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Sorting Sep 9, 2002
Our 914 is fully assembled and has now entered the final sorting phase of its restoration. To make it drivable we have had to deal with the normal snafus that any 30 year old car that has not been properly loved needs. Specifically, Rennie Bryant and Tim spent an entire weekend sorting out lighting and other electrical gremlins. Nothing serious, but bad bulbs, bad grounds and faulty fuses and relays needed to be fixed before all the lighting worked properly again.
Ace diagnostician, Stu Brummer (BSI Racing), is now helping overcome the last few hurdles. Last week we found a faulty wiper switch. Fortunately, Automobile Atlanta had one right in stock. Pelican Parts also sent a few relays and other miscellaneous parts needed to return the 914 to the street. This week, a rich running condition and fuel pump problem will be fixed. By the end of September, the car will be back on the street and the final articles can proceed.
Trouble in 914-land Jan 26, 2003
Project 914 continues to plague us with driveability problems. Yes, even the so-called experts struggle with a car occasionally. Most of the problems are related to the electrical system and the fuel injection. Trying to restore a 30 year old Bosch D-Jet fuel injection system has proven to be very challenging.
Thinking we had everything finished and on our way to the chassis dyno for some testing, our Project 914 died on us. Surprisingly, the newly remanufactured alternator failed after less than 100 miles. Such is the problems with old cars. We shall overcome, and we really need to, because the little bit we have been able to drive the car, it has already become apparent that this 914 handles and rides beautifully. These cars really are under-appreciated. Look for a story on suspension and brake upgrades in an upcoming issue of GRM.
A workout for Project 914 Mar 18, 2003
We got a chance to give the 914 a good workout last Friday. We drove it about 150 miles and took it on a test track. Several problems crept into play during the day, a pretty serious oil leak under hard cornering (appearing to come from the valve covers) and another alternator has gone bad.
We did get a chance to play with the brake bias, cranking in more rear bias to keep the fronts from locking. We'll be switching back to the stock front pads to see if the aggressive aftermarket pads are too much for the lightweight front end.
The 914 weighs 2097 lbs. with 3/4 of a tank of gas.
Better shifting Aug 3, 2003
When we mentioned in a recent update that the 914 wasn't that easy to shift, a reader gave us the tip of contacting J West Engineering, a small manufacturing company that specializes in making cool goodies for Porsches. While we were a little skeptical of the Rennshift performance shifter's $400 price tag, we ordered one for our 914; we were desperate to get the shifter to work consistently.
The unit comes assembled and ready to install and the instructions are very thorough. Ruggedly built, the shifter housing is constructed of 6061-T6 aluminum and has a choice of several different lever-throw reductions. On their recommendation, we went with the 20% reduction.
Installation is really very straight forward and bolts in to the stock shifter mounting points. The carpet will need to be cut fo fit around the larger base and you will also need to redo the hole in the center console, if your 914 has one.
The results are well-worth the time and money invested. We won't say that the 914 now shifts better than a Miata, but it's now well past acceptable and approaching unfreakin' believable. J West Engineering can be reached at 817-946-1833 or by visiting www.jwesteng.com
Disaster strikes Sep 15, 2003
With the 914 nearly done and merrily driving along, disaster struck on August 25. On that fateful day, as Margie pulled into the driveway the transmission froze up. Once on the lift, it was clear that it was not a matter of linkage, but something internal. we assume that a shift fork has come lose or broken. Ouch, this will be the third time this transmission has been in and out of the car.
Fortunately, this was under warranty and transmission builder Gary Wigglesworth volunteered to fly down Tony, his top transmission guy to remedy the problem here at the GRM workshop. We'll give you a full report, once we diagnose the problem. Ahh, the reality of project cars...
On a more positive note, one of the last cosmetic things that needed to be finished on the 914 is going much better. We decided to stick with the CFR Welding exhaust which looks, sounds and works beautifully. Unfortunately, it exits on the opposite side of the stock exhaust. So, while we aren't great at rebuilding transmissions, we love a good welding and fabrication project.
As the photos show, we made short work of this job with our new HTP welder and some scrap sheet stock we had laying around the shop. As soon as the transmission is remedied, we will install the rear valance and be just about done with Project 914.