Starting a 1971 IMSA 914 Restoration, A privateer run 914 with Sebring and Daytona history Options

[FourBlades]

I am finally starting on the build thread for the IMSA 914. This is a 1971 914-4
that was bought in 1975 or 6 as a used car and turned into an IMSA GTU car.
It is a well crafted but not big budget car with a lot of clever touches that helped
it to beat a lot of more famous and undoubtedly better financed teams.

My wife and I plan to restore the car to racing condition and then enjoy the
heck out of it without abusing it any further (its clearly had a hard life).

Our priorities are (1) make it safe and legal for current vintage rules (2) keep
it original as practical (3) keep it period correct, in that order. We also want to
avoid over restoring it too much, but it is easy to understand the temptation
to cad plate, power coat, and perfectly repaint everything. I think this last issue
will be the biggest, other than going broke or insane first (either one would
be a short trip at this point).

I plan to post way too many photos, the best quality I can, until people flame
me big time to stop. I also expect you, yes YOU!, to help me figure out what
to do and give me ideas and comments. I may not always do everything people
want, but I will consider all ideas. I'm really just a novice restorer and I know
I can't do this without your help.

OK, so screw the BS, lets see some pictures. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

Competing at Sebring as a 4-cylinder (changed to a six soon after).



T.C., who found the car in a barn, passes it on to me (what luck!).



I had to turn to a close friend for the financing, but it worked out.



Huge ATL 500A fuel cell. The hood just closes over this.



TC, URY914, SMG914, and I working on my Explorer flat six conversion.



Fiberglass flares and paintwork need a little bit of work.



Wife: Are you sure we are buying the right car? Why don't we just buy this one
from T.C., it actually has an engine inside the car. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)



I have started to dissassemble the car so it can be soda blasted and I have tons
of pictures to post.

So what do you all think?

John

[FourBlades]

I have seen Bernie's thread on 908 calipers. I have heard such things run about
$3000 for a set, when you can find them. Current plan is s-calipers.

I do plan to reproduce the paint scheme as closely as possible. I will make some
full size tracings of it before it gets blasted. I will be painting it myself and will
most likely use single stage paint, which is what the car has on it now.

The black pin stripes are actually plastic pin striping tape, and not paint.

I am shooting for the "just been painted and polished in 1976" look, rather
than $500 car with a $10,000 paint job look. I am sure it will end up looking
much better than the car ever did back in the day, but still have some
character. Reading some of the 906 restoration threads from gunnar racing
has given me some ideas about how race cars where prepared by the factory.
If you have never looked at www.gunnarracing.com, do it, it is a treasure trove
of pictures, information, and Porsche resto porn.

I have the reciepts with paint codes from the hardware store where they bought
the paint. They are not Porsche codes, probably just the local store's brand codes.
I think the paint for the car was about $40 in 1976...

John