It's been a while since I caught up on this thread. What great progress! You seem so close to getting back on the road.

I know!

I was shooting to get her finished last Fall (it's running and I even got her to pass State inspection!), but the turbo failure cost me a lot of time and I ended up just putting it away of the winter.

It seems I will be spending more time at home in the near future, so time to get back to it.

Nice to see this car coming along

Did you check to make sure the bolts for the sway bar are both tight? That could be the "clunk" you're talking about.

GREAT to hear that she's sorted, and (more importantly) fast!

Also: WE NEED TO SEE PICS!

Yep - they were loose, too, but now tight. I probably need shorter end links, but that's for later.

I'm certain the noise is from the strut - I can make it clunk by lifting and lowering the corner by hand.

Ok- here’s a picture of the top of the strut. I put the impact wrench on it to make sure it was tight, but it still has maybe 1/8” play up & down.... just enough to make noise.

There’s a slot in the shaft, but no slotted washer. Any tricks to get this right?

Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment

Looks like it's missing the large concave slotted washer. #8

I have them, if you need the Tom

If these are a mono ball mount or insert, not sure if it needs one, but if it has play it needs something. The large washer, does one thing well, it keeps the strut if the rubber mount fails, the strut doesn't drop out of the upper mount if that should happen.

You would know if it happens as it would go a bit wonky, but you could survive, and get the car stopped.

Thanks, Stephen. I'd like to at least try them.

They would help to let me torque the nut tight, but I'm not sure the washer will help tighten the gap which is allowing the allowing the strut to move up & down. I'll send a video clip.

Close up of the strut and movement:

Click to view attachment

Does the link work?

I think that the strut nut is tight, looks like the monoball is moving in the housing. It is probably held in with a snap ring but it might also be held in with a crew in piece like these:

Monoball strut example

Pretty sure these are what they are but cant find a picture of the underside:
Ebay Link

Clunk Discussion:
DP Strut Tops

See if you can get a picture of the bottom so that we can see how the monoball is held in.

Thanks Scott - yes, they look to be them. The reviews are not confidence inspiring.

I'll try to get a look from underneath this weekend.

Looks like the design was borrowed from Weiltmeister...there should be a snap ring. Must be a spacer missing.

Weltmeister

This whole working from home thing is making me really productive.

To the manufacturer - I know Tooling paths cost money and time, but come on take some pride in your work, and make the last pass overlap, smooth out your tooling paths.

Oh sorry, things like that just irritate me.

I don't think you will get the play out of them. As Scott says they are held in by a snap ring. From what I am seeing the ball is moving in the bearing structure, most likely they used a teflon lined ball socket, and well the teflon failed somewhere along the line.

I have strut tops with stock rubber, or with poly inserts, either set I can toss in a box and send over.

All the washers also.

I'm not a huge fan that the Nut is not seated down so the nylock washer is in the threads, but hey, some loctite would fix that also.

Well, Scott was right- those are the mounts & the ball is only held in by a snap ring. Destined to fail. I put a shim-stock washer in there and it helps a little, but not completely.

Check out the damage to the housing- I left the chipped out chunk on top. Pretty much junk- eventually the snap ring won’t have a groove left to hold on to.

Click to view attachment

Washers won’t help, and in fact will use up precious threads for the nut (already not engaging the Nylock.)

Stephen -I’d be interested in your top mounts with poly inserts.

Any updates? I was hoping this would end with some burnout pics or something

Came here to find this thread that I was following 7 years ago. Nice to see it was running. Hope it went out and had fun this past summer.

It’s running, and its a rocket.

Passenger seat only…

Click to view attachment

Update: Grey Matter is on its way back to Ohio!

After 5 or so years, Doug came back to reclaim his beloved.

He and his friend Jake flew in this morning and are driving (!) it back to Ohio.

It was a ton of fun while it lasted. I’m looking forward to seeing Doug finish up the interior and other bits to finally say it’s “done”.

Thanks to all for the help over the years!

Good luck & drive safe. Can’t wait to hear the complaints from my neighbors about how Doug tore outta here. I have video, but it’s too big to upload.

Click to view attachment

Tom

Good news. Glad he will be able to complete his dream.

Spoke with Doug a week ago and he told me he was going to get it. Glad you brought it along as far as you did. What's next for you?

Tom: As I said…I can’t thank you enough for calling me last month to tell me you were ready to let her go. Driving it home yesterday, I learned that this car means more to me than I realized. You’re a gentleman and a true “car guy” to make sure that it found its way back to me after all these years.

When I got to Tom’s house he asked if I wanted to test drive it. I declined. I needed my first ride in the car as the owner. Apologies to your neighbors. I couldn’t help myself!

So what’s next, you ask???

I got to the garage at about 6am this morning to tear the interior out to A: dry it out from yesterday’s monsoon on the way home and B: take stock of what I want to do here.

The 911 dash wasn’t something I was ever a fan of, but after an 12h drive in it yesterday, I’m a convert. It just looks right in here. Great call, Tom.

I spent about 4h with a scrub brush and a rag cleaning her up so she can hang with the rest of the crew in my garage. We had a lot of fun all day pointing at things and oohing and ahhing at her. So many things that I remember talking to Scott on the phone about but never got to see in person.

Also: This car is a rocket ship.

Here's the video of the rocket ship taking off.. turn up the volume!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grjvNvspbuE

What's next for me? Well, I still have my stock-ish 1972 914, which I've had for 35 years, or so, which I'll be spending some more time playing around with. Looking at a 5-lug conversion, getting the Webers properly tuned, etc. Just bought a combo gauge from Mark Heard...

It's my first, I'll never sell it!

You're welcome - glad our deal worked out as intended - That doesn't always happen!

For the new guys...Doug gave me the opportunity to step into his unfinished project at a fraction of his sunk costs, which was the only way this was ever going to work for me. Scott and Stephen (and so many others) helped finish the conversion and I took care of the easier things, such as installing the interior, dash, rubber bits, lights, bumpers, etc., etc. I had a ton of fun with it and am so glad I was able to own/drive it, if even for just a little while.

But the plan from the beginning was always to get it back to Doug for him to finish.

Best of luck with whatever direction you take it - the gray phone dials look pretty good actually!

Great story, Tom, and good karma...

Glad I was able to experience a ride in that rocket, and while I somewhat regret not taking you up on your offer to drive it, it was probably for the better...

Good luck with your next endeavor

I was fortunate enough to drive this car briefly and it's just awesome! So nice when things work out for everyone like this.