Glenn: you don't really have an American Roadster do you?!

last year I cut a 904 in half and put a 914 on top and no one bitched. whats the big deal its not a factory race car, plus ever car that gets cut makes mine worth more.

Dug-
As I explained to you over email, since buying the car I put thousands swapping the gearbox and having the car sorted, so if I shipped the car to you, someone I don't know, and have you work on it, not knowing anything about your skill set, and get the car back and there is a problem, do I ship it back to Cali for a tune-up? Your idea is way too out there to be feasible, too many chances for things to go sideways. Not to mention flushing all the money I have already spent down the toilet, only to get a car back from you that I know nothing about.
The big question I guess is why am I supposed to take the $$$ hit on this? I'm the guy who bought a car no one either wanted or wanted to spend any money on.
I haven't been active on this board since I sold my 914/6 back in 2007. But when I wanted a six conversion for this project the first place I went was here. You know what I got offered, at least a half dozen un-finished half assed six conversions that ranged in price from $20,000 to over $30,000. So obviously, no one was going to take a hit on their car, but somehow I'm supposed to take a hit when people want me to give up my car. And don't tell me what I care or don't care about, that's like me telling you if you really cared about this car and it's history you would have sold all your other cars to buy it, but I'm not inside your head or your wallet, so how about you stay out of mine.

...I hate to break-it-to-you Dug but I really don't think he's going to change his mind.

Do we know if the car ever won an IMSA race, much less finished one? Could it be possible that the importance of this particular car may be a bit overstated in some of the pleas to save it?

As far as I know, I am the only person in history to carry my exact name. Does that mean I owe it to society to donate my body to the Smithsonian, and do they owe it to society to display it?

I get it. I really do. I love history, especially old buildings, houses and architecture in general. I cringe when a beautiful old mansion is modernized to make it livable (and safe) in today's world, and I absolutely hate it when historical buildings or homes are razed in the name of progress. However, I also believe in community and the free market. If a property (or car) is important enough to be saved, a community will form and coalesce to save it. If not, as much as it may pain some, progress will swallow history. It has been this way since the beginning, and unfortunately, it will always be so.

If it helps, this will be the first 904 replica with IMSA history.

Adam-

You have never asked for my credentials, nor asked who would do the work.

I consider the door shut. It was worth a few emails, texts and phone calls and even some public forum posts to see if I could make it happen. I can now sleep at night knowing I made an effort.

To those that asked... No it did not win an IMSA race. No one ever said it did.

cheers,
dug

The car did win at Mid-Ohio, and took the checker a few other times in the Ozark Region, but this was recent history.

FWIW - Dug is a stand up guy who is passionate about our make.

Time to move on.

Adam, I think there is a big distinction between the car being for sale on Ebay and no one wanted it enough to buy it and now trying to save it from destruction. When the Ebay seller had it, it raced fairly recently and it was not slated for the knife. It is now.

Of course it is your car, you can do what you want, but I think that if you really gave it some objective thought and reason prevailed and you had a bonefide alternative, that the better course is to save it.

Any tub will work for your purposes, there are only so many IMSA history cars.

Good luck with the build.

It does seem like any tub would do and the owner obviously has Porsche connections for needed parts.

Personally, I would trade one of the 356's or 911's for some cash or fab work for a 904 chassis.

But Its his car.

You're right guys, any tub would work, except I needed a running and driving six cylinder car. When I wasn't finding anything even remotely affordable on this board and other places I approached several known builders about bringing them a good chassis and having them build it into a six. They were all very receptive and quoted me around $30,000 for a running driving car.
So this car was my only affordable alternative. It was last raced in 2007, so it had been put out to pasture a long time ago.
When I first posted here I said I would gladly trade the car for a running six conversion, even one with horrible cosmetics, since I was going to skin the car and interior anyway. No takers.
And as to why I didn't just fab up a 904 frame or buy a Beck, it's because when I'm done building those I don't have a Porsche. When I'm done with this car, it's still a Porsche with Porsche DNA. While that might not be important to some, it is very important to me. I kind of channel Dr. Porsche when I build my cars.

I think this whole conversation is mute. If putting a real 904 body on a 914 was feasible somebody would have done it during the past 40 years.

