914 "Need to Know" items for my son, If and when he inherits my car, someday... Options

[oakdalecurtis]

I am in no hurry to go, but someday my 35 year old son will inherit my 914. He is good mechanically, but he has never spent time working on the 914 with me, for many life reasons. (He's a corporate jet pilot, always been busy flying). I thought I would write a list of "Need to Know" items to give him a good start with the car when that day comes. Here's my list. Anything else come to mind to consider?

- ALL bolts are metric.

- Only two local mechanics know how to fix 914’s properly. Terry at Kruse-Lucas in
Modesto and Keith at Eurotrends in Ceres are the ones. Only Terry at Kruse Lucas has
the equipment to smog it.

- Engine valves should be adjusted professionally every 5000 miles, by Terry or Kieth.

- All removed car parts are in a plastic bin in the garage room.

- Run the engine on 87 octane gas, do not go by the 91 RON sticker, that’s a European
octane rating, different than US octane rating. Higher octane will make engine run
hotter and your wallet run thinner.

- Use only 20/50 Brad Penn Racing Oil, order online. This oil has higher levels of ZDPP
to protect older engines. Use only a Royal Purple 20-253, Mahle OC-28, or Mann
W920/17 oil filter, also ordered online. Change oil filter from below, on passenger side
of engine block near firewall. PAN PLUG TORQUE IS ONLY 16 ft/lbs, and SUMP PLUG IS
ONLY 9.4 ft/lbs. Any more torque will cause BIG damage to engine. I just cleaned out
the sump screen, so it’s not necessary to do again for a LONG time. Just change the
oil via the pan plug every 3000 miles or once per year. Install a new crush washer
(AutoAtlanta has them) on the pan plug, with the washer seam TOWARD the bolt
head. NEVER let an oil change shop do the oil change, as they are clueless and will
over torque the plug and damage the engine. It’s an easy do it yourself job. Complete
oil change instructions are in my personal computer files under Cars/914.

- The idle adjust screw is on the back of the throttle body, if you stand on the passenger
side of the car and reach around throttle body. Only adjust the idle when the engine
is warm. The idle mixture control, done at idle only, is the “white line” knob on the
back of the black ECU box on the firewall behind the battery.

- Don’t use a K&N air filter, just a standard paper air filter. Oil in the K&N filters is bad
for the engine sensors.

- If the battery is disconnected and reconnected for maintenence, the radio antenna will
not go up until you push the radio power button several dozen times, not sure why.

- The rain tray under the engine access lid has been removed so the engine runs cooler,
and also to allow installation of the BlazeCut fire suppression system tube. Do not run
the car in the rain if you can help it, since the body steel is not galvanized and will
rust easliy from any trapped water.

- If the rear trunk release solenoid is not working, an emergency trunk release cable is
hanging under the center of the rear bumper just above sight line.

- Run stock tire size. Low profile tires will make ride quality very harsh, trust me.

- Brake pads are in great shape, and should last a long time.

- Fuses are under the dash on the drivers left knee area. Fuses are color coded for
amperage. Relays are on the relay board just above those fuses, which is accessed by
removing the two screws holding the relay board up. I recommend disconnecting the
negative cable from the battery before dropping the relay board.

- Another relay board is found in the engine compartment under a plastic cover below
the theft alarm. There is also one fuse on it controlling most engine functions. The
Voltage Regulator is also on this relay board, accessed by carefully removing plastic
box cover with snap clip on the bottom edge .

[rick 918-S]

My experience, kids seldom like the same cars their dads like. Specially if you have to follow your dads list. That said, drive it like you stole it.

[orthobiz]

Looks like a 1976 car from your profile page. That will help in making recommendations...

Paul

[Mikey914]

I think the key is to get him driving one. Not yours, but his own. So he has need to spend time working on it with you. He will also appreciate the quirks and things that make the car special. He needs a taste if he's going to get the bug. Both my boys enjoy their 914's. Micheal (the original mikey914) got his taste and when we were in Medford the right opportunity arose and he's back in one (Matt borrowed work WCR this year because his isn't ready).
Taylor is doing a rotisserie restoration with some help from Cary. Hopefully we can get it close by the end of the year.

Eventually, the car will make it's way to him and he will truly appreciate the time spent going to events, turning a wrench, and spending time with family.

Besides I'd bet he could store it in the hanger. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[oakdalecurtis]

My experience, kids seldom like the same cars their dads like. Specially if you have to follow your dads list. That said, drive it like you stole it.

Actually, he does appreciate and want the car, someday. And unlike me, he follows lists really well, like pre flight checklists. However, that "dad likes" strategy is how I got rid of certain boyfriends my daughter dated long ago. If I acted as if I really liked them after first introductions, she usually tossed them aside before the end of the week! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif)

[sb914]

Most importantly

[Dave_Darling]

BTW, the seatbelt bolts are not metric... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

--DD

[oakdalecurtis]

BTW, the seatbelt bolts are not metric... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

--DD

That's odd Dave, why you think they would metric everything but the seat belt bolts? Maybe USA only thing?

[LowBridge]

great list... I hope he does not need it for many years to come (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[oakdalecurtis]

great list... I hope he does not need it for many years to come (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

If only it were up to me..... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

[Dave_Darling]

That's odd Dave, why you think they would metric everything but the seat belt bolts? Maybe USA only thing?

My guess is that the belt bolts were required for US import. But that they used the same bolts on all cars because it was easier than keeping track of two different sets of bolts. Evidently the RoW cars all got the inch-sized seatbelt bolts as well.

--DD

[r_towle]

That's odd Dave, why you think they would metric everything but the seat belt bolts? Maybe USA only thing?

My guess is that the belt bolts were required for US import. But that they used the same bolts on all cars because it was easier than keeping track of two different sets of bolts. Evidently the RoW cars all got the inch-sized seatbelt bolts as well.

--DD

Curious, were there no seatbelts in the cars sold in Europe?
Was the spec for larger diameter bolts from the NHSTA?
And, most important, were those pesky seat belt retaining brackets then applied on US spec cars, once they got here?

Rich

[Dave_Darling]

I believe that the belts and such were the same across all markets.

The hardware is SAE sized.

That's really all I know, the rest is speculation.

--DD

[EdwardBlume]

and if you get stuck:

www.914world.com

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

[mbseto]

My experience, kids seldom like the same cars their dads like.

I'm one of the seldom. Dad's got a talent for picking fun cars... TR6, 240Z, VW GTI (geez, he must have had that car for 20 years), currently driving the model of his first car, TR3. I'd gladly drive any of those.

Apropos to the OP, I go help dad out with the TR occasionally and I think your son getting hands on is both the best prep and also the best indication that he has some interest in it.

[WPEngels]

I believe that the belts and such were the same across all markets.

The hardware is SAE sized.

That's really all I know, the rest is speculation.

--DD

Hi, long time ago, working for Volvo, I was another guy wondering about this. Here, on this side of the Atlantic (and Channel), everything is metric, except the seatbelt hardware indeed. That's always SAE and had something to do with the original approval of seatbelts and effort involved ($$$) to get approval to use other - metric - hardware or even other sizes of SAE hardware.

[ljubodraz]

"- Run the engine on 87 octane gas, do not go by the 91 RON sticker, that’s a European
octane rating, different than US octane rating. Higher octane will make engine run
hotter and your wallet run thinner."

Interesting that this is the first time I've heard of this issue of cooler temps. I'll have to give it a try. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)