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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Buying 73 been sitting outside 20 years
Posted by: LukeD Jun 9 2015, 09:21 AM
Jumping back into the 914 scene, got a lead on a 1 owner signal orange 73 - 1.7 that has been sitting outside in Central Valley California uncovered for about 20 years ("ran when parked"). Went and looked at the car yesterday, little surface rust on the battery tray, no visible rust under it, passenger long has no visible rust. Seems complete but obviously weather beaten. He only wants a couple hundred dollars so I'm not going to pass it up. Looking for a checklist of absolute musts to attempt to get the car started
Must;
- Remove fuel tank, clean and check for rust
- replace all fuel lines and filter
- replace injector seals
- soak injectors? in what?
- change oil with what type?
- clean all contact on relay board and fuse panel
What else?
Anyone point me to some threads of those that have done this before? I've searched for "resurrect" "revive" "sitting outside" no good hits.
Thanks!
-Luke
Posted by: malcolm2 Jun 9 2015, 09:28 AM
Brakes: hoses, calipers and the MC.....! And let's see it. Sounds like a good find.
Posted by: SirAndy Jun 9 2015, 09:53 AM
Posted by: brant Jun 9 2015, 09:55 AM
tires too
Posted by: 74ravenna Jun 9 2015, 10:05 AM
Vacuum hoses.
Steve
Posted by: LukeD Jun 9 2015, 10:05 AM
Brakes: hoses, calipers and the MC.....! And let's see it. Sounds like a good find.
Sadly in my excitement over the price I failed to take any but it's coming home on a flat bed later today so I'll post some tonight.
Anything I'm missing to get it started? Should I shoot some mystery oil into spark plug holes?
Posted by: stugray Jun 9 2015, 10:28 AM
After some of the pictures I have seen recently about old cases being drained of oil and getting a really nasty looking fluid come out, I would:
Dont even crank the engine but drain it first, fill with the cheapest oil you can get.
Put in a known good battery that is fully charged.
disconnect the Ign wire from the coil
Hook it to a good batt charger with cranking assist and crank it for as long as it takes to register 'some' oil pressure ( I use a mechanical pressure gauge installed at the pressure port near the dist.)
Repeat the above if you have the patience.
You should only get ~3.5 quarts each time you drain the engine.
Then drain it the final time and replace with Brad Penn or Valvoline VR1 racing oil.
All before trying to start it
Posted by: Claus Graf Jun 9 2015, 11:57 AM
This is what I did to get my 1974 914 1.8 started:
1. Put some fresh oil in the engine.
2. Changed a broken hose.
3. Didn't have spark, so I removed, cleaned and gapped the points inside the distributor.
4. Put some fuel inside the throttle vane. It did start and ran a few seconds. GOOD!
5. Removed and cleaned the gas tank. (it had gummy residue inside and the lines on the bottom were plugged). Put the tank back in and poured a gallon of fuel and a bottle of injector cleaner.
6. Removed the injectors from the engine but left the connected to the fuel supply line to see if they would squirt fuel while cranking. They did not. So i got some carburetor cleaner spray and did my best to clean them.
7. Connected the injectors (4) back on the fuel supply lines and cranked the engine. They were now squirting some fuel. GOOD! Put them back in the engine.
8. For the next month or so I ran the engine a few times (parked) a week adding more fuel and injector cleaner to the tank. Each time it ran better. After a few weeks the engine would run to redline and idle back perfectly.
9. Next I put the rear on jackstands and changed the transmission oil. Removed the wheels and ran the engine and changed gears to see if the gearbox worked. Gearbox GOOD!
Hope this helps
Claus Graf
Posted by: Hank914 Jun 9 2015, 12:28 PM
Brakes: hoses, calipers and the MC.....! And let's see it. Sounds like a good find.
Sadly in my excitement over the price I failed to take any but it's coming home on a flat bed later today so I'll post some tonight.
Anything I'm missing to get it started? Should I shoot some mystery oil into spark plug holes?
If you are going to be there when they load it on the flat bed, get some pics of the car where it sat for 20yrs, weeds and all. You'll want to document how far the car has come back from.
Good luck. sounds like a great find.
Posted by: 74ravenna Jun 9 2015, 12:42 PM
Hey Claus,
How long had it been since your 1.8 last ran?
