The IMSA 914 Options

[gms]

After the comment I was reading in the “914-6/904 project begins” thread I felt the need to inform some of the members of this board about the 914s in IMSA or the 914 GTU. I am currently involved in research to write a book about this very subject so I will share some of my findings.

Between 1971 and 1987 there were forty-two 914s built and entered in IMSA sanctioned events in North America. In 1971 and 1972 the cars sported the factory M491 option package or their equivalent built by the privateer. The extensive use of fiberglass in the hood, rear deck lid, bumpers and rocker panels lightened the car while the 911 engine upgrades gave the horsepower to make this car competitive against all racers.

Starting in 1973 the cars had started to evolve into homegrown and sometimes innovative thoroughbred built by Americans with that “can do” attitude. It was not that Porsche didn’t do a great job converting the 914 into a race car it was just that the development done in 1970 was becoming outdated.

Wheels and tires were getting wider and this would drastically affect its shape as the fenders became wider and body panels were constructed of fiberglass. The Porsche factory never constructed a tail or developed any aerodynamic aids for the rear of a 914.so this would become the area of most diversity.

The 914 competed in the IMSA GTU class which allowed a 911 engine starting at a two liter displacement and expanding all the way up to three liters by the end of its eligibility.
There were also some 914/4s that competed; they were allotted a chassis weigh savings for their lack of displacement and two cylinders.

As the handling, acceleration and speed of the 914 were enhanced by these advancements the chassis required more strength, this was accomplished by the extensive use of tube framing and suspension reinforcement. In some cases suspension components were borrowed from the 911 RSR and 935.

Once the cars became firm and fast they needed improvements in their braking capability. As has always been the case the 914 borrowed calipers and master cylinders from its Porsche siblings, a few examples even used aircraft brake calipers.

[rgalla9146]

Great info Glenn
Doug Arnao of New Jersey was a SCCA National Champion in one of the cars mentioned.
He built the car and did all fabrication and development himself.
And, as I recall, was honored for his efforts by Porsche AG

[flyer86d]

Great info Glenn
Doug Arnao of New Jersey was a SCCA National Champion in one of the cars mentioned.
He built the car and did all fabrication and development himself.
And, as I recall, was honored for his efforts by Porsche AG

Doug started out with a 914-6 with a 2.7 and learned how to drive at PCA DEs. After a few mishaps, the car was morphing into a dedicated track car with a twin plug, 906 cammed 3.2. Over the next winter. He bought a set of tube frame Fiero plans, built a fabrication table in Jim and Kathy Foster's garage, and started welding. By spring he had a race ready 914-6 tube frame car. He took it to a couple of PCA events to sort it out (with a dis approving NNJR board of governors watching carefully). At Summit Point, one of the rear cast Fiero suspension uprights broke launching him through the trees damaging the car. He then converted his old 914-6 into a C production car and went SCCA racing. Over the following winter, he redesigned his tube frame car to use 914-6 suspension front and rear and developed it into a very fast C production car and IMSA car. Dr Frank Juhasz bought his old 914-6 based C production car and raced it for a few years. I remember driving it at Pocano and marveled at how well sorted it was.

Charlie

[stownsen914]

When I was a teenager I saw Doug's IMSA 914 at Summit Point when it broke an upright as Charlie mentions above. I was watching him drive when it happened, in fact. I'd turned my head for a second and next thing I knew it was upside down sliding across the grass. I'd looked at the car earlier that day with the bodwork off. It was the coolest 914 I've seen to this day. He used the Huffaker Fiero plans and chassis parts as mentioned. It had dual A arms at all 4 corners and inboard mounted shocks.

I thought he'd raced the car in IMSA in that configuration, but when I checked recently on racingsportscars.com or one of the other IMSA stats sites, it didn't show up.

After he converted it to run SCCA GT-2, he wons a lot of races with the car. I don't think we won a national championship but did place 3rd one of the years Finch won in his 944. I posted a video of that race few weeks ago over in the Paddock forum. Doug helped me build my own 914 (see sig at left) and I had the spoiler off the old IMSA car on my car at one point. He was definitely a go-to guy for building fast 914s.

I've seen pictures of another Fiero-based 914 that ran Sebring or Daytona I think, I thnk here on this forum actually. I don't know who owned or drove it though.