I'm guessing it's similar to the use of 2WD to AWD subaru transmissions. The 2WD trans you don't have to worry about blocking/disabling the the other drive portion of the trans. While the AWD trans you have to purchase a kit to disable and block off the rear drive section of the trans.

What i meant was the 944 trans is located at the rear of the car w/ a driveshaft coming from the front of the car from the engine. While the Audi 5000 version is attached to the engine (like the 914) and there's no messing w/ blocking off the input hole for the driveshaft.

Porsche 928


Audi 5000 (ignore the V8)

The 944 trans doesn't have a throwout bearing or arm. It has a tube for the shift linkage to run through the bell housing. The rest of the trans is identical. The driveshaft is clamped to the input shaft on the trans, and a big plate is bolted to the bell housing, adapting it down to the torque tube.

For the most part, the audi and 944 transmissions are interchangeable.

I think that is "Ignore the V12". Nice BMW V12...

I decided to go ahead and clean-up the look of the shifter inside the 914. I removed the the modified console and as you can see further down the end result is a much cleaner look...at least I like it. The gauges will end-up being intergrated into the 3 gauge dash cluster.
Before Picture



As you can see, the shifter is raised up about 1/2 inch, levers from the shifter actually protrude down into the tunnel.



If I wanted, I could cut the shifter mechanism tube that sticks upward and lower it about 4inches without too much problem. I would then either have to shorten the plastic shift mechanism cover or get a large boot. For now, I think I'm going to leave it be.



In this picture you see where normally a CA 75 has an EGR valve placed where the speedometer goes to and then leaves to be routed to the transmission. The cable coming from the Audi transmission is "Audi" and travels up the tunnel to this connector in the passenger foam cutout. The other side of the connector is a porsche speedo cable that travels up to the speedometer. I'm not to sure what this "connector" is but it makes the transfer from Audi part to Porsche part.



The new look... Eventually, I'll put a carpet kit in the car and it should look pretty good.

Why don't you have an uphostery shop make a leather boot and remove that big plastic uglee thingy.....not like you don't know what gear it's in.

It was raining but wanted to go for a spin around the block. Not quite the "twisty" video that I hoped to first post, but at least it will give you a peak. Next time I'll have to figure out a better way of positioning a camera that will take some bumps...kept loosing the camera's focus from bumps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UN2gZ-nYLA

Dude! that's so sweet I think I'm going to make a custom T-Shirt just for you, what app. is that,and I now I know were to put my iphone
any rain inside the car after the drive?

The iphone app is "speed-o-meter"...it's either free or $1, I can't remember. It's pretty darn accurate.

This is so cool! Good for you.

Porsche missed a market segment with that one! Very Cool!

that's awesome, I'm so cutting an iphone jack into my ashtray, now!

Dude , I think you may be able to find a shifter setup that will get it down closer to the tunnel , after all it's just standard automatic shift pattern PRND21 , with some adjusting , you could get it to work. Just take a trip to the Pick& pulls , scope out a shifter , maybe console combo to get the whole mechanisim down some, unless you're totally happy with what you have . My $.02.

P.S. I'm very interested in this setup , as it gives another option for a transmission in a 914.

Jaxdream

I agree, it would have been neat to see how a properly engineered factory auto would have turned out. I think George has/had one of the sport-o-matic ones though.

I bet a B&M ratchet shifter would fit in there. it comes with adjustable shift arms for the tranny side.

After not being able to find a suitable shifter replacement, I decided to redesign the tall vanagon one that was used. I literally took a good 7 inches off the old shifter. I took several inches off the middle of the bracket and some off the extension rod. It actually was more difficult than I first thought, especially keeping the geometry and throw the same. Anyway, good for now.

I had called Jeggs and it turns out that all the generic shifters they sell, i.e Hurst, B&M are made for American cars and transmissions.

Looks much better. I like it!

My bike doesn't have a speedo, so I tried several of the iphone apps. My favorite is called "SpeedBox."

Very nice find Mark! One of the most unique 914s around, in a cool way.

I agree, a nice leather boot would be the perfect finish.

Very nicely done Mark. That looks much better. Still doesn't quite look like it belongs but is closer. How does it drive & shift?

Hey Mark, Great work, Great find.

Not too bad !! I am interested in this conversion , as I would like to do this so the little woman could drive it, besides an automatic 914 would be cool !!

Jack / Jaxdream

Now that the shifter is cut down, a 930 boot will fit nicely if I decide to go that route. I
hesitate losing the gear selector--it's part of the novelty. I'm not to sure anything is going to look correct, as 914 owners we just don't have any schema for an automati 914. I wonder what Ferry would have designed?

Mark - It looks like you've got it down just a little taller than a stock center console. Why not just try to put one around it and build from there?

Ferry would have said, lose the plastic console! And one million other peeps here agree! Leather boot!
Hint hint.

i like it
james

I had tiny tits on my 75 and it was original. I bought it from the original owner and it was never modified in any way.

I decided to pull the black cover in the trunk today which is where the starter is located at 12:00. Normally there is no starter normally located at 12:00, but the only location that would work in a 914/4--Audi transaxle conversion. I was curious if I could learn more how they made the starter work.