There is absolutely nothing difficult about welding (or bolting) a -6 engine mount to a -4 chassis. The expensive part is the 911 engine and related pieces.

The IMSA chassis, body and susp are worth more. You are going to have to swap out the susp anyways, it's going to be way too stiff for a 904.

O! Come on U guys! lets get on with the build! more pictures. cant wait to see it running.

Rest assured guys, long before I take any blades to the yellow chassis, I am doing all the cuts on the center seat car to dry fit the body. If I cant make it work I will put the yellow car up for sale because I won't need it.

I can't wait to see this project move along. Adam's projects usually are pretty cool.

I never realized 914 guys could be like 356 guys. I guess it happens to any make/model as prices rise.

Adam wrote - "If I cant make it work I will put the yellow car up for sale because I won't need it." -- Should be easy to sell as several posters here will save it.

Mic-
You coming to the open house on the 5th, let me know, I'll save you a place on the front row.
If anyone else wants to come out, free food, and you can check out the whole operation.


Unobtanium Open House
Saturday, September 5th, 2015
12pm to 3pm


I want to invite everyone out to our 2nd Annual Open House at our location in scenic Ravena, NY. We have finally moved our whole operation from the old leather factory in Gloversville, NY. Cars that have not seen the light of day in over a decade are now back in the sun.

There is plenty of parking that is super safe as the Police Station is the only other building on our dead end street. We encourage everyone to bring their Porsche, but if you can't please bring yourself and a few friends. We will have food and drink on hand and the Unobtanium crew of Adam, Matt, and Big John will be there to answer any questions. We might even talk Big John into doing some feats of great strength!

The warehouse normally has 15-20 early Porsche projects to look at as well as shelf after shelf of parts for all your restoration needs. You won't be disappointed if Porsche 356's and early 9 series cars are your passion. In addition, some of our personal collection will be on hand like the 356 A Coupe that won Daytona in 1966. You can also check out the latest shop project - we are converting a 914-6 into a 904 using a real 904 body!

We are hoping Wray from Proshaper can come out with the latest metal he is shaping for our aluminum 550 Spyder project. His website is http://www.proshaper.com if you want to check out his work.

If you want to see pics from last year's open house you can check them out on our blog:

https://unobtaniuminc.wordpress.com/

Last year we lined the street in so many Porsches you would have thought you were in Germany! The shop address is:
Unobtanium
14 W Shore St.
Ravena, NY 12143
518-705-1355
Hope to see you there!




Adam Wright

Can we get back to building the 904 already?

I want to see more progress pictures...

Mike-
It was a busy week last week, picked up 29 356's in one swoop, so I was out most of the week, as the song goes, "on the road again"

...picked up 29 356's in one swoop? Now that's what I call a feat of strength!

Marc-
I had Big John with me, he's the strong one.

Adam cutting up a car?

What is going on here???

This is not right

Modifying a 914 to unique owner specs?

Adam,,of you need help, setup a party so we can come cut up some sheet metal and get that body mounted already...

Have it on the test mule by open house....


Rich

Do what you will. The 928 guys are seeing chevy V8 cars now regularly. That's fine. Anyone that wants to take a 25k car and make it into a 10k car can do as they will. You say you couldn't spend 20k on a project yet your willing to erase history and likely investment value to build a kit car. After all, no matter what you do your not building a real 904... Where's the Porsche lineage?

From an engineering standpoint if you change the length of the car your changing a lot more than the length. The time invested in building a proper chassis would far outweigh the amount of work you will encounter trying to unfix the altered wheelbase. And a proper tube chassis will be lighter, stronger, more aesthetically pleasing and far more tunable than a chopped up unit body. You quote Ferry. He didn't put his stamp of approval on a cut up unit body car when the 904 project underwent development. But hey... as the Chinese say. You can't tell someone something their not ready to hear.

Flame on. Respectfully I need to say my perception of engineering goes way beyond the quick and dirty.

