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]

I haven't posted in a while, but I've been busy.

I completed the engine mount system, as well as the transmission mount system. My wife-n-daughter were away this weekend and they took the digital camera, so I was unable to take any pics of my recent progress. I'll snap some shots in the coming days and post them here.

But the big news is that I sold my racing karts on Sunday to bring some more money to the project. I just ordered an OBX planetary limited slip for my Suby trans. I'll try to chronicle that build soon after the unit arrives. I also just got off the phone with Chuck at Elephant Racing Products and bought the following items:

1. Polybronze suspension bushings, front and rear
2. Tarett front sway bar and weld-on A-arm mounts
3. Front monoball camber plates
4. Balljoint mount kits.

I plan to drive down to San Jose next week to pick up the items, and to have him check out my Bilstein Sport strut inserts. Elephant now rebuilds & revalves Bilstein struts ($250/pair; Bilstein in Poway only charges $150/pair).

I plan on staying with the stock 911 18.8mm torsion bars up front for now, although he is suggesting that the Bilstein Sports are "too much" for the stock front 911 torsions -- especially in a 914. I'm a little reluctant to move up to a larger set of front torsions until I have a chance to drive the car. Anyone have some advice for me, both in terms of the torsion bars and strut inserts (I have 911 Bilstein strut housings)? Maybe it would be best to finish assembling the car, corner weight it and then send the strut inserts in for a rebuild/revalve? The car will be used primarily for spirited mountain road driving, occasional autocrosses and some HPDE track events.

Geoff