Building Porsche 914 in Europe with some mods, Modified engine, wiring, interior - new project Options

[Pyetookh]

Hello all,
I was on historic motorcycles for years but was waiting for the right moment to switch to classic car instead. I was also searching classifieds for several years choosing the right classic car to buy. The main contenders were BMW 2002 and Porsche 914.

Unfinished project Porsche 914 appeared for sale not far away from my place some half a year ago. So I went there to have a look. Due to the personality of the seller and obvious intention to sell cheaply we agreed on buying price. Project is 75% finished and there are plenty of spare parts (He had a donor car). But some parts are missing too.
1. The main issue here is absolutely no history! The car was restored by professional car mechanic who died and all his pictures, notes, paperwork, receipts, documents are lost, stolen and missing.
2. My other problem is that I´m Central Europe based and my German is poor. So my only source of information is this forum in US. There doesn´t seem to be such enthusiastic fan base of 914s in Germany and it´s not much economical to order work and parts in Northern America for me.
3. I´m brave enough to do any welding or assembly jobs on my car but I don´t have much experience and I´m not very handy.

Despite all this I would be REALLY thankful if I get any support from well experienced guys here because I have all the commitment to bring another Porsche 914 back to the road.

This build will be for modified Porsche 914 – I would like to upgrade certain parts but rules for historic cars are stupidly strict in my country

I will really appreciate your help with the following:
1. There is 2.0 refurbished T2 bus engine in the car. That will be removed and sold as it is. From all the spare parts I have I would like to build 2056cc engine using my 1.7 crankcase and 1.8 heads (will need to source 2.0 crankshaft and rods, the right camshaft, 40 Webbers, 96 cylinders and pistons).
2. Car electrics – One is in the car but seems to be a bit messy. I have a complete spare one but it´s far from being perfect. I would like to remove FI wiring and add central locking, electric windows, DLR, intermittent wipers, electric windscreen washer
3. Car body is sound and recently resprayed. But I don´t like the colour and the rear wheel arches. Therefore it will be converted to GT flares, will be lowered and go on 16” 205/225 wheels. I would like to weld some reinforcement into the tub.
4. Car interior will need to be done from scratch – All the door window and targa roof trim and seals is missing. I want more like Sheel sport seats. Dashboard to be assembled. Foot pedals to be assembled and connected. New carpets installed.
5. I search for reliable and cheap European parts suppliers

So this is my mission and this is my car

Thank you and have a great day everyone

[wonkipop]

@chmillman has better eyes than me. good thing i am not a pilot. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

but since the vwpp# is an 11 matching the karmann plate that settles the question of the vin i was highlighting. the 7000 range its in is not right by a long shot. let alone the L13K yellow paint code which is as pointed out a 73 on color only.

a couple of other observations. the dash is not right for a 71. it would have had a central demister vent and would lack the side vents at either end of dashboard in the dash face. additionally the seats and backpad are the dual fixed seat variety.
the interior is at minimum a 72 onwards. has end vents in dash and two adjustable seats.

my conclusion is that its likely the car is a cut and shut job. 71 front end cut and welded to a 73 or 74 from the tank or thereabouts back. or perhaps a right front quarter replacing the original, but the spare wheel well tends to indicate its an entire 71 front end.

its probably a 73 with a 71 front cut and shut. the dash heater vent controls might be a give away if that is the original dash. i think the heater slide controls were slightly revised from 73 to 74. not sure. jeff bowlsby could probably tell.

additionally taking a close look at the engine shot. it does not appear to be a 1.7 or 1.8 block. no engine number in the usual spot that i can see. and i don't think its a 914 2.0 due to sheet metal but i could be mistaken. the fan casting is definitely of the type found on bus engines. the timing hole is not drilled out.

maybe the greek registration details are correct where it is identified as a 73?
somewhere along the way something happened that required complete replacement of the front end and the VIN was not swapped over.
very mysterious.
the vwpp# (karmann number) is likely relating to 11th week of 1973 production date.

in answer to chmillman question - when is the vin applied or allocated.
vin is done right at the end of the production line. when car is complete.
the vwpp# is assigned right at the start when the body shell is completed.
that number is a build sheet number and follows the car down the production line. its on the top of every vw build sheet.
its not particular to the karmann factory - every vw built at that time used the coded numbers with adjustments to what the numbers where depending on the model and the factory it was being built at.

