WTB 914 - Complete or project for Export
03-22-2007, 01:45 PM
#1
Advanced
Thread Starter
WTB 914 - Complete or project for Export
Hi 914 people,
Please help an ex '14er find a suitable car...
I am located in Sri Lanka, I used to own a '74 way back around '96 while at college in St. Louis. It was autocross prep'd by the PO. By far the most exciting car I have ever owned. Regrettably I was not able to bring the car back home to Sri Lanka with me upon graduation.
But now I'm prime for another go with a 914.
First a little background. classic Porsche's are an extremely rare commodity here in Sri Lanka. There's ONE 356 ('54 pre-A) and ONE '69 911S. Needless to say there are NO 914s.
Now here's the obstacle: By law we cannot import cars over 3 years of age. However I can obtain permission to import a "body" of an old car, on the basis of replacement of an unsalvageable body. To qualify for "body" status, the car HAS to come in to the country WITHOUT the Engine and Wheels. It can be intact as far as everything else goes.
My challenge is to find a seller who is willing to undertake removal of engine and wheels, prior to shipping the car. BTW i would obviously require the engine and wheels also. They are allowed come into the country only as "Spare Parts". To this end, wheels cannot carry tires and engine head(s) have to come removed from block. Go figure the logic behind all this...
At first my obvious choice was to Approach Automobile Atlanta, of whom i have had many great transactions pre '96. I felt they would be the ideal since they typically carry 914 in various stages of repair. However since reading through this 914 forum, i gather they have acquired an unfavorable reputation? Appreciate if anyone would care to clarify...
So i turn to you, fellow rennlisters for assistance in tracking down not only an ideal car but also a seller willing to go the extra mile. I feel that some of you may already fit the bill insofar as unfinished projects etc. I'd be very grateful to hear from you...
Here's my wish list, PURELY wish list, willing to consider any and all 914s.
preferably '74 or older ( dreaming of '73 2.0)
minimal rust (duh!)
Chrome Bumpers with Fog Lights
Carb converted
Side shift
Re-located fuel pump
Black interior
center console with Gauges
Air Conditioning
Wheel preference: 5 Lug Fuchs, 4 Lug Fuchs, Pedrini
Chrome Mirrors
"Sail" exposed (no vinyl)
WITHOUT the add-on "porsche" reflector panel between Tailamps :-)
There is a lot of inconvenience associated , but I believe a 914 is worth the effort.
Your thoughts please...
BTW , I realize some of you are likely to be skeptical, BUT this is not a scam. please do not confuse me with certain gentlemen from Nigeria, who wish to share their vast wealth with you, as long as you provide your bank details etc. :-)
Please help an ex '14er find a suitable car...
I am located in Sri Lanka, I used to own a '74 way back around '96 while at college in St. Louis. It was autocross prep'd by the PO. By far the most exciting car I have ever owned. Regrettably I was not able to bring the car back home to Sri Lanka with me upon graduation.
But now I'm prime for another go with a 914.
First a little background. classic Porsche's are an extremely rare commodity here in Sri Lanka. There's ONE 356 ('54 pre-A) and ONE '69 911S. Needless to say there are NO 914s.
Now here's the obstacle: By law we cannot import cars over 3 years of age. However I can obtain permission to import a "body" of an old car, on the basis of replacement of an unsalvageable body. To qualify for "body" status, the car HAS to come in to the country WITHOUT the Engine and Wheels. It can be intact as far as everything else goes.
My challenge is to find a seller who is willing to undertake removal of engine and wheels, prior to shipping the car. BTW i would obviously require the engine and wheels also. They are allowed come into the country only as "Spare Parts". To this end, wheels cannot carry tires and engine head(s) have to come removed from block. Go figure the logic behind all this...
At first my obvious choice was to Approach Automobile Atlanta, of whom i have had many great transactions pre '96. I felt they would be the ideal since they typically carry 914 in various stages of repair. However since reading through this 914 forum, i gather they have acquired an unfavorable reputation? Appreciate if anyone would care to clarify...
So i turn to you, fellow rennlisters for assistance in tracking down not only an ideal car but also a seller willing to go the extra mile. I feel that some of you may already fit the bill insofar as unfinished projects etc. I'd be very grateful to hear from you...
Here's my wish list, PURELY wish list, willing to consider any and all 914s.
preferably '74 or older ( dreaming of '73 2.0)
minimal rust (duh!)
Chrome Bumpers with Fog Lights
Carb converted
Side shift
Re-located fuel pump
Black interior
center console with Gauges
Air Conditioning
Wheel preference: 5 Lug Fuchs, 4 Lug Fuchs, Pedrini
Chrome Mirrors
"Sail" exposed (no vinyl)
WITHOUT the add-on "porsche" reflector panel between Tailamps :-)
There is a lot of inconvenience associated , but I believe a 914 is worth the effort.
