Projekt: 914 GT4, Everyone needs a build thread... Options

[Todd Enlund]

Everyone needs a build thread, right? Here’s mine. I am going to post the first part of this retroactively, and then I’ll try to keep it updated.

I got the car as a trade for services. A guy that I knew had 5½ 914s, and was getting married. I agreed to photograph his wedding in exchange for a 914 and a 901 sideshifter. Barter is good.

My plan was originally to do a Subaru conversion, but I decided that to do it right would cost too much, and I had just been forced to retire from the Air Force two days before my 43rd birthday. The budget will be tight. I considered a 2.7/6 conversion, but again, the little things would add up to be expensive.

Over the last year, my plan has evolved. I decided to stick with a Type IV, and rebuild it myself.

The factory color is L21E Tangerine, and I plan on an updated M471-style GT look. Small parts will kill a budget, so many of my decisions will be based on NOT buying or restoring parts to factory condition, but still having a solution that looks like I did not compromise.

My goal is 1900 lbs, 150 HP and LOTS of fun.

Here is my inspiration:

[Todd Enlund]

02 Sep 2007

Here it is on delivery day. I was so excited when it arrived on a trailer that I forgot to take photos until we got it hoisted into the garage. Looks good! Just a 1971 rolling chassis, though… with a sideshift 901 on the side. I managed to clear out enough room between the brewing equipment, camping gear, lawn mower, bikes and model airplanes to fit it into the garage. I’ll need more room later.

[Todd Enlund]

13 Sep 2007

Initial assessment. For the last two weeks I’ve been going into the garage every evening and sitting in my new toy. Now I am finally ready to start looking for damage. I knew that the left rear fender had been replaced at some point, and the car had been repainted at that time. Apparently, there had also been a minor ding on the right front corner.

Some rust bubbles under the touchup paint on the right cowl-fender seam.

A small bondo spot on the hood.

Door have been professionally cut for speakers, and the door panels themselves are trash.

Driver’s door has a crack in the structure.

[Todd Enlund]

13 SEP 2007 cont

Pulled up the carpet, and the pan looks okay on the driver’s side, just a little rust up front.

55167… what does that mean? 155,167? 255,167? Who knows?

Front targa seal is almost gone.

Hell hole.

The guy that I got it from cut away “the bad part” with a plasma cutter. Cool. But, then he sprayed red oxide primer over everything… I’d have rather been able to see the damage. He also cut through the right rear hard brake line. Oops!

[Todd Enlund]

18 Sep 2007

Hmmm… the tar was loose on the floor pan in some areas, so I pulled it up. Wow, no floor! So I took the interior out, and prepared to strip out all the tar to see just how bad it was.

[southernmost914]

Pull off those rockers and give us a peak.

Steve

[iamchappy]

Pull off those rockers and give us a peak.

Steve

Yeah it's almost Halloween, scare us. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/w00t.gif)

Nice collection of empty beer bottles, which reminds me i was going to send you a little package.

[PeeGreen 914]

Wow Todd, you told me you got a little rust but I am waiting to see if there really is a 914 there... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) You can do it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

[jc914]

Wow you got some rust i will keep up with your post on this project. I want to see those rockers ... Good luck you can do it.

[PanelBilly]

Looks like fun. If your setting a short timeline for having a drivable car, I'd say your budget needs to be fairly large. Its not going to be cheep to get all the parts you need to fix the rust and running gear. I think if you can leave the "finish date" open (like anybody finishes one of these cars???), and source the parts on the secondary market or from parts cars, you'll save some money. Rebuilding a car can be a lot of fun if you take your time.

[Todd Enlund]

When I pulled the rocker covers, there was a copious amount of dirt under each one. Fortunately, the dirt was bone dry. Here's what it looks like under there:

Looks like fun. If your setting a short timeline for having a drivable car, I'd say your budget needs to be fairly large. Its not going to be cheep to get all the parts you need to fix the rust and running gear. I think if you can leave the "finish date" open (like anybody finishes one of these cars???), and source the parts on the secondary market or from parts cars, you'll save some money. Rebuilding a car can be a lot of fun if you take your time.

