 Collection of 'sensible' improvements |
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| mct |
 Jun 23 2018, 07:59 AM
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#1
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Newbie  Group: Members Posts: 7 Joined: 28-September 16 From: Heidelberg, Germany Member No.: 20,441 Region Association: Germany  |
Hi fellow 914 enthusiasts,
I'm a newbie to 914s after having restored numerous T2b Westfalia buses, bugs, Karmann Ghias and Golf !s. I´d like to compile a list of sensible DIY improvements one can make to the 914's suspension, brakes, tranny, motor and wheels. Nothing wild & crazy, just plug&play stuff to keep it looking stock but behaving 'better' ;-) Does anyone have suggestions? THanks, Michael |
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| ConeDodger |
Jun 23 2018, 08:04 AM
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#2
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Apex killer! Group: Members Posts: 23,546 Joined: 31-December 04 From: Tahoe Area Member No.: 3,380 Region Association: Northern California 
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Many 914’s came without factory sway bars. The most dramatic improvement I’ve made (besides the 3.2 - 6) was the factory sway bars. You can get by without the rear, but putting the front one makes it a whole different animal.
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| 914forme |
Jun 23 2018, 08:48 AM
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#3
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Times a wastin', get wrenchin'! Group: Members Posts: 3,896 Joined: 24-July 04 From: Dayton, Ohio Member No.: 2,388 Region Association: None
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Proper Order hear:
Mechanical sorted - brakes working, steering in good shape, engine and trans. Sway bar - get one, huge difference Tires, good ones Shocks, Bilstein or Koni, skip the KYBs or others. Suspension bushings Alignment Brake pads are all you need here and upgrade the everything else should have been fixed in the get the mechanicals in order. And (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png) |
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| flmont |
Jun 23 2018, 09:07 AM
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#4
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 879 Joined: 21-October 08 From: Tucson,Az Member No.: 9,676 Region Association: Southwest Region
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Maybe better gauge/dash lighting
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| ConeDodger |
Jun 23 2018, 09:23 AM
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#5
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Apex killer! Group: Members Posts: 23,546 Joined: 31-December 04 From: Tahoe Area Member No.: 3,380 Region Association: Northern California
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This may not be possible for you as I see you’re in Germany and your inspections are “meaningful.” I replaced all the exterior lighting with LED. The PCB LED panels are available through SPOKE on here I believe. The LED headlights are available through 914rubber.com.
https://www.spokeworksled.com/ Attached image(s)   
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| Coondog |
Jun 23 2018, 09:41 AM
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#6
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Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 2,089 Joined: 24-September 15 From: Apple Valley Calif Member No.: 19,195 Region Association: Southern California
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(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) Safety 1st.
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| troth |
Jun 23 2018, 09:42 AM
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#7
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Member Group: Members Posts: 151 Joined: 17-August 16 From: CT/WA Member No.: 20,305 Region Association: None |
Most likely just placebo, but backdating the exhaust system on my 1.8 to early 2.0 stainless heat exchangers and a tangerine silencer seemed to help the very meager power output of my car.
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| BeatNavy |
Jun 23 2018, 11:31 AM
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#8
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Certified Professional Scapegoat Group: Members Posts: 2,924 Joined: 26-February 14 From: Easton, MD Member No.: 17,042 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region
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For "non-stock" improvements:
Stainless steel fuel lines. LED dash and/or headlights (as mentioned). Electronic-style ignition - some of us are running this, which is a nice improvement over stock dizzy (1-2-3 Distributor). Maybe upgrade to a 2056 when the time is right? Looks and sounds stock, but it gives a nice little power bump, depending on how it's set up. Otherwise, as Stephen mentioned, just making sure all the handling and braking pieces are in good working order. Welcome to 914World. Heidelberg is a beautiful town! |
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| JeffBowlsby |
Jun 23 2018, 11:48 AM
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#9
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914 Wiring Harnesses Group: Members Posts: 8,462 Joined: 7-January 03 From: San Ramon CA Member No.: 104 Region Association: None
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A case can be made that you can not improve on 'original'. Leave the 914 alone and just enjoy the 914 for what it is. Maintain it for sure, and fix its problems. If you want something more/different - power, smoother shifting, lighting, quieter - then find that in some other car and leave the 914 alone. There are exceptions, but so many times an 'improvement' can cost a lot of money, results in hacking the car, looks out of place, may make it so no one else can repair it, often decreases its value, and for only marginal 'gains'.
