914/6 - 914.143.0163 - Sportomatic

[Gustl]

914.1.43.0163 - Frank Kinsman 1975/George Valerio 1993 /Jeff Gacek MN 1997 / AA GA

Sportomatic Thread (http://www.roadglue.com/forum/showthread.php?t=237)

[gms]

I know Jeff Gacek is out there, he used to own the car that is now at AA.

[gms]

Build Date: February 1, 1971
Engine Type: 901/39
Engine Number: 641 7013
Transmission Type: 914/05
Transmission Number: 761 0021
Color: Signal Orange/1410
Interior: Leatherette Black/Basketweave
Optional Equipment:
US-Equipment
Sportomatic 4 Speed Transmission
Center Seat Cushion
Heated Rear Window
Tinted Glass
Alloy Wheels 5.5x14 with 185 HR 14

[jagalyn]

So,

I've owned a Sportomatic 914?:) :) :)

Yep. I chased this one down. I had the chance to buy it once in California for $12,000. It drove great, but had battery tray issues, old repaint and bad tires and the engine leaked a fair amount. The George Valerio that owned it owned a Porsche shop and stated that he purchased it with the motor out and had recently put it back in and "tuned" the Sportmatic transmission. It really did shift quite nicely. It just needed "too much work" at the time. I flew back to Minnesota without it. That was back in 1992.

A year later I kicked myself for not buying it. I contacted the George Valerio and he told me that he had sold it to a man in Indiana. He gave me his number. I called and discussed the possibility of purchasing it from him and we finally agreed on a number quite a bit higher than the previous number. I flew to Indianna, the man took me to his storage building and there under a tarp was 163 again. Dirty, and absolutely the same condition as the last time I saw it. He obviously purchased it for "investment" value only and had done nothing to it, including driving it. It still had close to the same mileage (and don't ask, I don't remember how many miles were on it, I think mid 70's but am guessing). If I remember right, he had not even transferred title, so technically, he never owned it.

Well after having departed with my money, I drove the car to Minneapolis, MN. Over the next year, pulled the engine and had a reputable Porshce guy rebuild the engine complete. While the engine was out of the car, I sent the car to a high end body shop and had the battery tray area replace. They replaced the lower engine shelf, cut in a piece of steel on both the top of the frame rail and the inner fender well. There was no sag. There was no frame rail damage. There was no suspension console repair. It was pretty straight froward. The only preformed metal needed was the engine shelf.

At the same time, I had purchased a rear trunk repair panel. When the paint and shultz was removed below the tail lights, the body man suggested just cutting out a few "thin areas" and welding new metal in instead of installing the repair panel. So that panel was sent back to AA. Rear trunk was resprayed complete.

While the engine was out, I had the entire suspension removed, blasted and powder coated. Put it all back in with new bushings. The suspension looked great. I also at this time had the front trunk cleaned up and resprayed. Both trunks and engine compartment were repainted and the engine looked absolutely brand new. I am sure they are still that way today.

After the reinstallation of the engine and transmission, the Sportomatic never did shift as well as when I originally purchased it. There aren't a lot of mechanics that are familiar with those anymore and maybe this guy didn't have the experience neccessary to tweek it back in like the guy in California.

I ended up selling the car a year later. I was building a new house and was going to live in an apartment for a year while that was going on. At that time I had a 73-1.7 Signal Orange that I had restored to "perfect" condition. Unfortunately, I had put way too much into that car too. I had a 73-1.7 Sunflower Yellow that was the love of my life. I drove that car everywhere and to today still is my favorite 914. I had a 74 2.0 Delphi Green with 18,350 original miles that I purchased from Brad Mayeur. I guess my point is I had four 914's along with a 911 crammed into a 3 car garage that I was loosing for a year and I made the desicion to sell my cars. It was at this time that I turned the Rennegade 914 club over to Glenn.

Anyhow, back to my story about the Sportomatic. I kind of felt it was an "odd duck". It was cool having 1 of only 25, but at the time, no one cared. I tried to get some interest and most everyone said "why would you want an automatic in a 914". That and the fact that there did not seem to be much support for the sportomatic transmission either through knowledgeable mechanics or available parts brought me to my discision. Remember, I live in Minnesota, not exactly the land of 914's.

