BUILD-OFF CHALLENGE: New 914 owner...what have I gone and done! Options

[Darren C]

Hi everyone,

I have been looking for a 914 on and off for a couple of years now and late one evening I bid on ebay for a car in Desert Hot Springs CA. A real leap of faith for me as I live in Chichester UK!
My first car was a VW Beetle and I’ve owned quite a few air cooled VWs and always wanted a 914, so now almost 25 years later I finally took the plunge and with sweat on my brow placed a last minute bid on ebay on a car I’d only seen in 4 small photo’s on line.
To my surprise I won the 914.
Problem was it lay 8000 miles away from me here in UK. I got hold of the sellers phone number and gave them a call. The car is a 1974 2.0L one owner from new sold in Palm Springs 914. The seller was the owners daughter. The gentleman passed away several years ago and she’d had it parked up on her driveway for 5 or 6 years. From the description in the listing it had a Salvage title due to sand storm damage on the paintwork. It looked reasonably solid in the few pictures I saw, but very sorry for itself with flat tires and bad paint. It was a gamble, but sometimes these things pay off.
I got the car picked up by a shipping agent and taken to Long Beach for shipping.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1419606931.1.jpg)

2 months later it arrived in Southampton UK

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1419606931.2.jpg)

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1419606931.3.jpg)

Last week I went down to Southampton and collected my new project just in time for Christmas.
I was recommended this site from another 914 owner and it's a great relief to find such a large active community. 914's were never sold in the UK, so all are personal imports and a rare thing to see on our roads.
I’m pleased to now join you guy’s and post my restoration progress in getting this little car back on the road.

Regards
Darren

[Darren C]

Build off Challenge Month 3,
Day 60 of build.

I finally got the heat exchangers on today. What a bloomin fiddle. I got 4 new copper washer seals and 2 rear box gaskets. The copper washers wouldn’t stay in the heads as gravity was not my friend (I’m sure they must have built them upside down at the factory!) I ended up putting a couple of small blobs of exhaust paste on them to hold them in the head recess.
The next issue was getting exchanger “hoops” around the studs. Something was out of line and they both fought me, but in the end after a struggle then went on. I’d previously cleaned up the threads and put a smear of copper grease on them. Then I could only get 3 out of the 4 copper nuts on. The 4th one on both heads (would be the hardest one to get to) wouldn’t go on?
After a bit of head scratching I needed to lower the exchangers until the other 3 nuts were only just on by a couple of threads to get the 4th nut on, then pull them all up together. It was the bend in the pipe that was stopping the last nuts going on (due to the integral moulded washers) when the stud is poking fully down and the exchanger is fully up.
Next I shone a flash light up around the copper washer gaskets to check the heat exchangers had located properly in the small counterbore (where the copper washer sits). I then fitted the rear box with new gaskets, stainless nuts & bolts and left them finger tight to avoid pull on the exchangers. Once everything was in place I tightened the exchangers to head and finally the 6 rear box bolts.
Again it was one of those jobs that took 3 times longer than anticipated. Looks good though with its nice shiny paint finish!

Day 61

Today I have mostly been sewing.

I got up at 5am this morning and washed and scrubbed the 4 car mats I took out yesterday.
I used 1001 carpet cleaner. After years of cleaning cars and having kids, I haven’t found anything that works as well.
I did away with the spray and just poured it onto the mats and worked it in with a soft brush and let them soak about ½ an hour (only because the mats were out and it didn’t matter how wet I got them.)
I used about 6 buckets of water on each mat, submerging them while scrubbing until the water was clear. They were absolutely minging, 4 buckets in and the water was still jet black. 40+ years of dirt!
Anyway I hung them on the radiators in the house (held with clothes pegs) to dry them out before going to work.

In my lunch break I called Roger Bray a UK Porsche specialist and chased up my new speedo cable which is on a 10 day lead time (hopefully in tomorrow and out to me for the end of the week). Then I spoke to Ash the parts man at Porsche Centre Portsmouth to see if Stuttgart had gotten back to him on the indicator relay. Not yet, so I decided to order a few more bits and bobs including the 3 seals for my very wobbly angle drive and also two rollers for my boot spring wires. I noticed in several pictures on-line that there are white looking roller wheels on the hinges on either side of the engine bay, and my car has none? (You can just see in my photos early in this thread)

When I got home this evening with carpets dry I got my needle and thread (strong upholsterers thread, not cotton) and started to re-attach the edging and do a little darning repairs. I repaired around the heel mat and one of the hold down eyelets. With my pedal bushes worn the clutch pedal had rubbed the wooden board slot oval and split the plastic mounded edge of the slot in the carpet in several places. I carefully super glued the cracks and melted it carefully back together with a soldering iron. Just one tiny triangle about 4mm wide is missing, but the rest was split and curled up so still there to work with. All back into shape now.
Unfortunately the passenger mat has one circular ferrule/eyelet missing.
Interestingly all the edging and eyelets are dark grey, yet the stitching on my drivers mats (front and behind seat) is in black thread from the factory, yet my passenger (front and behind seat) is stitched in dark grey thread?
Both sets of mats look as old as each other and you could possibly say that maybe the drivers mat was replaced at some time, but the one under the seat wouldn’t get any wear or sunlight, so why replace that? Maybe it left the factory this way then, if so I wonder if this is common.
Anyway, I’m seeing double now as I write this from 4 hours of close up sewing by hand!

Day 62

Today was a real disappointment.

