future

Hi All, I've never posted in this area of the forum before but have always dreamed of owning a 914 which I love for it's retro looks.

I have seen one which is up for sale at a salvage auction in the UK. It appears to be in very good pre-accident condition and also in one of the better colour (orange).

I have never driven one of these cars so need to know of dedicated website I can look at for help understanding the problems and also how to find parts.

I have posted some pictures of the damaged car below:















As a conservative guess, What sort of cost would you put on the body parts needed to repair this car and are parts easy to get hold of. I have looked on Ebay.com and there seams to be loads of stuff available in the US but nothing in the UK.

Your help will be much appreciated.

Irishdriver

There is just about everything available here in Germany for a price, The problem is that given the market value of 914's fixing the car might be uneconomical. If it were a 914/6 it would be another story.

The front does not look so bad, bonnet, bumper and headlamp housing are easy to find. But if the shock has passed back into the body via the bonnet hinges or the floor has bent between the front wheels then it could get more difficult. Are the front wheels still straight and in line? Do the doors work smoothly?

The other point is that 914's rust from the inside out so you have to check the chassis area under the battery very carefully. The rain washes acid from the battery down into the chassis leg and ....

As the car here is a 1,7 and they have the lowest value, it might only be economic to repair using second hand parts. The new parts and prices can be found at www.mittelmotor.de and some second hand ones. Also expand your ebay search to Europe and you'll see lots of parts.

My advice (as owner of a few of these money traps) would be to buy a runner with a German MOT (TUV) and enjoy it. If you really like it, then consider getting a good one or a project. Starting with a project is likely to be frustrating. A good idea of what is available is here:
http://www.mobile.de/SIDAdZcT7QopsTQ...&doSearch.y=13

future

Irishdriver... Thanks alot for your help and advice

The Mittelmotor.de website looks to be an excellent place for parts and I'm about to go and have a look on Ebay.de to see whats available there.

I spent the best part of 6 hrs yesterday reading up on the web about these cars and it appears that the 914/6 is the one to go for.

I also went and had a look on http://www.mobile.de/ and was amazed at how expensive these cars are in Germany FOR A GOOD ONE. I looked at this one CLICK HERE You could buy a decent 996 for this sort of money!

Most of the cars that I have seen in here in the UK are US imports as is the damaged orange 916 1.7 that I'm currently interested in.

The main reason I am attracted to this car is because it has recently undergone a full restoration however there does appear to be some rust in and around the battery tray area.

The car looks straight to the eye and the panel gaps on both doors are even.

Under the hood the floor in the center does have damage as does the panel behind behind the front bumper. But I know a man that can put that right for little cost to me.

as the auction for this car is next month I am going to do some research about importing one myselve from the US but am struggling to find a specialist in the states who sells these cars and have no idea about cost of shipping etc.

Anybody have experience in shipping cars to the UK???

What would you estimate the damaged orange car to be worth when repaired?

I would consider a full on project if the car and history were right.

Irishdriver

If you have someone who can do body work then go ahead, i have a lot of parts so private mail me for more details. A really good 1,7 914 can be worth 10 to 12 k Euro ( 6 to 8k Sterling). However, as all buyers guides recommend the 2,0 you're always going to have grief from people looking at it saying it is nice but then saying they really wanted a 2,0. On the road there is not a lot between the cars.

An independent Porsche mechanic here just bought a 914/6 from America and the condition of the car when it arrived was nothing like the photos or the description. He paid 20k$ for a total rust bucket. Don't buy blind from the US, only buy if you can get an independent check of the car or they have a good reputation like http://www.europeancollectables.com/

The 25k Euro one on Mobile.de is near me and a friend checked the car. it is also way over priced cosidering the amount of work it needs. Your example is often what people ask for because they have spent too much money restoring the car. However there are often people here who ask huge money just because the cars are relatively rare and 911 RS's of the same year are expensive.

Also, remember that a 914 body costs the same as a 914/6 to restore and the value will never be the same.

The best book to read is "How to restore and modify your Porsche 914 & 914/6" by Patrick C. Paternie. The most useful atricles for working on the car are in Pelicanparts.com

The events to plan on are: 09. - 11.03.2007 RetroClassic Stuttgart and/or 29.03. - 01.04.2007 Techno Classica Essen

If you are serious about a 914/6 let me know and I'll tell you what is available here.

future

Thanks again for the excellent info

I've just gone and purchased the book '914 and 914-6 Porsche: A Restorer's Guide to Authenticity — by Dr. B. Johnson' on the web and am just about to buy the book you recommend 'How to restore and modify your Porsche 914 & 914/6" by Patrick C. Paternie'.