I advertised it for sale on the "Rennegade 914 Club" website and in Autoweek. I received "no calls" or "emails" from anybody. There just didn't seem to be a market for the car. Anybody who was into 914's was not interested in a "Sportomatic" 914. So I called George Hussey. I said, George, "this really belongs in your collection". I sent about $17,000. worth of receipts to him documenting the engine, suspension and body repair work that I had completed. The car only had about 200 miles on it since the work. I asked for $25,000. for the car. He offered $21,000. I sold it.

Now remember, I paid "much more" than the $12,000 I could have originally purchased the car for and then I put $17,000+ into the car. If you do the math, you will quickly realize that I had over $30,000 into the car and was taking quite a bath. Who ever said cars were an investment probably knew what they had and were willing to let the market come around. I guess I was not patient enough.

OK, back to the car.

What I like about the car:
The interior was quite amazing. Very original and complete. The only flaw in the interior was a tear in the bolster and seat cushion of the drivers seat. Oh yes, I did not mention that during my restoration phase, I had contacted George at AA and he sold me a perfect 1971 heavy grained vinyl original drivers seat that I installed to make the interior complete. Glass was good. The windshield had been replace before. It had the rear window heater which was fairly rare. The wheels were undamaged, but needed refinishing but were vintage correct (I think George did this or put some other wheels on). The chrome was good. It had the original six bumper.

What I didn't like about the car:
The left rear fender has been hit and has some filler in it. Seems to me there was also some previous damage to one of the front fenders... very superficial. Seams on the car were good but the top did not fit very well. The top when it was seated all the way into the front weather strip and locked down front and rear would not be aligned on the roll bar. If you looked at the passenger side, the roof hung out slightly too far past the roll bar. If you looked at the drivers side, the roof was slightly short of flush with the roll bar and you could see a little bit of the chrome trim on the top of the roll bar. I always wondered if maybe the car was "tweaked" a little bit from the drivers quarter panel having been hit. But then again, these are hand made cars and maybe this is just how it has always been. I guess I don't know so would want to say one way or the other. The exterior paint was older, at least 20 year now, and is what I'd call a 10 footer, good enough for a decent driver, but really needs a bare metal respray.

If you have any specific questions, I'd be glad to try to answer them but it has now been almost 10 years since I've seen the car and my memory is not as good as it used to be.

Also, don't ask for pictures. I don't have any that I can locate.

Glenn, I like your site here. Good job you guys!

Thanks,
Jeffrey Gacek

PS. The photo in the post above is at the Porsche mechanics shop while the engine was out before the body work was done.

[gms]

Also, don't ask for pictures. I don't have any that I can locate.
Bummer:(

Glenn, I like your site here. Good job you guys!
It is all about having people like Davep, Gustl & DEC hanging out here that makes it an interesting place


I am going to Atlanta next month and am hoping so get some pictures at AA!!

[davep]

When you do, please try to get body numbers from everything you can.

[gms]

Photos from this weekend

[gms]

More photos

[gms]

Clutch less pedal cluster

[amtrakjack]

I am glad I found this thread. I was 17 at the time, I was driving down Pierce Butler Route in St. Paul, MN when all of a sudden my dad and I both looked at eachother and said simultaniously "did you see that". We pulled a U-turn as quick as we could and went back over to see if our eyes had decieved us. No they hadn't decieved us, there in all it's glory was the orange "sporto"!! Neither my father or I had ever heard of a sportomatic in a 914-6 at the time. The car was at Raymond Auto Body sitting in the parking lot along the road. I remember looking into the glistening empty engine bay and thinking, "WOW, this thing is super clean." The engine bay was perfect, like brand new, fresh out of the paint booth. This was the same shop we had taken my six to a year earlier to have the framerack guys check it for trueness. At that point I knew we had gone to the right place a year earlier.

I have seen a few articles on this car since then, and have always wondered if it was the same car. I was pretty sure it was, but this proves it.

Jeff, are you still in the twin cities area? I would love to buy you a beer sometime. Maybe once the roads are a little cleaner and the toys come out of storage.

Jack Enos
amtrakjack@gmail.com

[Gustl]

Build Date: February 1, 1971
Glenn, the D.O.T. Sticker says 01/71 :rolleyes:

George told me today and I cross-checked it with the photos you posted in this thread ...

http://www.roadglue.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=965&d=1173657820