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My Mid (engine) Life Crisis
I purchased this Porsche 914/4 a little over three years ago when I saw a fellow member's car and the light went on about 914s. I hadn't planned on slipping down the rabbit hole, as the car was very clean already and mechanically quite sound aside from the fact that it had the notorious tail shift transmission. On it's best day the 901 box had a 50/50 chance of getting the gear you wanted, so I decided to build a side shift transmission instead and do a 5 lug conversion.
Long story short, it took much longer than planned because life intervened. When I finally got to start on the car I had a laundry list of 'wants' and was yet again enabled by my friend Mike Eberhardt and his shop Vintage Racing Co. Without a doubt, this car is now a revelation to drive. I was always ambivalent about 914s and 914/6s. No more.
So before the pictures, a quick breakdown of the specs:
Jack Raby Type IV motor; 160hp / 155lb-ft
Front oil cooler
Side Shift transmission with Tangerine Racing parts and Short Shift kit
Full front 911 SC suspension with Bilsteins all around
Custom 911 rear brakes, drive shafts, hubs, and flanges
15 x 7 Factory Fuchs in RSR finish
Triad exhaust
Custom half roll bar
Driver Scheel sport seat with heat, factory passenger seat with heat
Extra Scheel passenger seat and factory driver seat in matching tartan with heat (so they can be mixed and matched)
380mm Factory wheel double-wrapped by Dallas Custom
My personal favorite custom 901 shift knob
Factory Targa roof and Saratoga Targa top as well.
I stole liberally from different years of 914 production. The center console and tartan fabric were not available until after 1972, but I wanted a chrome bumper car without overriders. This particular '72 914/4 popped up and I couldn't resist making it my own. I did however resist the urge to make it a GT clone or install a 911 engine. The Type IV has great power/weight specs and the car has plenty of power for what it is.
Here's how it was at the start of the project:
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And now that it's finally finished:
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