Since buying my car way back in September I’ve been looking for a secure place to keep it when it arrived a week before Christmas in UK. I have garaging and a big carport at home where I can keep 8 cars securely, one on the drive and space on the drive for visitors. Nearby is a block of ex council garages now privately managed, of which I have 2. I applied for a 3rd to keep the 914 in and was told there was one available back in September but needed the lock changed as the previous tenant had vacated with the keys. No problem you would think…..
Well, week after week I called by to ask if it was ready until November when I called by fortnightly (so not to pester) to the “management (not my choice of description) company”. Each time they palmed me off with how busy they were and it would be done next week. Anyhow, when my car arrived the urgency increased and I offered to supply and fit a new lock myself; surely they’d agree? After all they were losing income on it being empty.
Nope “you're not insured to work on our properties” was the reply!
Anyway this has gone on and on until yesterday I saw a new handle on the door of my new 914 home when I went over to fetch some stuff out of one of my other cars.
Today in my lunch break I rushed over to the management company, drew the key, signed a contract and paid a few months in advance.
The first thing I did tonight was call in at the new garage and unlock it to see what was inside…a bit like that US show “Storage Hunters”. Unfortunately as I tried to open the door I suddenly found it was very heavy and not lifting easily at all.
Then I saw why…

The bottom 3 ft of door frame had completely rotted away and the door spring mechanism just coiled and wrapped itself up in free air.
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512149.1.jpg)

(apologies for photo quality, it was off my work phone)

What complete bunch of morons would fit a new door lock, return to their office, hand over the keys and say “there you go, ready to rent out”
I’ll have to wait until they open tomorrow now to see what they say. The door barely opens, wont stay open and even if you lock the nice new lock, the rods that latch the door shut have nothing to latch against so you can simply open the door with it “locked”
This weeks Darwin Award for hindering my 914 restoration goes to the anonymous maintenance man that took 6 months to fit a new lock to a useless door!

Anyhow rant over, I retired to my shed to look through a big plastic storage tub of stuff I’d previously taken off the engine.

It then occurred to me that I’d not taken any pictures of the engine bay to show how it arrived. I wish I’d done so because people I’ve spoken to so far can’t quite grasp how much sand and dirt was in there. So here’s a picture of the throttle body as it came off.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512149.2.jpg)

This was slightly shielded by the air filter and carbon filter, so hopefully you’ll get the idea.
I spent two hours tonight carefully taking it apart and starting the big clean up. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll have a better day.

Day 63

Today at Lunchtime I went back to the garage agents and I have 3 options.
1. Give 4 weeks notice to cancel the contract I signed and walk away £65 lighter for the experience and no hope of finding a short term local home for the 914.
2. Fill in a defect form and wait 28 days for an acknowledgement and be put on a waiting list for repair, while paying for a garage I can’t use, with no idea how long it will take to get fixed. “The garages are low priority” so I kept getting told. (I felt like saying, “paying the rent is low priority for me then”)
3. Break their rules and fix it myself at my cost, without refund, while paying a rental agreement that covers cost of repairs but forbids me from carrying them out!

To say I’m not very pleased is an understatement. I put my name down again on a waiting list for an exchange garage while I decide what to do.

Anyway after getting nowhere with them I went to the local motor factors and picked up some more PU adhesive, before going back to work.

This evening when I got home a small parcel was waiting. New heater hose (brownish red 60mm id heat resistant rubberised canvas with internal wire spring) Looks a perfect match to the old stuff!

After cleaning last night and 10 hours at the weekend my hands are as rough as sandpaper so I thought I’d give them a rest and go back to the floor mats. After sewing the damaged edge trims back on the other night and melt/welding the plastic bits around the pedals I needed to sort out the heel mat.
The pile on the carpets came up like new. I was really surprised and pleased as they had 40 years of muck, oil, road tar, chewing gum and desert sand on them. All the colour is back as is the grey fleck that was'nt at all visible before!
The PU adhesive was “injected” under the lifted heel mat and used to glue it back down. The area at the base of the accelerator pedal was all split and a section missing. It had a hole worn completely through the mat. The heel pad is a particular texture size with heat mounded ridges. I could simple sew in a new pad but it wouldn’t be the same, so I thought I’d try a low cost repair first.
I used the PU adhesive to mould the tiny missing triangle back in the mat around the pedals and then I masked up the hole in the mat from the underside.
Rested on a flat surface (bit of 4” x ¾” timber) I filled in the hole with some plasterers scrim tape and more PU adhesive. A second flat surface on top (wrapped in cling film for easy release) was clamped on.
When the PU adhesive is dry tomorrow morning I should have a strong flexible hard-wearing hole repair under the original broken vinyl heel mat. This should give it some support for repairing the damaged surface vinyl tomorrow.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512149.3.jpg)

Day 64

This morning I released the clamp of the heel mat and had a good luck at the hole repair in the mat. All looked good. I put a final layer of PU adhesive on the rear of the mat just to tidy all the frayed ends and left for work while it dried.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512149.4.jpg)

During lunch I visited the car in storage and picked up a few bits and bobs I had taken off and put in the boot, plus arranged times to work on it at the weekend.

This evening when I got home I started on the heel mat part of the hole repair that will be seen. The mat has a very specific texture/moulding finish to it which I needed to replicate if the hole repair was going to be invisible. I decided to take a cast of the heel mat in a position where it was in good condition.
I made a small contained area about 2” x 3” (just bigger than the hole repair) using masking tape and then coated the heel mat in the middle with a little liquid soap using a modellers paint brush working it into the pattern. Next I cut some more small squares of scrim tape and lit a large candle. Carefully dripping candle wax into the contained area and adding scrim tape in layers I made a cast of the heel mat textured surface.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512149.5.jpg)

Once cool it easily lifted out. I put it in the fridge to set solid while I had dinner.
Next I mixed up some light grey and black PU adhesive to as close a match as I could to the original dark grey. More liquid soap was brushed into the wax cast and the PU carefully applied to the top part of the hole repair.
Pressing in the wax casting as I went along creating the exact pattern in to my repair area. I was careful to line up the pattern for a matching repair.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512150.6.jpg)

The PU adhesive dries to a tough flexible rubber so should be long lasting. I intend to get some aftermarket tailored overmats for the car and the originals will be protected. I just feel better that whenever the new overmats will be lifted out for cleaning I’m not met with a gaping hole

Day 65

The PU on the mats had set solid this morning and the gloss had faded to a satin matt sheen which made it blend in even more to the original.

Today was a typical manic Friday at work and I had to work through lunch and stay back a couple of hours this evening. I did manage to call Porsche Centre to check if my angle drive seals were in and left a message with the reception but no one got back to me? I’ll try them again in the morning.

This evening I started to strip down the FI throttle body. There is quite a bit of wear in the butterfly spindle so I need to see if just a new shaft will sort it or whether I need a new shaft and sleeve the body. Looks like it’s 40+ years of fine desert sand again getting into the gap between body and shaft and grinding it away. All made worse by grease or oil put on by the PO helping stick the sand in place to make what can only be described as grinding paste.

