What have I gotten myself into, New old 914 Options

[Rick H.]

Evening everyone,

I'm new to Porsche but have always liked the look of the 914. Drove one a few times just enough to realize the shift pattern was not what I was used to. I've been looking around for a project car and found several MG and Triumph models but they were all either rust buckets, a project someone started but dropped or stupid expensive. Besides, who wants to deal with British electrical systems from the 60's? Not me. Fortunately I have decent mechanical skills and once built a 350 4 bolt Chevy in my kitchen. I was single and what else was I going to do with a kitchen? Worked out well. Last week on Facebook for sale I found a 914, looked at the photos, lost my mind and bought it. It's a mess. Stored inside or at least under a roof for 20 something years. The guy that bought the property found it and a lot of other stuff in one of the barns and finally decided to get rid of it. He pulled it out and it rained immediately. The paint is dead and the interior is awful but I found no signs of rust, just some surface corrosion. It's a '74, not sure which engine but not a 6 cylinder. Looks like most of that is there, all the dash instruments are there. No sign of rodent infestation damage. Tires are toast of course but I should be able to get it on a trailer to get it home. All four wheels turn, no lock ups. Headlights and bumpers are missing but I suspect they are in a storage building with a lot of other stuff. I'll need a flashlight and a shotgun to root around in there but the rattle snakes haven't started moving yet. The seller thinks everything is here, just not all in the same place. I'll post a few photos of my latest nightmare, I mean project, when I get it home. Should be next week. I've found quite a few videos on YouTube that have been worth watching and there's a place in Atlanta that does a lot of work with the 914. I also found this place thank goodness. I'll need to learn who the parts sources are for these cars and a whole lot more. For now I'll settle for learning what to look for and what questions to ask. First question: is there a decent shop manual for the 914? Back in the pre internet days someone produced a series of very basic shop manuals for nearly any kind of car but I don't know what's out there now. I've done resto work on a 68 Mustang and a 79 Z-28 and what I learned from those is how to figure things out and how many things the previous owner did wrong. Anyway it's nice to be here and I hope to get underway on this car soon.

Rick H

[dtmehall]

I won't snow you and say that if the body is allright, that you're halfway there.

Continue to look for all the other parts. Hopefully the wiring harness is intact.

Welcome to the club!

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[Ishley]

Welcome to to the community!

Haynes has a manual. There are others. I’d look for another Local Owner who could come by and eyeball what ya got….Should be helpful… along with posting pics on where to start. They’re great little cars that can break your heart on some days… but the thrill of a well Sorted one is special. Enjoy… ask questions and lean on the community here to guide you.

Enjoy!

[fiacra]

What have you gotten yourself into? From the description it sounds like you've gotten yourself into debt (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) .

A few thoughts:

Just about everyone underestimates the amount of rust they have found on their car. If you haven't already, watch Ian Karr's video about this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N_i7l0vhr4

Don't do anything on your car until you have really looked hard and deep for rust. If you love to weld, and have the time, place, and skills to address it, then it may not be a big deal to you, but for a lot of people it is a project killer. Until I hear that you have taken the rocker panels to inspect the longs, and have really inspected the hell hole, I'm going to be skeptical about any claim that there is only surface rust.

Read a bunch of the restoration threads on this site. You'll learn a lot! There is a lot of knowledge here. This is a good one to start with:

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...c=76791&hl=

Here's the answer to your question about parts suppliers. Also links to manuals and the PET (parts catalog with diagrams).

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=361087

Be sure to check out Jeff Bowlsby's website. There is a wealth of important information there. The "tech notebook" section is invaluable.

https://bowlsby.net/914/Classic/

And, of course, welcome! You'll find what you need here.

[KELTY360]

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[campbellcj]

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Congrats and welcome to the addiction! Sage advice above already to do a thorough rust inspection (longs, hellhole, floors) and make sure the big stuff is intact and usable. Parts availability is good in general but dollars add up fast plus of course your time which can get into 1000's of hours on some builds/rustorations (lots of examples on here).

Also the obligatory
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[930cabman]

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Took the leap, congrats. You have come to the right place, most of are crazy enough to have similar or worst stories. Will you be a DIY guy?

we like pics

Glad to have you aboard

[StratPlayer]

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A lot of time and money

[ctc911ctc]

Nothing I have ever driven is as tight and fun as a 914.

