Starting a 1971 IMSA 914 Restoration, A privateer run 914 with Sebring and Daytona history Options

[gms]

John here is a diagram of oil system with cooler.
Your oil tank is most likely custom as was the norm for Private IMSA teams.
The oil would generally come into the tank at a higher level and drip thru a screen to remove air from the oil. The scavenge side of the oil pump will push the oil thru the cooler and into the tank.

[gms]

Looking at the struts and sway bars on the car. Does anyone recognize this sway
bar arm? For some reason, RSR comes to my mind.

This looks like an aftermarket Charley Bar, it was somewhere around 22mm.

[FourBlades]

Thanks Glenn, I was hoping you would chime in.

Do you think the top fittings were for engine breathers?

John

[bcheney]

You're doing a great job John. This project is so cool to follow. It will take a lot to get'er done...But, in the end you're gonna have a great car with excellent stories to tell of how it came to be!

[sixnotfour]

Thats an old H&H sway bar

[pete000]

I might have seen that car run at Sebring when I was a kid. Have to look through all my old photos.

Funny it has a speedometer in it, most race cars discard that.

It say's 914-4 on the front bumper ? you metioned it had a six?

Neat project, keep digging !

[FourBlades]

They ran it as a 4 cylinder for a while and then went to a twin plug 6.

Any period photos of the car would be greatly appreciated!

John

[gms]

Thats an old H&H sway bar

You are right Jeff, the Charley Bars are more refined

[FourBlades]

I wonder if the arms would fit on the new GPR bar? I'll have to take it out
and check it it fits the stock sway bar arms.

John

[URY914]

John,

Anything you do to this car will be an improvement on they way it was patched together by the original owner. It seems he was more concerned about being able to make the race than he was about winning the race. You could restore it to the period correct race car but that would be just a pieced together backmarker. It's cool that you have a former IMSA 914 but you run the risk of over restoring it just by giving it a decent paint job.

I hope you understand what I saying and I don't get flamed by those that don't.

Paul

[FourBlades]

Paul,

You have really put your finger on the problem. Just vacumming the sand out
of the car was over restoring it. I have convinced myself it did not start its
racing career this rusted out and patched together. With that rationalization
in place I am shooting for restoring it more to the early part of its career,
when it actually had a more complete set of 914 sheetmetal. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I am also trying to make it a working and safe race car, so all the paper thin
rusted stuff has got to go. They did not use braided covered hose in most
places but I will in the interest of safety. It is basically was a non-functional
wreck when I got it so leaving it as it was did not have much point.

I am sure the car will end up nicer than it ever was, but not as blatantly over
restored as some cars end up. I read recently that a 70s Corvette right off the
factory floor would only score about 77 in a concours today.

If people have advice or opinions then please post away.

John

[URY914]

John,

I'm glad you understand where I'm coming from. This was not a factory 914GT that ran at LeMans. It was more like a guys toy that happened to own a gas station in Miami. I wonder what would come back if you ran the vin# through the police data base? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[tscrihfield]

More hideous rust and damage pictures. The front trunk floor is basically falling
apart. They cut a big hole in the bulkhead in front of the oil tank for some reason,
maybe cooling because there is another hole in the floor under the oil tank?



They added these brackets and mounted driving lights that aim through holes in the
bumper. I will keep this and mount some new lights here.



I would probably be better off just replacing the entire front end of the car right in
front of the shock towers. Not sure if that is a realistic plan. I am afraid the front
suspension mounting points are shot.

Will probably piece it all back in as I can find rust free replacement sheet metal.

Hint hint. Will pay for time and shipping.

John

Now I understand the reason you are looking for my nose. I asked my dad about shipping it from his work and he said it should be no problem. You should have in by Thanksgiving if all works out with shipping will keep you posted!

Thomas

[ChrisFoley]

If people have advice or opinions then please post away.

This is a cool project.

IMO it would be appropriate to make the car appear like it did when it was campaigned in IMSA. However, updating with the best available components, as though the car had been well maintained and continually improved during its tenure, would also be correct.

The first 914 race car I ever saw was an SCCA E Production car, at a Lime Rock EMRA time trial in the mid eighties. That was enough to put me on the path I took to racing my own car in SCCA.
By the time I saw an IMSA 914 on TV (I never saw one in person), their era was past but if I were into vintage racing I think this is what I would like to play with.

