@Cairo94507 Michael - No worries, I didn't take it that way. I was/am confused about the water/air days, too. Maybe it's my car's "air-cooled radiator"?

A bit of composite repair work on the driver side carbon fiber long panel then I cover it with carpet. Hidden carbon fiber. Just one more thing my car has in common with a Singer. No wonder it got accepted for Luft!
Hope you enjoy the jazzy music vibe during the time-lapse segments.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7Jdah07Itc

Randy Pobst replied to a question @Andyrew @Dan10101 Dan / Andrew posted on my video of Randy driving my LS car.

Gotta say, it's pretty gratifying when a pro racer says nice things about your build.

Getting this thing "ready" for Luft is like putting a band-aid on a bullet hole.
The car isn't even painted, but hey, it's now got carpeting under the seats!

That looks nice.

So custom and wonderfully finished. Looks like Porsche would've built a one-off that was fabricated to that level.... except, of course, for the Chevy engine midship.

As clean as I have ever seen!

I cannot say enough about your level of work. True art in many materials.

Congratulations on keeping up with this ultra-high level of work.

Bob B Burton

One last thing I may be able to complete for Luft: rough fitting a simple set of boxed rockers. My brake can't do a piece this long so I spec'd it and Van Bebber Bros, my local metal supply place, bent up the aluminum for me.
I'll trim them to length then add returns that match the shape of the return on the flares.
I think it's cool, the way they came with purple arrows already painted on them. Seems pretty "full race" looking to me!

The rear is closed off and all but finished.

Playing with how I might close the front. The very bottom of the flare and the return will be tuned to tidy up how they look with the rocker covers in place.

Almost there on the first side. The car will be sporting at least one cover for Luft!

Everything wrapped up and treated to a little SEM Trim Black. Well, the first side, anyway.
I think they look pretty good from most angles. If there's a V2, I'll go with a very slightly rolled face (like the factory covers) and slightly larger corner radii - even though these are essentially the same as the factory corners.
What I didn't take in to consideration is that with the stock covers, you can't really see the upper radius since it tucks in under the door a bit. Plus, they angle inward more steeply than mine. making my lower radius appear sharper than the factory piece.

Just more lessons learned on the never ending journey that is this build.

Man - amazing build for sure.

I'm about to dive in - hopefully picking up a rust free '72 shell+ in a few weeks. I am definitely using your build as a reference!

And if you still have those spacers to move the engine and trans forward, I might be interested

Cheers!

Ian

Luft 9, April 29, 2023. Matt Farah and his "The Smoking Tire" podcast picks my car as his "favorite so far". Are you f-ing kidding me... Worth watching the whole thing but the section mentioning my car starts about 1:03:30.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqMRJPrzDQ0

Car had a crowd around it all day Saturday.Click to view attachment

Congratulations Chris. Well deserved recognition. Your work is top-flight and the overall car just speaks to doing it right.

And now, the LS car gets a spot in an on-line Road & Track article on Luft 9. My 15 minutes really seems like it's getting closer to 17...

https://www.roadandtrack.com/photos/g437830...nHtiAD5OVH8gbWA

well deserved Chris!!

The latest LS car video is up. I prep for Luft 9, go to the show, and forget to get any footage of the event! You don't want to miss this one.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6PDU4Fc970

Forget Luft. Everyone knows the people we REALLY need/want to impress are the folks who're headed to WCR in a couple weeks!

That pressure means I need to be sure the LS car is looking its best. So, a quick viewing of @iankarr Ian's "How to Restore the Dashboard" YouTube instructional video and my dash is looking pretty nice. Big thanks, Ian!

And another shout out "Thanks!" to @buddyv Robert for directing me to JoAnn's Fabrics where I picked up the foam pad and lovely vinyl. ~$25 and, wow. So. Much. Better!

Gotta say, it's the people on this site that make all the difference! Thanks guys.

Looking good Chris!

Chris.....that's one clean windshield! WOW!

Nice! Glad the video helped. And getting high from the glue is an added bonus!

WCR 2023 is in the books. Awesome location, fun times, the best people... And the car worked wonderfully!

I stopped at my tuner's on the way up. AutoTrend EFI in Diamond Springs, CA. Dave Erlich is a great guy... I wanted to tweak the pedal action to slow down the off-idle response that I'd previously sped up. That took 2 seconds. Then we went out for some on-the-road tuning. I was mostly after any improvements he could make to driveability and, most importantly, fuel economy. I'd been getting like 12 mpg. Note the base maps in the Holley ECUs aren't set up to maximize economy. So after a bit of magic, the first time I checked, I got 20 mpg. So a big improvement. And overall, it's a much more pleasant driver.

While I was getting the tune updated, I just happened to mention that I was having issues getting the stock 914 fuel sensor to communicate accurately with the Holley dash. Dave says "have you seen this?"
It's a LIDAR sending unit! No moving parts, communicates directly with the Holley dash, is programmable and, wait for it, is a DIRECT bolt-on to the 914 tank!
Maybe I shouldn't be surprised that the Porsche sensor bolt pattern is a standard SAE 5-bolt mounting pattern but I wasn't expecting it to be this simple.

