1974 914 1.8, the mystery of the EC-A and EC-B Options

[wonkipop]

Since the vacuum can has it’s own PN, I’m sure the assumption was that you’d use the appropriate can for the model.

yep, thats what i am thinking.

assuming you can get hold of one of these S distributors still?
and given your friends in houston texas at that great shop with the double vac cans.
and if you really wanted to get particular, search out a speed limiting rotor too.
(i think the texas guys them on their website).
you could get yourself a brand spanking new (almost) original set up distributor.

VW would definitely have had to have been doing it this way.
modular thinking?

meaning you could reproduce overheating the heads at idle in a traffic jam on a hot day in australia while you smiled at the smug do gooder in the tesla beside you knowing you were keeping your NOX down and your CO2 overproducing. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[wonkipop]

ENGINE BAY INSULATION PAD - 1974 1.8

another esoteric detail picked up sifting through research material for EC-A/B. @StarBear @Van B

appears to be two different types of engine bay pad -------maybe?
a grey one and a black one?

maybe @JeffBowlsby knows the answer to this one?
maybe its in Dr. Johnson's book but not sure, but not in edition i have.
he doesn't really do engine bay in detail in first ed on my shelf.

at first thought maybe the black finish pads i was seeing =
either owners repainting or refinishing the pad or
replacing the pad with an aftermarket pad of a different construction.

that is until i looked at photos sent by porsche museum of dr. marchart 74 1.8 in the collection. has a black insulation pad. maybe they restored this car?
but in most respects it looks very original to me. it might have been given a light touch refresh. ??? (don't have a month of production date on porsche collection car).



i believed all the engine bay pads were the same. similar to mine.
grey coloured pad.
mine is 01/74 build car.




more examples of the typical grey pad i thought was standard.
production dates scattered right through model year.

11-73



12-73



02-74



06-74



most of the 74s i have on file are grey.


----

however then there are these.
they look pretty much the same as porsche collection car.
black with a different kind of ripple like finish.

11-73



12-73



05-74



05-74




------

you can find examples of both types in 75 1.8s as well.
eg

11-74 grey



11-74 black




quick scout of 73 1.7s only turned up grey ones.





?????????? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

[Van B]

Tough to say if mine was grey or faded black. But the back was a synthetic upholstery wool, heavy, and held moisture like a fat pig… as I learned.

Regardless, it went into the trash and I now have a modern closed cell foam piece that will go in.

[StarBear]

Here’s mine. Sort of dark gray. Original. Haven’t ever taken it off so can’t tell if it’s the stuff Van noted. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bye1.gif)

[wonkipop]

Here’s mine. Sort of dark gray. Original. Haven’t ever taken it off so can’t tell if it’s the stuff Van noted. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bye1.gif)

yes. same as mine. and most original cars.
i think they are meant to be grey.

even though all the black ones look to be the same material, which made me think it was some kind of factory variant, it is perhaps likely that they are replacements, using a common source for a replacement a few years back (or decades).

a lot of the black ones don't appear to have correct factory fixings whn you look close, including the one in the porsche museum.

i'm thinking the black ripple material versions might be what they made 911 engine pads out of a few years back?

interesting because that blue 1.8 that was on BAT a few months back claiming to be a 20K + miles car does not have a factory grey sound pad!

[L-Jet914]

My firewall pad. 4/74 build date. Greyish now. But may have been black. I seem to be missing a clip to hold the center in place haha.

[wonkipop]

My firewall pad. 4/74 build date. Greyish now. But may have been black. I seem to be missing a clip to hold the center in place haha.

its just a big plastic snap plug same as the two on the sides.
sort of thing that eventually goes brittle and breaks and falls out.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

thanks for the photo. general conclusion i think is only one type of original pad.
grey.

whatever the black ripple ones are is very likely replacement aftermarket jobs.
interesting that the car in the porsche museum has the black ripple version.
possibly indicates the car was restored to museum condition after dr. marchart donated it and is not so original. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

certainly the much debated 20K mile 74 that was for sale on BAT earlier this year also may have been sporting a non original back pad amongst many other items spotted by folks on this website. not so original as advertised and claimed.

the white 1.8 in dr. 914s collection in atlanta looks to me to be about the most honest car around and a reliable example. its grey - like all of ours that are known from near new.

