Full Version: Nice one to watch on Ebay
Very nice.
Already on my watch list 
Very very nice and a ton of pictures
Unfortunately, the sellers claim that it comes with the appearance group is not true. Never the less, it's a nice basic '74 1.8. It will be interesting to see what this car will sell for.......
Don
Don
The one pic with a glimpse at the hell hole makes me think that there could be some badness there.
Well Tod - you know me & my being torn between restoring my original 73 2L in L80E, and my love of Marathon or Alaska Blue metallic's to jump that ship!
Fortunately I'm not biting on it, cuz this one is a 74 1.8L & not a fully optioned appearance/performance group model, and not a tan/beige interior.
But if you ever see another pristine low mile survivor in Marathon or Alaska Blue Metallic's - preferably with a tan/beige interior, and 73 is preferable to me for the silver bullet gauges & aluminum thresholds - and early 8-9/72 production with the chromed window winders & door handle surrounds, plus a dealer optioned DPD A/C would put me over the top! ....or maybe a Metallic Blue & Tan/Beige 914-6 so equipped?
....then please do shoot me an email/PM!!!!
For those interested in this one, I see a couple of minor discrepancies on this one which makes me wonder, and would certainly check it out in person or by a trusted AZ 914er PPI before bidding.
1. Why is the glovebox cover covered in brickweave & clearly does not match the proper basketweave dash face? ...I'm just saying!?
...even if a repair - couldn't they bother to find a matching material from another lid or AA!!??
2. Why is the clutch pedal tweaked sideways at that weird angle??
...was it modified, rebuilt poorly, or what!!??
3. If it's truly only a 28.5k mile 914, then why do the brake & accelerator pedals show about the same amount of wear as my 172k mile 73 2L?? ...similarly with the carpet wear/staining at the "dead pedal"/foot rest area on the carpet to the left of the clutch seems excessive wear for 28k miles??
....even I popped the $3-5 each for new pedal pads & $35 IIRC for a new OEM accelerator pedal!
4. What's going on with the outer door seal at the bottom of the door - something looks amiss? ....maybe just a crusty seal or not returned to proper position after what looks like a fresh shot of paint along the bottom - but then why paint there...rust issues??
...also there seems to be rust staining coming through the paint around those close-up pix of the labels & Karmann Plate; as well as at the rear trunk floor, and at the VIN stamping on the RF wheel housing, underpan areas & suspension parts, etc.??
...again - I'm just saying it's worth popping off those seals to inspect the door bottoms, since my always garaged with OO/PO & myself still managed to develop rust there (although mine was OO/PO & my DD so she saw rain/snow in driving).
5. Why does it say it has/had the Appearance Group (AG) of options - presumably found on the COA &/or window sticker - which should include ALL of: chrome bumpers, fog/driving lights & dual tone horns (no chrome bumpers, no fog lights, looks like only 1 horn, & note no hole nor switch in dash for fog light switch); vinyl & chrome trim at sails/roll bar (check!), leather wrapped steering wheel (nope), leather shifter boot (appears to be the rubber one in sliver of top in pic, so nope), loop pile carpet (looks like loop pile, but that color is still easy to replace today with aftermarket or NOS loop pile).
AFAIK the AG always included the full compliment of options listed - except that the 1.7/1.8 didn't get the center console/gauges - even when they charged separately for those options in non-AG 914s (ditto for the Performance/Sport Group of options).
...if all that is missing from the full 1.8L AG, who changed it when, or are they mistaken/misrepresenting the AG!!??
6. If this is truly a garage kept 28k mile 914, then why did it need repainting a month ago?? Also, none of the key rust areas are shown in the pix, so you don't really know what's going on??
...and the factory undercoating was uncommon, but dealer undercoating was VERY common, in order to jack up the price/profit to dealers - even in CA - but there's no doc. on COA/Window Sticker to show it was factory, & the underpan pix to tell me it's dealer (i.e.: by overspray on suspension parts not on at the factory when painted & undercoated - I learned that about mine from a PCNA regional service mgr.)!.
Similarly - that shift knob has a lot of cracking for a 28k mile 914!
