First of the Texas Twins, First Build Options

[Puebloswatcop]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif) So I finally got the first of the two Texas Twins down from Colorado down here to Texas and cant wait to get started on the build. I first obtained this 914 as a parts car back in 2010. After getting it home, I realized it was actually in better shape than the one I already owned. The first one is a 1973, 2.0. This one was a 1974 1.8 in Ravenna Green. Unfortunately I never was able to make allot of time to play with the car, so it sat in my overcrowded garage in Colorado.

Since I retired and moved to Texas, the wife said I had better find something to do and stay out from under her feet, so last week I made the treck to Colorado and brought the first of 3 914s back. (the 3rd really is a parts chassis).

The car was on a rolling frame so was easy to get onto the trailer, problem is it had to be lowered enough to fit inside a four foot cover to be added onto the trailer, so first we had to raise it high enough to get it off the rolling frame.



Then it had to be carefully lowered to where the car was sitting on 4 X 4 blocks so it would be lower than 4 feet high and secured to the trailer. It came in at around 3'8" when done.



Then the shipping crate was built over and around the car. The trip was long and went well till I got about 10 miles from home and disaster struck.



A catastrphic loss of one tire on the trailer. Thanks to a good samaritan who flagged me down, because I never heard or felt a thing. Also a testament to Top Hat Trailer Company, the trailer was slightly damaged but did not roll, in fact it rode so smooth that I never new the tire had gone away. Of course...no spare for the trailer, so I limped the last 10 miles at 15 miles per hour.



So 16 hours of driving and now one of my babies is here in Texas and the work shall begin.

[Puebloswatcop]

After laying everything out, I decided to start by cleaning, modifying and re-assembling all of the sub-components. I started with the modification of the windshield washer switch.



Taking the advice and experience outlined in Bob Krantz's post (Building Inside Out) I started with the Carmagic Switch (very nice product) I cut off the narrow portion of the push button in order to fit the modification method Bob used.



Then I drilled out the plastic mounting surface in increments until the hole was large enough to accomodate the nut for the switch mount. This ended up being a 7/16 inch hole. Be very careful when drilling so you don't break the activating tab.



Then mounted the switch where the old fluid switch used to reside. As bob stated in his post the mount for the new switch stuck out a little past the mounting surface of the original switch mechanism, so I borrowed my wifes emory board and sanded it down till it matched (hope she doesnt find out).



By using Bob's method I found the mounting to be a bit more sucure IMO.