I finished rebuilding the drivers side frame rail area today.
Next I need to fill a couple small holes in the firewall and start building the door jamb to firewall connection.
Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Lookin' real good!!!

Thanks Dana

Spring break is upon us and by some miracle I have absolutely no obligations for the next 5 days, time to get some work done!
I pretty much wrapped up the firewall today, I boxed in the outer portions of the firewall and made a solid sealing surface around the bulkhead for the tilt up rear to rest on.
After welding all of this up the tub was noticeably stiffer and the door jambs fit much better.
Stay tuned for 4 more days of huge progress!
Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment .

Click to view attachment

I just noticed...are you really going with stock door latches? I thought you were going to modify this thing.

Haven't decided yet, I will run them while I test the chassis then figure out what to do for door handles when I do the body, I will probably steal a pair off a Del Sol or a miata type car, not totally sure yet.

Beautiful work.

I've always liked the 914 handles from a design point of view. Minimal, light and simplistic. They are, along with the hourglass profile in the bodyline, the most unique and clearly defining elements of the design. Maybe not perfect from an engineering standpoint, but clearly a uniquely 914 element.

I look forward to see your possible interpretations!

I totally agree, I have always liked them too, I may end up making some custom handles that preserve the lines of the originals but actually function properly.

I finished welding up a couple details on the firewall, then got the tub down off of the jack stands to turn it around.
It is always startling to take a car off of tall jack stands, it is so tiny!
Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

I turned the car around, put it back up on the jack stands, then pulled the doors.
Click to view attachment
I built a front suspension jig then taped out the cut line to remove the nose from the tub. Lots of cutting to do tomorrow!
Click to view attachment

I don't care how you slice it, that thing is sexy from every angle.

Ok, back to work. You have a couple more days to overwhelm us with stellar progress.

Click to view attachment
If anyone was wondering, the nose as you see it weighs in at 52 pounds.
Click to view attachment

Pretty crazy what you are doing! It's freaking awesome though.

Puzzle Car!

Another advantage to cutting your car into thirds, you can park it sideways in the garage and still have plenty of room for the wife's car!
Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

So does this mean it's going to have a flip open front with wish-bone suspension?

Ed

I will be running a flip up front while retaining the Carrera front suspension. I will post some mockups sometime this afternoon.

I bolted the suspension jig back on and mocked up the front subframe.
Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

cough...cough...unequal length a-arms with custom uprights...cough cough.



Its looking great!

You have no idea how tempting that is, don't think I can swing a new suspension on a college kid's budget though.
If anybody feels like donating one I wouldn't turn them down
Check out this one
Click to view attachment

Dana, you really need to pick up the pace a bit spring break's almost over

Not to contaminate this amazing and brilliant design, but what about harvesting an SLA front suspension from something else? Say... something you could find cheaply at a local pick-n-pull? Say... something that is a proven, effective design? Say... <gasp-choke> from a <cough - choke> Miata?

Since the front end is basically a blank slate right now, you could build around the suspension once the space requirements are set.

By the way Dana, any chance I could drop by to gaze in wide-eyed wonder at this creation in person?

-Josh2

Blue Tape!!

HA! Ferg -you just made me shoot water out of my nose!!! (we need a water-coming-out-of-the-nose smiley...)


Again Dana, project is simply amazing. It has taken me two nights to mount the
-6 breather tank in my trunk... about the same amount of time it would take you re-engineer and rebuild the Empire State Building....

If anybody wants to stop by just send me a PM, my doors are always open!

I will be sticking to the Porsche suspension just because it is free and easy but here is a Miata front for comparison.
Miata's really do have great suspensions, compact and almost infinitely adjustable.
Click to view attachment

Wow! Just noticed the view counter, up over 75,000!
Thanks for the support everybody!

Currently the doors are off

I have been look at alternative front suspension options as well. One question I have when running a set-up from a Miata or something else, what do you do with the bolt pattern? Are you have to have a different bolt pattern on the front vs. the rear of the car?

-Britain

Wheel adapter plates would probably be the easiest option, you would probably be running spacers anyway, so you could just have them adapt the bolt pattern too.
Click to view attachment

I fabbed up some plates for the front subframe to attach to. (My cordless drill died on me so those rosette weld holes will be a little bigger)
Click to view attachment
Here is how they will mount. Hopefully I can get most of the front end welded up tomorrow.
Click to view attachment

I'm running aluminum front hubs at 4/114.whatever. I ended up having the rears redrilled/bossed. Redrilling from 4x bolt pattern to 4x leaves a LOT of metal so I'm not so worried about failure.

Besides, there's a TON of rims available in early Miata 4x100.

I got most of the front welded up today, just the front torsion bar mounts and the other cross bar to go.
Click to view attachment
Everything stayed square so I should be able to test fit the entire chassis tomorrow.
Just about time to get this thing back on its wheels to see how it looks in one piece!
Click to view attachment

I finished up the front end today, I will try to mock up the suspension tonight to see how everything fits.
Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

I test fit the front suspension tonight, the chassis stayed straight and everything bolted up the way it should, lost a bit of trunk space though!
I will bolt on the back half tomorrow and put it back down on its wheels.
Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

So I assume front shocktower to hoop in the cab is eminent?

Anyway, so nice to see the front suspension getting tied in terminator style.

Keep it coming Dana!

Yep, I need to start figuring out the best way to beef up that area next, it is going to be a little tricky to route the tubing around the gas tank but I should be able to get a good amount of tube in there to connect the nose to the rest of the cage.

I must say simply amazing work, it has inspired me to work on my own wich is nothing in comparison, thanks and keep up the great work!

Spring break is drawing to a close, back to school tomorrow.
I bolted the chassis back together and mocked up the body next to it, I have 2 914s now!
Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

I think you should look into this fuel cell. It will fit in the stock location with minor mods and give you clearance for the tubing. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/RCI-2161A/

Click to view attachment

Nice find, that could be perfect, anybody have a pic of one like this installed?

I did some sidework for my neighbor who is restoring a victorian house next to us and earned enough dough to buy some shiny bits for the car.
If I am going to insist on keeping the antiquated 914 box I figured I had better make it shift as well as possible.
After a call to JWest a Rennshifter and their stage 1 shift linkage showed up.
They are discontinuing the 914 shift linkage and only have the stage one left so if you want one now is the time to order.

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Very very SWEET build! Congrats and enjoy in good health !

You should talk with Mark in Bartlett, IL (screen name "Bartlett 914") about his new shifter setup.

Skip

You won't regret that shifter. Let me know how the other parts work out with the Renegade setup. (clearance wise)