I mean really - a low mile/low use, well kept & pampered survivor should not need repainting with such low usage & always kept inside - presumably in shade or under a nice soft cover if parked outside in the sun for any period that would cause checking or cracking of the clear coat - not even this 3 stage metallic with clear coat!!??
7. Are those the original Fuchs 2Ls & repainted black backgrounds - or repros??
...original 2L wheels had a low luster background with semi-polished rims & "windmill blades" - never black backgrounds from the factory. So this is either a now molested & modified set of allow wheels, which may or may not have been on the car from the factory??
...again COA/Window Sticker/Dealer New Sale Invoice documentation is needed to
...or is/was it an attempt by the seller or PO to dress-up the 914-1.8 with aftermarket wheels which typically/always come with black backgrounds when new?
...maybe the seller thinks the Fuchs were the AG, but AFAIK they were part of the Performance/Sport Group of options with the F&R anti-sway bars, or a separate option.
http://bowlsby.net/914/Classic/OpEq.htm
8. It's missing the center storage tray's cover/cushion, which would've come with that option/accessory.
9. IIRC - the 1.8L 74-76 came with a combo fuel/oil temp gauge when the AG was ordered - since the center console was a separate item (or included in the 2.0L's AG). This one has just the common "base eqpt." fuel gauge only version.
10. The last CA reg. shown was in 1985 expiring in June 86....this is 2012, what happened to the car over the past 26.5 years between 6/86 & 1/2012?
...also, why is a CA car registered to a UT owner?
You usually have to register the car in the state of your residence, or in the state where the car is located & used (maybe just a technical point, but time in SLC snow could make a difference in condition). And.....yes, I remember the CA trick of registering in OR & NV for lower rates on high priced cars - but this is the opposite
Probably more could be mentioned, but you get the idea that this needs further checking out.
IIRC, I recognize this garage & 914 from similar ads from last year - so why didn't sell then, why are all these issues still outstanding, and why the repaint in Dec. `11 (if accurate)??
In that light - I'd want to see a full documentation showing a continuous & unbroken chain of service records over the years attesting to it never having turned over 100k or more on that odometer - as should be checked with any car, especially those with 5 digit odos! BTW - these odos are really easy to reset to any mileage you want, so without solid documentation to the contrary, that "actual - 27,200 A" in the close-up at some undisclosed date is meaningless with an odometer which only reads up to 99,999 & it could still be an "actual odometer reading" but be in reality 127k, 227k, etc.!!!
While I agree that this looks like a nice survivor - that's been recently repainted so not really a survivor/original car, do your due diligence so you don't over pay for a 914 that is really higher mileage (maybe 128k?), or for a nicely refurb'ed one.
Tod - I really don't think this qualifies in the bracket as your Froggy or Bahia Red survivors, nor of Steve G's/smg 21k mi survivor Sahara Beige in the O&H nailed forum: "The few, the rare..." - which BTW is a great place to look at wear-n-tear items for comparison (e.g.: pedals, carpets, upholstery, body seals, paint, etc.).
Hope this helps those interested in sorting out this nice looking `74 914-1.8!
Cheers!
Tom
///////
Fortunately I'm not biting on it, cuz this one is a 74 1.8L & not a fully optioned appearance/performance group model, and not a tan/beige interior.
But if you ever see another pristine low mile survivor in Marathon or Alaska Blue Metallic's - preferably with a tan/beige interior, and 73 is preferable to me for the silver bullet gauges & aluminum thresholds - and early 8-9/72 production with the chromed window winders & door handle surrounds, plus a dealer optioned DPD A/C would put me over the top! ....or maybe a Metallic Blue & Tan/Beige 914-6 so equipped?
....then please do shoot me an email/PM!!!!
For those interested in this one, I see a couple of minor discrepancies on this one which makes me wonder, and would certainly check it out in person or by a trusted AZ 914er PPI before bidding.
1. Why is the glovebox cover covered in brickweave & clearly does not match the proper basketweave dash face? ...I'm just saying!?
...even if a repair - couldn't they bother to find a matching material from another lid or AA!!??
2. Why is the clutch pedal tweaked sideways at that weird angle??
...was it modified, rebuilt poorly, or what!!??
