Huey is still getting back at me for wrecking him at Targa Newfoundland back in 2007. The day of the wreck, the car was running PERFECT. Engine perfect, electricals - even in the rain - perfect, handling perfect, etc. You could not ask for a better 914.

Then came the well publicised and documented 'Wet Bridge' end-over-end wreck.

We then rebuilt him. But since the rebuild, nothing has ever been right and he constantly keeps getting back at me.

Cronology of what has transpired: (or at least the highlights I can remember...)

1. We put the 2.5 liter engine in Huey, from the black 914 race car that I bought just for the engine. Last I drove the black car, the engine was perfect. In Huey? Nothing but problems. No power, coughs, back fires, stalls, very tempermental. I get frustrated after 6 months of chasing problems and put in a 2.7 engine. 2.5 goes back into the black car and RUNS PERFECT again. Turns out the coil in Huey was cracked - who knew??? This after MONTHS of frustration...

2. At Parade in Charlotte last year, Bob Chapman, a writer for Excellence, wants to finish the story on Huey and take him out for a drive. At the time, we are dealing with the engine issues (in fact, had just put the engine in 2 days earlier and didn't hook everything up) and I recommend against it. But, Bob insists and off we go.... About as far away as we can get on our drive, the pivot on the pedal cluster for the throttle breaks and we are on the side of the road trying to make repairs enough to get home. Car still runs terrible, and now you can only go 1/4 throttle for our 20 return trip.... Oh, and it turns out we did not have the alternator wired correctly and it was not charging the battery. So just as we get back, it dies and we need to jump start it and charge the battery...

3. The brakes we have on him have squealed since day one. No matter what pad we use, it squeals so bad you can probably hear it for miles. No idea why - Papa Smurf has the same brakes and calipers with no squeal....

4. Suspension squeaks and creaks all the time, no clue why.

5. One day, out of the blue, the transmission decided to take a leak all over the garage floor.

6. And along the lines of transmission and fluid: I went to take the tranny out because the console around where the shifter linkage enters the tranny was cracked (another long story for another time). I had just put Swepco in it, so I figured I would drain it and save it all. So I take a clean 2 gallon jug and funnel, and rest it up on my oil drain drum, and take off the trans drain plug. The plug slips from my hand, and lodges directly in the funnel mouth, stopping flow out the funnel into the jug. As the funnel fills (I can't stop the fluid from pouring out the trans), I'm reaching into it to grab the plug. Just as I get it, I knock over the whole thing and ALL the tranny fluid dumps all over the garage floor, as the tranny is STILL draining....all over the floor.....

7. Again, out of the blue, the BRAND NEW clutch decided to start slipping.. for no reason other than to annoy me.

8. The 2.7 engine in it now has never run right, we just can't get the carbs sorted out. First, it was popping non-stop out the exhaust....more on this below....

9. We take him to Rennfest back over Labor Day Weekend. I decide to treat Huey to a full wax job, the first time since the new paint. During my cleaning of the engine, I drew blood in about 5 places. I then proceed to take off a window net bracket to replace the falling apart door panels and slice open my finger so bad I really should have gotten stitches.

10. At Rennfest, I go to move him into a spot at night, and somwhere along the line gash up my knee. Didn't even notice it until Nadine saw me walking up to dinner and asked why I had blood running down my leg, and all over my socks & sneakers. 7 gashes on my knee!!

11. I loan Huey to Manny Alban for the Rennfest autocross. He beats me in my own car, then breaks the throttle linkage and I only get 1 run. after screwing up fixing it, i realize I now messed up part of the linkage that needs to be replaced.

(the engine is STILL running like crap from #8 above, and brakes still squeal)

12. Last week, I bring the car to my mechanic and tell him once and for all to fix the carbs, stop the clutch from slipping, and stop the breaks from squealing. He brings it back to me saying all is good..... I proceed to drive to Petit LeMans last Thursday and: the clutch slips, the brakes squeal, and now the engine doesn't pop out the exhaust, it pops out of the carbs.

13. So...I call my mechanic today saying I am bring the car up, he is getting in and we are taking a ride in it. "Bring your tools, and all your carb goodies, because we are driving around and pulling over to adjust things until it's fixed" I tell him. So I drive Huey up there.... and he runs PERFECTLY the whole way!!! No popping, no slipping clutch...even the damn brakes are silent!! I tell him to get in the car and we drive around...nothing. Works better than ever. Couldn't be happier. So I drop him off and head home...

