Some questions after reading Johnson's Book on 914 Authenticity Options

[doug_b_928]

Last night I read through Johnson's "A Restorer's Guide to Authenticity" (1999). I have a 73 1.7 that was built in August of 72 and it is #663. It is a Canadian car and has the appearance group package. When I bought it in '85 it still had the vinyl on the window frame, but all vinyl was removed for a respray in about '88 (At the time I didn't know that this was a rare feature). Reading through the book in reference to my car has raised some questions with which I'm hoping you'll be able to help:

1. P.6--It appears that the appearance group did not include any particular wheels. That is, in 73 with appearance group the standard steel wheels (5.5") would have come with the car unless ordered with optional wheels, correct?

2. P. 58--the rear trunk compartment light--mine has been deleted. I don't have a pic and the car is 2 hours away in winter storage, but a small plate has been placed in the hole. Did any cars come with this light deleted, or was this likely someone's solution to replacing the light?

3. P. 61--only the US 73 2.0 litre cars received 150mph speedos. My car has a 150mph speedo with roughly 86,000 miles. My sense is that those miles are accurate for the car. Did some Canadian 1.7 cars come with the 150mph speedo?

4. P. 74--although the book says that the defroster lever reverted to the original and a defrost warning light was added in mid-73, my car has these. But, the cover never had a light under it and was just sitting on/glued to the "carpet" that the PO had put in. Does anyone have a pic of this defrost light in operation? Any pic of how it mounts? My car didn't come with the 3 gauge optional console. The pic in the book shows the light mounted to a raised console, but my car only had carpet on top of the tunnel by where the defrost lever is. So, how should this light be mounted? Is it just somehow affixed to the top of the tunnel through the carpet?

5. P. 77--my car has the early style chrome VW window cranks, which the book says were used through 72. Were early 73's (built in 72) equipped with these window cranks, or should mine have the all black plastic one? The book is ambiguous on this because it doesn't seem to distinguish model year from build year.

TIA for any clarification,

Doug

[Pat Garvey]

Last night I read through Johnson's "A Restorer's Guide to Authenticity" (1999). I have a 73 1.7 that was built in August of 72 and it is #663. It is a Canadian car and has the appearance group package. When I bought it in '85 it still had the vinyl on the window frame, but all vinyl was removed for a respray in about '88 (At the time I didn't know that this was a rare feature). Reading through the book in reference to my car has raised some questions with which I'm hoping you'll be able to help:

1. P.6--It appears that the appearance group did not include any particular wheels. That is, in 73 with appearance group the standard steel wheels (5.5") would have come with the car unless ordered with optional wheels, correct?

2. P. 58--the rear trunk compartment light--mine has been deleted. I don't have a pic and the car is 2 hours away in winter storage, but a small plate has been placed in the hole. Did any cars come with this light deleted, or was this likely someone's solution to replacing the light?

3. P. 61--only the US 73 2.0 litre cars received 150mph speedos. My car has a 150mph speedo with roughly 86,000 miles. My sense is that those miles are accurate for the car. Did some Canadian 1.7 cars come with the 150mph speedo?

4. P. 74--although the book says that the defroster lever reverted to the original and a defrost warning light was added in mid-73, my car has these. But, the cover never had a light under it and was just sitting on/glued to the "carpet" that the PO had put in. Does anyone have a pic of this defrost light in operation? Any pic of how it mounts? My car didn't come with the 3 gauge optional console. The pic in the book shows the light mounted to a raised console, but my car only had carpet on top of the tunnel by where the defrost lever is. So, how should this light be mounted? Is it just somehow affixed to the top of the tunnel through the carpet?

5. P. 77--my car has the early style chrome VW window cranks, which the book says were used through 72. Were early 73's (built in 72) equipped with these window cranks, or should mine have the all black plastic one? The book is ambiguous on this because it doesn't seem to distinguish model year from build year.

TIA for any clarification,

Doug

Doug,

Early 914's are an enigma. That's why the Doc's book has many issues. Canadian 914's are even more of a mystery than US cars.
Question 1: Other than 2.0's '73's with the app group had 5.5 steelies. Everywhere in North America.
Question 2: I've never seen a blanked rear trunk light- any year. Sounds like a cheap fix, but there should be a telltale wire somewhere.
Question 3: Can't help, but I thought those were '74 things.
Question 4: the chrome window cranks were a part of the '73. They disappeared after that. I just gave away the remaining spare of mine.

I knew Doc Johnson back in the day. He was a great veterinarian, with a heart of gold for 914's. His book is full of useful info, but not necessarily correct.

914's were made for all areas of the world. True, they didn't make many, but what they made were subject to the dealers of the era. Parts were swapped between model years to make a sale. They'd never get away with that these days. Good luck.

