Stephen Porter

See my thread on '73 2.0 value....

If anyone has any suggestions, I'll compile them and make them available here.

Also I found this e-Book, but haven't downloaded it yet. Thought I would check here to see if anyone has any experience before getting it.

http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/cgi-bin...ide-eBook.html

Van

Well, I guess because I'm the first to reply, I'll have to say the obvious: look for rust - and understand that the car will be twice as rusty as you think.

The most complete service history and maintenance records are also a big bonus (in my book).

Speaking of books, I don't know about that one... I bought my car all wrong - it was an impulse buy when I was a teenager.

Stephen Porter

I know this is probably the biggest point. What I'd like to put together is something like:

"How and where to check for rust:

1. Remove rocker panel covers (six screws) and examine the jacking points and all exposed metal.... (BTW are those the "longitudinals??")

2. Etc.

3. Etc. "


I bought my first as a young man, after about two dozen VW's. Borrowed $3K from using friends as co-signers and noticed a lot of vibration in the brake pedal on the way home... Barely made it into my garage where examination revealed completely shot front wheel bearings and a wheel spindle that had turned black and blue... Up on jack stands for the next six months for a seemingly endless series of repairs..

Classic!

Stephen Porter

Here's a very nice, detailed list of things to check at Pelican Parts:

http://www.pelicanparts.com/914/How_to_buy_a_914.htm

This really might be all that is needed. I may still put this into a checklist format that I could send to any mechanic and get back with specific answers.

Van

I paid $400 for mine... it drove home and then spent 4 years on jack stands!

By the way, those are longitudinals. My guess is to look for rust in 1 place... the longitudinals just aft of the fire wall where they start to curve up to the suspension mounts. (on the passenger side, this is directly under the battery tray.)

-If there is NO rust, there probably isn't rust anywhere else on the longitudinals, but there is probably rust under the seats on the floor.

-if there is a little rust, there is definitely rust on the floor, the rockers and the rest of the longitudinals. Rockers may be fiberglass (the replace the metal ones that disintegrated).

-if there is a lot of rust (i.e. holes and metal missing), there will be a lot of rust on the floor and the rockers are gone.

It's all reparable... it depends on how much of a project you want!

Seriously though, I'd recommend a restored/repaired car that has these rust area taken care of. Any original car (and I really believe ANY original car) will have some surface rust in places. It may not be cancerous, but it does require a lot of work to clean and seal it.

Other things to look for:
-free movement of pedals
-missing interior trim bits that will be hard to replace
-originality in the engine compartment (original engine/fuel system)
-door fit (can indicate poor body repairs or a sagging chassis)
-broken lenses and missing exterior trim (all these little things add up)

One good thing about the Porsche community: most of the sound, well maintained car are known - people that "know" or "know of" the vehicle in question can be a great asset.

racer

The Pelican list is a great reference. I think the key to any list is knowing the type of car you want.. Project? Restoration? Garage Queen? Daily Driver? Track Car etc. Once you figure out the catagory you want, then the list can validate what would take for the car to fit the catagory.

While the 914 community is quite resourceful, you will come upon items that are simply NLA. Those rebuilt/scavanged/repaired items can be relatively expensive to find/replace. Then again, lots of the components are quite common and downright cheap.

Stephen Porter

Here's a semi-final draft of a form for a PPI on a 914 2.0.

Let me know if you spot any errors, omissions or have suggestions for additions. One I can think of right away is information on the locations of the various VIN's and engine numbers for the 1.7 and 1.8 engines, but this was written specifically for a 2.0. I can add the other information to the final draft if it would be helpful.

Irishdriver

1. Remove rocker panel covers (six screws) and examine the jacking points and all exposed metal.... (BTW are those the "longitudinals??")

Not sure if this is correct, as far as I know if the rocker panel is held on by screws, someone has been there before you. The original was fixed with rivets.

It is a common change when you remove that panel the first time to reattach it with screws to allow it to be removed again (for cleaning, etc.) in the future.

But now we're getting really pickey. if you can remove the rocker covers to have a look it is much better. However not many car owners will allow you to dismantle their car.

racer

The bottom of the rocker should have screws/bolts. Sometimes you can remove just the bottom and pry gently to see how the rockers look. Easier if the car is up on a lift. x2 on the rivets. I was a bit **** and usually replaced the rivets (non-oem) just to keep it appearing more correct.

sendjonathanmail

Just a quick tip, when putting the rocker covers back on, use rubber stacked washers as spacers in between the rocker and the long so dirt can easily be hosed out.