1974 914 - Tig welding and Metalshaping saved it! Back on the road! Options

[TRS63]

Hello all,

member and owner of a 1974 1,8l since a few months, I still did not introduced myself.. now correcting it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

First about myself: I am a french guy living in Stuttgart, 32 years old, mechanical engineer but my real passions are metalshaping and aircooled VWs and Porsche (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

After dreaming about a 914 since years, I decided end of last year that it was time to fulfill the dream and after seeing a few 914s, I bough that one.

About the car: originally from the US (sadly I know nothing about its history there), it is a 1974 1,8l 914 originally phoenix red. It was sometimes repainted, before 1991 when it was imported to the UK. It ran there until 2009, where it found its way back to Germany. And since october with me!

It is far from perfect but a good driver, which was my goal, as I want to enjoy it on the road during the restoration of my karmann ghia (for the curious: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic...&highlight= ).

my plan:
-drive drive drive drive (made 1000miles the first month with it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif) )
-in the future: repair the rust, paint it original color back, improve the handling (it still has no sway bars, shocks are quite old, frame stiffener will be ordered,..), some interior modification,.. goal is to keep it usable on the street, while lightening it where possible and putting some more power (I am in love with the sound of a 6 but might keep it a big 4 for weight and legal reasons..).

Some pictures:
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cheers

Antoine

[Arno914]

Bonjour Antoine,

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)

Hope to see you on the autobahn this spring! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

Looks like you have a real solid 914 there.

Arno

[TRS63]

thanks to all of you for the warm welcome!

@Arno914 : sure hope to see you! But I avoid the Autobahn, too boring..you can find me on small curvy roads (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

@ValcoOscar : you are right, I already feel it..can't stay one week without driving it.. I am jumping in it every day without salt on the roads (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

@FRUNKenstein : you are right about the city..and it's not a coincidence (IMG:style_emoticons/default/goof.gif) I actually first moved here when I had to choose a city for the end of my study because of Stuttgart being the city of Porsche (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Well, next step on the 914: all shifting bushings, as they all are terribly destroyed/never been changed (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Antoine

[wonkipop]

thanks to all of you for the warm welcome!

@Arno914 : sure hope to see you! But I avoid the Autobahn, too boring..you can find me on small curvy roads (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

@ValcoOscar : you are right, I already feel it..can't stay one week without driving it.. I am jumping in it every day without salt on the roads (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

@FRUNKenstein : you are right about the city..and it's not a coincidence (IMG:style_emoticons/default/goof.gif) I actually first moved here when I had to choose a city for the end of my study because of Stuttgart being the city of Porsche (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Well, next step on the 914: all shifting bushings, as they all are terribly destroyed/never been changed (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Antoine

interesting you are a mech engineer.

certain cars are engineer's cars i have noticed.
not than i am an engineer, but i sort of wanted to be one a long time back and deviated slightly. so instead i have just collaborated with one in my work for 30 years.

my engineer mate's taste in cars is interesting in a monocular sort of way.
SAAB, SAAB, SAAB, SAAB.......and now he doesn't know what to do since its all over.
he started with a SAAB 99 EMS way back when.

when the renault clio 172s and 182s came out in aus, it was engineers who picked them all up. that was how i found out how good those things were. went to lunch with an engineer in brisbane. that was a great ride to lunch that one. went out and got a 172 straight away. still got it.

a lot of engineers also drove citroens. how i got my intro to those cars.
have a citroen xm v6 stashed away thanks to an engineer.
a 914 is a walk in the park to work on compared to that.
but when it goes,....its an engineering masterpiece.
i've notice these days that a lot of ex mechanics now own the xm in its late middle age phase. you need to be very handy with a spanner and have time to keep one on the road.

as is the 914.
a 1.8 914 in american spec is a radical piece of kit on all fronts.
forward thinking stuff. maybe not fast (in a straight line). but its german thinking at its best.
apart from the rust problem.
(back about 30 years ago when i first had the 914 in australia, the only folks who offered me enthusiast comments were.......engineers - the rest of them were telling me to park my vw somewhere else).

you are going to enjoy this car.
its got everything that is good about a bug and its got everything thats bad about a bug fixed. not that bugs are bad. i had one just like yours as my first car.
powder blue 64.

whats the vintage on your bug mate. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)