Stop me before I buy again!, Another rusty 914 for me UPDATED 4/19 Options

[markb]

I know, i know, I'm supposed to be selling it all off, but.......


Geez, I'm an addict & there's no way out of it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

I got a call at the shop yesterday while The Cap'n was at the bank (it's fate, I tell ya), and this guy had a 71 914 project car he needs to sell because he's moving & doesn't have room. I ask all the normal questions, and decide that since it's right across the street from where we sometimes get lunch, that that would be a good place to get lunch from today, so I could check out the car. Long story kinda sorta shorter, all the windows are out, no cover on it for at least a year, hasn't run pretty much since he's owned it (about a year). Paint (black over orange) has peeled badly on all horizontal surfaces. He wants $1500.00. I walk around it picking it apart (that IS what we're supposed to do, right?), and tell him since it's not running, shifts REALLY hard, has fake fuchs, carbs instead of FI, and was generally filthy throughout, the best I could personally do would be $600.00, but I could put it on the internet to my buds on the World, and see what happens. And even then, I would need to hear it run first. He says he can get it running, but he wouldn't go any lower than $800.00, so I tell him to call me when he does get it to run.
I go pick up lunch, an hour goes by, no call. Another hour goes by, no call. Just as we figured, he can't get it to run. No surprise.
Finally he calls, "I got it running, just had to hook up a battery & put in some gas" and he holds the phone up so I can hear it run. It actually didn't sound half bad (I really didn't expect it to run at all after sitting for so long), so I decide to go look at it again. I get there, he reaches thru the window & turns the key, and it fires right up, and idles just fine, and revs well. I'm thinking to myself, gee, I need a motor for the other black 71 I already have, so I can sell that one (this is a delusion on my part, that I could ever sell a 914 that has come into my posession, but bear with me here, OK?). I look the car over again, and the motor actually is clean enough that it could be as he claims " a fresh rebuild, according to the guy I bought it from a year ago". The battery tray has the normal rust hole, the hell hole is slightly rusted thru, but I'd need to get it up in the air to check further. Chrome bumpers (that someone painted), but are pretty much dent-free, with no chrome peeling, the front bumper-top is nice, a REALLY nice windshield/targa seal, and a few other decent things on the car. I make a snap decision, and offer him $800.00, and I could leave him a check to hold it until my tax return comes in (it was due just about now). He says he doesn't deal in checks, but he'd take cash if no one else offers him more in the mean time. OK, sounds good.
I get home from the shop, check the mail, and guess what? Not just one tax refund, but both refund checks. It's fate, I say to myself (did I mention I talk to myself a lot?).
I called him this morning, arranged to meet with him, get a battery & gas, since it ran out while we were running it yesterday. I get there, put in the gas, hook up the battery, it fires right up. Damn, no way out of it now. Long story getting shorter, it's now sitting at the shop, waiting for me to tinker with it tomorrow. After they dropped it off at the shop, guess what? I can't get it to start. Geez, he's jinxed it! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) It wasn't until I got home tonight & was thinking about it, that I realized I may not have given it enough gas to fire up. The gas pedal has rotted away, and the linkage is rusted & won't pivot, so maybe I wasn't pumping it enough at the carbs before cranking. I'll mess with it more tomorrow. It'll get new plugs wires, and coil in the morning. Wish me luck.

Did I mention I'm a addict. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

[G e o r g e]

great reading Mark


(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif) on he new project

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/thisthreadisworthlesswithoutpics.gif)

[Twystd1]

I have looked at SIX 914s for sale in SoCal in the last 10 days.

Ain't bought one of em. You did good to get a runner with minimal rust for 800...

Good job man.....

If anyone needs parts cars... I know where they are in SoCal.. PM me if needed.

Clayton

[addwestern]

I have looked at SIX 914s for sale in SoCal in the last 10 days.

Ain't bought one of em. You did good to get a runner with minimal rust for 800...

Good job man.....

If anyone needs parts cars... I know where they are in SoCal.. PM me if needed.

Clayton

Clayton-

Any luck on that one up here in NoCal? I ran across an interesting one in Sonora the other day. It had been sitting for the last 17 years. Supposedly it was complete and could get it for $600- of course upon arrival in the sticks it was a complete POS (IMG:style_emoticons/default/stromberg.gif) . Windows had been left down, hole cut in the targa top. The kicker was when I went to open the front trunk and I said that it looked like a rat had been living in there- at second glance I said- "Yep, and there he is!" Crawling around in his nice bed on top of the fuel tank!

Needless to say, the price dropped from $600 to $50 in a heartbeat, and I still walked!!!!

[markb]

OK, you asked for them, here are pics of the poor baby.

[markb]

Some of the, um, "stuff" that came with it.

[Allan]

That actually looks like a pretty decent car.

Nice score!!!

[markb]

It's much less rusty (so far) than my other black 71. I think I'll take some time & clean it up & see how bad it really is before making any real decisions. It might wind up being better to transfer all the good stuff from the other car to this one, since they are both POS's right now. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[jagalyn]

Those don't look like fake fuchs to me.
j.

