newbie on forum, just bought 73 2.0 showing off! Options

[frankieshooz]

Hiya 914 forum members just wanted to introduce myself as a new member. Recently just purchased a 73 2.0L 914 Alaska Blue pretty much stock beauty! I'm in Nor Cal bay area just over the bridge and looking for any advice on well anything!!! I'm leaning toward keeping car stock as it is all numbers matching and in very good shape. I'm sure some of you know this car. I'm super excited about becoming the new custodian of this car. I have always admired, coveted, and appreciated this under appreciated model.
I do believe the A/C was dealer installed and I am contemplating removing the whole system as it's just fugly!!!! it does open up a can of worms: replacing the hole it would leave in the trunk, block off plates etc.. Anyway this will not be any trailer queen as it will be sharing driving duties with my beloved Mazda 94 FD3S R2....
comments, advice, help appreciated...if any of you experts are in or near marin county let me know so we can get together for some 914 education...

[Cairo94507]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png) That is a beautiful 914. Before you embarked on any projects I would get it to a shop that knows these cars well and go over it front to rear looking for any issues that might not be apparent. Even on cars as nice as yours there might be something that was missed by a previous owner.

I would then focus on the fuel system to make sure it is up to date and 100% reliable. Stainless steel fuel lines in the tunnel and new rubber anywhere else with new clamps and filters. That includes taking a look into the fuel tank to see if it looks clean or not. Don't forget the fuel tank sock filter.

After that for me it would be electrical. I would look for anything not original. I am not a radio or alarm guy so for me if it did not come factory, it would be removed. I would want to make sure the factory harness and fuse block were all up to snuff and the correct fuses were installed. It is not unheard of for people to swap in higher rated fuses when they start blowing a particular fuse. I would clean all of the ground connections and tighten them. Check to make sure every single item on your car is fully functional. Once you are sure all the wiring is 100% good, then I would add whatever you desired so you know it is added correctly - stereo, etc.

Of course brakes are a big deal on our cars. At the minimum, unless the seller had just done it, I would flush the entire system and check all the rotors and pads. Make sure the emergency/parking brake is correctly adjusted and functional. Eric Shea at PMB performance in Utah http://www.pmbperformance.com/catalog.html is the go-to guy for all things brakes.

Actually, Eric is now doing complete restorations so he is a valuable source for anything on these cars. We are blessed to have many people here who are dedicated to maintaining and restoring our cars. Chris at Tangerine Racing who sells the SS fuel lines http://www.tangerineracing.com/about_us.htm is a terrific guy too. So many experts supporting our community and they are all available to you.

Mechanical issues are next. Make sure the suspension, engine and transaxle are in good repair. Oil leaks? I personally can't tolerate them. I realize on an older Porsche that is more of a challenge than say newer Porsche cars, but it is possible to have a 914 that does not leak. Do a leak down and compression test to make sure the motor is healthy. If the numbers are good, unless it had recently been done, I would do a valve adjustment and complete tune-up to set a base line for driving.

Lastly, comes all the cosmetics. That is more involved too. Weather seals (Mikey914 at 914rubber.com http://914rubber.com has almost anything you need in this department), any visible body rust, bumpers that are not aligned correctly, exhaust systems that are rusty, have holes in them or are leaking.

OK, I have kind of rambled on here as I have my first cup of coffee.... Sorry and best wishes on your beautiful car.

[frankiec@outrageous.net]

Not sure about your statement " I realize on an older Porsche that is more of a challenge than say newer Porsche cars"??? Have you ever tried to work on a newer Porsche??? I'll wrench on a 914 any day before trying to deal with the nightmare of the newer cars. Basically on a newer Porsche's you've got to it take to the dealer or a reputable shop at $125-$150 and hour. The 914 is a simple, straight ahead car and the owner, with a little motivation, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif) can work on their own cars.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png) That is a beautiful 914. Before you embarked on any projects I would get it to a shop that knows these cars well and go over it front to rear looking for any issues that might not be apparent. Even on cars as nice as yours there might be something that was missed by a previous owner.

I would then focus on the fuel system to make sure it is up to date and 100% reliable. Stainless steel fuel lines in the tunnel and new rubber anywhere else with new clamps and filters. That includes taking a look into the fuel tank to see if it looks clean or not. Don't forget the fuel tank sock filter.

After that for me it would be electrical. I would look for anything not original. I am not a radio or alarm guy so for me if it did not come factory, it would be removed. I would want to make sure the factory harness and fuse block were all up to snuff and the correct fuses were installed. It is not unheard of for people to swap in higher rated fuses when they start blowing a particular fuse. I would clean all of the ground connections and tighten them. Check to make sure every single item on your car is fully functional. Once you are sure all the wiring is 100% good, then I would add whatever you desired so you know it is added correctly - stereo, etc.

Of course brakes are a big deal on our cars. At the minimum, unless the seller had just done it, I would flush the entire system and check all the rotors and pads. Make sure the emergency/parking brake is correctly adjusted and functional. Eric Shea at PMB performance in Utah http://www.pmbperformance.com/catalog.html is the go-to guy for all things brakes.

Actually, Eric is now doing complete restorations so he is a valuable source for anything on these cars. We are blessed to have many people here who are dedicated to maintaining and restoring our cars. Chris at Tangerine Racing who sells the SS fuel lines http://www.tangerineracing.com/about_us.htm is a terrific guy too. So many experts supporting our community and they are all available to you.

Mechanical issues are next. Make sure the suspension, engine and transaxle are in good repair. Oil leaks? I personally can't tolerate them. I realize on an older Porsche that is more of a challenge than say newer Porsche cars, but it is possible to have a 914 that does not leak. Do a leak down and compression test to make sure the motor is healthy. If the numbers are good, unless it had recently been done, I would do a valve adjustment and complete tune-up to set a base line for driving.

Lastly, comes all the cosmetics. That is more involved too. Weather seals (Mikey914 at 914rubber.com http://914rubber.com has almost anything you need in this department), any visible body rust, bumpers that are not aligned correctly, exhaust systems that are rusty, have holes in them or are leaking.

OK, I have kind of rambled on here as I have my first cup of coffee.... Sorry and best wishes on your beautiful car.