[wonkipop]

another one for engine tin stamp numbers.

sadly one of the hurricane flood damaged cars.
looked to be an ok car. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) not anymore. water up to the door handles.
late 74. going by the plastic expansion tank.

# = 607. i think. bottom of 7 is worn off.
if its an original car means california EC-A with console (oil temp sensor plate fitted to bottom of engine case). its got a console so its probably still relatively original.

[L-Jet914]

another one for engine tin stamp numbers.

sadly one of the hurricane flood damaged cars.
looked to be an ok car. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) not anymore. water up to the door handles.
late 74. going by the plastic expansion tank.

# = 607. i think. bottom of 7 is worn off.
if its an original car means california EC-A with console (oil temp sensor plate fitted to bottom of engine case). its got a console so its probably still relatively original.

Unfortunate for that 1.8. With water up to the door handles, I bet all those electronics, FI brain, AFM are totaled (no longer usable). That little car is now a parts car.

[wonkipop]

another one for the research file.
for sale on BAT at moment.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1974-porsche-914-71/

Vin 4742909654. 184 cars before @StarBear 's car.
K 4829576. built the day before SB's car tues 27 Nov 73.

engine tin stamp # 605. found on other EC-Bs.
can just make out tune up sticker. two vac hose to distributor. = EC-B.

car has a console - looks original to the car (goes with AC).
has the oil temp sender plate on the engine case.

accords with pattern observed for engine stamp #s.
605 = car with console guage set up built at factory.

will add it to the data already compiled down the track.

[StarBear]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[wonkipop]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

i think its a full sister car to yours @StarBear .
colour etc. (although i can't remember what your interior is steve, black or brown).

when you look at the BAT description it notes that it was originally ravenna green, now repainted to forest/zambesi green.

however...................
that statement appears to be made as a result of the karmann badge paint code which is L 65 K. that is the code for ravenna green.

but look at the photos carefully. the car was definitely forrest/zambesi green originally.
the giveway is the shot under the dash. classic factory paint finish there where the paint spray gives out and goes thin and you get primer showing. thats original factory finish in that area (sloppy like the factory). completely repainted restored cars do not replicate this.
there is no trace of ravenna paint spray anywhere there. cabin under carpet paint looks original to me. all f/z green. underneath photos show all paint on underside around bottom of trunk etc is f/z green and looks worn and original, not repaint.

one last clue. it has a vin sticker that is silver. the sticker is definitely original. you can see the repaint edges around it. every ravenna green car i have found has a black vin sticker. every forrest/zambesi green car has a silver vin sticker.

i think this car has a karmann plate that got stamped wrong at the factory.
they marked it L 65 K when they should have marked it L 64 K?
first time i have stumbled across a k plate that might have been marked wrong.
we have seen other instances noted of K tags in front trunk being numbered strangely.
but first time i have seen a paint code stamp that might have been wrong.

its not a bad looking car.
its had a lot of work done on it.

anyway its virtually the same as your car steve?
fuchs, console, EC-B #605 engine and in forrest green built the day before yours. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[StarBear]

@wonkipop . Yep; a sister car! Mine has brown interior which imho goes better with the z Green.
Yeah, never seen a misstamped k plate though there was a discussion a few months ago about a possible misstamp. Will have to check it out further.
Thanks!

[StarBear]

A few more notes:
Can’t see the k plate clearly. Looks like originally Ravenna then repainted a dark z Green, nearly Irish Green. Z Green has always been hard to get right - too blue, too yellow, too dark.
My appearance group has a black center bumper panel not chrome. Chrome I thought were only for 2.0 cars.
The luggage rack is useful but detracts from the car’s clean lines imho.
Original owner since 1980?? And this person only had it one year - to do paint etc and flip.

