OT: Working on my shop car, The wagon Porsche never built. . . Options

[aircooledtechguy]

I've had a long term project going now to turn my '67 Squareback into my shop car. While I love driving my 914, it has limitations as a daily parts hauler. I love old styling with new technology and updates, so my goal is to turn my humble Square into the wagon that Porsche never made. I want it to drive and handle more like a Porsche than a VW wagon and it's got to be a true "Sleeper" (not a real problem; since it's a wagon). (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/images.thesamba.com-9730-1324689630.1.jpg)
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/images.thesamba.com-9730-1324689631.2.jpg)

This has been a 4-5 phase project.

Phase-1 - Convert it to Porsche 914 2.0L motor. Make it physically adapted to the car and running MS2 w/ Ford EDIS ignition. Get it tuned to be a daily driver. DONE!!

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/images.thesamba.com-9730-1324689631.3.jpg)

Phase-2 - Make the motor look good and freshen it up with new P&Cs. The heads were freshened only about 2K miles before I got it, by me when it was in a clients 914 that he converted to Subie power. I noticed that once I had a few miles on it myself, it was using a bit of oil. So I upgraded to a new set of 96mm P&Cs. So now it's a 2056.




I had my local powder coater do all the tins in black and the plenum and runners in grey for a stock look. I'm running T-4 H/Es with a modified bus header and a Summit Racing Flow Master clone muffler. So I had those ceramic coated in black so they are not attention grabbers from the back. This car is a sleeper (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif)



DONE!!

Phase-3 - Convert the rear suspension to the later style IRS and install a Porsche 923 trans out of a Porsche 912E. The rear suspension is DONE!! While at it, I upgraded it with 914 rear brakes, urethane bushings, adjustable spring plates and a rear sway bar. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/images.thesamba.com-9730-1324689632.4.jpg)

Since the trans is taller than a stock 4-speed and cutting into the car can't happen due to rear seat issues. I gained the 1.5" I needed by spacing the body off the rear suspension with spacers. So here I sit, on the final leg of phase-3. I now need to couple the motor/trans and lift it into it's final place and fab rear engine hanger mounts for the rear bar. It's late and I'm tired. . .

Phase-4 - Front suspension upgrade. Currently in-work

Phase-5 - Paint so it doesn't look so crappy, though it does add to the "sleeper" persona. . .

Stay tuned for more later. . .

[aircooledtechguy]

I finally got a chance to really put the "Squarsche" through it's paces on a long twisty road yesterday. I connected up with members of the Chuckanut Sports Car Club after work yesterday and we sprinted up to Artist Point and back on Mt Baker, in NW Washington state. This drive was my first real test of the engine, trans, suspension mods, brakes and virtually everything I have been doing to the car thus far. The drive is about 100 miles round trip and begins at about 100' above sea level. During the first 35 miles, it's a fast sprint with un-impeaded speeds averaging between 50mph and 75 mph through some farm lands & forest with beautiful stretches that border the Nooksak River as it gently climbs to about 1500'. The drive then gets progressively twistier as the rate of ascent steepens in the final 12 miles. This is where it becomes really fun. In the final 12 miles you climb to 5100' with the better part of that in the final 6 miles. There are virtually no straight stretches of road with which to allow your mind to wander and take in the beautiful views. In all the years I've been driving this road, I have yet to enjoy the scenery except from the summit (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

The car handles really well for having a weight bias of 37/63 (37% front - 63% rear). When I see the numbers like that I immediately think, "this should make a nice drift car", but it doesn't handle like I expected. Flat in the corners and the rear-end was firmly stuck to the road in all but the most extreme situations. There are a couple fast left-right-left-right corners that if you carry too much speed in and have to stab the brakes, you can feel the rear-end getting a little light and it whips a bit during the transition, but I experience that too in my Porsche 914 (with a 49/51 weight bias), so it's the nature of the beast. It does push going into a corner hard because there is so little weight in the front. However, I was a little pressed for time getting to the meeting place and totally forgot to fill my extra large 20 gallon tank before the drive. So I not only had about 1/3 of a tank of fuel, but also had all that weight sloshing side to side aggravating the problem. So next time I'll be filling the tank first. I still plan on shedding some weight off the rear and relocating the battery to the front and as much other stuff as I can.

The motor pulls like a freight train above 3K even in the thinner air. At 4K+ it really gets a pissed off sound that I just love. :twisted: AFR averaged between 12.7 & 13.5 on the LC-1. The Porsche disks could haul the 2200# car down to sane speeds in a hurry and I never felt the pedal fading. The Porsche 912E trans-axle has PERFECT gearing for this motor and the car. 2nd is low enough that I could still have good power getting out of the tight switchbacks. 3rd is my favorite gear since you can easily rev it to about 65mph before getting close to the red-line. 4th was good for cruising at even speeds through fast sections where I still wanted instant power on tap at higher speeds. There were only a few places that I could even engage 5th on this road since speeds were generally 65mph and under in the upper sections. Once we pass the snow plow barn, the pace really intensifies with speeds between 60-80mph.

Overall, I could not be happier with the results. This car will absolutely SMOKE my Porsche 914 in every aspect except getting into the corners (the under-steer). It pulls harder, brakes faster, lays flatter and sounds meaner (and that really the most important thing, right?? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) )

For your viewing enjoyment, here's the 1st leg of the drive from the summit down to the ski lodge. The second leg will be up loaded hopefully tomorrow. BTW, I'd like to thank Nord (in the silver G35) for waving me by (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/poke.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I-2T0ZghD8&feature=plcp