Anyone want to watch American Chopper?

Clear is on. Now the big push to assemble this thing. Lots of fabrication left. Complete interior, exhaust system, etc. and maybe do a test drive before it has to hit the trailer. Maybe...

Looking real good Rich! I believe you'll make it!!

Do the essentials that you need your tools for Rich...we can help hang lights and door panels here...

Bowlsby has a good point! Get her roughed in and the rest can be finished at the WCC over a few beers. And I bet there will also be volunteers for the test drive part as well . GO RICH GO! Damn I wish I was going!

I have a crew coming over tonight to start buffing and doing final assembly. Still missing my tac.... I need to check on that. I found a parts car with nice trim cards and a spare tac if mine doesn't arrive in time. It won't be a converted 8 cylinder one but it will fill the hole in the dash. I will be WFO this week.

Good Job Rich!

Test drove the car today! No bumpers, plates, rear lid, and open exhaust!!! WOO HOOOO! I drove it about a mile during my lunch hour to a friends shop to have the brake system vac'd. Ran great! shifted good, a little clutch chatter from the 6 puck disc but I expected that. The best part is I now have good brakes with a nice high peddle. Back up on jack stands with the tires out to get balanced and an all out assault on the interior and a fast buff job. Still need to paint the bumpers.
Still need to fab the mufflers and exhaust system.

Rich, you are simply amazing, i am quite embarrassed in the fact that my car isn't finished yet and it's basicly stock, not some one-off custom job like yours !!!!!!

Rich, you RULE!
When are you planning on leaving?
(I guess it's quite a trip from Minesota to CA)

cheers,

Jeroen

Wow, I'm very impressed, cant wait to see the finished product!!!

<!-- QuoteBegin-Jeroen+May 26 2004, 02:22 AM --><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jeroen @ May 26 2004, 02:22 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!-- QuoteEBegin --> Rich, you RULE!
When are you planning on leaving?
(I guess it's quite a trip from Minesota to CA)

cheers,

Jeroen <!-- QuoteEnd --></div><!-- QuoteEEnd -->
Sometime between saturday night and monday. Monday is the drop dead date. I now have a co-driver. I had a friend offer to drive out with me. He's not staying for the event though. He's on a plane home thursday night. I'm leaving as soon as the car is finished enough to look somewhat complete.

I have a loaner welder in the shop so I was able to work on the exhaust. It's almost done.

another

center outlet.

Vewwy nice!!!

cheers,

Jeroen

Words fail me Rich. I can't believe what you've managed to accomplish in such a short time period. Way to go!

That exhaust looks sweet!!! As does the rest of the car. I love it!!

Rich,

You are the MacGyver of the 914 Club. "Oh, they don't make one of those? I'll make it myself"

Un-f-ing believable.

Oh my god that is sweet. I really want to hear that motor with those muffs. Sir you are the best fabricator around. You make them boys on TV look like amateurs. Plus it seems you are a one man show with a few kids to do the cleaning and stuff. DO I smell a reality TV show about 914-8 all Porsche conversions.

I'm next. DO mine Do mine. Got both cars ready to go. Need to go to Duluth see relatives anyway.

Bullshit!!!!

I'm WAY closer. Me first.

You guy's crack me up! LMFAO! I'm really tired today! Went to bed at 4:30 am back up at 7:00 am. I'm heading out soon the do it again!

In case anyone is interested.. Changed the dash pad. Installed the Pasha accent on the dash face.

Keep on going rich! I wish I could make the wcc so I could meet you and your awsome creation! AL

Rich,

So I've been on the road for a week and completely out of touch -- Dude, what you do in 6 days rocks! (I started my /6 today thinking "I hope it keeps running for a week")

Definitely looking forward to the impending arrival!

kim.

Love the way you used the same material from the seats on the dash. Are you going to do the same to the doors? That would look very cool.

Or at least the gauge portion of the center console? Hope you have enough "tablecloth" left!

<!-- QuoteBegin-Chris H.+May 30 2004, 06:16 PM --><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Chris H. @ May 30 2004, 06:16 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!-- QuoteEBegin -->

Or at least the gauge portion of the center console? Hope you have enough "tablecloth" left! <!-- QuoteEnd --></div><!-- QuoteEEnd -->
My upholstry guy is a perfectionist. he matched the pattern at each pleat. this uses up a lot of material. So I only had enough for the dash.

I'm done! I'm om the road in the early am. One more teaser for ya. Anyone want to caravan call me? Call me monday evening If your west of me.

Chris and I are leaving Vegas @3 am on Thurs. We are meeting up with some of the So. Cal. guys a bit north of L.A. for breakfast and then caravanning up the coast. We would love it if you could join us.

Details on this thread.

Call me. I'd like to caravan with you from Vegas. If I get there early I want to have an Alien landing at Renegades' shop! Talk about a photo opt!

