My '74 Budget GT Tribute build, Undergoing repairs to the shell Options

[pencap914]

Hi all,

Picked up project car about 2 weeks ago. I'm very excited to get started on this build, I'll try to document and share my progress as I go. I originally created a profile here at 914World back in 2006 when I was in High school, and had bought a 74 914 as my first car for $1200. It was a great first car, I had a lot of fun fixing it up while using it as my daily. When I went off to college, I sold the car, but felt like I had unfinished business to do.

Recently I started lurking here again looking to get back into a project 914 to hopefully take the car where I wanted to, but didn't have the funds, skills, or space to do so.

I posted a WTB ad, and was contacted by a member here who had a good start to a project I plan on finishing (Thanks Montreal914!)

My plan is to build my dream 914 that I absolutely drooled over when I was in High School. I've always loved the GT look, so my plan is to basically create as close to a GT clone as my budget will allow. Steel GT flares, 5-lug Fuch's (or replicas...) and a tastefully somewhat period correct interior. The car I recently purchased did include a freshly rebuilt 2.0 4cyl engine, so I need to make a decision on if I would want to run that engine for a while, and save my pennies to slowly build a 2.2, 2.4 or 2.7 flat 6 then do a swap later down the road.

I'm happy to see the 914 community thriving. Back in 2004 when I first bought the 914, Porsche snobs seemed to turn their nose at them which made them affordable enough for a high-school kid to own one. It seems like the 914 is getting more recognition in the collector community, so I'm happy I picked one up before they become too out of my price range!

I'll post some progress photos tonight and general status of the car tonight after work, but here's a few shots of the day I unloaded it off the trailer.

Cheers,

pencap914

[pencap914]

Update:

So I bought this car knowing the tub was slightly curled inwards due to the installation of the inner/outer longitudinal strengthening kit. The door gaps to the rear were a little tight, and the measurement between the Targa bar and the windshield frame was measured to be 25" even, about 1/8" closer than it should be.


I tried a few different things to straighten the chassis after an installation of the inner longitudinal kit curled the tub a bit. I followed a few threads on this forum for a "how-to" first using a lengthened turnbuckle purchased from tractor supply.

I attached the turnbuckle from the upper seatbelt bolt to a piece of angle iron tacked in place just inside of the door, then actually welded a tab just in front of where the heater pipe exits the longitudinal, because I found I needed to apply force lower down in front.


I cut the inner long in 3 places and reefed the turnbuckles until I stretched the tub to 25-5/16" between the targa bar and windshield frame. (I only chose this to stop because I felt I was really wrenching on those turnbuckles... Then tacked the inner longs.



Long story short, I think I got the tub to only go about 1/16" back... about halfway there.

I don't know if anyone tried to re-straighten the tub after installing both the inner and outer long kit, but I just cant apply any more force to using the turnbuckles, since I found that I had actually bent the seatbelt bolt:



After finding the bent seatbelt bolt, I brought out the big guns: The hydraulic ram.



I tried pushing the tub apart using the ram, but had the same results. The tub sprung right back to the 25-1/16" measurement. Albeit, the attempt with the hydraulic ram was with the inner longs tacked from the previous attempt with the turnbuckle.


I kinda feel like I had one shot and blew it with welding the inner longs back before attempting with the hydrauilc ram. I could grind out the welds and try again, but I have little confidence that the juice is worth the squeeze. Perhaps I can live with slightly tight door gaps and let this be a cautionary tale about why you need to be careful when welding stiffening kits.

To maintain forward progress with this project, I decided to just mount the car on the rotisserie to make a few minor repairs to the underside of the car, and get it ready for media blasting. So here's how she sits today: