BUILD-OFF CHALLENGE: Olympic Blue Resurrection, More Winter projects. Options

[get off my lawn]

Wait, you started a 914 project and actually finished it and drove it?
Shame on you, that's that's not allowed.
You are supposed to work on it for the rest of your natural life and "almost" get it running or almost ready for paint.

BTW great looking car, I like.

[ndfrigi]

So some time had passed before finishing the rear valence because I had other things to deal with like the broken trunk hinge. Decided to pull the engine out to make it easier to repair and using the lathe cut a grease grove in the hinge bolts to prevent it from happening again. (I hope)

Details of that repair are here> http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...=334897&hl=

Of course there are always some "while you're in there" things to do.

like fixing the leaking oil temp sender taco plate, setting the valves and replacing the throttle cable. The throttle cable had cracked at the ferrule so to help support it I put some heat shrink over the ferrule / cable and dug a spring out of the stash that just fit tight.



Then I always thought it sat a little too high and the KYB shocks were just a stopgap measure to get me on the road.


Time for some proper Koni's

Ground Control fixed me up with a package that included the shocks, springs and adjustable sleeves. since this is mainly a street car I decided to go with the 125# springs for the ride, my old springs were 100 or 110# so not much of a change there.

If I don't like it.... springs are not too expensive or hard to change.







So now its sitting at a much nicer height. AND will probably ride better.

I can't wait for better weather to try them out on the local twisties.

Received my triad also for 1.7/1.8 HE and also bought same as your rear shocks, which is still missing in action since Feb 27 by USPS. It was shipped last Feb 18 from Florida and arrived LA facility last Feb. 23. Seller (member here) called usps and I emailed them but same status that it is at Belle Garden facility until now. Hope I can still get them.

[Olympic 914]

Just COOLIN' it


Was pretty happy with the results of the oil cooler installation (See post #119)

Driving it quite a bit and the oil temps rarely get over 220. even on the hottest days, and we have had a run of 90+ deg days lately.

But I remember a situation when I had a Thermostat flap issue, and pulled over in traffic to let it cool down. I had popped the engine lid to cool things off and pulled back out onto the highway forgetting to close it again. I was surprised at how much of a difference it made. I do have a rain tray fitted.

This got me thinking about the GT lids that Sergio makes. @PCA7GGR Since he has acquired a lot of lids to work with, I wouldn't have to give up my original lid as a core.

Definite plus.

So I finally ordered one and after getting a set of letters from Mark I installed it yesterday.

Took a few tweeks to get it fit my car right, but I like it.

And now in the late fall I can put the regular lid with rain tray back on. then switch it out when the weather gets hotter.

drove it around yesterday for about 30 miles, it was in the low 80s so not as hot as it has been.

CHT numbers were noticeably down. I expect that it will help reduce the oil temps also.

Maybe I will get a temp gauge like @Gregamy has and do a back to back comparison with GT lid vs stock lid +raintray.

Under Trunk Temp thread. > http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=347282

It would be interesting to see how much the GT lid affects the other temps, like oil and CHT. It may even drop the under trunk temps.

The real test will be the drive to Teenerpaluza, I wanted to have this installed before the ride down.

See Yinz there.

[PCA7GGR]

Damn, your '14 looks great - drive on!

[GregAmy]

And now in the late fall I can put the regular lid with rain tray back on. then switch it out when the weather gets hotter.

I like that idea! It would certainly address my concerns about water intrusion in the Spring and Fall...are these things a PITA to remove/replace?

I dropped my IATs by 25-30F with this chintzy test setup (IAT probe screwed into the bottom of the airbox.)

Haven't decided how I'm going to incorporate it permanently, as I need a way for water to collect and drain out before the airbox. Honda uses a plastic resonator in the fenderwell with a drain hole at its bottom, I may do something like that. I suppose I could drill a small drain hole at the lowest part of the metal airbox and that would do the same thing...after all, the air is pulling UP through the filter there so water ingestion is highly unlikely...and I think I'll modify one of the side grills to pull air from permanently.

Edit: as an aside, this car really really really should have been designed with side air intakes, similar to what the first-gen Toyota MR2 had. It was a good thing for that mid-engine car, and they weren't even cooling the engine with that air! If we had side scoops on both sides then the engine compartment would get flooded with cooler ambient air instead of trying to pull both induction, oil, and engine cooling air around a plastic/covered grill located in a low-pressure area.

[Olympic 914]

I like that hose setup. I had an idea bouncing around in my head of pulling air from the little side screen and directing it down to the oil cooler.

Maybe using a marine bilge blower. they are small enough and already set up for hose attachments.

I don't know if they would hold up to continual use though.

More food for thought.....

[PCA7GGR]

If you plan to swap your GT lid with the "stock" on for the rainy season, cut slots on the engine lid hinges. This will enable you to loosen (instead of removing) the 10mm bolts and slide the lids on and off.

[djway]

And now in the late fall I can put the regular lid with rain tray back on. then switch it out when the weather gets hotter.

I like that idea! It would certainly address my concerns about water intrusion in the Spring and Fall...are these things a PITA to remove/replace?

I dropped my IATs by 25-30F with this chintzy test setup (IAT probe screwed into the bottom of the airbox.)