Day 66

Today was a wonderful sunny day, blue skies not a cloud in sight so I just had to get some of my cars out and blow off the winter cobwebs.
I called Porsche Centre just as they opened and was told all the parts I had ordered were in.
I juggled a few cars around and took one out to pick up the parts. After clearing out the building into the car park I had a good chat with everyone and discussed my passion for cars and Porsche and 914’s in general. Ash the parts chap knew I had a Delorean back home but NO-ONE at Portsmouth Porsche Centre knew that Porsche actually built the first "Delorean design" prototype on a 914/6 platform, so I just had to tell them the whole story!

Back in the late 1960’s Giorgetto Giugiaro had designed a sports car for the future. Following talks with Porsche & BMW, Porsche built the first incarnation of Giugiaro’s design on a 914/6 platform. This was in 1970 and was part of a plan to replace the 912. It wasn’t until 1976 that John Z Delorean signed up to the design and it was reworked to be built on a Lotus chassis (modified prototype Esprit) and became the Delorean DMC 12. Ironically Giugiaro was then employed to design the Esprit body too.
I think the history is truly amazing and the connection to the 914 should not be forgotten. Porsche kept a lot of Giugiaro’s style cues and they evolved into the 928. Just look at a 928 in side profile and compare it to a Delorean.
Giugiaro’s Porsche version was called the Porsche Tapiro.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512150.7.jpg)

And John Delorean with the prototype DMC 12 (with even the same tan interior as the Tapiro).

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512150.8.jpg)

I thought I’d share that with you too.

Anyway, after picking up the parts this morning I got home and started moving a few cars around and took another one out to Machine Mart and bought some car skates, got back home and spent an hour putting them together before lunch so that I could spin yet another car around.
A van then pulled up and delivered these…..

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512150.9.jpg)

Ooooooo they do look nice, absolutely fantastic refurbishment can’t wait to get them back on the car. Problem is that Berlyn Services STILL haven’t got my new discs and wheel bearings yet. I did call them last week, but was told they are on transit from Germany. I can only presume they are being delivered by tortoises not hares.
I found a set of NOS front calliper piston retaining plates (the ones that sit behind the pads) calliper bolts and new lock tabs on US ebay in a kit for £6 a few evenings back so hopefully they’ll arrive next week. New pads and refurbished pins waiting, new handbrake cables fitted, it’s just the discs now that’s holding me up.
This evening I loaded my V70 up with tools and parts ready for a full day under the 914 tomorrow.

Day 67
Today I have mostly been underneath the car.
With the callipers done, pads and pins done, I thought they look so good that I simply couldn’t leave the disc backing stone covers looking their age. So the first job this morning was to take off all 4 original discs and remove the backing plates (and tie bar from the rears). I’ll drop them off tomorrow with the bead blasters and get them cleaned up and powder coated ready for when my new discs arrive.
I had to put the old discs back on again afterwards so that the car is still mobile.
Next I finished off putting on the tinware under the engine and replacing all the slot head screws with stainless steel.
I then took off the old damaged heater hoses, cleaned up around where they attach to the car and cut my nice new hose to length. These were then fitted with new stainless steel jubilee clips.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512150.10.jpg)

Next I sorted out the heater flap box cables and fitted them to the operating levers. After a bit of a fiddle, I managed to adjust them correctly so that the lever in the car opens and closes smoothly and fully.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512151.11.jpg)

I’m still waiting for my new speedo cable from Roger Bray, 10 days lead time has turned into 3 weeks and still no sign of it. The old one is still in the car and shown in the photo’s but will be changed as the sheath is very badly damaged.

Next the gearbox oil was drained out. (Top tip…always make sure you can get the fill plug out before you take the drain plug out). The oil was a little dirty but nothing to worry about. There was a small amount of sludge on the drain plug, but nothing metallic so hopefully the gear change won’t give me any issues just yet.
While the oil was out I decided to change the angle drive seals. Since cleaning the gearbox off the other weekend I could now see that it was the source of a leak as expected. I got the “O” seal, aluminium washer and lip seal from Porsche all for a tenner so set about changing them.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512151.12.jpg)

(don’t panic, the vice is lightly holding the drive while I hooked the old lip seal out, not squashing it)

Once cleaned up I rebuilt the angle drive a fitted it back into the car. The retaining bolt was inserted by hand so that I could feel it locate correctly before a spanner was used. Nipped up and as said before “the wobble is standard” but at least it’s not leaking now and wobbles far less. All in all it looks a lot cleaner under there now (compared to even the picture on page 6 of this thread when I had already cleaned for several weekends)
Finally I topped up the gearbox with nice new oil before I called it a day

Day 68

This morning before work I did a little tin bashing in my shed on the removed brake backing plates. They were a little out of shape and the edges were battered flat in places. I had a rummage around in one of my sheds and found some old discs off one of my other cars that were a perfect diameter (just a little larger than the 914 ones). I clamped one in the vice and used it as a former to get the backing plates back into shape using a range of panel beating hammers (so as not to get half crowns in them).
I then went to my friends unit and moved the car out into the compound so that he could start work at 7am.
During lunch I went over to the powder coaters and dropped off the backing plates for blasting.
Tonight when I got home (after mentioning it yesterday) there was a packet waiting…New Speedo cable….if it had only arrived on Saturday I could have fitted it yesterday! Hey ho, that’s how it goes sometimes.
Anyway; tonight I needed to do a bit of work on one of my other projects so I ended up siphoning very nasty old fuel out of a fuel tank. Boy did the fumes burn and inevitably I ended up with a mouth full a couple of times. I’d tried to run the car on Saturday and it wasn’t happy on 2 year + old fuel, so it had to go.
Back on track with the 914 after a cup of tea (for mouthwash) I went online and ordered a few bits ready for next weekend. I really hope the Discs turn up this week as I’m itching to get them on so that I can fit the callipers and finally get some long awaited fluid back in the system.

Day 69

Today I have mostly been collecting more shiny parts

I had a card in the post yesterday when I got home (another parcel that required a signature). I was waiting at the sorting office door again this morning to collect when they opened.
It was my Front Calliper service kits from US ebay.
During lunch I called in at the nut & bolt specialist and got some new M8 x 10mm bolts to hold the disc backing plates on when they are back from the powdercoaters.
Tonight I started on fitting out the callipers with my nice new bits.

