This has been a project I have been putting off for a long time now, but I've decided it's finally time to get this done and get it done right. What I do know about the car, as it stands, is that it is a 1972 that came from the factory in guards red and was driven by my mother in college. Currently, it is sitting at my mechanics place, whom I plan I visiting today, I will post pictures upon returning. I plan on restoring this to a clean and relatively stock appearance while focusing on increasing the level of performance. What I want from you all is advice on what would be required to make the car a reasonable autocross or track car, as well as a fun daily driver.
Thank you in advanced,
Chris

http://img41.imageshack.us/i/scan0006ff.jpg/
http://img41.imageshack.us/i/scan0006ff.jpg/
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This is only the body, I have a complete interior and trim, but I have to wait til the mechanic provides pictures of it for me. The entire body is being blasted down to bare metal and all the rusted areas will be repaired. I plan on retaining the original color and upgrading to black fuch rims. We are currently debating whether to keep the targa and B pillar their original black or redo them to match the body, advice and opinions would be appreciated.

Reserved for future posts

Reserved for future posts

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And

And also reserved for future comments!
... actually that was a good idea on your part to reserve for pix up front!

A first comment though - Guards Red was a later color - so in all probability it was Bahia Red - http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act=colors

... Like my buddy's still original paint 71 <61k mi original/one owner 914/4 below -

Click to view attachment

A bit off, I believe mine is referred to as tangerine based on your guide, but I'm not sure. Body pictures posted

Where do you host your images at?

Most of us upload them to the site.
See this thread on "Adding Pictures to Your Posts"

Doesn't seem to be working for me. Anyways, need opinions on the merits or the painted targa as well as information on modifications to build a 1.7 for autocross.

Just on my laptop.
... I can email others to you in full hi-rez, but they're big files (just PM or email your email addy to me).

When you go to the shop, look for the color code in the bottom box on the Karmann Plate in the front driver's door jamb, then you'll know exactly what color it was originally, & btw it will be worth more if kept original color.

I looked at your pix, & it could also be Signal Orange (Signalorange) L20E on that chart. IMO it looks more that than Tangerine, but lighting, cameras, age, oxidation, etc. can change the way a color looks - so the Karmann Plate code &/or COA are the proper way to settle it - not our eyeballs.

These colors also has sample 9124's attached - http://www.p914.com/p914_paint.htm

Check out the rest of that site above, the 914info here & Jeff Bowlsby's site for resto reference so you can get it right - to your standards & preferences.
http://bowlsby.net/914/Classic/
http://bowlsby.net/914/Classic/TechNotebook.htm

If you Mom was the original owner & you have all the info, matching engine & transaxle case nos. (if latter is on the COA/Kardex), along with full maintenance & ownership chain & maybe even the old window sticker &/or dealer invoice/BoS - then you probably have a huge leg up to make it a fully as original resto.

However, there are a zillion schools of thought here - from the CW only as original guys (which I've now leaned to give the cost & work to resto my 73 2L), to mild modders & less strict DDs (where I was initially in my plans) - to full on hot rodded 6 & 8 & Suby conversions.

I recco you spend some time to look at what needs done on yours & the cost, what are your preferences for the 914 in your hands long run, where & how far & how much dough you are willing go on it - then decide on a plan. Everyone is different, & in the long run you need to please yourself.

As I said, as the work effort & baseline cost to resto mine grew, I pushed into the realm of - might as well do it full on 10 pt CdE with the proper parts new/NOS & as original fitment. It also helped me to talk to/email George Hussey/dr.914 at AA, & to look at color changed examples selling for 40-100% less in comparable post resto condition. Mine was originallly L80E Light Ivory, but I've never been a "white car guy" & always preferred the Marathon Blue & other Metallic Blues, so had initially hoped to repaint/color change it to that - but reversed coures, got desensitized to L80E 914s with lotsa pix at my desktop background & screensaver - & will be making mine original.

The choice is yours!

In answer to your questions under the 3 pix linx above - IF you decide to stay original & period (or a few minor mods) - first get a COA from Porsche/PCNA for about $120 IIRC - $20 discount if you join PCA for $42 a year, plus get national & local monthly mags. & join in events, plus another discount if you send them a copy of the window sticker (maybe for dealer invoice/BoS too??) whether or not you join PCA. Then put it back as to the way it was originally &/or with correct period/MY options & save the restored items taken off, & don't do anything irreversible in personalization mods.

For example - if you decide to stick with original fitment to 72 MY 914, then .....

Instead of non-OE finish blacked out Fuchs 2L 4-lugs - get the Pedrini Alloy Wheels available in yours' 72 MY (Fuchs & Mahle 4-lugs weren't available until the 73 MY), & if it came with Steel Wheels originally, then restore & store them for future CW/CdE use or sale or just valuation for insurance purposes.

Sail/Rollbar vinyl - if it came with it originally (not later add-on), then put it back. IMHO - the 914s look lower & leaner/meaner with both the sails in black vinyl & rockers/F&R Valances in black. You can mock it up visually yourself with black paper temp.attached with blue painters tape on the back of the paper - then stand back & look both on & off to decide for yourself.

