Girl Meets Car, A Love Story Options

[memmek2k]

My uncle-in-law decided to give us his '73 Porsche 914 1.7L. He said he just didn't have time to work on it or drive it anymore and wanted to see it go to someone that would drive it and take care of it.

Only problem is it didn't run.

He said it last ran about 2.5 years ago, after a major service overhaul at a local VW shop. He was able to go on a few drives, and let it sit for a bit. When he tried to start it again, it wouldn't turn over.

So I spent Christmas weekend intermittently at their house, wrenching and cursing and bleeding (as is the customary ritual when meeting a new car). After determining the ECU's fuel pump circuit is fried, along with the 2.5-year old fuel pump, I decided to hotwire the fuel pump to one of the switched power circuits so we could get it out of the garage and onto a trailer.

"My Porsche's in the Hangar" is not a phrase I ever imagined being able to say. We've been fighting the city to build a garage for the last year due to some bigoted BS in the neighborhood we live in. The original plan was to have a garage in which to put a Porsche by this time. Since there's no garage, we're renting hangar space from my boss, which sort of puts a damper on my ability to wrench freely.

Right now, the current plan is to give everything a refresh/once over and get accustomed to the car. I'm sure it needs new fluids and consumables. Probably could use a valve adjustment and a rear caliper adjustment (they're sticking). It has a high idle, which I'm used to attributing to vacuum leaks on MAF cars, but I'm under the impression the 1.7L has a MAP sensor. Also the driver's outside door handle broke literally right after I fixed the fuel pump, so I need to fix that now, too.

Long term: paint's rough, body has some dings and rust (and I need to examine the hell hole). It'll need more gofast eventually, but doesn't everything? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Left Side


Right Side


Owner's Final Farewell
 final_drive.wmv ( 1.93mb ) Number of downloads: 124

[Tom_T]

As Laugh-In's Arte Johnson would say from behind a bush:
"Wery Interesting! .... but NOT Funny!"

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)

You can get the ECU rebuilt by FIC in Livermoore CA
https://www.fuelinjectioncorp.com/

Check for other wiring issues causing the short or whatever that fried it & the fuel pump, as well as the FP relay (usually the round red one on the engine bay relay board, if not swapped for a black one by a PO or shop).

Jeff Bowlsby on here rebuilds the various engine bay wiring harnesses which are most prone to failure due to the heat. He also has great 914 info on the 2nd link below.

http://bowlsby.net/914/WiringHarnesses/

http://bowlsby.net/914/Classic/

p914.com also has great info, but you may have to go to p914.org or p914.net (&/or manually substitute the .net or .org if the links are still not working right, as he's rebuilding it all after a lightning strike last Spring).

If you need a 914 pro, then Brad Mayeur at 914 LTD nearish to you in Peoria IL from St. Lou, & he can get it all sorted for you.

http://914ltd.com/

A 914 expert will usually give you better results with less "fishing" - than a generic VW shop IMHO. That ECU/FP problem could've been self-inflicted by the VW shop &/or by use of improper parts, as I'd never had that happen with mine nor anyone else's 914 of whom I known since the `70's, but it could be unrelated.

As for your garage issue, I'd suggest getting copies of the applicable sections from both the city/county building & planning codes' sections related to garages, setbacks, sizes, placement, etc., as well as any community CC&Rs which might limit your planned garage. Then research what, when & how they are allowed in your jurisdiction(s) & neighborhood/tract/subdivision - so you know what is allowed by right, & what by conditional use or other discretionary approval. So long as you're constructing it within code & it's allowed by right, then neighborhood bigotry or whatever should not come into play to stop you, so long as it's "of right."

But if it requires "discretionary approval" - then you may have to get with the neighbors to come up with a design which appeases their biases & approval/support, in order to get city &/or community association approval. Just a few words of advice from a CA Architect of 40+ years! In that case, treat them to pie, cookies & coffee & a lot of "Soft soap" TLC to butter them up for your plan!

Good Luck on All Fronts!

Happy Holidays! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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