Does anyone remember Dirk Wright? He's the guy (from Rennlist Days) for whom we named the disease of "while I'm there I might as well fix (fill in the blank)?
I sure felt like I had that disease a time or two in the last year or so. You be the judge:
My car began life as a 1974 2.0, painted Signal Orange. My brother bought it new. In 1996 he gave the car to my then 16 year old son. He didn't want to learn how to drive a manual, and couldn't get insured on it, so I traded him a Saturn SL-2 for it, and began the first restoration.
It became a big bore 4 (2056cc) with a better profile cam and retained the DJet Fuel Injection.
Then Jeff Dixon let me drive his sixer, a 3.0 liter conversion. I was exposed to the dark side.
The conversion project started about 8 years ago with the purchase of a 87 Carrera 3.2 from Craig Laughlin at Camp 914. I then collected the various bits and pieces and finally in December 2005 parked my 914 and started the disassembly process. We repaired the hell hole, and installed an OEM oil tank, a Mocal auxiliary cooler (with fan) prepped the engine and transmission, installed Jim's (A 914 Guy) mounting bracket system, and bolted things up.
That's when Dirk Wright Disease set in.
I converted my 914 to all electric heat, because I went with headers instead of heat exchangers. I found a 12 volt ceramic heater built for light aircraft and installed it in the passenger footwell. Also plumbed in 12v electric blow dryers into the defrost circuit. My Recaro seats (built for 914's) have seat & back warmers. To save amperage for all the electric stuff, I converted all lights to LED's. My 74 came with the stock black bumpers, so I had them chrome plated. I installed new trumpet horns next to the fog lamps in the front bumper. I installed a Getty dash, and had all the gauges refinished and calibrated in metric by North Hollywood. The speedo goes to 300 (KPH which is 187.5 MPH), and the tach has redline at 12 o'clock. I also replaced the plastic fuel lines with stainless steel from Tangerine Racing. I moved the 911 fuel pump to under the fuel tank, and fabricated an access panel in the passenger footwell. I've got BMW 325 brakes at all four corners, with Koni shocks, and rear and front sway bars. 140 Lbs springs. Under the rockers I installed the Brad Mayeur longs for reinforcement. Inside, I installed the Engmann inner longs for more reinforcement as well as the Engmann crosspiece that goes on the bottom of the firewall. I also did all the reinforcing to make the trailing arms stronger. Taking a hint from those third generation mid-engine Porsches (aka 986) (550s were the first) I fabricated an access panel through the firewall. I converted the fuse box to a modern blade fuse system, and have replaced nearly all the rubber. The DME box for the Carrera 3.2 is in the rear trunk along with the fuel pump relay battery, and elctric trunk release. I installed a 914 GT engine compartment lid, and had a 3.2 emblem made out of never-was-ium (Porsche never made a 3.2 emblem) in the Porsche 914 font.
For Rustoration I had to replace all the floor panels (from Restoration Design), fixed the taillight area, rear trunk floor, and fixed the hell hole. Mind you this is a two owner car, that's always been in my family since new, and nearly always garaged. THESE CARS WILL RUST IF YOU LOOK AT THEM!!! I protected all the surfaces with POR-15 in yellow, because as we all know YPAF. That's the Yellow you see peeking out from the pedal cluster and passenger door.
For customization, the paint scheme is cadillac dark cherry, with gray trim. The interior is gray synthetic leather with burgundy trim. I finished the getty dash, and lower dash in the gray synthetic, and refinished the middle where all the switches are with the burgundy synthetic. The center console is similarly done, with a voltmeter, ammeter, cylinder head temperature, and vacuum meter for gauges. All are VDO gauges. Where the heater controls used to be, are 5 switches for individual control of the left and right seat heaters, left and right defrost, and heat. They are all lighted. I replaced the footwell kicks with custom made fiberglass speaker enclosures which house Blaupunkt speakers. The 5 disk CD changer is in the front trunk. I put in an electric rear trunk release, and I got a "Porsche" reflector, stripped the reflective coating, installed LED strips, and made a working "Porsche" third brake light out of it. The carpet is black and gray with black trim. I refinished and reinstalled my wood three spoke MOMO steering wheel, and the wood MOMO shift knob.
I am busy collecting parts for a transmission rebuild so I can really take advantage of the 3.2. Until then I'll have to mind my manners. This has been a pay as you go project.
Does that add up to 5 years worth of work?
Mike
Here's the pictures:
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