914 Journey to the Concours, Project: 1974 914 2.0L LE Bumblebee Options

[JeffBowlsby]

I live in the Bay Area...we get ~15 inches of rain annnually, so not driving in the rain isnt a big inconvenience. If I was in the PNW, that would be a bigger sacrifice.

VIN 14536

In my journey to locate 914 LE cars, I was contacted by the daughter of 914 LE VIN 14536, who wasn’t sure if the car her dad owned was a Bumblebee, but it looked like the cars on my website. This car had 48,000 original miles, original paint and everything else was original for that matter, and is in superb unrestored condition. It even had the original tires until 1996. It was first purchased from Rusnak Porsche in Pasadena CA, by a gentleman who put about 37,000 miles on it over its first 22 years, and he garaged and cared for it in a dry climate. Because he was becoming elderly, he sold it to his then ~50 year old son, who put another 12,000 miles on it in the next 7 years that he owned it. The car has never been in an accident, and is the most original, unrestored 914 I have ever had the pleasure of seeing personally. The owner mentioned that it would be for sale soon and I knew I had to have it. So just before Thanksgiving of 2003, I flew down to Los Angeles and drove VIN 14536 to my home in San Jose, where it immediately went into my garage for the winter. The odo now reads just under 48,500 miles. The wife’s 1999 BMW now resides on the driveway, because we only have a single car garage.

Now the car may be original in nearly every respect, but it is not currently in show room condition. Unmolested yes, perfect no. The PO had installed an aftermarket stereo and alarm, and so there are a few small holes drilled in hidden locations for the alarm wires and switches. The front suspension makes noise and is squirrelly, the front shocks are known to be worn out, probably the ball joints too. The rear springs while original…are showing the effects of 30 years of gravity. The outside paint has minor scratches and oxidization and a few small parking lot type dings, which I think can be repaired without repainting the bodywork. The carpeting in the cabin is tired and worn, needing replacement. There is one blem in the targa top at a rear corner and a few of the weatherstripping pieces are tired. The car has its original battery tray intact, but it only has light surface rust, it will clean up easily enough. Both abyss’s on either side of the engine bay are dirty, but have no rust. The engine bay is dirty, intake manifold and fuel lines are old and brittle, but these are of no concern. That’s all the bad news that I am aware of to this moment.

Here is a photo from the previous owner:

[tat2dphreak]

I think the car is absolutely beautiful!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif) you have done a great job!!!

Cheers!
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif)

[JohnB]

Jeff, nice car. I look forward to seeing it some day in person. Your goal is similar to mine, a nicely renovated (not necessarily restored) LE in nearly new condition that isn't a garage queen. I was unaware the center caps had the crest on them, though. Is this a dealer installed "improvement"?

[maf914]

... and fuel lines are old and brittle, but these are of no concern.

Jeff,

I would reconsider this statement!

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

Just kidding. I get your drift.

Where's that flaming smilie when we need it?

Mike

[JeffBowlsby]

I was unaware the center caps had the crest on them, though. Is this a dealer installed "improvement"?

The crests are some kind of label (plastic I think) that the original dealer installed. Rusnak Porsche in Pasadena CA.

The car also has other cool items like that that I will posting in the near future.

[JeffBowlsby]

What to do with 15176?

Even with these items to correct, this is a small project compared to restoring 15176. So I decided to sell 15176 and will be selling my other 914, another very nice Light Ivory 1974 2.0 in the near future. I figured that it would cost about the same total dollars to buy and clean up 14536 as it would to restore 15176, and much less time. I would also have a car with original paint and other rare features, which simply cannot be replaced during a restoration. Stay tuned for the cool details to follow in upcoming posts.

So I advertised 15176 for sale and received about a dozen top dollar offers in a few short weeks over the Christmas 2003 holidays. There was a lot of interest in the car from all over the country including two parties from Canada. It was a difficult decision on which buyer to sell the car to, but 15176 has a new owner in Victoria BC Canada who is good friends with another 914 LE owner, Ernie K, who I also met while researching the LE cars. There are now two 914 LE Bumblebees in Victoria. In fact Canada is home to about 10 percent of the known surviving 914 LE cars. Ernie K is a local AX champion on his 914 LE for anyone interested, and there is a short video clip of him in motion on my 914 LE website. See the Registry page and scroll to the bottom.

