I got a request for parts from this individual in Malaysia who wrecked his 914. I fear that the damage is worse then he thinks and may be difficult if not economically practical to fix the car.
It looks to me the the drivers long is crushed and I would not be surprised if the whole car is bent.
Your opinions please.

Hard to really tell from those photos but if they have a Cellette and a door opening fixture It should be repairable. Not cheap and not without a long parts order but repairable.

R.I.P

...Looks like another parts car to me. It,s tost.

I think it is a right hand drive 3.6Liter isn't it? Not much else for it to donate parts to or get parts from in Asia. I think he pretty much has to fix it.

Much worse has been fixed. His economic reality may be quite different than ours. Body guys probably work for pennies compared with their brethren here.

I say anything (almost) is repairable. Feasible? But a new door, longs (like thats not been done before...), sail panel and windshield pilar/ glass, oh and paint and 100 hrs of prep....

That looks pretty damn bad. I hope the guy is ok!

Wow.... I hope he can fix it.... not many 914s in Malaysia.

-- Rob

Probably pretty rare right hand drive going to its grave ....never get a windscreen in that frame again ....Mite be able to make a racer ...Looks like it was a very nice car before that

I have personally fixed worse wrecks than that. If they can get it on a Cellette and locate a door fixture they can replace the windsheild frame and long. Like I said, big parts list and big repair but considering this is a right had driver it is likely worth it.

He lives in Singapore and the car is one of only two there. He says he can fix it. He'll have to if he wants a 914. Their laws are pretty strict there. I think there is an age limit for cars being imported. It also must be right hand drive.

Cheers, Elliot

*I Edited my previous late-night snarkiness out.*

Fix it, it's only money.

Sell him a shell, it will be alot easier to swap parts.

Who are we to judge if it's worth it for him to fix. His car, His money......wait for the check to clear first.

Chop up a 914 in quarters and send him the shell in 4 pieces. Then it will be bulk steel and not an imported car.

I saw pics of the accident. he was going pretty fast when he wrecked. I'm more suprized he's alive.

Big motor, no roll bar.

In Malaysia it is most likely economically feasible to rebuild it. It may not be 100% correct when done, but it will still be the only one there most likely.

I wonder if he wants to sell it as is???

we have repaired much worse! If it was a cheap four cylinder and rusty it would not be worth it but a clean converted six in Malaysia where the import taxes are 200% it is well worth fixing. 914s pull very easily. New cowl panels and doors are readily available.

time to fix that puppy

Accident photo. There are two 914's in Singapore

These may show better detail...

Was there a passenger? It looks like that side took the brunt of the impact.

If you look at the accident scene photo you can see how the car is bowed up thru the middle. It sadly lines up with the curved slope.

Very Sad

Ouch!

Damage back behind the drivers door at the rollbar area- note the chrome strip up at the back of the rollbar is gone and that the rollbar area is bent in....

Floor is probably shaped like a pringle- arched up in the center (front to rear), and with the left side lifted up and the right side pushed down. Looking at the car from the top, I bet it looks like a ""C" with the opening of the "C" in the door area.

The front and rear wheels probably won't track a line...

If ya got money, it's fixable.

No passenger.

It does have a roll bar they all do ..thats prolly the only thing that did save him ...he could buy 3 just like it for what hes gonna spend fixing that one

There's what you see, and then what you don't see. I guarantee you that it will be a major effort to restore, but who knows... maybe in another 20 years, you'll be very glad you did....

I can only speak for the Philippines but much of Asia is the same. The tax to import a car is 100% of the value. So for an example, a $20,000.00 car will cost you $40,000.00 before you turn the key. It is right hand drive and a 3.6 so figure it would cost at least that $20,000.00 + the import tax to replace it. Then, there is the other problem - it must be right hand drive.

Right now in the Philippines, my wife has a house and a condo. She employs two maids for $100.00 each per month to keep them up. The maids are extremely grateful for the $100.00 and are able to live quite well on that though they don't own homes or cars etc... We sent Lorie and Florife' $100 each as a bonus for Christmas and they called us in tears to thank us. Similarly, body men don't get paid what they do here. Human labor is cheap but not unskilled. There are no car manufacturers in Malaysia so they repair what most would write off. That develops skills American body shops have mostly forgotten. I mean no insult to American body men, it is just cultural. You cannot just buy a panel so they must repair it. Think more like ScottyB here, not your collision center down the street.

The other thing to consider is that if this gentleman owns this car he is at least by Malay standards quite wealthy. His biggest problem in this matter is getting the parts he needs.

I really think this car will get repaired. JMHO

Fixable. my .02 worth.


Here is my "crash investigation" with the limited picture I have.

Click to view attachment



The RED lines indicate that car had rotated and the rear/front crossed.

The LIME green indicate 'possible' contact damage with the guard rail
(I believe the guard rail to be in that design and NOT shoved into the weird bow due to impact)

The BLACK represent what I believe to have caused the damage to the car or what contacted. With more pictures I could tell you what it hit. But I believe it to be a sign post or some sort of turn warning. There are TWO posts in the picture. Look by the left rear tire. The post definitely hit the long or something low such as that post or it's concrete base. The post fell and struck the windscreen and passenger ooops, driver door. Right handed drive car... LEFT DOOR obviously was struck. I would bet the post with the sign (by left rear tire) struck the upper part of the door and the windscreen/support.

THE PINK BOX. Here lies the WTF? question. How did this guy lose it BEFORE the turn. The red lines and dirt spray indicate the direction he is traveling. The driver lost this BEFORE getting to the APEX of the turn. So something happened such as getting a tire into the dirt or............................

