Signal Single Orange 74 EG33 Swap, Gone but not forgotten Options

[914forme]

Okay this is the car in all its glory ugly as heck, but hey its an auto-x car. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/new_shocked.gif) This one is from my first season of auto-x with this car.



Heres what it looks like today. Made it even uglier (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif)



Here is the goal, I can sketch ideas, but I can not draw at the level of others on this forum. Thank you 914 Visulizer. and my black pen. Now if I could find a good front view. And the flares are not on the car since I'm not using GT Flares.



But you get the general idea.

[914forme]

History:

After looking for 6 months I found this 914 in Centerville Ohio. This was the same time Jon Lowe was looking for a tub for his 914-6GT Clone. He saw the ad, and did not even go and take a look, I did. Drug it home this is the summer of 1993. I worked on it a lot, it was in pretty good shape the hell hole was well, HELL. It looked good on initial inspection. I missed the nice 1/8 steel plate welded in for a battery tray. But thats all right it was a 74 2.0L, base model which was what I was looking for. Had sway bars from the factory, and a lot of nice parts that I would sell off over time.

Time goes by and the car changes configurations several times. I was running 2.0L in the car until I had to sell it. I had one from a parts car that did not work out so I gave up my engine. Needed the money more than a running 914. Car sat until I picked up a rusty but running 914 from Detroit for $800. I was told it was a 2.0L, it turned out to be a 74 with a 1.8L, bored out cylinders making it a short stroke 2.0L engine. That was a fun engine while it lasted.

Next change was a 2.0L I picked up off Van, as he swapped out to a -6. This engine ran me for 4 season of auto-x. Until one of the heads decided to go to the south. I then started the search for 2.0L heads, and found a set in Indy. And while I was doing that I found a 2.4L that was pulled from a car to swap a TDI engine in. I love TDIs as I drove them until just last month. But in a 914? Well We all can shut up as he finished the swap and he’s getting 60+ MPG out of the car.

Log story short. I had it in the car, and never got it fired up. I was out in the workshop one day all kinds of fired up. And my wife came out and asked what had me so torqued. And I started pointing at everything in the garage. Her response was sell it all. And I said okay. So I did, I sold every car I owned except my truck, and her Miata. And my 914.

Yet I sold everything I had for the 914 that I am not going to use in its new form.

[914forme]

The Plan:

Make this thing like Steve Austin. The Bionic 914.

Okay maybe not, yet who knows.

Body fix it so its a solid color and allows me to run these large meats an wheels. Wheels are off a Cayman S, 18” with 235/35 on the front and 255/40s on the rear. My car sits a little higher now that it did when it was a dedicated auto-xer. My front Tie downs have several encounters with various imperfections on its way to victory.

Flares will be added to the front fenders, and I will be raising the opening a little to clear tires at full suspension compression, and full lock.

I will be cleaning up the body lines and changing a few items to smooth it out, I have always liked a clean 914, mine will be a little cleaner with some slight tweaks to smooth it out even more. I will be using a metallic orange that is close to the current signal orange but will give it a little more pop. Trim will be blacked out as will the wheels. Badging removed. A third brake light will be added in the targa bar trim, from a Ford GT. I will be using a flashing circuit to get people to wake up. I will be adding a spoiler to the rear most likely out of clear.

Interior seats will be changed, It will be cleaned up, gauges replaced, a radio added, and maybe AC. Oh man I’m getting soft.

Motivation will be provided with by this:


Its an H33 from a Subaru SVX, that I have just picked up. Man these are great cars if they came in a 5-speed, I would be in love. The plan is drive the Subaru through the winter, and then swap the engine and other auxiliaries into the 914 once the body work is done. Power will go to the ground via a Subaru 5MT from a WRX. I have a OBX TB on order and the bolt and washer upgrades for it. MR2 Shifter and new cables and rod ends on order fro the shifter. Bunch of small items ordered.

Big decisions left to be made. Cooling I am thinking Boxster style rads on either side as I would like to ditch the pop up headlights. And I like my front trunk. Or just take the easy way out and put it in the trunk. And if I will be using a PEFI or the factory EFI. Right now, I am leaning towards PEFI, using SDS, and ITBs from a motor cycle to give it a more classic look to the engine compartment. Or I may use the stock intakes as thy do work rather well. And spend my money trying to get the exhaust ports and heads to flow better. Get more valve lift, and duration, and get the exhaust dog legs to flow better. I will be using a equal length header. That will be a challenge as I have never made one before. It will probably suck. But heres hoping I can pull that one off. I would like to get about 275 HP out of the motor in NA mode. No plans to turbo it, and I really want to maintain the torque for the auto-x corners.

