Thanks everybody for all the support and offers of help. Fun day today and a first for Unobtanium, a 1962 Twin Grill Roadster Super 90, out of the 249 Twin Grills made only 58 came with the S90 motor, so this makes the car the rarest of the rarest 356. Couldn't beat the million dollar view where it was stashed either, a fun day!

I think an america roadster would be rarer. The steel one being the most rare.

You're right about that, but being a one off it doesn't really compare to production cars, but there was a nice article written about 12371, AKA The Steel One, in Excellence a few years back, I have a few extra copies if anyone needs one.

Didn't get as much as I had hoped done today but I did make some progress. First I removed the front struts so I can send those and the rears off to Elephant Racing to get them all shortened. Once I got that done I started trimming the fenders down to accept the new body. I will probably have to do more fine trimming once I get the body closer but this was a start. I was hoping to get both fenders done and the front cowl/dash cut out, but like Mick Jaggers says, "time waits for no one, no favors has he, time waits for no one, and he won't wait for me."
The day is done.

Adam-if you wouldn't mind measuring, about how long is that sway bar arm?

Is Elephant shortening the Bilstein or swapping to a Koni 8610/11 of something with a shorter body?

You mean the up and down arm?
They are modifying the existing bilsteins. I'm not sure what all they are doing. Basically he told me 2" would be pretty easy, 3" would be tricky, they can do it but don't complain about the bill.

I think so? I marked it on this picture.

hahaha Interested to see what they come back with!

Click to view attachment

Didn't get anything done this week on the 904 project, had to jump back to the other one, the aluminum 550 build. Took lots of measurements off of 0054, and drooled a lot. I did get the suspension shipped out to Elephant Racing and strategized with them on everything we can do to get the shocks shorter including moving the placement on the strut.
The aluminum 550 isn't completely off topic, I'm using a huge chunk of 914 for that one too, but that's a couple of years down the road. First the body has to get built.

I was only to get a half day in today, had to leave early for a daughter orthodontist appointment, but tomorrow I will be alone at the shop to I can keep the momentum going. I was able to cut away the top of the cowl and the hinge area, ran out of time on the steering column area, going to leave as much of that as I can because I don't know how much I will need and where everything will align with the new dash.

Ok, today was dramatic, starting to take shape. The front nose is right where I need it. I will have to relocate the oil cooler from where it was on the 914. But I was able to retain 914 wheel wells so that is good news. This is getting fun again!

Nice to see some progress!

Who made the panels on the alloy 550 body?

My friend spent the last 30 years restoring the 550, I think Joe Stafford did most of the body work. The panels for my build are being done by Wray at Pro Shaper
www.proshaper.com

You can check out the whole build here:
http://forum.porsche356registry.org/viewto...f=4&t=38246

Ok, back in action, real life takes ahold every now and then and we have to bring it back to the fun stuff. Elephant Racing got me the suspension back in good time. Not cheap but very nice work, so very happy with the results. One thing I learned a long time ago, the words cheap and Porsche don't flow well in a sentence, this project is no different.
I was having a hard time getting the shock to compress enough to bolt back up, so I borrowed some tools and brains from my mechanic Rick at Bavarian Rocket Science. We figured it out and I welded the lower tower in place enough to test fit the shock, and it fit, it took some wrestling but it fit. I ran out of day but it was a good day. Hopefully I can wrap up the rear end next week and then move to the front which is far more complicated and daunting.

wow, the original donor car will be less and less ...

Don't get me wrong, but makes it sense to strip down that car, instead of building one from scratch ?
What will be the percentage of the remaining car ?
I mean there is not much left over ,or ?

BR

Benno

If it's built on a Porsche, it's still a Porsche, if it's build on tube framing from a jungle gym, it's not a Porsche.

but your chassis features a Volkswagen VIN , right ?

Wrong side of the ocean, over here, where most of them were sold, they were Porsches. When was the last time you saw an ad for a Volkswagen 914? Nice try though.

its not simple to get a VIN number for a kit car, and then it would be classified as a new car when the VIN is created, so all current emission standards would apply at that point, and safety, which is just crazy.

Doing it how he is doing it retains the Porsche year model and make....

Speaking of that, where is the VIN on the inner front fender? still there?
The one stamped into the body?

