 AM

I spent the morning with my son Oliver, cleaning the calipers to send off to Powder-Coat tomorrow. Not entirely sure about the seals and how I should handle them. I'm not all that adept at seal/piston removal, and don't think this is the time to learn. They bake at 400-deg, and the calipers should be able to handle WAY more than that, so as long as they're not getting coated, I should be ok. If they come back cracked, I'll replace them then.


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Posted by: rhodyguy Sep 8 2013, 08:33 AM

working on the kitchen table ...you have an understanding wife.

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 8 2013, 10:10 AM

Ha!

She was at the gym working out, and I had it all cleaned up before she got home.

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 9 2013, 06:22 PM

Dropped the Calipers off today for Power-Coat. They took the remaining pieces, and pistons/seals out for me. Media blasted, and are Powder-Coating tomorrow morning.

...and then the spacers I ordered showed up.

2X2" and 2X1"...$100 for all 4 shipped!


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Posted by: McMark Sep 9 2013, 07:39 PM

Flush them when you get them back.
Then flush them again.
Then flush them again.

Media gets everywhere and likes to hang around in passages.

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 10 2013, 07:42 AM

QUOTE(McMark @ Sep 9 2013, 09:39 PM)

Flush them when you get them back.
Then flush them again.
Then flush them again.

Media gets everywhere and likes to hang around in passages.

Posted by: Chris H. Sep 10 2013, 09:29 AM

Sheeesh that's fast. Mine took a month but that was back in 2002.

Posted by: green914 Sep 10 2013, 11:56 AM

Wow! that is fast.

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 10 2013, 12:09 PM

When he called this morning, I was expecting the purpose to schedule a time for Thu or Fri to meet. I was floored when he said "tonight, around 9:00pm"

Now, I just need to find a ride out to the drop-off point about that time so I can drive it back!

I'm getting excited...been a while since I've been behind the wheel!

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 10 2013, 10:32 PM

And...I'm back in the game!

Car arrived 2 days ahead of plan. That (for once) sucks, because I didn't have the garage cleaned out yet!

I'll dig in tomorrow and see what I'm dealing with. Overall, I'm pretty pleased. I know I'm getting a lot of flack for this, but the V8 isn't for me. I think the subie is where it's at. 20min of searching for gears and having the cabin heat up like a sweat-tent is enough reason for me.

Rotors came in today too. I hope I can have the breaks swapped out this weekend.


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Posted by: McMark Sep 10 2013, 11:06 PM

Woohoo!

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 11 2013, 10:59 AM

Got the calipers back from powder-coating. They look SICK!

Going to see if I can get the suspension and breaks swapped out tomorrow night. I think I should have everything I need.


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Posted by: rick 918-S Sep 11 2013, 12:03 PM

Posted by: green914 Sep 11 2013, 12:26 PM

Glad to see the car made it there safely Looks like you are having fun driving it I thought it was a nice ride like the V8.

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 12 2013, 01:46 PM

Got the calipers sorted last night. Started rebuilding them, and realized I was missing one seal. Doh! Called the PC place and they have it. :whew:

Also realized I put the wrong adapters on the wrong calipers too. So that'll get fixed tonight.

Stencils just came in too! Got a guy on eBay to sell me 8 for $6.00.


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Posted by: CptTripps Sep 12 2013, 04:06 PM

A bunch of perforated metal showed up today.

Getting closer to build time!


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Posted by: Chris H. Sep 12 2013, 04:18 PM

Dude those calipers look like candy. Wow.

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 12 2013, 09:10 PM

QUOTE(Chris H. @ Sep 12 2013, 06:18 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 14 2013, 04:26 PM

Started working on the flares today. Marked everything out before I take it to a friend's to weld them up.

Took the rockers off and the car lost about 11lb. Holy crap.

Oh...and I added a horn. Discovered I didn't have one and about bit it earlier!


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Posted by: CptTripps Sep 19 2013, 08:15 AM

Flares are on...time for some banging and bondo this weekend!


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Posted by: Chris H. Sep 19 2013, 10:16 AM

Wow that looks great. Did you do those yourself?

Posted by: bulitt Sep 19 2013, 10:47 AM

Flares on 8 days after taking possession. You guys must be drinking water from the cuyahoga.

Posted by: BIGKAT_83 Sep 19 2013, 10:59 AM

Great job....At this rate you should be able to make it to Okteenerfest next month.


Bob

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 20 2013, 03:34 AM

If I hadn't JUST driven from ATL to Cleveland 2 weeks ago...I'd happily drive down for Okteenerfest. The car will certainly be on the road.

I was planning on doing the brakes this weekend, but I got screwed by someone that sold me a set of struts...that never arrived. (Nor has the refund.)

I'll be concentrating on bodywork for a bit. Just wanting to get it to primer. I'll have all winter to make the bodywork perfect.

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 20 2013, 06:59 AM

QUOTE(bulitt @ Sep 19 2013, 12:47 PM)

Flares on 8 days after taking possession. You guys must be drinking water from the cuyahoga.

Posted by: strawman Sep 21 2013, 10:44 PM

As someone who has done the trailing arm reinforcements you have pictured above, I'd like to suggest you scrap that idea -- it makes 'em uber-heavy. Eric Shea's notion of welding in tubes laterally makes a lot more sense (I shamelessly copied his idea!). Not sure he's still providing that service, but it is much lighter; I ended up practically giving away the "clam-shelled" trailing arms.

Good luck with your project; you're making way better progress than I. I am almost five years into my turbo'd Suby project and keep getting sidetracked with other projects...

Posted by: r_towle Sep 21 2013, 11:03 PM

If you can break a pinion gear clean off the shaft, you may want to think hard about going to a Subaru and look for a transmission that can handle that motor...


I like pinion gear breaking off.....cool power

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 22 2013, 06:31 AM

Interesting call on the trailing arms. Hadn't thought of it like that...but I guess it would make sense.

I'll be doing the Subie Trans as well. Already bought the EJ20 and MT5 out of a wrecked 07 WRX.

Today's delima: Should I weld all these gaps, or use AllMetal to fill them?


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Posted by: jimkelly Sep 22 2013, 06:48 AM

I think the consensus will be to fully spot the entire perimeter.

is this the width gap most have to deal with when installing steel flares???

are you backing this gap with copper plate when you MIG it?

nice work

grey black is nice, not sure I am fully sold on it, not sure I am sold on satin finish in general, this grey red combo is somewhat appealing too?

Posted by: McMark Sep 22 2013, 07:12 AM

Weld it all.

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 22 2013, 07:13 AM

Most of the gaps between welds are under 1/2", so it would just be another pass to get it solid. I need to hit it with primer pretty quick before it starts to rain. (I really need to get the garage cleaned out!)

I'm moving towards snow-white, or dark grey. I can wrap a satin vinyl later if I want. The look if this 918 is pretty cool. I could do a white/green GT3 type theme like you have pictured.

Either way, I already have the calipers for it.




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Posted by: CptTripps Sep 22 2013, 04:25 PM

Worked on welding up the gaps today. My welder took a shit after about an hour, so I'll need to get it fixed before I can weld anything else.

Also discovered that I can't use the 1" wheel spacers, because the bolts hit the inside of the rim. Someone suggested 110mm builds from the hub, and I may just do that. Seems easier.

Making progress though.


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Posted by: jimkelly Sep 22 2013, 04:34 PM

what wire are you using?
.025 easy grind?

gloss silver/grey and black, can't go wrong with that.

jim

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 22 2013, 07:20 PM

I was using .23-eg, but honestly, I found .30 easier to weld with. (It's all about the settings.)

I'm really not that pleased with the job I'm doing. I think it has something to do with the motor going kaput on me. It was skipping which really messed me up a few times. I'm going to go over the whole thing and grind it all down to smooth. I won't sleep well until I know it's right.

The more I look at it, the more I like "Sport Classic Gray" as a paint choice...kinda like this.


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Posted by: Cairo94507 Sep 22 2013, 09:01 PM

Terrific work and I love that sport classic grey.

Posted by: jimkelly Sep 23 2013, 05:35 AM

here is what 2 panels of grey gloss rustoleum look like on my car.

I am using it to protect from flash rust temporarily and I wanted to see what grey looked like on my car and it is somewhat close to sport classic grey.




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Posted by: bulitt Sep 23 2013, 06:08 AM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Sep 22 2013, 09:20 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 23 2013, 06:35 AM

QUOTE(bulitt @ Sep 23 2013, 08:08 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 23 2013, 06:37 AM

QUOTE(strawman @ Sep 22 2013, 12:44 AM)

Posted by: badmiata Sep 23 2013, 07:27 AM

Really love your progress!!!

Posted by: rick 918-S Sep 23 2013, 08:29 AM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Sep 23 2013, 07:37 AM)

QUOTE(strawman @ Sep 22 2013, 12:44 AM)

As someone who has done the trailing arm reinforcements you have pictured above, I'd like to suggest you scrap that idea -- it makes 'em uber-heavy.

Quick question on this: The reinforcements only weigh about 2-lb each. Does it really add that much weight? IIRC, those are about 15-18lb to begin with. Does another 2-ish change things that much?

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 23 2013, 08:39 AM

QUOTE(rick 918-S @ Sep 23 2013, 10:29 AM)

Posted by: jaxdream Sep 23 2013, 08:46 AM

This is what I done to my trailing arms , real easy to do with 1 inch tube, a little fat on the welds , but sound.

Jack

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 23 2013, 08:53 AM

QUOTE(jaxdream @ Sep 23 2013, 10:46 AM)

Posted by: jaxdream Sep 23 2013, 09:07 AM

No . set them up under a small drill press , used a 1 inch hole saw , cut in two spots towards the pivot mount. The hole close to the bearing area is the factory hole for the caliper adjustment. two new holes only , tube goes from outside to inside all the way through. Look at the pic a little closer , you'll see what I have done . Racer Chris did a study of reenforcing trailing arms a while back skipping the clamshell setup . His were a lot more refined than mine , but mine are functional as is , and like I said easy to do.

Jack

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 23 2013, 09:38 AM

Got it...only need two.

Here' what I came up with real quick. Do you think this would provide anything additional, or is it a waste of engineering effort?

If I take each of the two and put them at opposing angles, this may be a way to add some additional stability. (Maybe...I'm no engineer.)

I put this illustration together real quick to try and show what I 'm talking about. The red tubes are new. (and it's not exactly to scale, but you get the idea.)


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Posted by: jaxdream Sep 23 2013, 09:56 AM

That looks great , if you have the ability to get the different angles , they should be a good way to address the flexing forces . I see that you are upping the horsepower , this should help in getting it to the ground. Racer Chris used some great ideas about strengthening the arms , search for his threads. If I recall ( yeah right ) he cut the arms in half , installed some plates inside at differing angles , welded them back together. It was a way of strengthening with out showing on the outside , something to do with the rules of a racing class. I'd say go for it , won't add as much weight as the clamshells.

Jack

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 23 2013, 10:00 AM

I was thinking about making 2 holes at each side, at different points, than putting the pipe through at the angles. Welding up the outside, then grinding them down smooth.

I'm definitely NOT racing this car, so it's just for the street.

Posted by: jaxdream Sep 23 2013, 10:11 AM

No racing for me either . I just had in mind ( where ever it went ) to do some mods that I thought would be more bang for the buck , this was just so easy while I had the arms off to do a 5 lug with 928 / 944 ebrake conversion . Heck when I do get it back together , I'll be inserting a 1.7 that I salvaged from another 914, talk about wheel spinners!!!!

Jack

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 23 2013, 10:55 AM

I've got a shit-ton of 1" and 1.5" gas pipe. I wonder if I can/should use that?

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 23 2013, 11:28 AM

Couple more pics of the flares, and this weekend's trans swap.


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Posted by: pete Sep 23 2013, 02:34 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Aug 30 2013, 09:10 PM)

Posted by: pete Sep 23 2013, 02:36 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Sep 23 2013, 01:28 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 23 2013, 05:38 PM

QUOTE(pete @ Sep 23 2013, 04:36 PM)

What are you going to be doing with the pipes and the rear trans mounts? I'm working on a SBC350 conversion and will be needing soon.

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 24 2013, 07:19 AM

Funny...I make one post, and get 10 PMs about selling off my old parts. Looks like I have myself a cradle and trans hangers, so I may be breaking everything down sooner than I originally expected!

Started working on the brakes last night. LOTS of powder to clean up. Tried adding the "Porsche" to the calipers, but I think I need to rough up the surface first. After it dried, I pulled the vinyl off and half the paint came with it. I think I put it on too thick.

O-Well...glad I have more templates!


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Posted by: CptTripps Sep 25 2013, 07:34 AM

Looks like I've got just about everything I need to start breaking him down and getting this started.

Got Boxster seats, and I don't think I like them very much. I got a great deal on them, so I'm just going to flip them on Craigslist.

Found a Subaru cradle and Trans hangers...

Ordered the spline couplers from Australia...

Bought a set of adapter flanges...

Driving to Summit Racing to pick up my pedal cluster and master/ slave cylinders...

Got an MR2 shifter and ordered new cables...

...and the engine/ECU should be all ready for mech pick up later this week.

What am I missing?

Posted by: 76-914 Sep 25 2013, 08:13 AM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Sep 24 2013, 06:19 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 25 2013, 09:01 AM

The calipers were powder-coated...the "PORSCHE" is the only thing I'm painting.

...unless he has an aversion to colored calipers in general. At that point, I'll just call him a racist!

Posted by: 914forme Sep 25 2013, 06:24 PM

Keep it up, Subaru Gears is pretty fast at shipping their stuff over seas. My little mail fairy dropped these off today. Ordered them Friday or Saturday, I can't remember. Man thats smaller than I thought it would be.

And this.


Way to keep plugging away what are you using from Summit for the pedal cluster?

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 25 2013, 07:55 PM

Holy Shit! I thought that thing would be the size of my fist! I guess size doesn't matter after all. :::rushing to tell wife the good news:::

Seriously though. That's awesome that it got te the US so fast.

Posted by: CptTripps Sep 27 2013, 08:54 PM

Now we're talkin'

Got my flanges tonight. I should be able to use the Renegade axels I have now.

One step closer!


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Posted by: CptTripps Sep 30 2013, 09:13 AM

Not exactly progress on the car, but I spent 10hrs yesterday getting the garage ready.

Lots of stuff in Craigslist right now...hopefully the stuff on the right-side sells so I have more room to work.


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Posted by: jimkelly Oct 7 2013, 07:51 PM

hard to tell exactly what color this car is, but seems a version of grey.

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 11 2013, 12:01 PM

I've been out of town for the last week or so in NYC and Las Vegas. Got home today, and plan on spending this weekend working on clearing the rest of the garage out so I can get her up on jack stands and start stripping the tub.

I settled on my paint color last week. I was originally going to do the Porsche Sport Classic Gray but ended up going a little darker than that. I didn't want it to be confused with Primer at all...and think this look will be right in line with what I'm going for.

So...I went to Sherwin Williams and bought the whole shooting match. Etching primer, 2K primer, and the basecoat (94937). The shop that I'll have the last coat, along with the clear done at is a SW shop, and SW is a client of my company, so I got a pretty good deal on everything.

Here's what the car SHOULD look like when I'm done. At least that's what I'm shooting for.


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Posted by: green914 Oct 11 2013, 12:31 PM

Looks like you are making great progress, it's going to look great.

Posted by: McMark Oct 12 2013, 11:49 PM

Digital progress. Get out the the garage slacker.

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 14 2013, 12:53 PM

Alright Mark...I'm in the garage!

Got to the "Donor WRX" today to start pulling stuff. I have NO idea how much of the wiring harness I'll need, so I just grabbed all of it. Every inch of wire from the entire car. I'm sure it's overkill, but I'd rather have more than not enough.

Ian told me last week "do yourself a favor and just send the wiring harness off to Small Car Performance" and I think I'm A-OK with that, after seeing the magnitude of what is needed for the wiring. There's 60LB of stuff here, and I'll bet I get 10lb back.

Also have most of the engine out of it. We just sawzalled the front clip so we could get a little deeper into it without restriction. I should have everything off in a week or so as I get closer to pulling the V8 out of my 914.

I'm toying with the idea of having someone else re-build the motor. Just to be on the safe side. I'd rather KNOW I'm starting with something that's solid. Besides, now is the time...right? I can also put some upgrades inside and add a few HPs in the meantime.

So...that's a little progress. Right?


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Posted by: jimkelly Oct 14 2013, 01:49 PM

i'm liking your final color choice - glossy dark grey.

I read that small car performance has a DYI wiring kit for around $200 but not sure what it includes.

this guy may be a good source for a wiring redo too?
I reached out to this guy - jeff - and here is his reply.
Yep I do harnesses for people. No website just an ad on thesamba.com
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1434254
I charge $550 to modify and run on the test stand. I do have a few harnesses and ecm's. I charge $800 for it if I supply.
Thanks. Jeff


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2TMiC6UVsY



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WLY387meks

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 14 2013, 04:17 PM

Decided to skip the Boxster seats, and took the seats I had in my basement to an upholstery shop today.

Going with a dark gray leather outer, and suede centers. Should take them 6-8 weeks so that's fine by me.


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Posted by: CptTripps Oct 14 2013, 04:18 PM

I knew I was in the right place when I walked in and they we're doing the interior on a Morgan. :-)


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Posted by: bulitt Oct 14 2013, 07:35 PM

What are they charging you for the seats????

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 14 2013, 07:52 PM

QUOTE(bulitt @ Oct 14 2013, 09:35 PM)

Posted by: JRust Oct 14 2013, 08:18 PM

I've got a nice complete grey leather interior

Been holding off selling it but times are changing

Posted by: jimkelly Oct 14 2013, 08:29 PM

since I now know that they have not started yet reupholstering your seats, I will comment.

I am not sure how easy it will be getting in and out of car with suede on seats??

I think I would stick with all leather, though I understand the keep-butt-planted benefit of suede

looking forward to your review.

jim

Posted by: Chris H. Oct 14 2013, 09:30 PM

Yeah you got into the "hard labor" stuff this weekend didn't you? I was sore for days. Good job!

You did the right thing by nabbing the whole wiring harness. Read the fine print and you'll see Small Car will not take one if it's been cut. Found that out a week too late . Its cool that the engine and trans are from the same car. Total compatibility. Don't want to deter you from modding that engine but it's highly unlikely that it needs a rebuild. How many miles again? It'll look much cleaner and less cluttered when you take the power steering pump and pulley off and some of those hoses and whatnot. I think you can remove the EGR stuff as well (I did). You kept the ignition key and switch right? The key is chipped I think and the car won't start with the stock ECU without it.

The center diff is worth $250-$300 on NASIOC. It'll be gone in a day or two once you post it. Sold mine immediately for $250. Apparently they are the weak spot for 4WD.

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 15 2013, 03:30 AM

QUOTE(JRust @ Oct 14 2013, 10:18 PM)

I've got a nice complete grey leather interior

Been holding off selling it but times are changing

QUOTE(jimkelly @ Oct 14 2013, 10:29 PM)

I am not sure how easy it will be getting in and out of car with suede on seats??

I think I would stick with all leather, though I understand the keep-butt-planted benefit of suede

QUOTE(Chris H. @ Oct 14 2013, 11:30 PM)

Yeah you got into the "hard labor" stuff this weekend didn't you? I was sore for days. Good job!

You did the right thing by nabbing the whole wiring harness. Read the fine print and you'll see Small Car will not take one if it's been cut. Found that out a week too late . Its cool that the engine and trans are from the same car. Total compatibility. Don't want to deter you from modding that engine but it's highly unlikely that it needs a rebuild. How many miles again? It'll look much cleaner and less cluttered when you take the power steering pump and pulley off and some of those hoses and whatnot. I think you can remove the EGR stuff as well (I did). You kept the ignition key and switch right? The key is chipped I think and the car won't start with the stock ECU without it.

The center diff is worth $250-$300 on NASIOC. It'll be gone in a day or two once you post it. Sold mine immediately for $250. Apparently they are the weak spot for 4WD.

Posted by: Chris H. Oct 15 2013, 07:10 AM

Yeah I would grab the key and ignition switch (grab the whole steering column actually if you still have it). Pretty sure you need it. Kent mentioned it and his is an 01. Many folks are integrating the donor steering column into the 914. Mike Bellis' (kg6dxn) monster Audi turbo conversion is drive-by-wire and it turned out great. Don't let it scare you too much (said the guy with the 95 OBD1 car ). Take a look at his thread. There's also the option to use an aftermarket ECU, which gets you out of the harness cutting/have to use the Subie key game and allows you to tune the car with a laptop on the fly. Someone with more knowledge will post a link to the place (outfront motorsports maybe?) where you can find Link, Stinger, and other aftermarket ECUs. They are like $1500 but Smallcar would have charged you $800 to cut your harness. Then you can sell the stock stuff also, even though I know cost isn't really your concern as much this round.

I'm out running around today but good luck man!

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 15 2013, 11:02 AM

Hmmm....maybe I need to get over there and grab a few more things before I go too far.

Posted by: jimkelly Oct 15 2013, 11:06 AM

I think sometimes with cars with chips in their keys, ecu's need to be flashed/reset somehow?

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 15 2013, 12:41 PM

Ha. Forgot that I left the ECU at the shop too. Guess I'll need to run over and grab that too.

It'd be cool to have the ignition on the dash like the 911 and 914/6 if there was a way to do it. Hmm....

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 16 2013, 08:52 AM

70lbs of wiring harness has been in the corner...staring at me...mocking me. I say "Screw you wiring harness!"

http://www.outfrontmotorsports.com/ems_computers.htm + $1,400 = EMS Stinger and the wiring harness to 'plug and play' my way to less headache.

Anyone else been this route?

Now I'm off to put 70lb of copper on eBay with the ECU.

Posted by: badmiata Oct 16 2013, 09:28 AM

AEM’s Series 2 Programmable Engine Management System is another one. It looks to be a little bit more but is newer. Have you looked at what Cobb's acessport can do with the stock ecu? The whole idea of the key and transponder with the stock ecu really sucks. I was also tryng to imagain the key alla 914/6 in the dash. I guess you eliminate 914 key and wire it to subaru key?

