I've been a member here for a couple of years. I've asked alot of questions, got alot of answers and learned more about these cars than I thought would be possible. The 914World community rocks and I figured I would post my journey so other nubies could get some encouragement as I have the past few years.

It all started with a magazine wy wife brought me while I was in the hospital with my second broken hip (ya, Ouch).I'm not Old I just fall off bikes sometimes. I saw this artical on a 914 restoration and figured I would rekindle my love of 2 seater sports cars.

So the hunt was on in British Columbia for a project 914. I already knew I wanted a 73-74 2.0 but finding one was not easy. I looked, but everything I saw was in the final stages of oxidation. I literally could put my hand through most of the outer panels. At the $1000-2000 price range it was hopeless, at the $3000 range where cars with much welding required and no running engines or running 1.7s.

Then I was surfing this site and I saw what was advertised as a 73' 2.0 for $3500USD but in BC about an hour away. Turns out it was a car I had called on but the guy wanted $6000CDN for it. It was a little out of my $$ range. I emailed him and because the US doller was killing us at the time he said it would be $4000CDN.

I ripped up to Squamish and fell in love....and it also was running (bonus)
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The story on the car is that it was from Washington and the PO had bought it with the intension of making it his next project. He already had one but had the bug bad. He ran into a little storage problem so, we made a deal and I drove up to pick it up.
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Had it on the trailer before checking the VIN against the title and Houston, we have a problem! the VIN's on the car didn't match the title. Freaking great!

Here's me...Happy but concerned
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The real VIN on all locations on the car is 4742916991, the VIN on the title was 4742916691. Yup, 1 digit off and he managed to get it across the boarder and claimes he didn't know ( I belive him and blame the border gaurd that didn't come out of the building to inspect the VIN)

Ha!My buddy IS that guy at the border...If its sumas..More pics strudel!

The details on the car are: 74' 2.0 Tan interior but sporting a 98 colour code and with some investigation was found to be Porsche 516 Sahara Beige. Frankly a Blaaa colour that the 74' Carerra's used.
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The body was amazingly solid in all the spots I had been warned about. It was obvious that it had been in an MVA and rear ended someone. the front bulkhead was toast and the light boxes where bent. It was missing a hood and the seal channel by the windshield was damaged by the hinges in the accident.
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The issue with the VIN was just beginning!

I started with ICBC (local Government monopoly insurance ) and they would not register the car until I had a correct title in hand. I was getting worried that I had just bought a $4000 parts car. The PO agreed to help out with the cost of fixing the problem but the task of fixing it was mine.
Note: If this hadn't been such a solid car I would have walked but after looking at 15+/- cars , this one wasn't getting away.

I began with the DOL in Olympia, WA. the center of the Title world for Washington state. They told me the the title I had was no longer valid (no Kidding). My car is 6991 and the title was 6691 so whenever the real 6691 got sold both our titles would change. Long story short, they wanted the car back in Washington for a VIN inspection. There's a whole lot more to this but I would just rather forget it happened. I did it and now she's mine!

The good part was I did alot of investigation and found 3 of the owners from the US. Google rocks! Three owners before , it was owned by an autocrosser who lived in Seattle that belonged to the lotus club. I got his email from a club news letter from the 80's. He was the one who crashed the car and it was when he bought the car from Gary (SixGT) that the VIN was transposed in the early 90's. (new information 11/6/12)
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First order of business, New bulkhead and my first experience with drilling out spot welds and what seemed like hundreds
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The tricky part was making sure the hood would line up when everything was welded together. I spent hours looking for pictures of bulkhead/hood alignment.
When It was done, it was close to perfect.

In the middle of all this I moved from the lower Mainland to the Okanagan. So things got way laid for a few months. I finished all the rust repair, filled in all the extra holes that these cars get over the years and started looking for someone to do the bodywork.
Google to the rescue, turns out the VP of the local PCA is a bodyman/Painter and had owned a 914 (great guy). He came over had a look and suggested that I take it down to bare metal. He recommended that I sand it off with a variable speed polisher and 8" disc.
Let the sanding begin!
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More Pictures:
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and off she goes to the body shop!
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Last week at the body shop:
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Just so the purist aren't too shocked...I can't live with the original colour. It's just not me! I've owned alot of cars but none are "Beige" She's going to be Viper/Emerald Green.
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Sahara Beige 73 2L in the capable hands of "preservationist" Steve G/smg914:
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=101921

Here's a few shots of the finished goal - if you're going to stick with the more unique/valuable 98 paint code in Sahara Beige, & his looks pretty good all cleaned up!

