One ugly engine compartment.....the 914 Options

[1970 Neun vierzehn]

There's a whole lot that I like about the 914, as evidenced by my long term ownership of the car. I like the design concept and execution, the purity and restraint used in both exterior and interior design elements, the excellent space utilization, and of course the handling, steering response and brakes (all attributible in part to its low mass and weight distribution.

But the engine compartment (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif)

Open the the engine lid and you're greeted by......... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) an eyesore of hoses, cables, and wires that seem haphazardly connected in a maze that is not at all pleasing to the eye. The engine compartment is a rat's nest of vital, but visually disturbing vacuum lines and electrical connections that seem to be installed in almost random fashion, more as an afterthouught than as a carefully engineered design.

So what to do?

Has anyone seen a stock 914 engine area where the various and sundry ancillary lines have been gathered, arranged and neatly presented so as to ellicit "ohhs and ahhhs", rather than indifferent shrugs, or worse (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif)

Yeah, I know some among you disapprove, but I certainly think that the engine compartment could be presented much better.

[Johny Blackstain]

Yeah, I know some among you disapprove, but I certainly think that the engine compartment could be presented much better.

Please don't count me w/ those that will disapprove because (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) . The engine compartment is (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif) , even clean! Not exactly easy on the back to work on either.


(IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool_shades.gif)

[DanT]

There's a whole lot that I like about the 914, as evidenced by my long term ownership of the car. I like the design concept and execution, the purity and restraint used in both exterior and interior design elements, the excellent space utilization, and of course the handling, steering response and brakes (all attributible in part to its low mass and weight distribution.

But the engine compartment (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif)

Open the the engine lid and you're greeted by......... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) an eyesore of hoses, cables, and wires that seem haphazardly connected in a maze that is not at all pleasing to the eye. The engine compartment is a rat's nest of vital, but visually disturbing vacuum lines and electrical connections that seem to be installed in almost random fashion, more as an afterthouught than as a carefully engineered design.

So what to do?

Has anyone seen a stock 914 engine area where the various and sundry ancillary lines have been gathered, arranged and neatly presented so as to ellicit "ohhs and ahhhs", rather than indifferent shrugs, or worse (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif)

Yeah, I know some among you disapprove, but I certainly think that the engine compartment could be presented much better.

I know it isn't concours but I agree that gathering the lines etc. might help.
I will have to give it a try.

[Pat Garvey]

There's a whole lot that I like about the 914, as evidenced by my long term ownership of the car. I like the design concept and execution, the purity and restraint used in both exterior and interior design elements, the excellent space utilization, and of course the handling, steering response and brakes (all attributible in part to its low mass and weight distribution.

But the engine compartment (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif)

Open the the engine lid and you're greeted by......... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) an eyesore of hoses, cables, and wires that seem haphazardly connected in a maze that is not at all pleasing to the eye. The engine compartment is a rat's nest of vital, but visually disturbing vacuum lines and electrical connections that seem to be installed in almost random fashion, more as an afterthouught than as a carefully engineered design.

So what to do?

Has anyone seen a stock 914 engine area where the various and sundry ancillary lines have been gathered, arranged and neatly presented so as to ellicit "ohhs and ahhhs", rather than indifferent shrugs, or worse (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif)

Yeah, I know some among you disapprove, but I certainly think that the engine compartment could be presented much better.

Paully, Paully!

What? You're misssing the point! It's a matter of form & function. Remember, in the the old days NO ONE cared about how the engine looked - you weren't sopposed to "lift the bonnet", or whatever. The parts were engineered to mingle in a usable, but not aesthetic form. They worked, therefore the were. This was the early '70's, not today. Both work efficiently. Just so happens that the 914 is ugly, versus today's engines that no one looks at.

Just wire it up, hose it up & live with it!
pat

[Ansbacher]

Want an orderly and clean looking engine compartment? Then go carbs. You will remove 75% of all the hoses, pipes, and wire clutter. Want to go further? If you live in a warm climate (like Florida) ditch the heater blower and associated tubing. Voila, you can almost climb in to work on her.

Ansbacher

[Tom_T]

Paully, Paully!

What? You're misssing the point! It's a matter of form & function. Remember, in the the old days NO ONE cared about how the engine looked - you weren't sopposed to "lift the bonnet", or whatever. The parts were engineered to mingle in a usable, but not aesthetic form. They worked, therefore the were. This was the early '70's, not today. Both work efficiently. Just so happens that the 914 is ugly, versus today's engines that no one looks at.

Just wire it up, hose it up & live with it!
pat

Pat - glad to hear from you from this viral fog everywhere! Hope all is well there.

As for the new engines - they're all so covered up with shields & covers, that you can't even see anything.

It got so bad in the 2010s, that Zone 8 created new divisions for only the newer cars where the engines aren't accessible for judging in a fair way to the older cars' exposed motors, so that the "Ubergang" equivalents for Street & Full Concours have one less judged area (excluded the engine area). National is supposedly evaluating it for Parade.

It makes sense, because the folks with new P-cars can just wipe off their engine covers, while the rest of us need to clean every nook-&-cranny on the older cars' engines. It's just not fair at Parade.

While I've seen some really clean & nicely done 914 engine bays here in SoCal Concours over the past decade - but others most are still a bit of a scramble.

Unfortunately, I don't have any pix of good ones, because the competitors have the lid closed except during judging, & I can't really take pix while I'm judging. I'll try to remember to go back afterwards for pix of the really good ones in the future.

Part of the problem is that the little plastic bits that used to tame the mess of wires & vacuum hoses have long since broken, & new replacements are long since NLA - so they just hang out or get zip tied (better than nothing, but not nice looking).

Having a tamed but honest & exposed guts engine bay actually helps with maintenance & repairs too, if everything is at least somewhat orderly as they came from the factory.

So maybe Mark & his cohorts at 914Rubber could start working on replacements for the ignition wire clips, EFI hose clips, etc. which used to tame our 914 engine bays a bit? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

Cheers! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
///////

[mepstein]

Pat's post is from 2007. But his post -

"Remember, in the the old days NO ONE cared about how the engine looked - you weren't sopposed to "lift the bonnet", or whatever. The parts were engineered to mingle in a usable, but not aesthetic form. They worked, therefore the were. This was the early '70's, not today. Both work efficiently."

Was wrong. The type 4 engine was used as a cost cutting measure. Porsche's flagship 914, the 914-6 has a beautiful engine.

[mepstein]

Dion's old CIS engine was the best looking FI type 4 that I've ever seen.