Ditto with the Targa top itself - which in its original finish was a bumpy/eggshell matte or satin finish - even if they've gotten more "shiny" over the years.

Cheers!
Tom
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Pat Garvey/PIG on here is a CW maestro in the Philly area with an original owner 72 914 - so he can also give you MY specific guidance.

PS - I missed that you're looking to AX - AX will have different classes for mods, so you can still do AX as an original with tweaking, or go up from there in classes based on the mods you do. Get your local PCA Zone's AX rules online to see where you want to fall. IMHO a good driver can excel in any class original to highly modded, vs. similar cars & other varied skills drivers - so it's in the skills to me!

I can't see the pics as they won't load for me but paint it the original color. A nice paint job in the original color on a car is always the best way to go. Sail vinyl was an option so if the car came with chrome bumpers it had sail vinyl so leave it on.
For a nice mixed use driver, 140 rear springs, 19mm front sway bar, Koni yellow shocks, 19mm front T bars, is a nice balanced car with 205x50 tires. Engine wise you can beef up the 1.7L to around 100hp with a Raby cam and larger valves 42x36 with the Djet FI....Brakes just need to be rebuild and new Porterfield pads installed so you can stop.

Do a google search for Irfan View freeware. You can get an easy free software program to resize your photos. You need to resize your photos to 640X480 size then you can load them in your post here.

http://www.butterscotch.com/tutorial/How-T...ge-In-IrfanView

Thank you all for your opinions, a parts list for the 100hp build would be nice if someone has time, as far as what I plan on doing with the car, I have committed 15k to the build. We talked about going to new disc breaks, as well as a fully tear down and rebuild of the whole engine and driveline, the interior is in excellent shape, so we are just going to clean that up and drop it back in. It has an original factory option luggage rack, which I haven't seen yet, so I think we will refinish that and put it back on. I have chosen to keep the original top and black side panels as I think it makes for a much cleaner overall look, and based on my research, are original. As for the wheels, I am still undecided, I like the look of the fuchs much better than the pedrinis, but something must be said for originality, do you think the 5 lug fuchs would make a COA impossible to obtain? Being that the 5 bolt conversion is easily removable, perhaps it would be best to keep the original (and still rather clean) pedrinis on hand for sake of authenticity, or if I were ever to sell it.

The COA is just a "form" which says how it was equipped coming from the factory, so they take your money & send you the COA, then you use it as a resto reference &/or documentation of accuracy as restored for show, sale, etc.

I'm not sure how "easily removable" a 5-lug conversion is, but definitely save the OE suspension & wheels if you do so. If you were to sell it, then you'd lose some value to a collector buyer, unless you switched it back at your cost/time.

Moreover, a full conversion to a 914-6 type 5-lug suspension & brakes, plus a 100 hp engine upbuild alone, will easily eat up more than your budget or more - if done properly IMHO.

As for wheels - there were the 7-76 MY Fuchs 2 Litre Alloys (4-lug) & 5-lug 4 spoke as found on 914-6/911/912 - so which do you mean? 4-lug Pedrini's (70-73 MYs) & Mahle's (73-76 MYs) were also out there, along with 5-lug Mahle's on 70-72 914-6's.

Pedrini is the correct alloy/option for your 72, esp. if it originally was on it.

The luggage racks were dealer options/add-ons - not factory options, so technically not original to any 914 & won't show on the COA nor window sticker (would be on dealer invoice/BoS). They had to drill holes in the rear deck lid to mount them, thereby adding another potential leak & rust concern.

Personally I never understood why anyone would need a 914 luggage rack on a 2 seater with 2 trunks totaling 16+ cu. ft.!!?? I think folks did it for looks, cuz all the small trunk MG's, Triumphs, Fiats, etc. HAD to have them!

Geesh, I could pack for 2 for 2 weeks of camping, skiing, biking, or whatever in the 2 trunks - including camp gear! .... oh I did use a ski rack or bike rack!

Rick I have used Irfan for years with great success. I found that 900x600 will post.

IMHO, a CoA is worthless for our cars especially 4 cyl cars. Costs over $100 for a piece of paper with your serial# And a bunch of mistakes (options) relating to your car

restomod, When you have time go to the "Build" Forum and go thru a few. You will get quite a few ideas and see what you are in for

T.C.

That's because your pictures are the size of my coffee table and over 4Mb. Check out the FAQ forum thread for posting pics. Here's a link:

Adding Pictures to Your Post

I'd spend time checking out other cars first. See what can be done and then you'll have a better idea what you want to do. If I were to do it all over I think I might have gone the route of a big 4 rather than the 6. Stuffing an 8 in these cars is all engineered out and makes for one hell of a driver. A trip to LV to visit Renegade and take a ride in a car would be an excellent investment in your education. That is, if your willing to put non Porsche/VW drive train in the car