I drove the car! I live on a cul-de-sac and I took it up the street and back. I had to adjust the clutch, then I took it for a longer ride around the block. That's all I'm willing to do with no Tach and no air cleaners. I'm gonaa take the Capn's advice as usual and get the PMO with rain hats.The clutch is still too tight and the alternator belt is too loose. The six engine is much smoother than the 2.0 liter four I had. It also revs much quicker. The cabin noise is louder because the six makes so much more noise. It's a good noise, like a Japanese motorcyle, cams, cam chains, intake and of course exhaust. I'll have to put a layer of fatmat on the firewall behind the seats.
I'm off to DC this week, and Texas the week after so I put the car away. I hope to have the car on the street by my birthday, August 19th.
Bee Jay

WooHoo, congrats! I remember the first time I drove my six conversion -- big smiles -- and you did far more of the work yourself which must make it even more rewarding.

Congrats on the progress. If you get bored while in DC, feel free to PM me. I'm off this week doing stuff around my house (trying to get some stuff done before I get waist deep in car projects)

Is there a safety reason to have the breather kit - or is it just because of the legalities?

My car just burned down. The firemen just left. More details later.
Bee Jay

Please tell me this is a poor attempt at macabre humor. Dude, what's going on?

No! No no no!

The car burned down today. I really, really bummed right now. The firemen just left. Great guys, love cars. We figured out what happened and I'm feeling pretty stupid on top of being bummed. I worked all weekend installing the K&N Water shield air cleaners and vapor lines that Wayne had in stock and shipped to me while I was in DC last week. I also got the carbs synched. Sylvia helped me bleed the brakes earlier today too. We went to visited a friend at the hospital. When I got home I decided to take the car for a short 1 mile spin. I'm going to LA and Texas next week and I just wanted to drive it. After the drive, I pulled it into my Costco Fabric garage. I left the car running and went to inspect under the engine cover. I noticed a taillight out and walked away from a running car to check on my light bulb inventory. Dumb ass idea. I heard a very loud poof, ran back to the car and the car was on fire. Mostly under the car and a little in the engine compartment. I emptied the garage extinguisher and it was still on fire. I reached into the car and turned the key off thinking the fuel pump was feeding the fire. I grabbed ad emptied the Corvette extinguisher and there was still fire. I pushed the car out of the Costco garage and went at it with the water hose. My neighbors were there by then and helped and we got the fire out and moved the Harley away to safety. With the key off and the fire out, the lights came on and the starter started cranking!!!!! I was looking for a way to disconnect the battery quickly, of course the battery quick disconnect is still in the package. The sumbitch started. Me and my neighbors are watching the car run!!!!!. I pulled the coil wire. The fire dept showed up, someone had called 911, and really doused the car. Then they started investigating. I had guessed an electrical short of some kind because I had turned on the lights for the first time. But the pretty much intact engine compartment had a major clue. The fuel line had separated from the fuel filter!. The fuel line nor the fuel filter had burned. I never did address the high fuel pressure and I guess the fuel line wasn't tight enough to prevent it from slipping off. Or maybe actually driving the car, upshifting, downshifting, and rolling down the road made the engine pull on the fuel line. The fuel pump was pumping gas on the headers and it lit. I am one bummed out stupid dumb ass. Everyone is telling me that it was a good thing I wasn't in the car and didn't get hurt and it was a good thing the car wasn't in the garage. Oh well. Another 914 succumbs to a fuel line fire. I restored this car ten years ago and started the six conversion last year. The paint was done, the interior was done. The six conversion was about done. I don't know what I'm gonna do. Have a drink and cry first. I'm just in shock right now. I'll call the insurance tomorrow. I cannot believe the engine cranked and started on its own. It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen. I guess the engine and carbs are ok. At least I got to drive my 914-6 Conversion before it burned down.
Bee Jay

Wow, very sad sight.


Glad you are OK. (physically)

Glad you are ok.

Thank goodness the fire didn't spread to your house!

That really sucks, I have been following your thread for quite a while. Like most things, It certainly could have been worse. You are fine and you hose is fine. If the engine is still good, a little bondo and some paint and you are back in business. Glad you are ok.

This is horrible. Glad to hear at least you and house/garage are ok.

How bad is it?

Damn, sorry to hear this.

Terrible news. I'm glad there were no injuries or collateral damage. Hopefully you will be able to rebuild. Keep us posted.

How sad. We pour our hearts and souls into these cars and then in a moment everything can change. I'm glad your OK.
Mark

This is just sickening! I'm betting I'm not the only one here that's got that "somebody just died" feeling in the pit of my stomach. Soooo sad.

Thanks for all of the kind words of encouragement guys.
I just got off of the phone with USAA. They interviewed me on tape for about ten minutes. They kept asking who has been working on the car. I kept repeating that I do all of the work. They told me that the Costco garage would be covered by my property homeowners insurance. The garage was only $200 and the frame is fine, so maybe I can get a replacement canvas cover.

