Well I'm a newbie, but looking forward to help, comments, and thoughts as I bring my 73 x19 2.0 back to life. It is Phoenix Red, and I am the original owner, well my dad was, but it was always his and my car. I drove the car to my senior prom in 1974.

Dad passed a few years ago, and I finally freed up the time to get started refurbishing it this winter. This is an original California car has been in storage since 1993. I got it out of storage last month after making room in my shop, and am beginning to take it apart.

I will post pictures as I go and keep a running blog going so all of you guys (and gals) can keep me from messing anything up. I want to do it right.

Thread Index Pages
1-2 Intro photos; 3 Rear tunnel access; 4 seat belts, underbody; 5 fuel tank removal;
6 shocks, sway bars, brakes; 7 engine; 8 engine, ECU; 9 hell hole; 10-11 exhaust;
12-13 originality; 14 wheel align; 15 heater hoses; 16 heat exchangers; engine out;
17 vacuum elbow, fuel pump; 18 wiring; thermostat; 19 cooling flaps, pedal board;
20 pedal cluster; 21 cooling fan; 22 main seals, injector manifolds, rotor; 23 thermostat

Click to view attachment

Awesome!

Sweet! One of the rare ones with the black windshield frames too. Nice.

'73 2.0 Phoenix Red. One of my favs too

Good catch MDG. I started doing research the last year or so in preparation for the restore, and came across the fact that some had the vinyl on windshield posts, and others were painted.

It's funny because it had been in storage so long, I couldn't remember which one I had. lol

Here is a close up of the posts.
Eric

Click to view attachment

I too just got mine out of storage to get it back on the road and there's one thing I missed when I got back in it...and it's that musky car smell.

Mine in the same position as yours

Looks like my Phoenix red '73!

Click to view attachmentHere is my 73 in Baha Red.
A big thanks to all the guys in this forum for helping me with my 150 questions.
Unfortunately I have more questions.


Click to view attachment

Alright! Nice cars all. Get plenty of baggies and containers for parts. Projects get started and then unexpectedly drag out over time and things get lost.

Nice KBrunk...yours is the first one that isn't on a trailer.

Everyone that has been posted also has painted window posts.

One less place for rust to form!

True...and I actually think it looks better painted. But given the originality of the car, I'd hate to change it. It was the first think MDG noticed when you saw the picture.

Eric,

Would love to see more pictures of your car, engine and interior, I also have a very original 73 2.0L and love to see where mine may not be original anymore.

Slather this thread with pictures!

Yes - they are fairly rare. That vinyl is probably dried out and brittle by now. You can source a proper match for it and replace if you need to. I would if it was original to my car. The texture should be the same as what's on the sail panels.

Will do Steve. I have lots of pictures, be carful what you ask for. I made sure I took a lot so I would be able to get it back together when it's done.

And yes BRP...All parts, screws, etc...going in labeled baggies.

First 1000 made in '73 ...

Here's some more info:

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=61696

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=67592

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=40443

Good luck with your restoration!

Thanks ConeDodger! Keep an eye on me so I do it right.

Great info Andy...Thanks!! Also...my VIN is 47329-01147, so they must of went a little more than the first 1000 with the window post vinyl.

Dude that's so cool.

Thanks Gint. When I get her done, Idaho to Colorado is just the kind of drive the 914 was designed for.

Here is the first picture I took of the interior once uncovered after 20 years. About an inch of dust, a few mouse droppings, but all in all...everything in very good order. No cracks in the dash. One small 1 inch split in the drivers seat seam. Easy repair.

Notice the sun visor in the floor.

Click to view attachment

What a great story and this will be a cool thread to watch as you return this car to its former glory and get it back on the road.

The floor is where we all keep our sun visors. Eventually.

Was amazed how good the original paint looked after 40 years. If you look close, you can see my dogs reflection in the drivers side door.

Should be fun Cairo. Glad I don't have to restore some of the rusted out shells I've seen pictures of here on this site.

