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Posted by: bcsellie Aug 17 2014, 10:13 AM

First time poster, with a big question. I've been looking for a '74 914 that the kids and I can enjoy with a budget of around $10k. We're fond of the bright colors, with orange being the preference. I know these cars are prone to rust, and found a "cheap" example with some issues about 4 hours away.

This car has unknown mileage, needs interior work, has a running 1.8 (compression and leak down stats unknown, and has visible rust in one of the pictures. It's orange, which is original, and can be purchased for $2,000. Would repairs exceed $8,000 and blow my budget?

Pictures attached.....


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Posted by: Sfreeman615 Aug 17 2014, 10:23 AM

I started in a MUCH MUCH worse place than that car! Yes they are prone to rust as evident there at the firewall near the longs. IT's certainly worth a drive to check it out in person and poke around some more. Check the floor pans, rocker panels, hell hole and firewall for extensive rust. That rust at the back of the longs troubles me a bit, but the rest of the car looks to be in very decent shape. I will tell you this, if you get into replacing floor pans and longs, you will blow your budget for sure unless you are handy with a welder.

My build thread: http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=231935

Posted by: Mike Bellis Aug 17 2014, 10:40 AM

I would run from that car. It has some good parts and you might be able to recoup your $2k but there is serious structural issues. It will blow your $8k budget for sure. Spend the $8k on a good car. There are plenty for that price point.

That car is on the verge of this...

Posted by: bcsellie Aug 17 2014, 10:42 AM

I'm not handy with a welder....lol. Would need a body shop to resolve any issues with floors, longs, etc. If it were a '74 2.0 car with appearance group I'd feel good about simply "saving it", but I'm not sure I'd be so committed to saving a 1.8 base model.

Posted by: The Cabinetmaker Aug 17 2014, 10:48 AM

First, let me say welcome. Second, I'll tell you that's not a 74. It's 75/76.
That's a lot of rust on door jamb and sill. I'll bet there is lots more behind it in the engine bay. Spend your money on the best car you can find for your budget. Learn where the rust is and look at many examples. You won't make that car anywhere near perfect for 6k. Restorations can take years. Read some of the restoration threads here and see what people have gone thru in their projects.

Posted by: Sfreeman615 Aug 17 2014, 10:50 AM

I agree 100% with Mike! Spend the majority of your budget on a better starting point! If I had spent $2,000 more on a better starting point it would've saved me over $10,000 at this point and mine is still on the rotisserie!

Posted by: Spoke Aug 17 2014, 10:54 AM

And



A 10k should get you a car that is "turn key". In other words, turn the key and drive it.

A 2k car will get you one that could cost an extra 10k to make it drivable; especially if you don't do the work yourself including welding.

You have to decide what you want to do with the car: just drive it; or Have it be a project that you and your family works on for 1 to 5 years without driving it.

Also keep in mind that your perfect car may not be within driving distance to obtain. I bought a great 911 turbo in Denver, CO and had it shipped back to PA. I took a flight to Denver to check it out, buy it, and work out the shipping.

Posted by: stugray Aug 17 2014, 11:23 AM

That engine mount bar should probably be installed before you try driving it :-).

That bar is either NOS or has been painted!

I bought my car for $3600 with a trailer and compared to that car mine had "zero rust" (which really means manageable rust in 914 terms) and it came with a complete spare 2.0L engine and a set of fuchs.

I also just sold a complete driving car with "rust issues" and had to beg to give it away for $900.

Keep looking and welcome to the madness!

Posted by: bcsellie Aug 17 2014, 11:57 AM

I've officially passed on thsi car after seeing more pics of the car....funny how he saved the best for last. The search continues...


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Posted by: Mike Bellis Aug 17 2014, 12:00 PM

Offer him $500 and part it out. Lot of good parts.

BTW, do not buy a 914 just because you like the color. That's a sure way to get yourself in financial trouble.

Posted by: SirAndy Aug 17 2014, 12:08 PM

Good choice!

Posted by: AvalonFal Aug 17 2014, 12:22 PM

That's a great example of a car that looks pretty nice from 10' in that 1st pic, but is toast when you dig around in it.

Posted by: JRust Aug 17 2014, 12:25 PM

I agree. Tough to find with no rust. With your budget you can find one no problem. I sent you a PM about one I have. No pressure though I am sure you can find one closer to you. You are better off spending the money up front for a solid car. Even buying a roller project that has the rust issues taken care of. Find the car with as little rust as possible & you will be money ahead in the long run

Posted by: Elliot Cannon Aug 17 2014, 01:03 PM

With those big bumpers it would have to be a 75/76 am I wrong? At any rate, see if you can get the VIN and add it to our data base if it hasn't already been listed. The general rule when buying a car like this is, buy the best one you can afford. If you have a budget of 10K, look for a 10k car. Or something close to 10K. The car you are looking at would be a great buy if you had a shop, great welding skills and LOTS of spare time to work on it.
Cheers, Elliot

Posted by: Chris H. Aug 17 2014, 02:40 PM

Yeah the color appears to be Nepal Orange, the '75 color, plus it has the reinforcements in the front trunk for the bumpers. The bumper shocks look a little off kilter...might have had a hard tap at some point. That's not the worst of it though.

Reminds me of a '71 I looked at in college. Looked great, brought it to the dealer for a PPI... once they got it on the lift they WOULD NOT let me drive it back to the mom and pop car lot because it was "unsafe".

Posted by: Dave_Darling Aug 17 2014, 05:12 PM

In that case, you really need to find a car that has zero structural rot. Which this one obviously doesn't. It might be worth looking in the southwest and west coast.

--DD

Posted by: tumamilhem Aug 17 2014, 09:12 PM

Jamie wants it for another parts car. Lots of primo parts on there! lol