Home  |  Forums  |  914 Info  |  Blogs
 
914World.com - The fastest growing online 914 community!
 
Porsche, and the Porsche crest are registered trademarks of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. This site is not affiliated with Porsche in any way.
Its only purpose is to provide an online forum for car enthusiasts. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
 

Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )

 
 Reply to this topicStart new topic
> Yet another barn find, Yet another barn find
adolimpio
post Mar 20 2017, 08:02 PM
Post #1


Art
**

Group: Members
Posts: 182
Joined: 10-March 10
From: Greenwood SC
Member No.: 11,449
Region Association: South East States
I'll apologize in advance for the long story!

I was in San Diego on business and was talking with some guys about cars at the bar one night. I mentioned that my favorite car was the Porsche 914 and one of the guys said that he had just seen a barn-find on eBay. I checked it out and it looked great, and it was in Portland. So I change my plane tickets and went to Portland to see it.

Some guy had started to restore it for his son in 2001, but in about 2006 his son decided he wanted a 911, so the guy just let it sit until he sold the farm, and the buyer found that in addition to the farm, he now owned a 914.

The guy had replaced all brake rotors, springs, shocks, torsion bars, rebuilt all calipers, replaced bushings in front swing arms and rear trailing arms with the bronze bushings with grease fittings, and replaced the gas lines with stainless. He also rebuilt the transmission and replaced the original 1.7 with a 2.0.

It's a 1973 and there is virtually no rust. I had bought a 73 in 1978, and in those 5 years both jack posts were gone, the battery tray was gone and you could see the road at the bottom of the hell hole. But that was Scranton PA with tons of salt on the road. This is 44 years old and no rust - just amazing!

When I got there it did not run since he had no fuel injection or carbs, and the new owner had no idea what the background of the engine was. Based upon the looks of the heads and other components, it obviously was not rebuilt.

He also had the original 1.7 with FI and exhaust system, 2 transmissions, extra muffler for the 2.0, many many boxes of parts, and a set of shop manuals on CD.

So I bought it, rented a U-Haul with a trailer, loaded up the car and all the spare parts and drove it home to South Carolina, through a treacherous blizzard in Wyoming and Nebraska. What a ride!

When I got it home, I clean it up, replaced the oil, adjusted the valves, check the compression, threw on the fuel injection andf ignition system and it started right up.

So I took it out for a ride and the first time I hit the brakes I heard grinding. He apparently stopped working while he was working on the left rear brakes, because there were no pads installed. Never thought to check something like that. Luckily I caught in time so I did not damage the pistons or the rotors.

With the brakes fixed, it runs absolutely great. However, there is a whine in the transission while cruising which I will discuss in another thread.

There are a few disappointments. Heat exchangers are not stainless, mirrors were replaced with after market with additional holes drilled in the doors, and positioned so poorly that they do not cover the original holes, rear valance and skid plate covering steering rack are missing.

Enough of the story, here's some pictures: http://914.dolimpios.com/
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
Robnxious
post Mar 20 2017, 08:11 PM
Post #2


RobnxiousOne
**

Group: Members
Posts: 184
Joined: 26-October 06
From: Sacramento
Member No.: 7,097
Region Association: Northern California
Congrats on your buy! Looks like a very nice ride. The nice thing about these cars is (as I am finding out), if you are willing to do some work on it, you can get it put in pretty nice shape in no time. It's the first day of spring, go out and drive it and (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
mark04usa
post Mar 20 2017, 08:29 PM
Post #3


'70 1.7 Tangerine
**

Group: Members
Posts: 351
Joined: 14-September 09
From: Austin TX
Member No.: 10,805
Region Association: Southwest Region
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif) Very clean and nice car indeed! Looks well sorted now.
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
KELTY360
post Mar 20 2017, 10:32 PM
Post #4


914 Neferati
*****

Group: Members
Posts: 5,096
Joined: 31-December 05
From: Pt. Townsend, WA
Member No.: 5,344
Region Association: Pacific Northwest
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png) Marathon blue is a great color! Nice find.
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
Shadowfax
post Mar 21 2017, 06:52 AM
Post #5


Show us the meaning of haste
***

Group: Members
Posts: 509
Joined: 19-January 15
Member No.: 18,340
Region Association: South East States
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
Chris H.
post Mar 21 2017, 09:34 AM
Post #6


Senior Member
****

Group: Members
Posts: 4,049
Joined: 2-January 03
From: Chicago 'burbs
Member No.: 73
Region Association: Upper MidWest
Great find! Marathon Blue is a really cool color. BTW The pieces you are missing are not hard to find. I saw both a rear valance and a skid plate/MC cover at Garold Shaffer's when I was there that were removed from a parts car. He has tons of stuff.

