my grandads '74 restoration project Options

[_stickykitty79_]

just want to say hi to all you crazy people trying to revive these things like me. this is a bit of a sentimental project as its been in the family 3 gens now. was a Michigan car, suffered the consequences as the pics show, trailered it to california where it will remian.
my plans are to address all the obvious rust issues and do some fun upgrades along the way, some chassis stiffening, some minor engine tuning. (webers instead of fuel injection...yes i know the forum doesnt like it but it was always a disaster and carbs just sound better)
im a realist so heres what im prepared to face:

- tons of welding, i can do and thanks to Restoration Design i have plenty of metal to purchase as i go
-spending a few thousand here and there to do this right and time to do it. its a passion project and im in no hurry.
-building a chassis rig as i tear into the longitudinals, along with temp supports in the door jams.

i know this will seem daunting but i also dont think its at the point of scrapping based on what we can buy, and what im willing to do.
thanks

[wonkipop]

hey another 74 1.8 L jet coming back from the dead. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

nice collage.
high res enough for me to look right into the photos. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

04/74 car.?
vin17519?

looking at the throttle body vac hose connection to dizzy advance can its a EC-B engine.
can see the emissions sticker is still there on left hand side of engine bay.
likely says EC-B on that. 49 states emission set up.
looks so original its probably still got the three digit paint code stamp on the engine tin.
be a 604 if it never came with console and gauges. be 605 if it did?

can even see its a car with the production number plate rivetted in front trunk rather than engraved in rear trunk. thats a valuable bit of data for @davep who is trying to track when that plate is introduced and pin down a day and a week of production.

there is a bit of data there if you got time to check out a few things.

good luck with the job to bring her back.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[davep]

can even see its a car with the production number plate rivetted in front trunk rather than engraved in rear trunk.

Indeed, this car is the earliest with the tag that I know of. Importantly it moves the date to week 17, and in week 16 I know of one car with the holes punched, but no tag yet. Please get a good photo for me.
Dave

[_stickykitty79_]

can even see its a car with the production number plate rivetted in front trunk rather than engraved in rear trunk.

Indeed, this car is the earliest with the tag that I know of. Importantly it moves the date to week 17, and in week 16 I know of one car with the holes punched, but no tag yet. Please get a good photo for me.
Dave

again sorry for the quality. flash photography and reflective material is tough.

[wonkipop]

can even see its a car with the production number plate rivetted in front trunk rather than engraved in rear trunk.

Indeed, this car is the earliest with the tag that I know of. Importantly it moves the date to week 17, and in week 16 I know of one car with the holes punched, but no tag yet. Please get a good photo for me.
Dave

again sorry for the quality. flash photography and reflective material is tough.

hey - thanks for all the photos @_stickykitty79_

the plate @davep is talking about is the dark coloured one down on rhs of trunk (ie same side as the headlight bucket manufacturer plate. its down there in the spare wheel well area. don't really need a photo of it, can see it in the photos you already posted at start of topic. it will have the same number as the karmann plate in the lhs door you photographed. dave's now got those numbers and can date the car to when the plate first started appearing.
good stuff.

there is one other little date threshold i am chasing and its the emissions sticker.
thats the white label with red writing that is on the lhs side of the engine bay.
its hidden up there just below the side top panel where the engine lid edge is.
i can see it is there from the photo collage. if you could take a photo of that and post it - that would be pretty interesting. as going by the vin number on your car its also close to a date when that sticker got updated due to what i think was an EPA directive.
esoteric stuff i know, but hey. why not find stuff out? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

also if you look around on the side of the engine tin upper surface, hidden behind the left hand side heater blower fan hose will be another three digit number with a bit of luck.
see if its there. if the car is what i think it is number should be 604. if engine went with car. using the emission sticker i can check that against that three digit engine number.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

sounds like you have the skills to do some serious looking corrosion repairs.
and the car looks like its all there and very original.
which is a great place to start from if you can handle the tin worm damage.

those little lotuses are red hot cars. but you are right. the 914 will strangely give you more joy. i have driven a elise. it was 25 years ago. great car. but the 914 is actually lower and the steering is even more delicious when fully recommissioned. the closet thing to a 914 is a europa. which i also drove a long long time ago. and a europa is so small you can barely fit in one.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[_stickykitty79_]

can even see its a car with the production number plate rivetted in front trunk rather than engraved in rear trunk.

Indeed, this car is the earliest with the tag that I know of. Importantly it moves the date to week 17, and in week 16 I know of one car with the holes punched, but no tag yet. Please get a good photo for me.
Dave

again sorry for the quality. flash photography and reflective material is tough.

hey - thanks for all the photos @_stickykitty79_

the plate @davep is talking about is the dark coloured one down on rhs of trunk (ie same side as the headlight bucket manufacturer plate. its down there in the spare wheel well area. don't really need a photo of it, can see it in the photos you already posted at start of topic. it will have the same number as the karmann plate in the lhs door you photographed. dave's now got those numbers and can date the car to when the plate first started appearing.
good stuff.

there is one other little date threshold i am chasing and its the emissions sticker.
thats the white label with red writing that is on the lhs side of the engine bay.
its hidden up there just below the side top panel where the engine lid edge is.
i can see it is there from the photo collage. if you could take a photo of that and post it - that would be pretty interesting. as going by the vin number on your car its also close to a date when that sticker got updated due to what i think was an EPA directive.
esoteric stuff i know, but hey. why not find stuff out? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

also if you look around on the side of the engine tin upper surface, hidden behind the left hand side heater blower fan hose will be another three digit number with a bit of luck.
see if its there. if the car is what i think it is number should be 604. if engine went with car. using the emission sticker i can check that against that three digit engine number.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

sounds like you have the skills to do some serious looking corrosion repairs.
and the car looks like its all there and very original.
which is a great place to start from if you can handle the tin worm damage.

those little lotuses are red hot cars. but you are right. the 914 will strangely give you more joy. i have driven a elise. it was 25 years ago. great car. but the 914 is actually lower and the steering is even more delicious when fully recommissioned. the closet thing to a 914 is a europa. which i also drove a long long time ago. and a europa is so small you can barely fit in one.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

awesoem thanks for the clarification! ill get those pics posted.
as for skills? not really, general knowledge and an eagerness to try. ive got some fun plans for it and will post as i go!
-MAtt