Ridiculous 914 stories?, You haven't lived if you have never... Options

[Moneypit]

I was just recalling the first time we ever drove our '74 1.8 with Twin Webers. It was the first 914 we'd had after my dad sold his back in the 80's, and we picked her up for $600 dollars after catching it on fire briefly while trying to turn the motor over. When we got it home, we started digging through the car, and discovered two main things: 1) the passenger side Weber was seized up, which resulted in 2) the crappy metal crank that attaches the go pedal to the throttle cable being broken. So basically the gas pedal was non-functioning. After removing the carb, pulling it apart and freeing it up with WD-40, we at least could get the car finally started! After much trying, backfires, and standing around with fire extinguishers, the motor jumped to life!

Not content to just have the motor running, my dad and our friend (a body man who restores old cars & worked at a porsche/bmw/mercedes/audi dealership) kinda looked at each other and said, "wanna take it around the block?". We had removed the rear trunk and engine lid to get better access in the engine bay, which incidentally led to possibly the most ludicdous 914 sight I've seen yet. I want you to picture someone sitting in the rear trunk, manually running the carburetors by hand, while my dad steered/shifted, and me along for the ride. It took a few moments to synchronize driver/throttle man, but soon we were pulling out of the back alley, and cruising along our neighborhood in a backfiring, trunkless 914 with a guy hanging onto the rollbar working the throttle. Needless to say, all the kids in the neighborhood were pointing and following, then ducking and running when it backfired. We did a few laps, and then parked her, victorious!

We only did it the one time, and naturally this was before cell phone cameras and even digital cameras being everywhere, so sorry I don't have a pic or video. Soon we got a replacement lever, rebuilt the carbs with a rebuild kit, sorted the throttle linkage all out, and had her driving normally.

Anyone else have ridiculous, 914 stories from your restoration, trips to meets, or just daily driving?

[lalee914]

A long time ago I owned a beautiful 914/6. I had the engine rebuilt and at that time they also put in a new clutch, new fuel lines and were supposed to have put in new inner CV boots. A couple years later, I'm on a long run on the highway driving through western NY. There's not much at all out there. This is an area where you hit the scan button on your radio and it just does laps. Pretty boring piece of road. Almost no traffic at all.

I come over a slight rise and can see a long section of elevated roadway where there is no place for any cops to be hiding. Now is a good time to see how fast this puppy will go. Foot to the floor in 5th gear and hold it there. I go by the only car in sight at about 80 MPH and the /6 is starting to sing its song. Up to 100 MPH and it is pulling good, running strong. Here comes 120 and the car is feeling good. About 130something, we are still pulling hard and getting close to redline. A look in the mirror and, HORROR! There is a BIG CLOUD OF SMOKE behind me! Shit! I blew the motor and I'm a long way from home! Shove in the clutch and the engine goes to idle. No lights, no funny sounds, no vibrations. Wiggle the steering wheel, OK. touch the brakes, OK. blip the throttle, OK. Check the mirror and the smoke is almost gone. Down to about 60 now so I put it in gear and apply a bit of power. No smoke now. Everything seems OK.

Drive gently along to a rest stop. I pulled into a spot and stopped. Let the engine idle a bit and that sounds perfect. Shut it off and get out expecting to see a trail of oil and oil all over the back of the car but there isn't any. Whats going on here? Pop the engine lid and the engine compartment looks good. There were a few small spots of oil on one side but nowhere enough to make anything like the smoke I saw.

Drive gently home then put the car up on jackstands. Ahhh. Thats the problem. The inner CV boots had exploded and the grease hit the heat exchangers. The 20+ year old boots were never changed.