3. If it's truly only a 28.5k mile 914, then why do the brake & accelerator pedals show about the same amount of wear as my 172k mile 73 2L?? ...similarly with the carpet wear/staining at the "dead pedal"/foot rest area on the carpet to the left of the clutch seems excessive wear for 28k miles??
....even I popped the $3-5 each for new pedal pads & $35 IIRC for a new OEM accelerator pedal!
4. What's going on with the outer door seal at the bottom of the door - something looks amiss? ....maybe just a crusty seal or not returned to proper position after what looks like a fresh shot of paint along the bottom - but then why paint there...rust issues??
...also there seems to be rust staining coming through the paint around those close-up pix of the labels & Karmann Plate; as well as at the rear trunk floor, and at the VIN stamping on the RF wheel housing, underpan areas & suspension parts, etc.??
...again - I'm just saying it's worth popping off those seals to inspect the door bottoms, since my always garaged with OO/PO & myself still managed to develop rust there (although mine was OO/PO & my DD so she saw rain/snow in driving).
5. Why does it say it has/had the Appearance Group (AG) of options - presumably found on the COA &/or window sticker - which should include ALL of: chrome bumpers, fog/driving lights & dual tone horns (no chrome bumpers, no fog lights, looks like only 1 horn, & note no hole nor switch in dash for fog light switch); vinyl & chrome trim at sails/roll bar (check!), leather wrapped steering wheel (nope), leather shifter boot (appears to be the rubber one in sliver of top in pic, so nope), loop pile carpet (looks like loop pile, but that color is still easy to replace today with aftermarket or NOS loop pile).
AFAIK the AG always included the full compliment of options listed - except that the 1.7/1.8 didn't get the center console/gauges - even when they charged separately for those options in non-AG 914s (ditto for the Performance/Sport Group of options).
...if all that is missing from the full 1.8L AG, who changed it when, or are they mistaken/misrepresenting the AG!!??
6. If this is truly a garage kept 28k mile 914, then why did it need repainting a month ago?? Also, none of the key rust areas are shown in the pix, so you don't really know what's going on??
...and the factory undercoating was uncommon, but dealer undercoating was VERY common, in order to jack up the price/profit to dealers - even in CA - but there's no doc. on COA/Window Sticker to show it was factory, & the underpan pix to tell me it's dealer (i.e.: by overspray on suspension parts not on at the factory when painted & undercoated - I learned that about mine from a PCNA regional service mgr.)!.
Similarly - that shift knob has a lot of cracking for a 28k mile 914!
I mean really - a low mile/low use, well kept & pampered survivor should not need repainting with such low usage & always kept inside - presumably in shade or under a nice soft cover if parked outside in the sun for any period that would cause checking or cracking of the clear coat - not even this 3 stage metallic with clear coat!!??
7. Are those the original Fuchs 2Ls & repainted black backgrounds - or repros??
...original 2L wheels had a low luster background with semi-polished rims & "windmill blades" - never black backgrounds from the factory. So this is either a now molested & modified set of allow wheels, which may or may not have been on the car from the factory??
...again COA/Window Sticker/Dealer New Sale Invoice documentation is needed to
...or is/was it an attempt by the seller or PO to dress-up the 914-1.8 with aftermarket wheels which typically/always come with black backgrounds when new?
...maybe the seller thinks the Fuchs were the AG, but AFAIK they were part of the Performance/Sport Group of options with the F&R anti-sway bars, or a separate option.
http://bowlsby.net/914/Classic/OpEq.htm
8. It's missing the center storage tray's cover/cushion, which would've come with that option/accessory.
9. IIRC - the 1.8L 74-76 came with a combo fuel/oil temp gauge when the AG was ordered - since the center console was a separate item (or included in the 2.0L's AG). This one has just the common "base eqpt." fuel gauge only version.
10. The last CA reg. shown was in 1985 expiring in June 86....this is 2012, what happened to the car over the past 26.5 years between 6/86 & 1/2012?
...also, why is a CA car registered to a UT owner?
You usually have to register the car in the state of your residence, or in the state where the car is located & used (maybe just a technical point, but time in SLC snow could make a difference in condition). And.....yes, I remember the CA trick of registering in OR & NV for lower rates on high priced cars - but this is the opposite
Probably more could be mentioned, but you get the idea that this needs further checking out.
