Sale Pending - My purchase of 9140431482, Just facts; no spin or opinion Options

[Rufus]

This’s the advertisement for the 914/6 I bought in 2020:

Update: Car has been SOLD. Thanks.

VIN 9140431482. 126500 miles. Non-matching 2.7 liter engine. Original (AFAIK) transmission converted to side-shifter. Car appears mostly stock at first glance, hiding multiple subtle upgrades. Mildly flared fenders accommodate 7X15 Fuchs. Engine pulls strongly to redline and is an absolute blast to drive. Receives many compliments. Always garaged and never driven in rain during my ownership. Car is currently registered as a Collector Vehicle with a clear Washington State title.

I purchased this car in January 2012 with the intent to drive and enjoy it for a couple of years while I figured out exactly what I wanted to do, and then bring it up to a high end, driver-quality car. Local Washington State car its entire life, having originally been purchased new at Humphrey Porsche Audi VW in Everett. I believe I am the fourth owner with previous owner taking possession in 1993. Restored and maintained by best available local talent. Competing time demands and recent health issues cause me not to drive it as much as I hoped or should (~500 miles since I got the car back), so it’s time for someone else to have the pleasure. I’ve received a few word-of mouth nibbles but no follow-through, so offering publically here first, then PCA, then BAT. Detailed restoration documentation and maintenance invoices available. Asking price reflects our current economic reality. $59,500.

Body/Interior
Started no-expense spared restoration in 2014. Paint and body work done by Kirsten Rillos at Rillos Restoration, Kent Wa. Interior by Steve Shepp, Classic Interiors, Ballard Wa.

- Full repaint in original Tangerine (23)
- Only minor surface rust repair needed in a few spots (above left rear taillight, below windshield frame, etc.).
- No structural rust or other body damage.
- New battery tray - the only body part that warranted replacement. No damage to longitudinal, underneath.
- New Wurth underbody sealant.
- Patrick Motorsports rear chassis frame stiffening kit installed to accommodate increased engine HP. https://patrickmotorsports.com/products/bod-914-crk-pmp
- All chrome and bright parts re-plated.
- New windshield. (Original had scratch marks that wouldn’t come out. No cracks.)
- Original rear window defroster.
- All new rubber seals.
- New seat upholstery, back pad, carpeting.
- Original dash in excellent condition.
- New CocoMats.
- 911-E tachometer to better match engine redline. Original working tachometer comes with car.

Engine/Transmission
All engine, transmission, mechanical installation and maintenance work performed by Chris’s Geman Auto Service in Redmond Wa. and Aker’s Porsche, Seattle Wa.

- New Elgin 306/288-106 camshafts.
- New Carrera pressure-fed chain tensioners.
- New 1st gear transmission synchro. Rings, sleeves, bushings, and gaskets as needed.
- New Classic Retrofit CDI+ (6 Pin).
- Original Italian Weber carbs rejetted for 2.7 and new cams.
- Powder-coated original heat exchangers.
- Oil tank cleaned and hot-tanked.
- Fuel tank cleaned, boiled, and resealed.
- New Dansk muffler.
- New spark plugs, ignition wires, cap, and rotor.
- Replaced original plastic fuel line with braided steel line through the tunnel.
- New Optima yellow-top battery.
- All new fluids, etc.

Brakes/Wheels/Running Gear
- 7 X 15 Fuchs with RSR finish, restored by Harvey Weidman.
- Goodyear Eagle GT 205/60R-15 tires.
- 911-S aluminum front calipers.
- Genuine NOS 914-6 GT (not cut down 911) rear brake rotors.
- All brake calipers restored by PMB Performance. (Spacers installed in rears to fit the wider, ventilated GT rotors.)
- New 23mm ATE master cylinder.
- Powder-coated suspension components.
- Koni shocks.
- Tool kit and factory jack.

Additional parts, brand-new Covercraft car cover, factory service manuals come with the car.

Please PM me if seriously interested. I will do my best to respond on a daily basis, but I’m not in the profession of selling cars so please don’t expect an instant response. Apologies in advance for a few of the crappy cell phone pictures. They were the best I could manage at the time. Additional pictures and short running videos available upon request.

Thank you!

