ehokana

I'm planning on beginning the teardown on my '73 2.0 starting in April- I need a couple of months to really drive it and find out what needs to be done, but mechanically, the car is pretty much taken care of.

As far as the plans for the restoration, it will be a full tear down
-obviously it will be repainted (no rust to speak of, luckily)
-the interior will be reupholstered (apart from the dash that is perfect) and carpet will be replaced
-All rubber on the car will be replaced and glass reset
-I may do an engine rebuild but after the last valve adjustment and compression test, this doesn't seem necessary (though if the motor is out anyway, it's probably the time do it)

Anyway, I'm sure you guys know the drill with this. Any idea on how long it will take to get all of this done? I know it will come down to how much time I can dedicate to the project but I'd like to put it back on the road by September. Is this just wishful thinking?

Matt Romanowski

There is no rust that you see right now. You will find some.

You can have good, fast or cheap. Pick two. It also depends on what your version or repaint is and restoration is.

skl

how high is the sky... not trying to be a smart ***, but no way to answer that question. If that consumed all your time it may take a few months, otherwise year(s)... body shops never do it as fast as they say they will. And I agree with Matt, you 'll have "surprises" along the way and that means $$$
(don't ask me how I know)

ehokana

I know there will be some surprises when I tear into it- I'm figuring for that. I guess a better question would've been "how long should I expect the tear-down and reassembly take with my father and I doing it?"- everything else is pretty well out of my hands.

This isn't going to be a rushed process and I'm not going to cut corners cost-wise; I want to deal with everything in one shot and do it right. Just looking for some idea of a time frame so I know what to expect.

gr1275

My thoughts... plan on at least 40 man hrs to disassemble the car. That includes bagging, tagging, photos and noting what will be needed for each part. Prior to starting, you may want to put a notebook together or spreadsheet to keep track of what has been done and what needs to be done.
Putting it back together will take MUCH longer. You will be surprised how much effort will go into re-assembly. Some trial and error, some missing or bad parts, last minute decissions to order new parts, time spent searching reference material etc... you get the picture.
Good luck and enjoy the experience.

Gary

NaroEscape

Yes, putting it together will take MUCH, MUCH longer than teardown. You will take stuff apart, bag/tag it, and all will seem really obvious....until you go to put it back together, see the bag, and go 'huh? Hmmmm...no idea what that's for..."

you will have tags that at some point will say 'interior misc' because they are EXTREMELY obvious what they are..until you put it together and have NO idea what they're for.

We still have bags from Huey (that's been on the road for 5 years now) that I have no idea what they're for... and honestly we're still not done 'rebuilding'...not really sure when 'done' is to be honest...

There really is no answer to your original question. It all depends on:
1) how much you already know about 914's,
2) how much time you are willing to spend
3) how 'perfect' or 'accurate' you want everything to be
4) how many hidden 'features' you find upon dissasembly
5) lots of other unknowns....

Lets take each one:
1) for example, me putting a car back together would take SUBSTANTIALLY longer than the guys that work on 914's for a living because I would be spending lots of time figuring things out, guessing, putting on/taking off/putting on again, etc.
2) You get more done in 8 straight hours than 4 2 hour nights. starting/stopping takes time...
3) You really can't answer that now to be honest. You may SAY you 'just want it to be nice' but as you go, you will obsess over stupid little things and search far and wide to find them...thus delaying even further. Or you will decide that you want this upgrade or that. It's your car, there are no rules here...
4) there will be some/many...count on it...
5) etc, etc, etc...

Having said all that, doing a car project with your father will be a great experience and you will really enjoy it. it could take 3-6 months, it could take 1-2 years...all depends on the final answers to the questions. But if you have the time, take your time, do it right, enjoy every step and have fun!!

ehokana

Thanks guys! It's nice having the expertise on here and the experience.

I don't mean to seem short or as if I'm discounting anyone's responses- I really do appreciate all of the help you guys have given me already. Having never taken on a project on this level, I just wondered what I should be expecting (I did a lot of the wrenching on my 951 but that never came anywhere near a full restoration).

cobalt

I figured on a year for my 74 2.0l it actually turned out to take three. But this was long before rennlist and ebay. It all depends and as others said there is no way to tell.

My recommendation figure out what you think it will take and multiply it by three.

Jay Gratton

I will bite on this, all good points and questions above. So much depends on the car and you, but I wouldn't plan on seeing this car on the road for two years if you have a typical job.

Ask Matt how long his car has been sitting with an engine that needs to be put back together? Or me, I haven't driven my 914 1.7 in two years because of an injector problem.

ehokana

Looks like everyone is pointing to the 2 year mark- even if I do the "take what you expect and multiply by 3" it's just shy of 2 years. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but that's the cost of doing it right.

Thanks guys!

talcoldone

I will chime in on the subject. My first race car was a 914-6 and boy that was a long time ago. From a restorers point of view one can spend a small fortune on just the equipment it takes to do the jobs correctly. If one plans according to the entire work needed before starting it can be done economically. You have to phase the work dependent on your available time to do the complete job. Purchase the the parts nesassary to do your phase of the job only when needed. Also never confuse a body shop with a true restoration shop or you will be really disappointed. The last thing to consider is to what level you want the finished product. With time this will change considerably due to the burnout factor and time allotted to complete. We end up with a lot of do over factor with home restorations because of the lack of knowledge of how to do it right the first time. I do and will always admire the job done by an owner on his own. Good luck with your venture and we can help! We are only a phone call away. Tom Coleman www.winningcollection.com

Curly

I restored a 914 1.7 which forever cured me of contemplating anything like that again. I give you much credit for having the energy. It's something I think any car guy should do at least once. My rebuild, including all the body rust (battery compartment is lots of fun) , suspension, engine and transmission took two years. Drove it for a bit and sold it because I just ran out of energy and there were still things I felt i had to do to make it perfect. Moved on to the 911 phase, but will never forget the feel of a good 914. Oh, don't let it sit where rats can get into it. Also, the fuel tank is a lot of fun, forgot about that one.