Introducing "Dirty Penny" - Former $2010[$2012] GRM Project, Running. Driving. Boosting. FUN! Options

[jpnovak]

I wanted to introduce myself as a new member to the World. I am new to the 914 but not new to air-cooled. I have two 1971 911s; a T - soft-window targa and an ST-replica track car. I am sure I have seen many of you on Pelican. With the 911 I have done it all, rust repair, paint, engines, transmissions and chassis setup. I felt it was time for something new.

Introducing my new project. "Dirty Penny"

Penny is a 1975 Porsche 914. She has been sitting unattended for a while. I found her at a friends house under the old oak tree. Penny is wearing copper metallic paint and had a white interior. Penny arrived without a heart. I am going to give her new life.

Penny will be built as a Grassroots Motorsports $2010 Challenge car. For those not familiar that means you have $2010 to build a car where it competes in a concours, drag race and autocross. The prize? Notoriety in GRM and ridicule from those who already think you are nuts and cheap. My wife doesn't affectionately call me Fred Sanford for nothing. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Here are a few pictures of Penny being unearthed from her previous home. The TX sun has not been kind to the paint, nor the interior. However, the dry climate has left her remarkably rust free. There is rust in the Hell Hole that has been previously cut out yet never welded back in. Rot is almost non-existent.

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How much money I have left to spend on the project.

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The plan is simple to do well at the Challenge. Get a car that handles well. Strip the weight out of it. give it some extra HP. Let's see... A 914 handles well. they are already pretty light. but the Type IV doesn't lend itself to high HP without major $$$.

A bit of late night ebay browsing and I came across a JDM Subaru EJ20G drivetrain. Yes, that's what I need. ITs still a flat-4 - yet has to be water cooled and makes 140+ HP/L in stock trim. I like it. The vendor was in Dallas which means reduced shipping costs. Yep, that's the rule. you must account for ALL purchases.

The new heart and soul... Oh yeah it will have soul!

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to be honest, work has been crazy and I have 13 months to build the car. Progress won't be fast. I am excited to make this go forward. The challenge of swapping the entire drivetrain begins with connections. The engine mounts are easy. Trying to get the shift linkage, clutch linkage and throttle cable done on the cheap is not so easy. I know there is a wealth of information on this site. Thanks to all those who have traveled this road before me.

Until the next update...

Now I have to figure out how to post images on this site rather than link external.

[jtf914]

Hey Jamie,

Been a while since I last saw you in DC. Always loved your work on the ST and soft window targa. Good Luck and (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)

-Justin

[jpnovak]

Hey Justin, It has been a while. For some reason, I thought you sold your -6. btw, thanks for the welcome. This will be a bit of a diversion from the other projects. Nah, who am I kidding. They are all the same. Find something interesting and make it my own.

Of course, my wife doesn't think I am going to keep it. When the mechanicals are all done I have to at least take it to the track. And then I need to maximize the suspension... And then...

Ahh the slippery slope.

[TravisNeff]

This should be a great thread! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

[Todd Enlund]

Sweet! That's two 914s for the $2010 Challenge!

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=91445

[jpnovak]

I mocked up the engine mount in CAD. The package all fits together within the measured dimensions of the engine bay. Here is the model engine mount. There are two vertical struts that will bolt to the rear shock tower cross member. Two engine mounts connect to the flat four. The Suby engine has engine mounts on the backside next to the bell housing connection. These are angled at 22 deg per side. Two forward extending struts will connect to the stock engine mount locations. This effectively ties the rear of the car together. Triangulated bracing is not shown for simplicity. The design also clears the up and down pipe on the turbo.

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Enough with the design. Let's start cutting metal. I started by supporting the car on jack stands. Then I cut out all the mounting channels for the air seal. This car will never need these again.

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The next step is to cut an opening in the rear tray/cross member for a little chassis reinforcement. It is well known that high g-loads can cause separation of the shock towers from the longitudinals. The problem lies in the fact that the rear shock towers are not actually welded to the ends of the longitudinals. One side of the cross member mounts to the shocktower and the front side of the cross member mounts to the longitudinal. cutting an opening followed by some welding can easily solve the problem.

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Once the access hole is opened, I simply seam welded the two sections.

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I also welded up the top section to further connect the shock tower to the longitudinal.

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Next, I fabricate the reinforcement sections for the corners. These will serve as the mounting points for the engine yoke/cradle. These are simply cut from scrap 3/16" flat stock. good thing scrap steel can be had for free if you know where to look. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)


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Here are the two corner sections installed. I also drilled and tapped holes and then welded nuts on the backsides. These blind nuts will serve as the upper mounting holes for the engine yoke. Two bolts on each side of the vertical struts pictured above.