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BTW - Steve's has the Brown interior, but you've got the #31 Beige interior with #501 Basketweave & #501 smooth Leatherette, and either #503 Dark Tan or #504 Loop Pile Carpet (assuming it's got the Appearance Group).
http://bowlsby.net/914/Classic/PaintFabrics.htm

Nice Find!

How bout Lime green mettalic?L98B?



It aint so bad!

Looks good Strudel!Cant wait to see the after pics.Im going to have to burn up to the OK to see it in person.Nice work.

Nice looking ride Speed. Lime metallic looks great on a 914. I still have along road before I can burn anywhere. Reassembly and then MVI (inspection) b/c she's from out of province.

Just in case you wondered if I was having fun.... here's me laying on the cold cement making sparks... that smell is burning flesh
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The goal on this build is to have a Euro Spec (or as close as) 914. So, some of the things I need are sometimes hard to get. Like that 250kmh speedo I just missed on ebay...Dammit! Another member here got it.
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I did score a VW/Porsche thingy for the rear at a smokin deal from a member
like this.
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My quest to get that front signal look had me bending and cutting aluminum for a reasonable replica light pod mod.
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Yes, that thumb was a victim of a body hammer

Looks great! I can't wait to see your progress.

-Peter

It also came with this early TRIAD single outlet exhaust. Pretty sweey eh?

The sound is pretty bad ass!
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I hit it with some BBQ flat black paint and it looks great

Closer....Closer

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Yay!!Pretty cool Strudel!I bet youre tickled!

Body shop said they will pull the colour trigger next Wednesday. Ya, you could say I'm getting a little excited

Very nice and terrific color BTW. Did you get the title squared away? Can't wait to see the color on the car.

The Title is fixed and I just need to get it through a Motor Vehicle inspection. So, first I have to reaaemble it and everything has to work.

Cool. I know DMV's can be very difficult sometimes.

Looking great! Nice clean car to start with. Importing from the U.S. can be a real challenge.
Good to see another teener up here in B.C.
Congrats on the progress. You'll have a blast driving it in the Okanagan, and will get done long before I finish my sorry attempt to get my daughter's car back on the road

Keep us posted
Paul

Update: Still waiting for the bodyshop to pull the trigger on the Viper Green. Lots of excuses the last few weeks but the latest is its happening next Tuesday.

In the meantime there is lots to do:

-Clean and repair the interior vinyl bits. I used some GoJo and a "mr.Clean-majic eraser". the vinyl came out super clean and the Lanalin in the GoJo kept the vinyl soft.
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Wow that interior is in great shape! Good score, and even if you had problems with the DMV its worth it! These little cars are getting hard to find in decent shape.

I do like the original color, but green is just awesome!
My teener is Palma Green Metallic.

Great progress, keep up the great work!

Nice stuff Strudel!
Nice meeting you btw!
Hurry up!Want to see the final product!

Hi Steve,

Interesting story, I think that you are missing a few of the previous owners. I owned the car prior to JT. I purchased the car from Craigslist and it was far from the original owner at the point when I owned it. It was an interesting car that I was going to restore but had too many projects going on. It was painted at some point that awful "beige" color which I didn't think was sahara beige but something they just tried to match the original color. I believe that under the hoods it was a 356 color, champange yellow. That's a really solid car, I was considering buying it back from JT after he got it punched in the nose. It would be interesting to get the cardex and restore to the car to the original color as it was special ordered and quite unusual. It's your car and I am sure it will look great whatever color you paint it. Good luck!

Garry

Hi Garry,
when I started tracking down the PO's I knew 2 already...the guy I bought it from (Squamish) and the name of the guy on the screwed up title (Snoquamish) west of Seattle. All he gave me was the guy he bought it from had a Lotus and raced locally in the Seattle area. It was through that info I located James. I emailed him and we conversed for a while. He told me he bought it off a Dentist friend in Seattle and I'm guessing that's you?