Posted by: effutuo101 Oct 16 2013, 09:51 AM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Oct 16 2013, 07:52 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 16 2013, 10:32 AM

QUOTE(effutuo101 @ Oct 16 2013, 11:51 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 18 2013, 04:47 PM

Got me some parts today! Getting closer!


Perrin Equal-Length headers
STI Oil Pan (so the headers fit)
Perrin Up-Pipe
Crucial Racing 3" Divorced Down-Pipe (After researching, this pipe is worth what I paid for everything.)
914Rubber.com "every damn seal" kit.
1Q of Por15



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Posted by: CptTripps Oct 18 2013, 04:48 PM

The quality of the Perrin stuff is really pretty awesome.

Very thick metal. Expertly welded.


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Posted by: DBCooper Oct 18 2013, 05:05 PM

Yeah, now THOSE are man-sized flanges.

Posted by: 914forme Oct 18 2013, 07:00 PM

Mine is a EG33 but Outfront wants a little more than the website would lead you to think. "All we need is the core wire harness for the plug ends and your cam gears
for modification. The price is $180 for the gear modification and $1700 for
the computer, wire harness, programming, and igniters."

Yep $1880, SDS wants $1800. MegaSquirt 3 Pro, and all the items needed to get it going. $1674 with lots of Ebay scrounging. Not sure its really a savings.

Nice score on the header, up pipe, and down pipe.

Oh and wear gloves for the POR-15,that crap is nasty stuff.

Posted by: Chris H. Oct 18 2013, 08:28 PM

Those pipes might look good powder coated. Just sayin'.

Posted by: DBCooper Oct 18 2013, 09:34 PM

QUOTE(914forme @ Oct 18 2013, 06:00 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 18 2013, 11:08 PM

I'll polish them soon...but I think I'm going to heat-wrap them, so I may not bother. I've heard that ceramic-coating is better though...and won't catch fire if oil gets on it.

I keep going back/forth on the Megasquirt. The Stinger is already dialed-in and works...that's worth something to me. Plus, I see a lot of guys with subie-914s that are using a Stinger...that counts for something too! True it's 2X as much...but I'd rather not feel like I have to mess with it. I've spent the last few days on the MS forums, and these people never seem happy...or to be running right.

Posted by: kg6dxn Oct 19 2013, 06:44 AM

Be careful with heat wrap. While it will keep the heat in and help with scavenging, it will also heat cycle the metal making it brittle.

Just about every header manufacturer's warranty is voided by using this stuff.

I had a set of 14ga headers on a V8 grenade on me. Both sides of the engine within a few minutes of each other while driving from SF to LA. I had them wrapped for about 12 months...

Posted by: jimkelly Oct 19 2013, 06:51 AM

(wrap) it is amazing, how daily, we learn about more things we never knew : )

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 19 2013, 08:22 AM

I didn't even think about that. Maybe I'll just wrap by the area that's closest to the oil pan.

Headed out today to get Bigger injectors (650cc), fuel rails, and a turbo off of an STI. (Vf39) I want the fastest spool possible. If I go too big on te turbo, I'll spend more time in "lagville" than I want.

Then all I need is the engine mounts and I think I've got about 90% of what I'll need for the build.

I wanted "one last drive" today, but it's pouring rain and my flanges are still bare metal. Bummer...

Posted by: DBCooper Oct 19 2013, 08:46 AM

QUOTE(kg6dxn @ Oct 19 2013, 05:44 AM)

I had a set of 14ga headers on a V8 grenade on me. Both sides of the engine within a few minutes of each other while driving from SF to LA. I had them wrapped for about 12 months...

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 19 2013, 02:00 PM

I don't think I'm going to worry about it. If I leave it alone, that'll be one less thing to go wrong. It's not like this is my DD, so I'll tinker with that later.

Another shipment of stuff showed up today. Got all my lug nuts and bolts so I can put the spacers and 17" rims on. Woot!

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 21 2013, 06:50 PM

Got me a cradle today!


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Posted by: tdgray Oct 22 2013, 01:47 PM

Hey Doug... just happened to check the Garage out and saw your name... long time man. I can't believe that's your son... he was just born the last time I saw you.. time flies.

Great thread.... nice build for sure. That will be fun. I don't spend much time in the Garage now-a-days but I will make a point of ducking out of the sandbox from time to time to see how things are going. I'm still teener-less with one more project to go before I can even think about acquiring another one but will enjoy watching this for sure.

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 23 2013, 08:55 AM

QUOTE(tdgray @ Oct 22 2013, 03:47 PM)

Posted by: tdgray Oct 23 2013, 05:37 PM

OMG... that is funny... that makes sense as Spencer was like 5 or 6 when we "disposed" of that car

He is now 14!

That is funny about that car... the only redeeming value was the wheels I got from you and apparently that tranny

I just finished my TR6 (see thread in sandbox) and have the MCG left to go... love to come up and shoot the stuff with you or you come down and see the MG's and Triumph.

Let me know if you need help... Congrats on the second little one... hows the Doc?

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 24 2013, 08:54 AM

Garage progress time! (See Mark...I was listening.)

Got over to the shop last night and worked to pull the EJ20 and get it to where I can put it in MY garage and start working on it. I'm actually thinking of leaving it at the office where I have a little more space to work. I won't have all my tools, but there's a lot more space here and the lighting is a ton better. Plus, I can hide it from SWMBO for a bit. ;-)

So....

Got the engine pulled, and safely in the back of my land rover. We used a crane to get it in there, and I have NO clue how I'm going to get it out of there on my own. I was thinking about letting the air out of the tires in the back enough to get it hooked to the engine stand I bought.


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Posted by: CptTripps Oct 24 2013, 05:08 PM

Parts fairy came...

Valve cover gaskets
Water pump
Tensioner
New bearings for timing belt
Timing belt.
Lightweight pully
Water to air intercooler, fan, pump, radiator
Turbo gaskets
Header gaskets
Uppie and downie gaskets
And some green vacuum hose for good measure.


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Posted by: jimkelly Oct 24 2013, 05:31 PM

did you take your LAST drive yet : )

you may need a second car

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 24 2013, 07:09 PM

Ha! Well...I woke up this morning to 3" of snow. So if say we're done for the year.

I'm going to take everything to the office in the morning so I can start building the motor there. I have plenty of space...and it's heated. :-)

Posted by: fat73 Oct 24 2013, 07:12 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Oct 14 2013, 10:53 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 25 2013, 10:23 AM

That looks like a bad-ass build.

Who's gauges are those? They look awesome.

Posted by: Chris H. Oct 25 2013, 11:05 AM

Ummmmm.....Ed?

Posted by: DBCooper Oct 25 2013, 11:08 AM

QUOTE(Chris H. @ Oct 25 2013, 10:05 AM)

Ummmmm.....Ed?

Posted by: Chris H. Oct 25 2013, 11:16 AM

Well that and it's not centered.

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 25 2013, 11:18 AM

That's a pretty respectable top-speed for a 914. LOL...

Posted by: DBCooper Oct 25 2013, 11:58 AM

What? Ah... yours isn't running yet... I forgot. At about 120 mine was nowhere near done but I realized I wasn't young and crazy any more.

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 25 2013, 12:49 PM

Oh, my V8 will get there...but I'm not confident in the car's ability to stay together. Once I have this project done, I'm quite certain I can get there!

Posted by: DBCooper Oct 25 2013, 01:24 PM

Aw, I forgot to add the little poker guy: I had no concern about the car, my problem was all me.

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 25 2013, 02:54 PM

Found a warm place to work on the motor...at the office!

We have a lot more space than were using, and there's a room in thr back that was full of junk anyway. Heated. Concrete floor. Next to the freight elevator. Perfect!


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Posted by: rhodyguy Oct 26 2013, 07:44 AM

is that a can of vernors on the floor?

Posted by: rhodyguy Oct 26 2013, 08:23 AM

you joined today and your location is bhopal!!?? i'm not going to open that link for any reason.

Posted by: mgp4591 Oct 26 2013, 09:37 AM

QUOTE(rhodyguy @ Oct 26 2013, 08:23 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 26 2013, 01:55 PM

That's a spam bot.

I got a lot done this morning. Broke down the engine to all but the timing belt and pulleys. I broke a 1/2" breaker bar, trying to get the crankshaft pully off. Going back tomorrow and bringing a torch!

Also had fun with my new Soda Blaster today. That's going to be a useful addition!


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Posted by: mgp4591 Oct 26 2013, 03:46 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Oct 26 2013, 01:55 PM)

Posted by: DBCooper Oct 26 2013, 05:14 PM

It was you asking about a custom harness for Megasquirt, wasn't it? Here's one from Mario at The Dub Shop, still on the fab board. I think it's for an EJ22, but not that much different:



Makes things pretty close to plug and play. I did the EMS Stinger in my car, but if this had been around back I probably would have done this.

Posted by: jimkelly Oct 26 2013, 07:16 PM

tripps

I got this tool, you can borrow if you want.

i think it should have a rod welded on for a handle though for stability.

i believe it is for suby crank pulley removal.

jim


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Posted by: bulitt Oct 26 2013, 07:58 PM

QUOTE(rhodyguy @ Oct 26 2013, 10:23 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 27 2013, 02:39 AM

DB: I got a deal on a Hydra EMS 2.7 over at NASIOC, so I'm going to give that a whirl first. I can always buy the stinger later.

Jim: Thanks for the offer. I am going to give it another crack tomorrow with some heat...and a new breaker bar. :-)

mgp: I had the same thought...double checked at a couple different places.

Posted by: 914forme Oct 27 2013, 04:20 PM

Counter clock wise, just popped mine off the EG33. Of course I have this nice 36" long breaker bar, and a flex plat lock I made out of a bolt and a piece of flat steel. Took nothing. I will say this sometimes it seems Japanese motors are not assembled by torque specs. I had a crank bolt on a Honda that took a 6' long cheater, thank you DOM, and another one that long to hold the crank still, finely with an extra 260 pounds of force it busted loose. Luckily it was in the car. But come on does it really take 1560 Ft. Lbs. to bust a crank bolt, yes it does.

Posted by: DBCooper Oct 27 2013, 08:49 PM

Half inch impact wrench, which is how they're put on. Those wrenches usually rated at 300 ft/lbs, but the impact is the key in breaking those loose.

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 28 2013, 05:53 AM

Well, crap. No clue how I'm going to get my impact wrench to the office.

I bought another 1/2" breaker bar. 26" this time...and found a 6' gas pipe I'll use too. If that doesn't do it, I'm taking this thing to a subaru dealer and asking them if they have any bright ideas.

Posted by: Chris H. Oct 28 2013, 07:58 AM

Did you blast it with some penetrating oil? Might want to do that for a day or two. Then the breaker bar/pipe should work. Just take it easy so you don't snap the bolt head off. It'll most likely break loose with that combo...I had to use a cheater pipe.

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 28 2013, 08:34 AM

Good plan Chris. I'll grab some PB blaster today and start spraying it. I'll be out of town for a few days this week, so I'll hit it good before I leave tomorrow too.

I'm thinking about replacing the pistons/rods/valves while I have it all broken down. I've come this far...think it's worth the effort? Seems like another $800-$1k at this point would make sure that I'm not going to have an issue down the line.

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 28 2013, 09:30 AM

Just met with the shop that's going to do all the body work and paint after I get everything welded in. They think 3-4 weeks and about 40-80hrs of work to do the car right. I think if it takes $5K for the body to be perfect...I can live with that. I want a car that I won't ever sell...and won't feel like I compromised on anything. Something I'll have for a very long time.

I'm also making plans to build a rotisserie for it. I think I'm going to use 2 1,000lb engine stands and weld up a more substantial base so I can rotate everything and raise it up. If I could find a cheap one locally, that'd be the way to go, but I'm thinking for about $300 in metal and parts I can get it done.

Posted by: Chris H. Oct 28 2013, 11:10 AM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Oct 28 2013, 09:34 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 28 2013, 11:43 AM

The only thing I don't have is the head gaskets. I was thinking of picking those up for good measure, but there aren't any leaks right now so I'm not sure it'd be worth the effort unless I was doing everything.

Motor ran great before the wreck. It even started up afterwards and sounded real smooth. Perhaps I just won't bother.

In other news: My 911 3.5" Boge struts FINALLY arrived from Carrera Parts. Actually in decent shape. They also gave me a set of trailing arms for the trouble. Hmmm.

Posted by: Chris H. Oct 28 2013, 11:54 AM

Wow...buy a lottery ticket!

Yeah same here on the head gaskets...I do have 'em (only because they came with the kit and the engine has 140k), but since you have to take the engine pretty far apart to change them I'll wait until they are needed. It's highly unlikely you will need them for a while.

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 28 2013, 12:03 PM

So would you suggest doing it as a "while I'm in there"?

I'd rather not pull it down this far again.

Posted by: Chris H. Oct 28 2013, 01:57 PM

For me when I looked at the procedure and the exploded view diagram of the EG33 I decided no, I'll wait, and it might be above my level of competence anyway. Might be a bad call on my part, we'll see.

On yours my thinking is with 60k miles it really SHOULD be fine for a long time yet, and you'd be loosening and re-tightening stuff that was done by the factory, etc. Hopefully we'll get more opinions. There's a guy on my thread who did an EG33 swap into an Impreza. He's a well known member on rs25.com. Might want to ping him as he seems to be a general Subie expert (BRZCory). That forum is a lot kinder to questions than NASIOC BTW.

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 29 2013, 06:35 AM

Couple of updates:

Got the rest of my Subaru engine stuff yesterday. Head gaskets, TGV gaskets, and an aluminum alternator pulley. I also talked to a guy that is local, and builds the engines for race applications. He's going to do the TGV delete for me, and we're going to discuss rods/pistons/valves and what I'm going for. I also picked up a VF39 Turbo, so with the calculations that he put together for me, without anything else, and a bit of tuning, I should be north of 325hp to the wheels. He's pumped because says ~325hp is screaming fast in an STI...which is about 1,000lb heavier than what I'm putting it in. Fun times!

Oh...and I bought a rotisserie. ;-)

Posted by: effutuo101 Oct 29 2013, 09:59 AM

Very nice!
I have a G20 turbo. I expect around 300 at the wheels. A 300 Hp subie is a blast to drive, so, like you, having 800-1100 lbs less as well as a lower center of gravity should make our cars an absolute blast.
If memory serves, I remember a story about stoplight racing a Maserati in Vegas with a 2.0 turbo 914. the Maserati could not out accelerate or out brake him. With this kind of HP, we are looking at serious performance.

I removed of all 4 fenders and replaced with FG as well as FG hood and trunk, I think I lost another 100-150 lbs in the process. I did add weight back in with a GT kit and long kit. I also removed all of the tar (replaced with lizard skin) and replaced the steel gas tank with an Aluminum cell, lost the headlight motors and all of the smog stuff.
At this point, I am both looking forward to getting the car weighed and worried about enough weight to keep my 9 and 11's planted. I will probably be adding weight to specific locations to corner balance the car.

Posted by: rhodyguy Oct 29 2013, 10:37 AM

when i bought the leg wagon it came with a binder of receipts. one bill for a failed radiator and all that went with it and "while you're in there", the shop installed new cyl/head studs. is that a 'standard' procedure when you tear these engines down? sorry for the hijack

Posted by: Chris H. Oct 29 2013, 01:11 PM

QUOTE(rhodyguy @ Oct 29 2013, 11:37 AM)

Posted by: DBCooper Oct 29 2013, 01:38 PM

Same thing, 97 Legacy GT wagon back in the day, DOHC 2.5. New gaskets and the Subaru recommended coolant at 60K, kids used it to commute between school in California and home in Texas. Went another 120K miles with reckless dumb-ass teenage boys, racing and offroading, pretending to be rally drivers, never a problem again.

Posted by: effutuo101 Oct 29 2013, 01:46 PM

rule of thumb from the subaru guys here. if the motor is pre 05 just change the head gasket. Unless you have a receipt that it was done, you will not be happy.

Posted by: RonW Oct 29 2013, 02:38 PM

subscribed

Posted by: 914forme Oct 29 2013, 07:03 PM

I would install ARP head studs while i'm in there, and get the torque lube. They are supposed to be torqued, lubed.

Hate paying for them, love the quality of the hardware though. Keep the deck down on my TDI, 40 psi of boast, never a problem.

Posted by: CptTripps Oct 31 2013, 01:07 PM

ARP Studs/Lube: Already ordered.

Gaskets: Already in-hand. For $200, it's not worth worrying about it. I've come this far, and can clean a few things up while I'm there and see if I have other issues. Now is the time...right?

Posted by: CptTripps Nov 1 2013, 11:57 AM

Not a lot of progress...but a lot of parts showed up today.

New rear trunk floor, head gaskets, ARP head studs, TGV gaskets, Fuel Rails, Blaupunkt Stereo, Targa seal...stuff like that.

Oh...and spraying that drive-shaft bolt 2X daily with PB Blaster for a three days did the trick. Well, I still needed a 4' breaker bar...but I got it off!

Posted by: Chris H. Nov 1 2013, 01:17 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Nov 1 2013, 12:57 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Nov 1 2013, 09:21 PM

QUOTE(Chris H. @ Nov 1 2013, 03:17 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Nov 4 2013, 10:10 AM

Picked up my Rotisserie from Garland on Saturday. I was up in Detroit to help my brother look at a couple Aeromates up there. We didn't buy either of them, but sure had a great time meeting with John and looking at all his awesome 914s. Wow.

So I've got a rotisserie in pieces, and a car that's still too much "together" to do anything with it yet. Maybe I'll see if I can set a record for the fastest 914 disassembly.

Posted by: mr914 Nov 4 2013, 08:07 PM

Sorry I missed you while you were up here. Had Harpo and BS Chairman over putting the back light and interior in the 6. Got the engine put in on Sunday.

Enjoy the rotieserie, it made the rust-or-ation much easier.

Let me/us know what modifications you did to it. I made a print of it for reproduction in the future.

Just in case, there is a Part Duex....

Posted by: CptTripps Nov 5 2013, 11:21 AM

Ha! Yeah, I was going to stop by, but we were in Detroit 3h longer than we'd planned already, and were running out of time.

Glad to hear that it's finally coming together for you.

Posted by: CptTripps Nov 9 2013, 01:08 AM

Today's progress involved loading my motor up and sending it to a proper ship to get checked out. Matt from Slick Motorsports knows a thing or two about building 800HP Subie motors. I'm not looking for anything that crazy, but he's going to have everything cleaned, machined, and checked out for me before I start rebuilding it.

So it looks like it's about time to start breaking down the rest if the car to get it ready for some time on this rotisserie I've got now.


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Posted by: CptTripps Nov 10 2013, 10:54 AM

Soda blasting my struts and trailing arms. Ran out of baking soda after an hour. They look awesome though.


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Posted by: jimkelly Nov 10 2013, 12:21 PM

wow - blasted looks great - gonna paint or powder?

I think cadmium-like plate would be nice?

jim

Posted by: CptTripps Nov 10 2013, 04:34 PM

Going to just paint. I'm not going to go crazy with the powder back there. Gloss black epoxy paint will be great and be easy to clean. I've thought about the hammered looking paint too. Going to try a few things to see what I like before I paint them.

I also need to weld a bit to the trailing arms. I'm going to tube them first before I paint.

Posted by: CptTripps Nov 14 2013, 08:55 AM

Got the computer (Hydra EMS 2.7) and a "flying lead" harness.

TurboXS Exhaust showed up.

Heads and Valve covers dropped off at the machine shop for cleaning and a check-up.

Block is being broken down and the pistons are going to get coated and re-ringed.

...and I'm off to Austin to watch cars go vroom!

Posted by: rick 918-S Nov 14 2013, 09:47 AM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Nov 14 2013, 08:55 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps Nov 14 2013, 10:48 AM

USGP Formula 1 race.

http://circuitoftheamericas.com

Posted by: effutuo101 Nov 14 2013, 05:14 PM

Cool! Have fun!
Looking forward to more of your build!

Posted by: CptTripps Nov 15 2013, 06:11 PM

So...we've got the motor torn apart and starting to get it back in shape.

Heads looked great. They're off being cleaned and bead blasted. New guides and seals is a they need.

The pistons look a little crusty, and there's a little gauging by the skirts. Perfect opportunity to have it boated out .5mm and replace the pistons. I'm going to leave the rods alone. They're just fine. I'm not sure a set of forged rods are going to do a lot for me.

Picked up Wiseco K588M925 Pistons


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Posted by: rick 918-S Nov 15 2013, 07:10 PM

Your like a mad scientist.

Posted by: CptTripps Nov 16 2013, 12:45 AM

Turns out I needed new bearings too. So...we're just going to do it all. Why not. I'm going to have a "built" motor, and the end result (according to my builder) should be north of 380fpt at the wheels. I got a set of PPG 1-3rd gear and a cryo'd Trans center shaft for a song, so I'll be able to push north of 600hp if I so desire down the road.

This is a never ending hole at this point, but I'm quickly running out of things to replace, and he's going to start building it all back up next week, and I'll have the whole motor/Trans completed in about 3 weeks.

At that point, I'll fit it in the car. Since I'll need to cut out some of the trunk for the Turbo and Starter, I want t do that before I have the car soda blasted and the body work started.

Posted by: Blue6 Nov 16 2013, 11:56 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Nov 15 2013, 10:45 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Nov 17 2013, 09:26 AM

QUOTE(Blue6 @ Nov 17 2013, 01:56 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps Nov 28 2013, 05:13 PM

Not a ton of progress. Waiting on the motor to come back from the machine ship before we start rebuilding it. Also having the headers and up-pipe ceramic coated while the frame I bought from Ian is being powder-coated.

Getting close to build time. Just need to get the engine here and fitted so I can cut everything out that needs to be cut, and get the body off to the shop for the work to be done.

In the meantime, I also got all new gauges that I'm going to try and put into the VDO housings, with some new white (or silver?) dials in having made.

Posted by: CptTripps Nov 29 2013, 09:23 AM

Got the block back from the machine shop...and all the purdy new parts layed out. Time to start putting the motor back together!


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Posted by: CptTripps Dec 6 2013, 01:16 PM

Got the equal-length headers ceramic coated, and had the awesome engine/Trans mount from Ian at ColdWater914.com powder coated to match the Boxster brake calipers. I'm also going to have them do a few more pieces for me in green and polish the aluminum on the air intake. This is starting to come together quickly. I should have the engine built in the next week or so.


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Posted by: badmiata Dec 6 2013, 01:38 PM

Love the "awesome engine/Trans mount from Ian at ColdWater914.com" can't wait until the day comes that I can order one! LOL.

Posted by: CptTripps Dec 9 2013, 06:34 AM

Got to work in the garage yesterday. After the seats came out, I started poking around under the tar. There a bit of rust, but nothing that's perforated and at this point, it's not worth replacing the entire floor.

So...I started scraping. Heat-Gun + Paint scraper = blisters & cheap therapy.




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Posted by: CptTripps Dec 9 2013, 06:37 AM

I'm going to finish up after work today and scrub it all out to see what I'm working with.

Also soda-blasted the throttle-body. Cleaned up real nice.


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Posted by: mepstein Dec 9 2013, 07:02 AM

Funny, it took me a while to get rid of the green.


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Posted by: CptTripps Dec 9 2013, 08:45 AM

Damn. That's hot...and pretty much exactly what my Subie engine will look like when it's done.

Posted by: effutuo101 Dec 10 2013, 10:16 PM

Love the color you put on your cradle.
Got most of my silicon tubing, blow off valve and new radiator today. More fun this weekend.
Met a great guy down here who does really nice fab work.

Posted by: CptTripps Dec 13 2013, 10:00 AM

Bailed on the idea of re-making my own gauge faces, and ordered a custom set from New Vintage USA. One of them is custom, and the tach needs to be made from a different casting so it'll be larger, but I think this is going to look bad-ass.

Now I need to find some switches from an airplane so I can complete the look for lights, hazards, and the heater and defrost. It'll be cool as hell to have this look more like a cockpit.


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Posted by: mikesmith Dec 13 2013, 11:23 AM

http://www.space1.com/Artifacts/Artifacts_FOR_SALE/FS__Switch_Guard/fs__switch_guard.html

http://www.delcity.net/store/Toggle-Switch-Safety-Panel/p_795774

http://www.amazon.com/93331-Formance-Blue-Cooper-Switch/dp/B0050V12DS

Posted by: CptTripps Dec 15 2013, 04:09 PM

Got the whole front end torn out today. I have a fairly funny group of "DAPO" pics. This is the one that pisses me off though. No way I could have known until the radiator and '75 bumper brackets were removed.

Looks like it got hit on the pass-front enough to knock it in about 1/2". Not sure how I'm going to fix this, but I'll tackle it after I get everything else yanked. Any suggestions on how to push this back out? BAH?


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Posted by: effutuo101 Dec 15 2013, 10:03 PM

Did it get wacked to fit the radiator in? It almost looks like you could use a puller and straighten that out.


Looking good!

Posted by: ONTHEGRIND Dec 15 2013, 11:42 PM

I used to do all the coatings for crucial,cobb crawford and many other subaru companies I surprised to see and uncoated crucial down pipe..Let me know if you need any help with the heads or turbo

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/xr8ted/media/100_2050.jpg.htmlhttp://smg.photobucket.com/user/xr8ted/media/100_1922.jpg.html

Posted by: CptTripps Dec 16 2013, 07:36 AM

QUOTE(effutuo101 @ Dec 15 2013, 11:03 PM)

QUOTE(ONTHEGRIND @ Dec 16 2013, 12:42 AM)

Posted by: Chris H. Dec 16 2013, 07:58 AM

From what you can see in that pic most likely it got hit with the fat black bumpers on it so the bumper and shock absorbed most of the impact. That's a good thing. That brace (slightly bent piece) is VERY strong. Doubt the flare would have lined up if you had a serious problem. No idea how to fix it though but someone will.

Posted by: CptTripps Dec 16 2013, 09:14 AM

That's really good to hear Chris...and makes total sense. I'll just whack it with the BFH and keep working then.

In other news:

Ordered enough wire to re-make the entire harness.
Working on finding a radiator that'll let me add a space-saver spare.
Picking up the heads tomorrow so I can get the engine back together.
Sold the engine and all the related pieces/parts, so I need to get that crated up and ready to move.

Posted by: rick 918-S Dec 16 2013, 11:15 AM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Dec 15 2013, 04:09 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Dec 16 2013, 12:05 PM

QUOTE(rick 918-S @ Dec 16 2013, 12:15 PM)

I may be in Cleveland the end of the week if things go as planned. Your still near my friend Pat's place right? Maybe I could bring my slide hammer.....

Posted by: CptTripps Dec 16 2013, 04:56 PM

This is more of what McMark would call "digital progress" but it needs done at some point.

These are the plates I'm fabricating for the dash and gauges. 1/8" aluminum that'll be anodized to match the Momo steering wheel. The backing material will be a perforated black vinyl, and these will bolt over that. I'm removing the heater controls, and hopefully having two discrete fans that will either be on rheostats or 2-stage switches for Defrost and Cabin.

C-Loop guards between the switches, and the toggles have green LEDs at the tip when "On". I'm also thinking about re-locating the key to left of the wheel. Still up in the air on that one though.

Nav is a TomTom unit that I have gutted out to have it mounted in the center console with an external antenna.

I'm going to end up with a 100% custom dash to accommodate the gauge cluster. Guess I'll fab that up soon too.


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Posted by: effutuo101 Dec 20 2013, 09:51 AM

West marine makes some really nice switch plates.

Posted by: CptTripps Dec 20 2013, 01:42 PM

QUOTE(effutuo101 @ Dec 20 2013, 10:51 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps Dec 21 2013, 12:09 PM

Makin' a motor.


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Posted by: CptTripps Dec 21 2013, 12:17 PM

Wiseco forged pistons
Manley forged rods
ARP studs
King XPG bearings
...lots of good stuff.

Posted by: CptTripps Dec 21 2013, 12:18 PM

And here are the heads. Freshly rebuilt/honed/floated.


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Posted by: 904svo Dec 21 2013, 01:00 PM

Ops wrong form.

Posted by: CptTripps Dec 29 2013, 08:13 PM

Gauges from New Vintage are all done. (Looks like he borrowed Andy's camera.)

Engine is almost ready to come home and meet up with the transmission!

Killer-B oil pickup and a new STi Oil Pan. (so I can use equal length headers)



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Posted by: rick 918-S Dec 29 2013, 10:18 PM

Looking good Doug. Hope your in town next time I'm passing through.

Posted by: effutuo101 Dec 29 2013, 10:50 PM

Keep it up!

Posted by: mikesmith Dec 30 2013, 03:52 PM

Hopefully we'll get a better shot of those gauges. I want to know if you can actually read the speedo past about 40mph. I've prototyped three digital dashboards now just trying to get legible speed information...

[edit: meaning, not obscured by the steering wheel at freeway speeds]

Posted by: CptTripps Dec 30 2013, 04:43 PM

Well, I'll have them tomorrow or Thursday. I'll take pics immediately and let you all know. I had him do a custom Green LED light inside all of them, so it should look pretty good.

Posted by: CptTripps Jan 4 2014, 11:48 PM

Got the gauges today. Lots of other goodies too, but I needed to be in the garage working...not looking at all the boxes.

So here's a quick shot of them. They look SPECTACULAR in person. This is going to be a great build!


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Posted by: effutuo101 Jan 5 2014, 12:24 AM

Oh! Those are sweet!

Posted by: ruby914 Jan 5 2014, 12:41 AM

They do look great. What's up with the 4 mph?

Posted by: CptTripps Jan 5 2014, 07:35 AM

Good catch Mike. I hadn't noticed that.

I'm waiting for the Alcantara to show up so I can mock up a panel and see if this is going to work.

This weekend, I'm concentrating on getting this puppy stripped out and ready for the body shop.

Posted by: CptTripps Jan 6 2014, 02:32 AM

Spent a few days this weekend hitting the garage. The more time I spend, the more rewarding he effort.

Interior is stripped out, and I gutter the doors. Took advantage of a break in the weather yesterday and soda-blasted the door parts. Take a look at the before/after. I blasted them for about 60sec, and then dunked in warm soapy water afterwards. Quick spritz with some WD-40 to protect the metal and we're jamming.

I need to take another pic or two of the interior. I've since removed the dash.


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Posted by: OU8AVW Jan 6 2014, 09:36 AM

Sweet! Keep it going!

Posted by: CptTripps Jan 6 2014, 05:02 PM

Got my wiring harness in today!

I wanted to re-make everything, and since all my gauges are custom...this was an easy $175 to spend!


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Posted by: palmer_md Jan 6 2014, 10:48 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Jan 6 2014, 03:02 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Jan 7 2014, 08:06 AM

I found it on eBay. Actually, it was less than I said. $160 shipped.

http://r.ebay.com/bi3URr

The quality is seriously outstanding, and there are a lot of things that I didn't expect to have leads for. It also came with the relays for Hazards, blinkers, horn, and starter.

I was all set to order all the wire separately, but this was so much cheaper. I figured at the least, I'd have 30' of 20 different wire colors, which I couldn't buy for less than $200. This came with a modern fuse panel and everything else needed. The bag in the picture has pieces of 3" shrink wrap with all the circuits and the fuse number pre-printed so you can re-mark the wires after you cut them to length. What a time saver!

Posted by: CptTripps Jan 10 2014, 09:00 PM

Almost don't with the motor.

Replaced every bearing on the timing belt. Replaced the water pump, upgraded to a bigger oil pump, new belt and guides, and I even got the shield painted "Grabber Green" before reassembly.


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Posted by: effutuo101 Jan 10 2014, 11:48 PM

Nice! I love that green.
Modern engines have so much more flexibility for colors.

Posted by: bulitt Jan 11 2014, 04:33 AM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Jan 7 2014, 09:06 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps Jan 11 2014, 09:42 PM

I'll take pics of the manual it came with. That has everything listed so you get an idea of what's there.

Spent the day getting everything out of the front trunk. I'll finish up tomorrow and then start working on the suspension. We're getting there.

Posted by: CptTripps Jan 12 2014, 07:27 PM

I hit the garage today...and hit it hard. Spent 10hrs, and got a lot accomplished.

Got the trunk and good off. Removed the rear trailing arms, suspension, CVs, and then started on the trans and engine. I'm doing all of this myself, so I'm making use of the rotisserie I bought. I'll get the car down low, remove the bolts on the engine and trans, and then raise the car up 3' and scoot it out safely. Great plan I think.

Anyways. I'm going to put these arms and hubs up for sale in the classifieds. I have another set, and there's no sense in wasting these.


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Posted by: CptTripps Jan 16 2014, 10:49 AM

Ok...we're starting to get organized here.

Now that I have the gauges, wiring harness, and all the switches acquired, I thought I'd go through everything JUST to make sure I wasn't forgetting anything.

Put all the LED switches, knobs, spacers, and bolts into baggies.

Got the power window motors, door lock actuators, alarm, loom, and heated seat pads in a box, and ready to go. Seat covers ordered from World Upholstery.

Oh...and I have a new pic for the DAPO Pictures thread. No clue WTF the thought was behind the silicone.

I also started laying out the rear trailing arms and had a question about the L bracket on the Tangerine 911 P-Brake conversion. Should I weld this to the arm or this bracket?


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Posted by: CptTripps Jan 16 2014, 02:34 PM

To give everyone an idea of where I'm headed, I mocked up the shifter and started to mock the ret of the dash.

Yes Mark...I know..."Digital Progress" doesn't count.

I have already made a few changes, so this is proving to be invaluable.

Anyways...enjoy!



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Posted by: effutuo101 Jan 16 2014, 02:53 PM

looking good!

Posted by: Chris H. Jan 16 2014, 03:12 PM

That's gonna be really nice!

Posted by: ruby914 Jan 17 2014, 02:50 PM

That is going to look good.
Give a lot of thought to the shift boot as you go.
I was thinking of starting a thread on "show us you're cable shift, shift boots".
The problem I have is my shift knob and the top of the center console are very close.
I wanted the opening on the console as small as possible and I wanted it covering the linkage but that high up on the shift shaft you are getting full swing of the shaft. That is putting a lot of demand on a short boot with a lot of movement. I have still not come up with a boot design that I like. I may have to make my opening bigger and lower.



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Posted by: 76-914 Jan 17 2014, 03:16 PM

Kevlar Sexy.

Posted by: effutuo101 Jan 17 2014, 05:15 PM

I playing with Adding some height up front and drop the shifter down in the back. That will change how my center console will play out.

Posted by: CptTripps Jan 18 2014, 07:25 PM

Tigre81 stopped by today to buy my rear trailing arms, and gave me a hand getting the SB350 out if the car. I COULD NOT have done that on my own. Holy crap is that thing heavy!

Tomorrow I'm going to weld some braces into the door jams so I can get it on the rotisserie and start making her do backflips!


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Posted by: CptTripps Jan 18 2014, 07:27 PM

Then I stopped by my motor builder to talk about the wiring harness and what I need to keep before I start rebuilding the harness. She's looking purdy!

Composite TGV deletes and the intake manafold look great. He should have everything ready to come home in another week.


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Posted by: Chris H. Jan 18 2014, 07:51 PM

Wasn't quite 100% on that green timing belt cover but it looks really good fully installed. Way better than leaving it black. That engine is gonna scream. Hope you got some good scratch for that V8 motor...Edelbrock INTAKE MANIFOLD...sweet.

Posted by: CptTripps Jan 18 2014, 08:50 PM

QUOTE(Chris H. @ Jan 18 2014, 08:51 PM)

Posted by: Van914 Jan 19 2014, 07:38 AM

CptTripps,
Call Summit Racing and see if they have any left over crates from their engine program. You live close so you could pick up.

Van914

Posted by: CptTripps Jan 19 2014, 05:16 PM

Worked a bit in the garage trying to make a brace for the doors and got frustrated. So I ended up working on some ideas for the upholstery today.

I'll get back in the garage tomorrow and see if I can get her upside down. :-)


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Posted by: CptTripps Jan 20 2014, 02:00 PM

Playing with LED Blinkers today. I'll do a different thread on them later.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYbiDTxSqK0

Posted by: CptTripps Jan 20 2014, 04:47 PM

Got into the garage and welded the tubes in the rear triling arms.

Made a template that came in 3.5" in the center, and then at 6.5", I came in an inch. Did that on both sides, and it worked real well.

My welds are getting better.


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Posted by: Chris H. Jan 21 2014, 08:11 AM

Those blinkers are bright. I'm liking that.

Posted by: CptTripps Jan 21 2014, 09:42 AM

I'm using 1/4" smoked plexiglass to make custom lenses all around. Making my own baskets behind the plexi will let me use just about anything I want.

I loved that the Grote lights were rectangles, mimicking more closely the original tail lights.

Here's what I'm using for the front lights. These are almost the perfect size for the front markers, and with the right baskets, will work real well. I'm going to float these inside the existing baskets, and put some white LEDs behind it to use like Halo DRLs.

I'm gutting the plexi this week, and will get this mocked up so I can see if it'll fly. Who knows.


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Posted by: CptTripps Jan 21 2014, 09:54 AM

Here are the tail lights I used. Available at Summit for about $20ea

http://www.grote.com/product.php?product_number=G4502

http://www.grote.com/product.php?product_number=G4503

Posted by: CptTripps Jan 21 2014, 11:25 AM

Oliver (5) wanted me to post this pic, because he thought it was about the coolest thing in the world. He and Garrett (7) were trying to convince me to put the engine in the FRONT so they could put seats in the back and ride back there.


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Posted by: 76-914 Jan 21 2014, 11:36 AM

Cute kid. Don't you wish you were his height when working on your teener?

Posted by: Spoke Jan 21 2014, 01:05 PM

Nice LED modules. Grote does a lot of vehicle lighting, especially trucks.

For the front markers, what angle of dispersion do those lights have? This is an issue with LEDs as most of their light is perpendicular to the board which they are mounted on.

Posted by: CptTripps Jan 21 2014, 01:55 PM

QUOTE(Spoke @ Jan 21 2014, 02:05 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Jan 21 2014, 01:59 PM

QUOTE(76-914 @ Jan 21 2014, 12:36 PM)

Cute kid. Don't you wish you were his height when working on your teener?

Posted by: Spoke Jan 21 2014, 02:48 PM

If those LEDs are like others, the maximum intensity is 90 degrees from the board. Thus if you mount them with the slant of the front marker lens, the maximum light will point upwards in that direction. Some light will project parallel to the road but most will be aimed upwards.

Can you do different intensities with the front markers? If so, just blink the whole thing at a higher intensity for better visibility.

Posted by: CptTripps Jan 21 2014, 03:34 PM

QUOTE(Spoke @ Jan 21 2014, 03:48 PM)

QUOTE(Spoke @ Jan 21 2014, 03:48 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Jan 21 2014, 09:46 PM

Ok...last post today. More "digital progress" but I figured out all the dimensions for the new center console tonight. Mocked it all up in Sketchup, and I'm getting closer.

I'll to the top of the dash tomorrow and try to get the backpad done as well. This is really pretty helpful, as I can take measurements and then input everything so I don't waste a bunch of material.

I'm going to cover the piece with the Alcantara I scored today. Found 96" X 60" piece for $175. This will give me enough to do the seat centers and all the oter bits and pieces I'm hoping to cover. I'd LOVE to make it out of fiberglass, as the weight may get pretty significant if I'm using wood, but we'll see what kind of time I have in the end.

Anyways...here's a pic of the center console.


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Posted by: McMark Jan 22 2014, 07:09 PM

Doh! You missed your turn. You were supposed to take the Holland Tunnel exit!

Posted by: effutuo101 Jan 22 2014, 07:34 PM

I had something similar in mind. However I flipped the led to the top. Easier to read and glance at.
I am rethinking that as well. Maybe a mount that I can actually reach while locked int my seat..

Posted by: CptTripps Jan 23 2014, 07:21 AM

Worked on my door brace last night. I need to stretch out 1/8" on the top of the pass door. Came up with a good brace for now. Just need to replace it with one that presses against the door plates now so I can weld everything else up.


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Posted by: CptTripps Jan 25 2014, 01:21 PM

Since it's sub-zero and snowing sideways, I decided to work on stuff in the house today. I did a thread on it ( http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=229257 ) but here's what my front marker lights will look like.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K80jWrQ03p0

Posted by: CptTripps Jan 26 2014, 04:39 PM

Garrett (7) was my helper today. He mostly just sat by the heater and kept me company. That was A-OK by me.

We built door braces and welded them up so we can get the rotisserie going. This is going to help a LOT as I finish up the welding on the flares, and contemplate a roll-bar idea I have.


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Posted by: ruby914 Jan 26 2014, 11:16 PM

"sub-zero and snowing sideways" Yeah right!
Have you come up with plan on how you will add nomenclature to your cockpit panel.
After I got back from my 2 day camping / surf trip, up north, I found this:
http://www.pulsarprofx.com/DecalPRO/Vertical/2_EXAMPLES/2c_Customer_Photos/Vehicle_Restoration/Porche_911.html
911? No respect.

Posted by: CptTripps Jan 27 2014, 12:46 AM

That was yesterday! Today I had cabin-fever and wanted to get some work done!

That decal system looks interesting. I was going to do vinyl and then clear-coat over, but that looks a lot nicer. I actually least have that laminator at the office, so all I really need is the kit. Hmmmmm.

Posted by: CptTripps Jan 27 2014, 10:13 AM

QUOTE(ruby914 @ Jan 27 2014, 12:16 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps Jan 27 2014, 10:24 AM

Got the braces welded in to place (on plates) last night, so I'm ready for "full-rotisserie-action" tonight. I've GOT to get this things stripped the rest of the way down so Mr. Sandblast Guy can get started with his part.

The "expander" I made up (still attached at one end in the photo) worked well enough for me to stretch out the gap by 1/8" before I braced it. I plan on re-welding the hell hole repair the PPO did, and I believe that'll ease it up enough to the point I won't have to worry about it springing back.

I also worked on my "Rendering" a little bit. Used a pic of my actual rims and calipers.


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Posted by: CptTripps Jan 30 2014, 08:29 AM

Spent time last night stripping the tub and getting her ready to head over to the sand-blaster this weekend. The pile of things for the powder-coater is getting bigger and bigger too.

Picked up the windshield today. So I've got that taken care of now too. If I can get the tub back from sand and primer by next weekend...I'll be ahead of schedule for being on the road by April 15th.


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Posted by: Jeff Hail Jan 30 2014, 06:59 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Jan 23 2014, 05:21 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 2 2014, 06:36 PM

Shit ton of work done today in the garage. Went in at 9a...left at 6:30 to watch the game. Got the tub cmpletely stripped...except for the steering rack. I'll get that off tomorrow and I should be able to get the tub to the sand blaster on Tuesday!

I'm a little discouraged at the Hell Hole repair. Looks a little suspect, and there's a lot of bondo up top. Also, the battery tray is BOLTED into place. That's just strange.

I also have a pile of crap to take to the powder coater tomorrow. A-Arms, Dust Covers, Struts, and a bunch of random stuff.


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Posted by: 914forme Feb 2 2014, 07:33 PM

I bolted my tray in also. I figured it would rust, so when it did, I would just u-bolt and bolt in a new one. Jon Lowe suggested it when I did the hell hole on my 914.

Come to think of it, theres no rust on that tray, and I use AGM batteries.

Also glad to see the decal system, I was heading towards vinyl myself, but this system will let me do other things also, so yeah. Nice to see its what Mark used for his quad gauge, now if I can just figure out the proper font.

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 3 2014, 02:08 PM

After watching the "http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=78501" for several months, I'm starting to think about the rear trunk, and how I can maintain access to the motor, while keeping my trunk intact as well.

I'm not sure on ALL the dimensions yet, but this is the general idea. Put a hinge up there to let me mount the computer and wiring, then be able to lift it up if needed. The green box is my hYdra-EMS computer, and the blocks are the screw-down terminals for marrying the stock harness to the aftermarket ECU.


