While I'm waiting for parts for the gas tank switch, I thought I'd get started on another project that I've been putting off - intake tubes.

When I redid my originals in 1989, I made the mistake of clearcoating them. Man, did they look great for 7-8 years, before then engine heat took over. Still don't look horrible, but you can tell.

So, I have two extra sets (eBay). Both are gross! I intended to refurbish both, but the red set has bad clips, so it will go in the trash tomorrow night.

The other set - silver-on white-on gray look like the have potential. So, I started citris stripping them tonight. It's 86 degrees in the garage, so the stripping should be enhanced by the heat (unlike me).

The red ones are free to anyone so inclined, but you need to let me know by tomorrow night! They are really crude. I must start throwing this stuff out. Pics attached

build yourself a soda blaster or a rust removal tank with a spare battery or battery charger. Its amazing how clean it gets stuff! no more stripping crap for me...

Bad clips? How so?

I sent mine to the powdercoaters and really like the finish.
Click to view attachment

Yeah, purty! Little too much gloss though, IMO.
Pat

Th top clips have been bent back and forth so many times that they snapped from weakness. All others are Ok, but that renders these tubes useless to me. Trash time one week from yesterday,
Pat

Can you be alittle more detailed? I'm all ears & sick of stripping & scraping.
Pat

I had mine powdercoated, they look great. I used 65% gloss finish, and I think they still are a little glossy, but not bad. Plus they are easy to clean.

Eric, if you take 800 to 1000 grit and wet sand it, you'll get a nice matt finish on them. Just don't use any polishes or compound after sanding. The scotch bright pads work well too for the harder to get areas. That's what I ended up doing with mine. I'm happy with the results. Nice color match btw. What RAL color is it?

Tod - pics of yours please? Installed is OK too.
Pat

Pat - I appreciate what your doing to get your car back in shape. It's one I'd really like to see and I think I live pretty close to you. Even if it isn't looking perfect, you should think about getting it on the road. These cars are so fun and a day like today would be teriffic. Just thinking out loud. Best of luck, Mark

I'll try to get some better shots for you Pat. Unfortunetly my Fuji camera tends to oversaturate colors. They appear to be too blue in the pictures. I'll see if I can color correct to make it a more accurate representation.

Tod,
If you don't apply any wax/polish - what keeps them from oxidizing, especially in the heat of the engine compartment?

I made the mistake of clearcoating mine when I re-did them 20 years ago. Yep, the paint underneath is fine, but the heat yellowed to clearcoat.
Pat

Oh, and just to clear this up, the cast pieces ARE supposed to be painted also - right?

ark,
Thanks for the reply.

Look, I've owned this 914 for 38 years (I was 25 when I bought it new). We've done a bunch of atocrossing with it in the past, and have maintained it to hardcore concors specs (38 "real" trophies), but I'm now 63 and a bit arthritic, so things move way more slowly. In fact, the car will be shipped to Ohio over the winter to have the mechanicals brought back into spec. I just can't physically do it anymore.

Oh, it will be made roadworthy. Thankfully, I have no rust issues.

To quote Dirty Harry - "man should know his limits". I do, & it's time to find a younger man to help.
Pat

Pat I don't think the powder will change over time, like I did mine. The scuffing does lighten it slightly. I'll post a shot of it for you, but keep in mind they are not this blueish in person. I don't have any programs loaded on the computer to color correct it atm.
What I noticed about some of the intake runner photos I have, some of the grey paint will get darker, while others lighter over time. Guess chemicals and heat play a part on how it changes. I'm trying to find a can of the Rustoleum 2000 temp high heat paint. One member tried it, and it looked very good. Much closer than the VHT.
Here's a photo of the engine bay with them installed. PS if you would like all the reference photos of the original paint runners, happy to send them out to you.

Click to view attachment

I would love to see them. May not want to bore the others with them, so feel free to send any/all topg914@netzero.com
Thanks

Will do Pat. Just need to organize them abit better.

No problem Tod. At your liesure. PM me so the rest won't be bored.
P

Pat bad email address

Hi. This is the qmail-send program at yahoo.com.
I'm afraid I wasn't able to deliver your message to the following addresses.
This is a permanent error; I've given up. Sorry it didn't work out.

<topg914@netzero.com>:

Remote host said: 550 topg914@netzero.com is not a valid user

I can't remember which color we chose with those. I believe I took in a paint cap to Ford engine grey and then went one shade darker IIRC. They are really close to pictures I have seen of other manifolds. I am not too concerned with the finish, the gloss makes it easier to keep clean. I think with a matte finish, they would be close to factory original though.

Tod, maybe there's just a space missing in Pat's post; "so feel free to send any/all to pg914@netzero.com"

Mike, I'll post them on the site here in case others want to see them too.