[ME733]

......I think you have a great project there....and properly restored would be a welcome sight in vintage racing, which you would enjoy immensely....side note, I once looked for a formula super vee ( air cooled) which was in original condition., never found one. What you have found in that 914-4 is a diamond in the rough., and may well turn out to be valuable if you restore it properly. I would say that you should not do a "down and dirty" or "cheap" restoration. Take your time and do it properly. It could be way more valuable, restored, than you could imigine.

[sixnotfour]

It was more like a guys toy that happened to own a gas station in Miami.

I thought they owned a jewlery business? The big guys in that era were drug smugglers
Any car that actually raced in the big races is a worthy project. Compare to your first project this is a wlk in the park.
Keep up the good work.

[FourBlades]

Thanks very much for all the comments. It helps me to decide what to do.
This car has a lot of value to me and I see myself as a caretaker. So it will
get used in appropriate events but not abused nor will it be locked away in my
motor racing heritage museum (i.e. my garage). Wouldn't it be cool if a couple
regular guys (like the original owners were) could build still build a car and
compete in the ALMS/IMSA with the big boys, which is what this car represents.
I think for a lot of closet racers, this is a common dream.

My plan is to make it look like it did when it ran Sebring, Daytona, etc. on the
outside but with the rust repaired, new components that would not have been
out of place in the late 70s, and safer than it was. So it will get the same exact
paint scheme, same type of fiberglass flares, I will repair the original front
bumper, repair the fiberglass roof, use the original fuse and switch panel,
use the custom made oil tank, use a GT style front oil cooler like they had,
use Gotti wheels like they did, keep the original roll cage, original tranny
cooler and pump, 2 fuel pumps, 2 ignition set ups, etc. No carbon fiber.

Whereever I can keep the original parts I will, and where I can't I will get similar
new or used parts. I do plan to make it safer so I will use braided fuel lines, etc.
but am looking for nickel plated fittings rather than blue and red aeroquip fittings,
which they had only a few of.

It is interesting how many companies are still in business that made parts
in the 1970s, like Koni, ATL, mocal, holley, bilstein, bosch, etc.

I could have kept it exactly as I got it, but it would only be a rusty paperweight
then, not a living, running car. I plan to bring the car back to life without over
doing it, or using stuff they never had, unless for safety.

I was also thinking we are only seeing what it looks like 30 years after they
quit racing it. Who knows when the front end crash happened that removed
so much of the original metal and caused a lot of rust to happen. It was run
in SCCA racing after the original builders sold it (they moved on to 911s).

Sorry for the long ramble, I am actually trying to keep this fun.

Today my buddy Sean (the Prawn) was over and we built a stand to get the
car off the ground so we could remove the suspension and repair the front
end damage.



You can see how little was left of the front of the car. A couple world members
are helping me out with parts cut from wrecked cars that I will post when they
get here.



Getting some serious help from Chris Foley, which is hugely appreciated.

John

[FourBlades]

It was more like a guys toy that happened to own a gas station in Miami.

> Yes exactly, some regular guys go racing and actually finish pretty well.


I thought they owned a jewlery business? The big guys in that era were drug smugglers
Any car that actually raced in the big races is a worthy project. Compare to your first project this is a wlk in the park.
Keep up the good work.

> The jewelry store was a sponsor for a while, maybe after the IMSA era. They
> used to call IMSA the International Marajana Suppliers Association in the late
> 70s. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Some big team principals went to jail for it. Have not found any
> dubage in the car so far. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smoke.gif)

> Most of the metal is really solid. The front and the floors are shot. What took
> me months when I was clueless I can do in hours now. All the work on the
> rockin 914 will pay off now, which was my plan all along (well, not really).
>
> John

[KELTY360]

Today my buddy Sean (the Prawn) was over and we built a stand to get the
car off the ground so we could remove the suspension and repair the front
end damage.




John

Here we go with the wood again....sheesh. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Great project and I like your perspective on the restoration but this time, build a metal rotisserie so it won't de-lam in the Florida humidity.

Sure are a lot of great build threads on TheWorld right now.

[FourBlades]

Now I understand the reason you are looking for my nose. I asked my dad about shipping it from his work and he said it should be no problem. You should have in by Thanksgiving if all works out with shipping will keep you posted!

Thomas

Thanks Thomas, that is great.

John