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Posted by: CptTripps Feb 3 2014, 02:13 PM

Dropped off a ton of stuff to the Powder Coater today.

Front suspension, brake dust guards, and a mess of other little knick-knacks. This is the box that's being powdered a "Muted Chrome" while the other pieces (not pictured) will be the green.

I snapped a pic of what the combo should look like together.


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Posted by: effutuo101 Feb 3 2014, 06:31 PM

sweet!
Those will be pretty when completed.

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 3 2014, 09:53 PM

So, I had an idea on the way home about the steering wheel. Since the top of the wheel is normally in the way...why do I need a top to my wheel?

I had an extra Momo wheel in the garage, so I thought I'd play a little bit.

Here's the wheel I had. I played with some tape to see what part I'd want to take off.




Then...I got to cuttin!


I used parts of the "discarded" foam to make caps for the cut part.


Then to the University of Google for a "Baseball Stitching 101" class. Played with some old vinyl I had that I was considering using for something else.


Boy...do I ever suck at baseball stitching! Let's try again with a piece of scrap leather.


Better...so I cracked out the Alcantara I'm gong to use for another part of the build. Let's see how that goes?


What I learned, was that if I can pre-cut the holes and keep them uniform, this isn't going to be too hard. Time consuming...yes. Hard? Not really.

Here's where I landed for the evening. Not too bad for about 1h worth of work.



I'm going to cover the rest of the wheel later this week when I get some other stuff in. A template would be the next step. I REALLY don't want to waste any of the Alcantara. It's about $120 per yard.

Posted by: mgp4591 Feb 3 2014, 10:06 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Feb 3 2014, 08:53 PM)

So, I had an idea on the way home about the steering wheel. Since the top of the wheel is normally in the way...why do I need a top to my wheel?

I had an extra Momo wheel in the garage, so I thought I'd play a little bit.

Here's the wheel I had. I played with some tape to see what part I'd want to take off.

Then...I got to cuttin!

I used parts of the "discarded" foam to make caps for the cut part.

Then to the University of Google for a "Baseball Stitching 101" class. Played with some old vinyl I had that I was considering using for something else.

Boy...do I ever suck at baseball stitching! Let's try again with a piece of scrap leather.

Better...so I cracked out the Alcantara I'm gong to use for another part of the build. Let's see how that goes?

What I learned, was that if I can pre-cut the holes and keep them uniform, this isn't going to be too hard. Time consuming...yes. Hard? Not really.

Here's where I landed for the evening. Not too bad for about 1h worth of work.

I'm going to cover the rest of the wheel later this week when I get some other stuff in. A template would be the next step. I REALLY don't want to waste any of the Alcantara. It's about $120 per yard.

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 4 2014, 08:48 PM

Naaa. I'm going full custom.

Covered the center tonight and I'll have the Alcantara seen up for the rest of the wheel tomorrow.

I'm really starting to see the theme come together. What an awesomely gratifying process. Now if I can just get the body don't likety-split, I'd be a happy dude!


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Posted by: McMark Feb 5 2014, 12:33 AM

Like!

That tub better not come back with big surprises.

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 5 2014, 03:07 AM

QUOTE(McMark @ Feb 5 2014, 01:33 AM)

That tub better not come back with big surprises.

Posted by: mepstein Feb 5 2014, 07:51 AM

Cut out the bottom and it will look like the steering yoke on a plane.
Hopefully your face will not come in contact with the modified wheel

Posted by: r_towle Feb 5 2014, 08:15 AM

Powder coating a strut with the insert in place???
Does that concern you. Excessive heat??

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 5 2014, 10:36 AM

QUOTE(mepstein @ Feb 5 2014, 08:51 AM)

QUOTE(r_towle @ Feb 5 2014, 09:15 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 7 2014, 01:49 PM

I'm "back in the garage" this weekend, and hopefully, can take the car to the sandblaster (finally) tomorrow.

In the meantime, I'm re-working the center console. I picked up a JVC In-Dash nav system, and that frees up the dash area for the rest of the gauges. So I moved the switches down below. I'm also incorporating an 8" sub into the area where the back-pad normally resides. It'll throw against the firewall. Should be cool.

Here's what it looks like in my "digital garage"


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Posted by: CptTripps Feb 7 2014, 07:42 PM

Sent the steering wheel off to Alan Gun of Alan Gun Leather in Plantation, FL. http://www.aglausa.com/

I sent some pics and a description of what I was looking for. I got a very detailed reply that told me he was not only paying attention, but that he'd care about it too. So I sent it off yesterday, and he called me this morning to go over everything. I'm REAL excited to see what it looks like when I get it back. Should be perfect.

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 9 2014, 07:27 AM

Just realized I have 65 days till I need to be on the road. So that gives me just over 9 weekends to bang out a VERY long list of custom stuff. I better get cracking!

::: heads to the garage :::

Posted by: mepstein Feb 9 2014, 08:37 AM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Feb 7 2014, 08:42 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 9 2014, 04:04 PM

Well, it was a wheel that came with the car and I don't have a lot into it. So, for the $200 it'll cost me, it was worth the risk.

Got busy in the garage today. Garrett helped me put tools away and scrape the tar off of the interior.





Then I started mocking up the dashboard and center console.

This looks a little wide, so I need to measure with the seats in and see how much space I have to work with.

This is what I'm going for though. I'm not going to have dash pads at all, and plan on covering the metal with vinyl and Alcantara.


[attachmentid=436381]


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Posted by: 914forme Feb 9 2014, 08:37 PM

I would drop a drivers seat in there and see how the console works with your arm and the shifter. For Me I would be bumping into that stuff all day long.

Posted by: McMark Feb 9 2014, 09:38 PM

Posted by: Mike Bellis Feb 9 2014, 09:44 PM

Don't forget to install the throttle pedal before your final console design. This is one area I still need to refine to a more comfortable position.

Posted by: mgp4591 Feb 9 2014, 10:39 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Feb 9 2014, 03:04 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 10 2014, 05:46 AM

Yeah, I've been thinking about pedal placement a lot. I started pondering that area, and I'm going to try cutting out an area like this. I can take most of that area out. That'll give me plenty of foot room.


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Posted by: CptTripps Feb 10 2014, 10:05 AM

Mocking up what I scribbled earlier...this should give my feet all the room they need, and still hide all the wiring. All I need is enough for the back of the Nav box, the rest is relatively small wiring to the switch panel.


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Posted by: CptTripps Feb 11 2014, 08:19 PM

I decided to do a lot of the welding before I send it to the sand-blaster. Reason being, the areas with rust aren't where I'm welding, and I'd rather have them etch-prime the whole tub so the primer gets in all the cracks.

Started the evening welding up the rear trailing arms. I'm not sure I have the tubes in the right spot. Their instructions said one thing, the pictures told a different story. I'm going to wait till my brake parts come back from powder before I finish this part up. I'll put the press together and get the hubs out later this week.



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Posted by: CptTripps Feb 11 2014, 08:20 PM

Then I started buttoning up the flares. I'd thought about AllMetal at one point, but McMark talked me out of that route. So I started the long process of filling about 200 gaps on two fenders tonight. I don't have any grind wheels, so that part will have to wait till I can run to HF tomorrow. Got the whole Passenger side welded up. I'll do the other side, and my Engman kit next.

I also fixed the only hole in the floor. There was just 2-3 places it perforated, so I cut a new piece and put the bends in. Welded up nicely. Again...I need grind wheels!


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Posted by: CptTripps Feb 11 2014, 08:24 PM

Last thing I did tonight was start pondering where the radiator will go and be routed. I think I'm making a case for running both down the pass long. I can get the other tube out of there, and fashion a steel "case" to put it in at the passenger's feet. Don't know...still thinking.

The Sciricco radiator I got is dual-pass all aluminum, but both hoses are on the same side. That's what got me started.


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Posted by: CptTripps Feb 11 2014, 08:29 PM

Something like this.

Is use a heat shield of some kind to keep the heat to a minimum. Both hoses would fit in the long.

Alternatively, I could run one through the long and the other through the center channel.


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Posted by: CptTripps Feb 12 2014, 07:21 PM

Spent 2-hours in the garage and got all the paint off. MUCH easier with a grinder and 3-4 3M disks!




BUT...it looks like I have a bit of a mess in the passenger front quarter. Thinking I may need someone to cut one off of a body for me. This thing is chewed. Going to take a lot of work...or a panel. Thoughts?

Posted by: r3dplanet Feb 12 2014, 07:36 PM

Quick tax tip: if you hire Garrett as an employee you don't have to pay taxes on him. Not until he turns 18 anyway. Kids are an excellent source of cheap, tax-free labor.

Just saying.

Posted by: Chris H. Feb 12 2014, 08:08 PM

Well dang...must be wrinkled just ahead of the flare weld line then? I'm sure someone has a fender in their stash with that section intact...

Posted by: Spoke Feb 12 2014, 08:42 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Feb 12 2014, 08:21 PM)

Posted by: barefoot Feb 12 2014, 10:36 PM

Just thinking out loud, what do you water cooled guys due for cabin heat since some of you live north of Mason-Dixon?
Show off your solutions !!

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 12 2014, 11:56 PM

Not rusted. Looks like it was used as a teething toy by this guy.

Cabin heat: No clue. I'm not adding anything yet. Next winter!


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Posted by: 914forme Feb 13 2014, 09:11 PM

I was flipping thru the Summit Racing catalog and found this, if its heat only solution it might be interesting.

Summit Racing Part Number:SUM-991102-1

Heater Type:Dual front vent
Heater Material:Nylon
Heater Finish:Black
Heater Depth (in):8.625 in.
Heater Height (in):6.500 in.
Heater Width (in):9.500 in.
Heater Flow (cfm):260
Heater Output (btus):28,000
Fan Speed:3-speed
Uses Engine Coolant for Heat:Yes



They also have slight larger one. My car usually goes in at the end of October, and back out late March early April. I am putting in Seat heaters. But I am thinking about adding something like this, or a mustang heater core to the fresh air blower. I have auto-xed in the rain and snow, some times its nice to take a little fog off a window, and kep your hands warm.

Though for me it adds to the weight, weight is bad. But seeing is good, rain-x anti-fog, is also good, just like rain-x is good for cars with out windshield wipers.

Heres my rant, its hard to find weights of any products out there. Summit doesn't even list shipping weights, so if your picking between three items, all with in a few dollars of each other, I will pick the lightest one every time. Yet a racing catalog doesn't list weights.

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=226998 and a few others linked in this thread will give you an idea what has been done. Bob BIGKAT_83 of course gets my pick for best street solution.

Doug you started that thread.

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 14 2014, 12:29 AM

That's a very cool heater. I am at Summit about once a week, so I'll grab one next time. Great call! (I'll weigh it for you too.)

I have seat heat, but defrost is a safety issue now that I think of it.

Posted by: 914forme Feb 14 2014, 08:29 AM

Cool, that would be great.

Since it will be the highest point in the system if it is under the cowl, I would add an air bleed to help purge the system.

Posted by: rick 918-S Feb 14 2014, 10:12 AM

I would repair that. Take a propane torch and heat up the sealant that is wadded up in that pocket and scrap it out clean. The you can start to bump it back into shape. Wish I had the time to come help Doug but I won't be in Cleveland again until April.

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 14 2014, 10:40 AM

I was thinking of adding the fill/resivour up there. To make it easier.

I know you would Rick. I think I can get it on my own. Just going to take some time and patience. I don't have much of either.

Posted by: effutuo101 Feb 14 2014, 12:07 PM

a couple of well placed ceramic heaters is the route I am going. light, electric and no hoses to plumb.

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 16 2014, 08:26 AM

QUOTE(effutuo101 @ Feb 14 2014, 02:07 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 19 2014, 12:32 PM

I'm bringing in some "backup" to help me out.

I met a guy this morning that's a recent graduate from the Ohio Technical College's Classic Car Restoration program. ( http://www.ohiotech.edu/programs/restoration/ ) He's looking for work...I'm looking to get this project done at some point...seems like a great deal!

I gave him the info for here, so if you see a new guy named Bill show up, be nice.

Posted by: billbeck429 Feb 19 2014, 09:16 PM

Hey guys, I am the aforementioned Bill. Been reading for about 5 hrs trying to get up to speed on the 914's and its pretty sweet stuff your cranking out. Hot rodding at its finest.
Just wanted to say "hey" and I may have some questions
Later on if I cant find them myself but right now im full!

Posted by: 76-914 Feb 19 2014, 09:58 PM

Hey Bill, welcome aboard. Doug can use some help since his weekend release program was cancelled.

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 20 2014, 10:11 PM

MUCH better. Bill's doing a great job.


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Posted by: Philip W. Feb 21 2014, 07:38 AM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Feb 19 2014, 01:32 PM)

I'm bringing in some "backup" to help me out.

I met a guy this morning that's a recent graduate from the Ohio Technical College's Classic Car Restoration program. ( http://www.ohiotech.edu/programs/restoration/ ) He's looking for work...I'm looking to get this project done at some point...seems like a great deal!

I gave him the info for here, so if you see a new guy named Bill show up, be nice.

Posted by: Chris H. Feb 21 2014, 08:07 AM

Wow! That's really hard to do. Nice work Bill!

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 21 2014, 12:00 PM

BTW: I think Bill is in his early 40s. Just decided he wanted to work on cars, so he moved to Cleveland from St. Louis to go to OTC.

He should be at the house working when I get home. (I'm on an airplane right now.) I'll take some more pics.

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 21 2014, 06:49 PM

Bill got a bit done today. The front where the metal was all chewed up looks to be formed nicely now. Not perfect, but it is miles better and should clean up very nicely.

Next up is the flares. The welds were tightened up and ground a bit. I can see this coming together nicely too.

He thinks I'll be done and painted in about 3-4 weeks. He'll be on it 8h a day, so I'd expect we may be able to get through it a bit quicker.


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Posted by: CptTripps Feb 23 2014, 09:04 PM

With Bill working on the body over the next few weeks, I can concentrate on all the other stuff that needs done. Part of that, is to get a lot of little things cleaned up.

So....Garrett and I went out and bought a blasting cabinet today. It was on sale from $299 to $209...and I had a 25% off, so for $150 I took it home.



I'd rebuild this cluster, but thought it would be a good idea to break it all down, glass-bead it, and get it out to powder coat after Kent is done with the hydraulic clutch build.

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 24 2014, 05:01 AM

On another note...

Switched to different interior materials. Originally, it was going to be Black vinyl with black Alcantara. Now I'm thinking Gray/Gray. I think the Gray looks better with the brushed Aluminum. Thoughts?


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Posted by: bulitt Feb 24 2014, 07:16 AM

QUOTE(billbeck429 @ Feb 19 2014, 10:16 PM)

Posted by: Chris H. Feb 24 2014, 08:15 AM

Blast cabinet is one of my next purchases. Harbor Freight?

Posted by: 76-914 Feb 24 2014, 09:11 AM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Feb 24 2014, 03:01 AM)

QUOTE(Chris H. @ Feb 24 2014, 06:15 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 24 2014, 09:12 AM

QUOTE(Chris H. @ Feb 24 2014, 09:15 AM)

Posted by: Chris H. Feb 24 2014, 09:16 AM

Nice, thanks for the info guys. Good idea on the plasti dip. I did hear you have to seal it up good if you're using soda. Saw a few complaints about it not sealing well with that but...it's SODA. Pretty small particles. It's gonna be messy.

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 24 2014, 09:47 AM

Actually, the glass beads are small...and SLIPPERY!!!! Like 1,000,000 tiny ball bearings on the ground. They shimmer too.

Posted by: 76-914 Feb 24 2014, 02:28 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Feb 24 2014, 07:47 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 24 2014, 07:34 PM

While Bill makes progress out in the garage, I'm working nights on the interior pieces.

Stripped the seats to bare glass tonight. Hoping I can get them cleaned up enough to paint soon before the padding gets added back on.

After stripping everything, I found a SHIT TON of mold. Yuck!

Quick trip out to the garage for a meeting with "Mr. Soda Blaster" and I got the mold off. I need more soda, and will strip the rest of the glue and stuff off tomorrow.

Before:


After:

Posted by: rnellums Feb 24 2014, 08:19 PM

Now is a great time to add to the bolsters if you want a slightly grippier seat. A bit of fiberglass, some sewing and voila!

Posted by: tdgray Feb 25 2014, 07:36 AM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Feb 11 2014, 09:20 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 25 2014, 09:32 AM

So, Bill bailed on me. That's a bummer, because he was a real nice guy and I was looking to do a lot more with him. Better I learn now than later I guess.

So...I'm looking for another shop that can crank through the car for me over the next few weeks. HUGE set-back, but I'll make it work. My goal is still April 15th. 50 days isn't' a lot of time from this stage, but I gotta push on and make it work.

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 26 2014, 07:20 PM

The trailer I bought was a piece of shit. So, I put it in Craigslist and a few hours later it was on its way to be the next guy's problem. Cost me $80 to own a trailer for 3 weeks. O-well.

FINALLY found someone that can take the car out to the sandblaster. $80 and he'll be here at 9:00am.

So I spent the evening getting the tub ready for the 18mi trip.

They're going to etch prime it too, so I should get a nice fresh looking tub back.


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Posted by: CptTripps Feb 27 2014, 08:07 AM

Do I get an award for "Coldest 914" today?

I was concerned for 1min about the snow and then I realized it's going to be sand-blasted in a few hours and then etch primed.

Let it snow!


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Posted by: rick 918-S Feb 27 2014, 08:32 AM

Don't All-Metal over gaps or pin holes. Although it is resin based it is not metal and will absorb moisture and bubble when it gets wet. Rust will form under it if moisture is allowed to get to it from the back side.

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 27 2014, 01:47 PM

And she's off! Newbury Sandblasting is going to have it blasted inside/out, primed, cleaned and back to my house by Tuesday. They had a real cool Monte Carlo that they just finished yesterday. They spent a LOT of time going over everything with me to make sure it's as expected. I'm feeling good about this. Especially for $600.





The body shop that I was going to use had a death or something, so now they can't take me until June. Grrrr! I need to find a new one close by so I can check-in from time to time.

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 27 2014, 07:45 PM

Spent the evening working on the engine wiring harness. Since there is a lot of it that is no longer needed, I can re-make the entire thing to the exact right lengths. Ordered a pin puller kit from Amazon and it should be here tomorrow. So I dismantled the entire thing, and washed all the connections. I'll have a LOT of crimping and soldering tomorrow, but having a perfect harness will be worth it.




Also worked on finishing up the seatbelt clips. I'm replacing the Orange with Green to match the rest of the theme. Stay tuned for the other cool part.

Posted by: CptTripps Feb 28 2014, 07:09 PM

Got one project completed today. Completely restored my seatbels...and changed "Press" to "Eject"


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Posted by: CptTripps Mar 1 2014, 06:49 PM

Spent the morning working on the ECU.

The Hydra EMS that I'll be using needed some extra wiring, so after getting the pin-map from the manufacturer, I started building out all the pins and organizing.

Figured the easiest way would be to build an Excel sheet to keep everything organized.




The last part of the day was getting the transmission ready. I finally had all the parts to convert it to 2WD.

After opening it up, I was confused on how to get the 27mm nut off. A quick call to Ian and I was set straight.

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 1 2014, 06:50 PM

I needed to notch Ian's plate a little to get it aligned properly.

After that...it was all aces!

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 1 2014, 09:02 PM

ECU Success!

I had to run out and buy a Windows computer to run the Hydra software. Ultimately it was cheaper and easier to buy an IBM Thinkpad with Windows 7 than it would have been to buy a copy and get it set up. So now I have a dedicated ECU machine. (For $150, I'm not complaining!)

Hydra sent me a base map for the 2003 WRX, so I have a good starting point. The guy that had the ECU before me had a custom map. Maybe I'll load that up and see how it goes at some point.

So now I can see where all the different aux ports are and map them to things like "Launch Control" and other coolness. It'll be cool to have a dial like the Ferraris do for "Street / Race" modes.

Posted by: 914forme Mar 2 2014, 05:20 PM

Doug, don't solder your joints, get high quality crimpers and crimps, crimp them, then adhesive heat shrink over the joint. They are less likely to break and also are repairable if need be, with out cutting out a section. The heat shrink also acts a strain relief. But you can do it how ever you want.

I come from the computer world where when I started we soldered everything. I now crimp everything using crimpers and adhesive heat shrink as my strain reliefs.

But thats just me. You still should use an adhesive heat shrink for strain relief.

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 2 2014, 06:59 PM

I hear you loud and clear. I meant to type "de-soldering". Some of the Subaru connectors were soldered inside the connectors. I just ordered about 200 new female ends for all the different Delphi connectors. I'm also re-doing all the connections to the Hydra. In between, it'll be a using a termination block so I can move to other pins if I need to re-map something.

Posted by: 914forme Mar 2 2014, 07:53 PM

Carry on then good sir carry on.

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Mar 2 2014, 07:59 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 3 2014, 06:46 AM

QUOTE(914forme @ Mar 2 2014, 08:53 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 3 2014, 07:53 PM

I spent the night tearing down all the connections for the engine harness. All new high-temp wiring has been ordered in about 20 different colors.

I expect I'll have the entire harness done by the weekend. I've got it all mapped out in an excel sheet, and printed shrink tubing for both ends of each wire. So the plan is to get everything terminated to the connector, and leave 10' at the end so I can take a lot of time to wire it through properly to the termination block.


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Posted by: 76-914 Mar 3 2014, 11:24 PM

Your pedal assembly is ready for shipping tomorrow. I'll pm you tomorrow. I made some rubber stop pads. Ugly but effective. Note the washer orientation, don't mix washers. The one on the accelerator shaft is unique in size. Do not omit any washers or interference is possible.

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 4 2014, 08:40 AM

Looks AWESOME!

A couple points of clarification:

1: Is the gap expected? I'd assume YES so there is play for the clevis.

2: Are these washers needed? I'd expect 1-2, and the rest you're showing are to simulate the thickness of the body.

