Mepstein GT build Options

[mepstein]

I used to drive with the top off on chilly nights and really enjoy the experience. Probably more so than sunny day driving. Our weather in the spring and fall varies so much that having heat expands the driving season by at least double. I'm hoping a/c makes the hot humid days more bearable as well.

[mb911]

Marty - Thanks for the offer. If I wasn’t using Ben’s modified 993 heat exchangers, yours would be my go-to. I guess I should call my car GT’ish

They sure do look good in the Sunauto GT.

T.Y. Mark ! Ben's work is superb (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif)
True Story: Sherwood Lee (the late + great) innovator: Seine Systems 915 shift improvement kit...used to hang out here at the plant. He would bring us these HB's and his jigs to re-mfg for his 9146 clients/ and 911 guys to utilize these HB's on earlier ('66-89) dual inlet banana style mufflers. Smart dude, known here on 914World as A Screen Guy.
When he passed I planted a Cacti garden here; it's named Sherwood's Forest (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

That’s a really nice story thanks for sharing pretty cool insight to Sherwood.

Mark the progress is amazing. I miss my 914 and actually a house so I am living vicariously through all of you for the next 8 months

[JmuRiz]

I’m not cutting a big hot air exit hole - using the stock openings that have the round plates glued down. I just felt better about strengthening up the metal that connects the two mounts for the front suspension. A lot of people add a lot of metal to the back but seem to neglect the front.

What's the best way to remove those chassis plugs? I'm doing the same thing on mine. Do you just chip out the seam sealer?

[Jack Standz]

I’m not cutting a big hot air exit hole - using the stock openings that have the round plates glued down. I just felt better about strengthening up the metal that connects the two mounts for the front suspension. A lot of people add a lot of metal to the back but seem to neglect the front.

What's the best way to remove those chassis plugs? I'm doing the same thing on mine. Do you just chip out the seam sealer?

Sure, you can chip it out. But, using a heavy/stiff wire wheel on an angle grinder seemed to work easier and faster.

[Jack Standz]

Nice work! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Following this with great interest, including the A/C setup. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

@Steve gave me the template for how to install it in a 914. We’ve installed six of the classic retrofit a/c systems in 911’s over the last year. The 914 won’t accept their cowl mounted evaporator/blower. Steve has basically duplicated their kit but used an in cabin evap/blower unit that’s available from many sources. A 911 Carrera condenser in front of the nose mounted oil cooler and it’s pretty well set.
Note - Steve sourced all the parts separately and built his system. I bought a classic retrofit kit and will substitute the cabin unit for the stock cowl blower.
I still have to get the car painted so the a/c isn’t going in any time soon.

Other than the ecu that comes with the classic retrofit kit, all the parts are still basically available off the shelf. I bought the kit for under $2k from someone who got it early on and never installed it in their 911. Currently, the kits are about $6k and the last one I bought for a customer came with a $2400 tariff.

Steve also pointed out to me the Patrick Motorsports install. It looks pretty clean but they install the condenser in the rear quarter, opposite side to the oil tank. Our experience is getting the condenser away from the engine and in front of as much air as possible, maximizes the efficiency of the condenser. I am concerned about placing my a/c condenser in front of the oil cooler but I have a bank of electric fans that will hopefully keep radiant heat from the condenser and existing out the back of the cooler box. I can enlarge the rear openings and even add more fans if needed.

Very nice work. Thanks for sharing.

By the way, now that the tarrif (tax) has been declared illegal, probably a good idea to pursue a refund on that $2,400 as many others have been doing since the court declared them unconstitutional and therefore illegal.

[mepstein]

Nice work! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Following this with great interest, including the A/C setup. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

@Steve gave me the template for how to install it in a 914. We’ve installed six of the classic retrofit a/c systems in 911’s over the last year. The 914 won’t accept their cowl mounted evaporator/blower. Steve has basically duplicated their kit but used an in cabin evap/blower unit that’s available from many sources. A 911 Carrera condenser in front of the nose mounted oil cooler and it’s pretty well set.
Note - Steve sourced all the parts separately and built his system. I bought a classic retrofit kit and will substitute the cabin unit for the stock cowl blower.
I still have to get the car painted so the a/c isn’t going in any time soon.

Other than the ecu that comes with the classic retrofit kit, all the parts are still basically available off the shelf. I bought the kit for under $2k from someone who got it early on and never installed it in their 911. Currently, the kits are about $6k and the last one I bought for a customer came with a $2400 tariff.

Steve also pointed out to me the Patrick Motorsports install. It looks pretty clean but they install the condenser in the rear quarter, opposite side to the oil tank. Our experience is getting the condenser away from the engine and in front of as much air as possible, maximizes the efficiency of the condenser. I am concerned about placing my a/c condenser in front of the oil cooler but I have a bank of electric fans that will hopefully keep radiant heat from the condenser and existing out the back of the cooler box. I can enlarge the rear openings and even add more fans if needed.

Very nice work. Thanks for sharing.

By the way, now that the tarrif (tax) has been declared illegal, probably a good idea to pursue a refund on that $2,400 as many others have been doing since the court declared them unconstitutional and therefore illegal.