Apparently, these Holley sensors won't work with a gauge that needs a standard ohm signal but maybe you SpeedHut fans could leverage this. Not sure... But it should work a treat for my application.

(Note the pics are just test fitting it to a crappy tank I had laying around.)

Some mods to the wiring, a bit of setup/configuration and I have a zoomy, high-tech LIDAR fuel level sensor. It turned out nice and tidy. And IMO, it's consistent with the look of the other fuel tank mods - a better visual fit than the stock sensor.

How fortuitous……that’s awesome!

I suffered an inner CV boot failure. Interesting given the whole "moved the drive train forward to reduce axle angle..." But the failed boot didn't show any signs of abrasion and the one on the other side looks fine. Yes, I'll replace that side, too. Just not today!

In any case, I worked with McKenzie's Performance in SoCal and upgraded to a system that stands up to off-road abuse. The boot is totally different and seems more pliable than the factory item. Should be overkill for my use but when's that ever stopped me?

Anyway, here's the not-yet-failed factory set up:

And the zippy, cool new set up. And no, I haven't yet cleaned up the spewed grease.

A couple things: The large side of the boot now slips over an upgraded CV flange plate that's a nice machined piece vs the factory stamped one.

And the recommendation is to leave the clamp/zip tie off the inner/small side so the boot can slip and slide as needed and not add stress to the boot. The parts look cool, too!

Good catch and a nice upgrade.

Ferrari meets 914, again! I decided I didn't like the trunk release button so started noodling on options. My car had a 911 reflector when I got it so I have the solenoid mount. I wouldn't be the first to work up a cable release, but - and I know you'll find this shocking - I wanted something unique in terms of a release system.
Ferrari 360 parts to the rescue!
A little head scratching about placement, a bit of clearance work and... one "in-the-door-sill" release latch!
Cool thing is with the door closed/locked, it's secure.
No, the cover isn't riveted on yet, just set in place.

Frosting on the cake will be I'll remove the Ferrari graphic and get one that's a 914 silhouette with the trunk opened in reverse, to match what my car actually does.

Chris - seems every new detail is my new FAVORITE detail!

Keep it up!!!!

I really like that trunk release! I have never seen that done before. Truely a one of a kind 914.

That looks awesome! You have a great eye my friend!

Yet another trick up your sleeve
Well done and useful !

Very clean!

That is totally "Red Barned". Trying to come up with a phrase for something that has been so well thought out and executed we all go, "Why didn't the factory do that?".

I have a 2500 gallon water storage tank that is begging for some sort of Arduino based level sensing.

The crazy ideas I get from you.

As usual Chris, you turn out amazing stuff. I don't know if I've told you that before. But I really respect your work.

Best Bob B

Nice!!
Your car and ideas are my inspiration/motivation.

@buddyv @rmarx @Krieger @roundtwo @East coaster @Superhawk996 @Burton73 @mikey63 @Cairo94507 Wow, thanks for all the wonderful compliments. I'm humbled when all you other very capable folks say such nice things about my build...

So back to it:
I fabbed a little plate that fastens to the base of the solenoid mount and locates the cable guide. It's pointed a bit backward as I plan to route the cable through the same holes/path as the tail light harness.

I've sourced a cable and hope to have this ready to go tomorrow.

I did something very similar, make sure you make a cover plate for the mechanism in the trunk! Mine is currently stuck closed because a camp chair shifted while driving and has blocked the lever arm from being pulled down to release the catch...

Also where are you running the cable to? I 3D printed a copy of the OEM engine cover knob and placed it right above said knob in the cab. Let me know if you want those files?
*EDIT* Just went back a page to catch up and saw the slick little release lever you found. Sweet!

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...=332291&hl=

Delete

Super slick!

And for those interested, here's the whole project, including another example of why it's important to "Measure twice, cut once".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Alr_AWY9B9I

With the new latch, I have no need for the trunk button. That means I need to work up a new rear panel. @buddyv Robert happened to stop in and we got to talking about it. He offered his usual great suggestions about style and I decided to strike while the iron was hot and get after finishing this part of the latch upgrade project.
First up was: Which sort of material? I had been running some engine grill mesh but it was very two-dimensional, even if it did match the lid. Robert had previously brought by some perforated AL (with round holes) and I had some finer hex mesh laying around.
Let's start the mock up and head scratching on which I prefer...

I decided I like the "lighter" and more see-through look of the hex mesh. Time to get to work on adding some style points in the form of embossing the mesh so it pushes through the panel vs just laying flat behind it.
I tested it by clamping the old panel to the bench and just hammering the mesh along the edge of the opening. It worked a treat! Then a quick test fit in the car to verify I still like this idea.

I do! This looks so much better and give things a much more sophisticated feel. It's subtle, but you notice it.

The it was off to the plasma table to cut a new panel - this time in aluminum. Along with eliminating the button, I decided to narrow the center band because, why not?

2nd pic shows the embossing. Yep, this is the way forward!