Rich

That's a good point. From what the consensus is here (I've already been yelled at for asking the question), if you cut that VIN out and move it anywhere else, you are committing a crime. Food for thought.

because the builder is a Hack!

How cute, a tough guy...

69,000 posts of constructive rhetoric no doubt.

It does not depends on the ads I've seen or not, but a car with a 47... VIN is made by Volkswagen / Karmann. Thats the reason why original sixes are so pricey, they are made officially by Porsche.
So everything build upon a 47... chassis will be a Volkswagen or better VW-Porsche made in Germany by Volkswagen.
But what happens if you cut out the stamped in chassis number in the inner front fender, then it s not even a vw any more ...

Don't get me wrong, I only try to understand the idea behind that car. In an very old Vw&Porsche mag I've seen a similar build. That must have been an issue from 1987 or so. I will see if I find it
br
Benno

Just stating the obvious. I try to stay from this dumpster fire thread, but I look in hoping that you doing something good, but it just keeps getting worse!

1. Buy a historic car
2. Intention to make something that has some appeal
3. Hack the living Shit out of the car attempting to make things fit
4. the Hacking was the direct result of no talent what so ever

As far as my overall philosophy behind the build, you will need to go back and read the other dozens of pages of this thread, I don't have it in me to go through that explanation again. But concerning your point of whether a Porsche is a Porsche depending on what coachbuilder built the body let's go back to the beginning. When Porsche could not handle production in 1948-1949 on the body shells they contracted with a number of other coachbuilders like Tatra and this tradition continued in 1952 with Heuer. When the Speedster was replaced in 1959 production of the Convertible D was shiifted to Drauz and later to D’Ieteren in Belgium. Then in 1960 they were expanding the line and contracted with aforementioned Karman Factory to build both the regular B T5 coupes as well as the Karmann Hardtops. The Karmann connection carried through all the way to the end of the 356 production and started again with the 912, ending in 1969. But since then Porsche has never really stopped using outside builders utilizing Valmet to build Boxsters and Caymans in Finland. I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that Porsche has a long history of using outside production to produce Porsches. My 60 Roadster was built by Drauz, is it any less Porsche? Or heaven forbid I would have kept 89032, it wasn't even built in Germany but in Belgium by D’Ieteren, it's not even German!!! The 914 was sold as a Porsche in the US market, which was Porsches biggest market. If you bought a 914 new it was a Porsche, when you registered it with the government it was a Porsche, years later if you go to sell it you advertise it as a Porsche. Yes there was a 914 which was far more robust in its mechanicals and was also sold as a Porsche 914-6, but if it's a 914 it's a Porsche, there is really no arguing that point and we are really splitting hairs if we start breaking down at what plant or factory your Porsche was built. I guess next time I take my Roadster out for a spin the other Porsche guys will shun me because mine was built at Drauz, so it's not reaaaalllllyyyy a Porsche. C'mon!

Yet you can't stay away, even though you've been politely asked. Once again my "talent" has a proven track record. My last build sold for $50,000 before I could even finish it. How many 914's can you fit in your driveway in Tampa to get to that number before your neighbors start asking why you have 914's on your roof? So before I render an opinion on my own "talent" I'll defer to the market on whether I have any skills, and the market says I do. Which is probably why I've already had multiple offers to buy the latest build. But please continue to "try to stay away" and keep coming back for more. In the meantime I'll keep building my car. Tough guy...

So you have talent to find an idiot to pony up $50,000 for what looks like another pile of

I have sold 914-6s & Carrera RS's for more than that to people that are more than happy!

Not a tough guy, just stating Facts!

You can go back to your little world where you think you are something, but after seeing your abomination, I don't think you will ever sell anything to a member of this Board.

I'd really like for this thread to be locked for everyone but the OP. It's a fun build. Read the other pages for your thrill of complaining but let's see this move on.

In other words, SHUT A U PIE HOLE.

I wish guy's like this would just not click on the thread, I don't really understand why they do. I don't build cars to sell them. The last one I took to one show and a guy from Australia saw it and wanted to buy it, and he did. I sell plenty of Porsches, millions of $$$'s in them, but I build cars for fun. Remember that, fun? I thought it would also be fun to share the build and most of you guys agree with me.
So please to all you "facts" guys, please go away. As far as me thinking I'm something, once again I'll let the market speak to that, but if you need a reminder I'm more than happy to send you one of our posters for your garage, so you can remind yourself about what Adam can do, something few can say they've done in this Century...

