Suby-engined rustoration, 21-Sep-2024 update: more racing-related carnage! Options

[strawman]

Hi All --

This is my second post, but I've been lurking on this fine website for a while now. I've wanted a 914 since I was in high school, but always seemed to stumble upon other projects... until recently.

My neighbor gave me this 1973 Porsche 914 about a month ago. He told me he blew a head gasket and parked it in his parents' driveway in 1992. When his parents finally told him to move it or they were calling a local junkyard, he offered it to me since he knows I'm a gearhead. In for a penny, in for a pound...

I hauled it home, knowing that it has some rust issues in the battery area and rear trunk. But it appears to have never been in a wreck and it is complete. It turns out that an exhaust stud pulled, so he coulda fixed it for a couple hundred and probably kept another 914 from languishing but I guess all things happen for a reason (namely, so I would undertake this project!).

I sold the engine to a local Craigslister for use in his Meyers Manx dune buggy, and bought a wrecked but running 1993 Subaru Legacy turbo wagon. This is the closed-deck 2.2 liter engine, and 250 hp is easy with boost control and an open exhaust. I've already done a Subaru into a VW Vanagon and my daily driver is a 1992 Suby Legacy, so this won't be too much of a stretch for me. I plan to use the Suby 5-speed transmission (out of a 1998 Suby Forester) with the Aussie-sourced RWD elimination coupler and custom-mated 914/Suby axles.

I've got a suburban home with a crowded two-car garage (my 125 shifter kart and my daughter's FJA kart will likely get lonely!), a MIG welder, and a wide assortment of air/power/hand tools -- so the adventure begins! This project will likely take a year to finish, so please be patient.

I've attached some pics of the car as found in the driveway, some rust areas and the rear trunk repairs I've started. I'll chronicle the build as I go, so feel free to chime in!

Geoff

[strawman]

Finally, here's some of the trailing arm stiffening kit install. I still have to weld the outer seams and clean up the rosette welds.

First up is one arm, smoothed, weld-thru primered and ready for the install.


Next up is the plate, drilled and weld-thru primered.


Here are both arms, with the plates rosette welded and ready for seam welding.


Finally, here is a pic of the underside GT stiffening kit on the passenger side. That one was the most difficult and it took a lot of muscle/grunting/swearing to bend it in to shape.


I really recommend cutting out templates of each piece in posterboard prior to drilling the holes... I had to fill-in a couple holes that the "instructions" otherwise suggested would be over solid metal. The template also helps you pre-bend the pieces. I believe that is most important on the trailing arm kits, since you want to make sure the rosette welds are in places that will help you bend the sides over. Does that make sense?

I'm heading to DC for work for a week, but I hope to finish up the trailing arms and the GT stiffening kit next weekend. Happy New Year!