914-6 2.7 Euro RS Twin Plug Project, sleeper 914 with a twin plug surprise Options

[davehg]

New member, long time lurker here. I'll be posting another 914-6 conversion project shortly, but posting a thanks for now for all the great info I've come across here.

I took the easy way into 914-6 ownership - I bought a completed car that was a track car whose PO had done the hard work. This car has a 3.2L engine, injected, with large riveted composite flares, and a pretty austere race-friendly interior with racing seats, roll cage, and little else - not even side windows or carpeting or panels. This car I refer to as the Outlaw - it's a middle finger to the purists and I absolutely love it.

But...I wanted a clean and pretty "cars and coffee" version. There's not a ton of value restoring the Outlaw. The Outlaw's body is fine, but it is purposely built.

I had bought a project from a local Porschephile who had too many nice projects (356, pre-73 911). his goal was originally to do a big Raby 4. He had stripped, prepped, and beautifully painted a really nice shell, and spent a small fortune getting the original bumpers and details correct. He had a set of mint Fuchs 14" wheels, bits and pieces from 2 interiors, and was really only missing the engine and some trim/interior bits. A deal was struck, trailer was hitched, boxes moved, and now it's my problem.

The conversion wisdom here seems to be to go big - 3.0l or more. But I have a big engine car. This is intended to be just a Sunday cruiser, no track time. Plus, I have access to perfectly nice prepped 2.7L that has case guards installed, a 911s cam, and the work mostly done, for a decent price, and it would sound just swell with PMOs. So I am heading this route. I am taking my time with the Pretty Car - not going to be concours but a great looking driver with super clean details, no flares, and more along the lines of an original -6 with a bit more oomph. I'll detail the suspension bits so it looks pretty on a lift, and I need to think through the oil cooling issues - it doesn't get super hot in the PNW but for a few days a year, and if I can avoid the expense of a front mounted cooler and running lines that would be just swell.

At least that's my current plan. We'll see where my budget leads. I have a good start - great primed and painted rust free shell, all the expensive body work complete, an engine lined up, and a clear vision of where I want to go.

Looking forward to the collective input and experience when I get started this winter.

[davehg]

The first few weeks into this project and I feel like a Costco customer who forgot to eat before he went shopping. Everything looked great, but without a plan, I'd be walking out with a shopping cart full of odds and sods - 5lb pecans, ramen, patio furniture, and a vegamatic.

So I've regrouped and decided to plan and attack this a bit more methodically. Basically - I have a mint body that needs now to be completely reassembled with all the 914 bits, and I have boxes and bins of stuff not tagged or organized, in varying degrees of restored state. Most everything needs to be cleaned, coated zinc or whatever), organized and identified, and installed in the most efficient order.

Suggestions appreciated (and thanks to mb111 for some great insights and advice). Here is the plan (in some order):

1. Body is back from the painter without any parts except headlight assembly and suspension bits to make a roller. Now is the time to nail down:

A. Internal brake lines (replace with new stainless) and Master Cylinder (19MM upgrade) - PMB is the likely source.

B. Internal Fuel lines (stainless - PMB?)

C. Oil tank - covered thanks to Ben!

2. Suspension. The car has front control arms/towers/hubs on it, and rear arms and hubs, but just enough to wheel around (no steering rack or sway bar installed). I have a separate 911 front end that I will tear down, clean/blast, and powdercoat the front control arms and rear arms, and replace various bushings. Source front struts, rear shocks. Obtain new axle shafts (PMB?) I have front 5 lug hubs , but need to deal with rears (probably drill the existing hubs/rotors - maybe PMB or Patrick).

3. Brakes - get front and rear caliper rebuilds from PMB, misc. braided lines. Replaced reservoir. Tear down, blast, powdercoat and reassemble pedal assembly. Source any replacement eBrake cables.

4. Engine. Having a 2.7 rebuilt by a mechanic friend working with a known builder, who will replace crank, rebuild top end and tweak 911s cam, and distributor. Source engine sheet metal, add PMOs. Basically get a working engine together. Already have the flywheel and 11 blade fan, need to source ignition. Likely to add mb111's stainless headers/heat exchanges and exhaust.

5. Driveline - Pretty sure I have a sideshift 901 but address any bushings/linkage.

6. Electrical - I think I need a fusebox - wiring harness looks to be complete. Lights good, windshield wiper motors need to be installed, possibly some work on gauges (Palo Alto or Hollywood Speed).

I am leaving cosmetics (trim, interior, rubber, glass, door mechanisms) alone for now until I get driveable runner, and will tackle that last. Here are some misc. bits I will need later:

1. Mirrors (right and left)
2. RS style door panels
3. Dash top (or custom)
4. basket weave
5. stock radio
6. bar to mount 4 point harness (not doing a full roll cage)
7. Carpet
8. Steering wheel (Proto Tipo), and turn signal switches.
9. Various dash, door, roof trim pieces - I have bits and pieces from 2 interiors - early and late model. The body is a 71 but I've got 2 seats from a later model and the passenger half-seat from an earlier model so I'd like to figure out that part. I might be later tempted to do GT style seats and carpeted panel instead of the original rear seat back, but again, I'll figure that out when the car is a runner.

The good news - a lift gets installed in my shop next week!