# Build: 914 1.8t



## joedubs (Feb 2, 2004)

Wasn't going to post up till it was done, but why not.

A short outline to get the thread going:
I planned on building this motor for my mk4 gti. I got out of hand and things spiraled out of control. I sold the gti sans the engine and picked up a 1974 914. My dad has already built two teeners, so being familiar with the general ins and outs of the chassis really helped me (and will continue to) to plan things out.

Shouts:
dave for everything
Arnold for the turbo and internals
bob for the cams and built head
pete for the crank, dowel pin kit, and answering questions on sunday's
issam for random little bits here and there. p.s. will still need those coolant flanges i think.
Kevin @ lugtronic. 
Greg and Hoover @ driversport
sorry if i forgot anybody.

Engine Build, bottom to top:
06A 1.8t block (bored to 83mm)
FSI stroker crank
Dowel pinned timing sprocket
stock mains
ARP main studs
ACL rod bearings
Brute con-rods from PagParts
wiseco stroker pistons
ARP head studs
AEB large port (early) head
Supertech valves (inconel and black nitride)
Cat gold valve springs
new oem lifters, new exhaust guides, new cam chain tensioner
Cat 3658 cams from QED
Pagparts Vbanded manifold
PTE5857. Billet, Ball bearing, Vbanded housing
tial 38mm wastegate
custom intake manifold (in the works)

Lugtronic ECU
ID1000cc injectors

Transmission
bone stock fwd passat 1.8t transmission. Exploring rebuild possibilities.

Suspension and brakes:
Bilstein shocks
weltmeister springs in the rear
stock torsion bars up front
911 front spindles and 5lug
coleman 12in vented rotors front
girling 4piston brake calipers front(off an old volvo)

Chassis plans
914-gt steel flares
some old sweet race bumper with a big inlet for my radiator


tons of work to come. I think i'm off to a good start. the bay has been cut open and the rear reinforced to get ready for custom mounts. next stage is to really start cleaning things. I'll do the suspension after that. cooling wont be a big deal; people do sbc's in these things all the time. I could definitely use some input on intercooling though.

so, now on to the pics. camera phon action is a must

















































































Testing my bumper on my dads car









Deck clearance







































































































































Discuss


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## wrparrish (Nov 13, 2008)

If you mocked up that engine cradle yourself, good ****ing show man.
:beer:

Looks like quality work in progress.


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## joedubs (Feb 2, 2004)

thanks. A buddy of mine helped get the basic idea laid out and then I went from there. I had a bunch of help from my dad getting some angles too.

should have the engine bolted into the chassis this weekend to check clearance. Then i'll work on some more of the "bs" stuff like fender flares and suspension.


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## Cristos (Jun 15, 2006)

*Looks sick*

interested in seeing the linkage to your trans if its a manuel. have you got to that part yet??? if so pictures. i only ask because i am cureently doing this to a beetle and the passat/audi trans are cheaper to be had then the porsche units. cheers


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## vteciswack (Feb 19, 2009)

my 914 needs one of these.


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## jwalker1.8 (Mar 4, 2008)

nice idea/build...watching


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## J-tec (May 20, 2006)

Holy **** this is awesome. Definitely waiting to see what comes of this.

Video/picture updates all the time please


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## Vegeta Gti (Feb 13, 2003)

following!!

inhave some uber rare sheel Mann factory racing seats for a 914, they would be great for this


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## joedubs (Feb 2, 2004)

Cristos said:


> interested in seeing the linkage to your trans if its a manuel. have you got to that part yet??? if so pictures. i only ask because i am cureently doing this to a beetle and the passat/audi trans are cheaper to be had then the porsche units. cheers


okay.... heres the whole transmission plan:
the passat/a4 fwd transmission: 012 code
the porsche boxster trans: 012 code

I was HOPING to use a boxster 6speed but the main difference between the two transmission is the bell housing. the boxster's bell has the provision for the starter at the 12-oclock position. The passat/a4 transmission has the starter at the 3oclock position (exhaust side of the block). I COULD run a boxster trans if i wanted to pop start the car all the time.

