Hello fellow 914 nut-cases…

Many of you will remember me. Others will have no idea.

Many of you probably see my user name over and over… the dancing banana with the Pirate hat.. that’s me!

History…

12 years ago I started on a quest to make a 914-6-GT street car… I got hot and heavy into the details and have a lot of it chronicled on my website...

www.my914-6.com

Over the years, people have stumbled upon it and emailed me from the world wide interwebs.

I had the car painted and bodywork done, and it went horribly wrong. It broke my spirit on the project and I shut it away in the garage. I’ve moved the hulk twice along with all the parts and moved onto other interests and other hobbies… But the 914 always was there… including a closet full of mostly new or obsessively refurbished parts.

Family update…

Many of you remember my son, Hunter. Hunter was born severely disabled at birth (due to a botched delivery). I shared a lot of the details of our struggles with Hunter over his first few years. A few of my friends have seen my posts over the past week and have reached out to me. Many have asked about Hunter and my family.

I am happy to share that Hunter is still with us. Every day is a struggle and mystery for him. He is still severely disabled (nothing has changed for good or bad). He was placed on a ventilator about 3 ½ years ago, but can breathe on his own if needed in an emergency. He is still non-verbal, non-communicative, blind, and has a list of diagnoses a mile long. We have nursing 24-hours a day to care for him in his own home and we are grateful for his wonderful caregivers. That all being said, we love him more and more each day and are still grateful he is choosing to stick around.

Here is my family (my wife Susan and Hunter) back in 2000 when he was 6 months old.



Here is my family recently (right before this past Christmas).



My other mid-engine beast…

I have a 2007 Lotus Exige S, that I’ve purchased since new. I was immediately drawn to the car (had an Elise originally). It’s the modern 914 equivalent. Low to the ground. Mid-engined. Neutrally balanced. And an odd motor planted at the heart. Elise/Exige’s have 1.8L 4-cylinder from the Toyota Celica GTS/Matrix. The Exige’s are supercharged. Mine has been tweaked heavily. Stock is about 220HP… I’m at 350+ HP. Muhahaha… plus brakes, and suspension.

Exige S(1)
Exige S(2)
Exige S(3)
Exige S(4)
Exige S(5)


914 Status update…

1. The chassis has been on a rolling cart for 10 years. LOL… No jackstands for me.

2. David Chapman (iamchappy) comes here once a year on a business trip and has seen it. He can vouch for the issues.

It looks good at 15 feet, but up close, it’s a mess. It’s all easily repairable. But the paint job is amateurish at best. Seam sealer was removed, but never replaced. No undercoating. Some bad welding here and there. Just shameful. And the guy that did it has done great work… I’m not sure the issue he had with me or if he choose to sabotage it. But getting the chassis back the way I did, it broke my spirit and stopped my progress in its tracks. In the mean time, life has gotten in the way. Career changes… other hobbies, etc.

3. I’ve spent the last 10 days getting my parts stash sorted out. Remembering what I have, what I have left to do, and what I need.

4. To be honest, I got really intimidated. Would I remember how to put this damn car back together? Do I have all the parts still? Am I up for this? The good news is I did a pretty decent job documenting it all, and labeling parts. For the stuff I am missing, I have YOU guys. For the stuff I don’t know how to do (or don’t remember), I have YOU guys (and gals). For the support, I have YOU guys (and gals).

5. My tastes have changed and I will make some changes in the general direction and general vision… but not much. Eric Shea’s beautiful beast is a great inspiration and target goal. He did a great job documenting his built and it will help guide me. I will do a few things differently

6. Dr. Evil went through and redid the tranny a few years ago. I’ll post pics of that.

7. I’ll begin updating my progress thread here and my website.

8. I will have some parts available (e.g., Boxster brake upgrade).. some NOS parts, etc.


So anyways… for those that remember me… I was always here.. but I will be back and more active again.

For those that haven’t a clue who I am… HI… I’m a 914 nutcase, just like YOU!

Later,

Qarl

Ah, you were never really gone... just on "pause" for a bit.

Welcome back to the world!

Welcome back Qarl!

Coolio! Throw back Thursday

Yeah! Let's get 'er done! Your family looks great Qarl.

Maybe we should all come to your house and put your 914 together so you can drive it.

Awesome Karl! Glad to have you back in the game. Beautiful Family & good to see Hunter has grown so much. Hope to see you all at a 914 gig sometime in the near future

Woohoo, welcome back....my car's still not done too!!!

Qarl!

I can't go to the build party but if someone ramrods the affair I'll pitch in parts or some food money!

Yes I've shamelessly used Qarl so now it's pay up time.

Who's going to be the leader? Glad to know your story and that your back.

Let me get it painted first! LOL

Giddyup!

If it wasn't for the crap paint job that I paid for on my 72 I would never have found the ultral cool matte silver that my car now wears.

Oh, and I sanded down the worst orange peel paint job know to man.

Outta sight but not outta mind, glad youve returned Karl.

The dancing banana is my favorite emoticon ever.

I am one of "the others" that don't know you, but I'm definitely a 914 nut case. I appreciate you sharing your story and have a tremendous amount of respect and awe for the challenges you and your family have faced and overcome.
I really love the 'then and now' pics of you and your family and can't wait to see progress on your build. Wish I was close enough to help.