Steve
Posted by: JRust Jun 9 2015, 12:52 PM
Sounds like a solid project. Rust is always the biggest deal. The others are much easier to work through. So good to hear it is solid. Looking forward to the pics & good luck 
Posted by: LukeD Jun 9 2015, 08:53 PM
come to find out the car has sat in this location for about 8 years and 12 years at the previous location. Tow truck driver had the car nearly loaded before I got there and took pics
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Posted by: LukeD Jun 9 2015, 08:54 PM
driver side
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Posted by: Heeltoe914 Jun 9 2015, 08:55 PM
In my opinion I would pour Marvel Mystery oil down the spark plug hole and or PB Blaster sprayed into each cylinder to brake the rings away from cylinders. Then take an air lines and put a little air to move the oil around wait two days and do it again. After about a week hand roll the engine over or put the car in 2nd see if you can roil it gently. Now drain the oil and ad new oil ( 30 weight ) put the injection together start it and see what you got??? It will smoke allot for about 10 minutes, keep the RPM way down, And don't forget to adjust the valves before starting the motor. Good Luck.
I just did this for a 73 914 2.0 that was sitting for 33 years I drove the car within 5 hours of getting it home with a single carb. It ran so good I did not rebuild it I just pulled it & resealed everything returned it back to F.I. and its been great.
Posted by: LukeD Jun 9 2015, 08:55 PM
safe at home, just needs new tires, fresh gas and its ready to go right? 
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Posted by: Heeltoe914 Jun 9 2015, 08:57 PM
Don't paint it..... if that the original paint. buff it out you will be surprised.
FYI I would have paid about 2k for that car. I would say you got a great deal. 1.7 sell very well IMHO
have fun getting the wheel locks off 
PB blaster everything under the car brakes every bolt you can see
Posted by: TargaToy Jun 9 2015, 09:04 PM
You daggone Californians.
Doesn't anything rust over there?
Posted by: Chris H. Jun 9 2015, 09:10 PM
safe at home, just needs new tires, fresh gas and its ready to go right?
Right. In fact that tire can probably be fixed!
. Looks fun, congrats on the new project. Another one saved from the elements. Change those fuel lines!
Posted by: type47fan Jun 9 2015, 09:48 PM
Looks promising. Don't forget to add the VIN to the database.
Posted by: 72wrxporsche914 Jun 9 2015, 10:37 PM
Nice car are you in the Fresno area I saw your from the Central Valley . If you Ned anything let me know . I have a stash of parts .
Posted by: McMark Jun 9 2015, 10:45 PM
Damn, I would love to spend a day massaging that paint. So much potential there.
Posted by: LukeD Jun 10 2015, 12:44 AM
Damn, I would love to spend a day massaging that paint. So much potential there.
Paint code is L32K Pheonix Red
Car looks very orange to me
Posted by: ndfrigi Jun 10 2015, 01:09 AM
same car with Corey in Seal Beach except the mahle wheels and interior color.
A really nice find you got there!
Posted by: Cuda911 Jun 10 2015, 01:20 AM
Great find! Keep the thread going as you bring it back to life. Interior pix?
Posted by: billh1963 Jun 10 2015, 04:36 AM
Damn, I would love to spend a day massaging that paint. So much potential there.
Paint code is L32K Pheonix Red
Car looks very orange to me
That looks correct....the oxidation makes it look lighter. I bet it will buff out nice.
Posted by: Chris H. Jun 10 2015, 07:23 AM
Phoenix Red is an awesome dark orange color. 
Posted by: RobW Jun 10 2015, 08:05 AM
Nice find!
Posted by: Sleepin Jun 10 2015, 08:23 AM
In my opinion I would pour Marvel Mystery oil down the spark plug hole and or PB Blaster sprayed into each cylinder to brake the rings away from cylinders. Then take an air lines and put a little air to move the oil around wait two days and do it again. After about a week hand roll the engine over or put the car in 2nd see if you can roil it gently. Now drain the oil and ad new oil ( 30 weight ) put the injection together start it and see what you got??? It will smoke allot for about 10 minutes, keep the RPM way down, And don't forget to adjust the valves before starting the motor. Good Luck.
I just did this for a 73 914 2.0 that was sitting for 33 years I drove the car within 5 hours of getting it home with a single carb. It ran so good I did not rebuild it I just pulled it & resealed everything returned it back to F.I. and its been great.