given the vin allocation in the production sequence i can understand a car with an earlier in the model year vwpp# getting a Vin number much later in the range. the car or body shell might be held over and then much later completed. either weeks out of range or maybe even months. what i can't understand is an earlier vin (in terms of range and date) being assigned to a later vwpp#. i don't think vin plates sat around on the shelf waiting for a car to be built. the vins were all stamped and assigned on the day the car was completed. anyway its academic when it comes to this car, there is no way that vin and front goes with the rest of the car including its vwpp#.

[Pyetookh]

@chmillman has better eyes than me. good thing i am not a pilot. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

but since the vwpp# is an 11 matching the karmann plate that settles the question of the vin i was highlighting. the 7000 range its in is not right by a long shot. let alone the L13K yellow paint code which is as pointed out a 73 on color only.

a couple of other observations. the dash is not right for a 71. it would have had a central demister vent and would lack the side vents at either end of dashboard in the dash face. additionally the seats and backpad are the dual fixed seat variety.
the interior is at minimum a 72 onwards. has end vents in dash and two adjustable seats.

my conclusion is that its likely the car is a cut and shut job. 71 front end cut and welded to a 73 or 74 from the tank or thereabouts back. or perhaps a right front quarter replacing the original, but the spare wheel well tends to indicate its an entire 71 front end.

its probably a 73 with a 71 front cut and shut. the dash heater vent controls might be a give away if that is the original dash. i think the heater slide controls were slightly revised from 73 to 74. not sure. jeff bowlsby could probably tell.

additionally taking a close look at the engine shot. it does not appear to be a 1.7 or 1.8 block. no engine number in the usual spot that i can see. and i don't think its a 914 2.0 due to sheet metal but i could be mistaken. the fan casting is definitely of the type found on bus engines. the timing hole is not drilled out.

maybe the greek registration details are correct where it is identified as a 73?
somewhere along the way something happened that required complete replacement of the front end and the VIN was not swapped over.
very mysterious.
the vwpp# (karmann number) is likely relating to 11th week of 1973 production date.

in answer to chmillman question - when is the vin applied or allocated.
vin is done right at the end of the production line. when car is complete.
the vwpp# is assigned right at the start when the body shell is completed.
that number is a build sheet number and follows the car down the production line. its on the top of every vw build sheet.
its not particular to the karmann factory - every vw built at that time used the coded numbers with adjustments to what the numbers where depending on the model and the factory it was being built at.

given the vin allocation in the production sequence i can understand a car with an earlier in the model year vwpp# getting a Vin number much later in the range. the car or body shell might be held over and then much later completed. either weeks out of range or maybe even months. what i can't understand is an earlier vin (in terms of range and date) being assigned to a later vwpp#. i don't think vin plates sat around on the shelf waiting for a car to be built. the vins were all stamped and assigned on the day the car was completed. anyway its academic when it comes to this car, there is no way that vin and front goes with the rest of the car including its vwpp#.

Thank you very much for your write up here. I really appreciate your knowledge (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pray.gif)
But I don´t really think this is Frankenstein job as such:
1. Original Sunflower yellow seems to be the first paint everywhere (front and rear)
2. I can´t see any signs of non original welding between front and rear
3. Most later parts (73´s) were supplied from burnt donor car. I got plenty of spare parts with my 914 (3x gearbox, 2x 1.7L and 1x 1.8L engines, 4x seats, 2x dashboards, 3+3 bumpers, etc.)
Obviously I can be wrong ´cause I have nowhere near your experience (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

Yes. You´re right.
My car has a Bus engine fitted. Unfortunately there´s no engine number so I only suspect it is 2.0L. But I want to sell this and build "Porsche" engine 1911cc on Webers from scratch.
Gearbox is also replaced for side-shifter intead of the original tail-shifter.


I believe that this donor car was complete 1.7L from 1973 with burnt engine bay and partially interior. It was stripped down and some parts installed onto mine 914. I have a really bad access to it so can´t check chassis number now but engine number is EA012447




Hopefully it makes a bit more sense now