Virginia Teener, Two mid-engine Porsche's in my garage?!?! Options

[Gatornapper]

Anderss - PM me your phone # & a convenient time for me to call.....

know of any others here in central VA? Have to be more....

GN

914 Friends - thanks for all the warm welcomes.

QUESTION: Is there anywhere on this site where I can find/connect with other 914 owners in central Virginia?

TIA,

GN

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png) from Yorktown VA

[Gatornapper]

Ok friends - brought the '76 home today and am overall very pleased with my findings digging into the car.

#1 of course is how rust-free the car is - everywhere. Few rust bubbles under paint under window trim, one 3/4" spot where targa rail hits body.

Lots to like - great 190/R60 tires on all corners for one - old, but like new. I know, they need to be replaced.

Generally this car is in amazing condition and I think worth - once running and well-detailed professionally - at least $15k...if not more....

Now's when I begin to ask the technical questions. What is the best way to do that here? Of course I'll search for answers before posting. But do I Post a list on the main Garage forum? Or on a technical forum?

Simple one now is original fuel pump electric? I have a new electric one and pressure regulator for it. Where is the original located as it has been removed from this car?

And sources for parts? I know of 914rubber.com. Body parts? Like wheels for trunk springs?

TIA,

GN

[Freezin 914]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)

[Coondog]

Your in the right spot, post all your questions here in the Garage.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/type.gif)

P.S read everything in the 914 world thread > Lapuwali Classic Thread Forum
Also go to Pelican parts and read everything in there tech threads
and I can't forget Jeff Bowlsby 914 website, lots of great info.

[euro911]

The fuel pump on '75/'76 models is located in the lower driver's side area in the front trunk. Small metal cover plate down low, should be easy to see ... pump mounts behind it.

[Gatornapper]

CoonDog - Thanks! Will do!

GN

Your in the right spot, post all your questions here in the Garage.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/type.gif)

P.S read everything in the 914 world thread > Lapuwali Classic Thread Forum
Also go to Pelican parts and read everything in there tech threads
and I can't forget Jeff Bowlsby 914 website, lots of great info.

[Gatornapper]

Mark -

Found it this afternoon while just getting more familiar with the car - thanks! Cept mine didn't have a plate covering it. Tank is out of car...

GN

The fuel pump on '75/'76 models is located in the lower driver's side area in the front trunk. Small metal cover plate down low, should be easy to see ... pump mounts behind it.

[Gatornapper]

Yes, the plate that holds the fuel pump is there - thought you meant a plate above it. Allows access from Frunk w/o removing tank....testing pump tomorrow - was filled with what looked like fresh gas! After 10 years sitting......wondering how that could be.....

Thanks Mark.

Mark -

Found it this afternoon while just getting more familiar with the car - thanks! Cept mine didn't have a plate covering it. Tank is out of car...

GN

The fuel pump on '75/'76 models is located in the lower driver's side area in the front trunk. Small metal cover plate down low, should be easy to see ... pump mounts behind it.

[Gatornapper]

Friends -

The more I tear into this car, the more pleased and amazed I am. A rock-solid, almost mint condition, almost totally rust-free car. Oh, little spots of rust here and there, but cleaned out frunk and trunk and they look almost new. I cleaned them and hit them with some detailing polish and they look great, as do both frunk and trunk carpets. Open them and it looks almost like a new car!

Cleaned interior, superb condition. Did look under custom carpet cover over dash and it is cracked in 3 or 4 places - anywhere I can get a replacement dash?

Interior is otherwise immaculate - just missing floor carpets....side & console/center carpets are fine. No flaws in leather at all, nor on door panels. Seats work fine.

Only bad news is fuel gauge sending unit is missing - guess I'll have to get one from Pelican.

Oil looks fresh and is right where it should be - but will be changed of course with filter.

Need to de-rust fuel tank, line it with POR 15 kit that came with car, remove and rebuild Webber carbs. Air filters look like K&N but don't see K&N on them so they probably aren't. In very good condition.

Cannot wait to get this car running then have it detailed by pros.

Only bad news is I don't like the ugly black front bumper and the car does not have fog lights - I'm a firm believer for all the light you can get in front. Plates where fog lights go are rectangular, not round.

Did any '76s come with chrome bumpers? The chrome seems to add quite a lot to me over the all black plastic ones. But then, I'm over 50.......

Feedback on my questions is greatly appreciated.

GN

[euro911]

The '75/'76 model bumpers can be back-dated and a lot of folks have done it, but there's a little bit of work involved (cutting off the front trunk ledge and tabs on the sides of the front fenders is required) ... and the mod is not too easily reversed.


From what I've learned, to add the correct square fog lights, some special brackets are needed, as they weren't supplied from the factory with the non-fog light big bumpered cars. A search in the classifieds might yield results.


Good original uncracked dashes are hard to find, and real expensive if you do source one. Problem is, it will probably crack eventually, unless always garaged. 914Rubber sells a really nice repro dash, made from more time-forgiving materials ... and you're in luck, they are made for the 'late' cars ('73~'76).

[Gatornapper]

Thanks Mark - will check classifieds - no hurry on any of this.....probably will not make mods for the other bumpers....but will look for fog lights ...

GN

The '75/'76 model bumpers can be back-dated and a lot of folks have done it, but there's a little bit of work involved (cutting off the front trunk ledge and tabs on the sides of the front fenders is required) ... and the mod is not too easily reversed.


From what I've learned, to add the correct square fog lights, some special brackets are needed, as they weren't supplied from the factory with the non-fog light big bumpered cars. A search in the classifieds might yield results.


