BUILD-OFF CHALLENGE: Barn find with 50k original miles Options

[pete000]

Nice find !

[Matty900]

Wild looking wide body- any other pictures of that one? Your find is definitely not an everyday experience and more than a few of us (me included!) are a little jealous! That's okay- jump on it and enjoy it! And... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)

I just happened to do a random Craigslist search for 914 and called the guy. He still had it but had lots of calls on it. I got in the car drove a few hours and gave him cash. I just got lucky. He wanted to sell it to make room in his barn shop to build hot rods. So to make it worth his wile I will have him do the work to get it road worthy. He seems pretty talented so I will be bringing him back the other car when it comes time to start figuring out a motor swap in the other car.

[cwpeden]

You have 2 now? Whats wrong with the wide body?

[Matty900]

You have 2 now? Whats wrong with the wide body?

It was a car my brother had for a long time. He bought it wrecked and had some help from friends getting it back to working condition. He decided he wanted to sell it because he has a few too many project cars and the wife likes the "unmolested" cars so this one was ugly.
My son was looking for a really cool senior project and wanted to work on the car for his project.
He put in a few hundred hours and we got him in to a friend's paint booth. We cleaned up the interior, put in new seals, carpet, door cards and most importantly a cool radio. He took it to school and it was the coolest senior project.
After working on the car with my son I had to buy right? So I have one payment to my brother left and I was going to start going through everything that was not done, like suspension, body stiffening, and figuring out what motor to actually put in it.
The project inspired my son to go to college for automotive restoration. Now it’s "Dad, that paint job we did was crap. We need to repaint it and it needs to midnight blue" now I don't know about that color, but I will need paint in side of everything anyway, so I guess I can do it all "right" and actually start with fixing things in the correct order this time instead of just skipping to the cosmetic stuff.
I didn't think I would be able to get it all done before WCR, So on a whim, I checked craigslist and Bingo, I found the 72.
Sorry for the long answer.

[veekry9]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)



Fun with 14's.
Nice catch,a '72,I even like the colour.
A great candidate for a total restoration,with no metalwork,a rare thing indeed.
The fiberglass kit is so retro '80s,what a great way to inspire further study.
Coincidentally,the kits came up recently.
Here are a few more examples:
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...74766&st=11

I recall the ads for those kits on the pages of vw and hotrodding mags in the late '70s or '80s on.
Had to do the big tire thing and cover them with something,they were available.
The reaction of some puristas is so out of proportion to their financial stake it's hilarious.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_quer...+fiberglass+car
The madness is a growing trend,the automotive designer at home.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Matty900]

veekry9
Thanks for the links. There is a lot of cool stuff going on with kits. I wouldn't have put the kit on the 914 as my 1st Choice of project. This was a very cool use of an infinity
http://vaydorexotics.com/about-vaydor/

But that is way off topic for these cars.

[veekry9]

Seems a guy has made it happen,and I'm sure that it appeals to a younger crowd weaned on drift cars and such.
The market will tell,I have a pix of a Cobra done in a similar way,all Transformer Decepticon looking.
What is good is that they didn't attempt a cheesy version of an Italian exotic.
Having the skills and will,as well as perfect timing,a guy could make a go of it,bringing his own hybrid powered car to market.
No easy thing though,years of sustained effort needed.

(edit)
Well,it kinda reminded me of a Cobra,turns out it far exceeds the 427 Roadster in performance,blown and all.Yikes.
https://www.google.ca/search?q=Zeno+STI&...amp;q=Zenvo+STI

[Matty900]

A somewhat early '72, nice vintage. When do we see the rest?

Next week I will go back down to get it out of the barn. I will get some better pictures then and get it up on his rack to really get a good look under the car.
At that point I need to come up with the work that I want him to do for me.
So far I have the following punch list:
1 Pull the engine and replace battery tray and adress any rust issues.
2 Replace the breaks with new ones from PMB
3 Replace master cylinder
4 Pull, clean and treat gas tank
5 Replace fuel lines with stainless lines
6 Replace engine seals
7 Replace missing ignition (with new electronic ignition?)
8 Get car running
9 Cut her in the hood for gas tank fill (just kidding )
So here is where I need advice. What else should I be doing? What order should I do them in? Any tips on these things?
Thanks for any help

[veekry9]

