I've owned a 72 Ghia cabriolet for about 3 years now. I installed a 1600 cc 912 engine (w/Dellortos) in it, sway bars, and fuchs wheels. I had to remove the 912 engine though, because the rings are shot. While it had the 912 engine, she really moved. Now it has a stock 1600dp.

At first, I really got off on how much attention I got while driving the Ghia. But it just plain didn't offer the sporty performance I've been craving. I'd also like to explore the wonderful world of Fuel Injection. Ideally, I'd like to get an older 911, but they're a bit too expensive for me. So lately, I've been thinking of going the 914 route. The 914's looks never really appealed to me, but I hear a lot of good things about it's road handling characteristics. And they seem to be in my price range.

About all I know is that ideally, I want one that's a side-shifter transmission, and especially one that's grandfathered out of emissions regs in California (73, 74?). And one that has not been converted back to carbs.

Any other tips?
I'm getting ready to sell the Ghia. I'll probably put it's stock wheels back on, and set the fuchs aside for my eventual 914 purchase.
I probably also will want to sell my 912 engine and VW conversion parts (exhaust, engine tin, throttle linkage, clutch throwout arm, etc.

I'm not sure where Arroyo Grande is, but I'm betting your close to some other SoCal 914 owners. Take one of them with you when you go to look at cars for sale. All you have to do is ask for somebody then buy their lunch or dinner and have them ride along with you or even meet up with you.

I can go on and on about what to look for.. but the best way is to have somebody go with you that has already owned one. I'm very picky when it comes to good solid cars. I'll look past all the mechanical issues. I WONT look past 4 lairs of crappy color changes and hacked up wiring harness'. I also wont buy cars that have been wrecked in the front or rear.

Take your time. Take pics of the cars you do look at and post them here so we can point out potential issues.

Welcome aboard. Your going to do just fine.

B

Don't worry about the looks of the car
When you're enjoying the great handling of the car, you won't see any of it

Good luck and welcome aboard!

cheers,

Jeroen

Mr. need4speed,
that is perfect! my wife is looking for a Ghia Convertible!
let me know how much you want for yours ...

Andy

Read this and learn a little.Mid Engine Porsche

just to let you guys know,

the DGI.NET site hasn't been updated in year.
we obtained a complete copy that is online here:

http://www.all914.com/914club/

please do not promote the old links anymore as we can't guarantee how long the old site will still be up and running ...

Andy

The page is still there and the information is still good reading for newbies.I just found it in my bookmarks and thought it would help.

Hey a new banana guy...I love it!

I'm in riverside county? is that close to ARROYO GRANDE
(Big arroyos?, my spanish sucks!)

Thanks for all the tips/encouragement etc.

AG is just north of Santa Maria, just south of San Luis Obispo.

I had been looking for a healthy 914 community on the web, and . . . Google led me astray - all I found were a bunch of defunct sites, and PCA links. Glad I got steered here from shoptalkforums at least.

I am not quite sure what I want to sell the Ghia for. $7500? I know that pristine examples of late cabriolets go for $12k-$14k. And while it's got fairly new paint, it's got some chips, and a bondo crack over the left rear wheel. :(. And the interior has seen better days. But the engine got a fresh top-end about 4000 miles ago. I balanced the pistons and she gets up to 90 mph. Having some shifter problems I have to work out first too.
Far from pristine, but far from basket-case.
(in fact, I won 2nd in last year's Treffen in Ventura, in the late cabriolets group. Out of two late cabriolets present ;).

So, from all the FI-experts out there, how much does a good CO meter cost?

From Vdub to 914's. Same route I took. Lovin' it so far.

If you found this place you're all set, here you can find all you need to know or how to get to it.

Mike T

Love that bananadriver...

Arroyo Grande?? I grew up in Nipomo. Perhaps Mr Zois in Santa Barbara can find a decent car. Otherwise, AG is just 190 miles up the street from San Jose.

Take your time in finding a 914. Patience and research works better than the fix it up theory, especially on a rusty example. There's quite a few places to look for 914s.

GPR in SLO has been a decent source of parts for me recently as well.

Take it easy!

Send Bob Helt an email, he knows about these cars, he is in Los Osos. energetics@charter.net Tell him I referred you...

You may not find many 914s down where you live, but if you are willing to go to the Bay Area or LA, you will find anything you want.

Buy the best condition car you can afford...you will be way better off.

There's a no rust lien sale car here in Long Beach. I think it has carbs tho. It's an early one and needs some work, but you can drive it home. I believe it was offered to me for $900 if I understood the guy. It's at John's Place, an independent Porsche repair shop run by a fellow named Brad, of all things. Actually make that the city of Signal Hill if you track it down.

I've always wanted a Ghia Cab... and thought it would be cool to shoehorn a 2.2 or 2.4 6 cylinder in the back.

Anyone ever seen it done?

-Rusty

I actually wanted to put a type iv or 6 in a 411.

Arroyo Grande = Big dry riverbed.
(actually quite tiny compared to the Santa Maria "river").

From what I can gather, Ghia buying is very similar to 914 buying. I made several mistakes when I bought my Ghia (love 'er tho-) . . . thought I'd fix her up. Turned out I just have no stomach for anything other than engine tinkering.
I was in a hurry when I bought my Ghia, but then again, I had already had one fruitless trip to Stockton, one previous trip to LA, and a trip to Phoenix I cancelled at the last minute. I just can't imagine buying a car off of ebay.

