Time to un-DAPO the "new" car, Bad things happened to a nice car Options

[BillC]

So, I bought a "new" 914 a few weeks ago (a '73 2.0). When I received it from the shipper, I noticed was the seller was quite artful about his pictures, with what was and what wasn't shown. And, now that I've had a chance to start taking things apart, I have uncovered quite a bit of DAPO-done-damage, and I'm sure there's more hiding somewhere (oh boy! something to look forward too....). Some of the damage appears to have been there for a loooong time.

I've already received a piece from a scrap car to fix this hole:


Once I took the rockers off, I discovered this:

Yes, they hole-sawed through FOUR layers of sheet metal, including the heat duct. Not sure what they were thinking, but there it is.

In the trunk, I found three hole-sawed holes. I think they might have been thinking about mounting the fuel pump in a 75/76 blister, but they never finished the work (and also picked the wrong location).

[Chris914n6]

The foam is factory correct for an early car. It's smaller than the later cars. A piece of carpet is fitted over it.

[BillC]

The foam is factory correct for an early car. It's smaller than the later cars. A piece of carpet is fitted over it.

According to the Karmann production number, this car was made on 5 March 1973. My previous 914 was built in the last week of April 1973. This car has the foam wedge, but my previous car had a wooden floorboard and no foam.

Did these two cars fall across a running change? Or, did someone replace the foam wedge on my previous car with a wood board?

[mepstein]

The foam is factory correct for an early car. It's smaller than the later cars. A piece of carpet is fitted over it.

According to the Karmann production number, this car was made on 5 March 1973. My previous 914 was built in the last week of April 1973. This car has the foam wedge, but my previous car had a wooden floorboard and no foam.

Did these two cars fall across a running change? Or, did someone replace the foam wedge on my previous car with a wood board?

I think your previous car might have been modified. All the cars I've bought (about 20) either had foam or nothing. I thought it was some sort of compressed sawdust with a binder.

[ClayPerrine]

The foam is factory correct for an early car. It's smaller than the later cars. A piece of carpet is fitted over it.

According to the Karmann production number, this car was made on 5 March 1973. My previous 914 was built in the last week of April 1973. This car has the foam wedge, but my previous car had a wooden floorboard and no foam.

Did these two cars fall across a running change? Or, did someone replace the foam wedge on my previous car with a wood board?

I think your previous car might have been modified. All the cars I've bought (about 20) either had foam or nothing. I thought it was some sort of compressed sawdust with a binder.

It is definitely molded, compressed sawdust coated with shellac on the outside. I took the one for the 4.0L and carved out grooves for the DME wiring. Man what a mess! Once the outer layer was gone, that stuff went everywhere. By the time I got done, I was yellow with sawdust.