Just arrived in the garage: 1971 914-4 1.7 Options

[bbrock]

Thanks for taking us along for the ride. It has been quite a journey (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[peteinjp]

Thanks for taking us along for the ride. It has been quite a journey (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

The journey (and the ride) are just beginning for me. I'm feeling very fortunate to be able to take care of this car from now on. It is exactly what I would build if I had the time and talent. Doug really managed to pull it off. For me a true dream and definitely a long term stewardship. I have probably read this thread more times than anyone!

Currently educating myself the ins and outs of importation of an older car to Japan. Everyone said it would be tough- tons of difficulties. But as of today it actually looks to be quite simple- a rarity here- ha.

Can't wait for that first award moment where I'm asking myself as I let off the clutch- what have I gotten into now! I know I'm going to love it.

We have great mountain roads where We live and along with my current 1990 911 build and my 84 diesel Land cruiser (Winter camp machine) this car will get some exercise for sure.

Pete

[bkrantz]

Congrats, Doug, but hard to imagine you without Kermie.

[raynekat]

How do you say it?
Kermie has left the building.

When they are finally gone is when you know if there was any true attachment or not.
From the atmospheric highs and excitement of the BaT sale...back down to earth with the grim reality that...hey the car is really gone after owning it for over 33 years.

[raynekat]

Before the car "flys" off to Japan mid next month, I thought I'd get some pro pics taken of the car for memories, etc.
Same group that BaT uses on their shoots....Snappr.
Great photographer for not all that much money.
Had the pics on my computer the very next day.
Enjoy....

[raynekat]

[raynekat]

[raynekat]

Pete from Japan was leaving with the 914 today.
He's tall like me (6'2" ish) but very excited about the car and being the new owner.



Headed north on a "sunny" Oregon day (haha) to the Seattle area to spend time with friends and get acquainted with the car before it is loaded on a boat and heads to it's new stomping grounds.
Thank goodness for the Raptor bedliner that I used on the entire lower end of the car as well the great fender liners from 914 Rubber.



Pete says he'll continue on with this thread as he gets familiar with the car and has his own unique experiences with it.
I wish him all the luck and many happy kilometers in Japan.

[bbrock]

Pete says he'll continue on with this thread as he gets familiar with the car and has his own unique experiences with it.
I wish him all the luck and many happy kilometers in Japan.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/cheer.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif) He's getting one helluva ride.

[peteinjp]

Thanks for the intro Doug and yes- it’s a hell of a car. I drove it for a week or so after picking it up and it’s everything I hoped for and more. I’m basically breaking the car in and have had no major issues- it was obviously built with care. As I cruised out into the mountain passes in Washington state I was keeping Cary (R.I.P.) in mind- a celebration of his work.

Doug was a fantastic host and we spent a good amount of time going over the details of the car and just hanging out a bit. Thanks again!

I’m new to Porsche relative to many of having picked up a 1990 c2 about 5 years back. I love that car- the newest car I’ve ever had (not including the wife’s Mitsubishi van) and the first with power steering. Having been a bmw 2002 guy for decades and my daily driver is a 1984 diesel land cruiser. I’m located in Japan so the 914 will be joining these cars there.



Despite the things I love about the 964 I missed the lighter feeling and the simpler tech of older cars. I decided a mid engined car was something I had to try but am not at all interested in a boxer or cayman. I love the flat 6 (building a 3.8 now) and love mfi from my bmw 2002tii. Had to be a 914. I did consider a factory 6 but ultimately wanted a more purpose built car that I could feel free to modify. Also wanted a body that had been reinforced and gone through (there is a “no new projects“ rule in effect at home.) Then Doug mentioned that he was planing on auctioning and I got in touch right away figuring it would be a long shot but…

Considering myself very very fortunate. Spoke with Cary and also some people in the business and heard all I needed to know.

Obviously there is not much left to do with the car but I thought it might be fun to see a little about where it ended up and how it gets used.

Here is the scariest part- watching it disappear at the port. You can just see it if you zoom in a bit. Should arrive mid November. TBC!

[jkb081]

My plans are to do these instruments....







Ala 356 style.

Damn! those are beautiful!!!

[jim dorociak]

What a great read. I managed to get some finished pictures of your car off the internet without knowing it was your car. Truly inspiring great job, documented well - a road map to follow. I have a 1975 conversion that is in progress now, and I am on the fence as to add metal flares or keep narrow body - and of course what engine to use. Currently running 2.7CIS and thinking a 3.0 with motronic or a 3.2 short stroke with EFI but always watching the budget. Thank you so much show showing your link to your build on your last post. Jim

[raynekat]

So what did I replace the 71 914-6 conversion with?
Well one of these of course....off to the "dark side" for awhile it seems. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)
AWD, 2800 lbs and 200hp turbo 2 liter.
Mods are coming almost immediately.
Never met a car I didn't want to customize at least a little bit.

Just 14k miles on it, a one owner from Japan.
Arrives in a couple of days.




