Is there a "Teener's Anonymous" chapter near me?, I am buying 3 914 project cars! Options

[jcd914]

Hi, my name is Jim and I am a....

I probably need a recovery group or professional help.

I talked with a guy yesterday that has 3 914's plus spare parts he wants to sell as a package deal. I have no room and no time but feel compelled to go look because this could be "the deal of a lifetime" (yea right). I have bought a few "deals of the lifetime" but never actually got one. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

I only know what he told me about these.
914 #1 72 1.7L His original project, Disassembled for restoration 10 + years ago, stored inside, minor rust in hell hole and battery tray. No body damage, has all the parts plus many extras.
914 #2 73 2.0L Bought as parts car for #1. Complete car w/ engine out and disassembled. Mostly straight, just minor dings but needs paint. Less rust than #1. Bought with engine out so function of all else unknown.
914 #3 70 1.7L He wanted to drive a 914 and project #1 was not getting anywhere fast so he bought a runner. Fixed brakes, steering, replaced carpeting, tires and some other stuff that has slipped from my brain (hey I talked to he yesterday). Was a driver until recently when there was a load bang from the tranny and he lost 1st & reverse. He says it smoke a little on start up but it's big issue is rust. Words to the effect of "Kind of ugly underneath".

Now I have not seen these cars so I am only going on what I was told but it seems like there is some potential here.

914 #3 Tranny could be fixed or swapped with tranny from #1 (both tail shifters). Would be a rusty runner, could be sold to recoup some of investment. Sound like the cars is decent except the rust. How much rust does it really have? What could it be sold for?

914 #1 could be sold as a restoration project to someone. If the body is as straight and has as little rust as described it could be a nice car to restore or reassemble. How far down has it been stripped?

914 #2 These is the car I am most interested in. Engine for #2 could be fixed or replaced (I have a running engine), should/could be a runner, a better starting point for me compared to my current car. Swap my suspension (5 bolt) on to this one and sell mine as a parts car.

I am going try to go look at these over the weekend and I will share what I learn about them with the world.

Anyone in N CA want to store a 914 or two?
Anyone on N CA looking for a resto project?

Is there a treatment for this sickness I have?

Thanks for listening.

Jim

[jcd914]

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I am going Saturday to pick up 2 of my 3 new 914's (#2 & #3).
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Here are the basics.

#3 1970 914 1,7L 4702912193
This one has some rust in some of the usual places, battery tray mostly gone, hell hole (1"x2" hole), rear of pass floor pan and rear trunk. The longs still look OK and no sage to the chasis (yet). A fair blue metallic repaint over an orange. It has no body tag so I don't have a paint code. This will make a decent driver when the tranny is fixed. I probably have this one sold already. If I were keeping this I would patch the hell hole and do what I could to prevent the other rust from spreading and drive it until it died a natural death. It should last several more years.

#2 1973 914 2.0L 4732925707
This is a complete 73 w/ appearance group, (chrome bumpers, center console, factory sway bars). Over all appearance is not great. some surface rust from poor paint work, possibly some previous minor body work, dash cracked, door handle broken, rear lid replaced, left rear tire blew out and damage the fender. Repainted silver over the Original Ravenna Green (L65K). Engine is out and disassembled, needs P&Cs, heads don't show any cracks that I can see, cranks and cam look good, all the injection seems to be there.
Rust! battery tray is mostly gone, hell hole has ONLY surface rust, NO penetration. I could not find any other chasis rust. Checked the usual, floor pan, frt & rear trunks, longs, jack points, etc.
Overall this chasis is straight and solid. With some work to the rear fender and few other dings, paint work and of course all those mechanical things that a car that has been sitting will need to taken care of, this will make a nice car.

#1 1972 914 1.7L 4722916454
This car is mostly taken apart and many parts are boxed up or on shelves. It is as straight as I have seen, I could not find any dents or dings. It has ONLY surface rust in the hell hole and has some rust on the engine shelf, other than that I did not find any other rust. Battery tray has been removed. It is a green (poss. Delphi Green Metallic) repaint over an original silver, I could not read the body tag because of some over spray so I don' know the original paint code. Engine condition is unknown and has no FI, it came with manifolds on it with the studs spaced to fit Solex carbs. I am not sure if I am up to doing a "restoration back to original" but finishing the repaint and reassemble is do-able.
There were too many parts for me to go thru all of them but there are many extras included.

My tentative plan is to sell the 70 and my 71 and some spare parts to recoup some $$.
Fix the surface rust in the hell hole on the 73, And since I have the parts sitting here already I would put my 2.0L engine and trans and 5 lug suspension in it. That would make it a driver needing some body and paint work but a driver. There will of course be parts I need but I have most everything to set this up for auto-x or DE. Not sure if I would repaint to original Ravenna green or not (probably need to see one in person).

If I can pull it off I will keep the 72 and return it to mostly stock with the original silver paint. I would build a 2.0L from the parts that came with the 73. I think it would make it a very nice street car with a 2.0L, side shifter, 2.0L Fuchs or my other 5 lug set up. My wife may have a difference in opinion on whether 1 or 2 914's is the correct number for our household. I did manage to pull of going and looking at these on Mothers day! and buying them so maybe I am on a roll or else I got away with all I am going to.

I added VINs to the database.
I will add some pics when I can.

Jim