Rick-
A couple of things.
1. I don't think you or a few others really understand what I'm doing. I bought a car that was at the end of the line, obsolete in racing, had already been sitting for 8 years since it last saw the track, and it took the guy 6 months on the world's largest marketplace to sell it, meaning nobody wanted it. I'm taking a car no one wants and making it in the long tradition of a Porsche Special, this goes back to the beginning of the Marque. I'm re-inventing something that the world has deemed obsolete and making it desirable once again. I already have two offers to buy when I am finished, one of which bought my last "special" Da Spoodster.
2. Everyone is going on and on about the history, which will be preserved in any real sense by the car still being used, which it wouldn't have been if I hadn't of bought it. It's not like it would have ever raced again, it's was completely obsolete in it's last clas of GT3, because it was getting smoked by real GT3's. The Hewland gearbox upgrade was the last gasp for this car.
3. A certain group is screaming of what a tragedy my project is, yet not one person has made a real offer to buy the car and thus "save" it. So my original truth still holds true, it's a car no one really wants.
4. I fail to see how this is a "kit car", it's a Porsche body down to the last millimeter, put this body next to an original fiberglass 904 and find a difference, there isn't one. I am putting it on a Porsche chassis, using nothing but Porsche components, and it retains a Porsche VIN. I fail to see how this isn't a Porsche. That's like saying an Abarth isn't a 356.

So 50 years from now then this car is still being traded around due to it's uniqueness, long after the yellow 914 would have been stripped for the guts and left behind someone's shop to rot, you guys can come back and thank me for my vision.

Does nothing for me.

quick and dirty

PM sent - 356 related . . .

Adam is there a build thread for "Da Spoodster"
BTW there might be a copyright infringement using "Da" to describe anything outside of Chicago

Here is the thread for Da Spoodster

<http://forum.porsche356registry.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=28200&hilit=spoodster>

http://forum.porsche356registry.org/viewto...hilit=spoodster


There are a lot of parallels between the two projects, no one wanted the wide body monster that I started with building Da Spoodster, but there was a line waiting before I even got it done.

I prefer not to wait 50 years, Thanks for doing this.

Adam I have to ask how far have you looked through this project? The 904 is wider and shorter like 6" Where do you plan on removing the 6"in the length?. This will have to come out of the passenger compartment somewhere. The 904 is also wider. The wheelbase is different. This car will end up being such a hack job if you really don't complete a real blueprint with dimensions. You are going to end up with another hack job like the center drive car. Clearly that was one done without any real thought. No one appreciates that vision. The body of the 904 is one of the most beautiful cars ever made. This could end up looking like a cheap "Kit car". By the time you do all the hacking to make this work and money spent, you could have constructed a perfectly fitted tube frame that will function better. than the 914 ever could. I suggest a taking deep breath and giving additional thought to the full process. If you want people to appreciate your vision, do it right.

Why is everyone giving this guy so much shit? Leave his alone so he can build his car, his way.

Too many armchair quarterbacks around here...

I get disappointed every time I open this thread and the content isn't about the build. Let's all just sit back, crack open a cold one, and enjoy the work going on.

Keep up the good work. Can't wait to see this thing come alive.

I want to see this thing come together. It's not like he is cutting up Fangio's last ride. It is an old, tired, obsolete race car of which there are many, many out there. That part of the argument, I think, is over. Or should be. Nobody wanted it, he bought it, it is his, move on.

As for the dimensions and engineering, isn't that what we wait with baited breath for in a good build thread? Can't we just wait to see how he overcomes the challenges ahead? Please?

That's why I'm slicing up the center seat car first, to see if I can do it, if I don't, no harm done. I will decide what to do with the yellow car and figure out another way.

It's a cool project. You bought and paid for everything so you can do what you want.
I would have to disagree that it was a car that no one wants. That market is very limited and timing is everything. Many may want it, vintage racing is all the rage and for good reason. It's a lot of fun. That car has a history.
All I think anyone is saying is that they wish you wouldn't sacrifice a car with history to do this.
Here's an example of a car that was at the end of its run. No one wanted it. It was abandoned at Road Atlanta. This picture was taken by our own Paul Woodbury (Ury914). It was purchased by Adam Carolla and restored by Les Canaday at Classic Datsun Motorsports.
Again, do what you want. But the dissenters have a point...

Well, if someone really wants it, I'm not hard to find, so far, lots of tears and hand wringing, but no signs of a checkbook.

Geezus.