The 2.0 in my Dad's car was in a wrecked car sitting outside from 1996-2008. We followed pretty much the same instructions as this and it is still running strong today!
Posted by: LukeD Jun 10 2015, 11:57 AM
Great find! Keep the thread going as you bring it back to life. Interior pix?
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Posted by: LukeD Jun 10 2015, 12:00 PM
front trunk and engine
rear trunk is locked so I dropped off the front trunk tumbler at a locksmith, the key is ready to pickup so when I get home I hope to find some golden eagles from the same time period to pay for all the work this is gonna need
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Posted by: Cairo94507 Jun 10 2015, 12:29 PM
Very nice find.
Posted by: SKL1 Jun 10 2015, 02:33 PM
don't think fix a flat will take care of that rear tire???? 
That should be a fun project- at least in pix, no bad bubbles around the sail panels...
Posted by: francar Jun 10 2015, 04:05 PM
nice 
hell hole area 
Posted by: echocanyons Jun 10 2015, 05:02 PM
Nice Score Luke!
I'm very glad to see that you have a 914 again, I look forward to a mountain twisty tour again.
Posted by: era vulgaris Jun 10 2015, 05:11 PM
You daggone Californians.
Doesn't anything rust over there?
Seriously. I don't even want to think about what a 914 that sat outside for 20 years here on the east coast would look like. Great score man!
Posted by: McMark Jun 10 2015, 08:01 PM
Pretty much everything about that car looks like a clean it up and drive it project. So cool
Posted by: Phoenix914 Jun 10 2015, 10:55 PM
Dude. Please post one more time. 999 is killin' me.
In my opinion I would pour Marvel Mystery oil down the spark plug hole and or PB Blaster sprayed into each cylinder to brake the rings away from cylinders. Then take an air lines and put a little air to move the oil around wait two days and do it again. After about a week hand roll the engine over or put the car in 2nd see if you can roil it gently. Now drain the oil and ad new oil ( 30 weight ) put the injection together start it and see what you got??? It will smoke allot for about 10 minutes, keep the RPM way down, And don't forget to adjust the valves before starting the motor. Good Luck.
I just did this for a 73 914 2.0 that was sitting for 33 years I drove the car within 5 hours of getting it home with a single carb. It ran so good I did not rebuild it I just pulled it & resealed everything returned it back to F.I. and its been great.
Posted by: Phoenix914 Jun 10 2015, 10:58 PM
What a great find. Replace everything that might cause your car to burn up and take it for a spin. I know you know these cars are fun. Enjoy it!
Posted by: Shadowfax Jun 11 2015, 10:37 AM
Sweet. You got a great deal.
Posted by: Larmo63 Jun 11 2015, 10:46 AM
There is a lot to work with there. My car was way worse, (still is) and I drive it every day. Good luck with it, we are here to help and keep in mind that these are SIMPLE cars. Frustrating yes, but simple. Everything I set my mind to do or fix has worked out well, it just takes time and being clever.
Posted by: LukeD Jun 12 2015, 11:10 AM
nice
hell hole area
Should have the engine compartment cleaned out today to inspect the area more thoroughly.
But I did get the rocker panels off, had to drill out the rivets and muscle the lower screws that were a bit rusty. Both sides were full of dirt but cleaned up nicely. Hoping the hell hole is in similar condition
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Posted by: LukeD Jun 12 2015, 11:25 AM
Passenger front and rear brakes, driver side looks the same
I'll be ordering rebuild kits and rubber lines from PMBPerformance and then flush the system.
Should I attempt to save the rotors and have them lightly turned or just replace?
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Posted by: KELTY360 Jun 12 2015, 11:37 AM
Passenger front and rear brakes, driver side looks the same
I'll be ordering rebuild kits and rubber lines from PMBPerformance and then flush the system.
Should I attempt to save the rotors and have them lightly turned or just replace?
Depends on how they mike out, but for everything else you're doing it makes sense to replace. They are not very expensive.
Looks like you've found a good one. I'm betting there is a lot of shine hiding under that oxidation.
Posted by: billh1963 Jun 12 2015, 12:01 PM
Those longs look great... 
Posted by: whitetwinturbo Jun 12 2015, 12:05 PM
Is that the definition of "run flats"? 
