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Ok, I said enough was enough and threw my phone in the toilet today and said,
"I'm working on my car!!!"
I have to say it was very satisfying to get back on it, I think I'm going to do the same tomorrow.
My latest hurdle was once I got the rear end dry fitted it was sitting too high. I couldn't lower the motor and I didn't want to give up running Weber's so I consulted with my mechanic on what my options were. After putting our heads together we decided if we took out the velocity stacks we could lower the rain hats. While I would lose a few horsepower the car has plenty to spare. Once decided on this course I had to figure out how to do it. I cut the K&N filer in half and it fit well and then I took the studs the rain hats sit on and trimmed them. This involved hacksawing and JB welding. Once I prove this as a working system I will probably get K&N to make me the correct height air cleaners and maybe make better rain hat studs, though these may work. With that done the rear end was fitting at a much better angle. The other option we toyed with was running the velocity stacks out of the body like a 906, but with the rear grill it would have been awkward.
Once this was done I started on cutting the sheet metal off the front but ran out of day. Tomorrow will be a little dull, it will take me awhile to dis-mantle the fire suppression system and take out the fuel cell. I don't think the out-dated fire system will be missed and the fuel cell is huge, like something you would need to run the Dakar Rally. I figure after lunch I can start getting the rest of the sheet metal gone and hopefully if I'm real lucky I can pack up and get the shocks off to Elephant Racing for their haircuts.

A few more pics.

Ran out of day and the fire system took some slow brain work to figure out how to get it out. It was still fully pressurized so I didn't want a face full of Halon. It came out in one piece, I'll take it to Hershey this year to see if anyone can't live without it. Also got the massive fuel cell. The rest of the day was taken up with measurements, figuring out where to trim the front and how much can be saved. When I chopped the test body I wasn't really thinking about how much to leave since I just wanted to see if the body would fit. Now that I want to save as much of the original body as possible and want to save as much structure as I can the cuts are getting much more deliberate and surgical.

Hopefully I can make more time next week.

I was only to get a half day in today, had to leave early for a daughter orthodontist appointment, but tomorrow I will be alone at the shop to I can keep the momentum going. I was able to cut away the top of the cowl and the hinge area, ran out of time on the steering column area, going to leave as much of that as I can because I don't know how much I will need and where everything will align with the new dash.

Ok, today was dramatic, starting to take shape. The front nose is right where I need it. I will have to relocate the oil cooler from where it was on the 914. But I was able to retain 914 wheel wells so that is good news. This is getting fun again!

congratulations on time management benefits and z axis compromise. memorable pics thanks

Ok, back on it! I got side-tracked because I had a good window of time to get some major work on the 550 project. The rear clamshell came out nicely, but now I'm back on the 904. I got both rear shocks in place, with the new mounts welded in. Look for updates in the coming weeks.

Can't wait to see it!

ChuckJ

Ok, the selling season is quickly ending so I took today and got some real progress made on the front shock towers.
We drilled out the spot welds on the test bed chassis so I have a complete shock tower rack to work with. The front struts from Elephant Racing fit very well and I got in under the wire, literally, see the wire! I ran out of day but at least I know where the shock towers need to go, now I can fab and weld them in. Look for weekly updates now that I have more time.

And a few more.

Looking GREAT!

ChuckJ

Now that winter has officially sunk in, temps in the single digits and below, I figured I can really make some headway on this project. It is time to start securing the front suspension now that I have lowered the shock towers. I've been avoiding this job because it's pretty daunting, but I started today with the two outer pieces.
My first piece didn't come out like I wanted it but would probably do the job, while my second piece came out pretty nice. The 2nd piece looking so nice got me to re-do the first piece, which is getting there, but I ran out of day.
So far so good.

Progress! Congrats (and keep warm!)

Mike

I didn't get as far as I wanted today, I dis-carded the re-done piece and started on a 3rd piece, which came out ok. I got started on making the middle piece but ran out of day. Luckily the weather is supposed to be very cold next week to, so plenty of time to get the pellet stove humming and the hammers swinging.

Happy New Year!

That’s always the way it is isn’t it?,....the first one you make is on a steep steep learning curve. The second is much nicer every time. And then the first one looks so crude that you can’t live with it so you make a third, and it comes out faster (which is nice), and usually as good as the second one. Then you have that orphaned first one,...the one that took all that time and the one that you learned sooo sooo much from making. Chuck it? Maybe,...or maybe keep it around in a bin, kicking around for years, for no apparent reason, just because of what it taught you and you can’t bear to just toss it. Then one day you are cleaning up and the project is done and you say ,...ok,.. it’s time for you to go, along with the rest of the junk leftover from that project.

Arc in the lifetime of a home made part, haha.