BTW the stock steel heat exchangers are just fine. Pressure test the pipes for holes though...easy to do.
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
adolimpio
post Mar 21 2017, 06:51 PM
Post #7


Art
**

Group: Members
Posts: 182
Joined: 10-March 10
From: Greenwood SC
Member No.: 11,449
Region Association: South East States
QUOTE(Chris H. @ Mar 21 2017, 11:34 AM) *

Great find! Marathon Blue is a really cool color. BTW The pieces you are missing are not hard to find. I saw both a rear valance and a skid plate/MC cover at Garold Shaffer's when I was there that were removed from a parts car. He has tons of stuff.

BTW the stock steel heat exchangers are just fine. Pressure test the pipes for holes though...easy to do.


I found a valance and I'll check with Garold about the skid plate. Thanks.
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
Larmo63
post Mar 21 2017, 07:11 PM
Post #8


Advanced Member
****

Group: Members
Posts: 4,267
Joined: 3-March 14
From: San Clemente, Ca
Member No.: 17,068
Region Association: Southern California
That looks like a nice solid car!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)

I'd get the black paint off of the wheels, but that's my taste. They look much better all silver.

You'll get the fever sooner or later, and do a five lug conversion.
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
adolimpio
post Mar 21 2017, 08:51 PM
Post #9


Art
**

Group: Members
Posts: 182
Joined: 10-March 10
From: Greenwood SC
Member No.: 11,449
Region Association: South East States
QUOTE(Larmo63 @ Mar 21 2017, 09:11 PM) *

That looks like a nice solid car!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)

I'd get the black paint off of the wheels, but that's my taste. They look much better all silver.

You'll get the fever sooner or later, and do a five lug conversion.


I agree, and those mirrors gotta go too.
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
aggiezig
post Mar 21 2017, 10:21 PM
Post #10


Porsche Wannabe
**

Group: Members
Posts: 319
Joined: 13-January 16
From: Los Angeles, CA
Member No.: 19,557
Region Association: Southern California
Wow, what a great story and an even better find. Stumbling across a 914 barn find and driving it back across the country is the stuff some of us daydream about. Congrats!
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
maf914
post Mar 22 2017, 06:27 AM
Post #11


Not a Guru!
****

Group: Members
Posts: 3,049
Joined: 30-April 03
From: Central Florida
Member No.: 632
Region Association: None
Way to go! Great find! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/first.gif)

How long did your return tow trip from Portland to South Carolina take?
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
krazykonrad
post Mar 22 2017, 06:51 AM
Post #12


Senior Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 1,141
Joined: 21-February 06
From: Canton, GA
Member No.: 5,610
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)

That's a great find!

Konrad
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
PlantMan
post Mar 22 2017, 07:48 AM
Post #13


Member
**

Group: Members
Posts: 438
Joined: 14-May 14
From: Mission Viejo
Member No.: 17,352
Region Association: Southern California
I agree, nice care.
Congrats!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
Mikey914
post Mar 22 2017, 11:02 AM
Post #14


The rubber man
**********

Group: Members
Posts: 12,741
Joined: 27-December 04
From: Hillsboro, OR
Member No.: 3,348
Region Association: None
Check the transmission fluid may fix the problem
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
Justinp71
post Mar 22 2017, 11:20 AM
Post #15


Senior Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 1,606
Joined: 11-October 04
From: Sacramento, CA
Member No.: 2,922
Region Association: None

Nice car! Great color too!
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
adolimpio
post Mar 22 2017, 07:54 PM
Post #16


Art
**

Group: Members
Posts: 182
Joined: 10-March 10
From: Greenwood SC
Member No.: 11,449
Region Association: South East States
QUOTE(Justinp71 @ Mar 22 2017, 01:20 PM) *

Nice car! Great color too!

