Alright, let's talk 914-6 ... Options

[SirAndy]

So, after having had the pleasure to drive this beautiful, unmolested, all original, 37k miles 914-6 today, i can't help but wonder if we should attempt to list all the differences between an early /6 and early /4 in terms of originality.

I believe it would be of tremendous help to have a list of things "to look for" when doing a PPI on such a time-capsule.

What do ya'all think?
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif) Andy

[Bullethead]

Thank you, Steve and Wolfgang. Finally found B. Johnson's 914-6 resto guide and authenticity book my wife got me a couple of years ago, a big help. The car was steam-cleaned today in prep for disassembly, will take some photos this week to post. There is no cooler now but the front pan has a louvered floor. The flares were skillfully butt welded... both front and rear decklids have been replaced; they are different colors. The tach is missing as well, replaced with a 914-4 unit. What interior pieces there are seem to have been to someone's taste, brown cord-insert seats and wooden dash inserts. It has 908 front brakes, but the bumpers are chrome. There's still some stuff to collect from the seller. Regardless of how it got the mods, my intention is to build a GT clone.

VIN #9140431396 was built 4/70 and is 1410 Signal Orange.

While waiting for info on the car I posted the VIN here and found a Texas member had already, so assume he was a PO. He hasn't yet responded to a PM sent and unfortunately listed no email address. The Arkanas title is from 1997 but I didn't find that person's name in the membership rolls. If anyone knows of this car, any history available is appreciated.

Much obliged, looking forward to learning more about these great Porsches, and patiently building an accurate example of the GT.

[Gustl]

If anyone knows of this car, any history available is appreciated.

this car sold via eBay on August 26, 2007

here's the vehicle description from the auction:

This is a factory 914-6 # 1396 manufactured April 1970. It has factory steel flares and was raced for a number of years before going into storage. I don’t know the extent of its racing history, however there are IMSA, SCCA and PCA stickers on the windshield. The previous owner was an active member of the Porsche community, but I have been unable to get in touch with him to get more history on the car.

My plan was to restore it to be street legal with factory racer look. While there is currently no drivetrain, it does include very hard to find items like the factory 914-6 oil tank, factory 914-6 oil cooler, and factory engine mount, as pictured. The car also comes with freshly rechromed front and rear bumpers. The bumper tops are just ok.

When the car was retired many of the race spec parts were removed, like the fiberglass hood and deck lids, so they have been replaced with stock steel parts, and were given a quick coat of orange. The pedal assembly, calipers, and rear rotors were also removed. Replacements are readily available. The only part that would be difficult to find are the original rear calipers, but later 911 calipers are very affordable and perform much better. The master cylinder is still there, as well as front rotors, and stainless brake lines. It also has turbo tie rods. There is an adjustable proportioning valve that’s still in the center tunnel.

The body is very straight and the doors both open and close easily. It looks like someone started sanding it down for a repaint. There were a couple spots where the paint/primer got thin, so I hit those areas with orange paint just to keep corrosion at bay until it was time to restore it. The only ding worth mentioning is towards the front of the hood on the passenger’s side, and it’s small.

While the car is solid, there was a repair done to the passenger’s side longitudinal that is clearly non-factory. The work appears to have been done a long time ago, and perhaps the factory repair panels were not available at the time. In any event, I’ve included pictures of the area in question, and I would personally consider replacing the section with a factory piece from restoration design or from a donor car. The door gap and alignment is excellent, and while a bit creative, it has evidently been strong enough to withstand the rigors of racing. It’s hard to tell if it was replaced as a result of corrosion like most of them have, or as a result of an accident. If I had to guess I’d say probably an accident, as the car does not
appear to have been particularly rusty.

I did find a little bit of rust in the front trunk, where the wiring harness exits the firewall (see pic) and it appears to be fairly minor. There is a small spot at the bottom of the windshield on the driver's side where some pitting took place, but the steel is still solid. There's a small area on the pass. fender, near where an antanna hole would be where some filler was used. I don't know if it was related to corrosion or not, but worth mentioning.