Here’s the old refurbished Pins and the new clips I sourced earlier.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512151.13.jpg)

Following the superb refurbishment of my Calipers I still needed to find new calliper piston locking plates for the front (the ones that stop the pistons turning and sit behind the pads) and the long locking tab washers for the calliper mounting bolts.
Both parts no longer available I eventually found them on US ebay using a Porsche Part number search.
As said before they were NOS and contained all seals, clips and rubber gaiters to rebuild the front callipers. Having just had mine done I only needed the missing parts below.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512151.14.jpg)

The rest of the parts (calliper piston seals, dust gaiters & clips) I’ll keep for the future. Not a bad kit for just over £7 a side, even comes with new High Tensile mounting bolts!
Tonight I assembled them into the front callipers using a light smear of Mintex Cera Tec special brake anti corrosion grease.
Still no sign of the new discs and bearings…..can’t understand how I can get parts “no longer available from Porsche” from a chap in Indiana, USA within a week and after 3 weeks still can’t get "in stock" parts from Germany via Berlyn Services in UK?

Day 70

Today I have mostly been….cleaning up stuff.
Despite a manic day at work in my lunch break I managed to pick up a new pair of Track rod ends from my local Motor factor, some more replacement nuts & bolts and speak to Berlyn Services about my brake disc order. It transpires that after FIVE weeks the discs are “lost in transit” from Germany? All I can do now is sit and wait while they are either located or another set is sourced. So I don’t think with all the will in the world I’ll get them in time to fit this weekend.
Resigned to this fact, I decided to look at what other stuff I can get done, hence getting the track rod ends.
This evening I started cleaning up more FI bits. Still have a major problem with the FI wiring loom and throttle body, I priced up replacement parts (hoses, injectors etc) and tonight I have to admit I got my Weber Carbs out of storage and had a good look at them.
In between all this I had to put a few hours in on other car club stuff. I’m event organiser on one club and on the committee of another, so have plenty of tasks needing completing, plus I’m also involved in the BBC Children in Need Carfest events. I try to organise all my outings for the various clubs in a way that supports one charity or another and between them all I average £5-10K per year in money donated.
My next event is a private workshop visit to Spellbound Cars of Farnham. Again the majority of the event fee, once food is covered, will go to charity.
The remainder of this evening I sorted out some spare cardboard boxes and loaded up all parts refurbished & newly acquired into “everything needed to change specific parts” on the car that I’ve started to date. Since I’m limited to working on the car at weekends only, I’m trying to be organised to make best use of that time. This involves counting out bolts, washers, nuts, split pins etc and bagging them up so everything is there. I created brake backing plate sets tonight with everything needed to fit them, minus the plates which should be ready tomorrow.

Day 71

More running around today tracking down a few more bits and bobs.
I’m looking for a single air deflector plate? So far I’ve had no joy finding one. Part No 914.559.163.10. It’s one of the little black plastic flaps that hang down under the car at the base of the rear bulkhead (in front of the engine).
Today I picked up some new spring washers for the rear calliper bolts and spent this evening painting the new track rod ends.
They arrive in bare metal and would corrode in time so I mixed up some black & silver in an old spray can lid to match the cast steel colour and gave them a coat of paint. You’d never know they were painted to look at them but hopefully it’ll slow down the rusting process.

Day 72

This morning before work I gave the Track rod ends a coat of clear lacquer over yesterdays paint.
During lunch I picked up the disc backing plates. Tonight is food shop night so after getting home later than normal and filing up the cupboards I went off to the shed.
As soon as stuff comes back from the powder coaters I tap out any threaded holes. With all the will in the world masking stuff up, the powder coat process is electrostatic so it creeps into the smallest gap.
Threads cleaned out and a little copper grease applied, they’re good to go for assembly over the weekend. Considering what the backing plates looked like beforehand(rusty dented and bent out of shape) they are flawless and BETTER than new now.
The discs still haven’t turned up, so I may have to take the old ones off and back on yet again just to fit the backing plates.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512151.15.jpg)

Day 73

This Morning I checked the new Gemo speedo cable against the old one before fitting to make sure it was the correct length.
Only then did I notice the two grommets on the new cable were on backwards!
I had to do a double take; but yes they were fitted backwards. What a bloomin struggle it was to get them off the cable. I opted for sliding them down to the gauge end where the securing nut was smaller. Even so it was a real battle stretching the large grommet with a 6mm hole over a 20mm nut!
Once off it was another battle in reverse to fit them back on the right way around.
It was also another Desert Sand nightmare day. Getting the old speedo cable out meant getting under the centre console. I took the seats out for more space and after finding where the console securing screws were I lifted out the two insert panels and found the whole inside of the console had about ¼” of fine sand inside it.
Another ½ hour hovering and I could lift the carpet to reveal the cable and the bent over securing tabs.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512151.16.jpg)

Seats out there was more sand in all the creases and gaps around the centre tunnel. The ridges in the vinyl were ½” deep in sand! More hovering up.
Anyways, after getting the cable out I could see the age related damage more clearly.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512152.17.jpg)

It really did need changing.
What a pig it is trying to hook the cable end out of the tunnel void and into the car on your own. I ended up bending a coat hanger in a U shape to fish it out. I also noted the route it takes over the steering UJ and found metal bend over tabs to hold it clear of the steering. Not obvious first of all but there for a good reason.
Next I set up the new clutch cable. After reading the Haynes manual I was concerned about the instruction to extend the cable 10mm into the clevis as I thought it would foul the lever. I’d been advised to cut it down before fitting as new cables are too long. So after cutting 10mm off the end I fitted it with 5mm into the Clevis. Adjusting the cable under the car I found to get the required ½-3/4” free play I pretty much used up all the cable adjustment; even with it cut down.
I reckon you need to cut at least 15mm off the pedal end of the cable to give you some adjustment over the years as the cable stretches.
With still time left this afternoon I fitted the two nylon rollers to the boot hinge. Again this was another wrestle with the spring bars to hold them down enough to slip on the Roller. I used a deep 10mm socket with a 8” extension bar, slipped over the end and levered down while holding the boot up. Scary at times but I just managed to get them on.
After a cuppa I then took all the wheels and discs off again to fit the disc backing plates.
Lastly I replaced the two new track rod ends.
All I need now is those blessed discs and bearings to turn up, so that I can get the callipers back on!

