There Goes The Neighborhood, Sorting out an adopted V8 build Options

[whitetwinturbo]

Thanks for the info! Here are a few photo's of the old girl:

Tell me about that battery holder............ (IMG:style_emoticons/default/drooley.gif)

[whitetwinturbo]

Mike Pickle(s?) , he was a friend of Hatfield that had the silver monster V8 914 up in Woodland.

Do you remember that super loud V8 911? I think it was owned by a CHP or police officer.

Damn, i actually helped Mike and Brad put that motor together at Mike's place!
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif)

I always wondered what had happened to his car after he died ...
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)


PS: And i do remember the CHP v8 911, that car was a beast.

I have an old file with lots of notes .......... some hard to understand (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)
It would be great to know anything you may be able to share about the engine so that I can avoid trouble... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

[whitetwinturbo]

The motivation
]

@tomrev

Your motor looks nice. What can you tell me about it?

[SirAndy]

I have an old file with lots of notes .......... some hard to understand (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)
It would be great to know anything you may be able to share about the engine so that I can avoid trouble... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

Unfortunately, i don't remember any details. It's been many years since the PA shop days.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[Chris H.]

Sorry for multi-posts; can't seem to get more than one photo per. Final shot of exterior.

Nice car. Really nice. Love the front valance. Where's it from?

Dang MikeP was a young man (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) . Nice to see his car getting finished.

[whitetwinturbo]

I have an old file with lots of notes .......... some hard to understand (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)
It would be great to know anything you may be able to share about the engine so that I can avoid trouble... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

Unfortunately, i don't remember any details. It's been many years since the PA shop days.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Ok. Thanks.

[whitetwinturbo]

Sorry for multi-posts; can't seem to get more than one photo per. Final shot of exterior.

Nice car. Really nice. Love the front valance. Where's it from?

Dang MikeP was a young man (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) . Nice to see his car getting finished.

I'm de-constructing some of Mike's car to optimize his designs. He collected many good parts/ideas. It appears that some of the original ideas had been re-worked several times.

[tomrev]

BradR...yes, that Brad called me a few days ago, found the for sale thread for your new ride while google'n something and called to remind me that he installed or fine tuned the serpentine belt assembly and that I helped with it at the Palo Alto shop.

I think I vaguely remember that now....

That car DOES look familiar. I spent a lot of time at the Palo Alto shop and i do remember several V8 cars there.

Who was the previous owner? Maybe the name will ring a bell …

The car had spent it's entire life in the Chicago area, but had been apart since around 2008. I bought it in March of 2014, fixed up some small issues, then installed the 911 suspension, Fuchs, back dated the bumpers, and put a new 383 Chevy into her. Knowing the big motor is going to be too much, I have found a uncompleted 283 short block, and have finished the build with Al. heads, better valve train, etc. and hope to have her rolling again in a few weeks with the smaller, way over square 283. I like the bark of these motors, and the transaxle will be happier as well!

[matthepcat]

Mike's wife said that he spent more money on the 914 in trying to get it how he wanted it than the Lotus Elise he bought her back in the day.

I guess multiple revisions of the car adds up to a lot of $$$

[tomrev]

Thanks for the info! Here are a few photo's of the old girl:

Tell me about that battery holder............ (IMG:style_emoticons/default/drooley.gif)

The battery holder is a Optima kit; but I much prefer the little Odysseybattery's, so made some Al. mods to accommodate the smaller Odessy. Every Odessy I have ever owned is still working; I have one from 1999 in my Elise!!!

[SirAndy]

Who was the previous owner? Maybe the name will ring a bell …

The car had spent it's entire life in the Chicago area

I was talking about the red car ...
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

[tomrev]

The motivation

@tomrev

Your motor looks nice. What can you tell me about it?

Well, it's for sale, having just pulled it out with about 60 miles from new. (I wanted a small Chevy originally, but could not find a builder who I could trust, then found Smedding, who start with all new block, crank, etc. and build and dyno all their motors before selling. It is a 383, 417HP, 460 ft. lbs, 9 to 1 comp. Very cool motor, but with trans twisting potential. No sooner did I get it running, than I ran into a fresh 283 short block, at a great price, and local, so have the car up in the air, and will take my beating on the 383. Cost was 5K, and I will try for $4200. 'ish.

