So that I don't derail the RR4 picture thread, I'll start a new one.

I sort of taped the last few things together and drove my 1973 914 down to Rennsport Reunion IV, because I knew that, if I didn't, I would never get past the "it's almost ready" mentality. So it wheezed, wind-noised, and squeaked its way down there, but man was it fun to drive a 914 to Laguna and back again for the first time in many years!

(Even if I was listening to every sound it made )

So, without further ado, here's two shots outside of the Porsche Race Car Classic (couldn't resist, the light was so nice) followed by a few shots from the Monday after one of the greatest Porsche events I've ever been to, just before I pointed up Hwy 1 and stuck to the water all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge.

pete

I am with you....if it is at Laguna next time...I am driving mine....squeaks noises whatever...going up through Big Sur was an unbelievable drive that day.

Looks like you parked it in Pacific Grove for the pic....oh...nice car BTW.

Monday...Pacific Grove, indeed.

A lot of 914world vendors to thank for this car...and quite a few members, too. NOS top from a certain Chicagoan, Engman longs, app spoiler, a certain trick interior piece from Thomas B., Eric Shea's front and rear brakes (those front Brembo calipers are, as the Italians say, "very nice!"), and more — I am very thankful for our vendors!

I'll have to get a proper list together at some point, as well as some proper pics with a real camera.



pete

Absolutely stunning. Even with the average photo quality. Pete, what size are your tyres. They look so retro cool!

Lighthouse...Golden Gate Bridge...home. (phew, it made it!)

If these photos have inspired even one fellow 14er to finish up their car, then they've done their job. This project started here, with a car I kinda wish I hadn't taken apart. The "while we're in there" turned into way more than I expected, and now it looks like I am really going to the dark side, with a small-bore six conversion...

This is where I started:

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...l=fun+with+rust



pete

They get a bit better (at least on my computer) if you click on the thumbnails, but this camera has its limitations!

185/70R15s. These are NOS (stored correctly) Yoko A-008Rs. Sadly, they are all right-hand tires, so the rotation is wrong on the left side. Not sure why they're directional as the tread isn't. Anyway, they look cool but the sidewalls are too stiff for my intended usage, the directional is off, and they'll probably come off before I really start driving the car on back roads.

I am looking for the right 195/65R15 or 205/60R15, but it is HARD to find the "right" tire for an old sports car in these sizes....

pete

Pete,

Ooh I love your RED paint, the only real, real red. I noticed your tac @ 3K+ or about 70-mph. Good cruising speed to drown out those pesky noises. Great finish to a long re-do.

Tom

Looks great Pete! Beatiful! Great job stickin' to it. Redwoods got a drive Saturday out of Novato.....meet at Chevy's@ 9 am. I'd love to see it.

Saw your car at the hotel and at the track, looked great !

Your car is way to nice. I hate you! And i mean that in a good way.


Btw. did those magazines ever make it to Germany? I haven't heard anything ...

That is one NICE 914!

I know what you mean about locating the tires. I ended up replacing my 15X8's with Yoko's for 16's and now I'm having trouble finding a matching set of staggered rubber for those. I knew those were some vintage rubber. They really time warp the car.

Love and hate, it's all good. I understand!

Just sent a package today. I give up after this...

pete

Wondering if there is a way to petition Yoko to do a run of 195/65R15 and 215/60R15 AVS Intermediates. Everyone I talk to LOVED those tires, and I'd be willing to pay up for a set. Tread looks right, and so do the sidewalls, plenty of grip, nice charateristics, and two sizes that 356, 912, 914, and 15-inch 911 guys could all use.

Not to mention the British and other German car owners....

pete

Hmm...not ready for a drive yet, but maybe I might see y'all off?

pete

I agree, I wonder what it would take. Those tires are legendary. They allowed the car to work without a sacrifice in ride quality.

Yokohama has a way of dropping tire lines. I had a vintage set of 245/50/15's and 215/60/15 Yoko's. Wore out the 245's could even get a 245/50/15 anything... Changed wheels to 16/8-9's purchased 265/50/16 and 225/50/16's wore out the 265's a year later tried to get the same 265... NLA! I had to change to a Dunlop and purchase 4 tires instead of two. I hate em.