Day 74

Sunday was a quiet day. I’d not got access to the car as my friend had to be with his mum for some reason.
Anyhow I still got up at the crack of dawn and started cleaning a few more bits up before breakfast. Afterwards I spend 6 hours polishing the coachwork of one of my other cars, but started to get a little bored so will do the other half of the car over some of the evenings next week, and maybe the brightwork the week after. 40 hours cleaning on average for 1 hours use…that’s vintage cars for you!
Anyway after cleanathon part 1 of 2015 , I started part “whatever it is now 2015”on more 914 parts from my removed FI parts tub of doom. I only managed 3 hours before I’d had enough for the day, so retired to my PC to convert some ideas/sketches I have on a new door hinge design (for yet another car) into CAD so I can do a feasibility study on manufacture (long story for another time).

Day 75

I sorted out some materials in my shed to make up some brackets I’ve come up with and as expected I’m short on some 3mm stainless plate so made a note of sizes before leaving for work so that I could sort it out over lunch.
I contacted Roger Bray about the incorrectly assembled Gemo Speedo cables they sell, and got a “not really interested” response as it’s a low volume sale. So if your thinking of buying one Caveat Emptor.
I also chased Berlyn Services again on my Brake discs. We’re in week 6 now since taking my money and still NO news on where they are or when to expect them.
At least I managed to pick up some clear plastic 6mm hose before the end of lunch. I plan to cut it into 2ft lengths and connect to all the bleed nipples on the callipers and into an array of jam jars for when I eventually fill the brake system with fluid. I found in the past that gravity is your best friend when first filling a completely empty braking system. Open all bleeds slightly and fill reservoir. When you see fluid in the clear tubes close off in turn until all callipers are full with fluid. Only then pump and bleed the system in the order recommended. Makes it a far less messy job when you can see and capture the fluid. Well that’s my plan anyway, if the discs ever turn up of course.
Tonight was a little busy. Just got back from a car club committee meeting at 11pm, that started at 6pm (we have managed to secure the Battle of Britain Spitfire & Hurricane to do a flypast over one of our events which is a good result!), so it was a long one tonight, and apart from taking time out to update this thread I’d didn’t get chance to do anything on the car tonight. Bit frustrating but that’s how it goes some days.

Day 76

Today I had some good news…I got an email from Berlyn Services who say I should see my new brake discs tomorrow. We’ll have to see what happens.
During lunch today I visited the paintshop. My tame painter came over a few weekends ago to look at the 914, and we have agreed a glass out, panels & doors off bare metal two-pack job. It’s booked in for next month so I need to start prepping & stripping the car once the brakes are done.
I think I’ve pretty much decided to weld up the front side marker lights for a Euro look (plus I think they look hideous) The jury’s out on the overriders but as they are rubber and like everything else rubber on the car they are very badly perished, it would be simpler to weld up the holes (as the bumpers black not chrome) before they are repainted.
I picked up a few more stainless fixings on the way back to work from the painters and tonight I did some more on the engine lid.
I stripped it down to its component parts including taking out the spring wires and hinge rubber stops ready for painting. I notice a bit of deformation in the black plastic water tray, so tomorrow I plan on getting a heat gun on it to straighten it out. There’s also a crack in it that I’ll need to “plastic weld” too. I took out a few bends in the engine lid frame above the hinges. It looks like the PO bent the steel up with pliers when the rubber limit stops had worn down, instead of replacing the stops? To be fair what’s left of the bump stops are perished, so I need to track some down.
I used a fork trim clip tool to get all the mesh securing rubber washers off (so they can be re-used) and the mesh lifted off cleanly.
There were a few dents in the mesh, and half the Porsche script letters were missing or broken, so I took the rest off and gently got all the dents out ready for repainting.
Tonight I’ve been on-line and ordered some new infill trim, and after, plan on going through the Parts catalogue to get some part numbers ready for a visit to Porsche Centre tomorrow lunchtime.

Day 77

So on to todays escapades…..

Guess what?………

NO DISCS to be seen despite Berlyn’s assurances yesterday.
I phoned them today and things had gotten out of hand yet again. I was told that they had the rear discs (and had sent them out) but had NO fronts! After a long discussion with David at Berlyn it was revealed that they had, had no joy from their supplier, and had tried Roger Bray who had told them he had a pair then sent only ONE and that was rusty! David tried German & Swedish, and they only had the early front version so had come to a blank.
Now, as you can imagine I was not best pleased, but here’s why it pays to keep calm and carry on communicating. I just happened to discuss the difference between the early & late discs when I happened to mention my fronts had a boss on them so you can mount the wheel and spin it to align the bolts rather than try and lift and hold the weight of the wheel to line up the bolt holes like you do on the rears. David paused and then said he thought I wanted front discs without the boss? “No?” then he sent me an email photo of new discs he has in stock with the boss on them.
DOH!
He had the right ones all along, but never communicated that? So he assures me they will be with me tomorrow. (Hmmm, I’ll have to wait and see again, particularly as the rears seem to be lost in transit now)

Last night after updating my 914 Diary I sorted out some part numbers and spoke to Porsche Centre at lunchtime.
Only 1 part in 4 was still available (the rubber bump stops that fit under the engine lid hinges, so I ordered a pair. Mine are worn off at 45 degrees and broke off when I tried to remove them yesterday. The other parts were piping and seals that fit around the mesh grille inserts. Not too big a deal as I know 914rubber do them. That said I have sourced the U trim off ebay, and I think I might have found a suitable T piping. Having owned and restored a few 911’s, the impact bumpers have a small T trim between them and the rear quarters. You can buy it by the foot from Porscheshop in Birmingham for a few quid. It’s probably good for the scuttle to front wing too. I’ll order some up and let you know how I get on.
This morning before work I did a couple of hours on one of my other cars, and tonight I started on the engine lid parts.
First I cleaned up everything; more SAND, I’m getting a Herbert Lom twitch now at the sight of the damn stuff!
Next I cleaned up the spring rods which were caked in sand and surface rust. Rubbed them down with wet & dry and gave them a zinc prime.
After washing out the water trough earlier it was now dry so I got my heat gun and started to straighten out the bow and distortion in it.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512152.18.jpg)

And straightened out.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512152.19.jpg)

Finally I melt/welded the two cracks up on it.
It’s very sun bleached, so tomorrow morning I plan on trying a little rubbing compound on it to see if it takes off the milky surface back to black. Last resort is to paint it with some satin black bumper paint, but I’d prefer not too.

