40 months ago I purchased a tired 74 2.0 that had seen its better days! The 2.0 power plant and been pulled, supposedly due to a spun bearing (this turned out to be inaccurate). A 1.7 was sourced from a 73 donor, parts car and leaked oil so bad from the push rod tubes that you could smell the oil burning off the heat exchangers. The car's suspension was gone, still running on the factory OEM pieces (also leaking pretty bad from the struts). The 1.7 had been converted to a single carb set up and ran very poorly. The rust in the hell holes had been glassed over, etc. etc. Well last Friday (two days ago) I picked up the almost completed car (going back for a few small details) and boy have I enjoyed the 300 miles this weekend. Here it sits this afternoon in my office parking lot.

Congrats,,,,very nice car,, sure is fun..

Nice color, looks good.

Last night I sat down with the inches thick stack of receipts, etc. and retraced the long route to bring this car back. I have retained the original fuel injection, but the motor has a few surprises. 2056 cc with head work by Hoffman Machine shop and a Jake Raby cam that really comes alive above 2,500 rpm and then there is the real growl exiting the Chris Foley Evo header system. Koni shocks, 100 pound springs, OEM front and rear anti-sway bars, Elephant Racing poly bronze bushings, Turbo tie rods, etc. This car just brings a smile to your face in the twisties!

I plan on just driving the hell out of the teener until the winter conditions dictate putting it away. Then I will finish the interior, redo the seats and remove the bumpers, weld up the holes for the tits and rechrome them. I will pronounce it finished and prepare for the trip to Colorado next summer with Eric Sanders.

You might notice that I eliminated the side markers, the holes were butt welded up as well as the hole for the radio antenna. The body work was a metal shaping and finishing with no filler. Color is Lapis Blue, a modern Porsche color.

Congradulations Mr. Harris !!!!!

There are so many people on this board that made this possible: Bradholio, Jake Raby, Chris Foley, Jeff Bowlsby, Perry Kiehl, Rich Bontempti, Eric Shea and on and on. There were times when I just thought the project would never be finished and really would have lost heart except for the support of this community.

Camp 914, Strasse, German Parts and Restoration, Pelican Parts and even the dreaded Auto Atlanta who saved my ass when the car was in paint and my other supplier (name omitted to protect the guilty) failed to deliver the steel rocker covers when they were needed to paint and bolt on.

I was so happy to bring this baby home I got up at 6:00 a.m. Saturday to wash it off (the guys at Autobahn Performance got it off the alignment machine at 5:45 Friday and we enjoyed a few before I drove off, didn't even have time to rinse off the accumulated grime because I said I am just going to drive it NOW!!! It will be ready for the first valve adjustment in a matter of days.

Way to go William!

It was fun watching the progress over the last 40 months.

Now....... RRC07

I am looking for interesting roads to cruise and test the limits of the suspension. The handling is confidence inspiring and remember, my previous daily driver was a Boxster S and the fun factor here is multiples higher.

Everything works on this car. When I took it in for the MA inspection the garage said, what is it? They put it thru the paces and passed everything. Said "it sure doesn't sound like a 4 cylinder, what kinda motor is that?

A few custom touches were just my idea as to how I wanted the car to look. Maybe not for the purist, but it suits my tastes. The gold letters look good with the Lapis Blue color.

I left the tits off because they were shot, cracked and bring rust into the car from the bolts thru the bumper. I will include a couple of pictures of the power plant. No heat from the Evo headers, so when it get cold I may have to use the electrics from the bike suit plugged into the cig lighter.

Rainy day, but who cares? This car was built to drive

I plan on some autocross duties in the future, and maybe a concours just to show the Whine and Cheese crowd that teeners can cover all the bases and then some.

You can't really see it very well, but this engine was detailed to the nth degree. Powder coated engine tin, all pieces cleaned and painted and the suspension is just as clean.

Well, enough computer time, I am headed back on the road now. I guess from now on I can move from the "restoration" thread to the "on the road and loving it" thread. THANKS GUYS AND GALS, THIS COMMUNITY MADE IT POSSIBLE

Those of you in MA/NH/CT etc. drop me a line and lets get together and drive. Eric? Rich Towle? Usual suspects?

Glad to see that the car is finally finished and that the engine is what you expected!

Looks schweet!!

