I’ve been meaning to post about the latest 914 to hit my stable but it did not feel right until now. Unfortunately, we lost our friend Jeff Donnelly (jeffdon) last month at age 59. He will be missed by many. Jeff was a good friend and is the one that got me into the 914 flow. We would hang at the pub and talk about them and other things automotive. After a while, I ended up purchasing his 76 project now known as Smoggy. Unfortunate circumstances has also made me the caretaker of Jeff’s 72, a car he loved. The 72 fell in disrepair a few years back after a string of engine failures. Jeff intended to get it back on the road but life’s turns prevented that from happening. Jeff’s family and friends thought I was the natural choice to bring the car back so a deal was worked out and a new project was in my hands. Working on Smoggy and other 914’s has made me appreciate how each car can have different attributes and drawbacks. The 72, which today got named Foggy, is pretty much rust minimal as far as 914’s go. Really.. I will show some pics soon. Jeff said he did not have to deal with the hellhole, etc and wouldn’t you know it, that is what I confirmed today. There are some bumps and bruises to deal with which I will elaborate on later as I take on those tasks. My plan is to freshen the car mechanically by installing a d-jet 2056 picked up a while back for Smoggy. There will be lots of parts raiding from the Smoggy stash as well as some new purchases. So far, I have gutted the interior and have done extensive cleaning of the underside to assess condition and because I can’t help myself. It had early struts with floppy pinch bolt ball joints so I decided to rip apart the front suspension and use the front struts from smoggy. Sent all that off to the powdercoater while the calipers went to PMB for some Eric magic. A 914 rubber order was placed for all kinds of freshening bits. I plan to put new carpet and maybe do up the seats if they are not passable. Keeping the tailshift for now to control scope creep. I hope to have Foggy back on the road in the next couple months and to take to WCR and maybe Red Rocks Classic. So anyway, that’s what has been going on in San Rafael. We miss you Jeff.
So sorry about Jeff but I know he's smiling down, knowing Foggy is in proper hands. We know you'll do a great job! Looking forward to helping in any way I can.
Mark- Jeff is sitting up there and smiling as you get his baby back on the road so others can look and smile as they remember the days when 914's were plentiful on the roads. May Jeff rest in peace.
She's beautiful! Bittersweet though. RIP Jeff
thoughts.
I'm not religious so I don't do the prayers.
Post the progress and talk soon,
- Tony
Looking forward to see it back on the road! It looks like it will clean up nicely
RIP Jeff. Always enjoyed our conversations.
Sorry to hear about you losing your close friend. Sounds like a cool guy. Keep sharing the spirit of Foggy's resurrection. Todd
On my, I didn't know Jeff but condolences to his family. Such a young guy.
His old car is in good hands with Mark.
Let me know if you need any parts.
Oscar
Thanks everyone for the kind words. Some progress today. Was only going to remove the floor tar around the perimeter so I could treat surface rust accumulation around the edges. One thing led to another and now we have bare floors. All solid metal found. Tomorrow I’m going to do an ospho treatment and prep for some rust preventative touch up. Also pulled the fuel tank to assess and to clean paint overspray. Gotta tidy things before reassembly. Things are looking good!
It’s been a while since I updated but there has been some progress. Straightened a small area and welded up a crack in the frunk near the front a-arm mount. Looks like damage from being jacked up or possibly from it falling off the trailer when Jeff and his dad transported it from Oakdale to Oakland. I remember that story..
Decided to redo the clutch tube repair. WIP..
More cleaning on the floors and pedal area.
Some PMB love..
Mark - your chassis is looking good! Nice job on that suspension area repair. Glad to see it wasn't more serious.
Target date to have it on the road?
That is going to be one nice car Mark; love the PMB calipers.
Ok, @http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=19241 is getting in my head! Over the weekend, he asked ‘what are those struts for and why are you not using them on the 72?’
After a short incubation period, I find myself here:
Seems I am failing to keep scope limited.
Mark - Oh, good heavens.
YOU don't set build scope. Build scope is an unstoppable force of nature. It goes where it NEEDS to go. Trust me on this one.
Foggy is going to be 5-lug. Resistance is futile.
Damn, it's like a Porsche factory over there!