This is why I left the Pontiac threads after so many years.

AND, those guys got their asses kicked out of GM!

...unfairly I might add (69' was my favorite year - NO, not position).

Anyone remember "The9XXClub"?????

And people laugh when I suddenly want to build a boat

Scotty, you sick muppet...

I AGREE Adam:bullshit:

And, there's always Club NARP...

From South Carolina, where being 1st in many things, ...and last in others is, well, can be a real Bummer.

Dave B.

Enjoy it, or just be entertained, not that there's anything wrong with that! To each his own.

"The yellow 914 would have been stripped for the guts and left behind someone's shop to rot."

True since no one else wanted it, most likely it would go for parts.
And if they did (let's make this simple) if you snoozed you lost! 6 months, really, you missed out. For those of you that were going to buy it, and not swap out any parts, how big is your collection? And how did you miss this one?

If you were selling your, car. And you couldn't sell it ,with out parting it out. You would put it in storage till somehow you got a offer, or went broke, or, you died first?
He sold it!

Personally, I'll chatch a episode from time to time, as with all else here.

I sold my bike to a kid down the street, 3 days later, it was repainted, with different handle bars, I was horrified. I was 12.

DUDE, not the fancy Evil Knievel version with the dope tank

...course I was into girls, OP gear & new Bones wheel on my skateboard by then.

"Can't We All Just Get Along"

Two thoughts Rich:

1- That's some funny Shite you typed

2- Where are them damn greedy Admins when you need them

Dave B.

Really? Crying? I don't see anyone crying. Just having a discussion about the wisdom of cutting up a car with history.

I said it in the first sentence. Do what you want.

Really? Said the same thing. do as you will. And you have had a considerable offer.

Rick-
I've had two offers for the car, one guy offered me $10,000, since he said that's all I had in it. I declined.
The 2nd came from Dug and was also a mediocre offer. Had I taken that offer I would at best be back to square one with the car, but be out thousands of dollars of what I've put into it, not to mention the time. At worst my car ends up on the other end of the country with someone I don't know working on it. If there is a problem what is my solution? Fly to Cali, or send the car back if I'm un-happy with the work done. Like I said before, too many chances for that deal to go sideways.

I'm sure Dug is a stand up guy, in fact we might be related, both being Wright's and all. But that deal was not a good one for me, at all. At this point I have a big pile of money tied up in a project that many are saying can't be done. I have taken much more risk with this car than I did with Da Spoodster, I got that car for nothing, and horse traded for most of the parts. After all the money spent on this car and headaches I've had to secure the body and the car itself, I'm not keen on throwing many thousands down the toilet, just so someone can re-unite the body with old bodywork. I don't believe it was even that important to Dug, because he said he didn't want to put any money towards the deal, other than pay shipping and do the work, neither of which help me, and he knew I had thousands already into work in the car.

A. I'd like all of these butchered 914s destroyed.
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=262635

B. Just read the da spoodster build. Boy did those 356 people love it. I do too.

C. Forgetaboutit? No. Build it.

Yea I gotta say someone can do with whatever they want if they own something. Nice of you to go ahead and explain the lengths you went through to try and preserve the car! Anyway can you post some more pics of this shop with the sweet shit going on inside please!!! Oh and I want one of those 356's...

how cool is this!
the model is still available
Garretson Enterprises 914/6
Click to view attachment

Yup. Car was built by Bob Garretson, Bruce Anderson, and Jerry Wood. No matter how cool you think building a 904 replica or how real you think it would be based on how you got the body, it would be worth more historically and monetarily as a restored car. Raced and displayed at historic events. Two of those men are still alive. Bruce Anderson died a year ago after a long illness. I wonder how this escaped the grasp of Bruce Canepa? He buys and restores historically significant Porsches all the time.

If it were me, and don't get me wrong, I think it is a very cool project, I would build the tube frame and everything else by scratch. I started to with a partner, but the partner decided to "simplify" his life and we sold the roller body before we got too far into it.

Good luck with your project.

Adam, re-read my offer, it was for more than $10,000.00

And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.



Bring forth said car, for I owneth thy cutter of plasma-eth

Probably over on the Club site. The World has admins that aren't greedy...

--DD