I took another good look at the car this morning. I could not sleep last night. Maybe it's not so bad. The $3500 paint job is toast. The wire harness is obviously toast. The rear tires are flat. The passenger window is shattered. If I remove the engine/tranny and find someone to repair and paint the body (is this a flair opportunity), I could start again with a fresh body. Too many upgrades to totally give up on this car. No rust. BMW brakes, five lug conversion, sway bars front and rear, springs, turbo tie rods, konis, then of course there are the six conversion parts like the oil tank, the engine mount, Perry's shift rod, and wire harness, and the 3.0 911 engine with weber carbs, that actually restarted after the fire. I feel better today, still sad, but better. We can rebuild it, we have the technology to make it better and faster. I just hope the insurance company is generous.
Bee Jay

It does not look that bad from the pictures.
Cold comfort, I know. But when I saw that the car had burned I assumed the worst, and this looks very fixable.

Zach

I'm guessing the right wires melted together and that's why the engine started.

I'm glad to hear it is not a total loss. Once you get a grip on the extent of the necessary repairs and have a list of Parts needed I suggest you let us collectively know what it is you need help with and I'm sure you will (not surprisingly) find a big outpouring of help to get you through this terrible time. This board has some really terrific members and you certainly have been generous in sharing you build experience with others over the last year.

Did my old spark plug wires survive or are they toast?

I have a targa top with your name on it if yours is beyond repair. The problem you may find with insurance is the car is likely insured/valued as a 914-4 without taking into account all the parts and work you have put into it. Hopefully you have receipts for the bigger stuff and they will work with you. I'm in the same boat myself and this is a big reminder to address that ASAP...

NOOOOOO!


Glad you're OK. Anything you need from my stash is yours for the asking.

HI Bee Jay

Ive been following your build thread, then stunned to hear what happened last night. So sorry to hear this.

Im sure you were in total disbeleif especially given all the work you have poured into this.
Plus the car was so nice even before the 6 conversion, especially the paint, killer paint on that car for sure.
I saw it once in person years ago and was really impressed.
Who did the paint? Maybe they can do it again.


Glad to hear that today you are ready to rebuild, I think its doable.
Since Im local, put me to work when you need another pair of hands.

Keep up the good spirits.

BTW, I think I caught a run you did this weekend at the local autocross.

Was that you in the yellow Corvette? I was standing near the car when you cranked that thing up. Awesome sound!

Hang in there Bee Jay.

Regards

Curt

Very sad to see this but glad you are fine.

I am sorry for your loss BeeJay. Your quick thinking (and adrenaline) saved it from being a bigger loss.

I also converted mine to a 914/6 and notice on hot days that they garage reeks of gas vapor as the fuel boils out of the carbs. That's even with the insulating spacers and PMO manifolds. My problem though, is that the garage is under the rest of the house so a fire in my case would destroy more than just my car. It's time to park it outside and wait for it to cool down a little.

I'm going to double check my fuel lines now

Sorry for your loss.

FWIW I store my car in a built-in garage as well. I religiously turn-off the electrical kill and check for leaks. The garage has a monitored heat sensor and several handheld extinguishers but it would still be totally catastrophic if the car went up in flames. It's right under the kids' rooms! Scary, scary stuff to think about!

Man that sucks ...

So it sounds like you had the fuel injection pump feeding your carbs? I'm not sure if the plastic fuel filters are good for more than 15psi... I guess if anything we can all learn from this. Is there a pressure regulator in the system?

But on the bright side your lucky the magnesium trans didn't catch fire because those melt real fast, turn into a fireball.... must rebuild !!!!

Holy crap! I've definitely been following your progress closely as I'm doing the same conversion. Of course it sucks, but most importantly, you're ok.

Were you running a pressure regulator, you mentioned high fuel pressure? For any others doing a conversion with carbs (or a carbed /4), maybe lean towards a 3.5 psi fuel pump for safety reasons? That's what I did instead of buying a regulator.



If I was you and you plan on staying there, I would spray the top of the garage ceiling with a flame retardant material. At least it would give some extra time to get out.

Interesting idea - we do intend to move but it will be 2-3+ years depending on finances. Virtually all of the houses in our area have attached garages so that risk factor will be tough to avoid. I am planning a modest garage overhaul after my latest 914 insanity is 'done' so I'll think about some insulating material and/or an automated fire system. I just read that sprinkler systems are now required for new residential construction in much of California...

Bee Jay, I'm very sorry to hear this news...Everyone on this board is feeling a small bit of your pain. Keep the faith...you're safe, you have a roof over your head and things can and will get better as long as you don't beat yourself up over this. Accidents happen and cause havoc...it's how we all choose to react that counts. Hang in their brother...

Sorry to hear about the car. Things may look a little brighter in a few days. Try to keep positive. The same thing happened to my neighbor, engine fire in a Bronco. The truck fired up and launched thru the garage door (parked in gear). The heat from the fire in the engine bay was enough to cause a cylinder to fire and siphon more fuel to keep it running for a bit.

If Milt Minter was still alive he would probably tell you the actual true story of "Donkey Bop". Milts not here to tell it so I will ... it has to do with setbacks. Setbacks are inevitable, they teach us things. You are one lucky guy to have not been in that car when it lit up. Move away from the moment and towards where you want to be. We all feel your pain here.

