Restoring my first 914

[Porky Scratchings]

Well done Darren, wondered what you were waiting for!

I too am almost there, (although mine is at least UK registered), I have been fighting all winter with the bonnet/headlight covers/bumper re-alignment. I really should have re-assembled the front end BEFORE the re-spray to make sure it was all square!!

Look forward to meeting up sometime over the summer, although I won't be parking next to you.

ATB - Peter

[Bewildebeest]

Well done Darren - absolutely gorgeous.

[23e Heure]

Congrats Darren: I know how that first MOT pass feels!

[Mr Pharmacist]

You spend many months working every hour God sends to get it all done and then you have the patience to wait months before you drive it?! You're strange

Congratulations on the pass - the car looks fantastic!

[jackstowers]

Hoorah! See you in a few weeks for the 914 brunch at Billy's?

[John_F]

Well done Darren! Now enjoy the driving.

[nrc914]

Well done Darren, she looks fantastic and now you get to enjoy driving it. I suspect knowing you though you'll be getting bored and have another project either underway or waiting in the wings

[LMR]

Excellent News, well done! So, booked in for Stanford Hall?

[glovebox]

Excellent! about time [FACE WITH STUCK-OUT TONGUE AND TIGHTLY-CLOSED EYES][FACE WITH STUCK-OUT TONGUE AND TIGHTLY-CLOSED EYES]

[inaglasshouse]

The car looks fabulous and it's all your own work. Well played.

[Darren C]

Thanks for the kind words guy's.
Really looking forward to driving the car this year. Definitely going to make the local Fourteeners breakfast club

I thinks Stanford Hall is fully booked and it clashes with another event , but a definite maybe for next year.

Just need to get that logbook and registration number now

[SeanP]

Read this restoration thread from cover to cover over the past few days. The car is a credit to the workmanship and care you have put into it.

Congratulations.

Regards

Sean

[Darren C]

Thanks for all the kind words guy's I'm really itching now to get that V5
I have a nice thing planned for the number plates when I get a number assigned.

Following the MOT and first drive, I haven’t been happy with “feel” of the brake pedal. Having bled the system 5 times, using a combination of pressurised bleeder and the old fashioned “up…down” method; the pedal continued to feel soft and creep. This was driving me a little nuts. Each calliper had, had at least 2 litres of fluid bled from it yet the pedal simply didn’t feel right.
So, while waiting for a V5 to arrive I decided to bite the bullet and buy a new master cylinder. This was most frustrating as the master cylinder on the car was brand new, but after checking the rear calliper clearances 4 time, bleeding the system 5 times, taking the pads in and out to check the pistons and looking everywhere for leaks and finding none, it all kept coming back to a master cylinder issue.

The 2nd new ATE master cylinder arrived on Thursday, so today, early this morning with the aid of a friends help & two post lift I changed the master cylinder.

What a difference!

A nice firm pedal at last!

So there you have it. The first new ATE master cylinder from a reputable supplier was faulty.
Fitting a good one has transformed the car. Hopefully this was a one off, but if any of you are planning to fit a new master cylinder, please be aware of this issue.

Anyway, moving forwards, this afternoon I decided to knock up a bracket to support a fire extinguisher in the car. Having had a good look around over the last few weeks/months for a suitable mounting place I decided to install it behind the drivers seat at floor level so that the seat can still slide back without obstruction. Not wanting to drill any holes in the car or mark or damage the interior I thought the best solution would be to pick up on the two existing bolts at the base of the rear bulkhead.
Carefully measuring the padded trim and the distance between holes and height from the floor; I came up with a simple design. To stop the bracket squashing and marking the bulkhead trim I turned down two spacer bushes on my lathe. One at 5mm and the other (inner one) at 10mm. This set the bracket frame clear of the padded bulkhead trim and the 5mm offset squared it off to look aesthetically pleasing. The spacer bushes were turned so the outside diameter matched the metal ferrules in the bulkhead trim. All designed so that they clamp firmly without marking.
I then made two angle brackets on which to attach the extinguisher holder.
These had two functions.
1, to sit the extinguisher lower to the floor, just above the carpet so as not to foul the seat, while allowing the original bulkhead screws to used.
2, To turn the extinguisher holder 90 degrees so that to grab it in an emergency it lifts upwards to release (had I just mounted it flat to the bulkhead then it would have needed the seat to have been slid forwards to allow enough space to remove it from the holder. This would be too much of a faff in an emergency, when you just need to grab it)
Finally I welded it all together and dressed up the welds ready for powder coating black next week.

[LMR]

Beautiful! So, where do we place our orders for a bracket?!!

[911hillclimber]

Been ages since I came on the '914' bit as you had stopped your thread.
So pleased to see the car out in the open and looking just brilliant.

What a comprehensive job you have done in awful conditions over the dark months.
I've learnt a lot from your approach and have applied this to my other project in the winter garage to great effect.

10/10!