Since I was heading down to San Diego yesterday, I stopped by an checked out this yellow '71. With a few exceptions, it's just as clean in person as in the pics. The exceptions being the trunks, as there is a bit of rust in both. The worst is in the rear as seen here:
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Nothing penetrated through, but it was a bit gunky. There was just a small amount of surface rust in the pan of the frunk.

I've read about tail- and side-shifters, and now understand why the former is best avoided. What's a rough estimate on what it would cost to swap out to a side shifter? Or, maybe it's something you get used to? There was no grinding into any gear, it was just very hard for me to find 1st. However, the engine was able to pull from a stop in 3rd, so I guess that says something good about the motor.

Other little nitpicks are that the trim is still not completely installed, and it needs various adjustments (like the windows not sealing against the targa top).

The engine was rebuilt out to a 2.0 (not 2056) by Tuttle(?), using the original cases and heads, and the final tuning was done at Benton Performance. Anyone have experience with them?

I guess my question is, is there any reason not to buy this car? I think there is some flex in the price. Any good shops in the area that could do an inspection?

I think is hasn't sold because no one wants to pay $10k for a 914 that needs rust repair.

The pic you posted here looks like a different car based on the pics from the original post. What doesn't make sense is how nice the car looks in the original post. Engine compartment looks perfect! Why then would they leave rust in both trunks?

What other corners were cut on that car? In your pic above, it looks like a cover up job...

ditto

for me its because its a tail shift car for 10K

I sold a absolutely rust free side shift 75 for less
absolutely accident and rust free with shiny yellow paint.

As the rust repair on my '74 wraps up, I have vowed to never again buy a rusty car...seriously. Three of my four 914's were bought as rust free as possible (for a 914) and the purchase price for each was much less than the total cost of rust repair and paint on my '74. Of course, I will have one the most solid 914's on the East Coast (or any cost for that matter)...seriously.

The rust repair on my '74 is being done by an expert with 914's and I think I got a bargain. I can't even begin to imagine what the cost would be if you went to a restoration shop that doesn't know the 914.

So, to answer your question, for $10K there had better not be any rust repair required. In addition, there should not be any outstanding work required....the car should be ready to go.

One also has to ask what else got overlooked, if the pristine looking resto pix in the FS link for the car are an indication of the work & $$s put into the car!!??

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=198615

Your rear trunk pick looks to be hiding more serious rust damage under seam sealer, perhaps only applied to hide a half-fast treatment of rusty sheet metal - rather than a more expensive proper cut-n-weld of good patches/panels - with a quick & less costly respray over all of the problems. The factory did NOT pile up seam sealer in that location like this, and you can see in the right corner that there is a 2nd layer on top of the 1st layer! Clean that sealer off & I'd bet it is holed in several places, and who knows where else there is serious tin-worm?? .... hell-hole, longs, etc.!!??



This is part of the problem with the Flippers & some home restorers out there - they think POR15 means "Repairs ALL Rust & Renews Sheet Metal" - but then it should be named "RARARSM15"!!!!

IMHO there are better real side-shift 2.0's out there for less than what this + it's proper repairs will cost you, so keep looking.

...to add to the mix, I probably have 1 of the other small grouping of rust free teeners in the East, and the total bill for rustoration in the Midwest was well over $7k based on adding up receipts. And all I have is the chassis, doors and lids. They kept the drivetrain.

I have had 4 other 914s (2 still sitting in the yard). NEVER approach one of these without a good ice pick. A fiber scope inspection camera can be had for cheap at HF these days. Offer to drill and inspect the longs and plug them afterwards. If the buyer isn't open to this, being it's a 914, walk away...

firstly, 914s west of the mississippi, for some reason, go for a LOT less and seem fairly abundant regardless of condition, not so here. 2ndly, regarding the "rust" on the yellow car, I don't see it, even if there is/was a 2nd coat of seam sealer, i don't think so.

Hmmm...one post expert?

The picture clearly shows a crappy trunk. Good trunks do NOT look like the picture shown.

For a good trunk look at this one:

Original Paint

I don't get it!

Why go to al that expense everywhere but ignore the trunks?!

Could have been a really nice car for just another 1K!

Regardless, if the price is negotiable, it could still be a decent buy.

LOL

Click to view attachmentOr....

