Saturday March 15th, my best friend (timothy_nd28: http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=8154) is coming out to Tucson to help me get my 72 1.7l 914 project up and running. He will be in town for about 5 days and here is our agenda:
1. Install L-Jet FI
2. Install new windshield
3. Install a new carpet kit
4. Install stainless steel fuel lines
5. A few other miscellaneous updates.

Our goal is to get the car finally running after rescuing it from a local scrapyard in 2012.
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Wondering if we might find some Tucson (and/or southern AZ) World members who would be interested in coming over to lend a hand, some experience, and camaraderie.

Plenty of food and beer would be provided. And to top it off, Tim has offered to bring and personally install his LED gauge back-lighting kits for the first few who show up.

Please PM me if interested!
Cheers!
JP

I'd be interested but I'm having knee surgery next week, so don't know how well I'll be able to walk around or driviing by the weekend. What area of town will you be at? I am on the far east side. If you are nearby you are welcome to come by and see the full ground-up rotisserie 73 build I have been working on. It is almost finished.

I'll come help if Tim can put LEDs in my gauges.. just kidding (kind of ). I could probably come by on the weekend and lend a hand, not that I'm worth a shit, lol! Keep me updated on when and where.

JP isn't either, but I'm sure we can manage!

Talky talky talky, no more talky from you Tim!

Planning on coming by, haven't seen another 914 this year.

Thanks Mike, I look forward to meeting you. I will send you a PM with my contact information.

JP, I'd be glad to lend a hand. Out of town at the moment, so need to check my work load before finalizing.

Shoot me the details.

Dang, where were all the Tucson people hiding when I was living there??? I bought my car in Phoenix and did my conversion while I was stationed there at Davis-Mothan AFB. Actually wish I was still there!

Thanks Gerard! I will send you a PM with details.

Sorry to miss you Chad. If you ever make it back here to live or just visit, drop a line!

Wish I could be there to help guys. However, I'll happily work/drink beers along side you vicariously when the work day comes

Thanks George. We are getting started about 10am AZ time, so feel free start drinking then! Since this is the Saturday before St. Patrick's Day, we most certainly will

JP, got your details and I'm planning on making it.

Do you need a set of wheels? I have four of these - in decent shape that I won't be using. If you'd like them I just ask to trade for the steel wheels so I can have something to roll the car around with.

Let me know and I can bring them Saturday.

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Awesome.

Gerard, yes please! I will get the tires off my steel wheels tomorrow and have them ready for you on Saturday.

Thank you!

Awesome wheel score!

I was thinking about it this afternoon, and I realized, in the 2 years since I caught the 914 obsession, I've never met the owner of another running 914. Bought mine not running, looked at a few others that were also not running. Met lot's of people who had them back in the day, many more who wanted them back in the day, and even a few with a couple up on blocks, but no one with a running car.

Pretty excited to meet some 914 people. Wondering if you're all as off as I am.

Mike, I kind of know how you feel. I have seen at least 3 here in Tucson out on the road, but I have never met any of the drivers. Really looking toward to meeting you guys on Saturday!

JP,
Need any parts? I see from your pic that you are missing the side marker, I think I have 1 or 2 spares..

I can probably make it by in the early afternoon.

Thanks Jason!

I did already pick up a couple of new side markers. If by chance you have a gasket for the front oval lens (not the side marker), I could use one of those. Pretty sure I can find one on 914rubber if not.

At the moment, I cannot think of anything else I need. But I will take inventory and let you know by this evening.

Thank you for the offer!

I have a couple of the turn signal lens gaskets, the original style and a repro from 914rubber. See if I can stop by late morning or might be after 2 or so. My right knee is good enough to drive again.

If anyone has a hot glue gun, it would be helpful for these led conversions.

Amazing how 914world members support each other not only thru online threads here in this site but to support personally and even by means of offering some parts for FREE to share.

Keep up the good things 914world members! God Bless you!

Noel

I have a couple, and the glue sticks. Will bring them along.

Thank you sir

It was great meeting you guys yesterday. How far a long did you get with the motor?

Update?

Wanted to give a very special thanks and update.

We had a really good turn out. A very big thank you to users AZ914, Mike_Sandford, 914GT, 3d914, and Drifter914. Your presence, input, and elbow grease were so very much appreciated!!!

As an update, we hit a pretty big snag early on in the day. We tried turning the engine over but were unsuccessful. With eveyone's help, we dropped the engine and tranny, popped out the spark plugs and found signs of rust in cylinder 3

But a quick trip to the local auto store and picked up an bottle hone and cleared out the rust. A band aid fix for now....

By the end of the day we had the engine back in, L-jet system installed, had the stainless lines installed, got the driver side seat belt installed. But I mistakenly popped out the coil spring on the passenger side. Count that one up to user error! Debating whether I will try to recoil or find another. Interior carpet pulled. Bad windshield removed. Worked till about 1:30 am.

Today we got the fuel pump in, re-installed the air box, got the tank back in, closed up the remaining vacuum lines, and ran the fuel injection hosing.

Been a busy full two days!


None of which would have been possible for me without the help of my friend timothy_nd28. Many many thanks bud!

I have a set of belts that are fair on the retraction I can send you! Let me know.
Tim is the man!

So great to hear you had some great help from the World. This place rocks?

I was a bit too curious myself and turned my spring into a "birds nest". You can rewind it. It takes at least 2 people and 4 attempts, but it can be done.

Clark

JP, glad to hear you got it back together. Be sure to get us a video once its running.

Excellent! You guys got a lot done. Looking forward to seeing that thing run...

Got a bunch done today. The interior is complete and the windshield is in. This afternoon the engine roared to life. However, it's not playing nice. I'm having issues getting this to tune correctly. It's not holding a idle correctly, starting to wonder if this engine has a non fuel injection cam.

Let me know if you need anything, like dwell/tach, timing light, vacuum/fuel pressure gauge, compression gauge or whatever. I also have an air flow gauge if you decide to put the carbs back on. I'm only 5 min. away.

I appreciate that, thanks.
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Some pics of progress

Wow! Great job on the interior!

Last day here in Tucson. My daughter and I will sadly miss this beautiful weather and our dear friends. Thanks again everyone for pitching in last Saturday.

The car was put back together, but I had failed to get this car to idle correctly. I pulled out some lifters to verify if they were hydraulic or not. During this process, I noticed that these solid lifters were brand new looking, with little to no wear. I came to the conclusion that the PO must of installed a carb cam, which was causing issues with my Ljet adjustments.

Even though it won't idle, it does pull strong above 2k.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX6WAUXLyi4



JP has a lead on a used "stock" 1.8 in the area. His plan will be to obtain this engine and possibly install a bigbore kit along with the Ljet we already installed.
Maybe a future Saturday working party?

Ditto! Looks real nice - the windshield too.

Hey JP... You guys did an amazing amount of work after I left Saturday... & made some huge gains, up to actually driving it ! FYI... when I bought my 914 couple of years ago, it had stock FI engine & similar problem to what you describe. There are many , many possibilities re: it not wanting to idle or run at low rpm's & hauling ass at higher revs. I took off the FI & replaced with new Webers, now it purrs. Point is, problem may or may not be cam... you don't know, but IMHO the 1.7 engine you have may be worth keeping if you want to return it to a carb engine. Sure a lot easier at this point than the unknown 1.8 route. I've heard the 1.7 is the better engine of the two, also. If you do decide to scrap the 1.7, I'd be interested in buying the rockers w/ adjusters that are on it. Need a pait of Weber 40's... hahaha...Best wishes & stay in touch ! Terry