914 goal complete and buick conversion pic requests !, It took 7 years to make the trip in the complete 914 ! Options

[tronporsche]

Well, after learning about the 914 and finally getting it the way I want, it has taken 7 years. MY final goal for the project was to cruise the PCH (Pacific coast Highway), and boy, did I cruise! I don't know if I could do a 55 mile an hour drive, on that freeway to Santa Barbara, again though !!! I've got the grey hair( since childhood), had the arm out the window, with the headlights on, All I needed was the straw hat with the palm tree button-up shirt with the gold chain and cigar in mouth even though I don't smoke, And I would have played the part perfectly !! Well, the cruise was just as expected, and the 7 year wait was worth every bit of it. Now, to put the car cover on it.......or will I ?????

Here are some pics of my day, and I would like to say THANK-YOU to MikeZ, for his company, kindness, and fun. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) .....Also, some members have requested to see more photos of my Buick conversion, so here they are. I would also like to see your Buick conversion pics, I know they are great. Thank-you for looking!! ........TRON!!!

[tronporsche]

And a few more.......

[JRust]

Looks great! Way to go & worth 7 years from the look of it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/w00t.gif)

[Wilhelm]

Lot of nice touches!! Don't think I've ever seen that "carpet" before. Your crafting or aftermarket?

What is the reverse hood scoop for. Looks like you vent out the fenders. Do you vent the hood as well?

[michaelt55]

awesome car! Glad to see other buick conversions here!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/w00t.gif)

[drive-ability]

And a few more.......

Nice car! I know those engines well !!!! I spent a lot of years in Buick dealers working as a tune-up and driveability guy. Nice quick reving engine...

[byndbad914]

Cruising PCH and the 101 makes for a nice day for sure... made the trip up through Santa Barbara a couple times myself when my 914 was stock and the targa top off.

[Joe Bob]

Nice meeting you and the lovely wife. We had a beer at the local pub....Brophy Brothers, they declined the oyster shooters....cruised up to the house and showed them the sites....they saw the BAD TUB up on the rack and the /6 under resto.
It was foggy so they couldn't see the islands but still a gud day...the kids came out and of course told them that my wife hates all Porsches and won't be seen dead in any of mine....little snots.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

It's a mean sounding ride, BTW....looks nice too. We got a lot of looks from the locals playing tag in our rides up the road from the beach....

[plymouth37]

Cool ride, I really dig the color.
You sure picked a great road to cruise, PCH and the 101 make for a great day of driving.
Congrats on finishing your project!

[Heeltoe914]

Good to here the car is doing well. Drive it and enjoy it.

[jim_hoyland]

Thanks for sharing the pics. PCH to Santa Barbara is a great 914 ride. The picture from the pier reminds me of my childhood when I wouuld fish out there--

Great looking car, you really individualized it it well. More info on the carpets please.

Try to make the GAF in Ventura this September, always a good 914 turnout

Jim

[Gary]

Great looking ride. Thanks for sharing!

[championgt1]

Congrats on finishing your car. Nice ride!

[tronporsche]

Thanks guys for all of your compliments, that is very kind of you. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) You guys have beautiful cars, it is nice to see great individuality. Heeltoe914 did my conversion and really made it sound and strong. The trip to S.B. was like driving in a brand new Porsche. Mike Z's cars are really nice, someone is gonna have a chance to get their hands on a thoroughly built 6.......The temp dropped from 180 to 160 as soon as we hit the S.B. city limit, nothing better than a cool temp, right ??? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) ....about the steel carpet I know alot of guys might not want it because of weight, but it is really nice as far as keeping the car clean. I wanted the "racy" look, and also a simpler way of keeping the floor clean. Every now and then give it a wipe down with diamond plate polish. When the diamond plate is dirty , people cant even tell !!! Since I'm not a "hater", here is the big secret to the interior floor......I simply measured it, had it cut, used auto screws and walla !!!! If you plan on doing it, I wouldn't feel comfortable giving you the dimensions though, because being just a tad bit off means you have to go back to the cutter...so doing your own measurements is highly suggested. You can have pieces cut for the back floor as well, incase you slide your seat up. One thing to take into consideration, is the edges come together really well if you measure correctly,(as you can see in the picture it looks like one piece) but , those edges are really sharp, so I always remind the wifeee to "lift" her ankles high over the edge when she gets out, or there is potential for a serious cut !! (maybe you want to put something on the edges, but I think it will take away from the look) I sprayed about 8 cans of truck bed liner from wal-mart over night (I actually stayed up til sun up because there is only a certain amount of time you are suppose to allow the stuff to dry before next coat) so I took out my seats, bolster back and center panel as well. Between the truck coating and the Dynamat in the engine bay, I can talk on the freeway with the top off. (but now the new law will give you a cell phone ticket, but you get the point !!) I only hand wash my car, and I don't drive it in the rain, so I don't worry about water getting under my steel (or aluminum). But here is the best part, and 914 carpet salesman aren't going to like this........$100 out the door. That's right.Go to your local Steel Industrial center. Some cuts are $15 bucks, the angle cut was the most expensive ($45) but when I told the lady that does the money how ridiclous that was to charge that much for a cut, she quietly agreed, and "hooked me up" !!! So basically, you will probably pay around $150( You have to get the "orphan" sheets, or you'll pay a lot more for a non-cut sheet. By the way, there are so many different styles of these sheets to pick from, some even have circle patterns !! I also really enjoy the lighting effect I get at night, I have street glow under and in my car, so people really trip when they see the lights reflecting off the steel plates at night , and it makes me feel like I am driving a "TRON" tank (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) !! I'll post a picture.( My limit is up, I am going to have to do a new thread, "TRON interior pics") But I recommend this for anyone that is tired of those dirty carpets, or wants a "racy" look....have fun !!....TRON!!!.........also, FYI....the cowel hood scoop was for looks mostly, but it ended up being a superb add-on to the car conversion. As soon as I hit the fan switch, you can feel the air come out of the back....That's right, it's operational baby !!! I like this particular scoop because it has the same front edge as the 914 hood, and is not too big or small. I got it from JC Whitney for $54 bucks.