914-4 GTK - K is for Kompressor - Bringing a supercharged 914 back to life, Body and interior work... Options

[poorsche914]

Got it running today. Running very rich.
I believe I have the timing about where it needs to be. Now I just need to adjust the carb. May need a different jet.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxvSGhPtupo


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[DRPHIL914]

Congratulations!!! Fun project!

[Maltese Falcon]

Unless there is a way that the original designer provided enrichment-during-boost...might be running a bit on the rich side as a preventive measure to offset lean condition when the boost comes in.
Also , did that dizzy contain dual points ? Kit builders in the '80s used dual points with each set at different dwell angles. Combined with a 5 psi Hobbs pressure switch, the first set of points cut off---allowing the second set (slightly retards the timing) to activate...also preventive of pre-ignition occuring during boost.

[poorsche914]

The distributor on the engine had a pointless system in it. It was not giving any spark so I swapped it out with a setup I had.

I always planned on converting to Megasquirt (actually bought a used system before I purchased the car!) ... may do that sooner than I had planned if I can't get it to run well on this carb.

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[Maltese Falcon]

The distributor on the engine had a pointless system in it. It was not giving any spark so I swapped it out with a setup I had.

I always planned on converting to Megasquirt (actually bought a used system before I purchased the car!) ... may do that sooner than I had planned if I can't get it to run well on this carb.

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DO IT, much easier to tune a forced induction set up with efi. Intercooling with a carb is not-productive (unless running a sealed blow-through carb) which looks impossible with a top carb mount on the blower.
Liquid injection (H2o/ alc) is your only real alternative to charge cooling with a draw-through carb system.

[poorsche914]

Well... got it running a bit smoother today but it is running EXTREMELY rich (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)
I've gone through over 3 gallons of gas this weekend just firing it up and running it in the driveway! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

Again... sorry for the blurry image... broken phone cam.


I'm giving serious thought to pulling the supercharger setup for now and installing a stock D-jet system just so I can drive the car during east TN fall weather (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

[poorsche914]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDbVgTY7a_s


Actually drove it about half mile down the road and back. Found out it won't stay in third gear (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) Minor issue...

Still need to find the correct carb settings. Idles OK but sputters a bit around 4k or so. From what I've read, need a smaller idle jet since I have the mixture screw only about 1/2 turn out and recommended is 2 to 2-1/2.
Another mounting stud pulled loose so may very well have a vacuum leak at the base of the carb. Will fix that and then continue with adjustments.

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[914forme]

If you have the base plate it is easy to get it into CAD and then cut out on a CNC Plasma Cutter, WaterJet, or Laser Cutter. Then just add the studs, and a bit of lactate green and you're done. done right done once, more time to (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

[poorsche914]

If you have the base plate it is easy to get it into CAD and then cut out on a CNC Plasma Cutter, WaterJet, or Laser Cutter. Then just add the studs, and a bit of lactate green and you're done. done right done once, more time to (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

Can I borrow your CNC Plasma Cutter/Waterjet/Laser Cutter? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif)
JBweld didn't hold up so I will have my son-in-law weld the studs in for me. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif)
Since I have absolutely no idea what jets to use with this supercharger setup, and the engine must have run "properly" at some point in its life (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) I have decided to set the new carb aside and rebuild the original Weber. It is gunked up pretty good so needs cleaned and a rebuild kit at the very least.

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[djway]

Have you considered welding in an O2 bung and use it with a wideband meter? It really helped me repair my old fuel injection when I needed to set the mixture.

[poorsche914]

Have you considered welding in an O2 bung and use it with a wideband meter? It really helped me repair my old fuel injection when I needed to set the mixture.

I actually just read about someone doing that when tuning their carb on a VW Bus. It really helped to dial in the jetting. I need to investigate that further. Thanks for the suggestion.

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[poorsche914]

UPDATE: noted the jet sizes for the old carb and replicated in the new carb. Last jet came in today. Installed, set the timing, and drove down the road. Ran good but wasn't brave enough to wind it out too high. 4000 or so was tops. Only have two gears and streets are residential/rural. Plus, didn't want to get too far from home in case it quit running for some reason!

Next step is to get the shift linkage sorted out. Unfortunately, my weekend is filled with other "stuff" to do so probably won't get to it for a while.

