Building a 914 track car..., is sorta like watchin the grass grow... Options

[nine14cats]

Hey Gang,

Building our new car is an exercise in patience. I purchased the new race car September 2nd, 2004. We are currently on day 292 of the build. The latest Estimated Completion Date is November 1. That's 425 days, and that's paying professionals to build it.

If I count the extra 2 months I had in-between blowing our motor on the old car, we will be down, out of our 914 for over 16 months. And again, this is paying for the car to be worked on, not touching it ourselves.

Help make me feel better. Anyone pay a shop to build a car that's taken longer?

Bill P.

[J P Stein]

One advantage to being a CSOB is setting your own schedule.

Over the years I've continually "improved" my car.....It's a better car than I am a driver, so I have no complaints about the builder (other than he's a bit slow). If I had some, I'll talk to the guy in the mirror. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)
This year was the only time that it wasn't ready to go when the season started.....I wuz learning to do paint.....auuggh.

It "sounds" like your car is being treated as a spare time build.
(shop queen). There is no reason a build should take as long as it has......unless parts are NLA or backlogged....which case a switch should be made to something that is available.

[nine14cats]

Thanks for the inputs....and for listening...it makes me feel better.

Those in the bay area know more about the car and what I had planned for the build....and what I want it to be.

The car was specified at the start. Basically turn key. As we have gotten into it, pieces are missing, can't be found, aren't quite up to my standards, etc. So I've changed the specs.

Power steering has been in there from day one. Two reasons, my wife Doris co-drives the car and there is a difference in effort from power steering to even a light steering manual 914, especially in autocross. Second reason, I want PS to be different. I have a dream 914 in my mind, I have the funds, it's my lifelong toy...so what the hell! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif) Not very good on the pocketbook, but it's still fun!

JWE is a 911 shop. They don't get many 914's. But they turn out AWESOME race cars. I've talked to several folks who like and dislike them for various reasons and all of them say they build safe, fast cars. And they are only 2 blocks from my house. With my wife driving as well on the track and us getting faster and faster as drivers, I want a safe, well designed car for us to play with for the next several years.

I do wish they would put more priority on it. Jerry Woods himself is handling the design of the car, basically because he thinks its a fun project and he wants to try to build a nice 914 (He hasn't done one in several years). The problem is that he is involved with all of their national stuff and with all the high buck cars (believe me, my car is peanuts compared to some of the other projects going on!)....so I can see how it all goes.

But I have spoken with JWE again to get this thing moving. If I had to do it over again, I don't know if I would....but maybe. But I do believe the build could move faster. As the car is assembled, there are several problems surfacing. Oil cooler locations don't match body work. Reinforcing of the car needs to be re-engineered to bring it up to current safety regulations etc....

I don't hold this against anyone, it is a ground up build...but I also don't believe in no work for 2 to 4 weeks then a few days and then another 2 to 4 weeks.

Frustrating is the word.....

I think I need a (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beer.gif)

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/happy11.gif)

Bill P.

[xsboost90]

im no race car builder but i feel your pain in the wait for the build of a car. Ive taken on a few builds for other people, this last one w/ stipulations that my car would be running first. Well my progress, fast as it was, took a few months longer than i hoped, and i have just now started on the widebody 924 gtr im building for someone. Ive had a couple of cars sitting in the driveway for over a year waiting for other projects to be finished, only to be done just in time for another project to come in. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wacko.gif)

[grantsfo]

My favorite fast race car build was this one:

http://www.ottosvenice.com/photos/burn/index.html

From this

(IMG:http://www.ottosvenice.com/photos/burn/images/DSC00010.jpg)

To this in a matter of weeks:

(IMG:http://www.ottosvenice.com/photos/burn_6/images/DSC00018.jpg)

I wouldnt have your pateince, but thats why I'm driving a 1.8 with crappy looking fiberglass etc. I will be building a 2270 cc race enigine, cage and a few more tweaks over winter and will be ready to go as the season starts next year.

[ppickerell]

Bill,
DON'T GET ME STARTED.
Patrick (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/cool.gif)

[McMark]

It's amazing how often the same story comes up. People drop off their projects and a load of cash (deposit) and then a few years later pull them back with very little work done. We have 3 such projects like that in the shop now, people got tired of waiting and brought their stuff to us. Our longest project was 8 months, and that was WAY too long.

I hope you get one hell of a race car, Bill. We know you've paid for it in more ways than one. Hang in there.

[brant]

Bill,

hang in there..
I agree with your grass growing term, but it will all be worth it in the end!!!!!

brant

[GTeener]

QUOTE (ppickerell @ Jun 20 2005, 08:04 PM)

Bill, DON'T GET ME STARTED. Patrick (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/cool.gif)

Or me!

You think I'd have learned from the first project (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/slap.gif)

Vent away though! That's what we're here for (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

[Trekkor]

This is why I do all my own work.
Waiting for the parts to arrive is bad enough. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif)

KT

[Mueller]

QUOTE (trekkor @ Jun 23 2005, 10:17 PM)

Waiting for the parts to arrive is bad enough. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif) KT

I bought a bunch of pretty fuel related parts today from Summit, chances of getting them on Friday is pretty slim, no one to blame but myself (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/headbang.gif)

[grantsfo]

QUOTE (Mueller @ Jun 23 2005, 09:31 PM)

QUOTE (trekkor @ Jun 23 2005, 10:17 PM) Waiting for the parts to arrive is bad enough. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif) KT I bought a bunch of pretty fuel related parts today from Summit, chances of getting them on Friday is pretty slim, no one to blame but myself (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/headbang.gif)

Summit is awesome at getting stuff out quick. Two orders I had placed in the afternoon were delivered the next day from their Reno warehouse to my house in Bonny Doon via FedEx ground. They are one of my favorite autopart suppliers.

[anthony]

QUOTE (nine14cats @ Jun 20 2005, 04:20 PM)

If I count the extra 2 months I had in-between blowing our motor on the old car, we will be down, out of our 914 for over 16 months.

It seems like the biggest issue here is the downtime. Why not go to autocrosses and DEs with J-Lo or some other temporary car? I have an absolute blast autocrossing my stock SC and 914. I'm not competing for TTOD but I'm having lots of fun.