Day 78

This morning started off well, I got a coat of silver onto the spring rods for the engine lid and started on the drain trough with some rubbing paste before going to work.
I was away from my desk this morning looking at a few projects and when I got back my colleague had a message from Kay at Berlyn Services.
No Discs turned up yesterday (as I had been told by David three times, both verbally and by email, would) because Kay’s message was to say NOTHING had been sent!
To say I was astonished is an understatement!
I immediately emailed a reply on to end of David’s “sincere” email from 2 days ago assuring me he’d sent the rear discs and that the fronts would follow, simply asking if Kay’s message was correct. Since it was mid morning I couldn’t phone at work until lunchtime.
The answer came back a couple of hours later in a long protracted email from Kay, that went on and on but really didn’t answer my question as why no discs at all had been sent out as David had said. Finding it hard to keep calm, I thanked Kay and asked again why am I being mislead and when can I expect to see my discs as now we are at the end of week 6 from ordering “in stock” parts.
So folks, guess what. The reply is they will be with me tomorrow……déjà vu anyone?
As you can imagine I was quite grumpy this lunchtime. No fear, I thought. Lets phone Porscheshop and see about the small T piping they’re advertising on their website that might just do for the engine lid.
“Err, let me check it out and get back to you straight away” said the chap at Porscheshop.
Guess what at 10 to 5 they still hadn’t called me back, so I called them.
“Oh yeah, I was going to call you back….it’s out of stock and no longer available”
Here we go again!
“So why is it on your shop website as in stock with a price by it per foot, and why when I phoned you earlier wouldn’t it have been easier to tell me there and then, rather than keeping me hanging?”
The response was another “not really interested” “yeah we’ll have to change that”

So all in all a very disappointing and frustrating day on the parts front delaying progress on the car.

This evening I got home and spent a couple of hours rubbing pasting then T cutting the engine lid trough back to nice shiny black plastic from the grey dry thing it was.
I then got the two small grill sections that go either side of the engine lid out of a storage tub (took them off at the start of the restoration) and gave them a once over. The edges were bent badly and one side was dented. I can only presume that when the car was re-sprayed badly (that’s the surface that’s now peeling off all over) they must have wrenched the small grilles off with a screwdriver as a lever instead of removing the rubber grip washers! They obviously mangled the drivers one first, then were careful with the passenger side, but gave up and left the engine lid one on. (The evidence being the black piping I’m trying to find having a masking tape line with blue paint on it, on the engine lid but not the two side grilles which have no blue paint on)
Anyhow, last of all this evening, it took a little tin bashing with my planishing hammers and I managed to straighten them both out

Day 79

This morning started off well, I got another coat of silver on the engine lid rods and left for work. After the anti climatic eclipse we had a parcel delivery.
To my surprise it was the discs and bearings. Halleluiah !
At lunchtime I called in at Porsche Centre to collect the engine lid hinge rubber stops.
“no longer available” here we go again! So to make a mends I thought I’d try them for the 911 wing beading that Porsche shop said they could no longer get. It transpires its all still available, but unfortunately cut to the correct length by Porsche. So to use it on the 914 engine cover I’d have to have 3 sections instead of one continuous length. After a bit of thought I remembered the sill trim on a 968 had a full length tiny T trim, maybe that will do as a substitute? So I’ve ordered one and I’ll keep you posted on the outcome.
It’s Friday again which is food shop evening so I got home an hour later than normal, but after putting food away in the cupboards, I opened my mail. The new U trim was here, perfect match. Great!
Next I opened the box from Berlyn services and checked the discs, all looked good.
Now I am able to fit them to the car tomorrow and finally get the callipers on I decided to fit the bearing races into the front discs this evening to save time.
On opening the first bearing box, The races were in torn open bags with dirty grease fingerprints all over them?????
They looked new but obviously someone had opened them before me with dirty hands presumably about to fit them to their car….
After double checking them for any damage and cleaning them off, I offered the outer race up first.
Then my heart sank..
It was TOO BIG , they’d sent me bearings in a box marked Mercedes!

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512152.20.jpg)

To say I’m having a bad day again with Berlyn Services is an understatement.

All I can do now to recover the situation is try and cross ref the numbers at my local Motor Factors to stand a chance of getting them on the car this weekend.

Desperate to make some progress today I have spent the last 2 hours de-greasing and painting the new disc hubs and outer edges. If one thing annoys me its taking off wheels to see flaky rusty disc hubs.

Day 80

This morning I was waiting outside the local Motor Factors for them to open at 7:30, hoping to resolve the bearing issue.
Unfortunately they only had the outer bearings and could get the inners, but not until Monday. They were very good and phoned around but only found one supplier about 30 miles away who had a single bearing, but one would not be good as I’d prefer two of the same make.
I called all the usual factors. German & Swedish (out of stock), Pro parts, (don’t keep)
Euro car parts (on the shelf in stock). Great I thought, I asked the chap if he could just check physically they were there rather than relying on the computer. After about 10 seconds he said “yep” in stock.
Fantastic, I thought and drove 12 miles to pick them up. However when I got to the counter the chap said “sorry, not in stock, we can get them for Wednesday!”
When I explained that I’d phoned and spoke to someone there only ½ hour ago before I set off, they denied all knowledge!
So again to recover what was left of the morning I decided to go up to the unit and get the rear discs fitted.

