I've been on here for a short amount of time selling parts off of a 914 I bought for the engine. I've dealt with a lot of good people on here so far so I figure I should post some pictures of my type IV ghia project. This is my first air cooled vehicle so I'm learning as I go. I've always wanted a 914, and came close to buying a few but the price was never right.

The ghia is actually pretty solid, there's a few spots but nothing serious. It's still the original paint so that's a big plus.

The plans for the drivetrain are the type IV swap, megasquirt, turbocharged, intercooled, and probably a built type I trans. Lowered an inch or 2, steel wheels, and 914 discs. The body will have a few small things done to it, but stock for the most part. Interior will be the same; I've been wanting to learn how to sew so this will be my first attempt at doing an interior myself. The last vehicle I built I paid someone to do some of the upholstery work and I was not happy who the result at all.






Here's the poor donor car haha

Please make sure that the VIN from the donor car is in our database.

that is a project car

you have the glass, lights, interior, stored away?

I am sure you are famialr with www.thesamba.com

Cool project!

Why is the exhaust coming out the front?

Be aware that a special flywheel will be needed to mate a T4 to a T1 tranny. I used to buy them from George at European Racing in Hermosa Beach.

The Cap'n

I didn't know about registering the 914, but I'll be sure to do it now.

Yeah I have everything for the car. The previous owner tore it down but never went any further than that

Haha that's the bumper brackets sticking out of the front. They will be removed, I'm going bumper less.

I've been doing a lot of research on shoptalkforum and thesamba, I got joe calis book and it's been a big help. I just got the engine stand adapter, so Id like to get it on the stand and get it down to a long block.

I'm only 23, but I've been wrenching on cars for over 10 years now. I just finished up my first project. It was a father son project that was supposed to be a engine rebuild and paint job that turned into a 10 year frame off build that costed 10x what I planned for. I delivered papers, cut grass and dug a lot of ditches to pay for it.





It's a shame I can't drive it. It won't pass inspection because of the shaved door handles. I never would of guessed that shaving them would of stopped it from passing. They failed it because of the grill also, but that was an easy fix lol.

I would just pick up doors from a wrecker to throw on then swap then after you pass.

When I bought my "ghia package" in 1987 (Norman OK.), it included TWO 71 Ghias one with engine, one without and TWO 2.0L 914 engines for $2500 for the whole package. Turns out the 914 engines were gone (stolen or recycled from the barn), but I bought both cars anyway.

Good luck! Tons of fun and worth some cash if you do a professional restoration.

A 74/75 bus flywheel will work for a T4 to T1 swap. That what i just removed from my 66' . FYI I might be selling my DTM(26or27) with flywheel and stainless header.

Nice truck.



John

That would of been a hell of a deal. Do you still have the ghias? Yeah I've been suprised at the prices I see these cars go for.


Vw505, let me know when you sell that stuff I might be interested.

Thanks wndsnd!

You might want to check this out. Pretty radical but I think you guys share the same chassis.
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=160739

That's not a Type III Ghia, so I kind of doubt that the Type III Squareback shares its chassis. IIRC, the Ghia uses a "strengthened Type I chassis"?

--DD

The donor car actually does not look bad.

Good luck with your project.

Dave

I'm putting a 914 engine in my bug, but I'm using a 911-901 5 gear transmission so I use a standard 914 flywheel.
I've done the type4 into bug conversion a bunch of times, you need a 210 or 215mm bus flywheel and machine the centre hole to accept the pilot bearing.

Is it a lot of work to use the 911-901 trans? I'm very interested in this, I can't remember off hand who does makes it, but someone makes a 5 speed trans to drop in a type 1 car. I've read that there are conversion flywheels, but I'll most likely go with a bus flywheel.

Thanks Dave! Yeah it's solid, both lower rear quarters need replaced which isn't a bad thing because it has the indents for the bumpers and I don't want to run a bumper so I can use the earlier style quarters. There's a small amount of rust on a rocker and the heater channel.

We call the "heater channel" the Longeron or "Long"
And once it is rusted, you are in for a LOT of restoration effort.
The Long is what holds the front of the car attached to the rear....
In the convetibile Ghias (like the 914), the longs are critical.
(I have a driveable 914 that I would practically give away, but the longs are shot, so that makes in not road worthy)

Gene Berg makes the type one 5-speed parts but they don't offer a finished transmission. I believe you can get Gary Berg (son but he doesn't work for Gene Berg Ent.) or carters gear shop build you a trans starting @ $5k.

Yes it is a fair bit of work to put a 901 in a bug, besides the parts you need a welder, etc. and fab skills.
Basicly what i did:
http://www.aircooled.net/vw-transmission-p...eed-conversion/

Dude, I would put the 914 trans in front of the TIV. Easier in the long run, I think. It will need to be converted, but that aint a prob. Wanna change your mind about selling me the core? I can build you a nice box

Awesome tho tony!

I'll have to say the flywheel/PP conversion using a bug 4 gear box is by far way easier...but of course a 901 5-speed is cooler.

Hmmmm now you guys have me thinking. I have no problems fabbing anything up, and if I do I have a contact that can do it for me. I wondered what it would take to use the 914 trans. Thanks for posting that link mark I will deffienetly look through it. I will be in touch with you dr about build the trans for me. If you want it, is still yours. I won't back out of a deal.

For starters you would need the nose cone and shift rods, shifter, linkage rod from a 911-901. Then you need to flip the diff. The rest of the parts would be on the 914 donor.
Read the link I posted for most of the rest of the work needed.