Here's the magic: Because both cars use the "same" transmission it means that they share many of the same bolt ons. That being said, I purchased the cable shift assembly from a boxster (shifter box, cables, bracketry etc) and it bolted right to the transmission. I'm hoping that the cables I recv'd from the wrecked boxster are long enough. thats phase II though.

and finally.... I got 5-lug hubs from a 911. I'm told they'll press into my trailing arms. I also have a later model 911 axle (not sure what year it came from) and it just so happens to bolt to my trans. I'm hoping it goes together.


If you're planning on using this trans in a beetle you'll have to look into whether or not you can swap the ring and pinion (or try running it upside-down like the 914 guys do with the 930 transmissions). porsche transmission cost insane amounts of money. I'd rather blow up 3 or 4 of these 012's (at $300 a piece) than spend 4 grand on a rebuilt 915 or 6 on a 930 trans. GL with your build


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## Aronc (Jan 30, 2006)

Amazing build looking forward to progress updates 

following!


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## Henni (May 14, 2003)

That is going to be one fun 914!!!


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## Cristos (Jun 15, 2006)

joedubs said:


> okay.... heres the whole transmission plan:
> the passat/a4 fwd transmission: 012 code
> the porsche boxster trans: 012 code
> 
> ...


I did not know that these two trans are the same. i should have made my question a little more clear, my project is also mid engine, so as far as fliping the ring gear i will not have to that. i am currently deciding if i should use a 1.8t vs a 12valve vr6, of course the only concern is cost and as i think a vr6 would cost alot more to make boost freindly how ever i love the sound of them too. do you have any picks of your linkage installed? Nice build by the way.


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## Issam Abed (Feb 12, 2004)

Oh that is very nice


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## screwball (Dec 11, 2001)

This will be scary fast


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## joedubs (Feb 2, 2004)

should be fun. hope my subframe holds up to 500hp.

as requested:


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## Richard_Cranium (Mar 28, 2010)

brand new 6 speed for $450. not sure if it would work with your linkage though.... still nice project.

http://www.ecstuning.com/Flyer-VW_And_Audi_Deals/ES268176/


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## zerb (Mar 18, 2005)

looking good man :thumbup:

billet ftmfw!!


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## IAmTheNacho (Oct 26, 2003)

Richard_Cranium said:


> brand new 6 speed for $450. not sure if it would work with your linkage though.... still nice project.
> 
> http://www.ecstuning.com/Flyer-VW_And_Audi_Deals/ES268176/


That is retard cheap


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## kkkustom (Jun 5, 2007)

Richard_Cranium said:


> brand new 6 speed for $450. not sure if it would work with your linkage though.... still nice project.
> 
> http://www.ecstuning.com/Flyer-VW_And_Audi_Deals/ES268176/





IAmTheNacho said:


> That is retard cheap


No thats a typo I bet, beased on the $6200 original price crossed out above it! thats prolly supposed to be $4400.


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## Richard_Cranium (Mar 28, 2010)

kkkustom said:


> No thats a typo I bet, beased on the $6200 original price crossed out above it! thats prolly supposed to be $4400.


no typo. look at it closely. notice it says*SAVE 93%*


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## IAmTheNacho (Oct 26, 2003)

Richard_Cranium said:


> no typo. look at it closely. notice it says*SAVE 93%*


 I noticed that too. Unless someone fat fingered when setting up that website and it calculates all that automatically.


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## NOLA_VDubber (May 24, 2007)

opcorn: this is awesome


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## Vento! (Oct 23, 2008)

dope!


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## screwball (Dec 11, 2001)

You gonna run 1X" wide tires out back? What's the target weight on this gonna be?


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## carsluTT (Dec 31, 2004)

awesome project! ....


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## 16plus4v (May 4, 2006)

Cool beans !


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## saps (Jul 10, 2009)

This is way too cool. Will be a real head turner for sure. Keep us posted man!!!


