New 914 Owner questions, Performance and Appearance Options

[l84ttym]

I have recently, Dec. 2004, bought a 1971 1.7 914 and have some questions concerning the performance and trim of the 1971 Porsche 914. First off, I do not consider myself a mechanic nor do I feel qualified to do any major mechanical work to the car. However, I am eager to improve the performance and keep the car as original as possible and do as much of it myself as possible. The car had not been inspected since 1975 but has only 31,700 miles on it and is in very good shape. It had been nicely repainted Red from the original Signal Orange. I installed new brakes lines and put new tires on it but that's about it other than some cosmetic repairs (vinyl pillars, antenna and some aluminum trim pieces. I have also bought but have not yet installed stainless steel heat exchangers. The car does not currently have a front valance on it but looks like it should. I have not been able to determine if in fact the 1971 had a standard front valance. Any info concerning the front valance would be helpful.

As far as performance, the car idles well, handles great, shifts smooth and sounds great but seems like it should go faster. Unless it is headed downhill and downwind, the top end is about 68mph. I know it's only 90 HP but certainly should be capable of a bit more punch. The first three gears seem to have a lot of punch but I have to really tach it out to realize much acceleration out of 4th and 5th gears. I am planning on checking the fuel pump and change the fuel filter as I don't know what condition they are in and they are relatively easy to change out.

Those are my current questions.

I would really appreciate any info concerning these items.

Thank You!