[wonkipop]

A few more notes:
Can’t see the k plate clearly. Looks like originally Ravenna then repainted a dark z Green, nearly Irish Green. Z Green has always been hard to get right - too blue, too yellow, too dark.
My appearance group has a black center bumper panel not chrome. Chrome I thought were only for 2.0 cars.
The luggage rack is useful but detracts from the car’s clean lines imho.
Original owner since 1980?? And this person only had it one year - to do paint etc and flip.

it was painted back in the 2000s or so by the look of the receipt dates?

the present owner is doing a flip, but did not do the majority of the work.
see the dates on all the receipts.

it has definitely not been repainted on the cabin interior.
see the under dash photo.
and that is not ravenna green in under there. its forrest/zambezi.

there is something funny about the k plate.
drunken germans on the production line?

it would be worth looking right over that car but its in colorado i think?

what is the black centre bumper panel you are referring to @StarBear ?
you are correct they did not get the exterior shade of the green right for f/z green on the exterior repaint.
its too dark.

i agree brown interior much better with green.
brown and green is the color of a tree (in a forrest unless its australia after a bushfire when the regrowth starts and then its vivid black and vivid green).
brown also goes well with phoenix red. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) "the jaffa".
mind you everyone used to think i'd bought the worst kind of 70s kitsch back in the 90s.
not now! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) taste + updating its a dangerous thing. always go for staying original.
i no longer get people say my car is kitsch and tasteless. its all - oh man that car is beautiful. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

i had that experience today with one of my other cars.
i was driving the citroen xm to the workshop for my weekly break from my real job.
had to do a pickup of some LHM for the xm because its leaking hydraulic fluid out of its pressure pump. all citroens do. you live with it.
i pulled out of the side street to go down a major road.
two trendoid young blokes were about to cross the road.
i paused to let them cross.
they both said in unison, "beautiful car mate".
and then got down on their knees and did the worship routine in front of the car before getting up and completing crossing the road.
it was very funny. and beautifully un-woke. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif)

[wonkipop]

another one for engine tin stamp numbers.

sadly one of the hurricane flood damaged cars.
looked to be an ok car. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) not anymore. water up to the door handles.
late 74. going by the plastic expansion tank.

# = 607. i think. bottom of 7 is worn off.
if its an original car means california EC-A with console (oil temp sensor plate fitted to bottom of engine case). its got a console so its probably still relatively original.

Unfortunate for that 1.8. With water up to the door handles, I bet all those electronics, FI brain, AFM are totaled (no longer usable). That little car is now a parts car.

yep - another ground zero modern fuel injection marsupial bites the dust.
its almost as bad as watching a koala die.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[StarBear]

@wonkipop The section of bumper (front and rear) between the top strip and the bottom valence. See pics. Mine are black (some sort of soft black paint) not chrome. All the other 1.8 Appearance Group cars I’ve seen have black center pieces; all 2.0s have chrome. But then, as we know, there ARE exceptions to every configuration!

[wonkipop]

@wonkipop The section of bumper (front and rear) between the top strip and the bottom valence. See pics. Mine are black (some sort of soft black paint) not chrome. All the other 1.8 Appearance Group cars I’ve seen have black center pieces; all 2.0s have chrome. But then, as we know, there ARE exceptions to every configuration!

yes - i see what you mean now. the actual bumper.

very interesting point you make.
about differences in appearance group spec for 1.8s and 2.0s.

[JeffBowlsby]

FYI - the Appearance Group was the same for 1.8L and 2.0L cars but the AG items varied from model year to model year. Chrome bumpers were not included in the AG in 1974...they were an extra cost item.

[L-Jet914]

@wonkipop our 74 1.8s never came with the timing plug with a vacuum fitting to allow air to be fed into the canister did they? There is a (US spec) 74 1.8 for sale in Austria on the 914World Facebook group page. The ECU is also not mounted behind the battery.