Nice 914, and IMHO.....

One of the best - if not the best 914 drive in the lower 48, form Heast/San Simeon to Santa Cruz section especially!!!!

.... so long as you miss tourist season that is, so you get to run 'er up on those twisties.

We used to do it every year as a group of buddies with their sports cars (read 1 person -= 1 car) "back in the day" (70's-80's), & played "double the speed limit" (2x yellow caution speed signs) & usually only the 914s with us could do it.

Now get some nice center caps on those purdy Fuchs!

It looks amazing Pete! We share the same brakes up front by the way. Stops like a dream! Bring it out to Infinion on November 19th. I plan to drive my car at the Sacramento Valley Region Autocross in the Paddock with the new engine. You can see my engine and Mark and I can see your car...

I just clicked on the photos! WOW! The images sharped up nicely!

very nice! love the color.

Consider this my official nomination for car of the month, when the time comes.

Your car looks awesome! Well done. PS Love the color...brings back tearful memories of a past love.

Very very nice.

I just replaced my aging Yoko AVS's with Goodyear Eagle GT's in 205/60/15s...jury is still out on them as I've got <100miles on them so far...

You're car looks amazing, pictures are amazing especially with that back drop!

At some point we all have to put the cap on the anal retentive ways and just drive it! Few things are ever really "perfect" especially if you are still going to let them leave the garage!

Man, I am honored by that. Car has a kinda neat story that I don't think will ever appear in Excellence because I fear the car will fall into the "work" category if it does.

Here's a snippet of that story:

-250,000~ miles on the chassis

-The 193rd 1973 914, apparently a 1.7

-Originally equipped with Appearance Package, Pedrini wheels, vinyl A-pillars.

-Had side-shift transmission and front bumper guards, but little else in terms of 1973 equipment (i.e. 1972 rain tray, 1972 headlight switch, 1972 doors, windows, and top)

-Apparently owned at some point by a member of Huey Lewis and the News (have never cared enough to try and confirm this).

-Family bought the car for my older brother in 1986

-He took it to Cal Poly Pomona for one semester, where it was vandalized (driver's door kicked in and taillight kicked in) and the clutch failed.

-He got into motorcycles, leaving the car for me when I turned 16 in 1989/90.

-I didn't want it; I wanted our Rabbit Diesel for a smog-exempt GTI project, but the Rabbit blew up and was sold.

-I started working on the 914 when I was 15 years old, and was driving it the summer after I was 16. A lot of nights and weekends on my back with my dad, which I'll never forget. Like the one when I snapped an exhaust stud...

-Engine hasn't been out of the chassis, for anything, since at least 1986 (I estimate that's 100,000 to 150,000 miles, a real testament to the strength of the Type IV). It is probably a 1911, but I don't know.

-I converted the car to five-lug just after high-school, and, in addition to many performance mods, have made thirty (30) visual changes, most of them very subtle. My objective has been to "reduce" rather than to add to the appearance, honoring the 914's basic design as best I could while adding a little mild-mod/sports-purpose flavor.

-914s are great because you never know how cool the journey is that they'll take you on will be, and this car began my journey with Porsche — which has turned into way more than I ever expected it to. This was definitely the starting point, so the car is very special to me — both as my first/high-school car and as the car that steered me towards a career I would have never even dreamed about on my own.

Again, very honored to even be nominated for COTM, but wonder if it's worth waiting a while until the car is sorted out and has a new engine. Some paint issues have come up, and there is a LOT of detail work left to figure out, especially with the doors and headlights.



pete

Wow! Awesome scenery, awesome car! Guards Red or Bahia Red?

Not sure if you already are, but if not, you should talk to Wilco directly. There has to be a way to make this work.

DEC (Wilco)

awesome lob on your car. I sure wish mine looked as nice. Maybe some day.
Tom

We already in contact.
Kieron (a buddy of Pete?) makes a new try

Btw nice ride

Pete, Here are the tires we spoke about...Dunlop SP5000 195/65/15 is what I am running. And no centercaps, its the right look.