14. On the way home, it starts popping out the carbs, the clutch slips slightly, and the brakes squeal as I pull in my driveway...

Huey HATES me....

that sucks.

I offer this advice on the squeal.
Squeal is from vibration..
So, you might want to swap the rotors and calipers from the car that does not squeak...

OR
Pull the calipers and use a spot blaster to clean all the rust and debris from the area that the pads sit...where the pads slide back and forth...that needs to be spotless and easy for them to move back and forth. I have sanded that area even smoother than it is...not so much as to make the pads loose, but get all the bumps off (if its cast)

The other thing that will do it is out of spec rotors...if they wobble to much, the brakes will keep squeaking, so check them for runout and dont assume that if you buy a new rotor it will be in spec...most are not made to the same level of quality that they used to be made.

Rich

Bob I FEEL your pain! I have been in the same boat with Kermee6 for a long time! At least now he runs good and leaks very little oil!

Josh

he must be herbies' brother

Oh, forgot to mention:

11a. We go on the rally and they do the typical rally tech inspection: check brake lights, horn, turn signals, lug nuts, etc. All of a sudden, the turn signals don't work for the inspection. They worked fine all the way down, and ever since I can remember, but now...nothing. They let it slide, and we're off. Make it to the first stop...and the turn signals work fine again, and have since....

Dude,
You flipped the car over. Its holding a grudge.....you would.

Rich

Yeah, but I could have just trashed the chassis and started over. but noooo... we rebuilt him. We had the technology. But instead of being better, faster, stronger, he is meaner, pissy-er, and generally unhappy.

Heck, I even WAXED him - something NONE of my cars ever get.

Funny thing about the wreck, we were more upset about the car than our personal well being.

OK.. I have to do this......

"The barrier was not meant to be crossed. The ground is sour. Some times, dead is better...."

"Spot was never quite the same after that......."

Ah, I knew I could find support and comfort in this group!

That had to be one of the best reads I have had in a long time and the biggest laughs & smiles. Sorry to her all this but that’s racing. Good luck your almost to the finish line.

On the positive side, at least he's a good looking car!

Yes, I know, all the issues are getting close. Problem is we drive it so much that I never have time to work on it. (I guess that's a good problem). We've probably put 5000 miles on him since March going to all the PCA events I attend now as Zone Rep.

Rich, the front calipers are 993 rears - fit really well. I love them on the race car (Papa Smurf), they feel like my DD 993, and I've had them on Huey since day one. Never squealed before, until the rebuild. But, I plan to take everything off this winter and check it all out. Just haven't had the time. Heck, Papa Smurf runs Hawk blue and they're perfectly silent. I heard I can get 'anti squeal' pads or some type of backing for them. We'll see....

I say send his ass to boarding school or military school. Just simply pm me for the address and send Huey and a briefcase full of money to the address. You will get him back in two years and he will have a whole new attitude!

Oh he'll be in military school all right...I'll be whipping his ass into shape this winter!

Hey hot shoe....Looks like I'll be out in Memphis in a couple weeks - with Huey - for the Mid South Region PCA Oktoberfest. You gonna be there?

Don't know for sure yet but there is a good possibility since it is on a Sunday. If it was a Saturday I'd probably be going to a football game. I will let you know as soon as I decide.


Donald

Huey doesn't unexplicably mount your tow vehicle does he?

Does that use a 3.5" bolt spacing or a 3"?


Atleast you have a sexy car!

That pet sematary quote is funny as hell.

Looks like Christine ..and that car was possessed as well

3.5" bolt spacing.
You have to wallow out the holes in the calipers just slightly to fit the spindles. Not a lot, like 1/8" on the inside of each hole.

We were just at the track this past weekend with Papa Smurf, and I took a few of my fellow racers/instructors out for some rides. they are amazed at the stopping, and handling power that Papa Smurf has. If I could just get Huey to behave the same, all would be great!

C'mon Bob, you're a married guy. Abuse/ Love, its all the same...

Hey Bob, I have that weekend open so far so I am currently planning on attending Oktoberfest.