Click to view attachment


Here's the plan:

Tub up restoration/customization (no cutting corners here).
Speedster styling.
40" tall
Under 1800 pounds.
350 horsepower WRX engine.

Let the games begin!

You are a naughty, naughty boy.

This is one Concours Weenie that say F*&^ yeah!!!

First off here is a little history on the car.
In 2002 I found this 1973 1.7 in a field outside Laramie WY where it had been sitting since 1982 with some other VWs.
After bolting on some webers and swapping out the battery, fluids, and tires I drove it out of there.
Click to view attachment

As you can see she was pretty rough but other than some surface rust she was darn near rust free.
Click to view attachment

Gee thanks, now I have to get a better job to buy a new house, bigger garage, new tub, and....

Seriously though, are those speedster humps I spy, what are you thinking for a windshield? Would it be rude to suggest flyscreens? I have been waiting to see what you were gonna do since you hinted at this way back when. GL Dana

While in school I added a custom cage and interior both of which will be modified during the course of this project.
Here is a picture of the 914 about a month after I found it, next to it is my '37 Plymouth street rod.
As you can see I had already installed the rollcage when this picture was taken.
Click to view attachment

After school I moved to Las Vegas to work for Renegade Hybrids. This is when I really started upgrading the car.
Here is a picture of the car with stock body and drivetrain after I had installed the carrera front suspension and polished fuchs.
Click to view attachment

Here is a random pic I found, the car was my daily driver and I could only weld on half a set of flairs per weekend.
As you can see this shot was taken after the first weekend...
Click to view attachment

At Renegade we designed the 914 WRX conversion kit using my car as the test bed.
My car is running a 2004 WRX engine with exhaust and computer mods bumping the power up to around 320HP.
Click to view attachment

The car has been featured by SubieSport magazine and by several online publications including Cardomain.
Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment
I drove the car in its subie powered form as a daily driver for about 2 years then decided to move to Wyoming to pursue a Mechanical engineering degree.
I have now transfered into the Architectural Design program at CU Boulder.
I bought a real car for a daily driver and figured now would be a great time to build the street monster I had been dreaming of.
I am going to take my time and build this thing right.

That's a sweet looking mod you're planning. I, for one, don't go in for most of the mods shown in this board. I believe that most of these do nothing to add to the 914 experience. Your design appears to me as the exception!

I can't wait to see more!

You're one sick puppy Dana... LOL
Can't wait to see this one when it's finished!!
Mike

The technical details:

2004 Subaru EJ20
Custom up-pipe
SS Wrx Header
3.5-inch straight pipe exhaust
Renegade Hybrids radiator
KEP stage 2 pressure plate
KEP 9-inch Kevlar clutch disk
KEP billet aluminum adapter plate
Renegade Hybrids high power axles
911 Carrera front suspension
Cantilever rear suspension
Qa1 adjustable Struts, 400-pound springs
2002 Porsche 996 rims 17 x 7-inch front 17 x 9-inch rear
Kumho 712 tires 205/50/17zr front, 255/40/17zr rear
Steel AA 914GT fender flares
Custom roll cage
Custom interior
No radio
No top
No windows
Getty C/F Rear lid
GT-Racing F/G non-headlight Front lid
Getty F/G Bumpers
Getty F/G Rockers
Chopped and raked windshield
Pontiac Solstice door mirrors
Customized Porsche Boxster Humps
Ferrari F430 rear diffuser
F/G Belly Pan

To keep track of my progress have been documenting my weight savings with excel.
Here is my spreadsheet showing the part removed or replaced, the resulting weight and power to weight ratio, along with the info from a few other cars for refrence. So far I have dropped just over 500 pounds.
I have a feeling this car will kill me if I ever get it on the road.
Click to view attachment

I like your pic above. I always thought that a speedster style windshield would look cool on a 914.

I finished scraping the tar out of the interior and gutted the pass side door.
I was glad to find very clean floors under the tar.

Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment

Is that such a bad way to go?

Wow those floors look great. I had just done that a few months ago and mine were not like that.

yesssssssssssssssss!

Eagerly awaiting the updates on the build. You say you bought a "real" car so you felt it was time to build the beast, but I think this will be the REAL car

Jim

No turning back now!
I cut off the targa bar and made this horrendous hole...
Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment

The car is pretty much stripped but I am leaving the engine and tranny in for now so I can build the belly pan and design the intercooler system.

