Finishing A 914-6 GT Conversion Project, Great Start, But The Devil Is In The Details! Options

[ConeDodger]

I am just so impressed with the build. The bumper rechrome seams really cheap.. Do you have some contact info?

Ben,
I didn't see what he paid for the rechrome. Mine was $1000 by Ogden Chrome in Utah. Most I've ever paid for a rechrome but it's perfect, as in perfect! Original Customs modified the bumper. Mark has done 3-4 now so he has perfected his technique on that.

[mb911]

I am just so impressed with the build. The bumper rechrome seams really cheap.. Do you have some contact info?

Ben,
I didn't see what he paid for the rechrome. Mine was $1000 by Ogden Chrome in Utah. Most I've ever paid for a rechrome but it's perfect, as in perfect! Original Customs modified the bumper. Mark has done 3-4 now so he has perfected his technique on that.

I am not sure if I am willing to pay that much for the rechrome.. I know that 350 I am very interested.. There is a local shop that told me they would do it for 250 but I need to have it polished in between the removal of chrome and then the replating.

[914dave]

Your build is awesome! Who made your quad gauge? New Vintage did mine a few years back. I know what you mean about the wiring. I've been working on mine for a week. My whole harness is out of the car so it's a little easier to work on. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

[Lucky9146]

At your convenience, can you post a picture of the access port open to see the engine front / and loosely describe your cover's dimensions? I have built a cover from doner firewall but want to confirm that I will be able to get at everything necessary in the engine bay with my dimensions. Thanks and nice work.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

Forestkhaag,
I was recently in touch with the previous owner (Moparrob)and let him know about the thread and progress on World. If you look closely you will see my last post was actually a year ago almost to the day. By responding, Moparrob resurrected the thread with his kind words on the work I have completed. Unfortunately life got in the way a year ago and I had to sideline the project and put it in my trailer. In the trailer I cannot actually get to anything so I am sorry I cannot furnish picture or dimensions at this time. When I get it back out, and I am thinking in just a couple of months, I will provide the picture and info you have requested. Hopefully that will still suit your time frame needs. All the best on you project!

[Lucky9146]

I am just so impressed with the build. The bumper rechrome seams really cheap.. Do you have some contact info?

Ben,
I didn't see what he paid for the rechrome. Mine was $1000 by Ogden Chrome in Utah. Most I've ever paid for a rechrome but it's perfect, as in perfect! Original Customs modified the bumper. Mark has done 3-4 now so he has perfected his technique on that.

I am not sure if I am willing to pay that much for the rechrome.. I know that 350 I am very interested.. There is a local shop that told me they would do it for 250 but I neetehd to have it polished in between the removal of chrome and then the replating.

Ben,
Thanks for the complement on the car. You will see in my post just above the project has been idle for a year.

On the bumper...Well unfortunately the chrome job did not come out as good as hoped and I would not recommend the shop I used for that reason. There was a slew of delays and poor communications and in the end it was just one of those deals where I took the best he could do. I think I ended paying about $300 but it was to have been much more if he could have delivered what he said he could do.

But to be fair there were some "issues" with my bumper to begin with from a repair, so much so, that the first place I took it to would not touch it. That place I wanted to take it to was Escondido Plating he advertises show quality chrome and I have used him before. Don Prestage is a great guy and does good work. Check him out.
860 Metcalf St. Escondido, CA 92025
760-743-4148
cell 760-505-4148
escondidoplating@att.net
autochromeplating.com
Good luck!

[Lucky9146]

I am just so impressed with the build. The bumper rechrome seams really cheap.. Do you have some contact info?

Ben,
I didn't see what he paid for the rechrome. Mine was $1000 by Ogden Chrome in Utah. Most I've ever paid for a rechrome but it's perfect, as in perfect! Original Customs modified the bumper. Mark has done 3-4 now so he has perfected his technique on that.

ConeDodger,
Gotta love your bumper! Sometimes you just have to throw down to get it done and yours looks great and I am sure it was worth it for perfect. Obviously that was the same look I wanted too and I also had to find someone who could do the modification, and then a chromer, so in all it took about 6 months. Take care!

[Lucky9146]

Your build is awesome! Who made your quad gauge? New Vintage did mine a few years back. I know what you mean about the wiring. I've been working on mine for a week. My whole harness is out of the car so it's a little easier to work on. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

914dave,
Thanks on my build and as I said a couple of replies up it has been on hold for a year. Looking forward to getting back to it!

The quad gauge was also from New Vintage but the PO I got the car from had bought it but had not installed it. In my thread I talk about how helpful Ben at New Vintage was when I was trying to sort it out even though they had made it years ago he went the extra mile. Unfortunately they don't make them anymore or at least when I was last in touch with them about a year ago. Good luck on your car!

[Lucky9146]

My last real post to this thread was Dec 2015 ouch! Although there were minor comments in Dec 2016 nothing was posted on progress. Because there was none!!! Lots of life got in the way!

Revised 7-11-18 to add that I had posted a separate threat asking for help on the torsion bars 3-30-17 that received a few responses but no real solution was reached.
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=307499

I actually have been “back at it” since April of 2017 but the progress has been so darn slow that I could not see posting. The short story is that I am now focused on the engine and I didn’t plan to be…… Lots of “issues” came up

Recap, I bought this “work in progress project” with some good stuff already completed and a lot of brand new parts to work with. To top that off this 1974 is an amazingly solid GT conversion with genuine Porsche PN metal flares on a car that did NOT need paint when I got it!! Yes that is correct and this paint job is over 20 years old! It also came with a ’79 3.0 big port six, that to my understanding, “was ready to go”. Hence my handle Lucky9146 for this amazing find after a very long search. This is how it looks today but still not complete.


