1975 914 Automatic...original paint and in amazing shape, ithe interior is in fantastic condition. The only area that needs adressing are a few spots of surface rust on the fenders, trunks, hell hole, longs are perfect.

I just couldn't resist....when I saw this car come up for sale by the owner who has had it for the last 8 years, I had to buy it. When the second owner's, husband passed, the surving wife drove the car for years. As she could no longer continue to manage a clutch car, she paid a Porsche shop to convert it to an automatic using an Audi transmission.

After receiving pictures from the owner, I couldn't believe how nice the the car was for the price. It wasn't until I went to see it was I shocked at the professional job the shop did converting it to an automatic. Other than the shift mechanism in the car the rest of it looks like it belongs. I'll have to massage the shifter look in the car, but other than that. I'm not to sure what I'm going to do with the car, but for now fix the little rust and drive it??

Mark - How about documenting what was done to make it the automatic. That is really interesting!

Wow...thats cool...any idea what Audi trans they used? that looks really good....

Steve

Wow indeed! Details! I agree that it would be interesting to see *how* they managed it.

When I get time, I will keep track of the the parts used. I don't plan on pulling it apart qute yet...but someday. The transmission is from an Audi 5000.

Is that the one from Los Osos that Franz did?

Hi Mark. Not to sure who Franz is but the mechanic was "lou" from Performance. Yes from Los Osos.

I'm curious how it drives too? How does the gearing feel? The whole console sits a little to high for my taste. Still for something that wasn't original . Not to bad

I'm thinking I'll probably ditch the console for sure...won't look too bad then. I think the reason the mechanic left the console is because on the other side he customized it where the temp and amp gauge still shows...looks a bid odd from the passenger view. It's been sitting for a year...need to go through it before some real road testing.

Very cool ! Is the mechanic that did the install still around ? I noticed those late bumpers don't have the mini tits, is there a metal bar with shocks behind the rubber ?

Me too! That's cool.

Intersting enough, this conversion was done about 10 years ago and has been driven ever since up to about a year ago.

If it's light engough when I get home this week from work, I'll try to snap a couple pics of the conversion. They won't tell the story enough but it's a start. I know the 914 community could benefit from a "how to, what parts to use" conversion write-up, so as time passes I'll try to accumulate as much info as possible with part/application numbers as pass that along. I don't want to pull the tranny at this point to discover the flywheel setup, but perhaps there's an inspection plate under there somewhere were a can take a peek.

Jim, I hadn't even noticed the mini tits not being there...good eye. I don't see any holes but? Just picked-up the car yesterday, cleaned it a bit and did the full look over for rust, suspension etc etc check.

really cool imo. there are still people that would love to have a automatic 914 for a DD I'm sure, and this would help them out!

My 75 doesn't have the bumper tits they must have been a option.

For the t4 hp cars I bet the auto from the vw would work good. My friend used to drag race a 2100 t1 in a type 3 with a auto tranny. He still has it along with several auto trannys. They don't use a tranny cooler. I'm thinking the ring gear could be swapped since it's based on the t1 application. I'm sure the audi is a much stronger tranny though.

"Tiny Tits™" are '76 only ...


Nice find!
Andy

That console shifter looks to be from a Vanagon.

Neat find.

Ferg

The late 'bumper horns' were for the 75-76 cars delivered to the states of CA and MD only. This from the 1975 model year S&T manual:

because, you know, the bumpers weren't big enough already.



cool find, can't wait to hear how it drives.

My '75 has 'em. Car originally sold in Oregon but maybe came up from Cali?


Back on topic- Cool find Mark! Looking forward to seeing more details. My wife would love an automatic trans 914.

Awesome! Take some pics from the under side. I think we'd all like to see it.

Ok...crawled under the car tonight and took some pics the best I could. The shop used an Audi 5000 transaxle and as of this point this is what I belive the ratio to be.
1st = 2.71
2nd = 1.50
3rd = 1.00
Rev = 2.43
Final = 3.45

The only modificaton that invovled cutting, was due to starter location on an Audi transaxle...12:00. An inspection plate was installed in the trunk to gain the height for the starter.


Here's a rear shot

Motor mount

Passenger Side

Driver Side

ATF Filler tube going through backplate

Notice where they mounted the gauges...and checkout that pedal cluster. They must of wanted to make a wider brake pedal for the older lady who had the converion done for her.


Too dark to get a decent picture of the transaxle mating the motor...will have to wait.

Hey Mark, Looks Good. I wonder what knid of torque the Audi 5000 can handle? Put it to the test with a trans brake on the V-8 car.

BTW, my 76 has tits on the front but none on the rear?
Antominicly correct?

Sorry to be OT but thought I'd answer the question above. My '76 had tits front and back before the backdate. It's not a California car since it has a sticker stating that it is non cat equiped. No COA so don't know where it was from origionally.

It looks like the selector cable sheath is resting on the left CV
Cool find

very cool find!

Definitely cool. As I often illustrate to my passengers, the joy of a 914 isn't its acceleration, nor shifting it... it's tearing through the twisties with confidence.

How does the speedometer work? Weren't the originals driven by the mechanical speedo drive from the rear of the transmission?

I'd be replacing those tranny mounts ASAP

And maybe you can replace the Breadbox around the shifter with a 930 rubber boot

Click to view attachment

Cool. That inspection plate looks like a cut up 2.7 CIS airbox cover.

