I may go with this look or may work up another version. Still noodling on it.

Does it change the sound any? I've been playing with some homemade exhaust ideas including removable inserts.

@dan10101 - I'll let you know, once it's running again. Should be firing up again in a week or so. Hopefully, you'll hear it at WCR.

It'll be the best sound ever!

Thanks for the update Chris. I was just wondering how the engine was doing and if you got the injection sorted yet.

@Cairo94507 - All well here. On the injection, it's a bit of a story - the short version is that I have new throttle bodies coming from Borla. The damage was caused largely by something I did/didn't do.
All the ugly details to be confessed at WCR, by which time, I hope to have it back together and running, perhaps driving, as well.

Well done.

Any updates? Trying to work out if I can make it to WCR. I want to see this in person

Please elaborate. What do these little added pieces into the end of the pipe actually do? I know, they've been on race cars... Why? Is it akin to the old thinking of backpulses? Does it actually reduce db? My ignorant question of the day: What do they actually do? Maybe inhibit exhaust flow a tiny bit to try and deflect sound a little? What is the net gain? Or is it nonsense? Reduce microcracks with heat and sound stress? School me.
Chris, specifically, why are you doing this? (I know it's for a reason, so I ask only to learn)

Vortex reversal

Looks a lot better fresh and new Pete ! We're reconditioning the LM muffler and finishing it in grey Cerakote including megs and new set of MSDS gt headers

The rebuilt throttle bodies will be here next week. That should address the hanging idle issue.
On the "abrupt throttle response at tip in", I found this part from EFI Hardware out of Australia. It has a far more progressive cam profile than the stock one. Fingers crossed that between this and some adjustment at the pedal, I'll have a softer throttle.

I should be back on the road and doing more development by mid next week.

The throttle bodies are back and part way installed. Turns out the new linkage cam will require a different set of throttle cable ends so I've ordered the needed items.
In the meantime, I decided I wanted a version of the access panel that didn't require the carbon inserts. So I cut and pressed a new set of panel pieces.
I took some time to tune up the stamping dies and got a really nice result. Now to weld up the seams...

And there's virtually no way my car will be ready for WCR but attendees are welcome to come by the Red Barn to see it, if that's of any interest. I'm about 3 miles from the Motel. And I have beer...

Looking forward to seeing the progress.

DAMN ! Hundreds of pages, took me Hours to get through the entire build ! You basically built a car from the ground up, scratch... Not much 914 left

Awesome Build ! You are the Man !

Sweet fabrication
Thanks for the FIX Man

- Throttle bodies factory refreshed with all return spring correctly installed? Check!
- New bell crank/capstan with (hopefully) improved, more progressive off-idle throttle response? Check!
- Updated throttle cable needed to work with the zippidy do-dah capstan? Nope, those parts won't be here until next week...

Well, that doesn't stop me from firing it up. And fire up it does. Same tune as before and notice that with all the return springs in place, it settles right back to idle!

Given the current tune was set to try and compensate for what neither the tuner nor I understood about the messed up return springs and how that was driving the hanging idle issue, I'm confident this thing will be even more snappy, once it's fully dialed in.

So, there is a WAAAAY outside chance it'll be able to make a very brief appearance at WCR. Fingers crossed!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8yQt_Zrzpg

Yep, I want to hear this. See this. Experience this.

Fingers crossed.

I should know better than to get near my car when waiting for parts - I seem always to find something to re-do. Going in, I just KNOW it's bound to be an improvement!

Today as I was looking at the access panel I was about to redo for the 3rd time , it struck me that instead of welding the panels together, I could rivet them.

That should (?) leave me with a more cohesive look, IMO, given all the other rivet lines in the interior. Remember, the top panel of the console will be riveted on and using rivets on the access cover will carry the look right up to the rivet line at the top of the firewall.

Back to CAD, then cut and stamp new side panels! I extended them enough to be able to radius bend them and end up with a return to which the front panel will be riveted. Forgive my drawn on rivets, I just wanted to get a feel for the look.

I think I'll put a step in the returns so the front panel sits flush vs one panel thickness proud, as in this pic. Still some trimming and fitting to do, but you get the idea.

Dig It

You could just leave cletco's on there as well

I used the bead roller to add the step then notched the corners so the center panel ends up in the proper plane. The second pic show sorta how the panels come together.

Once I step and notch the other side, I need to narrow up the center panel to fit. Ideally, it'll still look OK in terms of the width from the outside edge to where the stamped recess starts.

If not, I'll need to remake the center panel stamping dies and make a new center panel that accounts for the amount trimmed off... But I think I do like this look.

With the center panel trimmed to fit, it was time to be sure @Andyrew was granted his request! ClecoBoy is back.

It's good to have options.

- The one on the left is a pure temporary that I can run while doing all the "get it running and driving" stuff. It'll never be worked to any higher finish.

- The middle one will be finished, painted and have the carbon inserts bonded into the openings. This will be the "fancy" one.

