Finally got my '75 914 Options

[McLovin]

Hey guys,

After almost six months of hanging out here, from selling my old VW, to making a downpayment on a 914, my car was finally delivered last night! However, during the test drive there were some issues with the car, so I haven't made my final payment yet. Instead, I'm in the middle of a prolonged inspection period because of what popped up on the test drive. I'm fairly confident that I'll keep the car because it's virtually rust free, has nice paint and interior, and the engine seems to run and drive well.

That being said, main problems it has that need to be addressed are as follows:

1. The alternator light won't go out. I know how to trouble shoot this. The car appears to be charging regardless, so it might be a loose fuse. I can figure this one out.

2. When I drove it, the brake appears to be sticking. The front calipers were giving the seller problems and it was thought these were lubricated to where they don't stick, but apparently not. I've never rebuilt one, and I'm not thrilled about doing it, so I'll probably buy some rebuilt calipers. But I need to inspect them first.

3. Lastly, I have oil leaks. One appears to be from that plate near the drain plug. I've seen this before on VWs and it's not a big deal. However, when I went for about a 1-mile test drive, when I stopped, a bunch of smoke came forward out of the car. My initial thought is this might be oil coming off the valve cover gasket onto the manifold. But what else could it be? What are some common ("makes a lot of smoke") oil leaks on these little gems?

#2 and #3 are the items that give me a little bit of a stomach ache.

If the picture shows up, its not very good because it was in my garage late at night. I plan to pull the car out this weekend and work on it...I'll get new pix then.

Thanks in advance,

Mclovin

[mtndawg]

It's a really good sign if it is virtually rust free and you're able to drive it. I would get WAY down under the battery with a good light and take the rocker panel off to prove it's virtually rust free. Poke around under there is a screwdriver to ensure it's solid.

Alternator: Probably not a big deal
Brakes: For a few hundred dollars (maybe $1000ish) you can be in great shape
Oil leaks: Hmmm....let me think of a time when I've bought one of the 6 Porsche's I've owned and didn't have an oil leak...oh, never. If one of these cars has sat for a while, they will leak. If the car is driven and the seals are lubricated, they are less likely to leak.