914 save or seperate Options

[Tonyorlo]

I just traded my 94 jag for this 914. I traded sight unseen, with cash on his end. I honestly expected it to be a total loss, but had a slight hope of saving it and making it a road worthy part time daily driver. Well there’s no chance of that. I just would like to gain you folks approval that this car is not worth saving. This is the second 914 I’ve bought, the first was for the drivetrain and it was very very rough. I’d love to get a 914 that I could drive, but life has been in the way.

Here are some pictures of the car. At the moment my plan is to part the car out.

Opinions? The car supposedly runs by the way.

[Tonyorlo]

Thanks for the reply Brent. I’ve been like a teenage girl the last few days, one minute I’ll save it, the other I’m parting it out. I’ve wanted a 914 for years so I’ll get one eventually. When I first got an intrest in them it seemed like I could get a clean southern car for $3-5k. After searching all the classifieds I normally look at, I’m not seeing them for any less than $7k. There are clearly increasing in value, not that I care about resale value. I hate to let this car go when it could be saved, but there’s a ton of sheet metal that needs replaced. I’m really surprised to see all the replacement metal thats avibke for these cars. That’s a game changer honestly. I started watching YouTube videos of the guys who post videos of changing everything out. Im not so Leary of it now. I can barrow a friends rotisserie and probably bust it out pretty quick.

When I got the car I had some kind of plan of throwing it together and running the drivetrain as is. BUT if I change all this sheet metal I cans just leave the drivetrain alone. So this will snowball into something.

[bbrock]

Thanks for the reply Brent. I’ve been like a teenage girl the last few days, one minute I’ll save it, the other I’m parting it out. I’ve wanted a 914 for years so I’ll get one eventually. When I first got an intrest in them it seemed like I could get a clean southern car for $3-5k. After searching all the classifieds I normally look at, I’m not seeing them for any less than $7k. There are clearly increasing in value, not that I care about resale value. I hate to let this car go when it could be saved, but there’s a ton of sheet metal that needs replaced. I’m really surprised to see all the replacement metal thats avibke for these cars. That’s a game changer honestly. I started watching YouTube videos of the guys who post videos of changing everything out. Im not so Leary of it now. I can barrow a friends rotisserie and probably bust it out pretty quick.

When I got the car I had some kind of plan of throwing it together and running the drivetrain as is. BUT if I change all this sheet metal I cans just leave the drivetrain alone. So this will snowball into something.

Sounds like you are leaning toward a project and I love it. In your research, also read through the 'Restoration and Build Threads' forum. Jeff Hail's 'Bring Out Your Dead' thread in particular is excellent.

Here's a couple rough estimates from experience with my own lost cause project. These are ignoring time and labor costs and do all (and I mean ALL) of the labor yourself. The metal work needed in your pics is extensive but $5K can get you do a solid chassis in primer. Most of the metal is available but you'll need to fab or get donor parts for some areas that need repair. $20-$25K total on the project can get you to a car that is probably worth about $20-$25K. Contrary to what some have written, you CAN break even on these projects IF you don't count your time and don't pay anyone else for labor. For me, that investment includes a lot of tools I bought which will have after the project is over so in one sense, I'm in the black on the project.