914-6/904 project begins Options

[Unobtanium-inc]

A lot of what I'm finding on the market is after market VW stuff, but mostly for sandrails and such, not sure it's the ride I'm looking for.

[sixnotfour]

http://www.coolrydescustoms.com/store/c2/M...SUSPENSION.html

[Mueller]

...

[Unobtanium-inc]

I think before I chop in a pricey complete front setup I'll try to shorten the strut and lower the strut tower, if that doesn't work I'll go in the Mendeola direction.

[Unobtanium-inc]

Ok, so we finally got out from the pile of cars and parts we buried ourselves in since the summer. Next time when someone asks if I want to do a 50 car Porsche deal, I won't be as enthusiastic!
Back to the grind on the 904 project, literally, grinding and cutting the skin off the test bed car, the doomed 914 center seater. Well, as excited as I was to get back into the project, it was a classic case of two steps forward, one step back. I worked on the chassis most of Thursday and had planned to go into the shop on Friday and have a whole day of Porsche bliss. Since it was a holiday my phone would not be ringing so I could just fire up the pellet stove, turn on some music and get to work. Except, while grinding on Thursday a little piece of metal got past my safety glasses so by the evening my eye was swelling pretty good and by bedtime it felt like pins were in my eye when I tried to close it. Ever try to sleep without closing one eye?
So Friday morning I went to a Doc-In-The-Box and after looking at my eye they sent me to the ER, so the day I was supposed to be in Porsche Project Heaven I was actually in ER Hell. Luckily the 3rd DR to try was able to get the chunk of Porsche out of my eyeball and it quickly starting feeling better. I still have to see a 4th DR on Monday to deal with the rust ring the metal made in my eye. Yes, in case you were wondering, Porsche rust never sleeps, even in your eyeball!
So Saturday the kids had art camp so I went to the shop and got slicing and dicing, the 914 now looks more like a Kubelwagon than a 914. Now that winter has officially hit NY, look for more updates in the coming weeks.
Oh, and don't grind in just safety glasses, I ignored my own advice and the ER visit was the result, wear a full face shield.
Happy New Year-
Adam

[SirAndy]

I hate to say this at this point of the project, but that chassis looks like a perfect candidate for a Kübelwagen or Schwimmwagen!
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

PS: Also, i second the safety glass recommendation. Been there, done that, don't want to do it again. I now always use those that are like goggles and go all around the sides.

[Unobtanium-inc]

I hate to say this at this point of the project, but that chassis looks like a perfect candidate for a Kübelwagen or Schwimmwagen!
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

PS: Also, i second the safety glass recommendation. Been there, done that, don't want to do it again. I now always use those that are like goggles and go all around the sides.

A mid-engine Kubel would be very very cool.

[GaroldShaffer]

can you post a picture of how they did the steering column move & pedal cluster? NOT that I want to build a center seat 914, just wondering how they did it.

[Unobtanium-inc]

can you post a picture of how they did the steering column move & pedal cluster? NOT that I want to build a center seat 914, just wondering how they did it.

I will be back at the shop on Monday and can take some pics. For the column the guy built some crude brackets. The pedals he put on either side of the center tunnel, the shifter he left in the middle, so had someone raced the car they would have hard in between their legs the whole race, that would have been funny to watch!

[Mark Henry]

Ok, this question goes out to you heavy mod guys. One of my first engineering problems is I need to lower or eliminate the front shock towers. Has anyone adapted a side mount suspension? Or lowered the shock towers with a shorter strut?

Knew you would run into that one, but you were already well into the project.
I had a RSK kit car here, the owner wanted to use a 914 chassis as well, a quick look told me front struts would be an issue.

I would go about it by abandoning the 914 struts and building a custom A-arm assembly along the lines of what the VW guys do.
In fact, IIRC you can buy the A-arm assembly already built over on thesamba.
At least I know you can buy it for a sand buggy, I know I did see someone do it for a lowered street bug just like below.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i117.photobucket.com-26-1451767286.1.jpg)



The RSK?
One off I think someone in Ontario, Canada made the body.
It made the rounds of all the local shops around here, no one gave him the right price. I already knew one shop made the mistake of wasting a couple weeks preparing a proper quote and then he bailed.
One look, chassis junk and real rough FG work, I told him my quote would be north of $50k. It's was gone from my shop within 2 days.
Last I saw it was up For Sale on Kijiji.

[Unobtanium-inc]

Mark-
I have a couple of ideas to try with the existing struts before I put in a Dual A-Arm system.

[Dave_Darling]

One of our sometime members, Britain Smith, made a rocker-arm suspension for his 914 autoXer. Or used-to-be-a-914-but-is-now-mostly-tubes-and-fiberglass autoXer.

--DD

[Unobtanium-inc]

Dave-
I think he used Lotus stuff, right?

[Bruce Hinds]

I've had the same thoughts over the years, using the teener chassis for a 550 project . . .

It's been a long time since I've given this much thought, but as I recall the strut holds the gas shock in the tube with a big nut that screws inside the top of the stut tube. What if you used a shorter shock and just shorten the strut tube to the appropriate length.

Shortening the towers to the right height could be welded in place using the old towers as a jig . . . (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sawzall-smiley.gif)

Big talk for a dreamer huh . . .

[Unobtanium-inc]

I'm using part of a 914 for my 550 project. I'm going to use the motor and rear end, but graft it into a 356 chassis. I have a solid C chassis that was a rollover, so perfect for this. Just waiting on the body to get finished.

[Mark Henry]

Sorry brainfart....the kit car I was talking about was a RSK, no where near as pretty as this one, but this is it.
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/o.aolcdn.com-26-1451788320.1.jpg)

[Unobtanium-inc]

If anyone wants one of these I have a guy who wants to practically give one away. I found it in middle FL.
I wanted the stablemate.

[Unobtanium-inc]

The stablemate.

[rgalla9146]

What chassis under the 962 body ?

[Unobtanium-inc]

What chassis under the 962 body ?

Cigar boxes me thinks.