All of the suspension rubber is likely beat and deteriorated.
If they are in workable condition,a longer term schedule can be made for replacement and or upgrading.
Some '72s didn't come equipped with antiroll bars,a feature most desired up front.
Careful with that engine,do not attempt to turn it without an internal scope inspection.
Any rust in the bores will break the piston lands upon startup,one cylinder has been open for 23 years.
The lubes must be re + re'd,being kinda funky by now.
Having a look at the clutch condition and its cable is a must,avoiding headaches later.
All of the drivetrain cv joints and bearings need inspection too.
The FI system is a task for an expert,the pinouts on the electrical harness critical to it's function.
Good looking car,a thorough going over will reap good results.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

If the distributor has been removed,and the hole unplugged,check for squirrel stashes internally.
No kidding. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Matty900]

All of the suspension rubber is likely beat and deteriorated.
If they are in workable condition,a longer term schedule can be made for replacement and or upgrading.
Some '72s didn't come equipped with antiroll bars,a feature most desired up front.
Careful with that engine,do not attempt to turn it without an internal scope inspection.
Any rust in the bores will break the piston lands upon startup,one cylinder has been open for 23 years.
The lubes must be re + re'd,being kinda funky by now.
Having a look at the clutch condition and its cable is a must,avoiding headaches later.
All of the drivetrain cv joints and bearings need inspection too.
The FI system is a task for an expert,the pinouts on the electrical harness critical to it's function.
Good looking car,a thorough going over will reap good results.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

If the distributor has been removed,and the hole unplugged,check for squirrel stashes internally.
No kidding. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

The engine was actually rebuilt when the owner got the car from his mom after she had it in storage all of those years. That's where the engine mods came from. Ithe has about 5k miles on the engine since then but has been in the sons barn/ shop for probably at least 5 years. But it was always parked inside when it was driven.
He said he had pulled the shocks out and checked them not too long ago and they were still working well. I would like to keep this car stock but want good performance from the suspension. He said that the adjusted the suspension to give it a better stance because he didn't like the factory look. There is no more fuel injection after he had it bored out and the heads done he put the Dual Dellorto's on.
Thanks for the tips

[euro911]

Just info, you mentioned the engine was built to a 19xx. The most popular big bore kit for the 1.7L is 1911. 96mm P&Cs on the stock 66mm crank. Nice peppy short-stroke motors (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Matty900]

Just info, you mentioned the engine was built to a 19xx. The most popular big bore kit for the 1.7L is 1911. 96mm P&Cs on the stock 66mm crank. Nice peppy short-stroke motors (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

What would be done to the heads and does this make them less reliable?

[euro911]

It all depends on which route the builder took. Stock 1.7L pistons are 90mm, the 1911 would be 96mm. Unless he used the thin wall barrels made to work with stock 1.7L heads, the heads and the case would have been fly-cut to allow for the larger diameter barrels. The only way to know for sure what the builder did (unless he provided you with documentation) is to pull a head and measure the barrel thickness.

[Dave_Darling]

The case would not need to be cut, just the heads.

The 96es that fit in 1.7 heads are very thin at the top (2mm, I think) and don't tend to last that well. But they are quite useable for a while!

--DD

[Matty900]

The case would not need to be cut, just the heads.

The 96es that fit in 1.7 heads are very thin at the top (2mm, I think) and don't tend to last that well. But they are quite useable for a while!

--DD

Thanks Dave,
So I need to expect that at some point I will need to have some engine work. Does the engine grenade or will that case be reusable? Just replace the heads? I would think that the matching number engine would make it more a desirable car, but that may me already negated because of the work already done to it. I personally like the idea of more performance than the base 1.7 so for me I like it but I don’t know enough yet.

[euro911]

Dave is correct, the heads wouldn't require machining if the builder installed the 'slip-fit (thinner) 96mm barrels.

With these cars being as old as they are, and who knows how many POs, you never know what's been done to the motors (unless the PO can provide accurate/truthful details), or you pull it apart.

I wouldn't sweat it ... a 1911 will definitely test your skills in the twisties (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

Being in my golden years, I'm more into fuel economy than muscle. A well-sorted FI 1.7L is in the cards for me. When my wife's '71 1.7L ('Howard') is finally finished, my hotrod 'BB' will be on the market.

[Matty900]

No rust just dirt

[Matty900]

I have a Restoration Design battery tray and support, thank you Mark (Mikey914) I know I need the tray, but do I need the support too?

[Matty900]

Looking good.

[Matty900]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)



Fun with 14's.
Nice catch,a '72,I even like the colour.
A great candidate for a total restoration,with no metalwork,a rare thing indeed.

Question about paint. It looks like the paint in the engine compartment is pretty good but the battery tray and some of the surface rust will need to be taken care of. That would you advise for touching up the rusted areas?