Papa Smurf is finally back on track - OH NO! NOT AGAIN!, ...EDIT: it happened again!!! Options

[bandjoey]

OK. It' time for a fun break!
Go get a 2.0 -4 and you and Nadine relive the fun of driving the 914 at 'normal' twisty speeds. While you're both taking time off from racing, park Huey in my garage. I'll build a shrine, keep him polished and keep him company. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
6 months from now this will sort itself out. Happy wife, happy life.
I've really enjoyed the story of the 2 cars and meeting you at MUSR a few years ago. Best wishes for a great outcome.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[ThePaintedMan]

OK. It' time for a fun break!
Go get a 2.0 -4 and you and Nadine relive the fun of driving the 914 at 'normal' twisty speeds. While you're both taking time off from racing, park Huey in my garage. I'll build a shrine, keep him polished and keep him company. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
6 months from now this will sort itself out. Happy wife, happy life.
I've really enjoyed the story of the 2 cars and meeting you at MUSR a few years ago. Best wishes for a great outcome.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) Some good ideas here in the last couple of threads. This will sound stupid coming from a 31 year old, but the wife has to come first, as long as she always puts you first. I know you don't have kids, but I can say after having mine, that I'd sell off everything I own and work three jobs to keep my wife and my son happy. There is always time to come back to possessions later in life. Nadine sounds like a wonderful woman who has supported your hobby, going as far as to enjoy it with you. That is what I think people call, "a keeper."

Maybe consider selling off some parts and spares, maybe even a car. Spec Miata is, from what I know, a ton of fun and relatively cheap (though we all know there's no such thing as cheap racing). Parts are plentiful and the cars are simple, and not so different than a 914. If an engine blows, it's not a life changing event and there are plenty of places to race them.

At some point or another, we all get screwed, both by friends and businesses. It's not pretty, but it puts things in perspective. You'll be okay as long as your perspective includes those things which are truly important.

[naro914]

Hey guys...lots of good thoughts here. We are currently at the Hawk race with Huey. Doing OK, not fast but fun. Update on Facebook page.
So quick: Nadine and I are fine. Just frustrated so thanks for worrying about us !! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
Going to just sit on Papa through the rest of the year, then decide.
I'll give more details/comments/replies on the posts when I'm not sitting at the bar in Elkhart Lake after 6 beers (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[EdwardBlume]

Hey guys...lots of good thoughts here. We are currently at the Hawk race with Huey. Doing OK, not fast but fun. Update on Facebook page.
So quick: Nadine and I are fine. Just frustrated so thanks for worrying about us !! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
Going to just sit on Papa through the rest of the year, then decide.
I'll give more details/comments/replies on the posts when I'm not sitting at the bar in Elkhart Lake after 6 beers (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

Good to hear things are sorting out. Keep up the fun stuff!

[r_towle]

Sell it, buy a boat.
It's a whole new level of fun.

[naro914]

OK, got back from the Hawk late last night, had an AWESOME time!! Huey performed somewhat flawlessly, the only issues were simple fixes, some self inflicted (like not running the fuel vent line from the new fuel cell correctly and having fuel spout out everywhere!! my bad...) but very slow compared to everyone else.

In the end, Huey is NOT a good race track car. With the 3.2, it's classed in with cars WAY faster and WAY more race built. Realistically, Huey is a stock 914 with a GT body, rollcage/seats/harnesses, and a street stock 3.2 engine. Nothing more than many of you do for your street cars that stick a 3.2 in it except the safety stuff. Stock suspension, stock 901 trans, even has carpeting!! I will be putting together some video's, but every car literally RAN away from me everywhere on the track. For the feature race on Sunday, I finished dead last on the track (only beat the guys that didn't finish). With the 3.2, I get classed as GTO...some really big boy cars in that class. So the idea of getting a stock engine for Papa Smurf is not realistic...And Papa would have been classed with the REALLY big boys - World Challenge, ALMS, DTM, Grand Am, etc. type cars!! For Vintage, they don't like anything about Papa Smurf, so he's out for that racing venue.

So where does that leave us? We have two potentially awesome 914's that can't be raced anywhere competitively. I REALLY do not want to buy ANOTHER race car (can't afford it), and I just can't see dismantling Papa Smurf and parting it out. We've put way too much into that car for that. but without an engine, it's virtually worthless...

THAT'S the frustrating part.

I'll respond to specific comments in the next few posts...

[naro914]

I feel your pain. many $$ into a race motor, then nothing...I am hoping i can salvage something. at least 1 head.

see if you can obtain a stock 3.2 or 3.6 and just run it. That's what I am thinking, only with a 4 cyl. something reliable first, have fun then tweek it. I just can't afford the pain and $$...good luck! the women always want to give away the car...for pennies...rebuild and make it stronger!

sorry to hear about your troubles too (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

As noted above, the problem with a stock engine is we won't be able to race it. Won't be competitive (as I learned this past weekend).

Nadine is just as much into this as me, so it is a little different. She's past the "sell it all" emotion now and with the fun we had this past weekend, I think we may formulate a plan at year's end. Don't know what that will be, but at least it's a step forward...

