Nose Job, What To Do Options

[NARP74]

I have never been a big fan of the nose on the 914 I purchased. I was always 50/50, sometimes I liked it, sometimes I tolerated it. It was on the car and it needed other work so I ignored it mostly. Now I am working on options to see what I can do.

It has a cooler under it, see the pics. Not the correct one though.
Go back to some form of stock?
I like the 916 front end, try to do something like that?
Some hybrid approach?
I don't really want to go down a $10K rabbit hole. I don't really want to cut into the front end and make it a full GT. I may be limiting my options as I think.

[Cairo94507]

It is all up to you. What is the condition of the rest of the body? Are you going to flare it or something else?

I really think the GT front bumper kit is the home run 99% of the time. I do see a few 916 kits but most are not well done, (in my opinion). A well done one with good gaps, etc., would be cool. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[Shivers]

Is that the only modification on the car? Stock body otherwise?
That is quite an oil cooler. I went the hole in the body route. I made the hole the same size as the bumper valance hole. So kept it small. I used a really heavy expanded metal and welded it over the body hole I just cut on the inside. Then I made a heavy duty plenum and spot welded it to the body. I really do not think that the car will suffer from the hole I cut. It was not that bad a job, I actually found it kind of fun.

[mepstein]

It is all up to you. What is the condition of the rest of the body? Are you going to flare it or something else?

I really think the GT front bumper kit is the home run 99% of the time. I do see a few 916 kits but most are not well done, (in my opinion). A well done one with good gaps, etc., would be cool. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

100% agree.

I did a big box but I’m also using an a/c condenser and a huge fan.

[NARP74]

The rest of the body is in great shape. It was redone many years ago and is still great. Lots of other mods on the car. I like flares, but that is another money hole I don't want to jump into right now.

You have to run a trunk duct to use the GT bumper right?

Don't have plans to sell but don't want to get too upside down on it.

[mepstein]

You can't really see it while you are driving and it sound like you've had the car for a while and it works. You are the only person who can decide what's it's worth to fix and how important are the looks when you walk into your garage.

You don't have to cut into the front end to add a GT style cooler. The holes are already there.

I personally have trouble working towards an unknown budget. I wouldn't know what underwater or not is on a custom 914.

[Craigers17]

This might be a stupid question, but is this a -4 or a -6?

[Root_Werks]

Hard to go wrong with stock. Looks the best to me anyway.

[NARP74]

Didn't know you could run a GT with a cooler and not cut in a duct.

It's a 6, has a Euro 3.2 in it. Too far gone from stock.

My other one is mostly stock... but a project. Had 5 owners though so.

For budget, I try to keep in mind what I think it would go for. I am close to that number in my mind anyway. Like I said, not selling, probably pass it on to my son, who likes it if he got it for free. As a passion project I would spend more, trying to figure that out.

[NARP74]

What my car wants to be when it grows up. Thanks for the pic @VegasRacer .

Who has details on what is needed for a front GT cooler without the cut and frunk cowl?
What parts to use, what do I need?

[mepstein]

You can mount the cooler behind the front of the car, remove the row of plugs from the front and remover the two round plates on the rear of the trunk floor. They are just held in by seam sealer. No cutting. Use a cooler with a fan pack. You do need to cut out some of the lower front valance.

Personally, I really like the full on GT look and have no problem adjusting my car to get there.

[NARP74]

You can mount the cooler behind the front of the car, remove the row of plugs from the front and remover the two round plates on the rear of the trunk floor. They are just held in by seam sealer. No cutting. Use a cooler with a fan pack. You do need to cut out some of the lower front valance.

Personally, I really like the full on GT look and have no problem adjusting my car to get there.

I love the full GT look. Yes, but it's still a rabbit hole to me. Do the cooler, cut the front, add the cowl, cut the front bumper, and valance, figure out a spare tire option and mount it. All doable for sure. It has all been done and looks great. But if I do that, I am on the way to a very expensive car because I will want flares, then things have to match the flare, then a repaint and then a while I am in there a full rotisserie tribute to a GT. I know what will happen. That is why I posted that photo.

The car runs cool(ish) now with a cooler just bolted on the front. I was at 180 to 210 most of the weekend at RRC2026. Very hot and mountain passes at high altitude. Saw 250 a couple of long hot sections and long hill climbs. My frunk holes are still plugged.

I know this seems whiny, but i am trying to get there with the least amount of the possibility of going further down the rabbit hole.

[dtmehall]

the big plus is that you can drive it instead of spending a year(s) doing the mods

[NARP74]

The big plus is that you can drive it instead of spending a year(s) doing the mods

I like that. It was already off the road for a while with a couple of repairs recently.

[Chris914n6]

PMS has an overpriced oil/water heat exchanger that mounts near the engine and pumps water to a front heat exchanger.
Uses a common Bosch 'Mercedes' heater pump and 5/8" hoses. You can get heater cores in almost any size to fit however it can.

Your current setup with the cooler inlets both on the bottom isn't working well.

[NARP74]

PMS has an overpriced oil/water heat exchanger that mounts near the engine and pumps water to a front heat exchanger.
Uses a common Bosch 'Mercedes' heater pump and 5/8" hoses. You can get heater cores in almost any size to fit however it can.

Your current setup with the cooler inlets both on the bottom isn't working well.

I don't like the bottom in/out I have now, but mostly because my son bounced off a curb and dragged them. What else is the issue?

[Montreal914]

I am currently restoring my 73 and converting it to a 3.2 /6 but staying a narrow body.

I find it interesting your temperature is going up even with that large cooler, but maybe the air isn't flowing out properly in the back of it? Ducting helps a lot too. It looks like you initially had a different cooler?

My plan is to have a Mercedes oil cooler inside the front and remove the 5 rubber plugs as mentioned by Mark Epstein. I am not set on the air exit scheme yet, either the two rear floor stock ports (per Mark) or side wents in the wheel wells.

One thing to consider is the semicircular front reinforcement you have on your car. I like to think Porsche didn't add this for no reason and want to keep it there. Luckily my MBZ cooler fits under it, but is it large enough for the 3.2... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

As for front, I plan on using the stock bumper and a narrow body GT front valence (FG).


Here was my mock up. The spare is a fake Fuch 15" with a small temporary tire.




Here is the front view.




Again, I don't know if this will suffice as auxiliary cooler for my 3.2. I do plan on running aluminum oil lines along the passenger side long. This should help too.

[Montreal914]

If more air flow is required, adding more holes in between is easy too with a knockout punch like this.

Photo courtesy of 914World




And here is one valance option for narrow body.
Photo from PMS

[Montreal914]

... just noticed the connections to your cooler are on the bottom. You may have a lot of air trapped in there. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

[mepstein]

Remember the front cooler is an extra one. You still have the stock cooler on the engine. The front cooler does almost nothing when stopped in traffic so if that’s a concern, add a fan pack. Setrab sells a cooler fan pack combo that makes it easy.