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## kamahao112 (Nov 17, 2007)

dope


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## joedubs (Feb 2, 2004)

wow... apparently vortex stopped emailing me with topic replies :banghead:

Yes yes... i saw the 01e. The original 01e is a transmission that many of the gt40 guys use in their builds (and theres a guy on 914club that used one in his LS1 build). very strong, came from the FWD A8 in europe. I'm told these newer B7 variations aren't as strong though. I wouldn't want to spend $500 on a trans thats available NOW for that price and find out that its nowhere near as strong as i hoped. the 012 is "disposable" right now and probably always will be. they made a TON of FWD a4's and passats.

goal weight is going to be probably around 2200 lbs. Many of these cars are well under 2k "on race day" but i plan on having a full interior and cage. "stock engine" vs "1.8t + added coolant" seem to be roughly even. my registration says "2078lbs" so if you consider that i'm adding fender flares, a better suspension, wider wheels etc, i'm only adding weight.

wheels will probably be 8's and 9's. thinking CCW's but who knows. 245's in the rear should get me some traction.

marathon work session starting friday night!


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## [email protected] (Oct 23, 2008)

So this is what you've been up to. Nice project Joe. Love it :thumbup:


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## screwball (Dec 11, 2001)

Great stuff man. 245s or not you're going to be destroying tires w/ only a 9" rim and this turbo.


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## Buschwick (Feb 12, 2007)

screwball said:


> Great stuff man. 245s or not you're going to be destroying tires w/ only a 9" rim and this turbo.


I dunno man. a 2000lb car with most of the motor weight on the rear axle...I think it will make for some major grippage. but I'm dumb so I dunno.

sweet build dude. watching.


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## screwball (Dec 11, 2001)

I'm e-racing here, but I"m just saying: 500wheel, 2200lbs & 9" wide tire. I'd die in that car, but I don't want to bust chops in the thread any more. 

I'm super eager to see you get this thing up and running. Awesome, awesome project.


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## Richard_Cranium (Mar 28, 2010)

Do-RIFTO!!!!!


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## Buschwick (Feb 12, 2007)

screwball said:


> I'm e-racing here, but I"m just saying: 500wheel, 2200lbs & 9" wide tire. I'd die in that car, but I don't want to bust chops in the thread any more.
> 
> I'm super eager to see you get this thing up and running. Awesome, awesome project.


Oh, ya I'd be dead too. Sick car for sure.


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## Mr.Tan (Jun 9, 2004)

i've always been a huge fan of 914s, my dad had 2 of them and i got to ride in a 914-6 race car back in the day which really sealed the deal of my love for them haha...

build looks good so far, def. gonna be watching this! ****s out of control bro, mad props for doing this for sure!!! :thumbup::beer:


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## joedubs (Feb 2, 2004)

i don't plan on street-ing the car anywhere near that power level. thats the goal i would like to hit with the motor, and perhaps i'll run it there on track days... but honestly with a power:weight close to many motorcycles, its really sort of pointless. i'm pretty good with self-control though.
thanks for all the comments. this project will take the better part of the next year. as long as its done before my wedding i'll be happy!


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## jwalker1.8 (Mar 4, 2008)

screwball said:


> Great stuff man. 245s or not you're going to be destroying tires w/ only a 9" rim and this turbo.


I have a feeling when he gets those flared fenders on there and sees how much room is in there he may go with something larger...Def will look good. can't wait to see this thing done.

Spoiler pic


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## joedubs (Feb 2, 2004)

lol... not quite going for that look. I love all the fiberglass bodies available (i want the sheridan standard body in the WORST way) but its very hard to justify the price of a fully fiberglass body.









this is kinda what my car will look like... different bumpers though


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## boosted b5 (Nov 1, 2004)

Richard_Cranium said:


> brand new 6 speed for $450. not sure if it would work with your linkage though.... still nice project.
> 
> http://www.ecstuning.com/Flyer-VW_And_Audi_Deals/ES268176/


im buying the whole lot of them.


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## inivid (Aug 25, 2003)

ridiculous project. love it! opcorn:

moar pics of the motor/trans setup in the bay pleeze.


