Hi, I currently have a 968 Cab which I love but I would like to have a 914 for Autocross and DE events. There is a 914 boneyard with about 20 parts cars and a few extremely knowledgable 914 guys in my local PCA.

I am new to the 914 world and am hoping for advice and reality checks on my assumptions.

I would like to buy a 914 with or without engine and interior that has as little rust as possible with the plans of dissassembling, installing wheel flares, sealing and repainting the body. Then rebuilding a type IV engine to be fitted, installing new suspension, brakes, roll cage, seats, harnesses, wheels and tires.

Eventually I may want to go with a more powerful motor, but to begin with I think something in the 100 - 120 HP range would be good to allow seat time to learn how to drive before looking for more power.

I think the plan would look something like this

Stage 1, locate 914 body, flares and cage. Media blast all old paint, rust, etc and have bottom sealed and top painted.

Stage 2, purchase and install suspension, brakes and wheels to have a rolling chassey.

Stage 3, rebuild engine (perhaps transmission) and install.

Stage 4, Install racing seats and harnesses to complete operating car.

Stage 5, connect guages, lights and other accessories.

I am not sure if I intend to register this car and have it street legal or for it to be a trailered track only vehicle. My wife will be very interested in driving it as well.

I would like to keep the vehicle as light as is cost effective.

What do you guys think each of the stages or the whole project should cost? I plan to do most of the labour myself.

I would really appreciate your comments, feedback and guidance.

By the way, if any of you guys were at the 914 SIG in Hot Springs, AR last year the photos my wife took of the event are online at 914 SIG

cheapest way is to buy someone elses project or car that is done. $4-10k

Costs:
engine rebuild-$4k doing most of the assembly labor yourself. You can't do the machine work required yourself.
tranny- $1000 for rebuild parts
Suspension-
shocks-Koni yellows, springs adjustable perches $700
22mm Front sway Weltmeiser, 22mm Tbars-$450
Ball joints,suspension bushings(Mullers) $500

Brakes- rebuilt fronts and rears-$400
New rotors, front and rear bearings-$250

Rims- use the 4 bolt Fuchs
Tims- $600 Kumhos

Personally, I don't think the flares are a good idea with only 110-120hp. Lots of tire/rim weight to fill out those flares and not enough hp to push them.
You can get that hp range with a built 2.1L Djet engine which is great for AXing. Lots of low end torque for pushing you thru and out of the turns.

These are quickie prices soo don't hold me to them.
Geoff

Bruce,

thanks for your help. Your local folks were real nice in Oct.
So, you got the bug, huh?
Depending on how nice you want you can spend a little or spend a lot.
If you can do most of the work it'll save quite a bit.

I'm between 15 & 20 on my blue -6 right now. I had to be a checkbook
mechanic on that car because I lived on a boat and didn't have a garage at the time.

How much money do you want to spend, what is your overall goal?
Geoff just spent $7900 not counting cost of car or any labor.
This sounds like it will be a work in progress. Since you'll be doing the majority of the labor do you have a place to work on it? Do you have the time? There are a lot of "project" cars for sale that are half done because the owner ran out time or money, maybe both.
If you've got your heart set on one of those super neat 914's with big wheels/tires, fenders, big 6 motor, take a deep breath. There are many guy's that have 10 times that amount to build those cars. Bigest problem is when you change one thing, say pulling the 4 and installing a 6, it may "only" cost 6-8K, but then you want bigger wheels, tires, brakes, but the larger tires don't fit the existing fenders, yada, yada.
With the plan you posted and how you want to get there by doing the labor your self, 2.7-3.0 6 cyl, wheels/tires, flares, full cage with tied in supsension, (repeat: you doing all the labor) best guess you'll have well over 20K in the project and it will take you 3 years.
It would be cheaper to buy a running car that's set up something close to what you want.
Talk to a couple of your local region 914 guys that do driver eds, look at their cars, are they close to what you want, see if they know of any local cars.

Geoff is spot on. Buy someone else's project. I have seen some in the for sale ads on the usual Pcar boards. Ottos has one for sale, there is a nice looking racer, minus motor and trans on the 914club classifieds. You can always make your own personal changes, its just that alot of the hard bits have already been done.
Kepp us posted on your progress.
CCLINSCCA

Hey JP!! How much are you in the 914/6 conversion car now. You know the one you have been building for 4 years...I know its a work in progress but..

Yep, JP has a pretty fast AX'er now and he has done about as much of the work himself as you can do especially cuz he's a cheap son of a bitch too.

Geoff

I dunno.....and iff'n I did, I wouldn't tell ya.
Don't want to scare any new recruits or slow down the ecconomey.

I ain't cheep. I did it all myself cause my dad is a TV repairman & has lots of tools.

I agree with everyone....buy one that wurks. Cheeper at half the price.

The best advice ever received on building a racecar is to buy one.

If you shop around and work with good people like Brad, Tony or Rich Bontempi they will find something great out there and you'll save a ton of money and be racing the next day.

I have all the receipts from my car, which had $25K+ in it when I bought it for $8,000. It was a great car from all views. But of course since I bought it I've spent tons more and from my view it's money well spent, but I couldn't ever get it out of the car.

My recommendation is to get some help, find a good set up 914, buy it and start getting seat time.

I may buy a already running and built 914, but I like the idea as much as a mechanical skills learning project as a driving one. So I would like to build one. But I dont want to spend big money so for now Ill be sticking with a 1.7 or 2 914-4 for now.

I was thinking about flaring the wheel arches as a future upgrade path and so that I would only need to paint once.

I have a garage with lift and motor lift permanently setup to assemble the car in.

If anyone has leads on unfinished projects, 914s in need of restoration or track ready cars I would appreciate the leads.

Im thinking about this a winter 2005 project, but have cash waiting for the right parts anytime.

Sean, it was a lot of fun hanging out with you teeners for a few days. Ronn Mott has got me hooked with his 914 with a 993 engine in it. I want soemthing that is DE legal and would prefer to build a 914 that I can hopefully repair myself when it breaks than get the 968 out there. Did you find your car in the dam line up photos?

Ok, I've been seeing this quote tossed around the board for over a year now. Where did this come from originally? Lets hear the original joke.

-Ben M.

Fast Times At Ridgemont High

Sean Penn's character wrecks the big football player guy's car and says he can fix it cause my dad's a tv repairman and has lots of tools...

What's the story on the silver racing shell in the classifieds?

I realize this echoes many of the above posts, but my first 914 experience was pretty much the "textbook case" they are talking. Bought a very solid and complete, but somewhat "neglected", SoCal 73 2.0 for $2700. Over next two years spent somewhere between 12-15K more on maintenance, restoration (incl fairly high-end paint job) and autox/TT prep. Sold car for ~half of total outlay.

Of course, like most of us, that didn't teach me a lesson so I did about the same thing with an early 911 and am now into a 914-6 conversion track car project. Financial genius I ain't. (OK I do have an economics degree but look what good that has done?)

I am not implying that I regret any of this -- I absolutely don't. I accept this addiction for what it is: a fairly expensive (and sometimes dangerous) hobby and recreational activity. This is not a business or investment for me.

If you are determined to build your own, which we all agree is fun and rewarding, then go for it. I would not skimp on the initial car purchase as buying a rustbucket or incomplete car will cost you big time later. But if you can start with a solid tub and do almost all the work yourself, I bet you could come in at maybe $10k for a very fun and nice looking car. Of course that would be more of a street/autox/DE car. A serious TT or club race car will need a great deal more safety equipment and performance mods, which rack up the $$ very quickly.

I think Milt (Zeke) is probably one of us who came closest to the kind of 100% DIY project you are talking about. His experiences with that project might be enlightening.

Plumber


M

I bought a solid 914 that had started becoming a race car when the owner punched a hole in the case, so he sold the car to me: 1200, included a cage, 2.0 engine core with good heads and 44 webbers, decent tranny, solid longs, slightly rusty, bad paint.

After trying to rebuild the engine myself and not succeeding I sent the motor to Jake Raby ~ 4K for a 2056 w/ 130hp

Tranny rebuild ~1500

Suspension ~1500 koni sports , poly bushings, ball joints, adj perch kit etc...

Oil cooler ~400

race seat ~275

car came with decent brakes, that I inspected and put new ss lines, pads, fluid, replaced stock prop valve with an adj one ~ 150+

header for engine ~500

This is over a couple year period and I am just now about ready to hit the track with the car, after I get some new harnesses and a new helmet ~400+

I am sure I am forgeting alot, but thats 10K there with no body work, no paint, and no tires/wheels, and only the beginning of the racing equipment. All of which can be very expensive. If I do it again, I will be shoping for a car that already has the stuff I want on it and go from there. I have learned a ton, but these things get expensive fast...good luck.

Tony

"not to fear, my dad is a tv repair man. He has the ultimate set of tools..."

-Jeff Spicoli


There are so many "awesome" quotes from that movie!