Good original uncracked dashes are hard to find, and real expensive if you do source one. Problem is, it will probably crack eventually, unless always garaged. 914Rubber sells a really nice repro dash, made from more time-forgiving materials ... and you're in luck, they are made for the 'late' cars ('73~'76).

[Gatornapper]

AH-HA!!!! Now I know why this car is so free of rust! It's a California car! Buena Park, CA exactly, and think it came here from there about 2000, and was driven only about 5k miles since then, and garaged most of that time......

A bump in value, no? Hot dog!

This car is a gift!

GN

[Gatornapper]

A detailer I've known since his birth (first laid eyes on my wife at his parents home in Dec. 1972) is one of the best on the East Coast and his cars have won 1st place at Amelia Concours a number of times - he details million-dollar cars of all kinds and turns out Porsche's are one of his specialties - I didn't know that until he paid a visit yesterday.

He knows 914's well and said mine is a really rare find and once detailed and all minor issues are addressed ought to be worth top dollar. He said if he tells his Porsche collector friends of my 914 some will be knocking my door down to buy my car - but to not let it go until I have everything near perfect.

One of his clients is one of the nation's top Porsche owners and expertsin the world, with a collection of Porsche's in the $20+ million range, who also has a collection of original parts for almost every Porsche made. He said his client is also one of the top experts on Porsche's in the world. He encouraged me to get all original parts to fix rubbers, etc. and anything not in near perfect condition from this collector - who he plans to introduce me to soon.

I can't wait to see what he will do with the car - he was explaining to me things he does that I had never heard of that he does.

Rebuilding carbs now, hope to have running in a week. Glad to also hear my detailer friend also knows the top Porsche mechanic in VA whom, he says, can tune my carbs to perfection - with his eyes closed.......

This is getting exciting.......

GN

[injunmort]

your detailer friend should have suggested that you source the correct fuel injection for your car (d-jet) i belive, to maximize resale value.

[Gatornapper]

Mort - excellent point - well taken.

Not sure just yet how far I want to go with this car - so many options. I already think I know where a whole system might be, but at what price? Not just the cost of the system, but of proper installation with all of the input sensors needed - I used to work on old Volvo EFI systems and knew them better than most Volvo dealer mechanics....

Car has BMW 320i front brake calipers......they would need to come off too.....

Right now I'm inclined to just get it all running & looking great and enjoying it - knowing that at any point in the future I could go whole hog on a resto........

I'm a handling nut, and since I was in my 20's the first mods I'd make to any car I had was the suspension. Finding it hard to believe a mid-engine Porsche did not come with sway bars, and wondering how it can handle decently without them.

But now fearful about installing them because of the mods required to do so - not a simple add-on. And what would that do to the value of the car for a resto?

GN

your detailer friend should have suggested that you source the correct fuel injection for your car (d-jet) i belive, to maximize resale value.

[Gatornapper]

Got the 914 on the lift yesterday and again - I could not be more pleased with what I found.

While a lot of the undercoating is flaking off, all the metal underneath looks like new - amazing in a 41 year old car. Not a spot of rust anywhere.

Rear brake calipers seized and need to be rebuilt or replaced...not a big deal....

GN

[Gatornapper]

Mort -

Big question would be would the increase in value exceed the cost?

Seems to me doubtful - but then I really don't know the value of nice 914's.......

GN

your detailer friend should have suggested that you source the correct fuel injection for your car (d-jet) i belive, to maximize resale value.

[injunmort]

i doubt the cost of getting fi and install would not be worth it. they run better and perform better, start easier warm quicker with the stock fi. they will run ok with carbs but it is a compromise without different cam and tuning. i think you could probably find complete d-jet for under $500.00. the more original the car, the better price it commands.

[Gatornapper]

Mort -

Thanks for the input. A nationally known seller of classic cars is a friend of mine, his restorer partner a specialist in 914's (in GA) - he is telling me to leave the carbs in.

Gonna have to do a lot of research on this - I simply don't know enough.

I did discover that the 44 IDF kits are really for engines that have been fairly well modified and not stock engines - so that may be an issue in and of itself. This says a stock engine needs the 36 ICT carb kit, slightly modified takes the 40 IDF carb kit, and only "heavily" modified engines the 44 IDF kit. This engine is totally stock.

http://www.nationalcarburetors.com/weber/weber-porsche.html

And I think National Carburetors would know their stuff.

So the car could be "over" carbureted with the 44's. The PO purchased the kit on his own, took it to the Porsche dealer and had them install it.

So I'm looking for advice and wisdom here....

GN

i doubt the cost of getting fi and install would not be worth it. they run better and perform better, start easier warm quicker with the stock fi. they will run ok with carbs but it is a compromise without different cam and tuning. i think you could probably find complete d-jet for under $500.00. the more original the car, the better price it commands.

[injunmort]

bad advice on the carbs from mr. porsche in ga. if you are looking for max resale and originality, d-jet. did he put 44's on the car. if you are building a bigger diplacement type 4, yeah that setup can work really well. stock motor, way too much carb. i guess you can screw around with jetting and tuning to get them to work somewhat. the price of smaller carbs will exceed a used d-jet system. place a wtb in the classifieds. get the haynes manual and have at it. just like vintage english iron, the c6a points plate is now a boyer, no interest, the magdyno has been replaced with solid state internals, no interest. well setup lucas points work better than eletronic as does the a fully reconditioned mag. which wont fail on the road. fwiw. porsche used this system for a reason and the internals of the engine (cam) are designed for fi. not enough duration for carbs. can be addressed but alot more work than installing original fi.