Nah, man. If you can use it I can build it and charge you. Or, you can come up here and I can show you how to build it and charge you less

You would need the nose cone, ONE shift rod, and to flip the diff. I have all this. The internal rods are the same as a tail shifter.

I gave it a quick glance earlier, none of the fabrication looks to be out of my abilities. I will definetly be keeping in touch with you evil. I'd love to be there when you went through it!

Just curious, what kind of power can a 914 trans handle? I have a hp number in my head id like to achieve, but I always like to go overkill incase I decide to improve on it. I will never run slicks on it.

Thanks for all the help guys!

Read the article, doesn't seem too bad. Will I have a fortune in the 901 parts? What about the axles? It says the 901 trans is close to the width of the type I trans, is the 914 trans the same? Id like to use the stock ghia axles if I am able to.

Not sure what CV you have on the axles, but I have loose flanges you can use to plan/check. The trans will handle what ever a 4cyl air cooled can put out in any configuration.

I can tell you anything you need to know about the conversion...with pic's if you want them. I have my fresh 901 in bug conversion on the lift right now.

It uses stock IRS VW T1 axles, use the stock 914 CV inboard and the stock VW CV on the outboard. Every thing else is stock VW or 914 parts, it's the beauty of the conversion.

If you want to do burn outs the 901 is the wrong transmission. If you want an excellent street and highway (even track) transmission, with a higher ratio than a stock type 1 trans, the 901 fits the bill.

I must concede that Mark knows more about the overall picture than I do. He is very experienced.

Ass kisser

Ah yes.... but if you want to do this you will need the expertise (and tools) of the good doctor to flip the diff in the 914 trans. You get him to help you rebuild the trans at the same time.
I can help with advice on how to do the install.

Mark, did you use the Volvo trans mounts? It almost looks like something you could get from Prothane or some other aftermarket bushing source.

I have the axles from the 914 and the type 1 so that won't be a problem then.

Could I use a 914 shifter and rod, or do you have to use the 901 parts?

Not sure on the 914 through the tunnel shift rod, I am using the 911 coupler at the nose cone. The shifter can be used if it is the right style, but you could at least use the front part of 914 rod so you can use the 914 shifter.

You drill in the stock rubber rear mounts and bolt it into the car, this locates your trans for the fab of your front mounts. I used stock 914/4 mounts for the front bar.

The 914 axles you just save the CV's and boots, you need a pair for the inboard CV's, toss the 914 axle.

I got the 1.8 on the engine stand the other day and soaked it down completely with penetrating oil.

I think Ive decided to build a 2.0, it really wont cost anymore. Will I need 2.0 tins, or will the 1.7-1.8 tins work?

Gonna need 20 tins

Dumb question, but whats the difference? Someone once told me that I could probably modify the 1.8 tins for a 2.0, they said the plug locations were different.

Im going to use the stock 1.8 case, and cylinder heads, with 2.0 internals. I will have a ton of questions to ask once I start building it.

The big thing is plug hole location. You could modify, I guess. Not sure.

I'd like to do a horizontal corvair fan, and after seeing the condition of the tin on the engine now that might be the push I need to do it. I pulled most of the tin off and the intake, the engine had water in it. It might be a lost cause I don't know.

Any tips or tricks to pulling off a cordoned cyl head without damaging it?

Lots of penetrating oil. Pour it into the spark plug hole, and around the mating surface. Heat can help.

Horizontal fan is something I am familiar with, I have a corvair engine in my bus. Let me know if I can help.

Looks like your going to be my go to guy for this car haha, and Mark.

I have done a lot of fiber glassing, so the shroud will be a breeze, Ive read up on them at shoptalkforum and have a good idea of whats involved.

go 1911 with pistons and bored cylinders stock stroke.

shorter stroke and revs zippy.

I do see a lot of guys saying to use the stock cans, if mine aren't too rusted I might try to have them bored out.

The advice about the 2.0 tins is only if you have the 2.0 914 heads. Those are different than the 1.7, 1.8, and 2.0 Bus heads; they have three intake studs rather than four, and the spark plug is at a different angle. The plug holes in the engine tin are on the side part of the tin rather than the top flat part.

If you're using 1.8 heads, you can use the 1.8 tin.

--DD

That's what I needed to know. Thanks!

I pulled 1 cyl head off tonight. I fought everything single flathead screw holding the tin on. Surprisingly only 2 broke off at the head. The tins are pretty rough, only the upper cyl tins and a few other small pieces are going to be reuseable. I guess I will have as much time and cash rounding up new tins and modifying them as I would staring from scratch and going with a horizontal fan.

Pile of parts








The cyls are froze up. The heads will need cleaned up, I'm not sure if they can be media blasted, or would a hot tank clean them up?

What your doing is exactly what brought me to 914's. I wanted to soup up my KG and discovered Porsche had already done it. Lol. If it were me, and it's not, I would get the good Doc to build you a tail shifter then fab a shifter/cable set up.

get ahold of richd in the classifieds for tins, he has everything
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=88677

Haha, when I was in high school I wanted a 914 bad, when I came across this car I couldn't say no. I know it's a different car, but after seeing the movie King of the Mountain, I've wanted to build an air cooled canyon carver like the 356 in that movie. Dr. said he can hook me up with the parts I need to get the trans in there, and I'm glad. I really wasn't looking forward to running the stock 4spd trans.
Thanks messix! I'll hit him up for some tins.

If you're a fan of King of the Mountain then this thread is the real life story. It's been going on since 2007 so it's a really long read, but the best stuff is in the early pages.

Muholland King of the Hill Porsche

I've came across that thread before. I read through 30 pages, there's a lot of good stories and pictures in that thread. My generation really missed out on those days.