Your thoughts please...
BTW , I realize some of you are likely to be skeptical, BUT this is not a scam. please do not confuse me with certain gentlemen from Nigeria, who wish to share their vast wealth with you, as long as you provide your bank details etc. :-)
03-22-2007, 03:24 PM
#2
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist
Site Sponsor
Rennlist Member
Rennlist
Site Sponsor
"Sail" exposed (no vinyl)
My last two 914's were this way and I think it looks so much cleaner then 914's with the vinyl! Good luck with your search, you seem like a guy who knows what he is looking for.
My last two 914's were this way and I think it looks so much cleaner then 914's with the vinyl! Good luck with your search, you seem like a guy who knows what he is looking for.
03-23-2007, 04:05 PM
#5
Advanced
Thread Starter
Yes, i am interested.
Please give all details.
Also let me know if you have all the stock parts left over.
ie. Wheels, Bumper,Air Dam etc
it looks fantastic as it is, But i would prefer to go back to stock...
EDIT: I just came across your ad - http://www.camp914.com/cars/bee.html.
Sorry but i cannot reach anywhere close to your asking price. I'm looking more towards $5-6000 range. Good luck with your sale...
Please give all details.
Also let me know if you have all the stock parts left over.
ie. Wheels, Bumper,Air Dam etc
it looks fantastic as it is, But i would prefer to go back to stock...
EDIT: I just came across your ad - http://www.camp914.com/cars/bee.html.
Sorry but i cannot reach anywhere close to your asking price. I'm looking more towards $5-6000 range. Good luck with your sale...
Last edited by rohjay; 03-23-2007 at 05:17 PM.
03-24-2007, 04:16 PM
#6
Racer
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 325
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Rohjay and Jay,
This is a true '74 Bumblebee LE that has been a dedicated toy since roughly 1980. It belonged to the same owner the best I can tell from early on until about 2004. The owner prior to myself did a bit of an investigation to get some history and he tells me the following. The car was used as a dedicated autocross car and went through a series of high displacement 4 cylinder motors that all went boom. Finally, the owner decided that a six was the only way he was going to get the power he needed with longevity. It was at this point the story gets... well soggy. The owner did not work on his own cars. He wrote checks. He took the car to his favorite P-shop and had them do the conversion. The work seems quite professional and clean. But, he bought a 2.7 liter rebuild from a well known Porsche motor rebuilder with a reputation for less than complete reliability. When the motor arrived, the shop bench fired it before putting it in. It made loud and expensive noises. The engine was shipped back and a second one came from the same rebuilder. The engine was installed without bench fireing as the rebuilder reassured the owner and the shop that they "never have this problem". Now the soggy part. The shop is downstream from a dam and next to a river. The dam broke, and everything downstream was flooded. The car was sitting at the shop, engine installed but not plumbed. The car was not completely flooded but wet for about twenty minutes. There are no apparent ill effects from the water. The owner had a stated value insurance policy and he took a check from the insurance company for $25K and did not buy the car back. The insurance company sold the car at auction and it was purchased by a towing company in Southern California. They put it on Ebay. The guy I bought it from purchased it by placing a phone call and ending the auction early.
The car has some rather tasty and rare parts because it was a toy from such an early date. For instance, the seats are Koenig and pretty vintage looking. It has a bolt in cage. The dash has been "blanked" so there is no radio. The tach is an aftermarket Autometer. Carpet is new by the previous owner. The rear shocks are Bilstein with a heavier spring and adjustable perches. Rate unknown to me. No rear antiroll bar. I do not know what inserts are inside the front struts but given the rears I would suspect a Bilstien insert as well. The front antiroll bar is a vintage no longer available Weltmiester. I do not know if the torsion bars have been replaced. I do not know what bushings are in place. The car handles very flat. The fenders have been rolled somewhat in the rear and the wheels are early and very light weight Revolutions. Current tires are V710 but they are close to end of service. I would say one track day or 2-3 autocross events.
The battery has been relocated to the front in the passenger side area and it has a 12 gallon fuel cell mounted low in the original spare tire well. The positioning of the battery and the fuel cell are very nicely executed and suggest an attempt to balance the weight.
Now as to the engine. This is the real treasure in this car considering my asking price. It would cost almost the asking price to build this motor. The motor was rebuilt less than 2K miles ago by Jeff Hines in Washington State. It is a stockish 2.7 with oil fed chain tensioners. Weber carbs, headers, etc... None of the parts from the new motor that was in the flood were used as that motor was grenaded too before being fired. Large piston skirt pieces were in the oil well...
