OT: Working on my shop car, The wagon Porsche never built. . . Options

[zymurgist]

Great thread!

My first car was a '69 SquareBack,

Wood panel over the the windows on inside,Hey this was in the 70's
with the back seat down, 5 inch padding, she was dubbed, "Passion Wagon" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)

'69.
Passion Wagon.
Giggity.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

[ottox914]

Just checked this out- awesome project- keep the progress and pics coming!

[aircooledtechguy]

Saturday I made some progress on the BA4 heater install and the dash gauges.

I spent some time making 3 wiring harnesses; L - BA4 dash switch harness, C - Speedo trans pick-up harness, and R - engine gauges harness (tach, oil temp/pressure and volt). I ran out of shrink-tube, so I'll have to finish these later in the week or next weekend.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/images.thesamba.com-9730-1327295395.1.jpg)

Next I made a pair of these body adapters for the inlet air from the heater. I also modified a factory mount for the BA4 outlet air temp sensor to fit. This will be held with flex tube or possibly silicone stubs. It fits better than it appears to in the photo. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/images.thesamba.com-9730-1327295396.2.jpg)
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/images.thesamba.com-9730-1327295397.3.jpg)

Finally, I installed the relay and safety switch in the car under the rear seat on the passenger side. I'm quickly running out of room for more wires under the back seat. :wink:

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/images.thesamba.com-9730-1327295398.4.jpg)

[Prospectfarms]

...The H/Es are from a VW 411/412. They are a very basic H/E like our 914 ones. Until I had them ceramic coated, I had been running a set of heavy Bus H/Es. They worked fine but took a long time to heat up the aluminum jacket that is cast around the pipes. These should heat-up within a couple blocks and I save about 20# off the back of the car (this thing is a drift car in the wet (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif) )

Aircooledtechguy
Very interesting thread with nice photo's, thanks.

The BA/BN heaters work so well I wonder if you've considered bypassing the H/E, like a '73 type 181? The combo seems like overkill in everything except a bus. Maybe off the shelf header's are not available and/or you feel H/E's are needed as a heat shield for the exhaust.

Thanks again for the write up.

[aircooledtechguy]

A few days ago I got my custom clutch cable from the cable maker. . . I had them add 17.5" to a stock 912E cable assembly (well actually they made an entirely new cable and just reused the stock bowden tube). It looks just like stock but ended up being just a bit too long (D'oh)!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) Well, for now, I made a simple spacer to go between the end of the bowden tube and the trans and I'm able to get full motion form the clutch and it feels like a stock clutch!! When everything else is done, I'm going to have another cable made a total of 16" longer than stock and that should be PERFECT. The custom cable was surprisingly cheap!!

This is the pedal end of the cable using the Porsche clevis and pin in the stock VW pedal hook.
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/images.thesamba.com-9730-1329455874.1.jpg)

Here the Porsche 912E clutch cable bowden tube fits like stock in a type-3. (note my 1" extension for the bowden tube just before the trans case)
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/images.thesamba.com-9730-1329455875.2.jpg)

[Root_Werks]

Dang Nate, you are an animal! Keep up the great work.

Do you work on Exhausts? I should bring my Puma up so you can correct a couple of little things for me.

[strawman]

Been watching this thread closely, as I've always loved Squarebacks and I owned a '66 VW Fastback in college. In fact, when my parents couldn't pay my hospital birth costs, they sold their Euro '54 Bug -- so I've got VW in my blood.

Anyway, today I finally convinced my wife's friend to let go of her beloved (and neglected) 1969 Squareback for $200. It has been sitting since October 2005, and it is mostly straight with very little rust in the typical places -- under one headlight bucket, the battery tray, and along the bottom of one front fender. I've got a receipt for an engine rebuild 12k miles ago in 2001, and it has been converted to stock VW dual carbs. Like my 914 project when I got it, it is covered in moss and cobwebs.



Cheers!

Geoff

[arkitect]

Been watching this thread closely, as I've always loved Squarebacks and I owned a '66 VW Fastback in college. In fact, when my parents couldn't pay my hospital birth costs, they sold their Euro '54 Bug -- so I've got VW in blood.