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| Jazzy |
Jun 23 2018, 12:55 PM
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#10
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Newbie Group: Members Posts: 32 Joined: 16-September 17 From: The Netherlands Member No.: 21,432 Region Association: Europe |
Many of the improvements can be done without harming the originality of the car. Instead of LED lighting the H1 units can be upgraded to Hella H4, just to name something. Same for replacing ignition to an electronic version, low impact and hard to see but a serious gain in drivebility.
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| mct |
Jun 23 2018, 03:05 PM
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#11
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Newbie Group: Members Posts: 7 Joined: 28-September 16 From: Heidelberg, Germany Member No.: 20,441 Region Association: Germany |
Hi,
I‘d like to thank you all for the warm welcome and productive replies - very helpful! I already have 123ignitions in my T2b and KG Coupé, so I know of them - must warn those of you living in higher altitudes though that they dońt compensate advance for high elevations which has become somewaht of a criticism here in German forums for those driving in the alps (after all, it was a Dutchman that designed the thing - leave it to them to forget about mountains... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) ) The sway bar will be second priority after all the important stuff has been attended to - of course. New Bilsteins already in place, tranny rebuilt, small stuff done, interior good. I’m currently piecing together a 2.7l T4 NA and a 2.4l T4 turbo. If I were to put either one in (Yes, I know you can‘t turbo a 914 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bs.gif) ), what suspension/brake upgrades would you recommend, if any? 200+ hp is difficult to handle (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif) Thanks, Michael P.S.: Shouts out to the people from NorCal! What I wouldn‘t give to take my teener from HMB up 92 and Skyline Blvd.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sunglasses.gif) |
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| 914forme |
Jun 23 2018, 04:10 PM
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#12
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Times a wastin', get wrenchin'! Group: Members Posts: 3,896 Joined: 24-July 04 From: Dayton, Ohio Member No.: 2,388 Region Association: None
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Stock brakes are great with great pads. Issue will come if your driving serious roads in the alps.
Here is what I will say on brakes - get ahold of PMB and see what they say. You can go slightly bigger up front. with BMW rotors, but to say your getting to remove heat you will want vented rotor up front. Used to be a hub that let you do just that, long gone as far as I know. 4 bolt and vented front rotors nice combo. % lug setup is the quick way to get better brakes, but then it can be $$$ |
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| eric9144 |
Jun 23 2018, 05:10 PM
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#13
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Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 2,731 Joined: 30-March 11 From: San Diego, CA Member No.: 12,876 Region Association: Southern California
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QUOTE(Jeff Bowlsby @ Jun 23 2018, 10:48 AM)  A case can be made that you can not improve on 'original'. Leave the 914 alone and just enjoy the 914 for what it is. Maintain it for sure, and fix its problems. If you want something more/different - power, smoother shifting, lighting, quieter - then find that in some other car and leave the 914 alone. There are exceptions, but so many times an 'improvement' can cost a lot of money, results in hacking the car, looks out of place, may make it so no one else can repair it, often decreases its value, and for only marginal 'gains'. I'd disagree--there are a good number of great upgrades that are totally plug and play with no permanent changes to the car, so easily reversed if the car is to be returned to a purist state--but in some cases why would you even go back. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) LEDs for example, drop in optical ignition, battery upgrades to non-acid, shocks/springs etc. |
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| ConeDodger |
Jun 23 2018, 05:53 PM
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#14
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Apex killer! Group: Members Posts: 23,546 Joined: 31-December 04 From: Tahoe Area Member No.: 3,380 Region Association: Northern California
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QUOTE(914forme @ Jun 23 2018, 07:10 PM) Stock brakes are great with great pads. Issue will come if your driving serious roads in the alps. Here is what I will say on brakes - get ahold of PMB and see what they say. You can go slightly bigger up front. with BMW rotors, but to say your getting to remove heat you will want vented rotor up front. Used to be a hub that let you do just that, long gone as far as I know. 4 bolt and vented front rotors nice combo. % lug setup is the quick way to get better brakes, but then it can be $$$ The hub that allowed you to go with vented rotors as well as the hub that allowed you to go 5 lug were drawn up by Mueller. You might ask him if he still has the files? I’m using a set in the front of my car... |