SO very Cool, congrats on getting her back on the road!

Raby: that Type 4 motor is a blast. It really reminds me of my first Boxster with the 2.7 motor - when it gets on cam it just really pulls. 1st and 2nd gear are kinda short legged, but in 3rd, 4th and 5th from 2,500 rpms it just moves and pulls very strong. Now I only have 300 miles on the motor so I am keeping the revs down to not much over 4,000, I can't wait to see the top end! The cam in kinda lumpy, at a stop light, with the Evo headers, it kinda chugs along like a small block Chevy. Thanks so much for all your contributions to this project.

Sure..
Don't be a fraid to wind it up a little. In my experience the way an engine is broken in is also the same way it'll drive later on.

As long as it don't leak oil or have any rattles just spool it up to redline.. If its gonna break, may as well break it right now! Waiting around won't change a thing... That being said I'd redline it at 6,500 :-0

Sweet car! Love the color, and one day I hope to be in a position to consider adding that engine to my car...

run it to 6500 rpm- recommended? N I C E ! !

Fantastic work William! Here's to a job well done

congrats with the awesome results!
have a on a job well done and enjoy the ride!

6,500 RPM!!! Man this is gonna be good. I better carry bail money in the car. Seeing an indicated 90 mph at 4,000 rpm, course that must be off with the tire size exceeding the stock speedo gearing. Raby, I'll let you know how she runs. Oh sweet Jesus, this is gonna be fun.

I like it!

Here's to ya, William....

Glad to see this come about!

looks great!

Just Wow! Great job.

Very, very well done.

Congratulations.

Holy Crap!!! With Raby's encouragement I wound it up a bit this morning on I-95, 5,000 rpm with an indicated 110 mph and still pulling strong when I backed off. With 1,500 rpms to go the top end on this motor is really up there Raby: what do you expect from top end in terms of speed/mph??? This Type 4 really moves

Top end is dependant upon your tire height and gearing more thawn anything else, aerodynamics also play a key role at higher speeds... You should be able to see 125 pretty easily if that engine is making the power that it should be.

Just because the engine will spin to 6,500 RPM doesn't mean it will have the HP in 5th gear to push the 914 through the wind to higher top speeds. When you hit the aero wall the car goes no faster..

No radio? All you have to listen to is the engine


j/k I'm sure you like that song just fine

Yes, no radio. The only music I want to hear is the Type 4 blasting thru the Evo headers. Beautiful, especially as the rpms build!!!

Gorgeous car!

Trip to Colorado?

William, your car is DEFINITELY a contender for the Best /4 Award at RRC 2007!

Thats the way to enjoy your car. Drive it and show it.
Your car looks great and you being so pumped about it makes it even better.

Ben: yes, a trip to Colorado is planned for next summer with my friend Eric Sanders. See, Eric is responsible for this addiction, found this car and insisted that I buy it. Eric has a 73 1.7 and my first ride in his car convinced me I had to get one! So, when is the 07 event? Maybe we can be there at the right time? Eric's brother lives in Colorado and knows the guy who owns the Gmund replica and says he can arrange a tour.

Well, you knew it had to be too good to be true. Car was running rough at low rpm. Got a bad Manifold Pressure Sensor. Actually, I have two bad MPS. One has bad electrics and one has a bad diaphram. Maybe I can make one good one out of two bad ones. Dropped a note to the usual suspects re rebuild services. Is anybody out there listening?

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I may be crude........but I gotta ask; how much $ U put in it so far?

nice looking car. that engine pulls hard. my dad and i have a raby 2270, and that thing screams for a 4.

I do believe that is the finest 914 I have ever seen. You've basically done an ideal restoration, with an ideal attitude toward originality and changes per your taste. 40 months? I wonder if I have the tenacity and faith.....?

How much? To tell you the truth, I have never added up the costs and really never intend to. Some items - soda blasting to bear metal: $2,000, paint - three color coats and many clear coats, with all metal body work - $6,000, engine build and rebuild (don't ask) $5,000 - $6,000, etc. etc. Ever read the book, the Gold Plated Porsche? But this was a labor of love, I did as much of the work myself as my meager talents allowed and this car is NEVER FOR SALE. Here's what she started as.

Another blast from the past.

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good on ya..

very cool. nice car. congrats!