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## joedubs (Feb 2, 2004)

ask and ye shall receive:




































So, since everything fits... its time for me to do some tweaks. Pulling it all back out tomorrow morning. Then its resto time.
Thoughts?


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## jwalker1.8 (Mar 4, 2008)

my only thought is I WANT


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## bobqzzi (Sep 24, 2003)

I love this project. Those cars are fun with 100hp...


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## gtimitch (Nov 20, 2006)

inivid said:


> ridiculous project. love it! opcorn:
> 
> moar pics of the motor/trans setup in the bay pleeze.


I love this project as well... fantastic. Please continue to post your progress. The 1.8 always seems to amaze me ,, I'm accustomed to big CI and this little motor seems to dominate when the tires can connect... Awesome... 
Wow, reading these threads have done no less than amuse me. This (young lady I presume) has nailed the topic to the WALL. We are 1.8 readers that want to improve our rides as inexpensively as possible, but, without major money, can we make it happen, We need low cost power that will benefit those of us who will not be able to pass through the million dollar gate. (it doesn't necessarily HAVE TO BE MILLOINS - we are thousand kind of people). We can do moderate but we can not do excessive. I.8 power is here for a long time simply because of weight ratio to power produced. That my friend is the future -- weight to power ratio -- regardless of the power plant .


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## 1.8TRabbit (Nov 15, 2004)

opcorn::beer:


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## MFZERO (Mar 13, 2002)

awesome build!


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## joedubs (Feb 2, 2004)

back on track.









































































next side


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## Silver_B5 (Dec 10, 2002)

Nice!!! Cant wait to see the finished project.

Guarantee it will be an absolute beast and a real blast to drive...

I had a similar car years ago


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## sirswank (Mar 17, 2003)

this still alive? 

bump for updates!


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## WannabeVWguy (Sep 22, 2002)




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## joedubs (Feb 2, 2004)

Hope it's still alive... My last post was like 5 days ago. Lol. 
All fenders are on. Gotta finish welding and grinding tonight. Maybe filler this weekend.


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## joedubs (Feb 2, 2004)

sorry for the lack of updates. I've been busy as hell between work and planning the wedding. 

Been fiberglassing and bondo-ing. I've got 8 hours into the bodywork on ONE quarter (not including the metal work). i started fiberglass on a second fender but didnt add enough hardener (apparently) and it never hardened. i hate bodywork.


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## lorge1989 (Sep 3, 2008)

Are you using the brand name Bondo for the filler work? If you are and you are making such an unbelievable car I would suggest getting some Evercoat products. They have a huge selection and are light years better than the Bondo you buy at Pep Boys. 

This is one helluva project btw, can wait to see some vids. :thumbup:


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## motoo344 (May 26, 2006)

This is going to be awesome, good luck. :thumbup:


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## weenerdog3443 (Jul 5, 2007)

now this is a build... keep up the good work


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## joedubs (Feb 2, 2004)

> Are you using the brand name Bondo for the filler work? If you are and you are making such an unbelievable car I would suggest getting some Evercoat products. They have a huge selection and are light years better than the Bondo you buy at Pep Boys.


 yes, i've been using the bondo brand fiberglass (bondo-hair) and filler. i did the first coat with hair, and the second coat with the standard filler. 
to be 100% honest, as you can tell from the picture of the flare in bare-metal; back a few posts, a high build primer would almost be enough on many of the area's. theres MAYBE 1/16 - 1/8th of an inch of filler at its thickest. 
I definitely appreciate the input. but bondo-brand should be fine for my weekend/light track use car. I'd like the car to look good but i'm not trying to build a show car. 

Theres people online that say "stay away from bondo!!!" but nobody says why. the only arguments i've seen is that other stuff is easier to work with.


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## lorge1989 (Sep 3, 2008)

joedubs said:


> yes, i've been using the bondo brand fiberglass (bondo-hair) and filler. i did the first coat with hair, and the second coat with the standard filler.
> to be 100% honest, as you can tell from the picture of the flare in bare-metal; back a few posts, a high build primer would almost be enough on many of the area's. theres MAYBE 1/16 - 1/8th of an inch of filler at its thickest.
> I definitely appreciate the input. but bondo-brand should be fine for my weekend/light track use car. I'd like the car to look good but i'm not trying to build a show car.
> 
> Theres people online that say "stay away from bondo!!!" but nobody says why. the only arguments i've seen is that other stuff is easier to work with.


