To Buy or Not to Buy?, 914 found Options

[Spider]

Hi All:

Been looking for a car to drive daily that get some mpgs. Found a nice RX-7 and a 944, then remembered a friend of mine has had a 914 for 20 years, garage kept the whole time. He takes it annually to a mechanic to see if it needs anything. Right now, won't start and they think it needs starter.

It is for sale. He asked me to "make offer". I don't know anything about these cars except for what I read here, so looking for a little help.

1972. Think it's original motor and F.I.. Said to run well, and I believe what they are telling me, but I would be buying it "as is" without hearing it run or driving it. They drove it about a tank of fuel's worth every summer for the last several years.

Obvious Problems:
Surface rust on back truck floor (think I could Por-15 it)
Rust bubbles on body, including under both door handles
The rear trunk hinge mounting tab is broken at the body. (Needs welded?)
Missing rubber pieces over bumpers (are there any decent used ones?)
Missing side marker lights
Repainted. Original color was orange. Repaint is lousy
Top of roof not smooth. (This bad paint or maybe a repro roof?)
Seats re-done in red velour (yuk!)
Needs starter or ?
Car shows 85k miles but ODO has been broken for 20 years.

Basically a 40 year old car that's never been restored.
What do you think it's worth?
These things sure look fun!
Thanks!

[ThinAir]

My 73 is my daily driver. 20 miles RT each day in light city traffic. I get 22 mpg in town and 30 mpg when I go on road trips like RRC. Having a daily driver 914 is no big deal.

That said, there is a learning curve and it sort of takes awhile to "become one" with your teener. There is a lot of just listening to it as you drive and then searching here for threads on what you are experiencing.

A new hi-torque stater from eBay will cost you about $125. Since it has been stored for so long you'll certainly need new hoses. AA sells complete hose kits that make it easy to change all the vacuum hoses and they also sell injector elbow shaped fuel hoses which I like (save your ammunition guys - I know about AA and these are the only things I buy from them because they are the only ones that carry them.)

If the car was running when it was parked, the the starter and hoses are probably all you'll need to do to put it on the road.

Rust is another matter and the previous advice on that is all quite sound. The bodies are not galvanized so even though they are a hoot to drive in the snow, you might want to rethink the 4 studded tires idea. Now that they put magnesium chloride on the roads here in Northern Arizona mine stays home whenever it's snowy.