A LOCK TIRE ALWAYS LEADS. This is why removing the proportioning valve is a BAD thing. When you pull the Parking Brake on a car is spins right? Well, the laws of physics cause that. A locked tire will always come around and lead! ALWAYS. I would bet the right side of the tires have scrub on the sidewalls. The vehicle rotated clockwise. So the driver had some sort of input.......

MY CONCLUSION: The driver was driving hard and fast. He comes down a straight with heavy right foot. He does his braking BEFORE the turn as required. But his heavy right foot touches the brakes too hard and with the removal of the proportioning valve the rear tires lock. The vehicle rotates and then the driver is just along for the CIRCUS RIDE. A 914 spins so quick anyway.


I bet the driver's seat cushion is needing replaced! Bet the driver SUCKED IT UP HIS ASS just off this camera view!


Does anyone know where this happened and can get a GOOGLE earth view of the scene. It will tell me more or us more for sure.

Be careful people, these cars only go where you put them. It's a shame and I'm glad all the people are fine.

Except the driver who is removing leather from up his ASS!

Very nice analysis!

parts under the tree behind the car as well........so what your saying Mark is that he ran out of talent

What would the tax be on a free tub - which had the dash, steering linkage and pedal assy removed? I got one...

Unfortunately, there would be no telling until it arrived. In the Philippines it would be the arbitrary value placed on it by the import agent X 2.

The body vamage is for sure fixable, or at least replaceable. However i does look like the whole car is frowning. So if this guy thinks he can fix it .... send him the parts, let him be the judge of how much and and needs to be done before he can . He must have some idea of how much more damage there is than just the cosmetics that are definitly fixable. IMHO. But what do i Know im buy ing my 914 litteraly one part at a time.

What a genius! You figured that all out from 10,000 miles away? Are you a CSI?

nope he's just a washington state patrolman

Bruce,

I can get you a price from my freight broker that I use to bring all my goods in from Southern China and Hong Kong. I think you can just put a body in a 20Ft. cargo box. I have been to there place and they ship cars all over the world. As this will not have any gas or engine it will be easy. I have seen cars and motorcycles in there warehouse.

Prices for boxes going back are less than boxes coming in for a couple of reasons. They need to get the boxes back. Shipping has been way off in the last year plus so all rates have been very good rates.

You would need to get the roller to Compton so they can load the box. I can call on Monday to get a price but they will not know what the duty is in advance till they get word.

They would help to get the lowest rates as they have there contacts in each country and will Email before to see if a tub is just car parts and not a car. In this way it may get past a higher duty rate. At the same time they will find out what the local laws are on cars are as far as the years are.

Any car parts that you ship as cutup cars, need to be boxes up well and would go in a Less than container load. It would go in a big box (40ft) or bigger with other people and the rate you would pay will be by the CBM. Say it is $60. Per. You pay by volume not weight. You pay for the weight when they move it from point A to B in delivery to Him and in the customs and loading. There are paperwork charges going and receiving, forklift rental. Bond fee. Small screw you fees, and duty and taxes.

To give you an idea. I bring in 3 pallets 48” x 40” x 96” for around $1,500. Less Than Container Load (LCL)

I pay around $3,000. To bring in 8’ x 8’ x 20’ Box that is a lot of goods for me.



Bob Burton

Me says there is some engeneering issue with that security device.

My understanding is that the guard rail is set far too high for a 914.
The front of the car slipped under the guard rail and the car hit at least two poles.
This is a total failure of the security equipement.

(I believe the guard rail NOT to be in that design and TO BE shoved into the weird bow due to impact)
I DO NOT believe it to be a sign post or some sort of turn warning. The TWO poles seen on the picture are the same as seen behind the car supporting the guard rail.

Click to view attachment

Isn't that just what that type of barrier is supposed to do? I was pretty sure that they are sacrificial in order to dissipate the energy, ARMCO was a great invention that has probably saved as many lives as seatbelts, IMHO.

The poles aren't supposed to be that "agressive"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_UKFr6_uQk

The owner should invest some money in driver educations and maybe a
rollcage if he is going to keep driving like that.

If you ship in a shell, I bet there will be three driving 914s in Malaysia in the
not too distant future.

John

the part next to the rear wheel is the front bumper ....truth is only the driver can tell the real story ..the rest is a guess ,some educated some not

Sorry John, but I know Meng perty well. He loves his 914 and has been putting parts and money into it for a long time. Meng and his wife Fey have been here and Meng has been to several NARP Bar-B-Q's. I think that the only thing that we can do for Meng is send him a tub. I like the idea of just putting one in a container and sending it. Meng hangs with some high powered friends and I'm sure they can work out all of the problems at the other end.

I remember him from the BBQ's, I think thats a great idea

SOOOO....2 questions if you know him well.

1) Can you tell us if he removed the proportioning valve?

2) Can you get a GOOGLE earth picture of the area he wrecked?


I know two people who love their cars very much too, but neither one of them has stuffed it into an innocent guard rail! YET.


It wasn't the road's fault, the guard rail's fault, the tire's fault........uuummmmmm, driver decision put that thing on the tow truck.

I wonder where Mr.242 has been hiding? Great analysis !
Pass the word to the other WSP fellas to go easy on the 914 guys

This whole thread is a shame, its nice to see everyone coming together to help, or at least figure out a way to keep his car alive.

Thanks to all for your constructive replies.

I am working with Meng to determine the best way to get him a very clean 1970 roller that I have. I do not think it is right for any of us to judge his driving ability or the cause of the accident. I started this thread to get knowable opinions on if that car should/could be fixed or start with a new car.

Bruce

If its any consolation, I'm a crappy driver, especially when a Brittney Spears song comes on the radio...

Plenty of 914s, 911s, and Boxsters end up tweeked after 'spirited' driving... doesn't make it any less tragic, but it happens....