Bet that paint will be WAY soft cooking in CA sun so go easy with the buffer.
Posted by: boxsterfan Jun 12 2015, 09:54 PM
That's a great looking set up longs.
Posted by: Chris H. Jun 13 2015, 10:38 AM
That right there makes it worth buying.
Posted by: 72914wrx Jun 14 2015, 11:42 PM
Had the chance to meet Luke today really nice guy I dropped off parts for him and took him for a ride in the 914wrx put a smile on his face . Luke can't wait for you to get the that car running . I was really surprised by the condition of the car and the lack of rust really clean Central Valley car .
Posted by: JawjaPorsche Jun 15 2015, 03:45 AM
Your longs look great! 
Posted by: LukeD Jun 15 2015, 11:02 AM
Had the chance to meet Luke today really nice guy I dropped off parts for him and took him for a ride in the 914wrx put a smile on his face . Luke can't wait for you to get the that car running . I was really surprised by the condition of the car and the lack of rust really clean Central Valley car .
Thanks again Kevin, it was awesome! I could hardly sleep last night thinking about all the little details to get this one back on the road.
Posted by: LukeD Jun 15 2015, 11:04 AM
nice
hell hole area
It's rusty under there (can't have everything right?), I really poked around and made a few holes, I guess once I have the engine out I'll determine if I want to cut away the areas and weld in new (famous last words)
Rear trunk is crusty also, although I couldn't make any holes with a screw driver
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Posted by: LukeD Jun 16 2015, 09:52 PM
let the cylinders soak a couple days in some marvel mystery oil, changed the engine oil and filter
This doesn't look like 20+ year old oil but then again I haven't seen 20+ year old oil before
Hooked up a battery and it turned over, put a compression tester on each cylinder and got around 140 psi on #1,2,4 and a little over 130 psi on #3
shipped my injectors to Mr Injector and getting ready to order all new fuel system components including; SS tunnel and engine compartment lines, rubber hose, injector upper/lower seals, relocate new 2 port fuel pump up front. Pulled the tank to drop off to radiator shop to get cleaned. Who knows, maybe late next week she'll run!
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Posted by: Phoenix914 Jun 16 2015, 10:41 PM
That oil looks like it was never run.
Posted by: jeeperjohn56 Jun 16 2015, 10:52 PM
Great looking car, at least the longs are in good shape, good luck on your project.
Posted by: LukeD Sep 17 2015, 10:53 PM
Thought I'd update the thread
After a crap ton of work this little guy is back on the road, to work tomorrow
Terrible pic more to come
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Posted by: falcor75 Sep 17 2015, 11:11 PM
That oil looks like it was never run.
Exactly my thought...
Posted by: Larmo63 Sep 17 2015, 11:34 PM
Wow, you really scored!! That thing looks good. Doing carpet is easy too!
Just take your time. New carpet makes a big difference.
Posted by: Phoenix914 Sep 18 2015, 05:11 AM
Congrats on getting your car on the road so quickly. That's the hardest part! 
Posted by: jmitro Sep 18 2015, 06:32 AM
incredible find! Very nice work
Posted by: rick 918-S Sep 18 2015, 06:43 AM
Very nice save! More photos when you get a chance.
Posted by: RobW Sep 18 2015, 06:45 AM
Good work! Way to get it done. How's it driving?
Posted by: Rav914 Sep 18 2015, 10:27 AM
The original paint on my pure-German 300D was similar. I applied three coats of Maguiar's #7. First the clay bar treatment then the wax. I let the first coat of #7 soak for 24 hours so the paint could absorb the oil. Then applied two more coats per instructions, then two applications of Mother's Carnuba wax. I liked the results. That 914 should clean up the same.
All hand application, NO buffer involved.
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Posted by: oldie914 Sep 18 2015, 10:39 AM
Change the transmission oil too. I've taken apart transmissions stored for years in a hot climate and found the oil deteriorates and leave a waxy coating on all the interior parts.
Posted by: Bartlett 914 Sep 18 2015, 10:44 AM
Change the transmission oil too. I've taken apart transmissions stored for years in a hot climate and found the oil deteriorates and leave a waxy coating on all the interior parts.
I totally agree. We too often ignore the transmission oil. I change mine once a year.
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