15176 Canada bound:

[JeffBowlsby]

Side Valences

As careful as the previous two owners were with the car, they didn’t know what we know now about one of the 914s weak spots…the Longs. My cars’ side valences had never been removed in the 30 years of its existence and I was hesitant to look. Actually, when I inspected the car before purchase, there was every indication that this car was well-cared for in its critical areas that I could inspect, and it had lived its whole life in a dry climate, so I wasn’t too worried, but I just didn’t know. We’ve all seen the carnage to the longs on other cars created by accumulated wet dirt at the jack posts in particular. I took a calculated risk and bought the car anyway because of its overall condition.

The cars side valences have the original Sunflower Yellow paint and the original factory rivets holding them in place were exposed raw aluminum, not repainted black like on typical 914s with black side valences. Last weekend I carefully drilled them out, first with a 1/16” inch pilot drill, then a 7/32” inch drill bit to completely remove them. I soaked the three M6x1.0x12 cheesehead screws with PB Blaster, and they came out pretty easily. The screws had an internally toothed lock washer over a plain washer under each screwhead, and are yellow-cad plated.

The side valences came off easily and there were two or three fistfulls of dirt that came out of each side, but the original paint at the longs was pristine and shiney, and there was not one spec of rust anywhere. Whew, big relief. I am going to try to preserve the original paint on my side valences and just remount them, but I haven’t looked at them carefully enough yet to make that call. Interestingly, there was also a large collection of debris at the front passenger wheel well, right behind the front edge of the passenger side valence. The debris was dense and rock hard.

BTW, Why do we refer to the side valences as rocker panels? The term ‘rocker panels’ doesn’t make sense to me. Does the car rock on them, or do they conceal rockers of some kind? Maybe they are ROCK(er) panels because they take a lot of rock chips picked up from the tires? It’s a mystery to me some of the terms we use.

Here is my sidevalence investigation:

[JeffBowlsby]

;lknm

[JeffBowlsby]

hbji

[JeffBowlsby]

ytu

[JeffBowlsby]

jiol

[blonde914]

Fogive my blondeness, I am just beginning to gather information on my car, it has had some modifications and I wonder how you would know a 914 is an LE or not. Is there something I can specifically look for, alot of the markings on the outside are gone or have been replaced. Did they make them every year, or just certain years. Help!

[SirAndy]

Help!

hi blondie, check out Jeff's LE website here:
http://members.rennlist.com/914_canam/

oh, and welcome to the club! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)
Andy

[Bleyseng]

74's only and if you think your car is maybe one, look at the rockers, front spoiler for the paint clues. On a white car the orange paint will show thru. On black cars the yellow paint will show. On a Grasshopper, Jeff B will fly out and take pics of the damn thing tomorrow.

Geoff

[blonde914]

I went to the link that was provided and mine is not an LE. I have a 70 that is my baby and I have a 75 that I have to get rid of, so neither one of them is an LE. My Black 75 is was yellow originally, when we purchased it on e-bay they guy said it was a rare berber yellow that was only produced in 1975. He also said all it needed was a new battery and a new battery tray, he lied; imagine that. The red 70 that I love came from a seller in Canada, my husband and my son flew to Montreal checked it out and drove her home. I would like to know more about her and will post pictures when I get a chance. The 70 that I drive everyday (weather permitting, we are having a snow storm right now) Has raised letters (PORSCHE) on the rocker panels painted white, and the roll bar area and the top are solid red no plasic or vinyl all metal. Do you know if this was an option or just someone making changes and modifications throughout the years.
Sherry

[ArtechnikA]

Forgive my blondeness, I am just beginning to gather information on my car...

one of the standard references on what's what is "914 and 914-6 Porsche - A Restorer's Guide to Authenticity" by Dr. B. Johnson. but no one reference has everything there is to know.

if you're really determined to learn a lot in a hurry, this board's a good place - start with some of the older threads, and just work your way through them.

depending on how 'hands-on' you want to be, mechanically, the Haynes is a good all 'round reference, with the Lash International (Clymer's) book as an occasional backup.

you can ask anything you want here, but you'll have a lot better idea of what questions are relevant to you if you do some basic research first. there are all kinds of 914 owners here, and while the track and performance guys outnumber the 'Concours Weenies' a hundred to one, there are people here who know what is and isn't original on what cars. welcome, and enjoy !