You could find an original like this (original, as in NOT restored).

Those are getting harder to find...

You mean like this one?


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If anyone can find any seller who is willing to let the prospective buyer drill holes in their car, I'll sh!t in my hat.

I agree, I would never allow that to any car I'm selling.
Never...

but I do absolutely recommend pulling the rockers on any car under consideration.
and I have taken pictures under there of every car I sold to show the prospective buyer. Even back when that was on film prior to digital camera's

and if a seller seems confused or has no idea why a buyer would want to see under the rockers then you know they have never pulled them and it raises the level of concern.

brant

I'd say that the trunk floor is only held on by seam sealer.

Looks like Pat took a buffer to his trunk?
I'd be afraid to put my pad and carpet back on that. LOL.

Thanks for the replies. I get that rust is bad. I also get that I don't want to want to spend $15k for a 'perfect' rust free 914, because at that price I'll take a 911SC instead. However, there must also be some value to having had all the mechanicals refurbished.

I'll check with the seller and see if he has any photos showing the car before it was painted, and perhaps that can provide more clues about the rust situation.

It could just be a really shitty application of seam sealer. Clearly it it but, is it covering up some shoddy work? Who knows.

There is a value to that car and if you could get the seller down in the $5-8K range it might work out. The rest of the car is very clean.

Rust is the enemy of the 914. If you see rust on a 914, it is only 30% of what it ACTUALLY has. The rest of the rust is hidden and needs to be found.

So show the seller of some "correct" trunks and see if you could talk him down.

thanks Rich...at the office, needed a laugh.

I feel like we as a group are being a little too harsh..
I agree that some investigation on the trunk sealer is in order.
I will also say that fixing trunk rust is the easiest area to fix and the least concerning structurally....

have the seller pull the rocker covers and examine the jack points.
to me personally the trunk rust (or lack there of) would not be a deal braker
I would check everything else out
and rebuilt motors don't necessarily add a lot of value
I've seen many rebuilds blow up depending on the quality of the builder

so for me personally...
- this car is over priced
- I would reserve my final opinion of the car until I used a flashlight in the hell hole and crawled underneath to inspect the lower firewall and pulled the rockers.
- it might be a great 7K car if there is no rust concerns elsewhere

Geez Rich,

I wasn't referring to anyone's prized concours car. And I have made that request prior when inspecting a southern car. The owner admitted that when he bought it it appeared to have some surface rust - after I applied gentle pressure with my jail house "shiv" in 5 different locations, we both sought a deeper solution. He had a scope for use when rebuilding his hotrods and rat rods, and recommended we drill a hole large enough to slide it in. After the 1, he couldn't stop drilling test holes to see how bad the shit really was.

This was a 74' all option car, that had a 4 Barrel originally strapped to the 2 port adaptor for "fun". We both assumed that that had to be the weekest link. After I unwrapped the duct tape from the forward shift knuckle at the firewall, and removed the baling wire that was used to attach the sway bars to the bolts (no drop-links), we both agreed there must have been more fun stuff hidden.

What size hat???

Sounds like something Dave menace, uh menche, would say

You know.... I had a rear trunk graft out of a rust free early early car presumably early 71. And it did not have the same seem sealer as later cars. It was smooth like the pics of this car as opposed to the lumpy schutz gun stuff more commonly seen in later cars.

The trunk graft was in no way molested by some PO it was original paint, unrusted, etc.

I think the HH area is clean- hell hole

The car is beautiful, no doubt. Just wish we knew more about the actual trunk condition

Just to follow up with this, the seller sent me a couple more trunk photos...

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I'm still interested in this car, though it is odd to have some crud like this in the trunk when the rest of it is so nice.

As others have said, the car looks so nice why didn't they finish the trunk?

Buy it. Just talk him down a couple grand...

The seam sealer in the trunk is not original. You can see pitted rust in the pic you posted. Someone covered it up prior to paint. Just get it fixed... At some point. It is solid enough to drive for a couple years before you have to fix it.

a 10 gallon hat

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just bring it over. ill know whats up in about 2 minutes.

Agreed, that's not the seem sealer I saw in my early trunk. That car needs a rear trunk pan which isn't the worst news when inspecting a 914.

pull the rocker panels....

then buy it for a discount from the asking price