Newbie wants to build one. (I must be crazy.), These are my goals in building a car…where should I start? Options

[SavingManuals]

I am new to 914World and I have been reading what I can find on 914World that pertains to building a 914. I am hoping that the 914World family can help me with some decisions to define a path to build the car I have in mind.

---> Starting with the pieces of the puzzle that I know something about….

MY 914 HISTORY
I am in my early fifties now, but my dad had a Summer Yellow 1975 1.8 in the late 70’s. I loved that car and I’ve always wanted to own one…now is the time to start down that path.

MY SKILL SET
I’ve spent a couple years turning a wrench on BMW E46’s. I’m about to replace engine and transmission support arms and mounts on one that was in a front end accident that tore those support arms. I have the bumper and all the accessories off the front of the engine at this point. That said, I won’t hesitate to take an engine apart at some point. I don’t have the tools or skills to do fabrication or welding at this point, but I’d like to learn. I expect to pay someone to do what I can't, at least early on.

MY BUDGET & TIMELINE
I have divided my path into (at least) two phases because my budget is small. It is also one major reason that I am leaning towards building vs buying. I will be making progress as finances allow. I can see myself not having a driver for a year or much more, though I expect that the insights of 914World will help me set a realistic timeline based on my currently defined goals and finances.


---> This is what I THINK I would like to end up with based on my current knowledge, when all the dust settles: the FINAL PHASE car….

FINAL PHASE 914

How I plan to use it: Fair-weather-only toy, for fun on back roads and (hopefully) reliable enough to drive four hours to see friends. I doubt that I will AX it and pure racing will not be part of this car’s mission.

Basic attributes: GT tribute. Five-lug Fuchs. Fender flares. Porsche 6cyl. Maybe safer than stock…some version of a roll cage or other reinforcement strategies? A balance of performance, reliability, and relative ease of maintenance. Basically, I want a GT that leans toward ease of ownership/maintenance instead of high-performance if I have to choose. For example, if a 3.2/6 will give me neck-snapping performance but it would require a rebuild every other year, then I would go with a lesser engine that will be more durable and cheaper to maintain. Also, if there are potential modifications that are well-known to make a 914 more durable or less expensive to maintain, I would strongly consider them.

Expectations: I would prefer that it appear as original as possible, while still attempting to accommodate my other goals. I don’t need to fool anyone with the final product, I just want to be proud of the outcome and enjoy driving it.


---> Depending upon how the project progresses, I am considering an INTERIM PHASE driver….

INTERIM PHASE 914
I have identified a finished body (anything to be body-colored) as the first priority for how I’d like this to proceed. If possible, I would like any body mods necessary for the FINAL PHASE 6cyl version to be done before paint, if they won’t substantially impede the path to my INTERIM PHASE. Depending upon how quickly I can find AND FUND a 6cyl engine, I may want to opt for a 4cyl in this phase. I could see myself buying a second donor car with a 4cyl, so that I can make progress towards the FINAL PHASE while possibly building it up enough to have an INTERIM PHASE driver.



SO, WHERE TO BEGIN?
I am considering starting with a body stripped of everything but its identification tags. Considering how easily these bodies rust, I’d like to seal one up with a finish that would never require me to strip it down again…ever. (An exterior respray down the line? Sure.) I would like to collect all the parts that would need to be painted the body color, so that everything would be painted/finished at once. I may consider extra paint protection options, but I am unfamiliar with available options in this arena. Considering my unusual(?) approach to this build, where does everyone believe I should start?

THANK YOU for any wisdom you can share in light of my goals, budget, timeline, etc.!!!!

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