Click to view attachment

Notice the original tow hook in the bumper. I used it to tie to getting the car home. It was right in the tool kit where it belonged.

Click to view attachment

Great story, great car! Looking forward to watching this one! Hopefully I'll have my 914 long enough to pass to my 4 year-old son someday.

Beautiful car Bill...Looks very original.

Getting all the carpets and seats out, and rocker panels off.
Front Trunk...



Click to view attachment

Rear trunk...

Click to view attachment

Rockers off... Funny part was if you look close at the floor, their is literally half-gallon of sand that fell out when I took off the rocker panels.

Click to view attachment

Looks beautiful!

Super looking car! Get out the polishing wheel and it'll look showroom.
Ps. You might move the jack stand to the round tube on the suspension about 6" behind the donut. Donuts are known to bend in. It's not a real jack point.

great looking car and look forward to seeing your progress!!

Bill,
I see the round suspension piece on the rear, by the donut, but not on the front where my jackstands are. Is it OK to use the front donut for the front end, or should I move the jackstands somewhere else? Don't really see anything else on the front end?

This is exactly why I wanted all you folks watching me.

Ditto! Lookin good Eric. Post lots of pics as you progress.

Eric,

Looks great, can't get over how good those trunks look. At least you know what the color will look like once its buffed out.

Interior is amazing as well, you may have to spring for new carpets, but the seats/dash/console are in incredible shape.

Thanks Gerard, Steve,

Yea Steve...I was pleasantly surprised how nice the trunks looked. I haven't even washed the car yet, so after a good buffing and wax...should look OK.

Eric,
If I were you, I wouldn't restore your car. It will be a lot cheaper to go through and clean everything up and preserve it. It is already in very good condition, so it should also be worth more preserved than restored, I would think.

Why doesn't it have blue plates?

Beautiful car and story!

Ken,
Thanks. I probably use the words restore and preserve interchangeably when I shouldn't. My original thought after reading many stories over the last year in preparation for this was that I would have some degree of terrible rust that needed taken care of, and the only way to do it right was go to rotisserie. Since getting the car out of storage, and having a couple weeks to look it over, fortunately that just isn't the case. So far I only have a couple real small areas of surface rust with the exception of the battery tray which has a little bit of rust. Don't have the engine out yet, but hopefully the engine compartment will look as good. I agree with you that a car with 100% original paint and everything else is probably worth more than even a perfectly restored one. Even with the few paint chips that it has.

The car was running when it was stored, but at a minimun I'll need to pull the gas tank, replace all fuel lines, all vacuem lines, and I'm not sure what else, but then I can check compression and see if she still has more miles left in her. She only has 80K, so I hope so, but after 20 years...who knows.

"Why doesn't it have blue plates?"
You really know how to hurt a guy. I worked for McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis for 3 years building F15s from 1987-1990. That is when the plates got switched to Missouri, and then back to California. My Missouri plate was "1973 914S" which I still have, but not the original blue and yellow Cali plate. I wasn't very smart back then.

Sorry, didn't mean to hit a sore spot on the plates.

Last year, I went through what you are about to do - pulled the engine, trans, tank. I cleaned everything to pretty high standards, and then installed all new fuel lines, clutch/accelerator cables, engine seals, you name it. It was actually really fun getting to know the car and, in the end, knowing exactly what I have. My engine tin was pretty crappy, so I repainted it. I wouldn't do that if I had your car. Mine is a '75 1.8, which is about the least desirable 914 ever produced, whereas yours is one of the most highly coveted cars. The one single thing that you MUST do is to replace the tunnel fuel lines with stainless steel. Mine cracked into pieces when I pulled them. There are a couple of member vendors here who make them, and both make very nice pieces.

You will also need to address your brakes. Eric Shea (PMB Performance) is the only guy to go to. He is also a great source for many other parts. He is a brake guy, but I was able to get a lot of other misc. parts through him at a good price.

