Adventures of an old 914-6, Keeping it in the family and making memories Options

[vintage914racer]

As a regular lurker, and occasional forum participant (primarily when I find myself in a pickle and need to "phone a friend") I've always enjoyed ongoing build and "keeping them on the road and running" threads. So in an effort to do the same for myself, and perhaps prevent haphazardly ad hoc and disjointed threads for projects and updates, I figured I'd try to pull things together into my own, ongoing thread.

This thread is about "Speedy," my 1970 factory 914-6. The car has spent more time off the road than on, but as of late I've proclaimed it's the year of Speedy and started tackling a long list of updates. Before we get into those details, here's a bit about Speedy...

My memories with Speedy go back the the mid-80's when I was a pudgy four or five year old. Back when safety was more of a suggestion than a requirement, I'd often tag along in the front seat between my mom and dad on backroad blasts and the occasional trip up to Brainerd International Raceway when IMSA used to run up there.

Why the name "Speedy?" Well I suppose because as a kid I saw the 180mph speedy, felt my dad's right foot initiate some speedy acceleration, and perhaps because I distinctly remember my mom, in the passenger seat look up from what she was reading, glance at the speedo and shriek upon the realization that we were doing 120mph. By 1980s perspective, particularly that of a 6 year old, the car was Speedy. By today's standards? I'm not sure. But it sure is fun. And for the record, I'm not typically one to name a car, but apparently I was as a youth. And its stuck.

Here's she is, for reference...



It's worth noting that my Dad bought Speedy after he overcame a horrible battle with blood cancer (where they initially gave him 60 days to live). After paying off some truly excessive hospital bills that piled up during his better part of a year spent in the hospital, Speedy was his "I kicked Cancer's ass" celebratory purchase. He bought it at Carousel Porsche Audi in Golden Valley, MN, and perhaps not by coincidence, when I was a teenager I kicked off 10 years of employment at that very same dealership.

Stay tuned for more about our early years with Speedy and my journey as caretaker...

[vintage914racer]

On to the next project on my list, the "triangle of death." It's such an ominous name, but rest assured I successfully took on the triangle and came out completely unscathed.

Here is the triangle pre-repairs. Most probably know, but it consists of well the triangle formed between the oil breather housing, the thermostat and the oil pressure switch. Some if not all tend to leak oil at some point so I figured I'd tackle them all.



The breather housing was first on my list.



It, like the two other corners of the triangle, was seeping a bit. I'm sure having two gaskets hidden under the cover didn't help. I'm trying to figure out who the prior guy was who slapped one gasket over the top of another? Oh yeah, that was me. Probably a good 12 years ago. To my (dis)credit, the gasket under the green one was silver and properly affixed to the engine case.



With the mating surfaces cleaned up, new gasket affixed and breather cover re-fastneed I moved on to my next project...



...grilling dinner. A guy has to eat, right?




I then moved on to replacing the oil pressure switch. It was a quick fix, however finding the correct aluminum washer that mounts between the switch adapter fitting and the case was a bit of a scavenger hunt. Following visits to the local hardware store and two auto parts stores, I had what I needed and checked the pressure switch off of my list.

I'm continually amused when I walk into my FLAPS and they ask what I'm looking for. My usual response is, "It doesn't matter, you're not going to have it." Lately it's been trips like this for crush washers and other hardware. Every now and then I find a helpful parts rep who saves the day. I found that guy this time around. That's a win in my book.

The final corner of the triangle was the thermostat o-ring. This was another easy job. Out comes the t-stat.



Off with the old seal and on with the new one.



I reinstalled the thermostat then got the triangle of death cleaned up nice and pretty. I've filed paperwork to rename the area the triangle of cleanliness, but I know the clock is ticking until it again gets dirty.

The next day I treated myself to a drive to work in the 914 and took the long way home.



All told I added a good 50 miles to the odometer. The good news? No more triangle of death leaks. The bad news? I found more leaks.

While I replaced my lower valve covers with 930 covers and new gaskets (and failed to document it here), I didn't replace the uppers. Would you believe that they too seem to be leaking? Let just say I was a bit surprised at the leaks. But that's what happens when you clean up a mess. You quickly notice when a new mess is made.