Yes but it was collected by FedEx (automatically deducted from my acct) and there currently is not a mechanism to get a refund. Out of site but not out of mind.

[mepstein]

I’m not cutting a big hot air exit hole - using the stock openings that have the round plates glued down. I just felt better about strengthening up the metal that connects the two mounts for the front suspension. A lot of people add a lot of metal to the back but seem to neglect the front.

What's the best way to remove those chassis plugs? I'm doing the same thing on mine. Do you just chip out the seam sealer?

Yea, I like the wire wheel idea. Some seam sealer is soft and some is like a rock. Once you can get to an edge, you can probably pry it up with a putty knife. I might open up the holes a bit more before paint. I also want to see if more fans help or hinder air flow.

[mepstein]

Wilwood calipers are not an obvious choice on classic Porsche’s but we put a set on a customer’s hot rod 911 and I thought they were fantastic. I use a long down hill to bed in pads. It makes it easy to accelerate to speed and get the rotors up to temp. By the time I got to the bottom of the hill, the brakes had gone from good to great and were hauling down a backdated Carrera with power to spare. The RSR flairs had wide Michelin TB15’s and 320 hp and the brakes took control of the car. They are probably a bit overkill for a 914 but more is better, right? My 67 hot rod is also getting a set. No rehab needed. Just pull them out of the box and bolt onto the car.

[Montreal914]

3 or 3.5" front?

Rear E-Brake with 911 inner shoe?

[mepstein]

3 or 3.5" front?

Rear E-Brake with 911 inner shoe?

3.5” front
They have a rear e-brake add on for about another $1k but I’m using 911 ebrake with the kit from tangerine racing.

My 67-911 will actually have MCS coil over shocks and 935 style front suspension but that will burn the wallet for a while so I haven’t completely put together the suspension for the 914.

Plug - We are an MCS dealer if anyone wants a set for their Porsche.

[sixnotfour]

These would come in Handy,, plus you get gbody 911, larger wheel bearings.

[mepstein]

These would come in Handy,, plus you get gbody 911, larger wheel bearings.

Jeff explained this to me. Pretty cool mod but I don't think it will end up on my car for now.

I am however, using a similarly modified steel rear trailing arm on my '67. Kept the length SWB but grafted on LWB hub carrier. Lets me use later bearings and 3" caliper spacing on the rear but not change the wheelbase. Aluminum trailing arms on the '67 is the goal.

[mepstein]

Jared is finishing up the e-brake install. He tried the factory GT position and I asked him to go further up the tunnel. He then added a reinforcement plate. I’m very happy with the result.

[tailwind22]

That is awesome to see a center tunnel 911 handbrake in the 914. No more brake lever in the crotch when exiting!

[mepstein]

That is awesome to see a center tunnel 911 handbrake in the 914. No more brake lever in the crotch when exiting!

I'm not sure why it's not done more often. It's a pretty easy mod (realizing I'm not the one cutting and welding)

[mate914]

That is awesome to see a center tunnel 911 handbrake in the 914. No more brake lever in the crotch when exiting!

I'm not sure why it's not done more often. It's a pretty easy mod (realizing I'm not the one cutting and welding)

I like this mod. Can I pick your brain?
1. What e-brake handle assembly?
2. What Cables?
Matt

[mepstein]

That is awesome to see a center tunnel 911 handbrake in the 914. No more brake lever in the crotch when exiting!

I'm not sure why it's not done more often. It's a pretty easy mod (realizing I'm not the one cutting and welding)

I like this mod. Can I pick your brain?
1. What e-brake handle assembly?
2. What Cables?
Matt

Well I sort of just did it without totally thinking through it but ...It's a SWB handle. I used it because I had an extra and it doesn't have heat levers. I haven't set up cables. I'm assuming I can use 911 cables but if not, custom cables can be made and they aren't very expensive. If the stock cables don't fit, at least I can measure from them. I'm using a Tangerine Racing brake kit to use 911 e-brakes.

[Bullethead]

That is awesome to see a center tunnel 911 handbrake in the 914. No more brake lever in the crotch when exiting!

I'm not sure why it's not done more often. It's a pretty easy mod (realizing I'm not the one cutting and welding)

I like this mod. Can I pick your brain?
1. What e-brake handle assembly?
2. What Cables?
Matt

Well I sort of just did it without totally thinking through it but ...It's a SWB handle. I used it because I had an extra and it doesn't have heat levers. I haven't set up cables. I'm assuming I can use 911 cables but if not, custom cables can be made and they aren't very expensive. If the stock cables don't fit, at least I can measure from them. I'm using a Tangerine Racing brake kit to use 911 e-brakes.

You should be able to use 911 cables but will still need an adjustment method which is pretty simple. I did this, it works fine. Also note the little support to keep the cables off the headers.

[mepstein]

Thanks for the pic (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
I had a feeling I would need some sort of stop block for the cables.
Looks like it could be added in later.
Maybe that's why Porsche put the lever so far back in the tunnel.
Jared set it up per the factory GT position and I didn't like it. It looked like the cable spreader would interfere with the shift rod coupler. So he moved it.
I'm sure we can work it out with custom cables if need be.

[Bullethead]

Happy to help... here's another detail shot, plus the calipers. These are stock 911 cables.