15 years in storage - Paint Code pic added Options

[budk]

I just brought home a 74 2.0 that was last run in 1995.

Supposedly it was running and had a fuel pump problem and it was parked and not touched since.

I'm looking for suggestions as to where to start. I'd like to get a handle on the condition of the engine first so I'm looking for suggestions.

Opinions are be appreciated.

Pics (bad pics) are farther down in this thread.

[mepstein]

Ask your bank about a second mortgage.

Check the rust situation first. That's were all the money goes and is the non-negotiable part of a restore. And what you see is probably only 10-20% of what's really there.

Check out the "mepstein build thread" if you want to see how much rust can be hiding in a decent looking car stored in a garage for 21 years. The real juicy stuff starts around post #138 and builds from there. Good luck, Mark

[SirAndy]

what should I do first?

Post pictures here!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/thisthreadisworthlesswithoutpics.gif)


(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) Andy

PS: (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)

[tornik550]

I think that I should chime in and say that the car is very cool. Bud, I hope you don't mind but I am going to post one of the pics that I took.

[jt914-6]

Clean out the mice nests/mess and check for wiring damage.....

[SLITS]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

Remove the rack access panel on the bottom and look for summer homes and skeletons.

If the heater equipment was hooked up and the connection were not chewed through in the engine compartment or cabin, you won't find any of their winter homes.

I fired a car up that had been sitting 20 years. After about 5 mins, someone yelled Fire .... one of the HEs had been open and family built a winter home ... It burned to the ground. I then used an airhose to blow out everything else.

I then pulled the tank, found another resident and home.

Rack boots were chewed along with some wiring.

[Tom_T]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png) .... to all y'uns from a former PGHer! .... & still a Steeler & Bucs fan! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

OK - a few premises here:
Salted Roads = Rust
Winter/Snow = Rust
PGH Cloud Busters = Rust
ALL 914s ANYWHERE = RUST!!!!

Do a full assessment of the 914 - pull, poke & dig EVERYWHERE you can think of, and then where you can't think of! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

Pull Rockers & look at longs outside & pull carpets & seats & look at inner longs & floor pans inside & underneath;

Pull steering rack as noted by Ron/slits & also check for rust on the underbody, especially at the steering rack/crossmember struts & other connection points;

Pull the engine bay firewall pad & look for rust behind on firewall & engine shelf (also on inside of cabin behind pad;

Check battery tray/support, rear longs/engine shelves/suspension consoles/etc. in the hell hole/battery tray area & under engine bay relay board;

Pull of all F&R trunk lids' seals/gaskets & check for rust & also on both trunk floors, around taillights, at F & R bumper bolt connections, at rear tow-hook stud & F horn & foglight connections, inside headlight boxes & drain tubes;

Pull cowl/fender joint seals & check crack for rust, as well as along cowl at windshield trim/frame, wiper shaft insets, washer jets, vent, etc.;

Check door sills, jambs, along the sail-to-rear-fender area along the & under the sail vinyl & bright trim, & along sails' inside/outside & rollbar top/bottom;

Pull outer door seals on the doors & check seal channel & along bottoms of doors, as well as top at windows & mirror(s);

... and then check some more, following the probable water routes from what you find above.

My 914 was rustorated in 1980, driven in SoCal to 5/85 when some gal whacked it in a UCLA parking structure, then stored in my dry SoCal garage clean & non-rusty then, but came out with extensive "new" rust damage when I got back to assess it for repairs/resto! The sheet metal pre-76/77 were not galvanized nor other rust preventative treatment at the factory. FYI - all 914s were built in 75 or earlier, so are just as rust prone as any Porsche, VW, BMW, MBZ or any other car of that 50's-60's-70's era! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

Don't try to run the engine until you change out all of the soft lines (high pressure fuel & vacuum hoses), & ditto for the brake lines (calipers & MC may need rebuilds or replacement - MC's new still available, but upgrade to 19mm 914-6/911 ATE is less than 914/4 17mm - so go for the upgrade). Sounds like you'll need a fuel pump, but the OEM Bosch are NLA, so stick with a rebuilt by Bosch & not other companies' rebuilds of the Bosch FP.

BTW - I can't see someone not driving the 914 because it needs a fuel pump - esp.since they were still available new back then for a fairly reasonable price (relatively speaking for Porsche parts). I'm guessing there was more wrong that they didn't want to do.

Also now in the PGH area is "Dr. Evil" the 914 Tranny Wiz on here (transaxle rebuilding - not cross-dressing that is - although the last WCR pix gave us all some doubts! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif) ). He's doing his residency there & lives out in/near Mt Washington IIRC. Find him in the member search & send him a PM. I'm sure he'd like to know another local Teener, & there are a couple of other PGH Teeners on here too (I'm out in SoCal since `63).

Good Luck, then enjoy running the sucker all out in the Alleghenies!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/w00t.gif)

Cheers! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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[budk]

Thanks for all the good input.

It's certainly not rust-free, but it's the least rusted car I looked at. The bottoms of the doors are a little rough and there is a couple of bubbles of rust on the trunk. The rear bumper is rotted and there is some light rust in the battery area.