Thanks for the awesome work. Can't wait to get it back and stripped before I send it off to powder.


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Posted by: 76-914 Mar 4 2014, 10:20 AM

#1- correctamundo.
#2- no, they are used just to set it up and simulate the floor area.
Your assumptions are correct.

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 4 2014, 12:14 PM

QUOTE(76-914 @ Mar 4 2014, 11:20 AM)

Posted by: 76-914 Mar 4 2014, 02:58 PM

Nice, what colour is the car?

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 5 2014, 02:32 AM

Spent the night in the garage working on little things.

Ground and re-welded the tubes for the trailing arms. My welding skills aren't great, but WAY better than they used to be. These go off to powder in the AM.


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Posted by: CptTripps Mar 5 2014, 06:23 PM

Stopped by the sandblaster today. JUST in time!



When the dust cleared (pun intended) I got quite a sight.




So...my tub is in a LOT better shape than I was expecting.





Just a tiny bit of Swiss cheese on the passenger floor,
But everything else appears to be real solid.

They're etch-priming in the AM. I'll have it back in the garage on Saturday!

Posted by: Chris H. Mar 5 2014, 07:05 PM

Awesome. That's a great tub! Tiny little patch and a few plug welds for the extra holes drilled over the years and you're all good.

Posted by: Cairo94507 Mar 5 2014, 07:07 PM

That is so freaking exciting. You are lucky to be able to stop and see it in progress. I can't wait to go visit my car at Scotty's.

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 5 2014, 09:56 PM

Yeh, I was prepared for a nightmare scenario where there was a ton of hiding Bondo and dents. Lucked out this time I guess!

The actually helps quite a bit. I was expecting 3-4 weeks worth of bodywork, but I may be able to have the interior, bottom, and trunks painted by the 15th.

Posted by: KELTY360 Mar 5 2014, 10:54 PM

What did the hell hole look like?

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 5 2014, 11:27 PM

HH is good. It's been repaired in the past, and I'll likely clean it up a little more. (My welds aren't great...these are horrid!)

This is getting exciting.

Posted by: rnellums Mar 6 2014, 08:47 AM

It looks great! Its gonna be sweet painted!

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 6 2014, 11:16 AM

Spent last night working on the ECU.

File this under "OCD" but it was driving me nuts that the wiring on the ECU cable was A: Thin and B: Blue. It took me a while digging through Delphi catalogs, but I found the right connector and ordered a few hundred female pins. While watching TV last night, I was able to re-build all three of my ECU cables. I used a larger gauge teflon coated wire that will also terminate easily into a distribution block. I plan on making that half of the panel real soon.

I also snagged the Rhino label maker from the server room, and bought 1/4" shrink tube so I can print out labels for everything. I'm planning on doing this for every cable in the car. I know it seems like a lot of work, but I have a chart and can easily print everything out ahead of time, and then as I clip wires shorter, or build harnesses, I'm not having to look at a chart. I can easily identify every wire and know where it terminates and what it's for. One of those jobs that's easy to set up and stay on top of if I start it now.


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Posted by: 914forme Mar 6 2014, 06:29 PM

Your doing a great job, I have the labeler, the heat shrink tubing, and the harnesses lying around. Now I just need to get off my butt and get something done.

Your making great progress, keep it up.

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 7 2014, 03:13 AM

Worked for 2hrs on the engine wiring harness tonight. Ugh...this is a lot of work!

I've got it all mapped out now though. Only 2-3 that I need clarity on. I'll be spending lots of time searching for replacement plugs too. Other than thT and a few bits/pieces, the motor is pretty much built.

In other news, I talked to the sandblaster late in the day. There was a problem with the etching primer I'd given him, so they had to use a different brand. I'm not too worried about it. What they had was just a different version of the SW paint id given them. I'll have it back Sat morn now instead of Fri night.


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Posted by: tdgray Mar 7 2014, 09:07 AM

Doug... just make sure you tell the body shop that is painting it that you used etch primer otherwise they may put the wrong top coat on it and well.... bad things happen.

Ask me how I know

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 7 2014, 09:52 AM

Todd: I'll be doing the bodywork. PLEASE tell me what you mean? I was planning on doing all the filler on top of the etch primer, and then 2K primer over that before I apply the color. I may have someone else do the final top-coat and clear again, but if things go well, I may do it myself this time. (I feel more confident about painting this time around.)

Posted by: tdgray Mar 7 2014, 02:15 PM

2K (Urethane) primer should not go over etch primer. It has the ability to stick to bare metal and should not be used over etch primer.

I etched the TR6 and the body shop put urethane over it and it all melted together... when they went to block it down it just wiped away. They had to strip and re-primer. Nice big bill for me

I should have used what I usually use which is "z-chrome" from Claussen but I was doing it in batches and did not want to hassle with it... serves me right I guess.

Rick can chime in with a more specific reason why the etch and urethane do not mix... I only know what my buddy told me.

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 7 2014, 02:19 PM

We used a 2k etch primer that was specifically compatible with the 2k high build primer that I bought too. I SHOULD be ok in that department. I'll absolutely check though. Great tip.

Posted by: tdgray Mar 7 2014, 02:48 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Mar 7 2014, 03:19 PM)

Posted by: 76-914 Mar 7 2014, 03:28 PM

Doug, just run it by your paint supplier. Those guys usually sell just 1 or 2 brands so you may have to check a few places.

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 7 2014, 04:20 PM

Picking up the car tonight. Looks good...but I've got some work to do for sure!

Tomorrow morning I'll get to grinding and welding. Gotta map out all the spots of interest first.


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Posted by: CptTripps Mar 8 2014, 10:58 AM

Spent all morning in the garage, getting ready to fix the areas of the floor pan that needed attention. Nothing bad at all. After I got everything fitted, I took them out and sandblasted the replacement metal and primed them.

I also grabbed Garrett to give me a hand with marking all the holes on the Engman kit. He's only 7 but turning out to be a BIG help with tasks like that.

Going to work on the engine shelf and look inside the long after I get back from taking the boys to the dentist. I'm determined to lick this before sundown tomorrow so I can get back on track.


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Posted by: 76-914 Mar 8 2014, 11:56 AM

It won't be a biggie but that flange on the L rear patch will hold off that Engman piece a tad. It welds up flush but I don't think .030" offset will matter squat.

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 9 2014, 05:50 PM

Spent the weekend:

patching the floors...


removing the shelf...


...and fixing the hell-hole. (There's another thread on it, but here's the end-result.)

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 9 2014, 06:01 PM

This is the section that I was planning on cutting out next week to box in preparation for the Subie trans. I've got a piece of 2" steel tube that I would put between the two shock towers. Any other ideas? Is this enough room?

Posted by: Chris H. Mar 9 2014, 08:26 PM

Does your engine setup require you to cut all that out? All I had to do was cut a small hole for the starter in the trunk floor and another 3x3 square in the back for the intake manifold.

Posted by: JRust Mar 9 2014, 09:12 PM

Here are a couple pics of mine


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Posted by: JRust Mar 9 2014, 09:13 PM

One more. Sorry I can't resize on my mac worth a

You really don't need to cut out that whole area. The starter only comes through little bit. So just an access hole should be fine


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Posted by: CptTripps Mar 10 2014, 05:38 AM

I've got an intercooler that needs some additional piping, and was planning on mounting the ECU on it.

I don't see a cutout for the turbo. Did you move it?

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 10 2014, 05:57 AM

I love what McMark did with this one. Wish I had the spare parts to make it work.




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Posted by: Chris H. Mar 10 2014, 06:24 AM

OK I figured it was something if you were cutting a hole that big. I don't think Jamie's is turbo'd (yet).

That extended piece does look nice and stockish with the matching ribbed panels. I'm sure someone has a piece of trunk floor they could cut out for you...

Posted by: DBCooper Mar 10 2014, 07:16 AM

Excellent, that's what I've been trying to describe to people but I didn't know someone had already done it, that there was a photo. That's perfect, and if I were doing it again is the way I'd do it.

I think you'll find that how much you need to cut out, and where, depends on where the cradle, or whatever other engine mount you're using, locates the engine. That's the most important factor, then the engine's plumbing, tubing, whether the manifold was flipped, etc, etc. For my first cradle with the 901 transmission we kept the engine pretty much at the same position as the T4 engine, then when we did the Subaru transaxle we we moved the transmission forward an inch or inch and a half, because we could and because that gave the engine more space for the flipped manifold and the intercooler tubing. So I think how much you're going to need to do depends on what configuration you're putting in. But that big cutout that McMark did (damn, he's a smart guy) should cover pretty much any combination.

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 10 2014, 07:32 AM

QUOTE(DBCooper @ Mar 10 2014, 09:16 AM)

Posted by: 76-914 Mar 10 2014, 08:37 AM

Kiss the imposed April deadline good bye! You have a lot of work and it just keeps piling up.

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 10 2014, 08:46 AM

QUOTE(76-914 @ Mar 10 2014, 10:37 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 10 2014, 09:54 AM

Stopped by Cleveland Ohio Powder Coating to see what everything looks like this morning. They were just getting ready to put everything in the oven to pre-bake. I dropped off:

Front Struts
Front A-Arms
Front Mounting Pieces
Front Support Beam
Rear Trailing Arms
Brake Shields
911 E-Brake Shields and Mounts
Other pieces/parts

A bunch of it will be "Powder Chrome" and the other parts will be neon green.

I'll have everything back later today!


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Posted by: JRust Mar 10 2014, 10:08 AM

QUOTE(Chris H. @ Mar 10 2014, 05:24 AM)

Posted by: effutuo101 Mar 10 2014, 12:18 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Mar 10 2014, 08:54 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 10 2014, 04:41 PM

My powder-coater rules.


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Posted by: ruby914 Mar 10 2014, 05:12 PM

WOW, Nice
Looks Photoshopped.

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 10 2014, 08:33 PM

It's bright. That's for sure!

Posted by: mgp4591 Mar 10 2014, 09:09 PM

Bright AND protected for awhile! Great job at any price!

Posted by: effutuo101 Mar 10 2014, 09:11 PM

I love the colors!
also, when I did my /4 suspension, I did it the same "chrome" it came out really nice!

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 11 2014, 07:22 AM

Got busy with a few projects last night.

First, I finished up the hell-hole repair. I ran out of 18awg steel, so I picked up a few more sheets yesterday. The piece went in easy and after some fitment, I feel confident that I have it all buttoned up well. My welds aint as pretty as I'd like just yet, but they are getting a lot better!


Next, I played with the seats a little bit. For whatever reason, this part of the build still has me flustered. I just don't know what I want to do. On one hand, I have these bad-ass Carbon-Fiber seats I picked up for a song. They need recovered so if I want them in the car, I need to decide pretty quickly what I want to do. BUT...if I use them, I'm going to need to move the e-brake handle and use the Boxster handle I bought. That'll take some fabrication, and I'm not sure I'd ever really trust it if I needed to.


I'll ponder that later...time to get started on more welding before I move on to the trunk project.

I have this GT kit, and after I got this piece in place, I realized that I didn't have the instructions, and couldn't figure out where 2 of the other pieces went. So...I got these installed and left it at that until I can research placement, and if some of the other pieces are really necessary.

Posted by: 914forme Mar 13 2014, 05:42 AM

GT kits where made for the -6 cars, so the two pieces you have most like run up the inner logs towards the inner suspension console. They are covered by that much needed -4 engine mount on each side. You could cut them out, weld in the plates, and then put them back in as you need them for the Coldwater cradle.

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 13 2014, 06:41 AM

QUOTE(914forme @ Mar 13 2014, 07:42 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 14 2014, 10:03 PM

This is Dan. My new body guy.

I have to get on a plane to LIT tomorrow, then ATL on Monday, the. SFO on Tues. So I needed some backup.

He tells me he can get the body filled/blocked/everything by next Sunday. If he makes the FOLLOWING Sunday, I'll be happy.

Already sent me some progress pics. I'll post those in the AM.


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Posted by: 914forme Mar 15 2014, 11:11 AM

What was the decision on the rear trunk. I have McMarks rear trunk Evernoted for my Project as it is the cleanest factory looking one I have seen.

I got my cradle from Ian, have the mockup motor almost ready to go in and see what and where I need to clearance.

Your making great progress keep it up.

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 15 2014, 12:39 PM

Thanks Stephen. I "punted" until next week when I get the body back. I think I'm going to end up dong something similar, but without the "ribs" that McMark has. Honestly, I'm going so far off the reservation with the rest of the build, it doesn't make sense to put a ton of work into making it look stock.

Dan has been doing a great job on the flares. He got all the "waves" out of one of them about an hour after I dropped it off. He also fixed the welds that the other guy ground too much off of. He sent me a question last night about how to match the flares with the existing sheet metal down by the rockers. I know I've seen a few threads on it, so I'll keep digging. I dropped the fiberglass rockers off at his garage this AM on my way to the airport. I'll let him have fun with that!

Here's one of the pics he sent me last night. Already I can see a big improvement. I'm not sure what the other guy was doing with the pick-end of the metal hammer. Trying to shrink it up? Who knows. This guy is much better.


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Posted by: CptTripps Mar 16 2014, 08:10 AM

So I got an update late last night from my new body gut Dan.

He isn't happy with how far he got yesterday, but I sure am! He ground out and braised any of the thin spots that were over ground. Then modified the bottom of the flares so they match up with the body panels now.

Also welded all the little holes I wanted buttoned up. So far, I like what I see.

Here are a few of the 20 pics he sent me last night.


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Posted by: CptTripps Mar 17 2014, 09:02 AM

More pics from my body guy, while I'm out of town.

VERY glad I didn't try to tackle this on my own. He welded everything up, blocked it out, then re-sprayed it with more epoxy primer.

He's starting on the bondo (Using Rage Gold) work today. He'll have it blocked out and in 2K high-build by the time I get home on Thursday. He'll do a few more coat before it lands in my garage next Sunday.

From there, I've got to do the trunk work, then I'll paint the bottom and interior so I can get started on re-assembly of all of that before it hits the paint-booth for the exterior work on April 3rd.

in no time...

Posted by: McMark Mar 17 2014, 05:36 PM

Whoops! Shoulda had them mask off this section depending on what bearing/bushing replacements you're using. The PC thickness will come into play on most setups. Also, you'll likely have the grind the PC off the ID to fit the ball joint into the arm.

But I really like the chrome and green.

Glad you like the trunk restructuring we did. The top of the new section is the vertical wall from the trunk, cut and flipped. This kept the ribbing and gave us the smooth rounded transition. The other piece is a section of rear trunk pan from a donor car. I opted to leave the 'portholes' for a little more authenticity.

There is also a very important reinforcement section on the bottom of the new piece. The stock cars have a double wall, boxed section between the shock towers. Without replicating that box section or otherwise reinforcing the shock towers, you may experience flex or worse, tearing metal.

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 17 2014, 06:17 PM

Wow Mark...I completely forgot to have them mask the arms. They did it on the trailing arms and the struts.

The trunk work is going to be interesting. There are 2-3 different ways that I can go about it, but I'm going to have to wait and see what I come up with when I have the sawzall in my hand. Maybe I can get some advice on Wednesday when I drop by Mark?

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 18 2014, 07:56 AM

More progress from my body guy. He sends me about 20 pics every night at about 2:00am. The body of the message from these pics said he felt good about the drivers side now, and was going to work on the pass today. He'll have the whole thing in 2K primer by tomorrow and can start working on sanding/blocking everything again and again. "Looks like a lot in some pics, but after sanding it'll be nothing much thicker than a dime."

Posted by: effutuo101 Mar 18 2014, 08:18 AM

That looks great! Almost time to guide coat and block it out!

Posted by: Chris H. Mar 18 2014, 12:57 PM

Dude you're gonna hug it out with that guy when you get back. He's really diving in. Looks really good.

Posted by: 914forme Mar 18 2014, 06:55 PM

McMak thanks for the detailed shots. Doug that is looking super nice, how did you find your body guy? Looks like he's doing the work on the side.

Posted by: McMark Mar 18 2014, 09:32 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Mar 17 2014, 05:17 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 18 2014, 11:03 PM

QUOTE(effutuo101 @ Mar 18 2014, 10:18 AM)

That looks great! Almost time to guide coat and block it out!

QUOTE(914forme @ Mar 18 2014, 08:55 PM)

QUOTE(McMark @ Mar 18 2014, 11:32 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 18 2014, 11:07 PM

Here's his email from today. (He sends me about 20 pics every night.)

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 19 2014, 11:50 PM

Stopped by to check out McMark's setup over at Original Customs for an hour or so today. I didn't feel too trigger happy with the camera, but I really enjoyed looking at everything. I got to see some cool stuff...and we talked about my NEXT build a little bit.

Gotta get this one done first though!

I'll post pics of my car in the morning when I get a chance to check it out. Right now: It's "redeye" time.

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 20 2014, 10:58 AM

Stopped by this morning on my way home from the airport to check in and see how it was going. Man...I'm a happy camper.

The driver's side will be blocked out after he's finished with the passenger side later today. He's going to shoot the whole car with 2K one more time before I get it back.

He's really doing great work. I can't imagine how I'd have done this good of a job on my own. All the welds on the inside of the flares were ground down and feel nice. Every little hole is patched and now smooth. It's exactly what I was looking for.

Here are a few pics I took with my phone. Hope to have it back in my garage Monday after someone comes to grab the engine I'm shipping. (I need the room...badly!)


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Posted by: jimkelly Mar 20 2014, 11:06 AM

love love love all that chrome look powder coated suspension parts

my compass, similar to your gauges.






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Posted by: CptTripps Mar 20 2014, 11:52 AM

I DID look at using real airplane gauges at one point, but bailed on it pretty quickly. Too much work!

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 21 2014, 07:35 AM

It's really starting to come together on the body front.

He knocked out the lids and put a few more coats of 2K on the car yesterday with some additional blocking to knock it all down. I'm quite pleased. He's going to start on the doors today and I should be in good shape to bring it home on Monday so I can get the bottom, interior, and trunks sprayed with the base coat. I can start putting the wiring harness and interior in from there.


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Posted by: CptTripps Mar 21 2014, 07:37 AM

Just realized that I keep forgetting to take the clips for the rear sail trim off the car. I'll bet there is visible orange paint under them. lol...

Posted by: Philip W. Mar 21 2014, 07:58 AM

I love it when a build goes FAST!. How did you find the new body guy? looks like he is working out of his garage? looks good, though! what color did you say you are going to? and you are trying to put it on the road for Hershey? insane! are you sure you want to drive it on all the salt riddled roads from ohio to hershey?

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 21 2014, 07:21 PM

Working on the interior this weekend.

I printed all the plates I was going to have water-jetted out of 1/8" Aluminium. After I laminated them, I can mock everything up from here. Then I just need to make adjustments once and I should be in good shape.




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Posted by: CptTripps Mar 21 2014, 10:08 PM

Spent the night building the engine's wiring harness. I still have 3 sensors left to do, but I want to double-check the names and connections BEFORE I crimp them down. I started working on the dash plates like I mentioned in the previous post. There are a few changes I need to make to those before I have them water-jetted. Glad I played with paper first!


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Posted by: CptTripps Mar 22 2014, 07:28 PM

Stopped by to check on the progress today, and I'm loving what I found.

The body is primed, blocked, and ready to go! I was going to paint it at home, but he's doing such a great job, I have him some more work. He'll be replacing the rear trunk pan for me, and building the cutout for the Subaru stuff. I'll have the car back and painted by next Friday, just in time for my wife and kids to leave for the weekend.

I plan on cranking through the weekend and HOPEFULLY I can start the car at some point on Sunday.

We'll see...


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Posted by: CptTripps Mar 22 2014, 07:29 PM

Garrett also helped me swing by Slick Motorsports to work on the wiring harness. That's all done now too!




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Posted by: ruby914 Mar 22 2014, 10:06 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Mar 22 2014, 05:28 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 22 2014, 10:22 PM

QUOTE(ruby914 @ Mar 23 2014, 12:06 AM)

Burnout on Monday

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 23 2014, 06:11 PM

Spent the day doing all the little things I won't have time to, or want to do later.

Yanked the bearings and blasted the front hubs, blasted and painted the targa latches, blasted and re-sprayed about 20 little nick-knacks and cleaned the windshield wiper assembly.

Also bought a parts vibrator today after seeing McMarks's last week. Holy shit is this thing useful.


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Posted by: CptTripps Mar 23 2014, 06:35 PM

Here's what an hour in the vibrating parts cleaner thingy can do to a tired greasy box of bolts.


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Posted by: McMark Mar 23 2014, 07:26 PM

Posted by: bulitt Mar 23 2014, 07:47 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Mar 23 2014, 08:35 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 23 2014, 08:46 PM

The green glass pyramids, with some SuperClean and water.

I did a run with just water, and a dry run too. The mix I mentioned above worked the best. I ran it for about an hour each time.

And boy...if you thought stepping on a Lego in there feet was rough...this is WAY worse. You have no idea.

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 24 2014, 05:49 AM

Engine bay mod is done. Used 1.5" tube across the shock towers, then boxed it in place. I'm going to use the flat panel to mount a plate for the ECU and the wiring block. (I REALLY hope I gave myself enough room for the turbo and starter to clear.


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Posted by: OU8AVW Mar 24 2014, 01:21 PM

That's a cool way to box your trunk. The tube gives good strength and a nice round edge. Let's hope the motor fits

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 24 2014, 01:47 PM

Thanks.

Yeah, I THINK I'll be OK. I used dbcooper's pic as a template for how far out I needed to go...then added a few inches. I'm going to use the flat panel for the ECU and Wiring. I left myself about 6' extra from every lead so I'd be OK in the "worst-case-scenerio" of ECU wiring. I should also have quite a bit more support between the rear towers.

The inside and bottom edges are also 1" square tubing between the points. The inside triangle was also braced and welded up.

I'm going over to measure tonight and will set up the board so I can just screw it on and add the wiring as needed. I'm going for a very clean install. Like I used to do with car stereo installs back in the 90s.


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Posted by: CptTripps Mar 25 2014, 07:51 AM

Stopped by the car last night to check the progress in the trunk.