195/65

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?ti...romCompare1=yes

205/65

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?ti...romCompare1=yes

A friend of mine had these on his 1970 911T and 356 Coupe, they worked great, but they are very pricey. They have the PORSCHE N1 rating. I also believe them to be quite ugly...

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?ti...romCompare1=yes

And here is what Harvey Wiedmans suggested to me, and if I remember correctly these are still manufactured in Germany. They actually have a 70 series 15 inch tire. Classic look with modern technology. He told me many wheels go out his door with these mounted on them. Check out the Sprint Classics.

http://www.vredestein.com/english/

Thanks for the links, Martin!!

Looks like those 195/65s may be in my future. Agree that the Dunlops look to be the best solution available right now, as bummed as I am to do so given that they're all-season tires.

The N-spec Pirellis are frankly more attractive, but I have never had great luck on Pirellis and have found they don't age well. And they're big (!) dollars for the size. Might pay $200 a tire for new AVS Intermediates, but not for P6000s.

Tried the Vreds a few years ago and liked their vintage looks, ride quality, and beautiful steering response. Gave them to Harvey with something like 1000 miles on them (if that) because they just didn't have the kind of grip I've gotten used to with modern tires. Also, the sidewalls were really soft...which meant transitional felt limp.

That's a great looking 914!!!

pete

Your Welcome, I agree on the Pirellis, I had an out of body experience on P6000s in the wet driving a US built 83 GTI. They were terrible. The mud/snow thing didn't bother me to much as I wanted a tire that looked correct above all else, with modern technology. Also wanted to fill up the wheel arches correctly. Deep 6 wheels and the tall tires look great on the 914s with the narrow body. Thanks for the compliment, it means allot. Oh and by the way, I wanted one of those 2009 Historics banners so bad, the ones in Seaside and around all the auction houses! Did you steal it? Or was it a gift? I am very envious at the moment!

I saw Pete's car Saturday. It is obvious that Pete has spent an enormous amount of time putting this car together. He definately has an eye for detail. The mods he has made are subtle and fit the car very well. Beatifull car! Now drive it like you stole it!

I absolutely love the photos of that car...er.. 914

Nice whip.

I love the picture of the Golden Gate bridge!! Being from the UK I thought that thing would be really built up everywhere around it and not in what looks like a beauty spot!!

Golden Gate Park and the Presidio... Not really built up at all...

Thanks!!

Not very built up at all considering SF on one side and the Bay Area in general. All I can say is get here...I've been a lot of places and this bridge still never fails to take my breath away when I stop to look at it. Used to have an apartment in SF with an unhindered view out the living room window of the bridge's full span, looking west. I miss that place...especially for the rent!


(There is, however, something wrong with the "plane" image...see if you can spot it.)

Thanks Pete!

Your comment means a lot to me...whole goal was to transcend "914ness," without deviating from 914ness. To catch people off guard with a simple-looking 914, but one that isn't a concours car (and trust me, it isn't!).

pete

Yep, needs some rock chips. Also needs a flat six...

pete

(There is, however, something wrong with the "plane" image...see if you can spot it.)
[/quote]

Is it that the bottom left upright of the bridge is painted grey? Just guessing...I've only been there once.

awesome pictures!!!!

I love posts like this.

The plane picture is flipped?

It's Tornado Red, a VW color, in the bluest shade. Car was originally Bahia Red, which is very similar in tone but a lot oranger/browner. I like orange, but I don't like orangy reds, so I cheated the color a bit to the purest red that I could find (and one that goes well with chrome) back in 1991 when I painted the car the first time. Stuck with Tornado this time. The only Porsche red I considered was Polo Red. I like Malaga, but it's so dark it's a color change in my view.

Was very tempted to do a color change since the car went to bare metal, because I don't like red cars in general (I am boring, liking dark blue, gray, and dark green cars ). I decided against a real color change for two reasons: 1) The only way to do a color change correctly in my view is to go all out, and 2) this particular car always looked great in Tornado for some reason I could never put my finger on.

pete