The Story of
"Donkey Bop"

Once upon a time, and not too terribly long ago either, there was a bar in Fresno where a regular customer was a middle-aged Mexican gentleman named Jose.

One day Jose asked the bartender, “Do you know the name of that beautiful song I always hear playing on the juke box here called Donkey Bop?”

“Donkey Bop?” said the bartender. “Never heard of it.”

“I hear it playing all the time when I’m in here," Jose told him. "It is beautiful."

Jose continued to pester the bartender about the tune, but with no results. The bartender said he’d ask the person who serviced the juke box the next time he came in if he had a song called Donkey Bop. No such tune, was the report back.

Finally, one day Jose was in the bar when the song started playing.

“This is it! This is it!” he told the bartender excitedly as he rushing over to the juke box.

When the song ended Jose watched the route the disc took as it was extracted by the mechanical arm and then placed back in its slot. He saw the number where the disc had been placed was E11. He flipped through the menu of songs, and when he did he saw the name of the tune he knew as Donkey Bop was in fact...

“Don’t Give Up!”

This is a disappointing setback but you can get past it. First off do the best you can at assessing the damage as this will be helpful working with the insurance company. Get the most you can out of them that is step one. Then as others have stated make a list of items you will need. Lots of folks on this forum that are willing to help in any way they can. Then methodically go about rebuilding her. Yes it will take time and money but we know that going in with loving old cars. There will be a time where you will look back and see this event made you a stronger man. Good luck and keep us posted. Glad you are OK.

I am very sorry for your set back. This is one of every 914 owners worst fears. I hope your insurance company covers the damage and you are able to come out of this whole again or maybe even better off. Best wishes.

Fire touched my life too, except it was the house and since I kept the car in a shop it didn't get burned. Everything else was gone. I have a handful of photographs that they recovered and they restored a violin that I played when I was little. Maybe that's why I'm so attached to the car.

If the insurance company pays for the car, do you need to turn it over to them?

I'm sure this varies but my understanding is if the car is 'totaled' for insurance purposes, you either turn it over or may have the option to buy it back for essentially scrap value.

From the pics I do not suspect this car will be 'totaled'. The paint and rear trim are toast but the engine and bulk of the car seem intact. Seems like BeeJay's main mission is to get enough to cover a quality repaint.

This is very sad, you have put a ton of work into your car and were just about at the finishing point (it there ever is one).

Sounds like you are going to use this as an opportunity to make it even better.

I hope your tub is salvageable.

Wow, now I am afraid to hook up my battery!!!


Bummer!!

Man that sux!

Thanks for all of the words of encouragement guys. I'm still bummed but feeling much better. Going from "to hell with this cursed, possesed car, I hope they total it and tow it off" to "I'm going to rebuild it again" did a lot to get me out of my funk. I had dinner with my daughter tonight and I told her about the Porsche. She spent a lot of time in that car when she was little and not rebuilding the car was not an option to her. She thinks I have superpowers when it comes to cars. The USAA appraiser will come by Monday. I've been out of the service ten years now, but they still call me Col. Jones. We'll see how they are Monday. I'll be home in San Antonio eating my Momma's enchiladdas and apple pie for the rest of the week.
I wanted to defiantly proclaim that I finished my six conversion!!!!!! I finished it, I drove it, and it was beautiful.....until disaster struck. So in that spirit, I need to post my originally planned Sunday evening write up on the K&N Rain Hat install.

Wayne Dempsey, owner of Pelican Parts, and a good friend, had the K&N Watershield Air Cleaners in Stock. He got them to me in less than a day. I had no idea so much came in the kit, and I always thought the rain shields were fiberglass or plastic. Nope, these tops are heavy steel. I spent the weekend installing them with the vapor lines. One small problem I had to adress, the passenger side hat is up against the trunk firewall. Other than that, I think they are well worth the money. Before installing the hat lids, I synched the carbs with my special carb synchronizing tool, and I bled the brakes and adjusted the rear rotor clearance. With air cleaners, the car is drivable. I wouldn't want a carb backfire to cause a fire and burn the car up.
Bee Jay

Wow. Sorry to hear about the fire. Looks very fixable though. Keep the faith.

BeeJay, Sorry about your car, that sucks that it all happen in less than a few minutes but it can be rebuilt, but if you decide to change your mind and move on to something else, I would like your exhaust system. Only if you change your mind on rebuilding it. John

If they do decide that yours is totaled I have some supporting documentation I can send you from when my car got totaled by a guy running a red light two weeks ago. my car was a stockish 2.0L. it was fully restored, but honestly wasn't in better condition than yours. His insurance company paid me just over 16,000 for mine. I can provide documentation if necessary.

One of the things that I think helped was the photo album I made for the appraisor showing pictures from my build over the past 8 years. It shows how much time you have invested beyond just the parts value.

So bummed to read this, so sorry for your losses

I can't believe it started and ran after/during the fire. Your engine is eager to have the 914 rebuilt!

I'm really sorry to read about this. I'm glad you are okay (didn't get caught in the fire).