I've just heard horror stories about it not setting correctly and cracking down the road. But also that could be people just misusing the product 

Live and ya learn :thumbup: 

Goodluck


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## joedubs (Feb 2, 2004)

Please don't take my reply the wrong way. I was just pointing out that you are definitely NOT the first person i've heard say "don't use bondo". Like i said, its just strange that nobody gives concrete reasons why.

All filler will crack/shrink/change over time, and unfortunately the climate doesn't help. All i DO know is that i shaved the hatch emblem and handle on my old mk4 back in 2005, and when i sold it in january the bodywork still looked pretty damn good. That was also a car that NEVER saw a garage for more than a weekend (it might have been inside for a grand total of 1 month of its life). I drove it daily regardless of whether it was 10 degrees or 100 degrees out.


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## lorge1989 (Sep 3, 2008)

joedubs said:


> Please don't take my reply the wrong way. I was just pointing out that you are definitely NOT the first person i've heard say "don't use bondo". Like i said, its just strange that nobody gives concrete reasons why.
> 
> All filler will crack/shrink/change over time, and unfortunately the climate doesn't help. All i DO know is that i shaved the hatch emblem and handle on my old mk4 back in 2005, and when i sold it in january the bodywork still looked pretty damn good. That was also a car that NEVER saw a garage for more than a weekend (it might have been inside for a grand total of 1 month of its life). I drove it daily regardless of whether it was 10 degrees or 100 degrees out.


Not at all. I was kinda agreeing with you.


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## sirswank (Mar 17, 2003)

joedubs said:


> Please don't take my reply the wrong way. I was just pointing out that you are definitely NOT the first person i've heard say "don't use bondo". Like i said, its just strange that nobody gives concrete reasons why.



from what i have read in the bodywork forums and the car electronics forums (speaker box builds) the evercoat rage line of fillers are easier to work with, meaning they lay on smoother, kick more predictably, sand easier, shrink less, stick better, and are lighter in weight than the bondo brand products.


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## rocconut (Feb 20, 2004)

:thumbup::thumbup:

Where are you located? We have a couple 914's and we are weighs the cost of the 1.8T and the 16VT for mainly track use but minimum street use. 
We'll have other questions later. What is the best way to contact you?


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## joedubs (Feb 2, 2004)

soooo.... i'm still around and still plugging away. winter should be fun with some time in the garage.

Flares are in place









Found some rot


















looked good before








not so much (must have been 20ga sheet tacked in place)









so i cut it out


















patch bent









drivers side cut out









patch


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## inivid (Aug 25, 2003)

it's rad to see progress, buddy! keep it up! :thumbup:


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## MK1TD (Feb 10, 2008)

opcorn:


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## rocconut (Feb 20, 2004)

With the longs rusty how are the rear suspension console areas and the battery tray area?

How much did you ahve to cut out for the eng to fit? Any photos of the engine/tranny mounts?


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## joedubs (Feb 2, 2004)

the battery tray was non-existent... i ended up just cutting it out of the way. The longs actually aren't THAT rough, the pictures make it look worse than it is.

engine and tranny mount is posted above. i cut all the sheet metal surround from the engine bay. I can take some pics of the bay this week.


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## GarageSpec (Oct 11, 2010)

very interesting build....but why?


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## martin13 (Apr 20, 2010)

GarageSpec said:


> very interesting build....but why?


 why not?? :laugh:


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## hyperformancevw (Mar 15, 2007)

awesome build man! cant wait to see it in action:thumbup:


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## boosted b5 (Nov 1, 2004)

GarageSpec said:


> very interesting build....but why?


 because its gonna be nasty. and how many people have done it?:screwy:


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## kkkustom (Jun 5, 2007)

boosted b5 said:


> because its gonna be nasty. and how many people have done it?:screwy:


 this guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about... just ignore him.


