So I'm still looking for a car, and I found a '73 1.7 nearby, and the seller is asking $3k. Haven't seen it in person yet, but will try to this weekend. He states clutch and brake work before parked, and "no rust" (but that of course must be verified). What needs to be done to prep a car like this to run again? I'm guessing oil, battery, brake fluid at the minimum. Presuming there really is no rust, how reasonable is the price?









Thanks for the help and advice!

From the surface it looks like an attractive buy. Rust repairs can cost a lot, as does engine/transmissions issues.

I would replace battery, gas and oil plus basic tune up parts and see how it goes!

Check you fuel lines because they last thing you want is a fire!

Nice Find !

If it spent all that time out in the yard check for rodent damage.

Thanks for the tips! No doubt the gas has definitely gone bad by now. Also trying to find out why it was parked in the first place...

Looks nice from outside, how's the interior? Definitely gas, oil, brake fluid, fuel lines, fuel hoses, rubber brake hoses, battery, probably FI vacuum hoses. How long has it been sitting? Also member above mentioned about rodents may have entered.
They always have rust.

I'm also noticing windshield panel vinyl, this usually indicates a one of first 1000 914's from '73..?

Yeah, I noticed the vinyl as well. Cool.

I'm still waiting to actually hear from the seller. It's been FS for a while, so I presume it's not gone yet, esp as the ad was just posted a couple of days ago.

If it has been sitting in that grass for 10 years it HAS rust!

My thoughts exactly. It's not like this car has been sitting in a desert environment for the past decade. Check the rockers, hellhole, trunks, around the lights, all the usual suspects.

I'd plan on dropping the engine immediately and replacing everything that was made out of rubber.

Whatever gasoline remains in the car has turned to varnish -- and clogged the injectors and everything else. So you won't be able to start the car, I'll bet.

You can at least push the clutch in and see how much play you have.

Also find out why it was parked, then decide if the price is right.

Check for rust in the 'hell hole' (underneath the battery tray), also the firewall/floor behind the seats and see if you can have him remove the rocker panels. If the right rear suspension is at an awkard angle, you will also have problems/rust/issues with the RR suspension ear.

Good luck and keep us informed with what you find out about the car. More pics..

--- Rob

Okay, finally heard back from the seller, and he sent along some more pictures taken today (in the rain): early '73 914 pics

Trying to set up a time to see the car in person next week when it's a bit drier out. Looks like he has a quite a collection of cars returning to the earth.

Anyway, this one looks like it may have some rust bubbles at the base of the windshield- or it could be pooled water. Also, is that some sort of aftermarket AC below the dash? He says the odo currently reads 70k. Lots of dead hoses in the engine bay...

From my untrained eye, it still looks pretty decent at the price point. Am I missing anything?

Really appreciate all the input so far!

The good news is the motor is pretty original looking, and the car looks to be all there. It has air conditioning - not sure if you want that or not, the front trunk will have a hole in it where air can get to the A/C parts. Hard to tell if it's ever been in an accident from the pics but it looks pretty straight.

The bad news is he did not show any pics of the typical rust spots!
The rear of the rear trunk, the hell hole under the battery in the engine bay as previously mentioned, under the front trunk floorboard, the side rocker panels, places like that. On all the cars I've seen from moist climates the rockers and hell hole are really bad.

That stuff is pretty repairable. The A/C adds a lot of complication.
The entry price seems reasonable but you are really loking at a lot of potential and likely things to fix. Do you have a total budget in mind? (cause you're gonna go over it if you stay on this site hahaha)

Yeah, probably it would be smarter to start with a car that someone else has already done the work on. There are just not a lot of local options right now, and I'm hesitant to buy something without seeing it in person.

My main plans for the car are to use it for AX and DE. I suppose something like this would make a lot more sense (and $) considering my plans.

Back to this one, what about picking up a used 2.0L and dropping it in- easy to do? Are those engines easy/inexpensive to find?

I would say 2k, maybe 2.5K tops. That car is going to need love around every corner. I see a clutch and brake caliper in the pasenger well. That's not a good sign. Unless you love it or can get it really cheap, I would try and find a cleaner car that actually runs.

There are many, many people on this forum who I would trust to check out a 914 in their area and give me a "thumbs up/thumbs down" on the potential purchase.

Start scouring Craigslist in the southwest and see if you find anything. Then post a "can anyone in Phoenix check out a car for me" request.

As others have stated, It looks fairly complete which is good, but the parts seem to be everywhere and it takes a lot of time (and $) going through the entire car fixing everything you find. Rust is still the biggest issue. It's definitely not a good sign if it's been sitting in that yard a long while, uncovered. Never know til ya look

Where in Norcal are you? Maybe there's someone near by that could look at it if you're not sure.


Jeff

The car is in San Jose, and I'm in Redwood City.

Probably I should keep looking for something that is less of a project, but I have a weakness for lonely cars...

In case anyone wants to see the original ad: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/3436034010.html

Looks like an early rear bumper (70, 71).

Check for damage from the rear as that should have the late rear bumper.

There are teeners all over the greater Bay Area, along with people who know them. Somebody around here can help you out, I'm sure - hopefully somebody closer than I am, but if it's still a problem by next weekend, shout. I'm not particularly skilled, but at least I've made some of the common mistakes before...

Tons of members in the South Bay... Nobody wants to take a quick look? Maybe talk a newbie owner out of his shiny but "incorrect" back-dated rear bumper?

Edit: If it comes down to it, Tom Amon of Mobile Works West is based in the South Bay and might be willing to do an on-site pre-purchase inspection - his whole business is on-site repair, where he brings the knowledge and tools and works on your car in your garage/driveway. I've had him work on my teeners with great results, and everybody I've talked to about him has a good opinion of him. 408-429-0545.

It has been my experience that when the person writing the Craigslist listing cannot spell for shit, the item is usually more trouble than it's worth.

In the engine pics you can see MOSS growing on the engine near the Hell hole. That would be a red flag for me.

Thanks for all the sound advice. I will probably pass on this, and be patient while waiting for a nicer (and running) example to come along. Definitely should put some hard thought into budget considerations, too... it's difficult to be reasonable when it comes to toys!