I bought this Ghia in LA, drove down in my barely drivable Volvo, drove back in the Ghia after leaving the Volvo at a used car dealer (I feel sorry for whoever bought that car). It was the first time I ever drove stick. First time I ever drove a convertible too. :)

There are many conversions for Ghias/Beetles, including bus engines, type 4 engines, are the most common. There's also quite a few with Corvair engines, but that tends to make them a bit too tail-heavy. (and the purists cringe at all the sheetmetal you've gotta hack out). I've also heard of people putting in 911 engines, but you also have to mate that with a 901 transaxle, and again, you end up with a rather tail-heavy car. (oversteer city).

I chose the 356/912 conversion because it was supposed to be fairly simple, and I knew of a couple of guys in Oakland who had also done this conversion, and gave me a lot of good advice.

Bottom line is, the Ghia is a sporty car, and is a blast to tour in, but it is not a sports car. I'm not looking to get into autocrossing or time trials or anything like that. But I'd just like to take that next step as far as performance goes.
For a long time, I wanted a 356. I reckon a Ghia with the 912 engine was pretty close. (Only the 356 has swing axle rear end, and a 4-speed gearbox).
Last year, I drove a buddy's 928, and I really fell in love with the 5-speed. I know there are 5-speed conversions for the Ghia, but the Gene Berg gearboxes are way too costly, and dropping a 901 is a lot of hacking I just don't want to get into.

VW dual port ~ 60 HP
912 engine ~ 90 hp
914/912E ~ 95

How much does a 912 engine cost?

I bought mine for $2500, and I'm of the opinion that I got screwed, based on the condition of the engine, and how much it's gonna cost me to rebuild it (if I actually do that).

Although the Dellorto's alone, I've seen go on ebay for $1100. *shrug*

Since I also live in Arroyo Grande (big ditch), I can tell you there are a few around if you know who to talk to. How good of a car do you want? Turnkey daily driver? Project? /4 or /6?

well...if you feel you got screwed.... uh.... donate it to me and write it off on your taxes! i need a project!

hey i lost my newbie status
yaaaaaaaa!
i agree with the guys that are telling you to by the best car available
that doesnt mean you have to spend 10 grand
i bought my car for 3000.00
two owner , unmolested , unwrecked 76 / 2.0 four
one passable repaint
100500 miles when i bought it , valves at 75000 by previous owner
total work so far , valve adj ,tune up , front wheel bearings/seals ,oil change
i drive the car 2-3 days a week to comute 100 round trip
so there are deals out there
just be patient

My recomendation is this:
Buy the best body/chasis that you can.
The rest is easily replaced. The hard part is the damn body.

I bought a Giha back in 1976 for $150.00 from a guy in New Oleans. Took my girl out to a Disco bar and when we were ready to leave we found my car shot up and burnt down. The guy I bought it from had made a few people mad at him and they thought the car still belonged to him. Now I own 914s and the best part about it is I have not received one bullit hole in any of the 914s. So that right there should tell you the 914 is a safer car. Lots of luck with your 914 quest and soon to be love affair.

Okay, entering this thread a little late but...Dellortos for $1100?!!?? I don't know of anybody who really misses Dellortos, especially the garden variety 40s. Once upon a time I heard that 45 Dellotos were something, but they no longer seem to be the hot ticket. 48 IDA Webers, now, those are something.

912 engines cost a lot these days because they cost so much to build. Right now, standard main bearings are NLA. NPR no longer makes cheap big bore piston and cylinder kits, and I'd be afraid to price Mahle P&Cs right now, if they're even available. Cranks often break from fatigue, and there are few serviceable units around to replace them. If you were willing to spend the money on a new crank, you then run into the standard bearing availability problem described above.

Heads are miserable too. They don't seem to have a propensity for dropping seats as type IV engines do, but it's hard to find a virgin set that hasn't been resurfaced too many times. Against my better judgment, I just put together a 912 motor in which the heads were surfaced so many times that the last cut dug into the exhaust seat. Hope that engine holds together.

Sometimes you'll have a situation in which the finger of the oil pump has worn against the cam to the point that the cam needs to be replaced and the oil pump gear welded or replaced. Serviceable German cams are hard to find for this reason and I've seen aftermarket cams flatten because they were too soft and just generally junk.

356/ 912 engines are great engines, a real kick in the pants in a light chassis like a Ghia, but you have to think of them as the ultimate development of a 36 HP VW engine. A 40 HP VW departs from its predecessor more than a 912 to early VWs, which is why you can get more displacement from a type I or a type IV than a 912.

If it didn't have big gaping rust holes in it, at least from a rust belt dwelling Northeasterners point of view, you didn't get that screwed...

Mike T

Mark,
Are you the one who emailed me? (I don't get much time to spend reading that email inbox lately, so I haven't replied yet).

I would like one I could use as a daily driver.

And, I'd like one with working FI.
And obviously, side-shifter.
One that was a /6 conversion? OK by me.
fender flares? I have no problem (as long as they're done "right")
Other racing mods? As long as they're easily/cheaply maintainable.

At this point, I don't mind having to look in other areas for one, Arizona, Nevada, anywhere in California. . .

Is there a Central Coast 914 club?
I'm aware of a 356 club that meets monthly down in Solvang. . .

Mike,
The ENGINE was $2500.
The Ghia was $7500 with the original engine, prior to me putting thick-ass antisway bars and Fuchs wheels on her. (She does look hot with those Fuchs wheels, doesn't she?)

meursault,
$1100, what I saw a pair go for on ebay. Is that a valid price for Dellortos? I dunno.

But pretty much everything you said about 356/912 engine rebuilds is consistent with what I found when I started looking into it. Worse still, Harry Pellow just passed away last month. (RIP).

Whoops, my mistake. So much for reading comprehesion.

Mike T