I think the front dam is called a "Group 5", I don't like it personally but it was in place when I bought it.
Problems include a broken mount for the rear deck lid which is common and easily repairable in a couple ways. Headlight adjustment is off and the motors have to be manually cranked to get the lights into position. This is an adjustment issue I believe.
Paint scheme is stunning in person and although it appears to be a modified original paint car, a comment I heard was that you could shave in that paint reflection!
My problem with this car is that I thought it was more track prepared than it actually is. It is more in the range of street-autocross preparation than autocross-track. Brakes are stock and such... I bought the car a month or two before you sold your Adriatic Blue car to Martin Baker. It would have been perfect for what I wanted to do... Martin is enjoying a great deal now though...
Price is $14K but I will entertain offers without being offended. Rohjay you should be looking for a 914 2.0 liter as nice but not perfect examples can be had in that range. I have 40+ pictures which include the autopsy of the new motor that was in the car at the time of the flood.
This is a true '74 Bumblebee LE that has been a dedicated toy since roughly 1980. It belonged to the same owner the best I can tell from early on until about 2004. The owner prior to myself did a bit of an investigation to get some history and he tells me the following. The car was used as a dedicated autocross car and went through a series of high displacement 4 cylinder motors that all went boom. Finally, the owner decided that a six was the only way he was going to get the power he needed with longevity. It was at this point the story gets... well soggy. The owner did not work on his own cars. He wrote checks. He took the car to his favorite P-shop and had them do the conversion. The work seems quite professional and clean. But, he bought a 2.7 liter rebuild from a well known Porsche motor rebuilder with a reputation for less than complete reliability. When the motor arrived, the shop bench fired it before putting it in. It made loud and expensive noises. The engine was shipped back and a second one came from the same rebuilder. The engine was installed without bench fireing as the rebuilder reassured the owner and the shop that they "never have this problem". Now the soggy part. The shop is downstream from a dam and next to a river. The dam broke, and everything downstream was flooded. The car was sitting at the shop, engine installed but not plumbed. The car was not completely flooded but wet for about twenty minutes. There are no apparent ill effects from the water. The owner had a stated value insurance policy and he took a check from the insurance company for $25K and did not buy the car back. The insurance company sold the car at auction and it was purchased by a towing company in Southern California. They put it on Ebay. The guy I bought it from purchased it by placing a phone call and ending the auction early.
The car has some rather tasty and rare parts because it was a toy from such an early date. For instance, the seats are Koenig and pretty vintage looking. It has a bolt in cage. The dash has been "blanked" so there is no radio. The tach is an aftermarket Autometer. Carpet is new by the previous owner. The rear shocks are Bilstein with a heavier spring and adjustable perches. Rate unknown to me. No rear antiroll bar. I do not know what inserts are inside the front struts but given the rears I would suspect a Bilstien insert as well. The front antiroll bar is a vintage no longer available Weltmiester. I do not know if the torsion bars have been replaced. I do not know what bushings are in place. The car handles very flat. The fenders have been rolled somewhat in the rear and the wheels are early and very light weight Revolutions. Current tires are V710 but they are close to end of service. I would say one track day or 2-3 autocross events.
The battery has been relocated to the front in the passenger side area and it has a 12 gallon fuel cell mounted low in the original spare tire well. The positioning of the battery and the fuel cell are very nicely executed and suggest an attempt to balance the weight.
Now as to the engine. This is the real treasure in this car considering my asking price. It would cost almost the asking price to build this motor. The motor was rebuilt less than 2K miles ago by Jeff Hines in Washington State. It is a stockish 2.7 with oil fed chain tensioners. Weber carbs, headers, etc... None of the parts from the new motor that was in the flood were used as that motor was grenaded too before being fired. Large piston skirt pieces were in the oil well...
I think the front dam is called a "Group 5", I don't like it personally but it was in place when I bought it.
Problems include a broken mount for the rear deck lid which is common and easily repairable in a couple ways. Headlight adjustment is off and the motors have to be manually cranked to get the lights into position. This is an adjustment issue I believe.
Paint scheme is stunning in person and although it appears to be a modified original paint car, a comment I heard was that you could shave in that paint reflection!
My problem with this car is that I thought it was more track prepared than it actually is. It is more in the range of street-autocross preparation than autocross-track. Brakes are stock and such... I bought the car a month or two before you sold your Adriatic Blue car to Martin Baker. It would have been perfect for what I wanted to do... Martin is enjoying a great deal now though...
Price is $14K but I will entertain offers without being offended. Rohjay you should be looking for a 914 2.0 liter as nice but not perfect examples can be had in that range. I have 40+ pictures which include the autopsy of the new motor that was in the car at the time of the flood.