IIRC, I recognize this garage & 914 from similar ads from last year - so why didn't sell then, why are all these issues still outstanding, and why the repaint in Dec. `11 (if accurate)??
In that light - I'd want to see a full documentation showing a continuous & unbroken chain of service records over the years attesting to it never having turned over 100k or more on that odometer - as should be checked with any car, especially those with 5 digit odos! BTW - these odos are really easy to reset to any mileage you want, so without solid documentation to the contrary, that "actual - 27,200 A" in the close-up at some undisclosed date is meaningless with an odometer which only reads up to 99,999 & it could still be an "actual odometer reading" but be in reality 127k, 227k, etc.!!!
While I agree that this looks like a nice survivor - that's been recently repainted so not really a survivor/original car, do your due diligence so you don't over pay for a 914 that is really higher mileage (maybe 128k?), or for a nicely refurb'ed one.
Tod - I really don't think this qualifies in the bracket as your Froggy or Bahia Red survivors, nor of Steve G's/smg 21k mi survivor Sahara Beige in the O&H nailed forum: "The few, the rare..." - which BTW is a great place to look at wear-n-tear items for comparison (e.g.: pedals, carpets, upholstery, body seals, paint, etc.).
Hope this helps those interested in sorting out this nice looking `74 914-1.8!
Cheers!
Tom
///////
with Tom. The carpet, shift knob, undercarriage, engine, etc. in my car look as good or better than this car. If I had it painted, its condition would be pretty close to this car. My car also has about 28k on the clock. The two major differences are that I KNOW mine has rolled the numbers over, and I KNOW mine has a big hole under the battery, but it wouldn't show if I took a bunch of pictures at the same angles as in the ad. Mine even escaped the undercoating desecration.I also know that my car isn't worth $12k.
Good points, Tom T.
I also wondered about the repaint.
Wheels look like repros to me.
I also wondered about the repaint.
Wheels look like repros to me.
The owner clearly stated that the wheels were repro. He also stated that it could use a new muffler.
As of this writing, the bid continues to climb.......we'll see......
Don
As of this writing, the bid continues to climb.......we'll see......
Don
It's Barrett Jackson week, notorious time for all of the "perfect" cars that were only driven to the park one day a week for the last 35 years, to make their apperance and hope someone might as well stop by as long as they are "in-town".
Repaints make me go, "hmmm........"
Repaints make me go, "hmmm........"
Wow! sold for
$19,600.00
$19,600.00
I'm betting we see it for sale again... bid history looks awful fishy.
A wise man once said, "Paint hides a multitude of sins." I found out the hard way.
Still... 
A good reference to use if someone else totals your baby!
A good reference to use if someone else totals your baby!
That motor/tranny has recently been degreased. I would bet a shiny penny that based on what it looks like now, it was filthy before it was cleaned.
The dash material is correct. The radio plate is what is different. That radio and plate may have been installed just to try and push the low mileage story.
Pedal pads dont look bad at all. Mine with 10k miles on them look worse.
My clutch pedal is slightly cocked. I have seen many 914's with this.They are basically a long bolt with a jamb nut - they can turn over time.
looks like cosmoline on the door jamb hardware, as it is specifically placed and located in areas that are not usual big rust spots.
The repaint and the residual gunk on the motor/in the engine bay makes me pretty confident that the mileage is not right.
it's very pretty. 20k pretty? Like anything else, it is worth what someone is willing to pay.
Cut the fenders, flair it,throw in a -6 and a 5 bolt conversion and call it good!
The dash material is correct. The radio plate is what is different. That radio and plate may have been installed just to try and push the low mileage story.
Pedal pads dont look bad at all. Mine with 10k miles on them look worse.
My clutch pedal is slightly cocked. I have seen many 914's with this.They are basically a long bolt with a jamb nut - they can turn over time.
looks like cosmoline on the door jamb hardware, as it is specifically placed and located in areas that are not usual big rust spots.
The repaint and the residual gunk on the motor/in the engine bay makes me pretty confident that the mileage is not right.
it's very pretty. 20k pretty? Like anything else, it is worth what someone is willing to pay.
Cut the fenders, flair it,throw in a -6 and a 5 bolt conversion and call it good!
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