The reason that original sixes are so pricey is that they were built from the beginning with the six-cylinder motor in them. And there were only a few thousand of them built. And that all contributes to the "cachet" of them being more desirable--especially with the "all original" crowd. Which seems to be the crowd with the money.

Remember that all of the bodies were built at Karmann. The Six bodies were then shipped to Porsche to have all of the bits completed, while the Four bodies were kept at Karmann and completed there.




At that point, I believe that what you have is technically scrap metal, or spare parts. Though your local laws certainly may have something to say about what exactly that is.

--DD

I love it, scrap metal. If I had a dollar for every time someone saw something at my place or on my trailer and called it scrap metal. Keep selling them to me at scrap prices and I'll keep taking the abuse.

It looks like you cut out the vin on the right fender in order to fit that 904 nose, yes? Hope you kept it, If not you have scrap. No vin = no car. As for the rust you have in your yard, good for you. They all have vin tags yes? If so then not scrap.

My comment was about what you technically have when you have a car with no VIN. Legally you don't have a car; you have a collection of spare parts or you have scrap metal.

You may have very valuable scrap metal, but it's legally not a car at that point.

...Unless you're in a country where it still is a car, because many laws differ from country to country.

--DD

I'd be nervous doing that VIN moving and all that here in California, i could see a shop getting raided and chop shop charges being filed.

Hopefully this car never changes ownership and moves across state lines, would hate to see someone busted or harassed.

Really, who cares!

If you don't like it move on please.

I took Wray's class last March, his skill in amazing. Sounds like your 550 is in great hands.

Yeah, I don't think there is anything that Wray can't do, amazing!

Ok, back on it! I got side-tracked because I had a good window of time to get some major work on the 550 project. The rear clamshell came out nicely, but now I'm back on the 904. I got both rear shocks in place, with the new mounts welded in. Look for updates in the coming weeks.

Ok, the selling season is quickly ending so I took today and got some real progress made on the front shock towers.
We drilled out the spot welds on the test bed chassis so I have a complete shock tower rack to work with. The front struts from Elephant Racing fit very well and I got in under the wire, literally, see the wire! I ran out of day but at least I know where the shock towers need to go, now I can fab and weld them in. Look for weekly updates now that I have more time.

How is this man that strong. In my early days lifting, a 911 Eng. was a ball breaker with 2 guys

Bob BClick to view attachment

I've never seen a limit to what Big John can do, I just hope and pray he never turns on my like a pit bull...

I now question WHY this build is on a 914 site?

I'm surprised Elephant didn't recommend narrowing the distance between front shock towers and de-cambering the spindles to slightly improve suspension camber gain while you're in there.

That 550 rear looks great BTW!

Because it started with a 914. Many of us are interested in it and like following the progress. And . . .
The nice thing is that you don't have to follow it.

have been thinking this myself but unsure what to comment.....heaps of , never done it before,least of all with a piece of string......
Anyway we will see.

does this work, without fixing the poor leftover on a bench ?

I'm mean, the chassis looses more and more structural integrity while stripping down.
When welding the relocated suspension mount points I would expect to get lots of trouble regarding warping and other issues resulting in a twisted chassis

br

Benno

Why did I put it on a 914 site, well, because it's a 914. Or why did I put it on this site? Well, I've been here since 2006, that's 8 years longer than you, so I think I have just as much right to post pics of my build as anyone else.

I'm going to ask this again, if you don't have anything constructive to contribute to the thread or if this thread bothers you to no end, please just don't click on it or post here. I've worked really hard to weed out the peanut gallery and keep this thread positive. Believe it or not, but a lot of people on this 914 site are very interested in this build.
Or if you have anything smart you want to say to me personally, save it for a face to face. I'm easy to find, I'm at every Porsche swap meet with a big nametag that says ADAM. If not, don't get tough on a keyboard.

Any slight warpage will be more than fixable with the infinitely adjustable suspension. It's an old race car that's been modified to no end already.