I managed to get both sides on, fit the callipers & pads and connect and adjust the handbrake.
The pad clearance adjusting screws vexed me for a short while, then the penny dropped. The outer adjusters are LH thread. I’d adjusted the inners to get a pad clearance of 0.2mm easily as they are RH thread. I’d gone to do the outers and they just turned and turned with nothing happening (clockwise) so initially I was stumped
Anyways I managed to get the rear all assembled and adjusted, even if I didn’t get the fronts done. I’ve ordered a set of bearings for Monday and I’ve emailed Berlyn Services some pictures so will have to see what resolution they come up with on Monday too.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512152.21.jpg)

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512153.22.jpg)

This evening when I got home I put a second coat of very high temp grey on the front discs and clear lacquer over the silver on the engine lid spring rods.

Day 81

Today I spent the majority of the day attending a charity car show, but this afternoon Kev the UK Porsche club GB 914 registrar (who was in the area) called in to visit.
We chatted all things 914 and he took a look at the parts I have off the car and we identified a few discrepancies and problems that I need to address.
All in all it was an afternoon & evening well spent. Many thanks Kev, I hope you enjoyed looking at my other projects too.
So tomorrow I will hopefully pick up the correct front bearings and move things forward again.

Day 82

Last week I emailed Berlyn Services pictures of the incorrect bearings and this afternoon I’d not had a reply so I phoned them and got the ansa machine. Left a message but no-one phoned me back today?
Hey ho, lets hope they respond tomorrow, I just want to get my money back that’s all.

Well, at least my trustworth local Motor factors came up trumps today and at lunchtime I picked up two correct bearing sets. Should have gone there first really, they were half the price of the wrong Berlyn ones!
So tonight I finally got to fit them to my new front discs.
Because the old discs and bearings are still on my car which is a few miles away from home I couldn’t use the old outer races to drift in the new bearings as I would have normally done. Not wanting to do this on Saturday (as it would waste weekend valuable assembly time) I decided to see what I had to hand to make new bearing drifts. The inner race sits quite deep into the back of the disc so using an old outer race here to drift it in could end up with it getting stuck.
I had a rummage in my metal bar off-cut storage and the nearest bar I had would need a good 20mm turning down off the diameter which to be fair is a waste of the bar. I then looked in my big socket drawer and found two that were just about 1mm too big. I stuck them in my lathe and took a skim off them to get a perfect size and used them to nicely drift the new bearings home.
Inner drift

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512153.23.jpg)

Outer drift

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512153.24.jpg)

For info the bearing set is made by:
Premier Bearing Components
Part ref BRT333
Comes with inner & outer bearing and the oil seal for £7.47 +Vat

Day 83

This morning I emailed Berlyn Services again and they called me this afternoon. I’m posting the wrong bearings back tomorrow and getting a refund, so that’s the end of the saga as far as I’m concerned.
Today at lunchtime I picked up a bit of steel bar from the local engineering supplies and tonight I’ve been turning on my lathe for a couple of hours. I’m part way through making a little 914 gadget that if it works out ok, I’ll share it with you all.
Kev emailed the Porsche Authenticity Certificate application form today so I’ll get that filled in and sent off to aid registering the car here in UK with DVLA and getting the tax fee status (pre 1975 manufacture).

Day 84

This morning I started off by sanding smooth the plastic weld repair of the split in the engine lid water tray and boxed up those wrong bearings to post back to Berlyn, then left for work.
During lunch I filled in and emailed off the form Kev sent me for the Certificate of Authenticity. About 20 minutes later I got a call from a lady at Porsche. She asked if I needed the certificate to register my car (as I had put “not registered yet in UK” in the box for registration). I said yes, it was part of the paperwork I intend to submit to DVLA. Mainly because of the date of manufacture to qualify for tax free status. She said that the Certificate of Authenticity is NOT VALID for DVLA, it needs to be a “Certificate of Origin” for DVLA.
Apart from the header on the top of the piece of paper they are basically one and the same. The only problem is Porsche want £65 for the “Origin” and as a PCGB member the “Authenticity” is free.
So what to do?
I said send the free “Authenticity” document and I’ll submit it and take a chance. DVLA are a strange lot, they won’t accept a VIN plate on a car as its chassis ID or date of manufacture (since they can be tampered with) and a US Title (their V5) just has a year of manufacture, not date. I had this with my Delorean. The VIN said car No 4532 and August 81. They rejected that and registered it as Jan 1st 1981, I argued that the factory didn’t start making cars until March/April 81 and mine is the 4532nd, so it can’t be 1st January. They wouldn’t budge without a letter from The Delorean Motor Company (but that wrapped up in 1983) so even a club historian letter wouldn’t do. I gave up in the end as it was just plain red tape and no-one I spoke to at DVLA could use basic common sense.
Hopefully this time around I might get an easier ride when I come to register the car. It’s all rubbish really as a friend of mine registered his kit car with a frame chassis and BMW engine as a Lamborghini Replica and the logbook came back as Manufacturer Lamborghini, no mention of replica…how does that work then when they are so pedantic over a less important day & date?

Anyway I posted the bearings back during what was left of my lunch break and when I got home tonight I spent an hour on my lathe and another in the attic rubbing down the engine lid water tray. Despite several hours trying to rubbing paste it to bring back the colour its returned to a sort of milky grey. I’m resigned to the fact if I want it black I’ll have to paint it with a flexible plastic bumper paint.

Day 85

Today I’ve been doing a bit more turning on the lathe and also put a light coat of plastic paint on the engine lid water tray and to be fair it looks much better than I was expecting.
During lunch I picked up a litre of brake fluid from the Motor Factors ready for the weekend rebuilding and this evening after an hour on the lathe I gave the new high tensile front calliper bolt heads a coat of satin black paint to prolong that “new” look when they’re fitted.
Tomorrow hopefully Porsche Centre will have the 968 sill piping in so I can see if it’s a good substitute for the no longer available engine lid mesh T trim

Day 86

Today I finished off turning my proto-type press tool (that I didn't want to mention until I knew it worked) and picked up a nice M16 bolt for the centre this lunchtime. No news on the trim part from Porsche so hopefully Monday it’ll be in?

I have been thinking on a good way of blanking the front wing marker lights. To do this well would require swageing a recess in the wing and welding in a disc of steel to blank it off. The idea is to dress off the weld and hopefully little or no filler will be required.
Last weekend I removed a light and took a set of measurements. The main issue is not only the large hole but the smaller fixing holes around it. To do this right I need to include the small fixing holes behind the new covering disc. The panel looked to be completely flat in the local area of the light, but tomorrow I will take along my new press tool and just check if there is any contour in the wing.