Too cool. I wonder if it bolts right up to the engine or if an adapter is required????

Is that bolted directly to the block? Show the bolts for the bellhousing. Cool!

I bet the mounts originally were made to bolt those "L" brackets directly to the floorboard, and then the installer decided the trans needed to drop another 1/2 inch and put those spacers in. The mounts are very stout except for the spacer part...even though they've lasted 10 years already, I'll probably re-fab the "L" long enough to bolt directly to the original 914 floor mount supports.

The shifter I think will definetly look better without the console, re-locate the gauges perhaps in the stock cluster gauges. Haven't had anytime to look closely at the shift box yet...would be nice to re-style it to look period correct, or drop it's height a bit. The 930 boot might work if I do some customizing...I would want to to keep the gear visible gear selection.

As soon as I have some free time, and give the car a good once over, I'd like to go for a drive and post a video.


Rick, no adapter plate...bolted right to engine. This weekend I'll have time to put the car in the air to get some better pics of the trans mating the block.
Edit: I stand corrected, there is a plate between the trans and block. I'll get some pics over the weekend.

Will check out speedo setup as well.
Click to view attachment Click to view attachment

Question: I've owned a CA 75 before and it was a 2.0 with djet and air injection, as well as the unique late exhaust, header stubs and cat. This car is much different. It is a 1.8 LJet that looks original as they come, but has no air injection, has early exchangers and muffler. It also has no egr or cat button in the 3 gauge cluster. How can I tell if this car orignated a CA car or not? It appears that it's not, but I'm not sure at this point. Paperwork makes the car look like it was first purchased in CA. No smog sticker in driver's door jamb. The build date was 10/74.

You really need to do an Exellence type road report. We want all the details.

I found the shifter that was used in this conversion. It comes from Vanagons or Westfalias in the 80s.

it looks like you cable (pos) is hitting the trans?

Fix that before putting a battery in or you will be welding!

Wonder about the cv's and axle shafts ?? What is the cv on the trans side and the wheel side ? Looks like six bolts on the trans with little plates under them?? I'm not asking to remove them for inspection , just curious . Also does it or would it use a trans fluid cooler ??

Jaxdream

Yeah, the picture misrepresents how close that cable is...actually several inches away. The battery was out of the car during the pics...cables actually pull up much higher. I did go ahead and zip tie them up more anyway...nice to be safe than sorry.

When I bought this car it was not running, just turning over. They PO said it just wouldn't start one day and he put no effort into finding the problem. So after 8 years of driving it, it then just sat for a full year.

Well, I cleaned-up the battery connections and charged the battery, checked the oil and wires etc and I figured...what the heck lets see what happens.

Motor just turned and turned...no life. Being the experienced 914 owner that I am. I said...."I don't hear the fuel pump running and preceded to check the fuse on the relay board...nope it's good. Let's try replacing the relay... It roared to life instantly. I couldn't believe it. After letting it run for a few minutes I went around looking for fuel leaks...no leaks. The idle purred and didn't fluctuate....no air leaks...this is getting to good to be true.

So I took it off the jackstands and hopped in, turned the key and varrrooom. Went to push the clutch...oh yeah, don't have one, checked the brakes...nice and firm, dropped it into gear and ripped out of my garage and all over my neighborhood. Total trip...no shifting, very wierd and pretty peppy. I didn't want to press my luck with no plates so I headed back to the barn.
I can't wait to open this thing up on some twisties and see what it will do.

Only thing that doesn't seem to work is the speedo and a headlight beam...not bad. It's hard to believe this car has been driven for a decade without a speedo. Too dark to see if one is hooked-up some how and just not working.
Edit: Speedometer does work
Time for a

That's awesome! Your lucky you bought it when you did... I was in contact with him also... You beat me to it. Keep us posted on the progress.

Very good news, after 8 years no break problems?

That is soo cool....good luck with the speedo...hope its something simple..

When his ad came out the first time, he did not post any pics but I had contacted him anyway. We talked about me coming that weekend, even got pics, then I got real sick, H1N1 and life literally stopped for me for two weeks. When I was feeling better, I just assumed the car was sold, but then I saw he re-posted....and the rest was history. I still can't believe this car sat there for two weeks while I was sick without someone sealing the deal.

I was thinking of getting it, but how do tell the wife about the 3 914 not running

dude... that's awesome!

I guess it was just meant to be yours. I think it's really a special car. That looks like a speedo cable going up over the top of the tranny under the fill tube by the motor to tranny seam but I don't see it near the rear anywhere. See if it's under the dash or pop the speedo out a little. I find it hard to believe a older lady could get by with the tach for the speed.

My friend says he knows of a flared 914 thats been in storage a long time at a old hot rodders place but I really don't have a place for another project and I might have to promise not to change it up.

It might even be possible to put the Audi 5000 manual transmission in a 914.
Sounds like the internals are 915
Interesting read, more uses for the Audi 5000 manuel transmission claims it can handle 450 + horsepower.

http://www.lambolounge.com/chassis/Transmi...n/5000/5000.asp
http://www.lambolounge.com/chassis/Transmi...i-915/index.asp

Audi 5000 trans aka Porsche 944 Trans. They seem to get replaced alot......

In the risk of sounding stupid....Which I tend to be....why cant we just use a 944 Trans....will it bolt in a 914 for the most part?

They connect with a drive shaft........