Can you tell me what years you owned it? I agonized over painting it the original Saraha Beige. I confirmed that by sending the painted patch from under the front trunk VIN plate (damaged in the accident) to the colour expert Davep. The car has the "Custom Porsche Colour" 98 on the chassis badge so I went with another Porsche Colour from the 73-74 era ..Emerald Green aka Kelly Green aka Viper Green.
In the end, this car will live out its life running the twisty roads in wine country in the south Okanagan of BC.
The car is amazingly solid and after the junk I looked at locally and some of the basket cases I see rebuilt on this site I count myself lucky.

Thanks for making contact Garry, If you're in the Okanagan come by for a drive...Ah, you'll have to leave me your passport

Hi Steve,

It would be interesting to get the cardex. I am very sure that the original color was not Sahara beige. It was not at all like the 911 I had that was Sahara beige. A few of the local Porsche guys were pretty sure it was a 356 color too.

Sorry I can't remember the exact years I had owned it, so many cars so little time. I had it for the two year prior to JT. It was one of the most solid 914s that I have owned, that is why I didn't hesitate to sell it to Jim. As I recall, I did nothing to the car except change the oil. I was going to buy it back after he parked it but I just didn't have the space for it. I even had all the parts to fix it already.

I will definitely take you up on that drive the next time I am up your way. That may be a while though, passport is being renewed as we speak. It will be great to see the car again. Do you have to bring it to the DMV here or just in BC?

Cheers,

Garry

Hi Garry,
I know there where 2 saraha Beiges when I started looking, one like the Sand Beige one in this thread and one like this
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The paint that was on top of the original was not even close to the original. When I stripped it, it was clear it had been in a least one othe MVA. Passenger side rear corner had been whacked and pulled with a slide hammer, the driver side rear trailing arm was bent and straightened (wrinkled on the shaft) and the rear lower arch on each rear wheel well was gone and bondo'd up (about 1/2" thick). the rockers where full of bondo as well(i hooked them for a nice set of clean originals)

I'm done with the Wa. DNV, I have a title in my name and once it reassembled it needs a BC motor Vehicle Inspection and then its time to hit the road.

Look what I received in the mail today
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German square loop carpet kit in "Bamboo" from Member vendor :Appearence and Performance aka Morph aka James and Heidi.

Thanks guys, I love them!

I got lucky and picked up a tan interior in similarly good condition, but freaking filthy. I have been experimenting with cleaners, but nothing has worked very well. Then I read this! Off to get some GoJo tomorrow - thanks!

The Majic Eraser did most of the work....buy the 2 pac!

I love Majic Erasers, but they scare me when it comes to stuff that is not replaceable. They don't feel very abrasive, but run them across latex paint and see what they can do. Proctor and Gamble is based here, and my neighbor worked on the Eraser team. He is a graphic designer, not a chemist, but he told me that there is some serious chemistry behind those things.

I am probably being overly cautious, but I think that I will try the GoJo out and use the M-E as a last resort.

Thanks again for the tip. Your car is looking great, and I am amazed at the progress you made in such a short period of time, especially after just coming out of a major surgery. Great work!

I'm starting to see GREEN

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Closer......Closer

Paint the fricken thing already!

Love the color! Keep it coming...

Awesome! can't wait to see the color on the out side. I will tune in tomorrow.

Finally, after telling me it was a 2-3 week job "no Problem".......7 weeks later its GREEN
These pics don't do it justice, It's bright!

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For those wondering why I didn't pull the motor and spray the engine bay....It's because I'm a lazy bastard. I'm painting it black

She's HOME!!![size=4]

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I like it! GREEN!

Very Nice. I am partial to Viper green myself.

Phillip

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I'll take 'em both! Oh wait...

Green with envy!

A little update for those interested...
For the last few months I've been trying to get all the bits and pieces back on the Green Machine. The colour scheme is a cross between Johnny Cash and the Green Hornet, with a hint of Buck Rogers (chrome)
the list of projects included:
-painting out under the engine grill
-installing the heating/ventilating system
-installing the fuel tank
-installing the new vinyl on the roll bar (thanks Eric Shea for the "how to")
-installing the headlight motors and mechs.
-Installing the rear window glass (thanks Eric ,again)
-installing rockers and valences
-installing new SS fuel lines

You get the idea...for every task there is a task that has to happen first.
some pics.

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Few More....
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