BUILD-OFF CHALLENGE: Olympic Blue Resurrection, More Winter projects. Options

[Olympic 914]

2016 BUILD-OFF CHALLENGE Contender ... Olympic Blue Resurrection.


Purchased my 914 in 1979. It’s a 1973 base model 1.7 I’m the second owner. Original owner drove it for about 75K.
In ’80 I slid off the road and went into a hillside, taking out the driver’s side fender. While in for that repair I decided to have some minor rust issues taken care of and had the whole car repainted. Back then lacquer was the hot set-up and it looked fantastic. Later while sitting in traffic a big Lincoln didn’t quite stop and pushed in the rear panel. Another trip to the body shop.. Then another time while driving home from work in the rain I hydroplaned coming out from under a bridge and clipped a jersey barrier. Minor damage to the pass. side, but again back to the body shop. So this car has seen its share of incidents over the years.
I drove it for 10 years with only minor mechanical problems until the clutch went out 1989 and the engine had 137K on it. Then I was faced with low funds and engine that when removed will need rebuilding. So I put it in storage in a limestone mine in Bradys Bend PA. Figuring I would get it back out and get it running again one day.

Here are the earliest pictures I could find.

And the day I was taking it to the mines







It wasn't supposed to be here this long..




Fast forward to 2010 -- Coming home. First daylight in 20+ years...



I brought it home to a new 14 X20 SHED I had built just to work on the car. complete with 220V, phone and cable.




After its first bath it doesn't look too bad. But in spite of being buried over 1 mile inside a mountain AND being in a temperature and humidity controlled storage the rust worms were still at work. albeit a little slower.

Since that time I have had the extensive rust issues taken care of by Chris at Tangerine and also had the fenders flared for the 5 bolt Fuchs I will be running.
I have completed the engine rebuild myself going from 1.7 into a 2056 with heads by HAM and a Raby 9590 cam, I am keeping the D-jet FI.
I am now working on the body doing body work and paint. I AM NOT A BODY MAN. I really don’t even like body work but think I am capable.

This is the hardest part for me. I would rather build engines. Most of my experience has been with Harley engines though and there just like big lawnmowers anyway...

Along the way I am learning to weld, machine small parts and paint and acquiring many new tools.

My own self-imposed goal was to drive it to 2016 Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. Not sure if it will happen but without a goal it definitely WON’T happen.

I will post more pictures of the progress I have already made on the car.

This Build off Challenge will be just a little more incentive get out in the shed and work on the car.


Wouldn't it be great to get 30 Teeners back on the road?

Good luck to all participants and I welcome any interest and questions about how or why I did something

Tom

BTW did I mention I don't like body work..

[3d914]

Tom, Thanks for sharing all your painting details. It looks great. I'm curious how much difference the single stage makes in getting the results you're after? Not sure how much painting experience you have. I'd like to take on the painting myself (also using single stage), but with little experience at this I wouldn't want to do it twice.

Any insights you can offer?

[Andyrew]

Tom, Thanks for sharing all your painting details. It looks great. I'm curious how much difference the single stage makes in getting the results you're after? Not sure how much painting experience you have. I'd like to take on the painting myself (also using single stage), but with little experience at this I wouldn't want to do it twice.

Any insights you can offer?

Single stage is a great step into painting.

You can read the first part of my build thread for more details on painting with single stage, or my other paint thread in my signature for me painting Peters car as well as the issues we had with bad paint.

Painting with single stage can easily be done in the garage for a nice driver quality paint job.

[Olympic 914]

Tom, Thanks for sharing all your painting details. It looks great. I'm curious how much difference the single stage makes in getting the results you're after? Not sure how much painting experience you have. I'd like to take on the painting myself (also using single stage), but with little experience at this I wouldn't want to do it twice.

Any insights you can offer?

Single stage is a great step into painting.

You can read the first part of my build thread for more details on painting with single stage, or my other paint thread in my signature for me painting Peters car as well as the issues we had with bad paint.

Painting with single stage can easily be done in the garage for a nice driver quality paint job.

Andyrew

I just went back and looked at your body work.... Damn, I though I took a lot of pictures.. Ha-Ha.

That's pretty much what I went through also. Your car turned out nice. I hope mine buffs out that good

3d914

This is the first car I have painted. I have done paint and moulding on a my motorcycles and some bodywork on an old Mustang but that was in my teen years.

I chose the single stage PPG because I thought it would be easier to fix any flaws or mistakes. rather than having to go through a layer of clear coat. Also in the future I could shoot a clear coat or a single stage / clear coat mix. so I'm not locked into this.

Same as Andyrew I used a combination of glass fiber, and polyester body filler, I used Rage Gold. and some evercoat glazing putty then sprayable body filler - Slick Sand. I shot the Slick Sand with a 2.5 tip spray gun. it really lays it on but get it out of the gun quick because it sets up fast and will plug up your spraygun. Same with the high build primer. I used a 1.8 tip with the PPG K38 High build primer, and you get 20-30 min at best before it quits spraying and you have to hurry to clean it out of your spraygun.

Read the sheets on the paint and primers and keep very close to those times and mixes. Temperature is also very important, I used a digital IR HF thermometer to make sure of the body temp. and match the reducer temp range to that.

Not being a bodyman I found it hard to determine what was good enough and probably did too much prep work, if you can. you really need kind of an artists eye to get the lines right. I struggled with this a lot.

I think you have to accept that 99% of the people that look at your car. (bodymen excepted) will never see the little things you work so hard to get just right. Just try to keep yourself from pointing out to people the tiny flaws that you know are there.