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[914rrr]

Congrats on your purchase. This was one of my 914 magazine dream cars (anybody remember the blue Bond centerfold 914/6 with the the wide IMSA bodywork?). I actually met Jay Richardson around 2005 while living in the Knoxville, TN area. His dad Maurice was my realtor and told me he had a Porsche too. He proceeded to bring over his 911 Turbo that Jay built ( how I met Jay). He let me drive it. OMG, it was an absolute monster, and a bucket list moment for me. He may still be in the Knoxville area.

I can speak to the challenges of adding a turbo or supercharger to a 914... and getting it to run properly. I purchased a turbo'd 914 many years ago from the estate of the late owner / builder Ed Atkinson. It was a 73 2.0 with a Crown / Rayjay turbo kit that had almost every period available add-on component thrown at it... custom cam, stock D-jet injection with rising rate fuel pressure regulator, Hobbs switch that switched on the cold start injector for boost enrichment, (small) custom intercooler, Ak Miller wastegate (OG Crown turbo kit didn't have one, LOL), cockpit adjustable static and boost retard ignition timing, Permatune, cockpit adjustable boost valve, old school alcohol / water injection (literally a windshield washer pump blowing the mixture into the turbo intake via a windshield washer nozzle), custom 2.5" Corvair Turbo exhaust plumbing, external oil cooler, Turbo Corvair air cleaner and muffler, etc.

I purchased the car off Ebay. The test drive hooked me, relatively flat flat torque..until it hit boost. Then the torque curve went vertical!! Trouble was, once it warmed up, it started detonating like crazy. I bought the old "How to Turbo" book, read it cover to cover, endlessly surfed VW and Corvair web forums, contacted everybody I could, including Jake Raby, Maltese Falcon (thanks Marty!), Ak Miller (RIP), Peter Dawe (friend of Ed the builder), pbanders, the locash racing boys, etc. I owned it (twice), tinkered with it for months on end, and never got it to run right / not detonate. After finding out that the turbo / exhaust plumbing was rusting out, the turbo oil return was compromised, the TB was a PITA to get to / adjust, etc. etc. I removed the turbo bits and returned it to stock.

Here were my take-ways from my experiences:

Stock D-Jet doesn't work well with a turbo. The system is meant to see vacuum, not boost, unless you somehow modify the now rare / $$$ MPS. Thanks pbanders!

The alky-water system wasn't working and I took it off. In retrospect, I think this was THE key to making the whole system work.

You may also need a way to retard the timing during boost. I think MS can do that, as well as boost enrichment.

My 914 was restored to a high standard by the PO. It was actually worth more stock than with the turbo. The vintage Crown / Rayjay / Corvair turbo and other bits were easy to sell for (crazy) $$$, people were actually fighting over them. Other add-ons sold for $$$ as well..Scheel seats, SEV Marchall dual element headlamps, etc. It's crazy to think that someone purchased a $4000-ish 914, added a $1200 turbo kit (then extensively modified it!), a $1000 pair of seats, $200 headlights, added Koni's, custom sway bars, etc...., all in 70's $$$!!!.

After talking at length with builders of VW aircooled and carb'd turbo cars, (even American V8's) it's really difficult to get one to run right, not run hot etc. FI is the best way to go. If you want to give the carb route a go, check with the aircooled VW drag guys or Turbo Corvair guys. They've been doing it for decades and have (most) of the bugs worked out.

Nothing beats telling someone at a C&C / P-car GTG that you owned a turbo'd 914 with D-Jet FI (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[poorsche914]

Congrats on your purchase. This was one of my 914 magazine dream cars...

Thank you, @914rrr I have the issue of VW&P you speak of.

I actually met Jay Richardson... He may still be in the Knoxville area.

A friend of mine who knows Jay's wife says they live in Oak Ridge. I'd really like to talk to him about this engine and 914.

I can speak to the challenges of adding a turbo or supercharger to a 914... I removed the turbo bits and returned it to stock.

I am going to try Megasquirt and see if I can get it to run properly that way. If not, then I will remove the supercharger and run the "stock" build with twin-plug heads.

Here were my take-ways from my experiences:
... I think MS can do that, as well as boost enrichment.

I believe this setup needs MS or some other tuneable FI system.

My 914 was restored to a high standard by the PO...