Anyway, today I finally convinced my wife's friend to let go of her beloved (and neglected) 1969 Squareback for $200. It has been sitting since October 2005, and it is mostly straight with very little rust in the typical places -- under one headlight bucket, the battery tray, and along the bottom of one front fender. I've got a receipt for an engine rebuild 12k miles ago in 2001, and it has been converted to stock VW dual carbs. Like my 914 project when I got it, it is covered in moss and cobwebs.



Cheers!

Geoff

Geoff,
Cool new project. How is your 914 going, running yet? Probably no time with your move.

Dave

[aircooledtechguy]

Congrats on the new project Geoff!! That's a score!!

[Bleyseng]

Great project and good to see how you modernized it so it should be a great DD.
I had a 64 1500S that I loved and looked just like this beautiful one with the SW front trunk gas heater. Also had a 69 Fastback that was a great DD.

[aircooledtechguy]

So over the past several weekends I have been working to make the Porsche 912E (923/915 series) 5-speed fit and work like a stock trans in my Squareback. I have now finished the fabrication and I am please to say that it works and works well. It feels and looks like it belongs in the car. Aesthetically, it’s pure Porsche and I’m really pleased with the result.

Some of the challenges I’ve had to deal with or over come were:
- The height if the transmission case (at the nosecone)
- Connecting the trans to the stub axles (Porsche inners/VW outers)
- Choosing a shifter that will work
- Modifying a shifter to work
- Modify the tunnel for the shifter to fit (honestly, it’s not nearly as bad on a T-3)
- Designing shift linkage (linkage that will compensate for an un-parallel trans shift shaft)

We’ll discuss these in order. . .

Since the height of the trans at the nose cone was WAY taller than the stock T-1 trans, most times, as a fabricator you would simply add a pocket to the area under the seat and be done with it. However this is not an option with a Squareback (well at least if you still want to fold the rear seat flat like stock). So instead of moving the body up with a pocket, I had to move the mount down. Not wanting to have a trans nose hanging super low, I opted to lower the entire rear suspension sub-frame 1.5” (which effectively raised the rear of the car 1.5”). I had to make 5 custom spacers to pull this off and then also re-adjusted the height of the car with adjustable spring plates. Now, the lowest point on the car is the factory Porsche skid plate for the trans mount and it’s an acceptable 4.5”. Actual trans and engine is a full 6”+.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/www.aircooledtech.com-9730-1330541101.1.JPG)
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Once the trans was physically in place I had to figure out what CV/Axle arrangement to use. The 923 trans has output CV flanges that fit 911 CV joints. However I found that the output flanges are the course spline type just like a 914 (woohoo!!). I have a bumper-crop of 914 CV flanges around here, so I simply bolted a set to the trans, used stock Beetle axles with 914 CVs on the inner side and they bolt up as stock!!


When it came to shifters, I used 3 different ones before I ended-up with the one I like and worked. I did 90% of my mock-up using a slightly modified Superior Formula Vee (VW) shifter and honestly it worked great except that the shift pattern ended up being backwards due to the linkage arrangement. So that also precluded the use of a stock Porsche 911 shifter either early or the late 915 style since they all move the shift rod in the tunnel opposite of the shift handle. Normally that’s not a problem, but my shift linkage flips the movement at the trans so I had to use a shifter that would move the shift rod with the handle. My solution was a ’73-’76 Porsche 914 unit.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/www.aircooledtech.com-9730-1330541103.6.JPG)

I did have to modify the shifter slightly so that the spring lock-out for Reverse/1st (for the 901 shift pattern) was flipped to the other side and correct for 5th/Reverse (for the 923/915 shift pattern) This was accomplished by first removing the springs and plate. Then I drilled out the welds for the alignment pin plate. Then I had to drill a new hole on the opposite side for the alignment pin plate and finally rosette welded the plate back to the other side. Viola!! A Porsche 914/923/915 shifter with correct 5th/rev lock-out.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/www.aircooledtech.com-9730-1330541104.7.JPG)
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/www.aircooledtech.com-9730-1330541105.8.JPG)


Modifying the tunnel was pretty straightforward. On a T-3 the tunnel is wider and the shifter is more centered than a beetle. So I just needed to enlarge the center hole and mark/drill the three mount holes. I made simple nut plates out of flat stock and 8x1.25mm nuts and then welded them to the under-side of the tunnel. As a bonus to using a Porsche shifter, I was able to mount a stock Porsche 914 heater lever in the nose of the shifter for my gas heater. It won’t actuate a cable, but it will be wired as the ground for the gas heater and heater fan. It gives the look though of an early 911 shifter w/ the factory enrichment lever!!