As you can see a "stock 914" starter was used. It was bolted to an adapter that looks like it was custom made. The starter connects to the adapter and the adapter bolts to the adapter plate mated to the 914 motor.
Click to view attachment

Here you can see the two 19mm bolts that secure the starter from the back side of the adapter plate (engine compartment). You can also see the shaft of the bendix gear rides on protruding through part of the adapter plate and part of the edge of the 914 case.
Click to view attachment

An hole was opened-up on the top side of the transmission to expose the teeth on the torque converter. You can see the two bolts that secure the starter. You can't see the bendix shaft hole. If you look at 10:00, you'll see where the starter is normally on this Audi 5000 application.
Click to view attachment

These next two pictures show how an extension was made to space the bendix gear at the right distance so to engage the torque converter teeth properly. You'll also notice the teeth on the bendix gear on the 914 starter is different than the end that meets the torque converter teeth. The extension is held on by three allen bolts. A notch for each of the bolts was cut in the actual 914 bosch starter bendix gear.to lock the extension in place.
Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment

I still don't know how the torque converter connects to the 914 crankshaft.

Very crude looking construction but I really really like it! This was clearly built and designed by a true free thinker. This is how real men build stuff. Just imagine how well this has werked for the former women owner. Pure mechanical function!

That's not bad backyard fabrication. I bet you could buy something to work today. The shop that did the work deffinately has a "thinker" working for them.

Very cool.

I've been thinking about an automatic for my 14. I'm not sure I could fab that trick starter set up. Not sure I would want to.

Is that a booster relay in there?

Hi Steve!
No, I believe it's connected to the Park/Neutral safety switch on the automatic shifter selector. Essentially it disables the starter when not in park or neutral.

Great car! Post more photos when you get them.

The mechanic that did the pedal cluster conversion did do a pretty nice job creating the double brake pedal, but I was pretty happy with the ebay auction that I won for $41. AutoAtlanta was selling off what look like a NOS Sportomatc pedal cluster for 914-6. Perfect! I was glad to see the auction didn't get much attention. It was a gold find for me. James from Morphenspectra is going to make a carpet kit for me without the clutch pedal slot and no hole for the piece that goes over the tunnel for the shifter. All in all, it should clean up the look nicely.

Haven't decided what to do for a brake pedal pad.

See if the pad from a VW sporto pedal will fit.

Very cool Car Mark. How do you like driving it?

This is one cool thread!

Boy, I just can't seem to get time to work on this car...too many things going. I did however get the sportomatic pedal cluster installed. Works beautifully.

What's wrong with this one...
The worst thing, one of our boy's car died and we gave him our Honda to get him through his last couple years of school. Consequently, we needed a car so we went out and bought a new Honda. OK...so I have a two car garage, one sbc914 goes insided and guess whose project car got kicked outside...yep this red one.

That thing is bitchin! I second the VW sporto pad. Or maybe Mark Whitsell can make you a custom one!

Very cool Mark, very cool!

Very cool and thanks for sharing. I know nothing about Audi's. Do you know what year's of Audi 5000 this transaxle is from. This is really interesting to me.

The transaxle is from an 85 Audi 5000, while the shifter they used was from a vanagon, which I never liked. I just recently had purchased an actual 85 Audi 5000 shifter from a wrecking yard because it looked like it would work much better than the tall vanagon shifter.

With some minor modification the shifter fit perfectly and works beautifully, which really has me a bit baffled why it wasn't used in the first place.

Normally the shifter would be pushing and pulling linkage going from the shifter forward to the transaxle in the Audi. By removing the guide bracket on the shifter that allows for the linkage to push and pull the same but now the linkage goes from the shifter back the transaxle towards the rear of the 914. Essentially the principal it works on is the same. All the gears hit perfectly with this setup.

The shifter now is mounted very close to the tunnel and looks like it belongs. As soon as the carpet kit arrives I'll snap a completed picture with it mounted.

Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment

I think you should drive it to Route 66 next week just to show me in person

This is probably one of those total photoshoped threads. I bet this car doesn't even exist

I finally had some time this week to completely give the interior a make-over. Installed the 85 Audi shifter, gutted the interior, media blasted everthing that could be refurbished, repainted, new custom carpet kit by morph, and new seals where appropriate. I'm very please with how well it all cleaned-up and shifts beautifully. You can see how the Audi shifter fits perfectly in the 914 tunnel. I tried a 930 boot just for fun but it's a bit to tight to go over the mechanism. Anyway, whether I have a boot made or stay with the plastic cover, the interior is done. I also added a combo gauge in the dash.
Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment

Looks fantastic!!!

Nice job, Mark!

That interior looks great!

please throw that plastic thing in the garbage.
this may work http://www.jegs.com/i/Ford-Racing/397/M-72...roductId=757434

That new shifter looks great.

A smaller plastic housing might look better but that is something you can be on the lookout for.

Drive it like you stole it.

That shifter looks so much better!

Oh man, SOOOO much better, but yet just not quite there. I'm with Troy. Lose the plastic crapper rigid console and find a classy boot!! Close! So close to perfection. Soft boot all the way!!!! Dude, congrats on an epic cool 914!

OK............OK
Finally found a real nice boot that would fit the 914 interior decor and work well with the automatic audi shifter. The boot is actually mounted with bolts through the carpet and onto a thin piece of sheet metal shaped to the width of the tunnel and about 27mm long. A hole for the shifter is cut in the sheet metal. You just lower the hole unit, carpet and all over the shifter shaft and down to meet the tunnel. The sheet metal attaches to the tunnel in three places under the carpet. It turned out very clean and allows for quick access to the tunnel (like lifting the hood of a car) if need be.

Summit Boot: Lokar X70BHRB - Lokar Midnight Series
Next, replacing all the brake pads and turning the rotors.
Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment