Not only are your designs super attractive but unless you took the pics in the past, you're hauling ass on getting this done.
Can't hardly wait to see the final look!
And if it's OK with you, I'll let you know when I'm next in your area. I'd love to meet you and see your car in the metal.

Nice to see these mad fab skills, and in metal to boot!

Thanks! I am loving your build as well, yeah PM me when you are in the PNW, I would be happy to meet up!

Time to make templates for the openings.
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Here is a quick mockup.
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Transfered my templates to steel.
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And formed the side grill buckets
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Test fit the side buckets and welded the center grill plate onto the lip bar as well.
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Here it is with everything just slipped loosely into place.
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Here you can see I cut out the inner sheet metal from the original bumper that fell within the side opening.
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Removing that inner metal revealed the inner fenderwell, I will need to seal this back up as I rebuild.
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Here is a loose mockup, nothing welded yet but progressing!
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I have to say I had my doubts when you introduced the concept because it seemed a little too modern to mix with 50 year old styling. Now the melding seems natural with the seamless line of the front 'bumper' and the angularity of the openings that fit with the many angles of the body. Can't wait to see how you fill the openings.

Once again, your vision blows me away. Kudos Dana.

So cool. The Ferrari drive train should go in your chassis...

Dana is like a cross between Chip Foose & Ron Covell; only better!

This is the best build that I’ve ever seen. The fact that it’s a 916 is just icing.

Anyhow, I was lurking and then I registered because I saw these great pics in an Amazon book preview. The book is, 50 Years Porsche 914 by Jurgen Lewendowski and costs $268.89!

As you can see, these are preliminary topless 914 designs that thankfully never quite made it. Project Anklebiter may share the dna, but is far more refined.

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You beat me to it Chris. Amazingly quick development on that hood. BTW, I like the Hell out of it. The look is very appealing yet allows the 914 design theme an avenue to reach even the purists. Well done Dana.

Thanks for the kind words, the early 914 design exercises are super interesting, thanks for sharing!

Time to start filling the side grill areas, I am loosely following the organization of the WRX grills, a horizontal division, with a radiator opening on the top, and a Foglight and brake duct on the bottom.
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I lined up the horizontal division with the upper center opening edge to continue that line across the front of the bumper.
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I made the dividers teardrop shaped in profile so they would be rounded and thick in the front by welding in a rod.
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Then tacked them into the pods.
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Here they are fitted in place.
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Next I will make and weld in the rest of the elements that hold the fog light and ducts.
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Simply no words, only:

Yup, über-cool.

Great work and good eye for design!

LOVE the new/old combo touches...I believe you've NAILED it!

I like the way you’ve angled the dividers up at the outside edges. Follows the curvature of the bumper.

It's nice to log in and see all the updates. Top tier work.

The first time I saw this thread I started way towards the end somehow, and I only saw the recent nose fabrication. So I had no idea all that had gone into this build over a decade plus. Now that I have seen 79 pages of its amazing development I fully agree with all the compliments to your design and fabrication skills, Dana - you've got quite the car factory running there! But I also want to say how impressed I am with the sheer patience and determination it has taken to keep this project moving forward, bit bit bit, year by year, while clearly "having a life" all along. Quite a ride, so to speak.

My favorite part so far has been the test drive through the woods after you fixed the turbo boost, and you first realized what a rocket monster you've unleashed! "Adequate power" as Rolls-Royce would say.

Add me to the list of would-be designers rooting you on and getting inspiration from your fearsome Anklebiter.

Little Miss Anklebiter is clearly enjoying growing up with a tube framed sibling.

The other day I had just absorbed one of the long rustoration patch-welding threads and wondered, "at what point do you just start building sections from scratch?" Then I came across your thread which is an answer to that question - even though you started with a rust-free car!

I started building out the fog light buckets, The top half is radiator inlet, the bottom is divided between fog light and brake duct inlet, I am taking advantage of NAPA exhaust bits to make nice, flared inlets for the brake ducts.
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I quickly discovered that after welding the buckets together they were no longer flexible enough to fin in the bumper openings so I had to temporarily chop off the bumper bottoms.
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Here they are just sitting in place, the fog lights came along with the WRX grill set I used as a template, there will be a grill near the front of these bumper openings so the fog light lenses will be more flush than they appear now.
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Rest of bumper duct taped into place.
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Tack welding has begun.
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Fully welded in ready for finishing. I had to pie cut and reweld the seam that attached the center section of the bumper, the contour of the center opening was a hair too far out to match the contour of the top of the bumper, all good now!
Next I will flip the nose over and work on underside and interior.
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Thanks for the kind words, I am not great at finishing projects but I refuse to give up on this one!

Every time @plymouth37 posts an update to this thread, it's a little like Christmas morning. Can't wait to open it up and see the latest.

I've tried my best to live up to my motto from grad school: "Too stubborn to fail!"

"When your only head is a hammerhead, every problem looks like an endurance test..." or something like that.

I flipped the nose over and started patching the holes between the original structure and the new bumper.
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Made some templates for the inner surround of the main grill opening.
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Welded in Steel for the intake surround.
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Then finished the welds.
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While the nose was upsidedown I also added some welds to the back side of the bumper seams and boxed in part of the back of the radiator opening.
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Did you know finger sanders are awesome? There were a ton of tight spaces I had to clean before I welded them up and it did a great job of getting into the tightest spots, definitely recommend.
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I trimmed and fit the lower lip bar into place.
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I had to add some metal in the corner of the wheel opening to get that to look correct.
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Then welded the lip in and boxed in the edges where it met the bumper.
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Then made some templates to box in the bottom of the bumper.
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I capped the bottom of the bumper.
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here is everything welded up.
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Last step is to weld in mounting tabs for the front opening hinges.
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Tune in next time where I flip it over and we see how it looks!
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I never heard them called finger sanders but you're right about their usefulness. Don't buy anything but 3M Cubitron belts. Pricey bastards but they last. Especially if you flip them over. Seems like one side always wears faster than the other. I look forward to your updates. You're a Metal Michelangelo.

World's Best Modified 914

I flipped the nose over and hit it with some metal etch primer and some high build.
Still a lot of body work to do but here is the best look so far as to how it will look.
Next I will grind down offensive welds, hammer down some high spots and enter sanding land.
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Beautiful work.

Simply amazing!

Looks awesome!

Like many others, I've been watching this thread for a long time - since I found it on build-threads.com - probably around 2014 or so.

And I finally cracked and signed up here just so that I could tell you how much I love the work you've done on this project so far. It's really on another level.

The new front end looks sick as hell - another in a long list of really cool touches.

Wow! Very nice.

Charlie

Seriously impressive work, and love the aesthetics too. Fabulous!

Epic.

I’ve just spent a couple of days re-reading this thread and near as I can figure The Anklebiter Project has spanned almost 15 years (more when the Rengade genesis is included), at least 7 moves with entire sections of the car transiting to different regions and relentless focus on the initial description. All this while raising a family and pursuing an elite education.

It’s gone beyond a project into the realm of a life’s work becoming a masterpiece. Dazzlingl.

Now that you’ve got the windshield in place and the front body in metal, I’ve got to guess you’re thinking about the rear body section. Have you got a plan for that yet? Is it still in Wyoming?

What is your shop situation? Your most recent pics show a larger garage with what looks to be your father’s vintage Rambler covered up in the corner.

Thanks Dane. You’ve provided hours of reasons to procrastinate at the same time inspiring motivation to get into the garage and get something done. Kudos.

Hey, thanks for the kind words, yeah, it has been quite a journey! As for your questions:

I am definitely starting to think about the rear body work, it is still in Wyoming but I am going out there this Summer and will ship it back, marking the first time the whole car was in the same state in about 8 years...

I turned that detached garage on my property that the car used to be in into a little house for my Mom over the pandemic (thanks work from home!). The car had to move to my Dad's house about 15 minutes from me, that is the newer garage with the Rambler. Now my Dad is moving to the house across the street from his old house and I moved into the detached shop on that property, I think this one will be home base for a while!

I have worked on the car quite a bit but it is just endless sanding.
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My goal is to get the entire nose into Primer, filler primer is your friend when you need to smooth out Frankenstein bodywork...
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The fender flares have been clear coated steel since the Vegas days and it is still hanging on pretty well, time to remove all of that.
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I removed all of that clearcoat and filled and primed the rest of the fenders
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More sanding, more primer.
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Getting somewhere now, bodywork is maybe 80% there, I need to focus on hinges and latches before I take it the rest of the way. Next time I'll put it on the car and see how it looks!
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That’s just plain sexy. Steel is real

WOW!

So bad ass!!

Holy Crap! That looks amazing! Been watching this build for years and it never disappoints.

What make is the pink car under the cover?

37 Plymouth

I thought it was a 50s Rambler

I am just about ready to get the nose on the car but first I couldn't resist mocking up the lights and seeing how it all looks.
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Projector headlights in the turn signal buckets are down the road but for now I swapped in Yellow and White Drl/turn led lights behind the clear lenses and called it good for now.
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Looks like a Porsche to me!
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That thing is just badass. Awesome fabrication. You seem like the type of guy who is going to fabricate everything one off, but there is a guy here.... beng295.... who looks like he has come up with a great looking solution for projector headlights/blinkers in the turn signal housing. Here's a ink to his site if you are interested:

https://3dgauto.com/

I have no affiliation with this vendor, but am considering buying a set myself.

I think it's his dad's '59(?) Rambler. Saw it at a car show a few years ago.