I had mated the trans to the engine a while back and really had planned to install it as basically the next major phase. However I had a chance to chat with the PO moparrob earlier this year about the car, and although he had dressed the engine with a pair of Weber 40’s, 914-6 powder coated sheet metal, turbo valve covers etc. to where it looked fantastic, he expressed some reservations about the engine itself. Dang. Turns out we really did not know the history.

And…. In addition I also learned that CIS pistons and CIS cams were NOT that great of a setup with Webers. Soooo….. what next took me quite a bit of time was contemplating and researching what to do.

All this all led to my decision to tear down the engine and go through it. My second 3.0 build, so at least I had done one.. It sure looked ready to go!

[Lucky9146]

I had recently (like May – Aug 2016) rebuilt the 3.0 CIS for my then newly acquired ‘78 SC and that really is a good part of the reason my 914 project got “back burnered”.

Save all the tail dragger comments it is a blast to drive! And I got a smoking deal.

This is the 3.0 CIS going in.

[Lucky9146]

And Installed. Such a sweet running motor!

[Lucky9146]

So up on the engine stand the tear down begins and the discovery process.

[Lucky9146]

Turns out it was a good decision to get into this engine because there was major carbon that went down the piston skirts and clogging the rings. The Cylinders and heads were not the greatest looking either. Appears not to have been all that well maintained and it apparently had sat for several years and at least the 6 years I know of causing other problems.

Inside seemed to be a caramel color, like the pistons shown, from maybe burnt oil?
Can’t blame the PO too much he got it from a guy who bought it from a reputable source but ya how that goes………….

[moparrob]

Hey Jim, the progress looks great. Glad to see you're taking this the next step forward.

[Lucky9146]

Thanks Rob!


More of the caramel color inside like the pistons...

[porschetub]

Good move,oil burning indicated on the pistons and lack of oil changes has caused the caramel colour in the chain cases .
Great to see you back on the job (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif) .

[defianty]

Nice to see this project moving along again. It's one that inspired me to convert my car with a 3.0L. Good luck.

[Lucky9146]

Good move,oil burning indicated on the pistons and lack of oil changes has caused the caramel colour in the chain cases .
Great to see you back on the job (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif) .

Thanks for the reply and all the way from New Zealand too!
Looked to see if you had a thread and found yours on your car from May 2016 through June 2017.

Especially liked the comment on Apr 2 "just when you think the list is getting smaller something new always crops up" How true! How true!

Good lookin car you have and I will refer back to your thread now for inspiration and ideas.

Continuing with the tear down process here is a cylinder....
Comparing these cylnders with the SC (mentioned earlier) that I rebuilt, this cylinder looked much worse. On my SC I could still see the hone marks and it had 100k miles on it! Not so here.

These did not look like good candidates for a hone job as I was considering new pistons to get away from SC pistons.




And here are the heads....

[Lucky9146]

Nice to see this project moving along again. It's one that inspired me to convert my car with a 3.0L. Good luck.

Defianty- I appreciate your checking in too. Yes it is good to be at it again and like I said I started in April this year and I wish I'd have just posted as I went along but trying to catch up now.

Hearing that mine helped inspire you is pretty cool because I have seen your thread "914 2.0>3.0 GT conversion" and you are doing some amazing work! I mean the detail is really something. Wow! Now who is inspiring who? I will continue to follow your thread as well. Good luck to you too.


So all my research led to the following decisions. Cams and pistons is what really took me the time figure out. then of course lead times for valve job and cylinder work.

Dougherty DE40 Cams
Re-Nikosil the cylinders
JE 9.5-1 Pistons almost too nice to hide in an engine!
Top notch valve job from one of the best in San Diego

[Lucky9146]

So here we are down to the bottom end which by all accounts think will be ok. Almost ready for assembly. All lower Delvar head studs were replaced with steel ones.



Mean while the sheet metal got some attention.
Before:



And After.......

[Lucky9146]

One fun project that I thought I could knock out of the way fairly quickly was the engine cooling shroud. PO had painted the original red one black and it was a nice shiny paint job and all but I just thought the engine being all black with black rain hats, black valve covers, and black shroud would be lost in the hell hole and I wanted it red.

I first wrongly thought that I could just strip the shroud down to the fiberglass original red and that would be good. Big! Big! mistake because not thinking, I used paint stripper, and it got into the fibers and I just couldn't get all the black off! What a mess!

Now I HAVE to paint it again and so I contacted moparrob to find out what he painted it with because the black was pretty nice and amazingly he he still had the can of black Rustoleum For Plastic that he used and shot me a pic. Try to find red Rustoleum For Plastic locally in CA. Nope! Ended up buying from Summit Racing. I must have sprayed and sanded and then primed and sprayed and wet sanded #600 at least 8 times because the paint just kept krinkling up.

So after I had tried several things with no luck I finally ended up calling Rustoleum and amazingly enough they are actually quite helpful. Suggested Rustoleum Professional Primer which can be found locally but the Rustoleum Automotive Line Acrylic Enamel Gloss red #248642 they recommended as their top of the line was another tough one and had to order. I highly recommend this paint. A couple of good coats of this and you're good.

At one point I almost started to look for another shroud but ended up saving this one and it came out great just took a lot of extra work. And sanding.......