I have just done a search on these cars on WIKIPEDIA which has also provided me with some great information and links to other site like http://www.914world.com/ so will go and do some more heavy reading.

I have also heard from several people that have imported cars not just from the US who have been sold a basket case, but the I guess this is the purchases fault and not the vendor in most cases for not getting the vehicle checked out indipendently first.

It is starting to look like I'm going to go for a 2.0 ltr but I will hold out until the auction on the orange one finishes. I have set a limit on that car for £2500.00 which maybe or maybe not on the high side but heart rules the head at the moment.

My dream would be a black or white one but I'm not going to be fussy.

I am more bothered about the mechanical condition of the car rather than the body but will consider a none runner for the right price. I do not need the car to be a driver as I would like to spend time making it into what I want.

If you do know of any cars that fit my search then I would love to hear more but I am worried that the body on a German car will not be in as good condition as a US import even though it would be easier for me to transport back to the UK.

On a separate note... Are all the cars 4 stud? I would like to fit a set of 15 inch Fuch wheels when I get the car. If they are all 4 stud is there a conversion kit available?

As soon as I get a car I will sure be asking for a full list of parts you have available so thanks very much for the offer

future

Below is a car with the exact same wheel setup that I would like to do:



This car is simply stunning in every way - The owner must be very proud

What are the exact wheel sizes pictured above and will the rear arches need any modification to fit as it looks very tight.

If anybody knows of where this owner purchased the front lower chin spoiler / splitter then I would love to know as this will be on the shopping list as well

future

Below is a car with the exact same wheel setup that I would like to do:



This car is simply stunning in every way - The owner must be very proud

What are the exact wheel sizes pictured above and will the rear arches need any modification to fit as it looks very tight.

If anybody knows of where this owner purchased the front lower chin spoiler / splitter then I would love to know as this will be on the shopping list as well

Irishdriver

Aaargh !! that is the most dangerous thing you can do with 914's - remove the heart now before you end up divorced and pennyless !!!! (even if you are single)


The mechanicals are VW and cheap so priority one should be a good body. If you buy a weak body you will have to spend more than the value of the car. The best deal is one someone has prepared earlier and got fed up with the project.


Half of the cars on the market here now are American imports so there is no real difference. Again pictures of the body restoration work are the most important thing.

All 4 cylinder cars started life as 4 bolt cars. all 6 cylinder cars have 5 bolt. Many have been converted to 5 bolt in the meantime. There are two ways of doing it. The right way is to build in 911 suspension parts but the rear stub axels are getting harder to find. The cheap way is to cross drill the hubs by adding 4 new holes - I dont't recommend this.

The car in the picture has carrera wheels which are a little wider at the back. To use these you need to stretch out the rear wings a little. The correct technique is to roll them gently with a baseball bat when the paint is warm (Porsche Club America advice in the 70's).

I don't have a list - I just have a few 914/6's and after the current restoration I will clear out all the bits I have left ( and maybe a car).

future

OK... it definately looks like it's got to be 914-6 then.

Still keep warming toward the damaged orange 1.7 though

I like the advice on the baseball bat approach but I have a friend with the correct bodyshop equipment. Paint damage will not matter as I intend to repaint any car I purchase anyway.

I am amazed that all parts new or secondhand for these cars seam to be almost half the price in the US compared to the UK and Europe.

The bodywork is not my priority as I know lots of people in the trade but all the same it would be nice.

Just found a webiste CLICK HERE which details an owner converting his to GT spec steel arches... Pictures are fantastic and well worth a look. Got me thinking but I like the clean look of the standard car.

So I guess what I need is a good solid no rust 2.0 ltr car which required a repaint and maybe a retrim. I find a set of wheel' on ebay / rennlist etc sort and lower the suspension a little and go from there.

This is only intended to be a weekend toy more for working on than driving as I have the 993 (soon to change for 964 RS) and 951 for that.

And yes the wife does not understand my requirment for spending most evenings in the garage with beers in the fridge (hand) and a spanner in the other ... You probably won't believe me but it's her birthday today - but she will be taken out in a couple of hours for a meal etc to make up for all things Porsche in my life I've already been given the order to get of the computer

So do you have what I'm looking for or know of it somewhere?

What is the max negative camber that can be setup on these cars front and rear?

Many thanks,
Mark