I was thinking that someone made a hard top from a 944 roof, or something, but couldn't find the correct pet words to bring it up in the search box?

916 top?

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...=76305&st=0

Yep, Dan from Everett/Seattle.
Bummed he dropped of the map. Hey PNW crew, what is he up to now???

he's staying away from 914's ..... he's owned every one of them now... some 3-4 times.

Him and TC. Does he still have the all-terrain type 3 wagon?

i think the last car he posted was a clean puma. red iirc.

I wonder if he would make one for a person?? Sounds like it was pita to do?

There's a thread with detailed pictures on how to make one of those, lemmy have a look ...


Found it:
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=104406

Some of it looks doable for me, but I'm wondering on the curvature of the roof how he got it to roll front to back and left to right, or does it just look that way?

More pics would be nice.

I think Dan & I both owned the Steel-Top 2 Times Each. I sold it to a Member in NH and I haven't heard anything since.

If ya think about it, the top has the same curvature as the rear truck lid, couldn't a person just modify the rear trunk lid, or would that be too much fun?

It's on the list of things to do. Just need to get the chassis off the rotisserie and the real fun can begin

I still have the Steel-Top. Currently a project in progress for me. 3.6 and 915 sourced and being fitted, wired and plumbed. Then steel flares and probably a repaint. Taking longer than I had hoped/wanted, but still moving forward.

Jim

Jim, I'm glad you are still working on it!

What is the red top off of?

Hi,
What motor was in there before, and what are you doing with that motor?
If you are thinking of selling it, please PM me the details.

Rich

944

When I bought it the 2nd Time, the 2.5 didn't have a lot of miles, but it seemed tired - it could have been because the Solex's were rebuilt by MotorShiester. I think I sold the motor to VYSOC & the Car as a Roller to Jim

Dan used a early 944 for the simpler sun roof.

he also stated that he would never do another one as that one was very difficult to get just right and took too much time.

he spent a ton of hours on it and it really showed. he had the drip rails contoured to look right, and the drain tubes for the sunroof were done.

Tc can comment more on it.

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=104406

I was told an English wheel is what is used to make it dome shaped?

This looks like the easier of the two methods?

Dan used the Early 944 Roof as a later Power Roof didn't work right ( the Motors were in a section that he would have taken out) & added weight. The roof used was great - when tilted up, the Air Flow was great & when the roof (it is a big section) was taken out it was just like have an Open Targa but stiffer.

Dan did a great job on the Rails

That project certainly was great to follow. It is very repeatable, but as they found out, many hours of fabrication (which translates to $$$$ if you're paying to have it done. I seem to remember that George Hussey's group also did some at one time or another.

It would be fun to know how Porsche did them originally on the 916s.

Chris @ Tangerine is also doing Hard-Tops

AA probably used Rusted Metal from the Boneyard

I plan on having Scotty B do a metal hardtop on the Subie conversion. All silver like the factory 914-8. No sunroof but the car will have A/C.

It's my understanding that motor mister had a guy who was great at rebuilding carbs. The one area where they actually came through

Aparently AA has the machinery to stamp them out, but quoted me $5,000.00 to crap one out.

Does anyone know what Chris is charging? I sent him an email but I have not yet heard back.

Harpo

http://www.tangerineracing.com/customwork.htm

Lower left corner, but don't see a price either.

I asked George a couple years ago and he told me he didn't feel the demand was there so he wasn't going to invest in a mold. AA uses a subcontractor to stamp out their flares so I'm pretty sure that's what he meant by "having the machinery". I thought I remember Chris saying it was around $3500 to do the one at his shop but there's a 50/50 chance I remember it wrong. I'm sure it takes some time and skill to do it right and make it look pretty.

It was the roof that I had inquired about.

I would do it for $ 3500.00 no paint.

They ran like Crap & they charged the Guy $1600 for the Re-Build - it did allow him to pass emissions though. He could have bought Webers or Sold the Solex's and bought New PMO's for that!

Well here is what I know about 6144243 the engine in the Steel Top that I purchased to put in the roller I bought from TC several years ago. I call the roller the Yellow Submarine, she is on a Rotisserie in my garage as I am liberating the dreaded tin worm from her. I went into this EYES WIDE OPEN as TC gave me every opportunity to probe the body.