I've owned 3, and just by chance all 3 where the same color.
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
TonyA
post Mar 22 2017, 08:50 PM
Post #17


Nachmal
***

Group: Members
Posts: 579
Joined: 17-November 16
From: Hilltown PA
Member No.: 20,596
Region Association: North East States
QUOTE(adolimpio @ Mar 20 2017, 10:02 PM) *

I'll apologize in advance for the long story!

I was in San Diego on business and was talking with some guys about cars at the bar one night. I mentioned that my favorite car was the Porsche 914 and one of the guys said that he had just seen a barn-find on eBay. I checked it out and it looked great, and it was in Portland. So I change my plane tickets and went to Portland to see it.

Some guy had started to restore it for his son in 2001, but in about 2006 his son decided he wanted a 911, so the guy just let it sit until he sold the farm, and the buyer found that in addition to the farm, he now owned a 914.

The guy had replaced all brake rotors, springs, shocks, torsion bars, rebuilt all calipers, replaced bushings in front swing arms and rear trailing arms with the bronze bushings with grease fittings, and replaced the gas lines with stainless. He also rebuilt the transmission and replaced the original 1.7 with a 2.0.

It's a 1973 and there is virtually no rust. I had bought a 73 in 1978, and in those 5 years both jack posts were gone, the battery tray was gone and you could see the road at the bottom of the hell hole. But that was Scranton PA with tons of salt on the road. This is 44 years old and no rust - just amazing!

When I got there it did not run since he had no fuel injection or carbs, and the new owner had no idea what the background of the engine was. Based upon the looks of the heads and other components, it obviously was not rebuilt.

He also had the original 1.7 with FI and exhaust system, 2 transmissions, extra muffler for the 2.0, many many boxes of parts, and a set of shop manuals on CD.

So I bought it, rented a U-Haul with a trailer, loaded up the car and all the spare parts and drove it home to South Carolina, through a treacherous blizzard in Wyoming and Nebraska. What a ride!

When I got it home, I clean it up, replaced the oil, adjusted the valves, check the compression, threw on the fuel injection andf ignition system and it started right up.

So I took it out for a ride and the first time I hit the brakes I heard grinding. He apparently stopped working while he was working on the left rear brakes, because there were no pads installed. Never thought to check something like that. Luckily I caught in time so I did not damage the pistons or the rotors.

With the brakes fixed, it runs absolutely great. However, there is a whine in the transission while cruising which I will discuss in another thread.

There are a few disappointments. Heat exchangers are not stainless, mirrors were replaced with after market with additional holes drilled in the doors, and positioned so poorly that they do not cover the original holes, rear valance and skid plate covering steering rack are missing.

Enough of the story, here's some pictures: http://914.dolimpios.com/

Great find and another good excuse for going to the bar!
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
adolimpio
post Mar 23 2017, 07:40 PM
Post #18


Art
**

Group: Members
Posts: 182
Joined: 10-March 10
From: Greenwood SC
Member No.: 11,449
Region Association: South East States

Great find and another good excuse for going to the bar!
[/quote]
Do you rally need an excuse?
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post
« Next Oldest · 914World Garage · Next Newest »
 

Reply to this topicStart new topic
1 User(s) are reading this topic (1 Guests and 0 Anonymous Users)
0 Members:

 

Display Mode: Standard · Switch to: Linear+ · Switch to: Outline

Track this topic · Email this topic · Print this topic · Subscribe to this forum

- Lo-Fi Version Time is now: 26th December 2024 - 04:30 PM
Invision Power Board v9.1.4 © 2024  IPS, Inc.
All rights reserved 914World.com © since 2002
914World.com is the fastest growing online 914 community!
We have it all, classifieds, events, forums, vendors, parts, autocross, racing, technical articles, events calendar, newsletter, restoration, gallery, archives, history and more for your Porsche 914 ...