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Just idly poking around on CL - for 'Porsche', not 914 - and I came across this. It's only a hour-and-change from my house. I drive through that area all the time. It would be a shame not to stop by just to look at it and become familiar with shopping for 914s. You know, for when I'm actually looking for one.
I've found some articles on the internet about looking at 914s for sale, so I'll familiarize myself with those. But, just glancing at the ad, what level of car would you expect for find for that price?
Again: My primary experience is with 928s and 944s, so I know what $5k will get you there. I'm just trying to get a feel for the 914 market. You know, for research.
Well, you probably already know the death nail on these cars is rust. The fact it is sitting on dirt and weeds is not a good sign.
If you can get them to lift it up and put it on some thing to allow you to actually get under it and look at the passenger side of the engine compartment, from the firewall back to the rear suspension mounting point, and use a good flashlight and a pick to check for rust through from the factory battery location, that is the most problematic area of these cars.
From there I would check the area on the rockers where the jack posts are. Again you are looking for serious rust. These cars will literally fold in half when these areas become compromised. Another test for that kind of damage is to have the car on solid ground and remove the targa top and then kind of bounce up and down on the door thresholds. If the car starts to sag and the door gaps are off, you have pretty significant rust issues that will require welding and probably replacement panels.
Also, 70-72 are less desirable than the 73-74. But unless you are shooting for a collector car, who cares. They all accept bigger displacement motors with no problem. You could easily take the existing motor, likely a 1.7 4 cylinder, and take it out to a 2056 and get terrific performance and drivability out of it. The '72, if I am recalling correctly was the last year of the tail shift transaxle, but take a look to make sure. If the shift rod attaches at the rear of the transaxle, it is a tail shifter. If it attaches on the driver's side of the transaxle is a side shifter, and a more desirable transaxle and the shifting is more precise and enjoyable to drive. Sorry, I know '73 and later came with a side shifter transaxle, just not sure about the '72.
These cars are pretty basic cars and pretty easy to work on for the DIY guy once you get beyond the body/rust issues.
Good luck and have fun. They handle like go carts.
Huh... I just noticed that in this pic there's a KPH to MPH conversion sticker on the tach. That kind of implies it was used in a metric country for a while.
This appears to be the bargain of the year.
IF the car is solid in the longitudinals, especially the right side and in the area known as the 'hell hole'.
Even if it isn't repairs are able to be performed and may well exceed 8-10,000 on metal work and fabrication of needed structural elements.
From the pics provided, there appears there has been a moisture issue inside which is seen on the dash metalwork. Is this from sitting outside with water running in around the targa top or is it from gaping holes in the floor from metal rot and sitting on wet ground. Around this area, heavy alkalinity in the soils will eat a car up from the bottom in a few short years. Rescued a '62 - 356 Cab which folded like a sugar cookie dunked in coffee 2 years ago, because it sat for years in an open field with alky salts eating it from the bottom up. It then underwent a $200,000 plus restoration, BUT it was worth it and the car was saved.
Please save this car. It has at least 4 maybe 5 FUCHS wheels which are desirable, a VERY desirable color if original to this year, and if it needs floor pans , so what ? Most do at a 5,000 dollar level. It is the unknown of that area under the battery and into the rear seat back/firewall area and the longs that scare me, but right as it sits and the way it represents itself, this car is definitely right on the money and begging to be preserved.
Check out what great 914s bring today ?
I know of 4 local 1973-74 models with each around 60,000 miles that sold for over 25,000 about a year ago. They were all 2.0 litres and unrusted, well preserved originals granted, but these numbers speak well on preserving the 914. The market is strong and getting stronger with every one that's lost and recycled.
The world is your oyster .......
In looking thru the pix, I also note it appears to be an 'air-con' car, which is somewhat rare, but when the dealer's did the retro-fit, sometimes folks not in the know kluged the install, hacking up the spare wheel area and pretty much ruining the car. Check this area very closely for a proper install and not a butchered up mess of metal.
It also has a center console with gauges, which is very desirable and not all that common on base 914s.
