Project Blue Book

[Wh1t3Kn1ght]

Amazing work again Chief - this car looks proper good, I get weirdly aroused with every new picture

That crackle finish paint looks awesome as well :thumb:

Congrats for fitting the windscreen as well! that has made me think as my 996 screen needs refitting and I also need to fit the correct tinted screen to my 944. There are some specialists around but they charge 3 times the cost of the screen to fit... and I've heard the horror stories about the national companies. B&Q had some suction lifting handles on offer for £10 each...

 

[stichill99]

914

This is such an amazing build. to me a 914 was always a bit marmite although I do remember one that ran around locally when I was a small boy in the 1970's so they must have moved a cog somewhere in my head.
This car just looks so right. Have you seen the one built in Australia by the editor of Fuel magazine? It's pretty cool aswell.

 

[Chief]

Thank you all for the very positive and supportive comments, they are really appreciated.
I have been a bit caught up of late although I have been busy working away on the little 914.



After fitting the windscreen it was time to set up for the chrome trim. This arrived a little twisted and bent, but this is how it is. It all needs gently massaging into shape and stretched. I first marked up the clip locations so I would know where to press a little firmer for the chrome to click into place.









As you can see on the one picture the chrome can come up short and needs a lot of work to gently get it to fit into place. This what a whole days work on and off to get it right.

Next was this Targa Bar trim. Again this was a long game of patients.



Looks really retro now. The more that goes on the tidier my workshop is becoming, so win, win!

A little teaser of the next fabrication project...











Any guesses :dont know:

 

[Alex]

Torsion bar mount or roll cage mount. :dont know:

 

[Chief]

Torsion bar mount or roll cage mount. :dont know:

Freezing COLD :? uh:

 

[Alex]

Engine mount cradle

 

[Chief]

Sorry Alex, smaller than your guess'

















I just couldn't live with nuts and bolts showing through the factory supplied bracket, so thought I better fabricate something a little more hidden.

 

[Chief]

A few updates before the weekend kicks in.
I have been struggling with the front tunk. I get everything lined up nicely and once I fit the huge springs that open it, it shifts the trunk lid to one side and there isn't enough adjustment in the hinges to compensate.
So I have taken it off and removed the hinges. These appear to be the culprit. They are a flat face fit controlled by the shoulder bolts. Over the years it's all got a bit slack.





So an idea popped into my noodle. If I grab a bit off a CNC milling machine I should be able to machine the worn face flat then add a shim to try and get them tight again.





Only took .3mm off and added a shim. Just got to give it a try now but trying to waggle the longer arm of the hinge now is as tight as a Tit mouses ear. So hopefully fixed....we will see.

Next little project that I have been putting off is the heater controls into the dashboard. The original although all together had been butchered.



As you can see, someone had a good go with there paints!



First off I covered the 'Text' as this is a printed and glued in strip.
I then used patients and a lot of superglue remover to soften the glus at the back of the lit lozenges to get them out. It did work but took a few attempts.



Above picture shows that the surface isn't so flat. My logic was this. If I get it flat then paint it. A light coat of lacquer, mask off and paint the recessed control indicators. Then I could sand back any overspray without effecting the silver. Then fit the lozenges back in and lacquer again to finish. After lightly sanding the top of the text on the lozenges to expose the plastic so the light from the bulbs would show through I finished with this...



















So I finished, however all did not go exactly to plan. I had a reaction with the superglue on the lacquered surface.
Also the more I looked at it the more I didn't like the silver. It just looked a bit too much like Aluminum. So more superglue remover and I did the whole job again. This time I mixed a little more blue into the silver and ended up with this (below). I just need to glue the lozenges in, but this time I have left it a week for the paint to really harden. I am hoping this will be the last time I do this...



So hopefully this saga is finished and I can move onto the Targa top for refurbishing. Let's see eh!

 

[Gazc2]

Chief,

Your attention to detail throughout this build really is epic and the finished article will reflect this cracking job as always 👍

 

[Chief]

Chief,

Your attention to detail throughout this build really is epic and the finished article will reflect this cracking job as always 👍

Thank you so much Gaz :thumb:
Quite humbling our kid, thank you. As I've said previously, this build is a pilgrimage to my dear departed dad so therefore has to be just right.

 

[deMort]

All i can say from one Porsche Mechanic to another :thumb:

But i'm not worthy of including myself to be fair .

 

[Chief]

All i can say from one Porsche Mechanic to another :thumb:

But i'm not worthy of including myself to be fair .

Well sir I thank you for your humbling comments. I'm just a chap in a garage at home. We see you as Bruce Springsteen'The Boss' on here. Thank you for taking the time to have a look at my thread.

 

[Chief]

Finished!











It's took a little while but finished now. I reproduced the heater control sticker a while ago and it's nice to finally fit it and be done.
I took the dashboard back out so I could trim the back that fits against the windscreen and seal. If I get this finished off I can bolt the dash in and the trimmer can get to the knee pad and dash top without having to disturb it.
First off I found out the old vinyl a clamped in place to see how it all worked. I decided to trim with under or scrim foam which worked quite well.







I have gone for a slightly heavier grain for the leatherette for no other reason that it's a bit out of the way so needs to stand out a little more.





Plenty of contact adhesive and the foam is all good. I decided to leave it until next week to really dry off.

 

[Chief]

So time to attack the Targa Top. This is fiberglass and painted in a textured black paint from the factory. After fifty years it all looking a bit tired.

















As usual everything just came off. Not stuck screws or nuts. Porsche do make the right!
All the seals and rubbers had gone so hard and brittle. I am hopeful once done it will keep out the wind and rain.
Lots to refurbish. I thought i'd start on the big stuff and get tit out of the way. The top needed sanding right back and a few layers of high build primer to give me a fighting chance of getting it all level. Lots of curves to the surface so a good few hours spent on that.



A little black powder to check for low spots.





Lots of masking up of the garage just to be sure...



Silicon cleaner and tack rag then we were off to the races!





And first stage of the mission accomplished. I have all the seal and rubbers new and awaiting test fit, but first there are a lot of metal work to de-rust and paint. I will take the opportunity to put anti drum sound deadening in the roof void. This will be trimmed after, not the carpetey stuff that was glued in place from the factory.
More later....

 

[deMort]

I'm sorry but i do have to say once again .. your abilities are astounding ..

I can spray paint / body repair to a commercial level but the roof panel is what i would expect out of our next door body shop !

I have the very same clamps you have and i use them for similar purposes .. i have found clamping a steel ruler under them a better method as it leaves less marks in the leather / fabric .. the longer the ruler and the better .

Outstanding young man and sorry to repeat myself but i appreciate excellent work and this is it .

There must be some formal training here surely ?