- MR

A couple of PRE-restoration and engine ready for re-install pictures, below.

[mountainroads]

I stumbled upon this thread while perusing the early911sregistry. Although I normally refrain from engaging publicly in dirty laundry discussions, I feel compelled to in this case due to the multiple things being inferred, and to set the record straight. My response is not to refute or contest what Rufus states. I too would be unhappy if I bought a car that was significantly different than what I thought I was getting, and that Karma is a nasty lady. This is simply my contribution to “just the facts”.

First and foremost, I'm genuinely sad and disappointed to learn that Rufus isn't happy with the car. This car was sold in good faith and with no effort to deceive or mislead, just as every other car I've ever sold. The transaction went smoothly and we stayed in communication for a while, afterwards. I thought I had a new friend and would've been happy to answer any questions he had, even long after I sold it.

I bought this car from a gentleman in Tacoma, Washington. It was his pride and joy. (He also had two 914-4s.) I had the PPI done and engine dyno'd by Chris Powell at Chris's German Auto in Redmond Washington, prior to purchase. Chris is a PCA Nation Technical Committee Member and answers technical questions for 1974 - 1994 911s in Panorama. Chris's assessment was although tired and having needs, the car was solid overall. Knowing restoral wouldn't be cheap, he asked: "How badly do you want a 914-6?" I was happy to find a decent specimen relatively close to home and said: "Pretty badly." To my knowledge, I became the 4th owner.

I kept the car for a couple of years while deciding exactly what I wanted to do and began to gather parts, including a set of beautifully restored 7X15 Fuchs with RSR finish, courtesy of Harvey Wiedman. I was particularly proud of sourcing some NOS genuine 914-6 GT vented rear rotors still in boxes and wax paper, so I wouldn’t have to use cut-down 911 rear rotors with the incorrect offset.

Some research and inquiries within the local Porsche community led me to Rillos Restoration in Kent, Washington. Rillos has a good reputation and has done some award-winning cars. Although mostly American, he had a couple of 911s and a 4-cam 356 while I was there. The only caution I received was to keep an eye on billable hours because it's easy for things to get out of control. There was never a suggestion of unethical charging or poor workmanship. It was indeed a “no expense spared” (relatively, and within reason) body restoration with some desirable functional updates.

Interior work was performed by Steve Shepp at Classic Interior Restorations in Ballard, Washington. Steve was popular with the Ferrari crowd and has done some Pebble Beach award cars. It was one of the very last cars he ever did.

Chris Powell finished the engine and transmission refreshment while the body and interior work were done, so the car then went back to Chris's for mechanicals installation. Lots of little things to be sorted out along the way and some imperfections, but at no point was there any mention of major concerns with the work that had previously been done.

I kept the car for a couple of years and finally decided to sell because 1) The car was kept at a weekend place in Central Washington. Although a hoot to drive and the local roads there are much more conducive to spirited driving than Seattle, I never seemed to have the time to drive it as much as I wanted to. There always seemed to be something else that needed to be worked on or required attention. 2) I was dealing with some minor health issues at the time and wasn’t sure how much recreational driving I’d be up for going forward. So, I posted the car for sale on 914World. All restoral and service receipt documentation was passed along to the buyer.

To address some of the specific points:

1) RUST. Although there was some minor (mostly) cosmetic body rust, the multiple expert consensus (Kirsten Rillos, Chris Powell, and Mark Akers) was the car was surprisingly free of rust for being a Western Washington car its whole life. The only part that needed to be replaced due to rust was the battery tray. No damage to the longitudinal, etc. I know how expensive rust repair is. I would not have bought the car if I knew it had major rust issues. The car was always garaged and never even driven in the rain during my ownership. It was mostly garaged on the dry side of the state.

Unless things have dramatically changed, I firmly believe what looks like floorpan rust is only damage to the sound deadening material on top. I noticed that during painting and asked Kirsten about it. He reassured me it wasn’t serious and there was no evidence of damage from the underside when he removed the old undercoating. It became a “Oh well, that’s under the seats and not visible” thing. It was one of the few cost-control concessions and I never questioned the solidity of the floorboards. I never sensed any weakness or give to them, and definitely would’ve replaced them had I known they were suspect. Why go to the trouble of welding in a rear suspension stiffening kit but not address a suspect floorpan? I even had a patch panel welded into the firewall where a hole had been cut so the timing marks on the fan pully could be more easily seen. (A practical consideration since 911 cases don't have the notch for seeing the marks on the flywheel, as 914-6 cases do.) If there were any major rust issues, then three reputable shops never raised the concern. Four if you want to include the Interior guy who had the car for over a year.