Suspension: Most of that is done, I will be raising my front spindles to get more travel up front. And then getting rid of the bump steer and adding more camber up front.

Thats the plan now I need to get busy. First up figure out the front and rear flares before I pull the suspension and put this up onto a rotisserie I will be building to do this work, and then finally get to the 914-6.

[turk22]

I like the plan, the visualizer is nice, orange and black is a great combo on a teener.

Get to work!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/sawzall-smiley.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif)

[914forme]

This weekend I pulled the torsion bar adjuster off the drivers side front. Added my hub centric spacer, and longer wheels studs.

I had to make this tool, I could not get the dust caps off. So a piece of DOM drilled and taped to accept these three bolts. Tighten them down, to get some grip on the indent of the dust cap. Tap and rotate the hub, and finally got the caps off with out damaging them.



Here is the final result.

Full droop off the lift.



And Full Compression



And yes I have issues.

Tires rub at full lock at the rears. It hits the LE spoiler on its way by, and at full compression I can only go in a straight line. I have ordered John Kelly's DVD on how to do flares. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sawzall-smiley.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) This should be a good learning experience.

[914forme]

The rears fair much better. As I already did flares back there, you just don't think they should support this big of tire. 255/40R18



And heres the car on the ground.



Much taller than it was, its still 2 inches short than my -6. But I can now get the lift under the car with out having to jack it up first or put it in the dollies.

[Mike Bellis]

You may want to get thinner front spacers to reduce scrub radius issues. Although it looks better with the wheel out at the lip, the handling will be dramatically changed due to the scrub radius change.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrub_radius

[914forme]

You may want to get thinner front spacers to reduce scrub radius issues. Although it looks better with the wheel out at the lip, the handling will be dramatically changed due to the scrub radius change.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrub_radius

LOL, they are not that big, they barely clear the struts. 1/4" in there from the strut, I can't move them in any closer. If I could I would have, its all compromises. Thats the nature of the game.

And now you also see my swaybar that needs to be modified, that hunk of Nascar metal is still heavy.

[mepstein]

Its an H33 from a Subaru SVX, that I have just picked up. Man these are great cars if they came in a 5-speed, I would be in love. The plan is drive the Subaru through the winter, and then swap the engine and other auxiliaries into the 914 once the body work is done. Power will go to the ground via a Subaru 5MT from a WRX. I have a OBX TB on order and the bolt and washer upgrades for it. MR2 Shifter and new cables and rod ends on order fro the shifter. Bunch of small items ordered.

Please document everything - please.

[ConeDodger]

You better have a whole bunch of power in that scooby motor cause it's going to take a week to accelerate out of corners with those 18" wheels! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[Woody]

You better have a whole bunch of power in that scooby motor cause it's going to take a week to accelerate out of corners with those 18" wheels! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

[914forme]

I know y'alls hearts are in the right place, I appreciate it actually. Them wheels are HEAVY. So I know they won't spin up fast. I also know they will not be my track wheels, just not sure what will be. I'm looking for ubber light wheels in my price range, which is about 3 pennies and a dime that I found under the SVX's seat. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) As for the power, yeah I have that covered. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif) Just won't say exactly how yet. Got to keep some suspense in the build.

More junk yard / Ebay parts came in today. First off lets go back to Monday night. I picked up this engine for my mock up motor. 45K when somebody stuffed their SVX. Hopefully they where all right. Im going to use it to mock up my engine mounts and cradle. And all the body pan cutting I might need todo. And possibly the headers. ITs got more damage than it looks. If the cams and heads Survived on the drivers side, I may use it, we will see. Price was right for a mock up motor though.

And my trans came in. Early Turbo Trans, out of a 00 WRX. Case is not quite as strong as I would like, and the gears are not the best for lots of power. Yet the price was right cheap, I could not pass it up. We will see if I destroy it.

[914forme]

All the basic parts are in for the cable shifter. Though I ordered the wrong rod ends (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

I thought I grabbed the 3/8" and I ordered 3/16" They might work, we will see.