Over the last few days, I refreshed the front suspension and steering rack. Will post pics of that tomorrow. Its funny how my mind works. Somehow, installing the steering rack led to replacing the dash. How? Well its simple.. If installing the steering rack, you may as well deal with the sloppy steering column bearing. Off comes the lower dash and that leads to dealing with a broken turn signal switch and worn ignition lock. While in the process of putting the freshened column back, you notice how accessible the dash is as well as all those cracks. So then its off to the Smoggy parts stash and after a long while cussing at fiddily nuts, you have a new 914rubber dash installed! The two nuts at the instrument cluster are a total pain to get started. Thought it would be easier if the dash pad came with studs that taper to a point or had a leading tip with no threads. @http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=3348 . Just an idea..
Also picked up the trailing arms from powdercoat and dropped the bearings in, topping them off with replated retainers from Bruce Stone @http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=1319 .
Nice, nice and NICE!
Man, you are kicking butt and getting it done. I look forward to seeing you on the 9th.
I hear you, unfortunately there is not a lot of room in that area. But I will tike a kook to see if we can rorate them slightly.
Mark
Got the 5 lug conversion done on the front. The Brembo’s are not on yet as I have to go through them first. Thought it was smooth sailing on the the rears but found considerable play in the new FAG bearings (made in Slovenia). One is loose and the other is really loose. Will try to get a video posted for some feedback. @http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=19241 came by today and said they can be loose until the cv flange is installed. This of course was after I put in an order for a pair of SKF’s. I don’t remember them being loose when I did the 911. Foggy is looking good up front and is getting me feeling that we have crossed over to the putting back together stage.
Think I figured out the bearing issue. Was looking at the old ones and noticed the inner part has a split in the middle. Totally makes sense that putting in the CV stub will close what I assuming is a gap and take up the play. Will report back later.
Well its all tight now. Learned 3 things:
1. You have to tighten down the CV stub to take up the play.
2. This is why you should not tow a 914 with CV stubs out.
3. Always listen to @http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=19241
Foggy progress report:
Primed and painted the pedal area.
Installed the Nardi wheel I got a while back from @http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=3898 .
Replaced a bad section of the passenger side engine seal channel.
Welded up 5 holes in the firewall.
And the one I have not been looking forward to.. Replaced the clutch tube. Still need to braze the tube to the added brackets in the tunnel but am calling it done enough to post.
Your welding and finishing work is looking really nice!
Inspirational, Mark
Sorry to hear about your friend. My condolences.
I wished I could move forward with 'HOWARD'. Got a stash of new/refreshed parts to go on the car, but the long pole in the tent is finding a shop to deal with getting the driver's side trailing arm mounts back to where they need to be. Can't do s#it until that's dealt with
Brazing done. Going to use 1 1/4” body plugs to cover the holes. Figure permanent access cannot hurt.
Scope creep is alive and well in San Rafael. Was originally going to fog the engine bay in trunk spatter paint but am now doing a full repaint in L96D single stage. Battery tray was marginal but good enough to use. There was a factory one on Pelican yesterday which led to this.
What to do with the left trunk hinge? It was repaired before using a stud and cotter pin. Seemed to work well but am contemplating on replacing.
Trunk hinges are gone and will be replaced with a JWest kit.
A while back, @http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=19241 suggested fitting the mount and oil tank for the /6 conversion now so that it will be easier to do the swap later. I think we know where this is going..
YES!!!!
6! 6! 6!
Er, wait a minute...
Yes! When you talk about "mission creep" that is the definition right there. But that is good creep and you will be very happy you did that.
Its been a month since the last Foggy update. Normally, that would mean I am at a full standstill but am happy to report that progress has been made. Thought it was a good idea to run the engine on the ground to make sure things were sound. Did this with a pair of webers that need rebuilding but was able to confirm all is good. Have since installed the fuel injection while sprucing things up in the process. Of course, this made me start feeling the 4 banger so decided not to install the /6 mount and oil tank for now. Still have plans to do a 6 later but thought it would be best not to commit now just in case I really like the 4. Other progress made was fitting the front bumper and fiberglass valance as well as freshening the driving lamps. Got a bit stuck on repainting the engine bay. First it was going to be grey/white trunk spatter, then factory silver, then wurth undercoating sprayed with the proper gun, then back to the trunk spatter. Decided not to do silver because it is really hard to get a good enough finish for paint without getting deep. I did spend alot of time prepping but knew the silver would show flaws. The prep included replacing the battery tray, applying wurth seam sealer where I had stripped the old off, and welding in some broken wiring tabs. Completed the bay off with some refresh work on the wiring harness, a new engine seal, and a Jwest trunk hinge kit (compliments of @http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=19241 ). Today, I installed the rear trailing arms, shocks, and wheels/tires to make it a roller! Major milestone.. After that, I moved the whole mess into the garage in preparation for the drivetrain install. Now for the photo dump..
Very nice what type/make exhaust are you going to use ?
Engine compartment looks really nice!
Heck at this rate, you'll be driving it up for a visit on Sunday afternoon!
WOW! That looks awesome! Fantastic work!
Mark you are making terrific progress- Will you be driving this car for WCR?
You’re making good progress. Looking good
Looking good! Assembly after paint, been there, done that recently.
Very nice. I know FI is very popular, but there is nothing like the sound of duel carbs.
The progress you've made thus far is awesome. Love the attention to detail.
Your metalworking skills are
You're lucky to have Chris at your side when needed. Great mentor.
Hope to see this beauty in person soon.
Love the updates!!!
Oscar
Nice work Mark, The car looks great!
Good to see you at EASY last Saturday.
Bob
Thanks everyone for the positive feedback. Here are a couple of hot off the press shots of the drivetrain and car united. It’s barely in there but it’s in! Sitting on 140LB springs with the shock collar set to 4th groove down from the top. Think that was the right call but will see how it settles. @http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=447 , that’s your old engine!
Apparently, I put the rear engine bay seal in upside down. Was able to correct it in a few minutes after watching @http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=18749 ‘s video. Thanks Ian!
Gauntlet thrown, @http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=20897 :Drive it up this weekend!
You can do it!
Time for a Foggy update. Was hoping to be on the road by now and proven road worthy for WCR but nowhere near that milestone. Brakes have been installed and am in the process of fitting things like the clutch cable, shift linkage, accelerator cable, etc. Fresh from the upholsterer are some sports seats @http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=19241 was gracious enough to pass on to me. They are now finished in super soft leather which was acquired 20 years ago in Cordoba Spain when my friend David and I went on a quest to find Corinthian leather. The leather was intended for my TR4a but I ended up finding NOS upholstery for that car. Inserts are corduroy and was done by the Franzini Brothers of San Rafael. Have to figure out the carpet plan now. I was thinking going with the factory look there but also want to run without a back pad which may change what makes sense carpet wise. Suggestions welcome. While Foggy is moving along well, I am bummed that it will not make WCR.
Wow, those seats look GREAT! Bummed you won't be with us at WCR. Next year, for sure!
Looking good Mark!
Very nice brake set up. Car looks great
The move back to the East Bay shut down my normal automotive activities in a big way. Forward progress on Foggy has been at a standstill along with all the garage stuff packed way out of sight. I could not take it anymore so decided to do something, anything to get the ball rolling again. I decided to keep it simple so started in on a color sand and buff. Jeff had painted Foggy in his garage many years ago with a basecoat/clearcoat. Being a backyard job plus alot of bumps and scrapes along the way, a run through 1000/1500/2000 grit sandpaper followed by a polish is sure to spruce things up. The other day, I did the frunk, trunk, then the left quarter ‘all the way’. Today, I took a pass on the rest of the car with 1000 rather than continuing panel by panel approach. Here is how she sits now. I hope to post the full polish by the end of the week. Feels great to be back at it!
Mark - That's looking GREAT! Can't wait to see it in person.
That reflection says it all - turning out great. I have only done a little color sanding. it was definitely scary sanding the finished paint and praying the shine came back.
Great looking job; looking forward to seeing it in person one of these days Mark.
Cheers,
Michael
Damn, that's looking good!
Bet it does feel good to pull the 914 out of the garage for some fresh air.
The cut and buff is pretty much there. All done by hand and came out smooth with lots on clear on the car to work with. This is by no way an attempt for perfection. Just wanted to make it look like someone cares.
I say that looks darn good Mark.
Slow progress but it’s still progress nonetheless. Freshened the headlights by replacing a broken pivot bracket as well as new pivot bushings, LED headlights, and surrounds. Also tidied up the wiring with a good cleaning, rewrap and new signal boots. While I was in there, I integrated the wart wires back into the harness so they would no longer be hanging in the fenderwell. Still have to adjust the headlight mechanisms once I get power back in the car.
@http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=20897 Mark - Wow. The paint looks great! WCR, here we come!
Looking really good!
Looking really good!
nice work. she is looking good.