[doug_b_928]

Pat,

Thanks so much for your reply. It's great to know that the chrome handles are correct for 73. Now I only have to get one (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif). I'll search for the wire for the trunk light. IIRC, the book said that they were also a 911 license plate light, so I hope that they are still available (along with the reportedly VW light that was used as the interior cabin light--I need both). Subsequent to my post, I found a website that indicates that the 150 mph speedo is correct for 73. See here for any interested readers:

http://www.p914.com/p914_gauges_cluster-73.htm

Doug

[Pat Garvey]

Pat,

Thanks so much for your reply. It's great to know that the chrome handles are correct for 73. Now I only have to get one (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif). I'll search for the wire for the trunk light. IIRC, the book said that they were also a 911 license plate light, so I hope that they are still available (along with the reportedly VW light that was used as the interior cabin light--I need both). Subsequent to my post, I found a website that indicates that the 150 mph speedo is correct for 73. See here for any interested readers:

http://www.p914.com/p914_gauges_cluster-73.htm

Doug

Doug,

You missed me by 2 months. I gave away my spare chrome window crank to a good bud. We help the needy here.
Pat

[doug_b_928]

I appreciate the thought, Pat. Thanks.
Doug

[nathansnathan]

the early and late defrost lever is round like this
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads/post-179-1246743976.jpg)

I think it was just 72 that had the squarish one. This is my car, built 4/72.
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/www.914club.com-11782-1291418831.5.jpg)

The red part looks the same as this one which is in a 76 911
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/forums.pelicanparts.com-11782-1389880646.1.jpg)

[doug_b_928]

Great pics, thanks. I hope somebody responds with respect to the defrost light. I still have no idea how it is supposed to mount and how it works. I kept the black covering for it but it is in some long lost drawer somewhere on the farm where I grew up.

[tod914]

Here's a photo of where it mounts. I suspect there are two holes in the center tunnel for the sheet metal screws. Can't help with the wire color code for you, but there should be a wire that runs along there for your defrost light to plug into.

[doug_b_928]

^^^Excellent, thank you! So, is there just one white light bulb in there that lights the "on" when the heater is in use? Is there also a light for "off?" Anybody have a pic of the light(s) on?

[Bleyseng]

Crap, I can't remember but I thought the "Heater Light" came on when you turned on the headlights? I can't go look as my car in in the garage in storage 4000mi away... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

I bought a nos one of these and installed it to replace my old dirty one but mine is mounted on the 2.0L console instead on the carpet.

[doug_b_928]

Crap, I can't remember but I thought the "Heater Light" came on when you turned on the headlights? I can't go look as my car in in the garage in storage 4000mi away... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

I bought a nos one of these and installed it to replace my old dirty one but mine is mounted on the 2.0L console instead on the carpet.

Thanks, Geoff. If you could take a pic and describe how it works once you get your car out of storage I'd appreciate it.

[wolle914]

Crap, I can't remember but I thought the "Heater Light" came on when you turned on the headlights? I can't go look as my car in in the garage in storage 4000mi away... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

I bought a nos one of these and installed it to replace my old dirty one but mine is mounted on the 2.0L console instead on the carpet.

Thanks, Geoff. If you could take a pic and describe how it works once you get your car out of storage I'd appreciate it.

Crap, the temprature control illumination light is to be electrically connected to mass and to the instrument panel illumination potentiometer, so that the light is dimmed together with the instrument illumination. You can derive this from the official current flow diagram (L21 in track 36) of the 1974 model. You'll find this original Porsche current flow diagram here: http://www.pelicanparts.com/914/parts/Elec...lectric_74C.jpg
The flow diagram for the 73 Model can also be found on the PP website, however, this diagram is more difficult to read. As far as themechanical connection is concerned my 914er has the center console, but I saw pics where the light was directly mounted to the carpet.

good luck
wolfram (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

[Sarastro]

On the 73, the Heater Light was illuminated as part of the instrument light package. It has a square plastic base that screws through the carpet and into metal and a cover piece with little tabs that snap into place to keep it secure.

The Heater handle is rounded with no lettering. The Heater Light only noted the location of the Heater handle. When raised, the handle only opened hot air flow vanes, there was no light indication of the handle´s position.

In 73, virtually all 914s were sold with the Volkswagen style, chrome hubcaps (minus the VW logo). There were of course a few models sold with Padrini, Mahle, or Fuchs wheels, mostly on the 2.0 liter models. These wheels seem to last longer than the cars they were originally sold with. Many owners have now replaced the original steel wheels with the Padrini, Mahle or Fuchs style such that now it´s relatively rare to see a 914 with its original chrome hubcaps.

If current trends continue, we´ll only see 914s with modified flared fenders and Fuchs wheels. I think it´s sad to see how many of these cars have turned to rust by lack of care or have been cutup to look like something they are not.

[doug_b_928]

So, to clarify, there was just one bulb under that black plastic cover and it would light up when the park/head lights were on? IIRC, my cover had arrows that said "on" and "off." What did that mean?

Thanks for the info!

[dlkawashima]

IIRC, my cover had arrows that said "on" and "off." What did that mean?

It indicates which way to move the lever to allow or not allow heat into the interior.

[doug_b_928]

Ah, got it. Thanks to all of you for your help!

[914runnow]

"5. P. 77--my car has the early style chrome VW window cranks, which the book says were used through 72. Were early 73's (built in 72) equipped with these window cranks, or should mine have the all black plastic one? The book is ambiguous on this because it doesn't seem to distinguish model year from build year.."
I have 1/2 of an early 73 in my bone yard on side of house..
also a 1.7..
the chrome cranks were >used up< on those early 73's....
and the 73's had 150 speedo's...
also the early 73 1.7's had the older non centering hubs
with no tabs for the sway bars....
the factory had to get rid of them..looks like most of your questions
got answered...
PM if you have more..I used to hang out here...9 grand kidz..
2 jobs..
and 3 1/2 914'z keep me from here anymore....
Thanx Rx