It says it has no keys, but the red 'valet' key is in the ignition, meaning you need a key for the glovebox and the trunk in back. Easy cut. If you have the books, there may even be a record of the key # in the owners manual, and a main key could be cut at a Porsche dealer.
Something tells me this is a '73 or '74 because of the color and the FUCHS wheels. Early '74 at the latest, because of the chrome washer jets on the hood and silver bullets on gauge centers / needles. My serial # 00089 is an Aug.'73 built '74 model with those features and they went away shortly after. Check that door jamb tag for a certification date or the vin tag for a # applying to those years. 914 World online is a great source of info on these models and with documentation.
If it's a '73 or '74, all the better of a bargain.
If I was in the area close to it, it would already be on my trailer heading home ..........along with that Guards Red 944.
the note you made about the KM/MPH is also a seldom seen ORIGINAL decal that came on cars which were European delivery or picked up at Stuttgart from Porsche.
Another item which many collectors lust after. It should as well be saved, along with the rest of it. Is this a salvage yard ?
Why did a car like this get trotted out to rot in a pasture ?
Very sad ....
Can't believe that rust on the gauge face!! Doesn't bode well for the rest of the car, especially sitting outside as noted above.
5K seems rather high considering that...
Good luck- will be hard to check underneath sitting in a field like that!
It also appears by the switch on the left, the car came with a heated rear window which is also a very rare option. Since it may have spent time in Europe , look about the rear left to see if it has or once had the rear foglite, which is seldom if ever seen here in America. It will be red and in a small pod, not made into the rear bumper like a 928's, but added on by hardware.
It appears it has the front foglites and chrome bumper, which if a '73/'74 would be the 'appearance group option' which included those with the center gauge/console and FUCHs wheels for marginal cost.
That metallic silver blue is a great color and not often seen on teeners. BUT, I notice some rust bubbles in the one shot of the open door on the left where the door handle pocket goes. Make the guy an offer of 3 and bring cash.... he may just do it. Maybe throw the '44 in for 500 more (-;
I see a knot of rust in the driver's foot well just in front of the seat, but it looks more like something pushed up and dented the floorboard than rust erupting. I'm also looking at the mess in the passenger foot well; it has a suspiciously rusty color to it.
I sent an email asking if there were more pictures and if I could get a jack out into the yard.
I'm really digging all the input. The rarity of the car is going to be a big talking point if it comes time to find space for it.
Yes, mold everywhere especially on door cards, seating areas, carpet, leather wheel cover, etc.
Dent on floor could be from the forklift used to haul it out there along with door dents (shallow on the sides ).
Criticality isn't so much on the dash plate as that could get there from a leaking roof seal and constant drips onto the steel. These plates can be found powder coated or painted on eBay. I bought one for 15 bucks a few years ago and it looks perfect, so they are available. Criticality lies in the floors from an accumulation of those same drips and leaks, both trunks, the hell hole, and right long.
Good metal in 90% of these and it's a great car; not perfect but used teeners used as daily drivers aren't. Unless they live in a desert and have never been washed or had dew fall on them.
Remember, these are Karmann built cars like VW Ghias and BMW 2002s. They all rust, just by breathing against them .......
Yes, mold everywhere especially on door cards, seating areas, carpet, leather wheel cover, etc.
That's what I was thinking as well. I've seen 928 cabs that looked like petri dishes. So, I'm going to take that as a good sign. The seller agreed to take more pics and send them to my phone. He also said I could take a jack out and get a look underneath.
It's a '73 or '74 - 2.0 litre. Appearance group. With a pretty rare color and GREAT options. FUCHS. Air. It needs to be saved.
Just go with an envelope full of hundreds and peel 'em off, stopping every thousand or so till it's yours. You cannot go wrong on this, even if the hell hole is a goner and the long is broken. Even if it takes 10 large to be brought back in metalwork. If it's actually a 30,000 and not 130,000 mile unit (doubtful), done right this car could be someone's down the road for 30. Maybe more.
08-05-2016, 09:26 AM
Thoughts on this junkyard 914?