Teleflex control cables are in. 9' and 11'



And a super clean MR2 Shifter.




Thats the basics for the shifing system. Now comes the fun part fabrication. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif)

[ConeDodger]

Not just the heavy... It's the diameter. If you're building an autocross weapon, you want small diameter light wheels and tires. They look killer. But I am under the impression you're going to AX.

[914forme]

And now for the rest of the good bits. The OBX has landed.


And I have the 12.9 replacement bolts and heat treated conical washers.

And the other two items I need to finish the trans conversion are in also from Australia. Subaru Gears got these to me fast.



Yes thats a dollar I found under the seat of my 914 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) That coupler is smaller than I thought it would be.

And here is the back plate, I hated paying money for it, but they did all the nice CNC work I could not resist (IMG:style_emoticons/default/assimilate.gif)



Now I need to spend some time cleaning up the OBX. It requires a good going through, and inspection. Deburring and polishing will be required I am sure. Re-assemble it with the upgraded washers and bolts, and set the proper torque. Hopefully they did not strip out to many of the threads. And then I will need to spend some more time disassembling the transmission, cleaning the case halves inspecting the bearings swaping the ring and pinion over, checking the depth and mesh of the gears. Lots of work to be done to that transaxle. Thats for sure.

Hope to meet a few people (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) Sunday at the Cincinnati Event.

[914forme]

Not just the heavy... It's the diameter. If you're building an autocross weapon, you want small diameter light wheels and tires. They look killer. But I am under the impression you're going to AX.

I get it, just haven't found what Im looking for. The car originally ran 6.5x15s Minilites. I then went to 7x15 cookie cutters as seen in the pictures. I would like to find a set of light wheels like a Forgeline, or a centerline. Then run a set of Cnti's on them. I really need to figure this out as it could (probably will) effect my flares. Issue is the Forgelines would cost more than my entire build. And Centerlines are not made with the 5x130 bolt pattern.

Im open to suggestions, smallest diameter I can run is 15", if I could run 13s I would.

[ConeDodger]

Not just the heavy... It's the diameter. If you're building an autocross weapon, you want small diameter light wheels and tires. They look killer. But I am under the impression you're going to AX.

I get it, just haven't found what Im looking for. The car originally ran 6.5x15s Minilites. I then went to 7x15 cookie cutters as seen in the pictures. I would like to find a set of light wheels like a Forgeline, or a centerline. Then run a set of Cnti's on them. I really need to figure this out as it could (probably will) effect my flares. Issue is the Forgelines would cost more than my entire build. And Centerlines are not made with the 5x130 bolt pattern.

Im open to suggestions, smallest diameter I can run is 15", if I could run 13s I would.

Bill Charron runs 13's and pretty much nothing touches him. Not sure what wheel they are. Minilites maybe. I like what you're thinking with the forgeline or centerline. Since you're doing so much to the transmission, maybe you could change the gearing to make up for the 'gear change' those wheels/tires give you...

[rick 918-S]

Can you re-drill the centerlines? I did that to a set of Torque Thrust's back in the day. I had a machine shop countersink in off set washers. I drag raced on them with 500 hp.

[914forme]

Can you re-drill the centerlines? I did that to a set of Torque Thrust's back in the day. I had a machine shop countersink in off set washers. I drag raced on them with 500 hp.

Thats a great idea Rick.

Quick search found these CMS Wheels Custom backspace wheels.Since the centers are solid, should be able to have them indexed and drilled for 5x130. Like people do for rear hubs. I'm sure I would have to sign a liability waver. USA made custom back spacing, bolted or welded wheel halves your choice. for a 8" wide rim it came out to $231.

Or you can get Centerline drags from Summit for $237 in an 8.5" width, can't change the back spacing on these. Something to be said about a forged wheel though.

Why is it so hard to find wheel weights (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ar15.gif)

Now to find a used set, as I have less in my tranny than these wheels would cost me.

Also I have to check my transcode, to get my ratios and final drive. If you want to say its a stock WRX US spec transaxle, you can use this site to see what different wheel and tire combinations will do for speed at a given RPM. What would be cool is to also have a system to project how long it would take you to get to a certain speed with rotational mass. I know a ton of variables to equate.

[FourBlades]

Nice build! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif)

Looking forward to seeing it unfold.

John