- The one on the right? I'll use panel bond, same as I did on the other fire wall panels. It'll then be painted and get the same structural rivets as the rest of the fire wall.

Now what can I re-do?

Im getting a Predator vibe from the Cleco version.

The Clecos give it a Steam Punk vibe

Glued and screwed! Well, bonded and cleco'd anyway. This is the same structural panel bond I used on the fire wall components.

But more importantly:
The throttle cable parts came in. I made the cable. Then I

The new bell crank cam worked WONDERS! The throttle response has been transformed and I actually enjoyed my run around the block. It's not perfect and I'm going to see if I can come up with something at the pedal end of things to get a bit more off idle progression. But even if I can't, I think I could live with what I have now. Especially once I swap out to the smaller bore clutch master.

So. It seems my car will make at least a brief appearance at WCR after all.

Definitely more steam punk. Now you just need to redo everything again and use more copper this time

Seriously cool. Can't wait to see this in person

Re do the one in the middle in copper and chrome the one on the right and then join them together

Outstanding Chris. I am looking forward to seeing and hearing it in person.

Chris - I am near your place this afternoon..... I want to see it!!!!!

I wire wheeled the panel bond out of the visible areas of the seams, hit it with a lick of primer and added temporary rivets. These are regular ol' pop rivets, not the structural ones I'll use once everything is painted. They're easy enough to remove and I just had to see what the cover would look like a bit more complete.
Note that the upper and lower most rivets are missing since they're only decorative - the area behind them is where the dog house needs to be notched to clear the back of the rivet. Anyway...

Gotta say, I'm happy with how this turned out.

I love how this is your 'it'll do..." which for me would be "this is amazing!"
It's going to be a shame to cover it all up with stupid fabric, or leather, or anything else.
I'm glad that we'll all get to see it first.

There should be a clear soundproof material to apply and preserve.
The structural designs on this car are constantly intriguing.

Very tidy.

Everyone keeps talking about how I'm going to cover up the fire wall. At this point, the plan is to NOT cover it. I'll use some sort of heat/sound material on the engine side but I want to leave the fire wall and console viewable. Painted, but viewable.
The real issue is whether to paint the interior body color, black or maybe something that works with the body color...
But until I prove it's not going to work due to sound volume or some sort of resonance, I want all this stuff to be "in plain sight".

I have no insulation on the motor side of my firewall. Now it ain't no V8 but I can't really hear the engine over the normal wind noise at speed.
Just get noise cancelling headphones.

That metal work screams for gun metal gray to me. Refined high tech industrial...

@bbrock - Great minds... I've been noodling on doing the wheels, fire wall, console and dash switch panel/glove box area in anthracite. Do a lighter grey carpet and leave the seats, dash pads and door bars in black. The structural rivets are sort of a dull grey with a hint of bronze in the stem - that, and things like the shifter serve as the jewelry.
Like a proper Victorian home paint job, you gotta have at least three colors and some "gingerbread"!

You do amazing work.

I should probably keep my trap shut but I never do so here goes.

There is one thing I noticed about that picture. The "X" section of the upper panels is raised but the "X" section of the two lower panels is depressed. It is a minor thing and doesn't take away from your craftsmanship in the least, but to my eye, it looks a little inconsistent.

@AZBanks Thanks for the kind words. On the lower area: I know, right? Almost looks like I made a mistake and pressed them backwards... BUT: there are two vertical supports that are flush to the plane of the lower firewall. In order to get the lower panel to fit flush to the upper arch and lower cross member, and against the supports, the stamping needed to go forward, else they'd interfere. I liked the symmetric look of the stampings across the upper and lower panels vs something different on the lower to clear the supports.
Plus, you can't see any of this once the seats are installed. But I do appreciate your sharp eye!

I spent some time and have done all I can to optimize the set up of the new bell crank and am happy to report I think I've achieved a throttle pedal feel I can live with. I think it's pretty good but to verify I'm not just used to some horrible pedal, @markhoward has agreed to take my car for a test drive (hopefully tomorrow!) and report back if the pedal feel meets his high standards.
Thanks Mark!

If it needs more progression, I'm back to trying to add some sort of linkage at the pedal end of things or making my own bell crank... Hopefully, Mark will find it "good to go".
Fingers crossed.

With the throttle issue awaiting 3rd party testing, I found myself staring at the hood vent and feeling no better about it. I went back to that part of this build thread (page 130) and reviewed Tony's @RetroRacer design.
I REALLY like it and IMO, it's the best looking 914 hood vent design I've ever seen.
So, I gave Tony a call and we talked through how we might get from his drawn design to my car's hood.

Tape seemed like a good start. Note this was my initial rough-out. Things changed as Tony and I talked.

One of the first issues is that the underside support structure prevents this wonderful shape from being sliced out. Here's the best I can get with NO mods to the support structure.
You can see by the holes that I've committed to giving this a full-on attempt.