[whitetwinturbo]

BradR...yes, that Brad called me a few days ago, found the for sale thread for your new ride while google'n something and called to remind me that he installed or fine tuned the serpentine belt assembly and that I helped with it at the Palo Alto shop.

I think I vaguely remember that now....

That car DOES look familiar. I spent a lot of time at the Palo Alto shop and i do remember several V8 cars there.

Who was the previous owner? Maybe the name will ring a bell …

The car had spent it's entire life in the Chicago area, but had been apart since around 2008. I bought it in March of 2014, fixed up some small issues, then installed the 911 suspension, Fuchs, back dated the bumpers, and put a new 383 Chevy into her. Knowing the big motor is going to be too much, I have found a uncompleted 283 short block, and have finished the build with Al. heads, better valve train, etc. and hope to have her rolling again in a few weeks with the smaller, way over square 283. I like the bark of these motors, and the transaxle will be happier as well!

"Bark" is good (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cheer.gif) 283 can be built to run/rev (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif)

SBC 383 can be WAY too much if roll bar/cage does not exist ... and if NOT tied to suspension or close by the torque/twist would fold up a 914 like a Coors can ... just before the transaxle shreds (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) ... UNLESS it's a Pantera/930 or similiar (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

[whitetwinturbo]

Thanks for the info! Here are a few photo's of the old girl:

Tell me about that battery holder............ (IMG:style_emoticons/default/drooley.gif)

The battery holder is a Optima kit; but I much prefer the little Odysseybattery's, so made some Al. mods to accommodate the smaller Odessy. Every Odessy I have ever owned is still working; I have one from 1999 in my Elise!!!

Way cool............send me a few more pics when able of your battery set up (IMG:style_emoticons/default/drooley.gif)

[whitetwinturbo]

Mike's wife said that he spent more money on the 914 in trying to get it how he wanted it than the Lotus Elise he bought her back in the day.

I guess multiple revisions of the car adds up to a lot of $$$

Thanks again for your earlier help.

BYW............I found out why you thought the car was sprung "soft" compared to yours....there was 10lbs of air in the tires after 5 years in storage (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[whitetwinturbo]

Who was the previous owner? Maybe the name will ring a bell …

The car had spent it's entire life in the Chicago area

I was talking about the red car ...
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

Yours or my "pink" one........? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

[Andyrew]

Thanks for the info! Here are a few photo's of the old girl:

Are those radiator lines running through the gas tank ? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

[76-914]

Here's part of the cooling design that came with the car:



Note the round grey sheet metal disk.



There is one 2.5" on each front wheel well. My guess is that this wild ducting, including the fiberglass shroud and trunk floor removal, was the second attempt to vent the radiator when the small holes did not do the job.

I removed the ducting to expose this:





Time to find front truck sheet metal and weld it back up.

Anybody got a lead on that piece of steel?

Next, I need to decide on better venting (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sawzall-smiley.gif)

I like hot air rising up to vent(s) on the top of the hood...but I'm not sure about how it would look.

This looks like what could have been done if more holes had been cut the first time.



I could do this. I like the remaining strength of the wheel well assuming the holes are far enough apart. It would also leave nice attachment points for critter screen guards.

Would love to hear (IMG:style_emoticons/default/type.gif) from the water cool guys on their experiences (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grouphug.gif)

I'm running mine like that. Remember to weld a reinforcement strip around your cutout area on the wheel wells. I believe I have more holes but it's hard to tell from that pic. I installed the louvered floor pan as well. IIRC, the ratio is 1.7 to 1 (outgoing area/incoming area number)

[tomrev]

Thanks for the info! Here are a few photo's of the old girl:

Are those radiator lines running through the gas tank ? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

I was wondering if that would get noticed; yeah, a bit of work, but it made a much smoother path towards the rad. The cooling lines run along both long's, hidden behind the rocker covers, so under the car looks stock. Steel tubing runs thru both sides of the tank, welded in place, and the coolant lines are insulated to keep the heat from being an issue. High points of the line have bleeder nipples on both sides, so she fills up and purges the trapped air pretty easily.

[Andyrew]

Can we get some pics of the fuel tank mods? Personally I would never do that but boy that is some fancy fab work!!!