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| JeffBowlsby |
Jun 23 2018, 06:40 PM
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#15
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914 Wiring Harnesses Group: Members Posts: 8,462 Joined: 7-January 03 From: San Ramon CA Member No.: 104 Region Association: None
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QUOTE I'd disagree--there are a good number of great upgrades that are totally plug and play with no permanent changes to the car, so easily reversed if the car is to be returned to a purist state--but in some cases why would you even go back. Don't get me wrong I'm not so much of a purist that I don't appreciate some of the 'upgrades' like a gel battery. And not even I run the original air in the tires... I run points and always have - never a problem and seeing the electronic box and its wiring in the engine bay just looks wrong to my eye. And that's important to me. And I don't put mods on in the first place, so there is no pressure to 'reverse' anything. Keeps my life simple. To each his own...everyone needs to decide for themselves what is important to them...don't hate me for whats important to me. |
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| ConeDodger |
Jun 23 2018, 07:43 PM
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#16
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Apex killer! Group: Members Posts: 23,546 Joined: 31-December 04 From: Tahoe Area Member No.: 3,380 Region Association: Northern California
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QUOTE(Jeff Bowlsby @ Jun 23 2018, 09:40 PM) QUOTE I'd disagree--there are a good number of great upgrades that are totally plug and play with no permanent changes to the car, so easily reversed if the car is to be returned to a purist state--but in some cases why would you even go back. Don't get me wrong I'm not so much of a purist that I don't appreciate some of the 'upgrades' like a gel battery. And not even I run the original air in the tires... I run points and always have - never a problem and seeing the electronic box and its wiring in the engine bay just looks wrong to my eye. And that's important to me. And I don't put mods on in the first place, so there is no pressure to 'reverse' anything. Keeps my life simple. To each his own...everyone needs to decide for themselves what is important to them...don't hate me for whats important to me. I appreciate Jeff's counterpoint. Which may sound strange considering my car (see picture). Not many of these cars are stone stock. Most have been hacked away at in one way or another. In the future, the really valuable cars will be the original ones. Attached image(s) 
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| JeffBowlsby |
Jun 23 2018, 09:09 PM
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#17
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914 Wiring Harnesses Group: Members Posts: 8,462 Joined: 7-January 03 From: San Ramon CA Member No.: 104 Region Association: None
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Thanks Rob. I LOVE your car BTW... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)
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| 914werke |
Jun 23 2018, 09:12 PM
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#18
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"I got blisters on me fingers" Group: Members Posts: 9,988 Joined: 22-March 03 From: USofA Member No.: 453 Region Association: Pacific Northwest
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QUOTE(Jeff Bowlsby @ Jun 23 2018, 05:40 PM) To each his own...everyone needs to decide for themselves what is important to them...don't hate me for whats important to me. I understand this sentiment, & agree 100% ...on the other hand Ive always wondered if I could improve on [insert dream sequence] (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif) My solution, own two (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) My Creamsicle to appreciate for the time capsule it is and the other to mod & "improve" as my whim and imagination see fit (IMG:style_emoticons/default/w00t.gif) |
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| 914-300Hemi |
Jun 23 2018, 10:19 PM
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#19
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,353 Joined: 7-September 06 From: San Dimas, CA Member No.: 6,794 Region Association: Southern California
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it would be great to see photos and of the car and I agree to each there own. Make it what you want it to be.
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| mct |
Jun 24 2018, 11:36 AM
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#20
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Newbie Group: Members Posts: 7 Joined: 28-September 16 From: Heidelberg, Germany Member No.: 20,441 Region Association: Germany |
As requested: photos of the car...
Michael Attached thumbnail(s)  Attached image(s)       
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