Please post lots of pics!!!!

Welcome back Qarltter


For some reason I have a faint memory of a Lotus on a lift when I see your name

And for the newbies--

Qarl was also the victim of some rather spectacular stupidity, back when the Elise was very new in the US...






(Sorry to bring those memories back, Qarl, but...)

--DD

Welcome back.

Welcome back Qarl!
I am glad to see you active again.

My car is still not finished either!

Well, from One 914 sickoo to another 914 sickoo, welcome back; glad to see you have the car and headed back into it. Glad to get an update on Hunter and I just know he will be helping you.

I also have a passion for Lotus; also, Corvette, Alfa Romeo, etc. Anything called a "sports car" and that the owner is enjoying.

I am looking forward to your continued development and enjoyment of the 914. I can now again look forward to very interesting threads which I have sorely missed the last few years.

Welcome back.

Steve Hurt

LOL Dave! I was going to mention the infamous lotus/Goodyear incident.

Yep, that was my car.

(back)

"I got really intimidated. Would I remember how to put this damn car back together?'

Karl,
Ya you'll remember. Back when you and David stopped by my place years ago my project was going on ~12 years at that time and it took several more years to get it on the road. If you don't remember how it goes together, just ask the collective.

Here's a little motivation

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Welcome back,, I don't feel so bad now, I only have 7 years in on mine!! I have three years to finish it!!!!:)

Welcome back.
I will come to Orlando for a weekend build party, no problem.

Rich

Always knew you would be Back!

Somewhere I have a Picture of you Driving the Elise next to me when you came over to a Tampa Bay Breakfast.

I've Owned 4 Real 6's, 10 914-6 Conversions and 5 914 2.0s since I last saw you



and over 40,000 Posts!

The dancing banana rides again!

How many contexts are there where that actually makes sense?

Have welder, will travel...

John

Welcome back. Your car was an inspiration to me and I wondered what happened to it. Glad you are back and I look forward to pictures.

Welcome back. Looking forward to your realignment. I want to ask if that guy with the "Oh shit" look in the background of that pic was the culprit.

It all started when I brought the car to the Goodyear shop that my father-in-law was the manager of. He, unfortunately, was not working that day, but gave me the tech to ask for.

I told them to jack the car up (at certain jack points) and be careful. I gave them the owner's manual and opened it to the page about lifting the car. They ignored it.

The placed the car on the lift, removed the front wheels and it became tail heavy. It soon crashed backwards off the lift. The solution to correct the problem was to tie a towtruck winch to the front through the rafters of the shop and support the car. Then lower the lift and allow the front end down to horizontal level. I was there at that point taking pictures.

The "oh shit" look was that as they lowered, it the front broke loose and crashed sideways into a bunch of tool chests damaging the front end as well.

The pics spread through the internet like wildfire. Jalopnik and many of the major car enthusiast sites picked it up. Goodyear got a lot of pressure to "do the right thing".

I flat out told them I didn't want a car with that history and that damage. Who knows if something happened to the internals of the engine when it crashed into the concrete? Small chip in a cam, valve, piston ring? Something that could rear its ugly head down the road? I wasn't willing to accept the risk.

Goodyear ended up buying the car from me. And this is why I ended up with the Exige.

More pics here... http://www.my914-6.com/crap/

Welcome Back Nut Case !!
We can always use some more Nut Cases

Welcome back, Qarl!

welcome back, Karl

Long long awaited comeback. Very nice to see you here again. Welcome back, Quarl !!

Welcome back Qarl!

Now how long before you get this body repainted? another 10 years? I am up for coming down to work on your car.

Welcome back Qarl , looking forward to meeting you, maybe at the next
Tropical Ramble III , it's held in your backyard over in Deland , Bill D.

Good to see you back ...

--- Rob

howdy...

Anyone that has their own emoticon here doesn't need a "Reintroduction" thread.



Welcome back man. Life happens...as I've learned lately.

Just when i thought it was save to go back into the water..........


Oh, and when you were out, i did this.....

Holy crappola man!!!
I just sat down to have a cup o joe...and looky who pops up!!!
The man that introduced me to the club way back when!!
I think it was 2003

Holy crap! I just thought Qarl just changed his name and has been here all along. Maybe the guy that took the 914 prototype will show up next

You stopped sending me an email on my wife birthday to remind me of it and I've been getting in trouble ever since.

Nice to have you back.

LOL

September 17th... added back into my calendar!

No...

Look left. It was October of 2004...

Send your car to scotty....he'll fix you up!

I agree, talk with him if you want to send your car up north.
TC knows people down in FL though.

Welcome back Qarl. I moved to Orlando from Fort Lauderdale back in 2004. I completed the conversion of my 1975 2.0 to a 2.2 six a little over a year and a half ago. I have always loved your project. I would see your engine sitting in Donnie's engine room while Harro Zitza was rebuilding mine! Would be glad to help you out anytime. Shoot me PM with your contact info sometime. I live over in the Dr. Phillips area.

Yes Brian, we need to get together. I need to see your car and get some motivation!

Welcome back! Some projects take longer than others. I started my 914-6 conversion many, many years ago, and it's still not totally done to my satisfaction. Changing directions along the way never helps, but the satisfaction as it finally comes together is worth the trip!

Click to view attachment