Every 914 is worth restoring, sometimes 1+1=1, there are tubs available without rust, some people have gone that route

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[Rick H.]

I'd checked a few videos on this car before I ever saw it. One of the first places I looked was the hellhole since there isn't a battery in the car. It's pretty clean, no signs of severe rust. Lots more to inspect but right now it doesn't look too scary, just messy. I watched that video and it pointed out that this car rusts in a way I hadn't thought about, from the inside out. Also surprised to see it doesn't have galvanized steel. Clearly this will be interesting. As soon as I get it home later in the week I'll get some photos and post them here. And yes I'm pretty much a DIY person.

Rick H.

[ctc911ctc]

Get a 914 Haynes manual, that has 50-60% of what you need

https://www.amazon.com/Porsche-Automotive-1...C136&sr=8-1



There are pdf versions of the shop manuals floating around, also there is always someone selling a set in the Wtb/wts forum here at 914 world

When I have a question I search google and there is usually a list of pages here, the search within 914world is very basic, so google does a good job for more complex queries

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/red914.jpg)

Evening everyone,

I'm new to Porsche but have always liked the look of the 914. Drove one a few times just enough to realize the shift pattern was not what I was used to. I've been looking around for a project car and found several MG and Triumph models but they were all either rust buckets, a project someone started but dropped or stupid expensive. Besides, who wants to deal with British electrical systems from the 60's? Not me. Fortunately I have decent mechanical skills and once built a 350 4 bolt Chevy in my kitchen. I was single and what else was I going to do with a kitchen? Worked out well. Last week on Facebook for sale I found a 914, looked at the photos, lost my mind and bought it. It's a mess. Stored inside or at least under a roof for 20 something years. The guy that bought the property found it and a lot of other stuff in one of the barns and finally decided to get rid of it. He pulled it out and it rained immediately. The paint is dead and the interior is awful but I found no signs of rust, just some surface corrosion. It's a '74, not sure which engine but not a 6 cylinder. Looks like most of that is there, all the dash instruments are there. No sign of rodent infestation damage. Tires are toast of course but I should be able to get it on a trailer to get it home. All four wheels turn, no lock ups. Headlights and bumpers are missing but I suspect they are in a storage building with a lot of other stuff. I'll need a flashlight and a shotgun to root around in there but the rattle snakes haven't started moving yet. The seller thinks everything is here, just not all in the same place. I'll post a few photos of my latest nightmare, I mean project, when I get it home. Should be next week. I've found quite a few videos on YouTube that have been worth watching and there's a place in Atlanta that does a lot of work with the 914. I also found this place thank goodness. I'll need to learn who the parts sources are for these cars and a whole lot more. For now I'll settle for learning what to look for and what questions to ask. First question: is there a decent shop manual for the 914? Back in the pre internet days someone produced a series of very basic shop manuals for nearly any kind of car but I don't know what's out there now. I've done resto work on a 68 Mustang and a 79 Z-28 and what I learned from those is how to figure things out and how many things the previous owner did wrong. Anyway it's nice to be here and I hope to get underway on this car soon.

Rick H

[Rick H.]

By the way, there is a saying in aviation that may apply here. The question is, how much money does it cost to fly? The answer; all of it. Restoring cars isn't for the faint of heart in my experience. As long as I'm having fun....

Rick H.

[bkrantz]

Welcome! You have already demonstrated the most important 914 owner quality: more desire than common sense. It's all downhill from here! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sunglasses.gif)

[burton73]

Welcome to 914world.com

You are at the right place. If you have a question just go to Google and ask the question in as little words as you can followed by 914world

That will take you to posting over the years and it will really help you on your build

Welcome. Best Bob B

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[Rick H.]