However, if it were running I would have no problems driving it as is.

I understand the concern that a fuel pump shouldn't have caused this to be parked, but the owner's had some other issues in their life that caused this to be put on the back burner, so that may be the only issue.

It was stored in a split level home's garage so it wasn't out in a barn, but I will look for any nests.

It's still has the fuel injection and most everything else. I really need to compare it to another similiar car to see if I'm missing any thing.

I'll post pics as soon as I figure out how to do so!

[Tom_T]

How to post pix here -
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=13637

[Bleyseng]

just post alot of pics so we can advise you (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

[swl]

I understand the concern that a fuel pump shouldn't have caused this to be parked, but the owner's had some other issues in their life that caused this to be put on the back burner, so that may be the only issue.

The fuel pump cct has been a PITA to a lot of folks so I could see it being a last straw. Car isn't running, park it for the winter, too busy to work on it, life happens, years pass.

Avoid the temptation to just crank it to see if it will start. After sitting that long there is going to be sediment in the fuel system that can really mess up the injectors. Was there still gas in the tank or did it manage to evaporate.

I don't know how much time/money/effort you have to invest in getting it to run. You should be prepared to tear apart a lot of the fuel system. Replace hoses and the filter. Take out the injectors and send them off for cleaning.

DJet is very sensitive to vacuum leaks so you should just bite the bullet and buy a replacement hose kit and and re-plumb the air system. Get all that done then we'll figure out what happened to the fuel pump. Most likely it was just relays but there are a bunch of other electrical things that can go wrong.

[budk]

SWL - thanks - i am thinking along the same lines. I'm not in a hurry to crank it over and see what's what. I want to do this right. I'm thinking this will be a winter project so I have plenty of time.

My thought is to drop the engine so I can get a good look at the engine bay area and make any repairs or treat any rust spots with por-15.
While the engine is out, I'm looking for suggestions of what to do or not to do. IE, remove the plugs and squirt oil in the pistons and try to turn it by hand, etc..... I'm fairly well versed in mechanical repairs although this is the first air cooled engine that I will be working on.

Obviously draining the fuel tank and cleaning it is an important step. I will likely replace the fuel lines while I have it apart.

Keep the suggestions coming. I'll try to post a couple of pics but the pics I have aren't very good.... more to come when I have time next weekend to get it out into the sunlight.

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Much Thanks. Bud

[swl]

Now you're talking Bud! Any guy who's first reaction is to put her up on jack stands and drop the engine is going to fit in well around here!

[914Sixer]

What is the VIN number? It looks like it maybe a repainted LE Bumblebee.

[budk]

What is the VIN number? It looks like it maybe a repainted LE Bumblebee.

It may be a bumblebee, I already sent off for the COA.

VIN is 4742914665

Once I find out for sure, that will determine what my plans will be for paint. I'm fine with it being yellow, but if it's a bee then it's got to go back to being black.

[nsr-jamie]

penetrating fluid for a few days should help too in the engine

[ME733]

.......THE VERY FIRST THING to do is to rebuild the ENTIRE fuel system....from the tank to the fuel injectors......everything you restore would be a waste of time ...IF IT BURNS TO THE GROUND from a old ,dried out ,cracked fuel line, fuel rail fitting, etc..........it,s the smart thing to do.

[budk]

.......THE VERY FIRST THING to do is to rebuild the ENTIRE fuel system....from the tank to the fuel injectors......everything you restore would be a waste of time ...IF IT BURNS TO THE GROUND from a old ,dried out ,cracked fuel line, fuel rail fitting, etc..........it,s the smart thing to do.

Thanks. - that's exactly the type of info I'm looking for.

[Krieger]

To be fully confident I would consider going through the entire brake system. New master, rebuild calipers, new hoses. Probably turn rotors if really rusty. Once you do brakes and fuel system your safe and will probably be done with the car and never have any problems... not. But seriously I'd get it running first to see what all it needs then maybe yank that engine. You can change all the fuel lines in the car with the engine in. Consider replacing the center tunnel lines with stainless lines. Member Chris Foley sells these in the vendor area. Check the condition of the cv boots too. Grease up the rear trunk hinge/rollers.

[budk]

To be fully confident I would consider going through the entire brake system. New master, rebuild calipers, new hoses. Probably turn rotors if really rusty. Once you do brakes and fuel system your safe and will probably be done with the car and never have any problems... not. But seriously I'd get it running first to see what all it needs then maybe yank that engine. You can change all the fuel lines in the car with the engine in. Consider replacing the center tunnel lines with stainless lines. Member Chris Foley sells these in the vendor area. Check the condition of the cv boots too. Grease up the rear trunk hinge/rollers.

Great info about the brakes/lines. When I pushed the car on the trailer you could hear the brakes rubbing, but they worked well enough to stop the car when we pushed her into the garage. Also, in the trunk, there are 2 brand new rotors and a box that has an old master cylinder in it.. so, I assume that was replaced at some point in the past.