[ArtechnikA]

...raised letters (PORSCHE) on the rocker panels painted white, and the roll bar area and the top are solid red no plasic or vinyl all metal.

the rocker panels are an aftermarket part some people like(d). (Porsche went after anybody using their name on parts - they still do ...)

Targa bar vinyl was part of the "Appearance Group" option. all /6's had it, some number of early (1,7 liter) cars did. it became standard in later production as everyone on the production chain was trying to "add value" with options and use up the last of the stockpiled parts... lots of '70 and '71 /4's have no Targa bar vinyl.

[JeffBowlsby]

Concours Rules

I am occasionally going to spend some time reviewing the PCA Rules for Concours in my Zone, which is Zone 7. I am not currently a PCA member, and as it turns out, no one needs to be a member to participate at the entry level…any Porsche owner can participate. To actually compete for awards, PCA membership is required. I will omit certain rules that seem more administrative and less important.

1. and 2. Definitions and Eligibility

A Concours is a competition, following rules adopted by its sponsors. For anyone who doesn’t care about rules, Concours are probably not a good fit. For Porsche 914s, the most common Concours events I know of are the local PCA Concours, and my local region is Zone 7. There are also private Concours events sponsored by local charities or other organizations. I had recently enquired of the large, local Vintage VW club, if they would allow 914s in their big annual Vintage VW show in San Jose, and they were simply not interested. The 914 is a rejected species. Not a Porsche, Not a VW…When will they understand its the best of both, when will we accept that its neither? What they don’t know works to our benefit…the 914 is a hidden treasure and its good for us owners that not many appreciate the car like we do.

From the PCA Zone 7 Competition Series Rules (8 pages in total):

“1.1 Concours d'Elegance, a term denoting a gathering of automobiles in competition for judging their relative merits in terms of coachwork design, finish, and appointments. The purpose of the Concours in PCA is to select the Porsche in the best condition according to the standards discussed below.

1.2 Judging. Vehicles entered are judged independently by a team of judges who deduct points for flaws and non-originality from the total "perfect" score.

1.3 Originality. The vehicles are judged on how close they are to the way they were delivered when new to the buying public by an authorized Porsche dealer or distributor. Originality will not be judged in the Wash & Shine Category or the Competition/Special Interest Category.”

So you don’t need to have a 10,000 mile original car to compete. Each car is categorized so that it competes with other cars of equal caliber.

“1.4 Maintenance and Preparation. Judging in this area is to determine how well the owner of the vehicle has maintained the vehicle, including cleanliness, wear and tear, touch-up, lubrication, etc.

2.1 All PCA members in good standing who hold a valid PCA membership card and who have paid their registration fees and have signed all registration forms and releases will be eligible.”

So that’s what the Concours is about, in a nutshell. One needs to be a PCA member to compete in PCA Concours events, but as we will see, PCA membership is not required to participate at the entry levels. A perfect car in the highest competition categories has to be original, flawless, show no wear and be spotlessly clean. That’s a tall order.

But the way I read the rules…do I need to be a PCA member as owner of a car that is entered? It sounds like the person entering the car needs to be a member, but the owner doesn’t necessarily need to belong. Is that a loophole? If I don’t join the PCA, maybe a PCA friend will enter it for me?

[ArtechnikA]

...For anyone who doesn’t care about rules, Concours are probably not a good fit....

...If I don’t join the PCA, maybe a PCA friend will enter it for me?

ya want rules, check out the Parade Competition Rules (PCR's). that shows what it takes to win at the national level. Dwight Mitchell won Best In Show (Manhattan Trophy) when they still did such a thing with a flawless 2,0 914 -- it can happen.

IMO - ya wanna compete in PCA events, pay the $42 and join.
your local Region gets back a percentage of that $42, which allows them to put on events.
you should pull your share. but that's just my opinion.

to answer your question - yes, "a friend" can enter a non-owned car, happens with spouses and SO's all the time.
(the rules for driving events are probably different, however...)