[naro914]

He tells us that motor runs like a banshee with no problems, but it was a big mistake. Before this motor he had a warmed up 3.0L that he ran for several seasons till it gave up. He had the best time gobbling up track time whenever and however he could. While the new motor was on a totally different level performance wise, it was a ton of money and he was looking at 40 hr life. Now he was a lot more selective about where he ran, short shifted in practice, and generally worried about what he would do if it broke. Last summer I saw the car was up for sale.
More is always better until it's too much. Your car weighs what, 2100lbs wet? You put a warmed up 3.2 in that thing it'll still be a blast to drive. My friend Eric Valedeserra had a warmed up 3.2 in a 914 and he ran it for years on the track doing double duty with his son. Sadly it outlasted the car!
I understand this car was originally owned by a family member, so I'm sure you are not crazy about selling it. Here's an idea. Pull apart that high dollar motor you've got and sell off whatever isn't damaged. Or maybe find someone who will buy it as is. That might pay for quite a bit of a warmed up 3.0 or 3.2.
Go have fun.

Kelly

Realistically, the engine we have isn't all that overbuilt, its NOT one of these high strung engines that some of these guys build. It's 11:1 compression, twin plug, some trick cams but that's about it. Timing is not advanced too much (I have an awesome tuner that errs on the side of caution with us amateur racers) If anything, the money we've spent that past few times was to help make it more reliable - opened up the oil galleys in the case and crank, better bearings, stronger rods, etc. The issue is not in the stress the engine is seeing, heck as you said, his was a 40 hour engine. Only lasting 8 is not an engine problem, it's a build problem.

So in many ways, it IS just a warmed over 3.2. The guy that had the original engine before me that we bought ran it for many years with zero problems, and he was EXCEPTIONALLY fast and raced 10 weekends a year. He's as baffled as us as to why we're having the issues...

[naro914]

And if wheel to wheel is the goal, and Porsche is the marque, then the spec Boxter scene is a great place to be. I'd own a Boxter if I could afford it! A 914 is pretty awesome in the mean time (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

In my experience we are at the point where a Spec Boxster is cheaper than a modified 914 or aircooled 911, to both buy/build as well as operate. That's really the intent of the class. Blow an engine or trans...couple grand at the junkyard gets you another one. Tires are spec DOT-R and relatively small. Race fuel not required...

Andrew Weyman (president of POC) has a fairly competitive BSR for sale right now. He's asking $25K and that may even include a trailer, IIRC.

It is a compelling idea and I thought about it fairly seriously when my 914 was apart for a couple years eating 5-figure checks for lunch. But, I love the raw 914 and aircooled -6 experience enough where I stayed the course.

SPB is not out of the question...just not sure what we would do with Papa if we went that route.

[naro914]

OK. It' time for a fun break!
Go get a 2.0 -4 and you and Nadine relive the fun of driving the 914 at 'normal' twisty speeds. While you're both taking time off from racing, park Huey in my garage. I'll build a shrine, keep him polished and keep him company. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
6 months from now this will sort itself out. Happy wife, happy life.
I've really enjoyed the story of the 2 cars and meeting you at MUSR a few years ago. Best wishes for a great outcome.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) Some good ideas here in the last couple of threads. This will sound stupid coming from a 31 year old, but the wife has to come first, as long as she always puts you first. I know you don't have kids, but I can say after having mine, that I'd sell off everything I own and work three jobs to keep my wife and my son happy. There is always time to come back to possessions later in life. Nadine sounds like a wonderful woman who has supported your hobby, going as far as to enjoy it with you. That is what I think people call, "a keeper."

Maybe consider selling off some parts and spares, maybe even a car. Spec Miata is, from what I know, a ton of fun and relatively cheap (though we all know there's no such thing as cheap racing). Parts are plentiful and the cars are simple, and not so different than a 914. If an engine blows, it's not a life changing event and there are plenty of places to race them.

At some point or another, we all get screwed, both by friends and businesses. It's not pretty, but it puts things in perspective. You'll be okay as long as your perspective includes those things which are truly important.

First things first, this is OUR hobby, not just mine! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) She LOVES racing and loves being at the track. For her birthday each year, we go to the Rolex 24 at Daytona. She is a PCA National Scrutineer, a PCA driving instructor, and a DAMN good driver. And her goal is to become a data engineer/data coach so she's been learning all the data and stuff we can pull off of our smartycam and AIM Solo units. She spends time with the pro's, takes classes...she really loves this stuff!! This is partly why this is so painful, we BOTH want to be doing track stuff.

Funny story - she went out for the parade laps at the Hawk this weekend and took Huey since she's never been on Road America. Mind you, these were PARADE laps at controlled speed. She came it and said "Jeez, I can't see how you can be racing this car, it handles so much worse and is so much slower than Papa!" Yep, she's almost as bad as the rest of us.. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving-girl.gif)

[naro914]

Sell it, buy a boat.
It's a whole new level of fun.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) Have had two, never again. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

As they say, the two best days of boat ownership are the day you buy it, and the day you sell it!!

Or...the best boat is your friends boat! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[naro914]

so if any of you want updates on how things went at the Hawk, I've been posting on the NaroEscape Motorsports Facebook page. Much easier to do on a phone while sitting in the pits or at the bar!

[EdwardBlume]

Bob, I gave my 914 calendar to my 8 yo son yesterday. I found it in the office and thought he'd really like it. When I got up this AM, he was making the calendar HIS by striking out each day that's gone by this year, which is his occasional custom.

So I asked him, "which 914 is your favorite?"

He told me that he knew for sure and flipped through the pages, and went forward and back again, certain of his choice.

He finally found his favorite...... you guessed it, Papa Smurf!