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[jpnovak]

Next I had to start work on the engine yoke. Up until this point I have not spent any money. I did make a shopping trip to my local metal supplier. They are actually cheaper than Metalmart.com and I can easily get items cut to length. Sales tax on $24 in steel is cheaper than shipping any day.

The main loop is fabricated from 1.5" square tubing. The two engine mount sections are mitered from 2" square tubing. The forward locating struts are made from 1" square tubing. I thought that this was the best application of cost and strength.

First I welded up the main hoop. This is the U shape with two vertical struts and one horizontal cross member. This will support most of the weight of the motor. Next I miter cut the engine mounts. These are angled to the proper 22 degree and have relief cuts to access the engine mounting bolts.


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The mitered cuts were then installed on the main hoop.

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As you can see it fits up nicely.

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The next step is to raise the engine in the car and make cutouts for the turbo in the rear trunk. I will need to remove about a 2" segment of the floor to clear the turbo downpipe. The renegade kit mounts the motor more forward to avoid cutting the car. I did not want to do this since it puts a strained angle on the CV axles. My drivetrain is setup with perfect alignment of the axles and the hubs.

Once the engine is raised I can get a final height on my engine yoke and drill the pass through holes. After that I will fab tranny mounts in the car to support the backside of the drivetrain. This might make me cut the whole trunk out and tube the rear of the car. Nah! too much money in replacement steel for that.

Ahh its good to be back working on a project. Maybe I can get the motor installed and fired before the end of the year.

Until next time...

[ConeDodger]

Hey! I lived on the same block as a "Dirty Penny". She went to Catholic school but we all knew her... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

So, I am thinking this one has a lot of 2010 Challenge potential... How can we help? Are donations allowed as $0 or do you have to valuate them and enter it in the accounting" Perhaps a little 914World Sponsorship...

[strawman]

Kewl, another Suby swap! My swap is chronicled at:

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act...f=2&t=83031

See post #83 for my Suby trans mount solution. That would work well for your trans, too, since your trans also has the removable rear/top plate. I am doing my swap on the cheap, too, using as much surplus and used components that I am able to scrounge.

For me, the project build is more than half the fun. In the past 15 years, I've built a bunch of VWs (Bugs, Vans, Fastback, dune buggy, etc.), a couple of IH Scouts, a Samurai-based rockcrawler, RX7 and MR2 autocrossers, a 125cc shifter kart, RD400-based cafe racer, etc. I swapped a '94 Suby Legacy engine into a Westy Syncro Vanagon, and have owned a couple of Subies, so I know these engines well.

Best of luck. I'll keep an eye on your build... keep the pics coming!

Geoff

[jpnovak]

Rob, I am not sure of your connotation. I truly believe that the car looks like a discarded coin, not something that may not be the prettiest to look at but has something special under the skirt. java script:emoticon(':shades2:',%20'smid_45')

I would love to have free parts. However, I have to account for all parts. This means assigning "fair market value" to all additions on the car. Of course, this could be up for interpretation as to the true market value and corresponding condition of said parts.

Geoff, Sounds like a great project list. I have checked out your build. The tranny mount seems like a good one. I was planning to triangulate down to the lower isolation mount . This would give a slightly better angle of attack on the tubing. I also thought that I might make the rear diff cover be the mount. Then I could have a visual reference to a 908/917 in the rear. Would be easy if planned properly.

I have a solution such that I do not have to buy the Bremar parts. I will keep everyone posted. I think they make a great part but I need to have that budget on my build. Good thing for cutting and welding tools. java script:emoticon(':welder:',%20'smid_59')

[IronHillRestorations]

That is one of my favorite color combinations. Metallic copper and white interior looks awesome!

[grouperalley]

great car for $2010. You've read the rules, so you know liberal inteptations of trading parting out are allowed. Ive got a 76 parts car a set of riverias, some other stuff that might help when you get to the details, and surely some shop space. So if as your plans develop you might want to come to Orlando, 50 miles south of gainesville ( the site of most $2010) and borrow misc parts you might need. Good luck

[camaroz1985]

Looking good. How's the progress coming?

My progress has stalled for the winter again (I need a heated garage). Hopefully there will be at least 2 914s at the $2010 challenge.

[jpnovak]

The motor and tranny mounts are done. I am currently fitting the cooling system. Once I have water I will wire it up and fab an exhaust.

Progress has been really slow the past 2 months due to other commitments.

[jpnovak]

I thought I would bump this thread since I finally moved on to get some progress completed.

The car and project goals are still alive. Just delayed a year or so. Life, family and work got in the way. Now I am committed to getting Penny to the Challenge! Hey, I have an extra dollar to spend this year.

I will update some pictures later tonight but thought I would give a brief description of my progress (and lack of).

