College budget restoration, Trudging forward Options

[ThePaintedMan]

Hello all,
I'm finally getting around to documenting my restoration after the past several months of work. This may not get updated immediately as I'm trying to get as much done as possible before grad school kicks in again in January. However, I'm going to try and post pics when I can.
I purchased this car from a gentleman less than ten minutes from my house named Ray. He apparently is/was a member on the forum as well and was a very cool guy to meet. We talked several times about the car and he was very up-front about its condition (to the best of his own knowledge). He recommended it be used only for the drivetrain, which at this point seems like it was the correct suggestion. However, being 27 and stubborn, I saw it as an opportunity. Most of my experience in the past has been with American and Japanese cars from the the 1980s and newer, and most of that spent doing body work. This car I saw as a chance to learn something (mostly because I figured I couldn't make it any worse than it already was (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) .
So, after seeing the thing run and falling in love, I gave Ray 1,000 for it and convinced my girlfriend to help me tow it home. Unfortunately I do not have pictures of this, but wish I did! The look on her embarased face was something like, "Oh my God, now I've become trailer trash." We towed it five miles clunking the whole way because Ray failed to mention that the CV joints had been disconnected from the wheel. What a ride home.
I then set to work on it immediately, replacing a broken clutch fork and cable over the span of a weekend. Drove it around for two weeks to make sure I was still crazy enough to keep it, then began tearing it down.
I should mention several things. First of all, this car always had an intention of being raced, which initially was to be in Chumpcar. However, I realized the amount of work needed just to get the thing safe to drive warranted me keeping it for more than just track use. So, at the moment, its going to race Chumpcar next August, and I'm going to PRAY it doesn't get clobbered so that it can be driven afterward. Trust me, I already know I'm (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif) .
Second, I have made it a point and a promise (to my forever understanding girlfriend) that I'm going to keep the cost to a minimum. That means a minimum of pre-fabbed parts, which also forces me to learn more about metal working as well. This build is certainly not up the past quality work of many of the folks on this board, but like I said, I'm a cheapskate (student loans ain't what they used to be).
So, here it goes! I'll try to explain more as I go along.

[ThePaintedMan]

One more shot of my redneckery. Just to get it down to 2 colors rather than 4. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[ThePaintedMan]

And carpet!

[trojanhorsepower]

That has to be one of the fastest driveway restorations I have ever seen!

Great work!

Keep posting pictures so those of us who need to can work on our cars vicariously though you.

Peter

[Germancar-Junkie]

No wonder you haven posted in a while... you've been workin' your (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bootyshake.gif) off! Looks great! So glad to hear you're drivin it.

Keep up the inspiring work! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[carr914]

Looks like the Blue on New Mustangs ( and since you DD a Mustang) so that's my guess

Yep, Grabber Blue. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif)

You're getting a motor tonight? I'll assume this isn't for the GT, since that one has a great motor sitting there ready to go.

Yep for the Steel roof (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[dlee6204]

Wow what a quick turnaround! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/thumb3d.gif)

[VOX]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif) driving it already! awesome! keep up the good work!

[ThePaintedMan]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) Thanks for the support all. It has been a lot of work and I know I've made mistakes along the way, but at least now I get to have a little fun. Driven it over 100 miles to and from campus this week and saved a bunch of gas over the Mustang. I'll slowly start tackling the body work once the semester is over. Right now I've got to buckle down on research statistics and my thesis.

A question though, and maybe you can help with this one T.C. Where is a good place in the Tampa Bay area to get the windshield re-installed? We boogered it up when trying to put the 914rubber trim on it. I would rather just get it done right.

Also, T.C. - I hate you on principle alone. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) That motor looks great!

[carr914]

Don't know any Windshield Installers - Sorry

[Irish914]

One more shot of my redneckery. Just to get it down to 2 colors rather than 4. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I like the two tone look it really makes that blue pop. Even though its not a typical 914 color. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

[ThePaintedMan]

Well, thanks (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Its just rattle can black primer though. Eventually it'll be all blue. Until I add the green. You'll see.

Update: Aircooled.net is FINALLY sending the linkage kit I ordered about a month ago. I talked to John on the phone and explained I was ordering it through him because CB Performance took so long before and charged outrageous shipping. AC.net took just as long and the shipping was just as bad. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) Wish we had better vendors for this stuff.

[dlee6204]

Eventually it'll be all blue. Until I add the green. You'll see.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

[ThePaintedMan]

Eventually it'll be all blue. Until I add the green. You'll see.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

I promise it won't be awful (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[rwilner]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon_bump.gif)

updates?