My target "finish date" is "when it is done". Since I got the car as a roller, I've never driven it. I'm really anxious to drive it, but it's also fun to work on it. It's fun to work on because I can do it on my terms. I'ts not fun to work on a car when it's on the car's terms.

When I was working, I always wanted to hang a sign in my shop that said "Good. Fast. Cheap. Pick any two." Well, with this project, the choices are "good" and "cheap".

[Todd Enlund]

15 October 2007

I bought my first part for my 914. I bought a steering wheel on eBay, a Momo Club 4. $35. Seller was in Japan, so I expected high shipping… $42.00 was even higher than I expected though. Still, $77.00 for a Momo wheel with a horn button isn’t bad.



So, now I need an adaptor. Found one on eBay and won it for $50 shipped. Turns out, it is for a 914/6 or early 911, and although the splines match, that is all that matches. This is as far as it goes on.



Come to find out, 1970-71 cars had a different column than the 72-later, and Momo doesn't make an adapter for the early cars. This early 911 adapter has found a new home, in exchange for a /4 adapter and 1974 column.

[Todd Enlund]

30 Oct 2007

The passenger side turn signal bucket and taillight housing are both bad, so I bought one of each. The taillight housing arrived broken. Now I have two broken right side taillight housings. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[Todd Enlund]

5 March 2008

My driver’s side window regulator won’t raise the windows all the way up, so I bought a pair from a guy on 914World for $5 + $15 shipping. I know that the early regulators are regarded as crap, but I like the fact that they weigh nothing.

[Todd Enlund]

2 May 2008

The 901 side shifter that I got with my car had a broken mounting ear on the tail cover, so the guy that I got it from told me that he’d swap it for a good one.



I took the tail cover off… there was more water than oil in the case. Looked like something on a coral reef.





The 1st-reverse shifter fork was broken as well.



Looks like I'll need more than a tail cover.

[Zaney]

I feel your pain (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)
I am currently in the 'While I'm in there' phase myself. The rear half of the floor pan was trash so after many spot weld drill holes it came out. Now, it is time to nut up and dig into the right long and wheelhouse with a wire wheel.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) Good luck and keep your spirits up!
Nate

[Todd Enlund]

17 May 2008

I took the instrument cluster out of the dash today, and started cleaning things up. The bezels are rusty, as is the panel itself.



The gauges are looking pretty dingy and faded.



I’m going to redo them, so I’ve taken them apart.



Look how faded the low fuel indicator is!



While I have them apart, I reset the odometer to -0-.



I'm trying to decide what to do with the gauges. I can redo them in the factory white-on-black style, or the popular black-on-white. I can do them with tangerine faces to match the body. I can do the bezels in either black, aluminum or tangerine. I'll think about it for a while, because I also want to incorporate a 911 oel temp/druck gauge, and I need to decide how to do that too.

[Todd Enlund]

25 May 2008

I bought some seals from Mikey914. A pair of cowl seals, complete set of inner and outer door seals, and a lower front targa seal for $90 + $8.95 shipping. I’m thrilled with the quality, and the price!

[Todd Enlund]

5 June 2008

I bought a 2.0L core engine for $300 and a 78mm counterweighted crank with a set of clearanced stock rods for $100. Had a nice drive to Bellingham to pick them up, so shipping was the cost of gas… figure $110. Stopped for beer at a few places, and met Phoenix 914-6GT for dinner at Diamond Knot.

I was so excited that the only pic that I took was after it was all apart:

[Todd Enlund]

9 June 2008

I bought some 1989 911 front suspension parts from a guy on the bird board. Spindles/rotors/hubs/struts/calipers for $350 + $50 shipping.

Edit: As of October 2008, all I have received is the rotors/hubs/calipers. The guy’s name is Mike Hogan from Bethesda, MD 301-706-2896, mhogan@umd.edu