I would strongly suggest removing all the suspension and inspecting all the load bearing mounting points, as they are subject to fatigue with track use, and even with spirited road use. I would personally consider doing a chemical dip/strip on the entire chassis. That way it reveals the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The 914-6 is finally going up enough in value that it makes financial sense to do a thorough restoration. With the chassis stripped it would be fairly straight forward to graft in any needed parts from a nice west coast donor car. It’s not uncommon to see a solid 914-4 chassis sell for a few hundred dollars and provide all the necessary factory sheet metal. The two other areas I noticed were a small repair in the front left corner under the head light that was pretty well done and the sheet metal apron behind the rear bumper looks to have been bent up at some point and then straightened. Access is very good and it would be easy to repair.

The rear spoiler is not currently mounted, and no holes have been drilled in the lid. The wheels are factory forged 15x8’s in the rear, and 15x7 pseudo fuchs in the front. The front targa seal is in nice condition, as are the side seals on the targa bar. The wiring looks to be in very good condition. The rear valance and rocker panels are stock steel pieces. The oil tank should be cleaned by a radiator shop before use, but appears in excellent condition. The oil cooler has been cleaned and pressure tested, so should be fine to use as is.

The interior is really quite nice and in good condition. Obviously no carpets, but the car still retains the factory non-movable passenger seat. I should also note that the car still has the correct 914-6 steering wheel. These wheels are sought after by the 911 crowd to make a correct 911 RS wheel. They typically sell between $350 and $500 unrestored, and are very difficult to find. The part number is 914.347.803.10 and is dated 10/69.

The rear wheel bearings were just replace using new FAG bearings. The hubs and stub axles were converted to use the more commonly available 914-4 CV joints and axles. The 914-6 joints have been unavailable for some time. Both joints are the same size, but have a different axle spline count. The stub axles have been torqued to 225 ft lbs. The bearings were replaced because someone didn’t realize the stub axle has to be in and torqued to prevent the bearings form being damaged when the car is moved.

I guess that about covers it. I’ve taken pictures of all the areas I’d like to see if I was looking at a car in person. The life of a race car is not an easy one, but this one should be pretty easy to bring back to life. It’s not uncommon to see vintage racers where the vin plate is the only thing left of the original car. There is a lot of debate as to whether those cars are really worth the financial premium they command considering there isn’t much left of the original chassis.
Fortunately this car isn’t in that category.

With a little sweat equity, this car should make a lot of financial sense for whoever finishes it. While the chassis will need some work, it’s still considerably better than doing the extensive rust repair than so many 914’s need. Please let me know if you have any questions, I’ll do my best to answer in a timely manner. I always suggest inspecting a car in person, but I know that’s not always possible, so I’ve taken lots of pictures. If you or a friend would like to inspect the car I’ll do my best to accommodate your schedule.

The car has a clean and clear title. I’ll be happy to work with a shipping company if the buyer makes the arrangements. I’ll also offer to transport the car for about $1 per loaded mile. That means $275 to Phoenix or LA, $500 to the Bay Area, etc. I hope that helps. Of course the car will have to be paid for in full prior to being loaded on a transport or me delivering it. A cashier’s check is probably the most common form of payment, but I’ll have to cash it before releasing the vehicle or title. I’ll be happy to take cash in person should that be preferable. I can give plenty of references of people I’ve both bought and sold high dollar items to.

My feedback and ultimately your satisfaction are very important to me, so please only bid if you are a serious buyer. I take my responsibilities seriously, please do the same.

If you are new to ebay, please contact me and I’ll do my best to walk you through it and explain the process. I do reserve the right to cancel any bids I feel may compromise the integrity of the auction, and to end the auction early should a
local sale occur.
Thanks, and good luck