[carr914]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon_bump.gif)

updates?

George drove it to my house on Saturday, we drank Beer (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif) - End of Update

[vw505]

Dam cant belive you pulled that off! What part of St Pete are you from. I grew up in shore acres and lived in Tampa working in Ybor.

[rhodyguy]

holly cow george!! i had never seen this thread before and had no idea of the condition of the car you started with. good work. the pict in post #110 with all the automotive supplies surrounding the car is a classic.

k

[ThePaintedMan]

Hello again,
I do have some updates, but my camera is currently stuck in the car while it rains. I'll work on getting some progress pics up soon. Mostly little things and getting the carbs tuned, but bodywork will come soon as the Fall rolls in.

Vw, I grew up on the south side of St. Pete, near the Albert Whitted Airport. After college, I moved to Tampa in the Carrollwood area and was working there for awhile till I decided to go back to school. If you're ever in this neck of the woods, let me/us folks know.

Kevin, thanks again for the kind words. Still a work in progress, obviously, but I have yet to work on the car and not learn something.

More pics/progress soon. I promise.

[ThePaintedMan]

8/14/12 Update:

Had a very cool, albeit frustrating weekend. Walter Olin (walterolin) was down to visit his daughter and family from Missouri and was gracious enough to stop by with Johnathan, his son-in-law. We talked about all kinds of stuff in the short time he was here, and he filled me in on a few things that I was wondering. Great fun. Walter also graciously brought me the original heat exchangers from his early 1.7 so I would have something to replace the ones that were falling apart on mine.

With that I decided it was finally time to replace my exhaust and fix some issues I had with the exhaust studs. Soon after he left on Saturday, I began dropping the exhaust. This was a chore because the whole system was welded together by the PO. As in the HEs and the Monza-style exhaust were one unit that had to be unbolted all at once. I had inspected it previously and noted this, but also that the nuts were butted right up against the manifolts on several studs. I was able to pry and get a wrench on all of them finally and removed the exhaust. Needless to say, it almost fell apart in my hands, the welds were so bad. I also then discovered the reason why the nuts were so hard to remove. It appears that the PO had installed chevy 3/8 in studs after the orignals must have stripped out.

I spent the rest of the weekend first trying to find stepdown studs from M10-M8 as they were the only ones that would ostensibly fit the hole size in the head after they had been drilled out. No luck. So then I moved to plan B, which was to install Time Serts and the original style M8 studs. Installing the Serts was quite easy, and unfortuantely I only had 4 on hand. But the remaining 4 were on the side of the exhaust that I could still reach with a crow-foot extension, so I was okay with leaving them for now. This left me with two problems though. The holes in the HEs that Walter brought me would only fit over a M8 stud and would not clear the remaining 3/8 inch studs. On top of that, I could not find the appropriate length M8x1.25 studs at any local source. I settled for a "universal" stud kit that had M8 studs in it for the time being, but I still had to do something about the HEs. I remembered that I bought some later style manifolds with cherry-bombs welded to them. In the interest of getting the car back together and off jackstands until I could come up with a better option, I decided to put them on, knowing they would be ungodly loud.

I annealed the copper washers and started bolting things up, only to realize that despite my best efforts, I still had clearance issues. The PO had obviously drilled/tapped the studs at an angle such that when I put the Time Serts in, the studs still ended up too close to the manifold, and even with the correct 12mm nuts, I was not able to get a wrench fully on them. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

By this point it was nearly dark, so I tightened things up the best I could and started it up. Yup, sounds like a tractor at idle, but what happens when I rev it? Well, its really loud and to my utter surprise, throws about a 1 1/2 foot flame out the back along with a satifying "POP". I gotta take a video of this.

I'm not really sure what to do next. Driving it on the street probably wouldn't be a great idea and would just get me pulled over. I can't hook the original style HEs back up due to the studs. I also think that I discovered a hole under one of the studs into the combustion chamber from the PO drilling too far. It looks like a head rebuild is inevitable. Unfortuantely I have way too many things going on and never enough money, so I think it will be prudent for me to let it sit for awhile until I get things figured out. The only other solution I can think of is to find a used engine for cheap (<$300) somewhere in Florida that hasn't been totally abused like this one.

I promised pics, and I will have more up soon.

On a positive note, I did get my headlight situation figured out and installed the JWEST kit. Very, very cool! I can now turn on the fogs independently and flash with them without the headlights popping up. I'd recommend this to anyone, it was a very simple install and a great reward for little work.

[JawjaPorsche]

And you did all this while on your back! I am impressed!

I guess the PO has enter witness protection to prevent a real ass whupping!