2) ACCIDENT DAMAGE. This car was never advertised as “accident-free”. I believe one or both of the first two owners tracked the car. The story I got from the third owner was one of them, or one of their wives, did a little off-roading one day at the track and damaged the front end, presumably necessitating a front slam panel replacement. I'm not sure the hood was even replaced. Rillos noticed it wasn’t quite correct for a 1970 while fitting the front valance, I had sourced. I forget the details of the fix, but he altered it to make it appear correct. As far as the disclosure form (post #51), it’s hard to read, but the attestation on line 1 is the car never sustained accident damage greater than 25% of it’s value, which is true.

3) DRIVABILITY ISSUES: I too noticed the gas smell. That’s why I replaced the original plastic fuel line with braided steel over rubber. Much less noticeable afterwards and I attributed any lingering smells to the carburetors. There are a couple of threads on 914World, which I researched heavily, discussing whether or not a 1970 914-6 should have a charcoal tank vapor capture cannister.

I didn't have nearly as many electrical issues. The turn signal switch was broken when I bought the car. I sourced a used replacement and Akers installed it. The washer pump needed to be replaced. The horns were anemic, so I replaced them with used Bosch Mercedes units. The only broken wire I remember was to one of the rear license lights, which I fixed myself. Never a problem with headlights, etc. In hindsight, I could've replaced the wiring harness, but I didn't because it seemed serviceable and new is not always better.

There should be no gas tank sediment as the tank was supposedly cleaned and sealed by Chris’s. Ditto for the fuel tank screen sock. Both are big surprises and definitely should've been taken care of by Chris's.

Although far from great condition, the car was driven to Rennsport and back by the previous owner. AFAIK, without issues. And, that was before any restoration efforts.

4) GAMROTH PPI. Jeff Gamroth made the trek from south of Portland to Central Washington with one of his employees to do the PPI. They did an engine-cold compression and leakdown test before firing it up for further inspection and listening for any inappropriate noises. They seemed to know what they were doing. Jeff and I then went for a test drive and I guarantee he pushed the car harder than I ever did. Then again, he’s a professional driver. They showed up again a few weeks later with a box trailer after the sale had been completed and took the car back to Jeff’s shop. I can’t comment on subsequent inspection or work.


Bottom line: It’s a real shame that this car has received such unfavorable attention. It was never intended to be a Concours contender or presented as a perfect 100 pt. restoration. It was sold as a 50+ year old, mildly hot-rodded, driver-quality car which frequently received unsolicited compliments. Nathan Merz, Columbia Valley Luxury Cars and regular PCA contributor, took a look at the car for a celebrity client when it was for sale. Although not a formal PPI, he has a practiced eye and poked around pretty good. He passed on the car and I didn't ask why, but didn't get the sense it was because of quality concerns. My guess is his client was looking for something more original.

Lastly and FWIW: Mark Akers, the owner of Akers Porsche, became quite familiar with this car for service and regular maintenance both before and after the restoration was completed. He was interested in buying it when he found out I was selling, but the timing wasn’t good for him. It was mid-pandemic and many were being careful with their discretionary spending. I don’t know, but suspect that extended to his customers, as well. He called me about a year later to ask if I still had the car and was disappointed to learn it had been sold. He subsequently told me, and has repeated to several other folks, that he regretted not buying it.

Rufus, I suggest with no snarkiness at all, that you might want to contact him if you’re really unhappy with the car. Mark knows the car well and certainly has the talent and resources to address any outstanding deficiencies. I spent over $120K on the purchase and restoration, fully knowing I would never get it back. I advertised it at $59,500 and sold it to you for $56,500. That still seems like a pretty good deal to me, even accounting for the unexpected warts. You should be OK financially, although I know that doesn’t address your frustration or disappointment.

- MR