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## GarageSpec (Oct 11, 2010)

I wasnt asking why to say that its a bad thing, I merely want to know why. Its an odd build. Is your affinity with the 914 or 1.8T or both? Im just wondering why this particular build. Im the editor of an online magazine, that why I ask. Ive done some pretty gnarley things in the automotive world, and did them all for a reason. I want to know the OP's reasoning is all. 

-Rich


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## boosted b5 (Nov 1, 2004)

GarageSpec said:


> I wasnt asking why to say that its a bad thing, I merely want to know why. Its an odd build. Is your affinity with the 914 or 1.8T or both? Im just wondering why this particular build. Im the editor of an online magazine, that why I ask. Ive done some pretty gnarley things in the automotive world, and did them all for a reason. I want to know the OP's reasoning is all.
> 
> -Rich


 joedubs enjoys the 1.8t and has been around the 914 for some time due to his father owning a couple. 

i do know that this engine was originally slated for use in his mk4 GTi, until a light bulb turned on and he realized FWD sucks and 500+ whp will be more fun in the old Porsche


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## GarageSpec (Oct 11, 2010)

it makes sense


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## joedubs (Feb 2, 2004)

Still alive, nearly 1 year later :banghead:
I haven't gotten a ton done on the car....
My Dad, Brother in law, and I had someone ask us to redo his track car, and I couldn't turn down the opportunity to work on one of these:








It turned out pretty nice:









Not long after that I had my wedding to attend... so things were sorta hectic between last minute planning and then the honeymoon and such.
anyway, heres how the porsche currently sits. Things are calming down (though my wife convinced me to go back to school which means all my free/car time now has to get split for school work too). I'm hoping to dive back in and get things together. the suspension is set to go on (control arms are cleaned/painted, brakes are ready, I have new shocks/springs.) though I just need some little BS parts. I'd LIKE to have the car rolling with the motor bolted back in it sometime soon. 









































new suspension components

















Freshly undercoated waiting for a swingarm.


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## zerb (Mar 18, 2005)

i told you that dyno night would be motivation!

this thing is going to ruin some peoples lives next spring when its on the roads. :heart:


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## jluck1 (May 5, 2011)

this is totally sick!:beer: people looked at me a bit crossed ways when I put the 1.8T in a Suzuki sidekick...until they went for a ride in it. then it was there junk to the shop for power upgrades. I really anticipate the finished product.
opcorn:


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## gdoggmoney (Feb 21, 2004)

Please don't wreck a clean shell..... You know these cars are getting very rare and climbing in value.


I say this as a guy with a 75 California desert car 1.8l that still needed metal work, but east coast folks drooled over.


Also awesome project. I'm either EJ or LS1 swapping my 914.


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## gdoggmoney (Feb 21, 2004)

Also are those the auto atlanta group buy flairs? How did the fitment work out?

I'm probably going glass. The previous owner had some hacks try to go with filled doorhandles, they messed up the fenders with horrible welding and a hammer + inches of bondo. 

I may go metal, but would have to find a clean shell to cut two rear fenders and sails off.


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## joedubs (Feb 2, 2004)

The car wasn't exactly a "clean shell" to start with. It looked great from far away but it needed a lot of work in person. 

Those aren't the AA flares afaik, I got them from pelican (if pelican gets them from AA, then ohh well). I've heard nothing but horror stories regarding AA and refuse to buy from them. My dad also had some poor experiences. FWIW, the pelican flares fit great with some massaging. But nothing more than the OEM flares required, or so I've read. 

I was going to do glass for weight/ease of install, but then I thought about slamming fiberglass parts with the handle of a floor jack while loading things into the car trailer. Lets be honest too, I can afford a few lbs extra, maybe it'll help with traction.


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## Andaloons (Apr 16, 2004)

That's going to be a really cool car when it is done. Well done!


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## kg6dxn (May 4, 2012)

Is this build still happening? I just got my 914 1.8t running and driving.


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