He'd ground down all the welds in the "box" and removed the rear section of the pan. This is going to be covered by interior vinly later, so I just need it to be ground down "enough" so I can do my thing there later.

Since this is a 1975 car, and had the bumpers converted, the piece I bought needed modified to make way for the bumper bolts. Not a big deal, but put a kink in the progress. I'm going to take some stuff over later for painting, but wanted to post these so people could see.

Also finished the install of the Engman kit. The car was pushed out by an extra 1/8", and by the time the kit was complete, the measurements between the windshield and targa bar are perfect.

The inside of the box will get packed with seam sealer after epoxy and before primer and paint, so don't fret too much about that. This also shows a better look at the inside braces. He's also going to replace that section of metal where the distributor for the SB350 was.


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Posted by: CptTripps Mar 25 2014, 02:00 PM

Because I'm going to need to go pretty fast on my wiring harness once the car gets here, I figured I'd do some advanced work on what will be needed. Holy shit are the instructions bad. The only thing worse, was the PDF that the company sent me. I'm not even joking...this is an example of what they looked like.



SO....I started hunting a little more. Lucky for me, someone else had the same issue and came up with a set of REAL instructions.



In case anyone else is looking...here's a link to the good ones.

http://www.goindesign.com/w4r/EZ2Wire-Manual.pdf

I guess EZ2Wire buys them from the same place and spent a few hours putting together proper instructions. Boy, am I ever grateful!

Tonight is going to be a lot of pre-assembly. I have the brake calipers to get ready, so I'll be putting all the pistons together and trying to locate the banjo fittings so I can get the lines made up when I have them in the car. I ordered about $100 worth of $2 pieces/parts from Pelican today. That'll all be here on Friday.

The car lands in my garage on Saturday morning...ready or not! (Oh, I'll be ready...)

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 25 2014, 02:18 PM

::: guess I forgot to add the pics :::

Posted by: 914forme Mar 25 2014, 06:25 PM

Thanks for the link, as I have the same harness. The drawings are just like the How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 25 2014, 09:53 PM

Spent the evening working on more little things.

Replaced the bearings in the front hubs.

Re-built the pedal cluster...again.

Painted a bunch of random pieces.

Re-stenciled the "Porsche" on the calipers.

Dan is CRUSHING the body work. I'll be stopping by tomorrow to check it out, but he was prepping for paint when I stopped by earlier in the day. It's really starting to feel like everything is coming together.


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Posted by: Zaney Mar 25 2014, 09:53 PM

QUOTE(914forme @ Mar 25 2014, 05:25 PM)

Thanks for the link, as I have the same harness. The drawings are just like the How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 26 2014, 05:54 AM

Here are the pics I got last night from Dan. Yesterday he got the rear trunk-pan welded in, fabricated a piece for the dizzy, epoxy primed all the trunks and engine bay again, seam-sealed the areas that needed it, and ten put a coat of paint on the trunks/interior/engine bay/underside.

Today hell get a coat on the car and then start blocking and sanding for another coat and then do it again until the body is ready to come home on Sat.

He's working faster than I am!


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Posted by: RazorbackFan78 Mar 26 2014, 08:58 AM

Posted by: tdgray Mar 26 2014, 12:10 PM

Good progress.... keep his number... I need to get it from you at some point.

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 26 2014, 01:08 PM

Just sent all my aluminium pieces off to be water-jetted this week. There's a local guy that's doing it for me. $160 for a 4X4 sheet of 1/8" 6061 Aluminium...and the jetting is included. :woot: I should have them on Monday!

It'll be a lot easier to build my console out and have all the switches in-line of I can do it this way. The ONLY thing I'm thinking about is a gated shifter. I may go back later for that one. I can have it cut out of plexi for $25 so I'm not wasting metal to do it.


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Posted by: CptTripps Mar 26 2014, 09:49 PM

QUOTE(76-914 @ Mar 4 2014, 01:24 AM)

Your pedal assembly is ready for shipping tomorrow. I'll pm you tomorrow. I made some rubber stop pads. Ugly but effective. Note the washer orientation, don't mix washers. The one on the accelerator shaft is unique in size. Do not omit any washers or interference is possible.

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 27 2014, 12:00 AM

I got a lot accomplished tonight.

Assembled one of the front struts tonight, just to see how it would all go together. I have some grinding to do! The powder on the area the caliper mounts is thick, so I don't have the right clearance. It sure looks good though!



Then I got to work on the trailing arms. Ground down all the extra metal with a grinding flap-wheel thingy, then welded the tabs on. From there, it was pretty easy.





Then I pressed the old bolts out of the spacers, so they're ready to be milled down (if needed) or just put over the other bolts I have now. (100mm)




All the while, Dan is hard at work on the body. I'll head over in the morning and take a look. He had the insides/bottom painted yesterday. He was going to get a few coats on the body this evening so I should be able to see it coming together when I get there.

Ok...I'm pooped. Time for bed!

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 27 2014, 06:45 AM

Just got a few pics from Dan. I'm real happy with the color. Very unique, and there certainly isn't another 914 out there in this color.

I'll take more when I go over later today.

Excited!!!


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Posted by: tdgray Mar 27 2014, 07:58 AM

Almost like a Jag Dove grey... little lighter... like it

Posted by: Philip W. Mar 27 2014, 08:00 AM

i do like it, i thought that was just a grey primer a first, is it a non-porsche color?

Posted by: Chris H. Mar 27 2014, 08:08 AM

Looks pretty much just like you wanted it. You're gonna make it to the meet too aren't ya? That's crazy.

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 27 2014, 08:13 AM

Chris: Unless it's snowing...or raining like hell, I'll be driving it there.

Todd: Yeah, that's exactly right. I wanted a deep grey that wasn't metallic at all.

Philip: It's not a Porsche color. There's a "Porsche Sport Grey" that I was going to go for, but it was a little too "brown" for me. I have this color matched up perfectly with a perforated vinyl and an Alcantara that should really make it look special.

I forgot to mention. Thanks to bdstone914 for getting me a set of hats in a hurry so I could get the rear arms together quickly. That made all the difference!

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 27 2014, 08:16 AM

QUOTE(tdgray @ Mar 27 2014, 09:58 AM)

Almost like a Jag Dove grey... little lighter... like it

Posted by: green914 Mar 27 2014, 10:30 AM

Looks great!

Posted by: bulitt Mar 27 2014, 10:47 AM

Love it! Thought it was going to be lime-green to match your parts...

Little darker than this

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 27 2014, 11:23 AM

QUOTE(bulitt @ Mar 27 2014, 12:47 PM)

Love it! Thought it was going to be lime-green to match your parts...

Little darker than this

Posted by: Johny Blackstain Mar 27 2014, 11:32 AM

Even though there is no such color, it looks like "gloss battleship grey".

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 27 2014, 12:32 PM

I'm going for a whole "fighter jet" theme with the car, so I could have left it in primer and been just fine. (I DID think about that at one point...)

I've got to run to the house, and then over there to drop some things off to him. (spray bed-liner for the bottom and wheel wells.) I'll take more pics then and see what we're dealing with.

Posted by: Larmo63 Mar 27 2014, 03:33 PM

I LOVE the color!!! I like the 911 color too, but I can't wait to see this thing together. Killer.

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 27 2014, 05:28 PM

I stopped by to drop some things off tonight. Overall, the body looks awesome. There dust in the paint, but it should buff out without issue.

I live the color. It's exactly what I was looking for.


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Posted by: 914forme Mar 27 2014, 05:35 PM

So when are you adding one of these?



There are herehttp://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elpages/infinitygrips.php

Or us an old computer joy stick. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Thrustmaster-F-16-FLCS-Flight-Control-System-Vintage-PC-Joystick-/111307375940

I would go for the real thing from Aircraft Spruce.

Posted by: mgp4591 Mar 28 2014, 12:24 AM

With the right wheels and tires that combo is gonna look killer, and if you're as attentive to that choice as you've been to everything else in your post it's gonna knock it outta the park! Great color and great job so far!

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 28 2014, 06:57 AM

Thanks guys.

I actually thought about a joystick like that for the shifter. I may still do it at some point, but that actually may add "labor" to driving the car...which I'm trying to avoid. It'd be cool to wire up the buttons for "Launch Control" and a few other goodies that I'm thinking about.

I spent all night on the wiring harness and getting everything mapped out and ready. I ran out of heat-shrink tubing for my Rhino label maker, so I ordered more from Amazon. I'll have it on Saturday and can work on finishing that in the morning before I run off to get the tub from Dan. I'm half-tempted to have him hold off on buffing it out too much. I may need to anyway after I have it in my garage for a week and walking past it. I'm going to look into a plastic sheeting of some kind to protect the paint until I get it ready for the final buff-out. Like that stuff that they have on the car from the factory before it gets to the dealer?

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 28 2014, 05:08 PM

My weekend is starting off right!

Stopped by to see the body before I pick it up tomorrow. Dan buffed out one quarter for me, and it looks like a mirror.

He sprayed the Raptor Liner on the bottom, and in all the wheel wells. Tinted to match the body color. Looks great too! Should offer great protection from rocks and such.

Tub comes home tomorrow, sans hoods and doors. He'll deliver those on Monday. I wouldn't be able to use them yet anyway. I'd rather be able to get stuff in/out of the car easily.

Here is a sneak peak of the car in (gloomy) daylight.


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Posted by: rick 918-S Mar 28 2014, 07:16 PM

Nice

Posted by: 914forme Mar 28 2014, 07:19 PM

That Raptor liner has a nice textured finish to it.

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 28 2014, 10:05 PM

Spent the night working on cleaning out the garage. After that, I started on the hubs.

Got the studs pulled on everything and then blasted the rear hubs and painted them. Nothing is going back on this car that hasn't been cleaned and/or replaced.

I used 2 of my 2" spacers to seat all the studs. I pressed them in, then used an impact wrench to get them seated and straight.

So...I've got that going for me...which is nice.


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Posted by: CptTripps Mar 29 2014, 12:49 PM

Got the car back in the garage as planned. I bought some "crash wrap" to keep the fenders from getting scuffed up while I'm walking past it, until all the crap leaves the garage this week.

I marked out the area of the center support that I want to cut out so it's easier to get to the wiring harness, and so I have room for the cables to the transmission.

Got her up on her side, and got to work...

...then about cut my finger off with a cut-wheel on my grinder. So now I'm sitting in the ER waiting to get this stitches up so I can get back to my garage!


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Posted by: CptTripps Mar 29 2014, 12:54 PM

On another subject...I'm loving the Raptor Liner.


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Posted by: Larmo63 Mar 29 2014, 02:00 PM

Dude, sorry about the finger. Heal fast, we like this thread!

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 29 2014, 02:55 PM

Oh, I'm not letting 6 stitches stop me. Headed home now to get back to work!

Posted by: PanelBilly Mar 29 2014, 03:35 PM

I got an owwie on my hand today too, but no visit to the hospital, just two band aids...

Posted by: 76-914 Mar 29 2014, 07:03 PM

. with Billie. If I can avoid an ER, hospital (read petri dish) I do.Duct tape and toilet paper makes for one Hell of a bandage. But it will heal faster if stitched. Doug, to what and how will you mount your shifter once you've removed that area detailed?

Posted by: Travis Neff Mar 29 2014, 07:43 PM

what color is that?

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 29 2014, 08:52 PM

Color: Dove Grey. NOT a Porsche color. I wanted something different.

ER: the cut wheel went through my leather glove, and the nitrate glove. I could see bone before I even took the glove off! Check it out!

http://instagram.com/p/mI2xhCn9Cc/

Shifter: I'm adding cross-braces so it'll be lower and give me room for cables.

I've been busy trying to get the damn front bushings on. The powder is WAY thick inside. Now I realized I have the tortion bars in wrong, so I'm trying to figure out how to remove them.

I rebuilt the steering rack while frustrated. Bead-blasted the case then re-greased everything. Looks awesome now.

I also put Ian's cradle and mounts in. They're awesome.


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Posted by: mgp4591 Mar 29 2014, 10:50 PM

Damn fingers, always getting in the way... glad you're not letting a little blood and bone get in yer way!

Posted by: ruby914 Mar 30 2014, 09:36 AM

That is a PITA place to be cutting your finger. Try not to bend it for the next 3 weeks.
Color looks great. Like a green monster hidden in the fog.

Posted by: IM101 Mar 30 2014, 10:20 AM

Wow, nice color on the cradle man! awesome progress!

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 30 2014, 07:42 PM

Busy day!

Got the entire suspension installed and ready. I still need to hook up the e-brake before I put the rear hubs on. Just want to make sure it's 100% before I press them.

Had the front suspension on/off 4 times. The bushings were too tight, and then when I finally had it right, I realized I hadn't put the 930 tie rods on. Then I did that and after I got it all back on, realized I forgot the steering rack bearing and boot. So...that was the 5th time. Ugh. I burnt 4h on stupidity.

Installed the master cyl and the hydronic clutch stuff. I'm not sure I have it right yet, so I'll re-visit that soon.

My engine never made it today. I'm bummed about that, but I got a lot of other stuff done, so I'm not too upset about it. Tomorrow night, I'll do some of the stuff in the engine bay and get the fuel system plummed and ready.

But...I feel great about all I got done. Especially with only 1 1/2 hands.


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Posted by: Larmo63 Mar 30 2014, 11:19 PM

Not bad for a guy with nine fingers......

Posted by: 914forme Mar 31 2014, 07:59 PM

Keep it up. BTW, what happened to the solstice mirrors?

Posted by: CptTripps Mar 31 2014, 08:45 PM

Solstace mirrors may or may not make it. They need a of work to make them fit right.

Dan and his brother Doug stopped by with the doors and hoods tonight. They're hard at work sanding and buffing while I'm putting DynaMat in the interior. It's starting to look amazing. I'm real happy with the body.

The rear proportioning valve is a huge pita to put back together. I took it all apart and cleaned the gunk out. Made up a gasket out of an old pack of cigarettes, and left a note for the next guy. Now I need to get it in a vice to put it back together.


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Posted by: CptTripps Apr 2 2014, 06:07 AM

Dan and Doug (Dan's brother) came over last night to finish wet-sanding and buffing everything. They're doing a great job. I MAY have the car sprayed one more time, and then clear-coated, but I'll make that determination after they are done, and before I put all the rubber seals in everything. It's single-stage paint that can be cleared, so I can go either way. I really don't want to do it after the seals are in place though. That never works out well.

I spent last night on the wiring harness, and getting ready for the engine to arrive. (Still..) I also got the metal plate ready for the ECU to be mounted. I was planning on doing that later today as well.

The harness I have was meant for a hot-rod that had the engine up front, and the fuel tank in the back...so I 've had to take everything apart, and move a bunch of wires forward, and even more back. I'll re-wrap everything this afternoon and see if I can get it in the car before I leave for DC Friday morning. I have a pretty big list of things to do between now and then.

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 3 2014, 07:27 AM

Cranked quite a bit last night while Dan and Doug were over finishing up the body work (for now.)

I installed Lava Mat on the back of the firewall to a: help with heat and b: look bad-ass. I still need to do the lower section, but the temperature in the garage was dropping and this stuff gets harder to work with when it's cold. Getting it worked into all the contours is important.

Here's a link to the stuff I got. The 4' X 5' piece may be a little big, but I'm planning on using it in the cabin if I can to help with heat from the radiator tubes

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0055BY2CQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0055BY2CQ&linkCode=as2&tag=putte-20


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Posted by: CptTripps Apr 3 2014, 07:28 AM

I also did the FG work on the speaker pods for the pillars. The holes were a bit too big for the separates I have, so I closed up the holes, and I'll re-drill and then cover in Alcantara.


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Posted by: CptTripps Apr 3 2014, 07:32 AM

I did a bunch of other stuff like blasting the slave cyl for the clutch, found all the locks and installed them in the trunks and deck-lid, installed the e-brake cables and checked all of that out, then I put the hubs on the front and back. I think I'm a little too long on the front studs. I'll deal with that later I guess.

Last thing I did was get the brakes started. Picked up a BUNCH of brakeline, and I'm mapping it all out. I put the hubs on, and placed one of the calipers...just to see what it looked like.

One last pic to show what she looks like all shined up!

Tonight I MAY have a motor to put in it. Still working out logistics. I've had more issues with moving motors this week. What a PITA.


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Posted by: cwpeden Apr 3 2014, 07:40 AM

Keep both hands on the tool, and dont remove the guard. Same thing with a zip wheel. Just lucky it didnt go further in the nail.

Posted by: jfort Apr 3 2014, 07:51 AM

I enjoy this thread and am amazed at your work. Keep it up. Hope to make if over there in a Porsche if the weather would ever break

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 3 2014, 10:38 AM

Thanks guys.

Yeah...I had both hands on it, it caught and swung around. the guard WAS on, but in the back position so I could cut the metal.

I'm meeting with my upholstery guy in a few hours to drop off the seats to be re-covered. They should look awesome.

Posted by: 2mAn Apr 3 2014, 12:19 PM

You're a madman!!! You're making great progress

Posted by: Java2570 Apr 3 2014, 12:47 PM

Wow, Cpt Tripps....this is one cool build! And I've found that I cut myself at least once every time I
do any work on my car....or it seems like it anyway! Can't wait to see this car up and driving!! Jon

Posted by: ruby914 Apr 3 2014, 01:53 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Apr 3 2014, 06:28 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 3 2014, 05:25 PM

Yeah...I know...I know. I miss-read that so I just took what you had handy. No biggie. Went with the kicker 6.5" separates. So the hole is about 3/4" too big. O-well.

Just dropped the seats off to be re-done. They're going to be pretty awesome. I'll wait to show you all what I came up with. :-)

Headed home to crank on the brakes tonight. I also had an issue with the rear hubs feeling like they're loose. I think they just aren't right enough. We'll see!

Posted by: Spoke Apr 3 2014, 06:41 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Apr 3 2014, 07:25 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 3 2014, 09:18 PM

QUOTE(Spoke @ Apr 3 2014, 08:41 PM)

Posted by: dan_the _body_guy Apr 4 2014, 02:15 PM

you better get cracking on it the 18th is coming fast. after all the 12-14 hour days i had on it that car better make it to hershey even if it has to be pushed there lol

Posted by: Chris H. Apr 4 2014, 02:34 PM

Weeeellllll look who it is....Dan the body guy! A lot of people want your number Dan. You did some great work on that car. Really nice job!

And

Posted by: dan_the _body_guy Apr 4 2014, 02:53 PM

QUOTE(Chris H. @ Apr 4 2014, 04:34 PM)

Weeeellllll look who it is....Dan the body guy! A lot of people want your number Dan. You did some great work on that car. Really nice job!

And

Posted by: 914forme Apr 4 2014, 06:23 PM

In the area, heck, I'll bring mine up on a trailer and rotisserie. You did some great work on that car.

And yes I agree with Chris

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 5 2014, 12:03 PM

Yup. Dan's my body guy from now on.

I'm in DC with my family this weekend, and in Vegas all next week, so I've got next Fri-Sun and the nights the following week to get it wrapped up. I didn't take pics but the electrical is about laid out and the ECU is back from being re-worked, so I'm closer than I appear.

I really need to work out the hoses and routing for the radiator. That's going to take some imagination and work.

Posted by: dan_the _body_guy Apr 5 2014, 07:47 PM

QUOTE(914forme @ Apr 4 2014, 08:23 PM)

In the area, heck, I'll bring mine up on a trailer and rotisserie. You did some great work on that car.

And yes I agree with Chris

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 7 2014, 03:23 AM

Drove home from DC this morning and just about met my motor guy in my driveway upon arrival. Good timing!

We got the motor unpacked and ready to attach to the trans. So that's what I did next!

After installing a new lightweight flywheel and organic racing clutch, I got everything put together and ready to go! Trans mated with no issues and the throw-out bearing snapped into place. Added the "magic flanges" because the time seemed right.



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Posted by: CptTripps Apr 7 2014, 03:28 AM

I lowered everything and had my neighbor and his son lift the car while I rolled the motor in place.

I'll get it jacked up and mounted this morning before I leave for Vegas. I'll be there a few days and then I'm back at this build until she starts.

My hope is, I'll be able to have it out to Matt's shop next Saturday morn to get the motor started and drive it home Sunday to install the interior. It'll be close. But I think I can do it.


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Posted by: CptTripps Apr 10 2014, 11:10 AM

No updates for a few days, as I've been in Vegas at a conference. I'm hitting it hard this week so I can drive it this weekend. Gotta make it happen!

Anybody want to come to Cleveland this weekend to help?

Posted by: rick 918-S Apr 10 2014, 11:16 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Apr 10 2014, 12:10 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 11 2014, 05:53 AM

QUOTE(rick 918-S @ Apr 11 2014, 01:16 AM)

Posted by: Philip W. Apr 11 2014, 06:09 AM

Doug, i'm not sure how you are going to get that on the road in a week! BUT you have some serious mad ninja build skills !
i hope all the electrical sorts out. it seems like that could be the only thing holding you back in the end. do you have the harness installed yet? wish i was going to Hershey this year, but seems i always have a conflict with C.E. conferences every april. - heck, its been a month since i started trying to get my brakes fully bled after replacing all the lines, calipers etc. so i hope that goes smoother for you than it has for me! - this might be the fastest build from tub to finish ive seen in being around the 914world the past 5 years! looking forward to more pics!!!!!!!

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 11 2014, 07:30 AM

I plan on having the brakes done by midnight, and if I can get the wiring and ECU mounted that'd be a great day.

Posted by: tdgray Apr 11 2014, 08:05 AM

QUOTE(rick 918-S @ Apr 11 2014, 01:16 AM)

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Apr 10 2014, 12:10 PM)

No updates for a few days, as I've been in Vegas at a conference. I'm hitting it hard this week so I can drive it this weekend. Gotta make it happen!

Anybody want to come to Cleveland this weekend to help?

I was actually supposed to be in Cleveland delivering the 911 but I got a stay of execution until June 1st.

Nice progress!

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 11 2014, 08:23 AM

Seats are done. :-)


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Posted by: rhodyguy Apr 11 2014, 10:14 AM

awesome, fast build.

