I finally got around to installing the rear trunk shock kit from Ken Schipper. It is a must on V8 cars as the torsion bars that hold up the trunk get removed in the conversion to make room for the distributor, and great if your torsion bars are tweaked on a Porsche motored car. (much more civil than a stick as a trunk prop) They are available on ebay. Don't remember how much.


Has anyboby out there installed a battery in the front trunk in place of the windshield washer bottle?
Will one fit there? Feedback please.

Tesserra

I had not thought there was room there for a battery. I'll go down stairs in a minute and look. A good idea if it works. My sister lives in Lafayette and I will be there to visit and go to the Parts Heaven swap meat.
Cheer, Elliot

Hi Tesserra,

I have a rear trunk shock kit, but I have yet to install it. Probably will attack that this weekend.

Putting a battery there? I'm not sure there's the room without some creative wrangling or cutting. How would you secure it from shifting during movement?

-Rusty

OK, since we are "vendor neutral" and free to discuss anything, how do these compare?

1.) Ken Schipper's Rear Trunk Gas Shock Kit for $60

2.) Camp 914's Rear Trunk Kit for $45 (price taken from Craig's FREE, FREE, FREE post)

Any difference between the two besides price?

CAMP 914, As always, money back if not satisfied.
CCLINSUNNYCAMP914

Evill Ed also sells a trunk shock kit--his is the first one that I heard about.

Pelican sells one as well. I think it's Ed's kit, but I'm frankly not sure.

Pretty much, they are all just re-packaging some generic trunk struts and coming up with (or buying) a little bit of bracketry. What you really wind up paying for are the instructions and the research into where the struts actually go.

--DD

I do not supply these kits.

There is the "Original" Camp 914 version and the e-bay guys kit.

I'm sure that they are very similar if not identical.

I'd go for the best price on this one.

Ed

As for the battery, a buddy of mine with a V8 914, monted an Optima unit in plce of the original air blower box. It just fits in there nicely. However his is a track car and he no longer needs the blower unit.

My opinion is that it is too high there, the front trunk floor is where I mounted mine to bring the weight down lower. It sits behind the oil cooler shround and under the floor board cover. I have my spare mounted on top of the floor board now. I can take a pic if you want.

Ed

The trunk kits you guys are discussing are priced fairly cheap considering the cost of all the parts. You can make your own though. I made my own back in the early '80's using 944 rear hatch shocks. I set the pivot for the trunk lid in the trunk hinge (which required notching the rear bulkhead) and welded a bracket (or bolt) to the channel on the sides of the trunk. Check out the trunk hinge pictures in my webshots picture link. Dave H

http://community.webshots.com/album/29151579sPbaMhrqvk

Sorry, Ed! I thought you did...

--DD

I don't think we're getting full disclosure Dave. I am almost POSITIVE that he was selling them at one time. Fess up Ed.

-Ben M.

I remember a car several years back, from a 914 OA weekend, where the guy used a single gas strut on his engine lid and did away with torsion bars there too. It was right in the center, maybe he had duel carbs, I don't remember. I thought it was a good idea at the time...too much beer, pot and sleep sense then.

-Mike D.

I believe the most significant difference between different kits is that some make you notch out the bulkhead between the engine compartment and rear trunk for the shocks to pass through when the rear trunk lid is closed.

As far as I know, Ken Schipper's is the kit sold on e-bay and does not require bulkhead notching.

I do not know if Craig's kit (Camp 914) requires notching or not.

There is an obvious advantage of not notching out the bulkhead, but I do not know if there might be some mechanical advantage to the kits that do require bulkhead notching.

Demick

Most people that I have sold the trunk shox to want to notch the rear shock tower. I can supply the bracket that allows for not having to notch. Same price different stroke.
CCLINNOTCHVILLE

I didn't say "never"


Ed

Hey Ed..

Can you send me your engine pic avatar (full size pic)?

Brad@all914.com

I would like to make it bigger and crop it cleaner so it cleanly shows the engine.


B

ABSOLUTELY NOT LOL

I have to find the original, I think it is on my work laptop. I will check tomorrow and fire it off to you.

Ed