72 Engine "knocks" Options

[mikeatrpi]

I found a 72 914 1.7L that the owner is casually selling (he's not listing it in papers; it's parked in the back of a parking lot with a sign in the window). The owner describes the engine as "needing work" and making a "knocking sound." I haven't heard it run myself, but apparently it starts. What could this be, and how much to fix it?

The paint is silver but not shinny, body is straight with a little rust by the driver's rear bumper, and the top leaks. I haven't gone through Pelican's checklist for rust yet. Based on what I've told you, does $2k US sound fair? I'm looking for my first real project car.

Thank you for any advice you can provide!

-Mike

[SirAndy]

it looks OK on the outside, but you should have taken pictures of how it looks UNDER the carpet in the rear trunk and UNDER the spare tire and UNDER the carpet in front and behind the seats and UNDER the battery tray and finally, UNDER the car.

just from looking at the huge amount of surface rust bubbles on the shift-rod and other metal parts (like the engine mount) i suspect more rust in harder to see areas.

take off the rocker covers and use a screw-driver to poke around near the jack-posts.

poke the floor-board behind the seats. do the "crunch" test. if the tar-like sound-insulation on the floor board crunches under your fingers, you found the rust!

at least it looks like the car was originally silver. oh, and it comes with a Hynes manual too. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)
Andy