Thanks for the positive words everyone. Foggy is looking the part, especially for a 20 footer. I hope to jump back on the mechanicals soon and be ready for WCR. Some feedback on using Maguires waterless car wash during the color sand and buff. I went through one bottle and yes, soapy water would have worked fine. That said, this method had minimal mess, excellent lubricity, and was super easy to see what was going on. Would definitely do it again. I did not use a machine and attribute the shine to all that clear Jeff applied.
Continuing with the lighting theme by installing a set of @http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=3031 LED’s in the rear.
In the last week or so I have finally been able to shift back on Foggy. I recently got a quick jack so got in the air to embark on the path to run day. Freshly installed is the fuel pump, control cables, as well as buttoning up a few wires.
Run day happens to be today
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcMWm8Ld27U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmDzWbnKBVc
Next up is assembling the axles, checking for loose nuts and attempting to locate all the missing stuff I took off prior to the move. At the moment, I’m confident Foggy will make WCR!
Congratulations!
HUGE day! Congrats, my friend. That was a ton of hard work you did - great to see it pay off. Can't wait to go for a ride and welcome Foggy back to the road.
Way to go, Mark, way to go.
Congratulations Mark! WCR is going to be a blast.
Well today Foggy officially became a driver! Got the axles installed, interior mostly in and went off on a quick drive to the gas station and back. All went well although an alignment is needed before any more vetting can be done. I did a quick toe adjustment using strings which should be good enough to make the 4 mile drive to the alignment shop in the morning. The engine is running well although there is a pretty good backfire when decelerating in gear. My assumption is this is due to not having a decel valve (d-jet). Hopefully, there is one floating around locally but will post a WTB if I can’t find anything. Looking forward to racking on some miles as its been way too long since I have been behind the wheel of a 914.
And I may have a spare decel valve. Let me get through the parts stash...
Very cool
Nice work! Congratulations on the first drive. I too may have a decel valve if Chris doesn't. Lmk
Congratulations!
Sure has come out nice. Congrats!
It's a driver, yay!
Looking really good. I really like stock Fuchs on 914's, they just go together so well.
Made it to Pacific Power Motorsports without incident. Was pleased to see two other 914’s there, one of which being a /6 conversion that looks strikingly similar to Foggy. Thanks for the positive words everyone and to Chris and Andy for help on the decel valve. rjames, it is quite possible the mixture is way off as I did do some blind adjustments after getting it running. I hope the backfire disappears after getting things dialed. Looking forward to cruising all around in the coming days and will find a reason to stop by the Red Barn for sure.
Mark - looking good, really nice job on getting her back on the road. You talk about backfiring on the overrun like its a bad thing....!
- Tony
Days have been busy working out the bugs on Foggy. Thought things were close to WCR ready after clocking 150 miles yesterday which included a trip to the Red Barn to meet up with @http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=19241 and @http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=3898 . On the way home I noticed some less than ideal sounds that coincided with the the clutch pedal. Today, I went for a quick spin and the sound got much worse. Had a strong feeling it was the throwout bearing which was confirmed by a 914world search. Within the hour, the trans was on the floor and I had my eyes on the bad bearing. Luckily, no damage was done to the clutch fingers and I already had a new bearing ready to install. I should be back in action in the next day or so.
Good catch and very glad that failed before WCR.
Pulling a trans to correct a problem and doing it just before WCR? Yet another thing we have in common, my friend! Fun times with you and Robert at the Red Barn.
Got involved with some spruce up and redid the sail vinyl. Thanks to @http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=3898 for his top tips. Came out pretty nice for a first timer.
@http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=20897 - That came out perfect.
Well I think I found the main source of the backfire issue. Seems that the cold start injector is leaking. There was raw fuel on the plenum floor but what made it click for me was that the injector wire got accidentally disconnected and the backfire became minimal. It came back when I plugged it back in. For now, I am running with the fuel line disconnected.
More follow up on the backfire issue and overall drivability. The car has been short on power and given that I did not have a clear impression on what to expect, I just assumed that’s the way it is. For good measure, I sent off my injectors to Mr. Injector to have them looked at. When the refreshed set was installed, the car was transformed in a BIG way! Power is strong throughout the RPM range and the backfire issue is 100% gone. The report shows that one of the injectors did not have flow which probably caused the backfire. I wish I would have had the injectors done back when I was swapping in the engine. Better late than never and well worth the 100 bucks they charge.
Nothing worse than weak stream...
Great to hear Foggy is running so well.
Nice!
Congratulations on a pretty painless fix.
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