After work & Tescos tonight I got a piece of 1mm scrap steel and cut two test holes in it, the same size as those in the front wings. Next I located the press tool and simply tightened the nut and bolt to press a trial recess.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512153.25.jpg)

I repeated this in the second test hole and they both came out perfect with no distortion in the surrounding sheet.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512153.26.jpg)

The plan tomorrow is to get the front discs, callipers, pads etc and fluid into the car, afterwards I can tinker with checking the tool and wing contours before I jump in and press them.

Day 87

Today shall be known as BLACK Saturday!

Question: When is a 914 front brake disc not a 914 front brake disc?

Answer: When you buy it from Porsche Specialists Berlyn Services and wait 6 weeks for it to turn up

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512154.27.jpg)

What on earth have Berlyn Services sent me?

It certainly IS NOT 914, its VW Beetle!

Day 88

After a wasted day yesterday and a sleepless night I can’t wait for the phone call tomorrow to Berlyn Services.

Today I needed to move forward regardless of the disc issue. The car is booked in the paintshop on the 20th of next month so today I started to strip stuff off ready for painting.
First I removed the front and rear bumpers. Both have a tiny bit of surface rust which isn’t an issue. They have dents and scrapes which is more of a problem. A bit of gentle tin bashing is required. It was nice to take them off and flip them over and find no rust at all, plus all the nuts bolts and washers were still shiny gold zinc plate.
Next the rear and front valances were taken off.
The rear is reasonably dent & rust free, the front however is pretty sorry for itself.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512154.28.jpg)

And the other side

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512154.29.jpg)

Both pressings around the suspension mounts are dented, torn and generally in a mess. I’ll have to do some serious tin bashing here to revive them.

Again I was pleasantly surprised to find very, very little rust behind both bumpers (just a tiny spot where the valances are attached) and considering the damage to the front valance, the body behind didn’t have a scratch on it! Both bumpers were absolutely full of sand as expected, so after a hoover up and brush and pan, this is how the car behind looks.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512154.30.jpg)

And the rear

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512154.31.jpg)

Just a few tiny bits of rust where the valances were screwed on and that’s it!

So, now came the moment of truth, taking the sill covers off…
Everyone I’d spoken to when saying that I had found no rust (apart from the battery tray) on my car, just smiled and said “wait until you take off the sill covers and reveal the jacking points”
To say they were full of sand was an understatement. I got almost half a bucket full out of each side, plus more Californian spiders nests and webs.
Again I used a soft handbrush (from my brush and pan) then a damp cloth to wipe the final dusty sand residue off and found them like this…

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512155.32.jpg)

The jack points are a little dirty and I will have to give them a T-cut just to make them factory new again. (The door bottoms are rust free, that's just dirt & water stains showing in the camera flash)

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i265.photobucket.com-18255-1451512155.33.jpg)

There’s a bit of scratching down the jack tube, but most of the blue paints still in there. As per the rest of the car, I couldn’t find any rust to write about.
The lower vertical spot weld seam on the base of the sill has a few bits of chipped paint on it so I’ll touch them in with a small brush.
Apart from a T-cut I think I’ll get the paint shop just to mask them up and not paint them. I quite like the idea of keeping the original paint on them. Maybe a coat of clear Waxoil would be enough to preserve the surface for UK weather.
At least today was a result and redeemed some of yesterday’s frustration with the brake disc saga!
The thing is, now I have a summerhouse full of Bumpers, Sills & Valances to work on. Hey ho, it’ll give me something to do while the cars away at the painters.

Day 89

So here is where I am at with Berlyn Services and my 914 front brake discs ordered 7 weeks ago.
Their website is still live showing the discs for sale with the correct part number.
Now on the telephone this afternoon Mr David Barker of Berlyn Services said that he can get me the discs from a supplier that isn’t his normal source and I can have them hopefully for the weekend.
So all I need to do is pay him a further £140 on top of the price shown on his website for the discs that I have already paid for 7 weeks ago!
Alternatively I can wait (indefinitely) until his normal source of discs become available again.
Now call me old fashioned but I think that under the sale of goods act Berlyn Services and I have a “contract” at the price advertised and after 7 weeks I feel a bit miffed off to say the least that they now want another £140 from me, whilst they continue to advertise a fixed price on their website, which I paid in good faith.
This is basically holding me to ransom, issues with their supplier is NOT my problem, if they had supply issues way before I placed my order 7 weeks ago, why still advertise 914 discs for sale?
I have been lead a merry dance with them, multiple false hopes, and now being told I can have the discs by the weekend if I pay a further £140 is really the last straw. I am a patient man, but also have principles. Unfortunately I am so wound up by them now that walking away is not going to benefit anyone else in future.
They simply cannot run a reputable business like this and need to sort themselves out. If I let it go they'll just be more inclined to do it again and again to other people and bring more misery on unsuspecting UK customers.
The correct thing for them to do is just send me the discs that I know they can get within 48hrs and take it on the chin. I'm sure they make enough profit to cover any loss in this instance. Then take off sale 914 discs until they have stock and relist them at any revised price as necessary.

I'm sorry if I come across a bit blo*dy minded, but if it's one thing I cannot stand, it's an injustice.
People are truly judged on their actions when things are going wrong, not when they are going right.

Day 90

Moving on from what could become an all consuming legal action…..

Tonight for a couple of hours I took my frustrations out with a bit of tin bashing. The passenger side sill cover had damage around the jacking hole. Not certain how this came about but it’s possible the car slipped off the jack at some point in its history and the tip of the jack caught the hole in the sill cover and folded the top of the aperture in under itself. The metal was rolled up and under so it took a bit of straightening out. Then with a range of hammers and dollies I beat out all the deformation. Draw filing the surface and a little more hammering, finished with 80 grit on a block got it flat and true without the need for any filler. Next I flattened out all the fixing holes which had been dished down by using pop rivets rather than the original fixings. Again a little more straightening out of the sill cover return edges (that were a bit wavy) and its as good as new. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll cast an eye over the drivers side and deal with all the niggles in that one

Month 3

What a roller coaster month this has been!

Thanks for reading.