Unless anyone else chimes in, you may need to turn to Automobile Atlanta for the braided fuel line kit. I couldn't find it anywhere else, and it really looks nice when installed.

Best of luck! I am bookmarking this thread, as this is going to be a really great car when you get it where you want it.

Don't know the the aluminum deck plate on the door and threshold was original?

I don't think that is original. It looks like there is some trim on the edge of the outside of the driver door also that would have been added. The hood badge and the 'porsche' badge on the back, and can't tell, but the shift knob looks to be added also, and the muffler.

The positive stripe porsche sticker on the rocker is different, but cool- the positive ones were applied at the dealer I've read, so they decided to put it there I guess instead of above where they usually are. That is a sweet 914 though.

Have you checked in front of the computer for rust, like in front of the battery stand, down in the nook there? -that's where the real hell hole would be lurking. Pics of the motor?

The brushed aluminum kick plates on the doors and thresholds were added by the dealer (Greene in Norwalk Calif) as was the Porsche stripe. Since they were put on by the dealer before sale, I consider them original. I know all the front and rear badges are original and verify exactly with Dr. Johnson's authenticity guide.

Yes there is an aftermarket muffler on it, but I still have the original as well. There is some rust on the battery tray, but I haven't gotten to the engine compartment yet. Patients...I'm getting there.
I'm going to be dropping the engine in the next month or so, but I guess I can snap a couple through the engine lid just to get something of the engine.

Haven't examined the hell hole yet...I'm afraid...Everything else has turned out better than I had hoped and I know that is my last hurdle...other than getting the engine purring again.

Click to view attachmentClick to view attachmentClick to view attachment

Looks like mice; they love the type 4 engine. They like to build a nest on top of the oil cooler, so you'll want to check that out when you drop the motor.

They still sell the 2 liter intake runner braided couplers. It's like a time capsule in there with those spark plug wires.

Some say the soundmat in the engine compartment will trap moisture and rust behind. I haven't messed with later cars at all though. Yours looks pretty solid.

The whole car looks well taken care of.

Dad was a stickler for keeping everything original. He went through several mechanics, because as soon as they started with the "You really should get rid of the FI and put carbs on"...They weren't his mechanic any longer. I appreciate it now.

I swear he never fully forgave me for replacing the original crappy 8 track radio with something that would play decent tunes.

Got most of the interior out and gave it a quick wipe down. Looks like the steering wheel and shifter boot are going to need a little dye and Neat’s-foot oil.

Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Last couple of pics for the day.


Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

OK...I need some help on what I'm looking at in this picture please.

This is a little 4X4 hole with a little sheet metal access cover with one screw holding the cover. It is under the center console near the rear engine wall, between the seat belt connectors.

There are 5 things in this access tunnel:
A set of wires that can't be seen in the photo

A big black tube which I determined was the shift linkage at the very bottom of the access hole and half of it can be seen in the photo

some type of hydraulic fitting or connection that is ????

And the 2 red super heavy red duty wires that are ??? They are so heavy duty that they almost feel like steel bars painted the body color?

Click to view attachment

Shift rod, speedometer cable and tubes for the clutch, accelerator and heater cables.
The "hydraulic" fitting as you called it is the brake line going to the rear firewall.
Mike

The two red tubes visible in the photo house the heater cable that open the valves on your heat exchangers. They are controlled by the lever in your console.

If you feel around down under the black shift rod, you will find tubes for your clutch and accelerator cables.

If you feel around inside the area that is in the top of the picture, you will find that there are two more plastic tubes. These are your fuel lines, and they MUST be replaced if you want to safely drive the car. After 40 years, they become very brittle. Mine cracked in two when I removed them. If you look in the member vendor forum, you will find them available from Racer Chris and Rotary14. Both are great products at a reasonable price, and actually pretty easy to install. Rotary's thread has a youtube video of the installation.