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/www.aircooledtech.com-9730-1330541105.9.jpg)
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/www.aircooledtech.com-9730-1330541106.10.JPG)


Designing the shift linkage was in a word, CHALLENGING!! Part of lowering the rear suspension was that if I lowered it straight down, not only would I have room for the trans nose cone, but an side effect was that the exhaust would also be showing more AND my intake air bellows would now not fit. So I had to mount it tilting down in front. What this did was disrupt the parallel plane between the shift linkage in the tunnel and the shift shaft at the nose of the trans (the trans was tilted about 10 degrees down). This caused stiction as you shifted. I had about a 6” drop and a 10 degree down angle to overcome. My design incorporated two, ½” heim joints to allow for movement at increasing angles without stiction. This linkage was redesigned and remade about 4-5 times before I had solved all the issues that came-up. You can now see why the stock style shifter caused the shift pattern to be flopped and why I had to go with a late 914 side-shift shifter to get the shifting back to normal. I’m really happy with the result. Shifting is positive and it’s infinitely adjustable

Rather than describe it, below are some photos to show exactly how it’s made.
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/www.aircooledtech.com-9730-1330541106.11.jpg)
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/www.aircooledtech.com-9730-1330541107.12.jpg)
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[Irish914]

great project looks like lots of fun (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif)

[veltror]

I do like this...

[Prospectfarms]

Fascinating, but the difficulty of fabricating the new shift linkage made my head hurt. Will the custom mount of the transmission change the effective lube level of fluid coverage in the sump? Will part of the gearbox ever become fluid starved?

(BTW, I've often visited Nate's Aircooled webpage for some tidbit of info and similarly interesting how-to's. Now here you are. Thanks. (The link is in his signature)

[aircooledtechguy]

Been spending my Saturdays of late, wrapping up all the small details that come with the new 5-speed, the rear brakes the gas heater and all the wiring-in of all the various components. Whew, there's a lot of little stuff that takes a lot of time.

I made one change to the brakes. I had planned on running stock 914 calipers in the back so as to retain my stock e-brake. The issue I had was the cable routing since my brake calipers had to be on the rear of the trailing arm, the cables would end up being very close to the axles/CVs. So I traded them out for 912E calipers that I had. Fit like a glove!! But now i don't have en e-brake. Perusing eBay I came across a really simple hydraulic e-brake set-up used by drift cars guys. . . I pulled the trigger on it and now I'm going to have an fully functional hydraulic e-brake!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/images.thesamba.com-9730-1332260241.1.jpg)

I've also made a few purchases that will add to the creature comforts. Updating this older car with modern car amenities is also a goal of the project. I've never owned an air-cooled car with cruise control, so I picked-up a Dakota Digital fully digital cruise system. It uses no vacuum off the motor, and I'll be able to stuff the module under my rear seat (like every other bit of electronics). Every day, I pass through several highly patrolled speed traps so I'm looking forward to the added piece of mind cruise control provides (especially with a car that really moves).

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/images.thesamba.com-9730-1332260242.2.jpg)

I got this little jewel from Zach (Vacca Rabite) so I'll be rolling this cool 917 replica shift knob. It feels sooooooo nice in my hand (cool in summer, warm in winter) and the finish is simply un-believable. It's actually finished with about 20 thin layers of super glue(!) and polished to a mirror finish. It simply must be seen to be appreciated fully.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/images.thesamba.com-9730-1332260242.3.jpg)

I also picked-up a pair of mid-70s/early 80s Porsche 911 seats off Craigslist super cheap. While I'm not a fan of high-backs, they are a lot safer. They also have bolstering top and bottom so I won't be sliding off the seat while cornering like I do in the stock, flat, low-backs. I'm having these recovered in black vinyl w/ stock black VW basket weave in the centers. Before the covers go on though, I also opted for seat heaters for both seats. I've never had a car with that option, so I figured, what the hell!! 8)

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/images.thesamba.com-9730-1332260243.4.jpg)
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/images.thesamba.com-9730-1332260244.5.jpg)

[rhodyguy]

heat exchangers, gas fired heater, heated seats...you moving to the south pole?

