I bought my current car, a 1974 MY, from a shop who told the PO that it had a frozen engine and it needed replaced. He parked it for 3 years at the shop and let it sit while contemplating life sucking. Finally got a chance to buy it (after trying for the entire 3 years) and run the case #'s- 1972 1.7 engine. Got 2 1.7 engines and a 2.0 bus engine at home already, don't need this one. Pulled it from the car today, started pulling it apart just because. Wasn't as gentle as I shoud have been since I didn't want it. Inside of engine looks great! No excessive wear, everything spins free, no damaged valves or pistons, no internal engine problems at all. Bearings are all standard/standard. OOPS!

Bad news is that I was heavy handed with the case and broke the ear off the top, and this case is later model than my other 1.7's and I didn't consider that it had a windage tray, unlike all my others. Now I have a screwed up case that would otherwise be a good runner and a great beginning to my 2056.

Failed starter mis diagnosed and caused a good car to sit and rot!

Idden life a bitch? Maybe it can be welded back together. Every time you look at it you will remember this lesson though. NEVER trust a mechanic without checking it out for yourself, they are just normal people with a little more mechanical aptitude than most and know that most people don't want to get greasy and do real work themselves and if they do screw up nobody will really know. The ones I really distrust are the auto tranny guys. I once let one of my fieros set about 6mo because I thought it had a bad rear cv and all it was was the emergency brake cable was nipping on a wheel weight.

Hey,
I would have likely done the same thing given the cars history report from the shop
How do you think the PO would feel, I would let the shop owner know what you found. They will likely blow it off, but it will make them think twice next time.. I know I would feel like a jerk if I made that type of screw-up. Let see the engine won't crank must need a motor ??????? Typical morons

Not that it helps you now, but i ALWAYS try to turn over a "frozen" engine before digging into it.
Take the plugs out and see if it moves ...

Only takes 5 minutes and in your case would have yielded you a nice complete 1.7L engine!
Andy

After sitting for so long in our nice weather in Washington 1 of the cylinders had rust from some water getting into the intake. By the time I got hold of it the rings probably would have kept the engine from turning over- I had to smack the cylinder around to get it off. A few less fins, a few dents in the piston crown....

You can weld these cases, right? So it should not be a total loss.

Trust but verify.


A simple saying that can keep you out of a lot of foolish situations.

"By the time I got hold of it the rings probably would have kept the engine from turning over- I had to smack the cylinder around to get it off. A few less fins, a few dents in the piston crown.... "

Umm, I'd consider that engine frozen. Any engine that requires smacking moving parts around to free them is frozen in my book. Now a cylinder that's stuck in the head won't prevent the engine from turning or running, but has been known to cause me to utter many foul words.

Sorry for the cse damage. Can it be welded?

Unless they started putting radiators and water pumps on these engines somewhere, the water got inside from sitting. The car sat for 3 years after they told him it was junk. It was runing, stopped running, they told him the engine was seized. Frozen now, yes. Frozen then, not likely.

These engines are worth nothing, why would I put money into yet one more? I bought my 2.0 for $65 so I could get the crank and rods. I bought a 1.7 for $25 because for that price "why not?". My $400 junkyard car came with a running 1.7 in it, complete with dual carbs, 009 distributor and Pertronix. This engine was in my other $400 car, and I can only drive so many engines.

Anybody wants a block or 3, or a pile of 1.7 heads, or a large stack of 1.7 pistons come on by. They all need work, they are all going to the recycler. One head dropped a valve seat so it would cost extra.

Maybe I should put one back together and sell it for $1000-$1500 like everybody else...

If the 1.7 heads are Q heads they are worth saving. If the 1.7 pistons and cylinders are decent they will sell as well. The 1.7 cylinders can have new life if bored for 90.5 pistons.

i too (among others) tried to purchase this car over the past 3 or 4 years. the owner of record called me 2(?) years ago, a minimum of a year after my phone # was forwarded to him. why the shop failed to cover the car with a cheap tarp and a few bungee cords was as stupid a move as i've ever seen. what was a relatively decent 914 deteriorated in short order. shop storage lien, 4 flat tires, tow fee, the owner thought he has a piece of gold, etc etc etc killed any interest for me.

it was the first 914 for the owner, i think the shop figured they had a live one on their hands, and the in the army owner went off to the middle east.

if you should need a case i can hook you up. i live about 2 miles from the shop.

plus...robert had told the the mahles would not be included with the car when it went away.

Not covering the car was bad. The passenger long is rusted along most its length, the passenger side wheels are VERY oxidized, both trunks were full of water that caused the lids to rust out from the inside, the rear edge of the floor is rusted through. The PO did keep telling me that this was a rare Eurpean optioned car and was worth money- it isn't. He also thought the wheels were worth the price I offered him for the car, until I offered him the wheels back and half my original purchase price.

Stick it in 5th gear and push, the "pop" is like champaign...

A little marvel mystery oil and a little push, Beats the heck out of using a big hammer.