Posted by: Qarl Apr 11 2014, 01:10 PM

Love the green stitching. Nice touch!

Posted by: dan_the _body_guy Apr 11 2014, 08:45 PM

get back to work! when youre finished putting the scratches and greasy paw prints on it from assembly let me know so i can give it a final buff and glaze before anybody sees it

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 12 2014, 08:19 AM

I went in to the office yesterday to grab something and ended up smack-dab in the middle of an emergency that the team was working on, so I didn't get back home until about 9p. No worrys...I've been in Vegas all week, and still working on "west cost time"

Worked till 2:30am on wiring....and I 'm up to go finish the job. This harness is SO easy to use. I'm going to go back through and mark all the wires I used, and where to use them so others can do this too. Even the good instructions are a little tough to understand.

Garrett is helping with wiring today, and I HOPE to get the cooling system plumbed at some point too. Gotta figure out the size hose I need, then I'm headed to McMaster Carr to pick up that and a few other do-dads.


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Posted by: PanelBilly Apr 12 2014, 08:27 AM

Go speed racer, go!

Posted by: 76-914 Apr 12 2014, 09:10 AM

I might have missed this part, but did you reinforce those wheel well cut outs? Looking good. I can't wait to see the total $$ build cost

Posted by: Spoke Apr 12 2014, 09:13 AM

Amazing progress!

The only way I could do this much work this fast is to have started 5 years ago, stored all the pics, and release them in sequential days. Awesome!

BTW, how will you cover the openings in the center channel?

This is the way the manufacturer should have made it so things are accessible.




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Posted by: CptTripps Apr 12 2014, 04:27 PM

Spent all morning working on the radiator and finishing up the wiring. Also stripped the paint off the rear tail lights and got them re-painted too. I'm going with black on them because the LEDs are bright enough.

Oh...I also got the motor/trans in the car. Clearances are perfect. Plenty of room. I'll be able to get the CVs in shortly and then will work on how in the hell I'm going to get water back there. Hmmmmmm....


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Posted by: 914forme Apr 12 2014, 05:37 PM

Doug, I have some concerns about your radiator mount. Most of the time they are mounted into a channel at the bottom, padded, and a set of brackets at the top that clamp them in place. The bungs you used are normally for the fan assemblies to be mounted to. At least thats what my rock crawler friends. They say that using the bungs will cause the vibrations from the car to rapidly flex at that point causing them to crack, and leak. Thats what I have been told. Now rock crawlers might see more forces being applied to their rads than we would. But I noticed that my stock rads all use isolated pin mounts at the bottom, and isolated pin mounts at the top.

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 12 2014, 07:13 PM

QUOTE(914forme @ Apr 12 2014, 07:37 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 12 2014, 10:38 PM

Ok. I'm calling it a night.

Got the dash mocked up. Plates show up Monday.

Got the engine all wired up, and the wires routed to the trunk wall for mounting. I'll hook up the ECU tomorrow and get that tidied up. The distribution block layout might change a few times...actually, I know it needs to.

Engine bay is starting to really come together. A few more doodads to add before I take it to the engine builder so I can get the inter cooler plumbed and ready to roll.

It's getting there...


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Posted by: dan_the _body_guy Apr 12 2014, 10:49 PM

very nice! its starting to look like a car again, get with me after you get it running ill finish buffing before hershey trip

Posted by: 914forme Apr 13 2014, 07:55 AM

Doug, let me know what other odds and end 914 pieces you need, I am sure I have them hoarded just for your build.

I PM'd you about the lens nuts.

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 13 2014, 12:47 PM

Thanks Stephen!

Spent all morning getting the cable shifter installed and hooked up. Now I'm on the the radiator hose.

I welded a 3/4" square tube brace to the tunnel. Not that it needs more bracing, but the height was perfect for what I'm building as a center console.

I also added a little shrink-wrap to the nut that connects to the shifter linkage. This fattened it up perfectly. The only modification I made to Ian's piece was to make the hole in the Aluminium arm a little bigger so it matches the hole on the clevis fitting. We're in business now. VERY tight shifting pattern!


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Posted by: CptTripps Apr 13 2014, 01:46 PM

Just decided that I'm going to take the radiator hoses up the tunnel. I have a lot of Lava Mat left for the entire tunnel, and it'll be a lot cleaner than going through the longs or under the car.

I can take a 4" square piece of Lava Mat, stick it to my finger, and hold it 3" over the top of an open flame with almost no heat on my finger. I think it'll work real well.

Posted by: McMark Apr 13 2014, 04:57 PM

Paint your PCBs black.

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 13 2014, 07:06 PM

QUOTE(McMark @ Apr 13 2014, 06:57 PM)

Paint your PCBs black.

Posted by: Chris H. Apr 13 2014, 08:30 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Apr 13 2014, 02:46 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 13 2014, 08:57 PM

I'm planning on taking a spin Wednesday night. That'll give me Thursday night to check everything over before I drive off to Hershey on Friday.

I may not have rocker panels or even much of an interior, but I'll be driving it.

Posted by: Qarl Apr 13 2014, 08:58 PM

You are a mad, mad, man!

Posted by: dakotaewing Apr 13 2014, 11:34 PM

How about a few more details on the front trunk...?
Show/give some more details on the radiator...!

Posted by: 914forme Apr 14 2014, 07:46 AM

My only issues with down the tunnel would be the possibility of heating brake fluid, or the fuel. Warm fuel sucks, but pre heated brake fluid could become a safety issue.

Warm fuel = less power.

Warm Brake fluid, means your closer to boiling it. I hope it works, because that makes for a nice well protected easy to run location. Might want to add some shielding for the lines. I know you said Lava Rock, with out testing Im not sure how well that stuff truly works.

Are they going to be tubing of the steel or Al. kind, or hose like green stripe?

Posted by: Jacob Apr 14 2014, 08:31 AM

Great work on you build! Thanks for sharing the pictures!

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 14 2014, 09:18 AM

QUOTE(914forme @ Apr 14 2014, 09:46 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 14 2014, 09:58 AM

QUOTE(dan_the _body_guy @ Apr 13 2014, 12:49 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 14 2014, 04:41 PM

For those wondering about LavaMat...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNc_WyJ_7KA

Posted by: Qarl Apr 14 2014, 04:50 PM

That's like 4-5 inches away. Tiny little flame.

HOW LAME!

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 14 2014, 05:11 PM

I'll try with a torch...just for you Qarl.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXQUnWSKS8A

Posted by: bulitt Apr 14 2014, 05:22 PM

At least you didn't stick it on your middle finger for the torch test!

Posted by: dudzy's914 Apr 14 2014, 06:39 PM

How did you do those LED lights? What lens, and what LED pagage did I you use?

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 14 2014, 09:20 PM

Getting closer...

I spent an hour on re-building the proportioning valve tonight. I put it together wrong last time. Doh!

Then I ran the rear brake lines and played around in the front trunk a bit. Got the front marker lights wired up and installed. Then I moved to the ECU and got everything wired and ready to connect. Marking everything was important.

I also installed the wiper motor and squirters, only to realize I'm missing one of the rubber gaskets. Sent an email to Mark about that.

I'll have the spacers for the rear hubs tomorrow so I can get them installed along with the CV joints and then I should have a chance at making my deadline.

Tomorrow I'll finish the brakes and MAYBE get the radiator hoses set up. Past that it's going to be figuring out where the inter cooler stuff can go and finishing wiring. This is going to be close!


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Posted by: bigkensteele Apr 14 2014, 09:36 PM

Doug, I am addicted to this thread. Can't believe how much work you are getting done so quickly, yet so well. You must be one hell of a project manager to keep yourself so focused and on task.

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 14 2014, 09:44 PM

Ha! I'm the worst PM in the world. Even my PMs at the office would say the same thing. My ADD keeps me bouncing around different parts of the car. I think that's why it seems like I'm getting so much done.

Honestly, I wish I was further along. I have a lot to do in 3 days to get it on the road. With all of this, we had a client spring a surprise on us so I may have to run out if town tomorrow for the day. That'll put a big kink in my plans.

We shall see...

Posted by: Dr Evil Apr 14 2014, 10:37 PM

When are you cruising through to Hershey? I plan to leave Fri AM sometime. I am on the way and can help call you a two truck if you get a problem This is impressive

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 15 2014, 07:09 AM

QUOTE(Dr Evil @ Apr 15 2014, 12:37 AM)

When are you cruising through to Hershey? I plan to leave Fri AM sometime. I am on the way and can help call you a two truck if you get a problem This is impressive

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 15 2014, 07:31 AM

QUOTE(dudzy's914 @ Apr 14 2014, 08:39 PM)

Posted by: JmuRiz Apr 15 2014, 07:41 AM

QUOTE(Qarl @ Apr 11 2014, 11:10 AM)

Posted by: bulitt Apr 15 2014, 07:49 AM

QUOTE(bigkensteele @ Apr 14 2014, 11:36 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 15 2014, 07:58 AM

QUOTE(JmuRiz @ Apr 15 2014, 09:41 AM)

QUOTE(bulitt @ Apr 15 2014, 09:49 AM)

Posted by: 76-914 Apr 15 2014, 08:08 AM

Don't sweat it. It won't happen till you hit 60. And at that point your ready for a little breather.

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 15 2014, 12:07 PM

I just hope it doesn't happen before Friday. I need to keep the momentum up.

Posted by: Qarl Apr 15 2014, 12:48 PM

Less posting and more...

You need to...

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 15 2014, 02:18 PM

QUOTE(Qarl @ Apr 15 2014, 02:48 PM)

Less posting and more...

Posted by: 76-914 Apr 15 2014, 02:21 PM

And when it's finished you need to do a "class photo" of your subs. Just don't post any cost figures. Some of our wives read these things.

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 15 2014, 05:47 PM

Ok. Back in the garage for the last hour or so. Here's what I got done.

The 5mm spacers came in from PM so I was able to get the back hubs, disks, calipers, and CVs installed. Tried the wheels on for size and realized the following:

A: 2" spacers in the rear are too much.

B: 1" spacers may be just right

C: I have a lot of negative camber in the front.

So now I'm 2" up front, 1" in the rear, and looking to replace these 100mm studs I bought! (Or at least put spikes on the end.)

...back to work on making brake lines.


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Posted by: CptTripps Apr 16 2014, 08:02 AM

Ok...more updates.

Spent the remainder of the evening working on the brakes, exhaust, and axels.

The pedal cluster bolts weren't really long enough for me to get a good grip on everything after the Raptor Liner was sprayed on, and the plate for the clutch slave plate was installed, so I needed to make a few adjustments. I tool a cut-wheel and got rid of the captive bolts that were in place. Then welded up the cuts, ground them down, and re-painted it. I just left the 2 holes. I'll use bolts that are about 1cm longer so I can get the threads on and feel comfortable with the safety of it all.

I also forgot to add the CV joint gaskets, so I had to pull everything off and re-do those too. After buttoning everything up...again...I realized that I may need spacers between the trans and the magic flanges. HOPEFULLY I can just pull the flanges, but I may not have enough travel available for that, so I'll need to pull the drive-half of the CVs off again before I get on the road. It's starting to look like a proper car from behind though!

The exhaust is going to be trickier. The divorced down-pipe I have drops just a LITTLE too low for me to weld the can directly to. There's also the question of how I'm going to orient it. The thinking right now is that I'll cut a 2" section out where the bung for an O2 sensor was, and use that for my wideband, and then weld the exhaust to that. I'll have to curve around the engine cradle and leave myself enough room to still get to the cradle bolts if needed. In reality though, I shouldn't need to pull the engine without taking the exhaust off. It's only 3 bolts and it'll come out in one piece.


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Posted by: green914 Apr 16 2014, 11:39 AM

Wow! You are making great progress - looking good.

Posted by: Qarl Apr 16 2014, 11:46 AM

Be safe!

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 16 2014, 12:57 PM

QUOTE(Qarl @ Apr 16 2014, 01:46 PM)

Posted by: Qarl Apr 16 2014, 01:03 PM

Wise man! Enjoy your kids!

Posted by: 76-914 Apr 16 2014, 04:04 PM

Doug, great idea on the longer bolts (and spending time w/family). I have a unit here that I was about to ship but will modify it before releasing it.

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 17 2014, 07:31 AM

Last night's progress: Watched MIB-2 with the family and consumed a pizza.

Tonight: Get a box of stuff ready to sell in Hershey. Maybe clean the car too?

Posted by: Chris H. Apr 17 2014, 07:43 AM

Good call. Safe travels.

Posted by: effutuo101 Apr 17 2014, 03:53 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Apr 16 2014, 07:02 AM)

Posted by: 76-914 Apr 17 2014, 04:15 PM

You need to fab something? I thought you bought Ian's kit? I can't imagine anyone's set-up extending further than the end of the shift rod, though!

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 17 2014, 04:32 PM

I believe he's thinking for exhaust work.

I'll look at it tonight. I agree that it's not much past the Trans rod.

Pics in a bit. Stay tuned.

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 20 2014, 04:56 PM

So after seeing people DRIVING their 914s, I'm motivated to get mine on the road!

Picked up a few goodies this weekend in Hershey. Headed out to the garage to put them to good use!

I'm out if town until Thurs morn, but plan on working hard Thurs afternoon, and then all day Fri and Sat. Hopefully I really can drive it on Sunday. Even just around the block would be nice.

Posted by: RonW Apr 20 2014, 05:55 PM

Looking forward to the drive report!

Posted by: 914forme Apr 20 2014, 06:14 PM

Oh you tease, no pictures of the swap meet loot?

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 21 2014, 11:16 AM

Swap meet loot for the 914 consisted of a 5-lug space-saver spare (that only ended up costing me $15), some 1" spacers, and stainless kick-panel plates. I'll take pics as they're installed. :-)

I'm on a plane to ATL right now and them head to SFO tomorrow. I'll be back in the garage Thursday to start on the home stretch.

I DID get the brake lines made up for the Boxster conversion last night...so that was cool. Now all I need is the set I ordered from Eric to show up, and I'll be stopping like a boss!

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 24 2014, 04:49 PM

I did a ton of work this afternoon...but only took a few pics.

Made and bent the clutch line from the master to the slave. Needed to use 3 different thread ends and 2 flare types, but it's all good.

Made the double flares on the brake lines I made for the Boxster brakes to the soft lines. Those are good to go now.

Blasted and painted the seat rails, battery tray, and the gas tank. Those will all go in tomorrow.

The radiator tube was more flexible than I was expecting, spin was able to go through the longs there. I'll close up the hole I made to get them into the tunnel tomorrow.

I also filled in the exhaust cut-outs that the PO made in the bumpers. My exhaust will be very different. I'll work on that tomorrow too.


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Posted by: CptTripps Apr 25 2014, 08:16 AM

Picked up the dash plates today from the "The Metal Shop" in Maple Heights.

1/16" brushed stainless. I MAY paint these, or cover them in suede or vinyl. Haven't decided just yet. (photo of a quick test below.)

I made a couple of the holes just a smidge too small, so I need to open a few of them up, but that's not a bog deal at all. Especially considering that the other 100" holes are perfect.

I emailed a CAD file and picked this up a few days later. A+ in my book!


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Posted by: CptTripps Apr 25 2014, 08:23 AM

Here's a refresher of what I mocked up for the center console. The only difference is that I'll have an 8" sub in the back of it. I need to get in there to see where it'll fit and how I'm gong to seal it up. Other than that, the plates are the same.


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Posted by: 914forme Apr 25 2014, 08:40 AM

Since you where going for the aircraft theme I would paint them car color. Most fighters are painted the same base color inside and out. Or a matte black. But that is just me,

Posted by: Moneypit Apr 25 2014, 08:44 AM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Apr 25 2014, 09:23 AM)

Posted by: Dr Evil Apr 25 2014, 10:13 AM

Doug, what gauges are those? I like them a lot.

I am also considering suede for my /6 (someday).

Posted by: Qarl Apr 25 2014, 10:15 AM

If you go suede, make sure it's an automotive grade that can handle the heat/sunlight.

I've seen too many guys on my Lotus forums spend $$$$ on custom suede interiors only to have them deteriorate within a year.

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 25 2014, 10:53 AM

QUOTE(Dr Evil @ Apr 25 2014, 12:13 PM)

Doug, what gauges are those? I like them a lot.

QUOTE(Qarl @ Apr 25 2014, 12:15 PM)

Posted by: Dr Evil Apr 25 2014, 12:01 PM

How did you contact the gauge folks? All of there "contact us" links are dead. I need to find a place to make a custom gauge for my bike projects. I found a few places I liked, but they were not interested in motorcycle gauges due to weather proofing.

Posted by: Dr Evil Apr 25 2014, 12:03 PM

Never mind....one of their links on home page worked

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 26 2014, 06:47 PM

I flat out cranked today.

Spent some time cleaning the garage and getting organized, then started on the painting that needs to get done. Also did quite a bit of sandblasting of parts.

Painted almost all the trim a darker version of my dove grey. Painted all the plates that color too, and built a few of them up.

I'll start on reassembling the doors and windows tomorrow.


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Posted by: CptTripps Apr 30 2014, 10:19 AM

Not much visible progress to report. Just a lot of wiring work and getting the interior measured out to install starting tonight.

The dash has been cut up and glassed in so I can cover it in vinyl. I still need to work out how I'm going to cover the tup of the gauges...that part can wait though. I'll clean up the tack welds soon. I'm planning on using some Bondo to make those transitions a lot nicer before I cover it in vinyl or Alcantara.

I (finally) got the steering wheel back from Alan Gun in Plantation Florida. I think he did an "OK" job on it. Not worth the money I paid to have it done, it looks decent, and is a better job than I'd have done.


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Posted by: Moneypit Apr 30 2014, 10:52 AM

I'll just leave this F4 Phantom ejection seat handle here, because you could totally mod this into an e-brake lever...

http://www.flighthelmet.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=FHL&Product_Code=EJSP-3086&Category_Code=EJSP


Or you could get a pair of full Ejection Seats for like $2200 a pop. Really complete the look!

Posted by: 76-914 Apr 30 2014, 05:34 PM

Doug, it looks like you are 90% done with 90% to go. Looking nice!

Posted by: CptTripps Apr 30 2014, 07:49 PM

90%: totally agree! That's what it feels like too.

I've had a lot of personal stuff to deal with this week, but I'm going to start hitting it hard tomorrow.

That ejector handle is awesome. That's how I already have my e-brake and seat movers painted up.

Posted by: Moneypit Apr 30 2014, 09:08 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Apr 30 2014, 08:49 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps May 1 2014, 07:29 AM

I actually looked at aircraft seats. Everything I could find was way too wide, or way too tall. They'd be awesome for racing though. Real high bolsters.

The interior is important, but right now I need to concentrate on all the little crap that needs to get done. Wiring. Radiators. Intercooler. Those are the top priorities.

Posted by: 914forme May 1 2014, 07:49 AM

QUOTE(Moneypit @ Apr 30 2014, 12:52 PM)

I'll just leave this F4 Phantom ejection seat handle here, because you could totally mod this into an e-brake lever...

http://www.flighthelmet.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=FHL&Product_Code=EJSP-3086&Category_Code=EJSP


Or you could get a pair of full Ejection Seats for like $2200 a pop. Really complete the look!

Posted by: Moneypit May 1 2014, 07:58 AM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ May 1 2014, 08:29 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps May 1 2014, 02:46 PM

Ha. Yeah, look back a few pages. The seats are re-covered...and awesome. I'm hoping the Alcantara keeps me stuck in the middle.

Posted by: Moneypit May 1 2014, 02:55 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ May 1 2014, 03:46 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps May 3 2014, 12:34 PM

Ok. Lots to talk about.

I need to add more pics later...

I got the pedal clister and masters installed. Them moved to wiring.

Since I didn't have the connection to the wheel any more, I soldered leads on the I can connect up to the harness I have. Should be all set, as I've toned everything out.

Finished adding dynamat to the entire interior and doors. Dead as dirt now. Going to be great.

Painted a the trim, and drilled out the holes for the LED holders I have. There will be 5 lights in the targa bar trim that should keep people off my ass.


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Posted by: CptTripps May 3 2014, 03:05 PM

Got goodies from Eric today. :-)


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Posted by: Maltese Falcon May 4 2014, 01:33 AM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ Apr 30 2014, 06:49 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps May 5 2014, 04:14 AM

Took a day off to be with my family, and then hit the garage yesterday.

Realized that for the 2nd time, I'd built the proportioning valve wrong. So...back apart again. I'm getting good at this! The trick is to replace 2 bolts first with real long ones, then back it out that way. Installation is the reverse. No muss no fuss.


Then I started on door seals and working towards getting the windows back in. The new triangle seals from 914rubber.com are really pretty awesome. Took lots of stretching and prodding but I'm locked in place now.


One thing I'm stuck on is the vertical targa seal. 1: Is this installed correctly. 2: should I cut the rest off?


I got the rear brakes all set, and am missing a fitting that'll let me complete the front. Need to call Eric on that today.

Today I'm going to finish the radiator and get that started. I can start the thing without an intercooler...but not without water.

Posted by: Maltese Falcon May 5 2014, 10:18 AM

The end of the vertical seal at the top (your picture) is incorrect.
Porsche Panorama had an article on this , and I do remember that the instructions were to carefully trim an angle to match the angle where there Targa top window seal meets it. In essence: both edges may require a careful trim ( at their meeting point) and would look like a 45° joint. Since the top clamps down with pressure, allow enough extra material to ensure air+water tight sealing and should help eliminate Targa top rattles as well.
Marty

Posted by: CptTripps May 5 2014, 10:33 AM

So I need to push it down further than I have it now? If there's a "finished" end like that, I'm assuming that it would go on top so water wouldn't leak down inside of it and become trapped.

Posted by: McMark May 5 2014, 10:51 AM

Get the top on and inspect how the two seal interact before you cut anything.