I got a heck of a deal on these Boxster Humps. The plan is to 'glass these into one piece and build up the lid to match the rest of the car. Then I will rebuild the metal around the area. I absolutely hate working with F/G so I will make the metal match the F/G lid rather than vice versa.
Click to view attachment
My dog Bailey checking the fit.
Click to view attachment
This just might work!
Click to view attachment

Baily's a cool looking pup

Ferg

nice pics Dana!

and cool car

there aren't many 1900lb street legal teeners out there
good for you!

brant

I raked the windshield posts back as far as the stock windshield allowed.
Next I will chop the windshield posts so the top of the frame is even with the top of the rollbar hoops.
I found a guy that will cut the stock glass to fit. Or cutting a lexan one is always an option if all else fails.
Click to view attachment
Here's how things are looking now.
Click to view attachment

That's just cool Dana. Can't wait to see where this goes.

For some reason, I'm down wit dis....

Me too!

I think I will start doing some glassing this afternoon, gross...

I've been waiting for this thread!
Love the concept pic.
Keep it coming Dana!

Wyotech would frown on the use of fibreglass

Killer idea. Can't wait to see it done

Yeah, I should be rolling these out of aluminium on my english wheel
I want this car to be nice, but screw that!

Get a stump boy Stump, ball peen hammer, oxy acetylene torch and a cigar is all any good body man needs

A stump sounds pretty good right now. Where's the "sticky fiberglass hands" smiley?
I was thinking of lighting up a cuban but with the amount of fumes filling up the garage an explosion would probably follow promptly!

ooooo Me likey

This is very cool!

Make them cry BIG TIME . . .

I personally like any modifications to at least look period correct, but man, I can't wait to see this thing finished! It's going to look cool.

Unreal! Nice!

man this thing is sweet! I wish I could do body work like that.

I started 'glassing the humps today and remembered how terrible fiberglass is to work with.
I 'glassed the two halves together and filled in the area at the back of the lid between the humps. Despite my total lack of skill I think it's coming along pretty well. It's a good thing I got these humps for cheap because the quality was terrible (good thing I am just cutting them up huh?)
Click to view attachment
To blend in the sides I am stretching polarfleece and glassing it (a trick used by audio guys to build complicated sub boxes). The fleece creates really nice transitions and when covered by F/G cloth is really strong.
Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment

Here are some more shots of the car and the garage.
Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment

Thanks for the support guys, this is gonna be fun!

I'm usually not a fan of projects like these but this one is different. I like the look and the design. I'd say your committed now and no turning back. Looking good

This thing already looks completely badass and its still on jack stands. What are your ideas for the interior? It could be completely bare and this car would still be amazing by the look of things so far.

I will be replacing the interior, some seats with good bolsters would be nice.
Wow, now that I look at the pics I really need to chop that windshield ASAP!

This is an awesome project. I like it because it has style, it's clean and it flows. You have a good eye for line and proportion. Follow your instincts and not the crowd.

Many people frown on cutting up a car and modifying it. In my book anything that is not concourse to start is a candidate for customization. A free canvas is what makes the end result a masterpiece.

Reminds me of that TV show from the late 80's "Max Headroom" Stay low!

Very cool!

Truely an awesome look! Great job !!!

Are you going to build a rag top for it, or is it a fair weather ride only?

A word of caution. A friend of mine in FL built a car similar to yours with a chopped and raked windshield. His was a low buck build with a plexi windshield on a rusty POS chassis that I sold him for $200. The next owner wanted a glass windshield, and a 'pro' broke 3 or 4 windshields attempting to cut it down to size.

Killler project, best of luck with it!

I was playing around with the concept of a lift off hard top with drop in windows.
It would be hard to build but it would really make the car alot more useable. We shall see...

Click to view attachment

The lift off hard top looks sick. Sweet!!! Now to get the price for these down to under $20,000.

You are putting this model into production aren't you???

what a bitchin' project!

I like where this is going

I added a layer of F/g last night:
Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment

I sanded the humps down this morning. There are a couple low spots but the shape is getting pretty close. I should be able to get it straight with one more glassing session, after that I will finish the bottom and edges.
Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment

Looking good

Is that piece going to lift off or be hinged (for engine access)?
Are you keeping the retractable wing/brake widget, or is that gone now?
Nice work Dana. Loving this!

Damn that is sweet!