Haven't decided how I'm going to incorporate it permanently, as I need a way for water to collect and drain out before the airbox. Honda uses a plastic resonator in the fenderwell with a drain hole at its bottom, I may do something like that. I suppose I could drill a small drain hole at the lowest part of the metal airbox and that would do the same thing...after all, the air is pulling UP through the filter there so water ingestion is highly unlikely...and I think I'll modify one of the side grills to pull air from permanently.

Edit: as an aside, this car really really really should have been designed with side air intakes, similar to what the first-gen Toyota MR2 had. It was a good thing for that mid-engine car, and they weren't even cooling the engine with that air! If we had side scoops on both sides then the engine compartment would get flooded with cooler ambient air instead of trying to pull both induction, oil, and engine cooling air around a plastic/covered grill located in a low-pressure area.

How about placing a box inline, drain out bottom, hose out to intake from top or something similar

[brcacti]

It is truly amazing to me how skillfull good body men are are at bringing back the rusted dead cars. Hard to believe what they do. On a car like this I would have thought there is no way before I came on this forum. Makes me believe man can do almost anything when he puts his mind to it. "A mind is a terrible thing to waste."

[Olympic 914]

Well all of my work got some National recognition.

Panorama did a feature on my car.



Back in October I received a cryptic email.


14 Pages -----

That’s all the email said. It was from Rich Chenet, A photographer I met on the way back from Hershey in 2019.

I was driving the 914 and had just pulled into a rest stop on the PA turnpike. I parked Waay down the lot, away from everyone.

Then a Saab station wagon pulls up and parks right in front of me. WTF.

This guy gets out and says “Hey, You wanna RACE?” I laughed and said “No I don’t want to race, I’m just happy to make up these hills without overheating.”

Then he proceeds to tell me about how fast his Saab wagon was, with its big Turbo. …blah blah blah.

Turns out he was also on his way back from the Hershey Swap meet. He had been taking pictures there. He is a photographer for Panorama and other automotive magazines. So we are talking and he is checking out the car.

And then he takes a few pictures, with his Phone. He has all this high end equipment and he’s taking pictures of my car with his phone….

We bullshit a bit more and I tell him a little about the car.

Then we exchange numbers and emails and off I go.

Couple months later I get a phone call from him, He says Pano is interested in my car and wanted some background story.

It turns out Rich is a really cool guy but just likes to mess with you.

In July 2019 we get together to take some pictures.

This time he has all the high end gear and takes about 700+ pictures.

More time passes and a Pano writer Ted West contacts me and we spend a couple hours on the phone talking about the car. What I did to it, How long I had it, Funny stories etc.


And time kept rolling on.

Finally I get a message that it was going to be in the Nov. 2020 issue.

So if you get Porsche Panorama magazine be sure to check out the 14 Page ... article this month on my Olympic Blue 1973 914.

Rich Chenet did a great job with the pictures and Ted West wrote a humorous and informative story.

Guess this will be my Fifteen Minutes of Fame that Andy Warhol predicted everyone will have once in their life. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif)

Its great to see our little cars getting some attention, Even though I am obviously biased. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)





Link to thread > http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act...=0#entry2867382












Photographer Rich Chenet.

[Jamie]

The Pano story caught my attention at how loyal an owner can be to a quirky little car like ours. I just finished reading through the entire build thread, and it is an amazing story. Congratulations for a job really well done! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

[nivekdodge]

Tom
Beautiful job! DO you still have it? I am new and just starting, building a rotisserie to do my floors. Good to see another yinzer here. Maybe I'll catch you at the PVGP

Kevin

[Olympic 914]

Put the bullet nosed studs on the rear last February.

I saw these on a buddy's drag car, thought they really looked good.
and will let me add some spacers.

Got around to doing the fronts this week.

was getting some rubbing with the 225-50 x16s on the Pass side so I put 2mm spacers on to try and reduce that some.

Not much space there, I tried 3mm spacers and it rubbed on the outer lip.



I'll be running 7mm spacers on the front, to bring them out a little, lots of room on the front.

Painted the A calipers with VHT caliper paint, They were getting a little cruddy looking.



And with the Fuchs mounted

[Olympic 914]

Another February project

Was FINALLY doing a cut and buff on the paint, PPG Single stage that was put on 4 years ago and really got hard.

It looked pretty good but I had put 6 coats on and had some marks on the trunk lid I didn't like. So the time was right.



Started out blocking with 1200g on a Durablock, went to 1500, and 2000. Then got the DA and did 3000 gr and 5000gr.

Pictures of this process are hard to see the difference.

Then using 3M system of 3 different buffing compunds.

Took a LONG time but the results are worth it.

[Shivers]

Righteous car, nice work. Congrats on the spread

[nivekdodge]

Tom
3m has 8000 gr now. You can make the jump from 3000-8000. Once you hit 8 it's nothing to buff. Looks sweet either way


Kevin

[Olympic 914]

3m has 8000 gr now. You can make the jump from 3000-8000. Once you hit 8 it's nothing to buff. Looks sweet either way

I still have a bunch of the 3M 5000, I see they are discontinuing that.

Can't imagine how fine the 8000 would be.

Interesting thought.

[930cabman]

Just read the entire thread, great project and story. Thank you for documenting your work.

Just one ? how does anyone find the time for these builds??