Help choosing the right 914, Separating the good from the bad Options

[ressex]

Merry Christmas everyone. I'm new to 914World - and am glad I found you. I have been looking for a 914 and thought I knew a little bit, enough to buy one ..until I started reading here. I am focusing on 73-74s and looking at three right now, two listed on 914World classifieds and one on eBay. I'm not wedded to originality, particularly if typical upgrades make the car better, in term of rust prevention, brakes, transmission, etc. and changing colors is fine, as long s it 'looks right'. One focus has been the hell hole. Were the original batteries the biggest issue or poor steel in that area? I ask because an original car with no rust there would still be susceptible to rust versus a car that's been stripped and repainted, assuming that area was given extra attention? As I look through the ads I also see the usual mention of the pedal box, brake and transmission upgrades and the ongoing debate of FI versus carbs. Armed with some advice I will ask questions before making what may be a cross country journey. Thanks very much for helping a novice.