[aircooledtechguy]

heat exchangers, gas fired heater, heated seats...you moving to the south pole?

My wife always complains about my cars being cold. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/screwy.gif) I'm putting an end to that right here. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif)

[aircooledtechguy]

Been sewing up details on the shop-car over the past few weekends. Finally got them all finished and can officially close out phase-3 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cheer.gif)

Fired the motor up and did some gear checks. Found all five so that''s good. Then out of the blue, my alternator let the magic smoke out (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) Luckily I have some spares around here (and it's easier to change than on the teener).

I could have this beast prowling the back-roads by tomorrow afternoon. . . (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

I've decided that this is as far as I will take things this year. The front-end swap is as ambitious an undertaking as the 5-speed and also includes a power brake upgrade, so knowing how much I will actually have to dedicate to this during the busy months here at the shop it will be put on hold until next winter. I want to be able to drive and enjoy it for the upcoming show season and only do fine-tuning to the current set-up.

I will be going ahead with custom widened wheels and tires though and adding in my 911 seats when the upholsterer gets them finished in a week or so. I also may fabricate a custom center console so I can move my gauges in there permanently. If I do, I'll probably wire-in the cruise control at that time.

I do plan to have the MS2 re-tuned for the added displacement and CR when I upgraded from the stock U.S. spec 94s to the flat-top 96s.

I know some have been interested in the gearing and what it would translate MPH = RPMs The preliminary tests on the gearing for the 923 (912E) trans are as follows (as indicated by the speed sensor in the trans and indicated by the 912E dash gauge I have installed and wired into the car)(RPMs are rounded):

In 5th gear

40mph = 1700rpms
50mph = 2200rpms
60mph = 2600rpms
70mph = 3100rpms
80mph = 3600rpms
90mph = 4000rpms

I didn't feel real comfortable running it faster than that on my lift in the shop with the tires only an inch or so off the ground. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) I may have to wire in that cruise control sooner than later. . . (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

[aircooledtechguy]

So I've logged about 60 miles on the Square since getting the 5-speed installed and I LOVE it. Cruising down the hwy, I have less engine noise and we'll see about the fuel mileage when I get the bugs out of the speedo (needle sometimes works flawlesly; other times not at all).

Some things that I definitely need to do to make it a solid driver are:

- rear-end alignment. I can tell it's out. It drives perfectly straight, but becomes a little "twichy" as speed increases. It's O.K. below 55-60, but the couple times I sprinted to 85-90, it was beginning to feel dicey. Don't want to crack this thing up because of a simple alignment issue. . .

- I need to replace my rear axle bearings. Probably should have done that during mock-up, but i didn't think of it.

- Rear brakes slightly drag. I may need to do my Porsche brake MC upgrade sooner than later. . .

- I need to get the wider tires on this before I even attempt another high-speed run over 80mph!! The 155R15s(!) that are currently mounted are wholly insufficient for anything other than drifting (which is quite fun BTW), and don't add to the stability in or out of corners. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif)

- The speedo works only about 1/3 of the time. I'll have to investigate that. I may just have a wire that is grounding on the back (they are really close to the chassis).

- The lights for high beam, park lights and blinkers don't work or don't work correctly. I just LOVE wiring. . . (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

- My oil pressure gauge is not reading right. I may have the wrong sender. I also need to re-wire all the grounds for my gauges. I daisy-chained a few of the grounds together for simplicity of wiring and I think they are insufficient so some weirdness is going on.

Other than the alignment problem, the axle bearings and the brakes, the rest is more convenience stuff that I will just have to get sorted as time allows.

The ugly and unassuming "Squarsche Type-3/P SS" (Super Sleeper) is now mobile and prowling the roads for winged H*nda f@rt-cars to embarrass and demean publicly. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif)

[Mike Bellis]

I run one of those hydraulic brakes. It will loose pressure as the fluid cools. Not great for hills. It will hold on my steep driveway for a few hours, just not over night. If I wait until the fluid cools and press the brake pedal (under the dash), it will hold over night. Works great on flat ground to hold the car from moving.

Great thread btw. I had a 66 & 67 fastback. loved those cars. Still have a set of dual carbs for it. Now I need a T3 to put them on...