Hi Rich,

so... what's happing with Alien at the moment...
How did it handle the trip to WCC?
does it live up to expectations... or is there still a lot of tweaking to do.

just curious to know the project status.

greets
Jacco de Haan
Delft, the Netherlands

if I've missed a post where you talked about everything I just asked... my bad, but please point me to it

love to know.

Looks like progress report time. Over 650 miles on the car now. Other than the axle bolt loosing (I discovered this at the WCC AX) I discovered I connected the Marchal alternator (built in regulator) from the 928 through the 914 regulator. In other words I had the alternator double regulated. The charging system died the day I arrived home. After a long distance consultation with my friend Pat in Clevland ( bosch guru, Saab fan donator) I discovered my over sight. I removed the regulator from the 914 relay board and reconnected the 928 alternator direct. WHAM 13.5 volts!

The throttle cable is only opening the throttle body open about 2/3 wide. (Like it matters...) It's a geometry thing I won't be fixing until I pull the motor out this fall, I skipped lots of detail work in the mad rush to finish the car for the WCC, I'll have all winter to correct this. For now I have enough throttle to spin the tires at will.

I adjusted the clutch cable and now it doesn't grind going into reverse. (I hope it's still considered a true 914 Dave )

The car developed a miss at low throttle. I discovered the timing belt streched and needed to be re-adjusted. I think it may be tuneup time too. I'm running the same cap, rotor and spark plugs that came on the motor when I picked it up at the salvage yard. I also have a cracked spark plug insulator. My free Saab fans are not up to the in town work. I'm ordering a couple of new fans soon. For now the car is back in the shop resting from the wild weekend on the Gold Coast. So far the shake down is going well. All the problems have been very minor. Stay tuned for future updates.

I have the exact situation w/ my 1.7

Some new developments. I found the miss. #2 plug is oil fouled. I've got a upper end rebuild ahead of me this winter.

oh joy........I take it the motor has to be removed for that???

This concerns me a little more. I'm not sure where this oil is coming from. I'm hoping not from the head gasket. I'mm going to clean it off and watch for fresh leaks.

Yep. It was a salvage yard motor. Very dirty and oily. I replaced all the lip seals thinking that was the source of the oil. Thought I had it fixed. Oh well. We slide our chips out on the table and roll the dice. I'm fairly sure I can remedy the oiling thing with a valve job and a gasket set. Other than the fouling of #2 plug and the oil leaks the motor runs very well.

BTW: it takes about an hour to pull it.

Oh... and some new damage to repair.... It happened in the driveway...There were tears and sobbing going on and they weren't mine. I hate that stuff. Turns my heart into jelly. Don't ask.... It's not as bad as the offenders rig.


Lock is pasted over and the tail light panel is bent alot.

that sucks!
(understatement of the day/week/month/year)

cheers,

Jeroen

Hmmm... Since when do 914's come out on top in fender benders?

Rich, Thanks for all the updates on the Alien. It is really fun to follow along with you project. Best of luck.

here's the offender....

Good thing it was the bumper not the trailer hitch that hit it. Take that hitch off until you need, you're just asking for trouble there.

I'm resurrecting this old thread for some new developments. some may have read I had a bit of a problem on the way home from the MWC. I had a stray piece of metal jamb my oil pump. The pump is driven via the big belt. It had a squealing sound, I stabbed the clutch peddle and the motor died. Maybe I was fast enough to save any damage. I just located a replacement pump and sent a pay pal off tonight. I should have a replacement pump soon. I need to install the replacement pump and see if I have any other damage. I'll keep you all posted.

Stray piece of metal? Damn where do you suppose that came from. Never had my motor apart so I can't say that there is a screen on the suction in the sump. Good thing you are a master fabricator so you can make one. Did it chew up the timing belt enough to make it skip?? Hope not as that Euro Motor is the interferance varity.

I think the metal is my fault. Atleast I hope it is. If it isn't I have a serious problem. The entire sump is covered by a screen. That's why I fairly sure the metal is a result of my haste during the install. BTW: 1980 euro-spec "S" factory 10:1 compression Big lift and duration. It looks like the belt skipped on the pump gear only but I won't know for sure until I install the replacement pump..

I had to drag this old thread out of the list. I took the Alien for a ride tonight. I have never really jumped on it yet. I mean I have shifted it up a little and tossed it around some but tonight I jump on it getting on the freeway. I just had to tell you guys it was awesome! The best part is nothing broke! I'm really looking forward to the WCC 05!

I'm recovering photos lost in a hard drive crash. I'm going through this thread and copying the photos of the build. I sent the hard drive out and had a distructive recovery done but there were many bad sectors the didn't retreive. Anyone have any photos of the Alien they would like to share post them here. I'd like to save a copy. Word to the wise. Save your valuable memories on some form of media or print the photos on paper.

Rick..I have a few from the Midwest Classic and the Fall Foilage. If you want to shoot me a pm with your email ID I'll send you the larger higher res ones that I can't post here.

pc's can suck!