Tygaboy's '74 - An Update/Improve Effort

Progress! The 735's engine is out and on its way to SF Don's shop. Big thanks to Bo (Don's traveling mechanic) for coming to my place and doing all the dirty work while I screwed around with my 914 V8 build.
 

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teahead said:
If they're going to pull the engine, maybe have it (the body) sent out and get the whole engine compartment painted and blasted?

Can do the rest of the exterior later after you've had fun with it for awhile from Don's retrofitting.
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Yep, Don's team is painting the engine compartment, updating all the suspension, powder coating the subframe, etc., etc. Can't hardly wait!
 
Let's talk surprises, shall we? Let me just say that I like surprises! Big fan, actually. Usually, when someone says "Surprise!", it's followed by some sort of happy event. Usually... Now, when @sfdon and his team are working on your car and you get a text with a bunch of pictures followed by a phone call where Don uses the word "surprise"? Not so much! Hey, the joys of E9 resto, eh? ;)
So, it turns out my car sustained some sort of what must have been accident damage to the frame rails just ahead of the front suspension cradle. Each side had a not small dent that was filled with bondo and wasn't visible under the years of grime. And let me back up and say, "Yes, bondo in the frame rails." I mean, who does that? If you're going to do something stupid, why not save us all time and just leave the f-ing dents?!? Rant over.
The good news is the car drove just fine and all the body gaps are good. Anyway, the only proper way forward is a proper repair! The bondo was removed (!), the damaged areas sliced out, new material welded in and metal finished. Here are some "before, during and after" pics of this repair.
Let's start with a still life composition I've titled "Dent with Bondo Residue"
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Let's keep with the "surprise" themes for just a minute more:
So a buddy calls the other day and says "Hey, there's a car down the street from me that been under a tarp since I can remember. It looks like your BMW." I told him to stop by and ask about it. I mean, there's no way there's an E9 just sitting under a tarp in someone's yard... And I was right! ;)
Anyway, he spoke with the property owner, the car is her brother-in-law's and it was last registered in 1985.
This little fella is in ROUGH shape. But I've always had a soft spot in my heart for cars that need rescuing. We're going to see if we can buy it - assuming the price is right. I'll keep you posted.
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tygaboy said:
Let's keep with the "surprise" themes for just a minute more:
So a buddy calls the other day and says "Hey, there's a car down the street from me that been under a tarp since I can remember. It looks like your BMW." I told him to stop by and ask about it. I mean, there's no way there's an E9 just sitting under a tarp in someone's yard... And I was right! ;)
Anyway, he spoke with the property owner, the car is her brother-in-law's and it was last registered in 1985.
This little fella is in ROUGH shape. But I've always had a soft spot in my heart for cars that need rescuing. We're going to see if we can buy it - assuming the price is right. I'll keep you posted.View attachment 137625
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Wow! An abandoned 2000cs. That is a rare find indeed.
With dirt reaching all the way to the rockers, I shiver to think about what the floor pans look like, but still, a cool find!
 
tygaboy said:
Well, well... The world never ceases to amaze. Turns out my brother has an '88 735i. Or should I say "had"! It's now sitting in my driveway, happily donating its 3.5 to my E9!
And on a related note, I realized I have too many projects and decided to hand off my coupe to Don (sfdon) and his team. It's getting a 5-speed, this 3.5 and a few other things done while it's there. Feels a little weird to have someone else doing "my work", but this way, it'll get done, done right and done sooner. I'll keep you posted as things progress.
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Will you share his location with me I have the same situation I have the E9 sitting in my parking half way I may give them a call
 
teahead said:
you going to leave that tower insulation black?

I'm a fan of NO insulation.
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No, it'll be painted. When the pics were taken, it wasn't yet fully installed/ready for paint. I'd love to go commando on the towers but my driver-side fender has been repaired in the past - not by @sfdon -and while it was a decent job, it's clearly not factory looking and isn't worthy of being on display. The "what's under the insulation?" has been documented so that, should there be a future sale, it'll be clear that what's going on under there is not structurally unsound or otherwise "bad".
 
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Make it clean!

Relocate the battery, trim the sides,, a little bondo over the spot welds, subtle things that only an owner would notice..
(Misery loves company. More photos if you need 'em , but this is your build.)

RP
 
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@Patton - That's a beauty for sure! But for my coupe, I'm not going for anywhere near that kind of vibe. @sfdon and team are doing all the heavy lifting on the E9 while I continue chipping away at my LS3 Porsche 914 build. Now, you want to talk crazy cool stuff? How about 2350 lbs with 500 hp, all switches controlled by wireless steering wheel buttons and a digital dash? Still a work in progress but it's (currently) a runner. Stop by and we can go for a spin! Er, wait... :p
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tygaboy said:
@Patton - That's a beauty for sure! But for my coupe, I'm not going for anywhere near that kind of vibe. @sfdon and team are doing all the heavy lifting on the E9 while I continue chipping away at my LS3 Porsche 914 build. Now, you want to talk crazy cool stuff? How about 2350 lbs with 500 hp, all switches controlled by wireless steering wheel buttons and a digital dash? Still a work in progress but it's (currently) a runner. Stop by and we can go for a spin! Er, wait... :p
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Amazing and great stuff.
Keeping the coupe close to original, total outlaw on the p-car.

Again, great stuff!

RP
 
tygaboy said:
@Patton - That's a beauty for sure! But for my coupe, I'm not going for anywhere near that kind of vibe. @sfdon and team are doing all the heavy lifting on the E9 while I continue chipping away at my LS3 Porsche 914 build. Now, you want to talk crazy cool stuff? How about 2350 lbs with 500 hp, all switches controlled by wireless steering wheel buttons and a digital dash? Still a work in progress but it's (currently) a runner. Stop by and we can go for a spin! Er, wait... :p
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I can attest that this is an absolutely awesome build. I usually hate putting an LS motor in anything except a GM car but this is a completely off the scale extremely well-built engineering project. And it sounds pretty damn awesome too!
 
Just heard from @sfdon that the 3.5 I handed off to them has bore tapers outside of spec and will require boring and new pistons. Less expensive and quicker to start with a known block.
So, different block it is. Always something...
So how about a completely off topic "pick me up"? Here's a quick video of the 914 doing some 4th gear roll-on testing after a remote tuning session on the new ECU. Video doesn't do it justice. Watch the digital speedo in the lower right corner of the dash... "Hi, I'm your Uber!"
Roll-on test
 
More updates from @sfdon and crew. Engine is wrapped up and in the car! And don't miss the lovely updated suspension peaking out from underneath. I have a set of euro bumpers and CoupeKing wheels/new tires waiting for it when it gets home. Getting there!

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