Posted by: Maltese Falcon May 5 2014, 11:50 AM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ May 5 2014, 09:33 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps May 5 2014, 08:22 PM

Yeah...I need to get the top on sooner or later. Now I just need to find it. :-)

Posted by: scotty b May 5 2014, 08:31 PM

QUOTE(McMark @ May 5 2014, 08:51 AM)

Posted by: CptTripps May 6 2014, 07:45 AM

I'll be back in the garage later today and the first thing I'll be doing is checking the top out. I want to get the seals done so I'll have one less thing to worry about at the end of the build. The body work is all done now, so the seals are just one more thing I can do now to feel like I'm making progress.

My hope is to have the seals in, and the doors full of windows and electronics by the end of the day.

Posted by: CptTripps May 6 2014, 03:39 PM

So I didn't touch the doors today. I focused on the exhaust and radiator. Can't start the car without either of those!

The exhaust wasn't all that hard after I started in on it. I needed to cut the Crucial down-pipe to make it a little shorter, and bent out to move away from the engine cradle. After welding those up, I ground it all down and welded it to the exhaust.

But I didn't end up doing that great of a job. I'm askew just a little bit. No biggie, I'll just rotate it later and re-weld the pipe.


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Posted by: CptTripps May 6 2014, 03:42 PM

With the radiator, I changed the size of the holes, and made way for rubber grommets. After welding it into place, I feel good about the fit. The grommets give me enough "wiggle" so it's not solid on the chassis. I'll make up a shroud later after I get the tubing run.


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Posted by: 76-914 May 6 2014, 08:12 PM

Those grommets might come back to bite ya, Doug.

Posted by: CptTripps May 7 2014, 04:55 AM

What would be a better idea?

Posted by: bulitt May 7 2014, 05:25 AM

Here is a very clean Install, and the frame makes attaching the shroud easy.

From a post by joefri187

The radiator is floating, not bolted directly to the frame as I've heard that bolting directly to the frame can cause the radiator to crack as there is a lot of expansion when hot...

It sits on rubber mounts on the bottom and bolted on through rubber grommets along the top edge.

And yes, it works great and everything stays cool!!!

Posted by: 76-914 May 7 2014, 08:13 AM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ May 7 2014, 03:55 AM)

Posted by: ruby914 May 7 2014, 09:49 AM

I think Kent has a good point. It is nice to have your radiator floating.
Check Summit, http://www.summitracing.com/search/part-type/radiator-mounting-brackets
or just Google; Radiator mounts images for ideas.

Posted by: CptTripps May 7 2014, 04:03 PM

Alright. I think I see how I can modify what I have already welded in place, to accommodate a truly floating radiator setup.

Started wiring the motor to the Hydra today. After that it's the rest of the wiring. Hope to finish wiring tomorrow at some point!

Posted by: MMW May 7 2014, 04:20 PM

I would fab a U shaped bracket lined with rubber that rad would sit in. This would support the weight & then the top brackets would only be holding it from moving front to back. Top brackets can also be U shaped/rubber lined over the top of the rad & then bolted into your top bar.

Posted by: CptTripps May 8 2014, 08:47 AM

Yeah. On further investigation, I'm going to re-work that setup after I get it running. Today I'm concentrating on wiring and the intercooler. Those two pieces need to get done, and I'll order some parts for the radiator doin can tackle that later.

I've got the entire interior dynamat-ed and just picked up the banjo bolt I needed to finish the brakes. I forgot (somehow) that Stoddard is about 10min from my house, so I can pick up parts from them for the "Porsche" pieces of the car a lot faster than I realized.

Posted by: mgp4591 May 8 2014, 09:32 AM

Besides the rubber U cradles (most cars have at least those) you can pick up radiator bolts that are really just rubber pieces with threaded shanks coming out either end. One bolts into the radiator, the other into your support bracket. That way it really does float and absorb all that nasty vibration and the U cradle simply is a soft place for it to sit. Check at Honda, Toyota and Nissan dealers- not really sure if yer local Auto Zone would have those... I just think so many of us are in awe of your progress that we'd cry if you had a coolant meltdown!

Posted by: CptTripps May 8 2014, 09:18 PM

Finished all the brake lines today, but haven't bleed anything yet. Still have the gas tank in/out so much to work out the radiator hoses. Which I finally did today.

Bent down one of the ribs in the gas tank, and cut a few openings. Now I'm in business. I need to put a valve in to relieve air, but I'll make it work.

Took this just before I finished it. Radiator: Plumbed!


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Posted by: CptTripps May 8 2014, 09:20 PM

Forgot one...


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Posted by: 914forme May 9 2014, 08:48 AM

I hope your hose mating holds up. I would not trust it in my car. You can find transitions and put some humps on them, or get the from places like http://www.jagsthatrun.com/Pages/Parts_Cooling_TransHoseSplicers.html Then use a quality clamp and not the worm gear clamps. They will cut into the hose and cause failures down the road.

You can bead transitions if you find them locally using a beading tool, or build one out a vice grip and muffler clamps. You can slap solder, braze, Mig or Tig a bead onto material if need be. I have used all the above methods with success. In a bind depending on the tubing size you can also cut threads into the OD. And you can use epoxy to build your hump. Though I don't like the last one nearly as well.

Also, please put some protection around your hoses where ever they go through bulkheads, they will wear really fast in those areas. I am sure you have thought about that and the picture just don't show it.

Just trying to get you to and keep you

Keep up the great work Doug

Posted by: CptTripps May 9 2014, 09:48 AM

I have better threaded transitions on order already. That's why I left all the hose a little long. It'll be easy to add them, and I need to keep moving.

I put a bunch of seam sealer in the opening so I'm not rubbing against metal. Again, I'll add more later after everything is together and I know where the "run spots" are. Mocking everything into its final position right now is key.

I'm kinda stuck on the fuel pump. Originally I was going to use the stock in/out of the tank and mount the fuel pump externally. Now I'm looking at cutting the tank and using the Subaru one. One of the outputs on my Walbro pump is too shallow to mount anything to. Back to the drawing board there I guess.

Posted by: rhodyguy May 9 2014, 02:33 PM

the beading that runs along the sides of a engine lid might dress out the hole and protect the coolant hoses.

Posted by: CptTripps May 10 2014, 10:31 PM

For a new in-line fuel pump and re-did the lines to the tank. I also finally got the last piece to my master cylendar for the clutch.

The issue I have now is the clutch slave isn't moving. I've blead the line...but it won't budge. Just still feels like there is no resistance. Fluid squirts out when I'm bleeding it. But it doesn't move at all. I'm stumped.

Posted by: Mike Bellis May 10 2014, 10:42 PM

Did you bench bleed your new master? Could still have a bubble inside.

Posted by: mgp4591 May 10 2014, 11:34 PM

The slaves I've dealt with will bleed fluid all day long but they need actual pumping to get them to activate. You've probably done that- I'm just throwing in my 2 cents...

Posted by: Mike Bellis May 10 2014, 11:44 PM

If you push the master, the slave should move the same relative amount. If not, there is air in the system. Hydraulic fluid does not compress easy like air.

Posted by: 76-914 May 11 2014, 07:13 AM

QUOTE(Mike Bellis @ May 10 2014, 10:44 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps May 11 2014, 12:25 PM

Gawd. Ok. I'll dig into it tonight. Such a pita.

I've put 8oz through the slave and still not engaging. I'm starting to think it may be the master.

Posted by: Mike Bellis May 11 2014, 12:33 PM

The bubble is in the master. That's why you bench bleed. Then you take the drippy messy thing to the car and try to install it without spilling brake fluid everywhere.

BTW, I'm running a Howe 5/8" master with my stock VW slave. Not sure what size the VW slave is but it bolts right onto the Cayman 6 speed. Works great!

Posted by: 76-914 May 11 2014, 01:19 PM

Search "bench bleeding clutch master cylinder". There are several videos that are quicker than explaining with my limited vocabulary. It takes some force to push in the plunger but it will go. Or, bench bleed it in place and have someone pump the pedal for you.

Posted by: CptTripps May 12 2014, 04:03 AM

Bench Bleeding: Got it! That seems like the issue I'm having. I imagine it has something to do with the master being at an angle down there. I'd tried to do it with my "Power Bleeder" but the result was the cap blowing off the master and a puddle of fluid on the garage floor.

Ugh...

Posted by: CptTripps May 15 2014, 07:23 PM

Anybody want to come help me finish this thing? I could use a 'friend' in the garage.

For the last several weeks, I've been having trouble staying focused. I'm about to go through a very sad separation/divorce and have almost no motivation to work on this car right now. I'm just emotionally exhausted.

So...if someone wants to come up for a weekend to play in my garage and help me knock through the list of "to-do's" I'm happy to get you a ticket if I can.

Just throwing it out there...

Posted by: bigkensteele May 15 2014, 07:39 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ May 15 2014, 05:23 PM)

Posted by: 76-914 May 15 2014, 08:19 PM

Aw man I'm so sorry to hear this. I'm too far away to be of any real help to you. I'm sure the OH 914 Mafia will be here to help you shortly, Doug.

Posted by: Qarl May 15 2014, 09:52 PM

Sorry dude. I'm about to fly off for vacation for a few weeks, or I'd head out.

Take care of YOURSELF first. The car is just a material possession.

Be happy for the future. Have a beer (or something stiffer) and look out for your own interests first. Divorces can be messy and stressful. Listen to you attorney.

Take it a day at a time, and go hammer on the car if you need to get away.

Posted by: Dr Evil May 15 2014, 10:12 PM

Lemme check my schedule and see if I am able to get free.

PM or txt me and I bet we can work something out.

Posted by: rick 918-S May 16 2014, 05:25 AM

Sorry Doug, I have my own fish to fry. I'm supposed to finish two cars by next weekend. Heat is on here.

Posted by: CptTripps May 16 2014, 06:44 PM

Got a second wind today.

Bench blead the masters, then the clutch and brakes. Not a fun "one man" job, but I got it close and was able to chase leaks. I should be good for now. I can feel the clutch engaging and the brakes pushing.

Now I'm wresteling with the wiring diagram. This is going to be a lot of work, but I think I have a good bit of it sorted. Need a few relays I wasn't planning on. No worries there.

I think I'm going to tackle the tail lights and then start in on the headlight buckets while I ponder the wiring.

Posted by: 76-914 May 16 2014, 07:15 PM

That's the trick. If something stumps me I move on to something else and return to it later. Just keep moving forward, always forward.

Posted by: CptTripps May 18 2014, 05:49 AM

Looks like the good Dr (or the Evil one anyway) is coming out this week for a few days to assist me with the wiring. That's really the last major piece before I can get it to the engine guy to finish the inter cooler and turbo lines.

I may be driving it in a week after all!

Posted by: edwin May 18 2014, 07:30 AM

Just make sure the Dr doesn't touch a welder while he's there.
Keep up the good work, I'm looking forward to seeing the result when it's done.

Posted by: 914forme May 18 2014, 09:53 AM

Doug as I have said else where I would love to come up, yet I am booked solid for several weeks. I get you got torpedoed, I would be devastated also. As I am sure you have figured out life moves on..... Control what you can control, the only people who really win in this situation is the Lawyers.

It will be july before I get a free day, if your still struggling then I'll gladly lend a hand where I can. BTW, I make a pretty mean brisket, and pork butt. So if you need to feed some guys for the final push an its in July, I can offer my smoker and skills to feed a much more mechanically skilled group, than I am.

Posted by: CptTripps May 18 2014, 07:51 PM

Thanks guys. I'm actually feeling better.

Spent 2-3hrs in the garage cleaning and organizing today. Then I got busy on some of the wiring. Started wiring the hydra to distribution blocks. This will make wiring easier.




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Posted by: Krieger May 18 2014, 07:59 PM

Posted by: CptTripps May 18 2014, 09:01 PM

18 down, 40 to go!

Now that I have a plan for the wiring, it should go a lot quicker. I need to get some more terminal ends though.

Posted by: Dr Evil May 18 2014, 09:11 PM

Shit, what the hell will be left for me?

Edwin....that was a low blow you fucker Just kidding I have recently purchased a TIG, though. It has yet to arrive. I have been practicing my MIG skills and they aint bad. Spool gun MIG with AL is not great...I hope to do better with TIG. See me when I get down there in Aug for my transmission clinic that may be moved again. Gonna be in Canberra.

Posted by: tdgray May 19 2014, 08:08 AM

Let me know guys... busy as shit right now but I can free some time up if we have a plan.

Posted by: CptTripps May 19 2014, 08:13 AM

QUOTE(Dr Evil @ May 18 2014, 11:11 PM)

QUOTE(tdgray @ May 19 2014, 10:08 AM)

Posted by: MMW May 19 2014, 09:14 AM

CptTripps wrote - "DrEvil will be at my house this Wed/Thurs. Come up after work and play with us. Should be a good time."



That sounds sooooo wrong.

Posted by: CptTripps May 19 2014, 01:22 PM

QUOTE(MMW @ May 19 2014, 11:14 AM)

Posted by: Chris H. May 19 2014, 01:44 PM

Noooooo...let's right the ship on this one boys...

I'm picturing something more like this:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_g0mUyH6dI8


Who gets to be Will Ferrell?

Posted by: Dr Evil May 19 2014, 01:58 PM

Posted by: CptTripps May 19 2014, 02:06 PM

Dude. We're TOTALLY doing Karate in the garage. We just need to move a car out first.

I'll buy a watermelon and bring my samurai sword home for the office. It's no signed by Randy Jackson or anything though.

Posted by: Moneypit May 19 2014, 02:11 PM

I don't see why a couple dudes can't spoon and have it not be gay

Posted by: dan_the _body_guy May 19 2014, 02:17 PM

just try to refrain from sword fighting and above all else DO NOT tea bag the drums or the car!

Posted by: tdgray May 20 2014, 07:03 AM

Let you know Doug... have union negotiations Thursday so who knows how that will go... considering I did such a good job last one

Posted by: CptTripps May 20 2014, 07:25 AM

It'd be great if you could come up tomorrow OR Thursday Todd. Seriously, it'd be a big help.

Here's the list of things I need to do on the car.

Lots-O-Wiring (DrEvil actually WANTS to do this one.)
ECU Mounting after I finish the pre-wiring. (I'll have that done tonight though.)
Headlight buckets. (I need the plastic grommets to finish this, I can't find them anywhere.)
Intercooler air tubing installation.
Intercooler radiator and canister installation.
Brake and clutch re-bleeding.
Throttle cable installation. (This is a bitch to try to get through that tube, I'm just going to re-drill a hole for it.)
Radiator fill-valve installation.
Window and windshield installation.
There's an oil line for the turbo that I need to install and route. I think it connects to the AOS that I have. Need to double-check that part.

The seats and carpet can wait until I have something wired up properly TO install them in. I'm going to work on making the center console tonight. I also need to cover the dash in the vinyl I have so that can be ready for DrEvil to wire things into.

Posted by: 914forme May 20 2014, 06:41 PM

Headlight buckets. (I need the plastic grommets to finish this, I can't find them anywhere.)

I just cut up a front clip, I should have these,your taking the pivot arms bushings, right?

Posted by: CptTripps May 20 2014, 10:16 PM

I actually need the drop-link arm, bushings, and rotator thingy for both. I have 1 sides arm, but am missing the other bushing. I need the part that attaches to the motor, another drop-link like this, and all the bushings. If you have the stuff, can I buy them and pay for you to overnight them? I need to get this stuff tightened up on Thurs when Mike is still here. (He's doing the wiring with me.)

If not, that's fine too. I just need the parts.



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Posted by: CptTripps May 21 2014, 06:04 AM

Got the HID headlights installed. They don't work yet, and I'm still missing the link, but it's one less part on the shelf.


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Posted by: tdgray May 21 2014, 05:08 PM

Can't make it dudes...sorry duty calls

Well is not how it is going

Posted by: 914forme May 21 2014, 05:24 PM

Yes, I have all the stuff, don't worry about it, you can cover shipping, I'm not worried about making money, I was going to scrap them anyway.

PM me if you still need them.

Posted by: CptTripps May 21 2014, 08:25 PM

DrEvil arrived and got right to work after lunch. We're still in the garage wresteling wiring.



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Posted by: bigkensteele May 21 2014, 08:35 PM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ May 21 2014, 06:25 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps May 22 2014, 06:15 AM

Oh I'm WELL aware of what he's...er...capable of. Why do you think I left the garage open all day?

Posted by: Moneypit May 22 2014, 10:56 AM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ May 21 2014, 09:25 PM)

Posted by: AfricanHijinx May 22 2014, 10:58 AM

what is the brand of the headlights?

Posted by: Chris H. May 22 2014, 11:03 AM

No they're probably working on the bunk beds.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffAszD0d618

Posted by: CptTripps May 22 2014, 12:06 PM

QUOTE(AfricanHijinx @ May 22 2014, 12:58 PM)

Posted by: CptTripps May 22 2014, 12:07 PM

QUOTE(914forme @ May 21 2014, 07:24 PM)

Posted by: 914forme May 23 2014, 05:09 AM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ May 22 2014, 02:07 PM)

QUOTE(914forme @ May 21 2014, 07:24 PM)

Yes, I have all the stuff, don't worry about it, you can cover shipping, I'm not worried about making money, I was going to scrap them anyway.

PM me if you still need them.

Absolutely. You still have my address, right? Just let me know what the $ is.

Posted by: CptTripps May 26 2014, 01:08 PM

Haven't had a lot of time to work on much. DrEvil CRUSHED the wiring. It'll be easy to finish up from here. I'll take pics later.

Did my 3rd brake light this am, by drilling holes in the back bar, taping off the holes, adding a clear epoxy and inserting LED lights. It's pretty bright, and doesn't detract at all from the lines of the car.


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Posted by: CptTripps May 26 2014, 01:24 PM

Later today: Starter and Coil relays. Wire up the Hydra. Start working on the interior so I can ship it to my motor builder to make all my air flow work. We're getting close!

My new/realistic deadline is to have it driving for the Stoddard meet in 2 weeks. I'm pretty sure I can make that one!

Posted by: Dr Evil May 26 2014, 01:27 PM

Posted by: CptTripps May 27 2014, 06:55 AM

Ok...lots of progress....that doesn't look like much, so I didn't take pics.

Put a plate together for the Hydra to mount in the trunk. I wasn't going to, but with the amount of things I needed to mount on that panel, and the thickness of the steel I was going to have to drill through, this was a better option than velcro. (Cleaner too.) So I got the panel all drilled out and ready to mount.

I also ran the starter relay and finished wiring the coil and injectors up to relays. I don't like the relays I bought, so I'm going to buy some 40A later today and use those instead of the 10A I had.

Wiring for the engine should be done tonight. Then I get to tackle the intercooler and figuring where in the hell I'm going to mount the radiator for that...and the tank...and how to tube the whole thing. That's the last major piece before the interior.

I already have the carpet all cut. I need to have a few pieces bound at the edges and then cover the dash and fire-wall with....something. I'm still not sure how I want to do that part. If I have enough carpet left, perhaps that's my best option. I'll figure that out later though.

Just waiting on the parts for the headlight motors and I can get that piece worked out.

So...that's my punch-list right now. It's a few more days of hard work, but I hope I can get it done in time for the Stoddard meet.

Posted by: 76-914 May 27 2014, 08:56 AM

QUOTE(CptTripps @ May 27 2014, 05:55 AM)

Ok...lots of progress....that doesn't look like much, so I didn't take pics.

Oh Boy, how many of those days are there? A full day and nothing to show for it.

I also ran the starter relay...............
Good call. You wont regret that and your starter switch thanks you.

Wiring for the engine should be done tonight.
Yea, right!

Just waiting on the parts for the headlight motors and I can get that piece worked out.

What's with those? I missed that part.

So...that's my punch-list right now. It's a few more days of hard work, but I hope I can get it done in time for the Stoddard meet.

Posted by: CptTripps May 27 2014, 09:26 AM

We shall see. I know I'm on the home-stretch at this point. No longer 90% with 90% to go for sure.

The engine wiring is all in the trunk, and the Hydra is completely wired to the terminal blocks. Everything is shrink-labled at both sides, so I can't imagine that it'll take long at all. I just ran out of crimp ring connectors or I'd have kept going last night. I ordered more, and bought enough this AM at Radio Shack to finish off the major pieces. The starter relay seems a little TOO heavy-duty for what I'm going for so I was going to replace that with a smaller one I ordered.

After that, it's a matter of wiring up the interior, which DrEvil did an outstanding job of pre-wiring with Molex connectors for me.

If I can get the car to at least turn, I think I'm close enough that I can get somewhere in pretty short order. The dash gauges may be an issue, as I don't thin I gave myself enough clearance in the back. Gotta ponder that one today in between meetings.

Posted by: Justinp71 May 27 2014, 10:20 AM

Posted by: CptTripps May 27 2014, 10:37 AM

Here's the punch-list.

Looks long, but some of these are 10-min jobs. Stuff with and "*" are being done by my engine builder. He's going to work on it while I'm in Atlanta this weekend. Said everything is already mocked-up so it'll just be putting everything together.

Engine:
Complete Engine Wiring
Complete Hydra Wiring
*Mount Fuel Pressure Regulator
*Mount Boost Solenoid
*Mount Radiator For Intercooler
*Mount Intercooler
*Plumb Intercooler
*Plumb Water Lines To Intercooler
*Exhaust Hangers
*Vacuum Lines
*Plumb Air-Oil Separator
Finish Radiator At The Engine
Add Radiator Relay
Finish Headlight Buckets
Install Accel Cable

Interior:
Re-Cover Dash
Re-Cover Firewall
Build Center Console
Mount/Wire Speakers In A-Pilars
Mount/Wire Door Speakers
Mount/Wire Switches
Carpet Installation
Mount/Wire Subwoofer
Mount/Wire Sub Amp
Mount/Wire Sat-Nav
Mount/Wire Power Windows
Mount/Wire Power Locks
Install Thresholds

Exterior:
Mount Windshield (Recover Dash First)
Mount Back Glass (Recover Firewall First)
3Rd Brake Light Wiring
Windshield Wiper Motor
Windshield Washer Motor
Mount Door Handles
Install Seals

Drivetrain/Steering:
Adjust Camber
Adjust Allignment
Check Bolts/Pins