1. The cooling system is in. I bought some EPDM heavy wall hose from McMaster Carr. This 1.25" ID/2"OD hose runs under the car through the floor stamping recess that outlines the center tunnel. Like others before me I snake the hose between the front suspension cross member and steering rack. In the rear I machined adapters that step from 1.25" up to 1.5" using scrap aluminum. This mates to the factory Suby inlet/outlet. Looks clean and is leak free.

Interesting note: Red hose is $0.40/ft cheaper than black hose. Guess what color my radiator hose is. Besides, red is faster right?!

2. Shifting system. I used Evinrude boat control cables I found on eBay for $5. These mate to welded adapters on the shift-select rod.

In the car I installed a manual shifter from a Nissan Versa. I know its not the same as most other builds but there are a few notable differences. First the shift cables exit the front and then loop down through the tunnel. Worked perfectly with my long boat cables. SEcond the shift position is fantastic. The shifter knob is located to the right about 6", back about 3" and middle of the wheel for height. My hand naturally drops of the steering wheel and onto the knob. The throw is about 3" front-to-back and about 2" side-to-side.

Oh, I was the one with he DIY Bremar kit. Shifting works great now.

3. Fuel system. I pulled the tank and cleaned it out. Then I made my own rust etch and ended up with a nice, internally clean tank. I used a Ford Crown Vic fuel pump. Also used on the 98 F150 and a bunch of other Ford cars. Fuel pressure spec is up to 50psi and plenty of delivery volume. Best of all it was $30 delivered.

The stock fuel lines were cleaned and connected to the subaru fuel inlet/outlet using a bridge fuel hose. my 75 had the poly lines through the tunnel. The OD is the same as the ID of the stock Subaru hose. A simple clamp made the connection. Simple, cost nothing and is leak free.

4. Wiring and electrical. This is where I have had the most trouble. I bought a JDM 98 Forester turbo drivetrain. Great except that the wiring diagrams are one-year only and really do not exist. Thankfully all of the GC-X (X = 1-8) series EJ20 motors have similar pin-outs even if the wiring colors are vastly different. It litterally took me 2.5 months to trim the factory subaru harness down to the engine controls. I have traced every wire coming out of the ECU and verified the colors were correct. This was difficult considering that 80% were different colors compared to the wiring diagrams I was using. I found that the UK version of the 1998 WRX had the best match for a wiring diagram.

Once I had the ECU wired in the car I started to make connections to the 914 wiring. Where do I start?

ON a car that sat for 12 years it was an exercise in frustration the first time I connected the battery. Nothing worked. First I cleaned the ignition switch. Then the main relay. Then the light switch. Then all of the grounds. Finally, the lights, starter, fuel pump and most of the gauges work.

Someone please answer this question. Why did the factory switch wire colors from Black/Red to green in the middle of the wiring harness under the dash for the fuel pump 12V supply? I spent hours tracking that down and only found it by splitting the harness and pulling out the wire to find the change in color. This change was not noted in ANY 914 wiring diagram I could find.

Yesterday I was very excited to finally reach the point of starting the motor. I bought some oil late yesterday afternoon and filled the sump. Next I primed the fuel system and turned the key. Spins and spins yet, no spark/no injector pulse. HMM. Time to start tracking signals starting with the crank sensor.

Hopefully, I will get this car started soon. Then it is off to more important things like building axles, figuring out the clutch and rebuilding the brake system. First, it must run.

[SirAndy]

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[camaroz1985]

Congrats on getting this far. Life got in the way of my GRM project before I even got the engine in. The remnants are still for sale (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[jpnovak]

yes, life has a way of getting in the way. My wife (who I love dearly) said - get the car running and make the Challenge or get rid of it. the line was drawn in the said and I decided to finish the car.

I now have a copy of the 98 factory manual. It has all the output signals I need to troubleshoot the ECU and see what ails it. I have verified all power and ground connections. Now I need to start tracking down signals starting with the crank sensor. Hopefully it will be something simple.

If I can't get the ECU working I will probably Megasquirt it. - I will have to make concessions on the seats and other items but a running car is worth it.

[jpnovak]

Still no start on the ECU. I used the O-scope last night and tracked a nice input signal off the cam and crank sensors. However, no output signals to the injectors or coil.

today I took apart the ECU case and checked the board. I found a few bad solder joints on the main chip and so I reflowed the two main chips and all of the power transistors/driver circuits. Hiopefully, this will solve the problem.

If there is still no output I will abandon the factory ECU and install a MS system. I bought a used one on CL and it is already accounted for in my budget as a backup.

[jpnovak]

I am GO for MS.

The factory ECU is dead. I don't know if it got zapped or just lost its firmware from sitting unpowered for so long. Usually the ROM data is good for at least a few years. There is no telling how long the motor has been sitting. I do no think I can reflash it.

At this point it would be easier for me to wire in the MS unit.