Well I finally was able to go and pick it up yesterday and bring it home. A very interesting journey it was. I rented a U Haul car trailer and drove about 90 miles back to get it, still sitting where I left it. The seller helped me get it onto the trailer and then we went searching for missing parts and found most of them. The bumpers are in decent condition for their age and I got a couple of other trim pieces I can't identify yet. Got the door cards, all the window and door handles. All the dash instruments are there. It has a set of Fuchs wheels. Haven't found the headlights yet. The tires are trash, never seen steel belted radials deteriorate quite that way. I'll replace them all with some old cheap tires to move it around but will put all new on it to drive. I can open the rear trunk without any problem and both doors can be opened but the front hood, boot or whatever it is called is stuck. It's partly open but won't open completely. The passenger side hinge there only has one bolt. The driver side release is in need of lubrication as is just about every other hinge on this car. I tried to get the plastic battery tray out but one of the bolts seems to have a stuck nut on the inside. Happy to say there is so far no evidence of serious corrosion but I'm just getting started. The rear trunk had a bunch of junk in it but I cleaned all of that out and again, no sign of rust or any serious paint failure. I do believe this car stayed under cover out of bad weather for the last 25 years or so.
Got all the carpet out and floors there are in surprisingly good condition as well. I think I'm going to let it sit for a few days completely out of the weather and just let it dry out. This is going to be interesting and I hope a lot of fun. It's hardly the worst car I've ever restored but not the best either. A few photos from my phone are hopefully attached, I'll post better shots when I get them downloaded.

Rick H

[Rick H.]

I got into it again for an hour or so this morning trying to get the battery box out. Definitely some kind of plastic replacement and definitely a hurry up job. It has a screw going though one side that won't come loose and I kid you not, an L bracket that I would normally use to put up a wall shelf if I were in a hurry is holding it in place. I think it will take a hack saw to get that out of there and I have no idea how the person who did this managed to get nuts onto the bolts inside some of the sheet metal but I have to wonder if a trip the the doctors office afterward was involved. More damage to the hell hole than first seen but no surprise. I need to get the side skirts off for more inspection. By the way, where are the jack points on this car? I'm going to have to put it up on stands long enough to get tires replaced just so I can move it and don't want to punch a hole in the bottom. I noticed battery cables in place and there is oil in the engine. I wonder if it will turn over.

Rick H.

[930cabman]

this one might not buff out, but hang in there (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif)

[burton73]

That battery tray is the top of a marine battery tray. Looks like it is just bolted on the wall and that should come out very easy. I got and old 914 that the PO made a battery out of wood.
I just want to shoot this out to you since you have experience in doing GM V8s, just an idea that maybe you drop a small block Chevy in this thing as you do have the trans there. There are adapters around. If you look on 914World you will se what a bunch of people have done. There have been a lot of different water cooled conversions done with different brands of engines, some that are very impressive and you could end up spending less money that rebuilding you old 4. I had a 283 SBC in a 74 in 1979 and it was a lot of fun and I made a lot of money when I finished it. I was 25 then and it was easy for me to do it right on the side of the house. You do need to find out what factory VW T4 eng you have, It may be a 1.8 or a 2.0 just so you know where you are at.

You are into a big adventure now, have fun with it and try not to go broke.
You are at the right place,

Best Bob B

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[emerygt350]

Jack points are the little raised bits Hanging down just under the longs. Pretty obvious if you look around. There are four of them and they all look the same. Good luck! I think Red Green has a saying like "if they don't find you pretty, at least they will find you useful"? If I were you I wouldn't be shooting for the moon on that one, just clean it up real good and figure out what you got. That motor... Yeah ... Better to focus on the body for a bit and don't let the mechanicals get you down. Those will be far easier and cheaper than the body.

[fiacra]

Jack points are the little raised bits Hanging down just under the longs. Pretty obvious if you look around. There are four of them and they all look the same. Good luck! I think Red Green has a saying like "if they don't find you pretty, at least they will find you useful"? If I were you I wouldn't be shooting for the moon on that one, just clean it up real good and figure out what you got. That motor... Yeah ... Better to focus on the body for a bit and don't let the mechanicals get you down. Those will be far easier and cheaper than the body.

Sage advice. Given what you've found so far I'm sure you're going to find a lot more DAPO "repairs" as you move forward. Really give this car a once over with a very critical eye before making a plan.

I have heard some people say not to jack up the car on the doughnuts (the raised bits emergygt350 is talking about - I'll attach a picture to make it clear) but I think most of us do. That's what I use when I put my car on the lift. In the rear you can also use the engine bar as a jack point. Under no circumstance use the factory jack points until you know the condition of the longs, and even then there are probably only a few people who use them.