[markb]

Yup, American Eagles, 6 of them, one brand new in the box. Too bad. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) However, no matter what happens, I'm getting more out of it than I've paid for. The motor and the windshield/targa seal are worth more than the $800.00 I have in it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
I spent today cleaning it up, so now it's only dirty, instead of being filthy. Since I'm working a graveyard shift tonight, it'll be tomorrow afternoon before I can mess with it some more, and find out why it lacks spark. One thing at a time. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[race914]

Mark,

Great find & great negotiation! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/thumb3d.gif)

Another 914 saved from the crusher!

Greg

[markb]

Mark,

Great find & great negotiation! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/thumb3d.gif)

Another 914 saved from the crusher!

Greg

Thanks, Greg. I do feel a *little* bad because I negotiated him down, but at the time I thought it was a lot rustier than it seems to actually be. But it will take a lot of work to bring this one back up to daily driver status, and I don't really want to tackle another one yet (the Cap'n would kill me, cause he helps me a LOT while I'm cursing at these things).


On another note, we should try & get a bunch of us Central Coast folks together for a (IMG:style_emoticons/default/jsharp.gif)
What do you think?

[bondo]

On another note, we should try & get a bunch of us Central Coast folks together for a (IMG:style_emoticons/default/jsharp.gif)
What do you think?

Yeah!

And nice score, looks like a better deal than I got on the poiple one. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Think long and hard before you decide to transfer everything to the "good tub"... I wish I did. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

[markb]

Well, the Cap'n & I spent a little time on the car today. The wiring to the coil was Mickey Moused, so we put in new points, plugs, wires, and coil, and it fired up. Timing was off a bit, and the carbs still need a little tuning, but it seems to run OK. I think I'm going to put this motor, fake Fuchs, and the windshield/targa seal in the other black car, and sell this tub as a roller. I still need to get the gas pedal bolts loose (they're rusted to the floor), loosen up the shifter linkage, and get it on the lift to really see what the rust situation is. It looks like there was standing water on the driver's side floorboard. The pedal cluster has some rust, the shift linkage is really stiff, the heater lever is rusted in place, and the center tunnel is really rusty on that side. I don't think it goes thru the bottom, but I'll know more when it's up in the air. The PO dropped off some paperwork from it, and the tires (which have great tread) were installed in 1986. I don't think I'll try driving on them. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)
So far, so good. I think I can pass this body on to someone for a really good price, if somebody needs one.

[markb]

UPDATE:

I'm giving the 1.7 in my running black car (#1) to bondo, so he can get his flared car (kinda) on the road, before he moves to SoCal. The motor has an injection gremlin that I've fought with for quite a while, that I'm sure he'll figure out in about 10 minutes. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) So, the motor/trans in this black car (#2) (too d@mn many black cars around here (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) ) got pulled by the Cap'n & I (sure is easier dropping a motor with carbs than FI) yesterday, and bondo and Mrs bondo, hwgunner, the Cap'n, & I will gather on Sunday & see if we can get the "new" motor mated to a sideshifter trans & installed in the "running" black car (#1) so I can drive it home that evening. I think it's going to wind up an interesting day, since I don't know what the fuch I'm doing. I hope these guys do. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Interesting facts about the "new" motor in the #2 car.

1. The engine tin was cut off. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif) So I got some used off of a junk motor I have lying around.

2. The motor, according to the PO's PO, was rebuilt by the PO's PO's PO (are you following? There's gonna be a test (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) ), but never driven. Visually it does look very clean. So does the tailshifter. The Webers were supposedly brand new when put on the rebuilt motor, and look good.

Also, the car is a 2 piecer. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif) They cut across the longs at mid-door, angled back to the firewall, and up the firewall around all the tubes. It looks very well done.

Here are a couple of pics:





Very interesting. It seems I can never have a "normal" 914. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)
So much for my selling off the car as a roller for a few hundred bucks. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

More pics after Sunday when we do the deed.

[jim_hoyland]

Nice project Mark: Looks like a fun project !

[markb]

This one isn't a project. I bought it for the motor, and it has 6 American Eagle Fuchs going on my other black 71. Anybody need a fake Fuch? One is new in the box. I *was* going to sell off the body, since it doesn't have much rust,.

[GaroldShaffer]

This one isn't a project. I bought it for the motor, and it has 6 American Eagle Fuchs going on my other black 71. Anybody need a fake Fuch? One is new in the box. I *was* going to sell off the body, since it doesn't have much rust,.

I have to ask, couldn't this be made into a race car? Heck even a street car, just because it is two cars welded together and it was done right, it should be ok, right?

[hwgunner]

I must interject something here. This car has the best stance I have seen on a 914 ever. Not sure why but from all angles it just looks right. VERY LOW!

Did someone say race car?? Would they let you do that with a car that was spliced together? ???

[markb]

It looks to have been done very well, but I have no experience in this area, so can't really tell you. If someone is interested in the car, I'll be happy to let it go pretty cheap. I have waaaaay too many cars as it is, and am not looking forward to adding to my collection at the storage yard.
I also have a non-registerable 70 roller that would make a nice racer. Less rust, just no title.
I should probably get off my duff & take some pics for the classifieds, but I'm being a lazy bum at the moment. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)