This 914 was once a race car but restored back to street dress by one of the POs. Though not perfect (it sat outside for 3 years), it has not only the factory steel GT flares but a lot of 914-6 bits.

Nothing beats telling someone at a C&C / P-car GTG that you owned a turbo'd 914 with D-Jet FI (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Yeah, or a supercharged 914! I just want to feel that boost at least once (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

I haven't done anything to this 914 for the past several weeks. Last thing I did was check compression: 130+ on 1, 3, 4 but just over 110 on #2
Pretty sure #2 was the one that had been seized from sitting so long. I am going to pull the engine and have whatever damage is there repaired.

In the meantime, I plan to pull the Raby 2056 from my LE and install it in the GT just so I can put some miles on that car. The LE needs a rustoration to bring it back to its stock form, anyway, so it is a good time to park it for a long while (it's been my daily driver for most of the past 8 or so years)

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[rgalla9146]

I've been doing some digging on the history of this car and the furthest back I have gotten is the late '80s.

Late '80s:
Powered by a 3.2 six. It was also around this time that @ablesnead installed the factory GT flares. At some point, he traded the 914 to Jay Richardson of RPM in Daytona for a 911.
Early '90s:
Supercharged, twin plug engine installed. Built from a '73 or '74 case GA006453. So... not the engine featured in VW&P. How many of these RPM supercharged engines are out there? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)
June '93: Sold to Edward J Matthews of New York (anyone know him?)
November '94: Sold to @lrm914 who owned it for over 20 years. When he bought it, it was set up as a race car - gutted interior, rear trunk floor gone, fuel cell, etc. Over time, he restored it to a street driver. I have been in contact with him and he is going to send me photos of the restoration and other info he has on this 914.
May 2016: purchased by my neighbor
September 2019: purchased by me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Hell hole repaired at some point:


Cutouts for oil tank - evidence of running a six at some point:


Rear trunk floor replaced with metal sheet:


Cut section of the frunk:


Hard to see but front section is cut for an oil cooler. Stock style front valence covers this:


Muffler:


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I know the June of '93 owner from New York
I resurrected a long dormant 914 6 for him a couple years ago.
At the time he mentioned this car to me and how he regretted selling it
See topic title 'This doesn't happen every day'

[poorsche914]

I've been doing some digging on the history of this car and the furthest back I have gotten is the late '80s.

I know the June of '93 owner from New York
I resurrected a long dormant 914 6 for him a couple years ago.
At the time he mentioned this car to me and how he regretted selling it
See topic title 'This doesn't happen every day'

Wow, that is amazing! Do you still see him nowadays? If you could give him my email address (I will PM to you) that would be awesome.

Thanks!
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[poorsche914]

Thought I'd update this project thread.

Discussion of adding a Megasquirt System happened back in December.

I made contact with both the engine builder and the owner who bought it. So now I have talked to the five previous owners before me. It appears the engine has less than 50 miles on it since being built 30 years ago!

Earlier this year, I pulled the supercharged engine and swapped in the 2056 from my daily driver LE. Got it all buttoned up in time to take it to Amelia first part of March. There and back without an issue (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

Yesterday I visited a local body shop to get an estimate on repairing all the paint blemishes - rock chips, surface rust, lifting paint - in preparation for a vinyl wrap. Now I just need to make an appointment to have the work done.


Today, I took notes on interior condition and will be refurbing/replacing parts to get the cockpit in shape. At some point I will have to tackle the spaghetti wiring (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon8.gif)


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[Maltese Falcon]

Never was a dull moment with a forced induction T4.
Here at RIR, parked on the infield near turn 6. Drove there on street tires, then changed to 7" slicks for the time trials. On the mps, I first started using a 1-way check valve to keep boost out of the mps. Then I found a small company "Control box Specialties" that used an alum disc inside the mps...instead of the neoprene one. They also rebuilt 914 ecu's , etc. But they vanished after a couple years.

[poorsche914]

Removing exterior trim to get ready for a bit of bodywork in the near future.

I've seen worse (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif)




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[poorsche914]

Working on the interior.


Stripped the dash - upper pad, dash face, lower pad. Removed ash tray.


Pretty rough shape...


Swapped water damaged door panels for some in better condition. Using original tan panels that came in my LE but DAPO dyed them black (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif)


So, I sprayed them "camel" and they turned out great!