I did some research into the engine and found the following facts. Yes the turds at MotorMeister did touch her, she is a 2519cc 66 x 90.
Crank and Rods came from a 2.2T 66mm, the heads, valve guides and valve job were performed by Jeff Hines.
Cylinders are 90mm Nikasil w/JE Pistons 9-5-1 compression.
Cams came from MotorMeister regrinds, Jeff Hines said that they used a reduced base circle creating a funky geometry, but it has been done like that for years, Carrera Tensioner updgrade done.
Motor received New Bearings, chains, rod bolts, chain ramps and gasket kit not done by MM.

TC gave me a great deal on it plus headers, nice hats for the carbs. My friend down here runs the same carbs in his 69 911T and is very familiar with them.........so if it blows up ....so be it. I plan on getting it in as good a shape as possible before I try to fire it back to life. Jeff Hines provided me with a great bit of detail on this engine and I am sure it could have been a lot worse.
He also said keep oil in it, run it and check the filter for particles.

So I plan on doing so?

There that is the update on the engine that came east from the west in the steel top?

Vysoc

I'm pretty sure what Mark was conveying is that AA doesn't actually stamp the parts, ( roof or otherwise ) he farms it out to a shop with the equipment,capability, and patience to deal with George. Making a mold to stamp this out would be EXTREMELY cost prohibitive for such a small group that would be willing to pay $$$ for the piece. Yeah, I'd figure somewhere between 3-4K unpainted to have one made from scratch.

I did it twice for that price.
I can't do it that cheap again.
Things to consider in advance include gutter design, a method of headliner installation, the rear closing panel, etc., etc., etc.
The next one will be $5K.

I understand. I don't have the overhead you do. It's a hobby for me. Not my living.

Even at 5 grand I'm not sure it will be profitable.
I'm sure we put more than a hundred hours into the first one.

At least you have Cass to lean on when you get to some of the tricky stuff like arching the ribs to fit close under the skin - without touching.

We learn every time we do something like this. Things don't even go easier the second time around. Many times you'll look at the way you did it the first time and try something a different way thinking it will be easier and it ends up taking longer. It's all hand crafting. It takes time. If I did one when I had my shop with 6 guys and a huge overhead I'm sure the cost would be considerably more.

Very cool top, I'm sure for $3500 people would buy 'em.

I wish I had the skills to do a dual-top...where you can bolt in like the 914/6GT cars AND have standard top mounts for street driving. Get the best of both worlds....I think I'll have to learn how to weld first though, haha.

Off-Topic Racer Chris: On your custom projects page I see that setrab dual fan cooler, what would something like that go for? Just curious to price out, as I don't want to go front cooler for my 2.7

Just the cooler with the 2 fans sells for $400+ I think.
I can provide an accurate price estimate on a specific case by case basis only - by email.
We made up a 2 cooler kit for someone last year identical to the setup in the pics you see on my site.

Looks like PMS is currently doing one. Maybe they'll offer a kit at some point ?

http://www.patrickmotorsports.com/project/...irconditioning/

PMO always does nice stuff.

Still around, but don't do much of anything with cars anymore. My wife and I have been living in Urban bliss for the past couple of years. Little apartment in the heart of Seattle. Which means no cars, tools, shop etc. At least nothing I access often.

No air-cooled stuff at the moment. I'm sure someday I'll get back into a 914. Don't know when though.

Occasionally I'll wrench on my buddy's 356's or old VW's to help him out but that's about it.

I never see 914's on the road anymore either. You guys hiding them or something?

Damn...that does look cool. With the 944 top and the glass removed, it's about the same size as the Targa off, with a lot more rigidity to the body. That could be very cool. WAY over my skill level though. I'll let more talented welders do it...and watch in awe.

You are in the fold old friend. Even if off-topic, we'd all love to hear what else you're up to. Plenty of teeners on the the road, but most wimps put them away for the winter.

I know this has wandered off topic, but a real topic is the gang here wants to hear what Dan is up to. So... Share if you want. Thanks for what you've done here before.