And then what is replacing the 73 911E hotrod that I owned for over 30 years?
Well one of these of course....currently somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic as we speak.
Supposedly at the dealer by late March.
2022 992 Carrera 4S in Oslo blue with lots of goodies.
So I'm still hanging with some sort of Pcar crowd with the 2nd car. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[tygaboy]

Aerokit! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)
PCCB! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)
Oslo! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/w00t.gif)

[peteinjp]

So- about time for a long overdue update on Snoopy. I have not been just neglecting this thread- There was an "issue" to say the least with the shipping and to be perfectly honest I was just trying to not think about it because it was literally keeping me awake at night. I just didn't want to make an unnecessary drama here in the thread but now that the facts are in I'm doing my due diligence. Also it really hurts to let down Doug with the news of all this.

Well the car is finally in its new home and though the whole idea of this purchase was to get a "not a project" car that I really dug- it has become a bit of a project in the end. that said I'm still very very excited about the car and have plans to keep it long term.

When I saw the car in person at Doug's it was everything I expected and more. Every part was in new or better condition. All the fresh plating, new interior, All levers pedals, cables working as smoothly as they should. I drove it up to Seattle to visit some friends before shipping it out and everything was perfect. Took it out for a drive on the cascade loop- first time out that way for 20 years and the XWX tires are surprisingly good to push around a bit- automotive bliss!



Dropped it off at the dock (as I reported above) and heart in hand dropped off the keys and title. Then things went downhill. The shipping company (Tacoma to Yokohama) for reasons unknown to me did not get the export paperwork done for several months and in the mean time Snoopy was sitting outside on the pier in tacoma thought the worst of winter as they sprayed it down with various salts and other melting agents...... A total nightmare for me. The company was evasive and very difficult to get any information from. I had purposely delivered he car early enough in the year that there would not be any snow/ ice salt involved and the total time from door to door was supposed to be 3 weeks..... GRRRR!


Doug BTW was and continues to be a total champ backing me up in what ever way possible. And I also want to preface that in no way was any of the work done sub par. All the issues that have developed are due entirely to corrosion on the dock due to direct contact with Tacoma's best melting agents. In looking at the rust you will see that it is from within the seams for the most part- areas that could not have been coated or painted without the seams being taken apart. In fact I'm impressed with how well it held up! Neither Doug nor I were expecting the car to need to survive such abuse. For me with is a fair weather car that may get caught in the rain from time to time or on a road trip- but certainly not subjected to any road salts etc.

Almost 4 months to the day I get the message the car has arrived and its warp speed (for an 84 diesel land cruiser) to Yokohama




To get my head in the right state of mind gotta have the right clothes to pick up the car:




damage report to come....

Pete

[rhodyguy]

Sorry your experience with Tacoma was a bad one. You bought a beautiful 914. What line eventually took the car across the Pacific?

[Cairo94507]

Man, Pete I am saddened to hear about the transport debacle in Tacoma. But I am certain you will get that beautiful car back to what she looked like before arriving at the docks. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[Shivers]

Dog Gone! Sorry to hear that. Considering they have exploding mountains there, I guess it could have been worse. I think ALL 914's got that treatment leaving the factory. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) Have fun anyways

[raynekat]

As the ex-owner, this turn of events was very distressing on many levels.

1) Most importantly I wanted Pete to get the best possible car that I could provide.

2) A lot of hard work and dump truck loads of money went into the build...it seemed to be all down the drain so to speak.

Obviously this is a huge learning experience.
I never would have guessed that the salt air and the salt for melting the ice/snow at the Port would have done damage so much so quickly.
I looked up the chloride ion (Cl-) and it's especially devious and damaging species.
It can easily penetrate through layers of coatings that normal water cannot.
My guess is that sitting at the Port for many months in that salt water environment was the equivalent of your typical 914 sitting outside in the pouring rain for about 2 years.
No one would ever do that, but that's basically what happened to Pete's car.

Hopefully he'll get some financial settlement from the shipping company that really dropped the ball.
Beyond that, Pete has a plan that will require pulling a lot of the car back apart and addressing all the seams and thin paint on the edges of the metal, and other corroded parts.

Again not what I ever envisioned with selling this car to Pete.
I've told him I'd help out in any way, help him track down any materials or parts he needs, etc.
I know you'll all be rooting for both Pete and Snoopy to make a triumphant return to glory in the near future.

[wonkipop]

wow.

how was it shipped? in a container on a freight ship?

it should have been sitting in a warehouse somewhere and then been loaded into a container and secured. from there sent to docks as a container.

thats how mine was done 30 years ago. LA to melb. australia.

i picked it up at this end in the shippers warehouse.

sorry to hear this story.
thats a real nice car.

i do remember being a little concerned about it all back then.
but the shipping company was good.
i beat the car back to australia by 10 weeks.
photos arrived in post of the car after it was taken off car transporter in LA having arrived from chicago. showed its condition and showed it being put in container and secured.
the container was inside a warehouse somewhere in LA. not at the docks.