Hello everyone! my name is Aaron and im from central Kansas. i recently traded an Audi of mine for a few other cars that an older gentleman had sitting around his property. among those are a 80 Datsun 280ZX, 80 450SL, 92 Subaru SVX, an 80 el-camino, and a poor beloved 74 914 with widebody fenders that had been sitting in the weeds for nearly a decade ... it just amazes me that someone can purchase these cars only to have it sit in the weather. i have decided to take this little jem on as a project car, and sell the rest.





the interior is (use to be) burgundy, a color i dont think ive seen in a 914. after a brief look-over the car, it seems fairly rustless for being outside so long, however the floor board near the peddles has a couple holes in it, the interior needs nearly 100% replacing (gauges, lower dash, steering wheel seem fine) the engine is siezed but the clutch still engages and disengages the gearbox. no telling how bad the fuel tank or suspension bushings are just yet. i have yet to pick up the cars.

so here are a couple of questions:

1. my biggest concern is the floorboard - is there a replacement piece i can buy, or just go at it with sheetmetal? id like to keep it looking as original as possible (i think an engman kit would be nice aswell)
2. how can you tell the difference between a 1.7, 1.8 or 2.0?
3. is it worth the work?? (my vote is hell yes)

thanks for reading guys, thoughts, comments and concerns are welcome

Welcome Aaron! Great find. You can get floor pans at:

Restoration Design

You will probably need more stuff, and they have pretty much every panel available outside of NOS.

If the engine is stock it will be a 1.8 or 2.0 for the year 1974... if it still has fuel injection post a pic of it from the top and we can tell you which one it is...

As far as it being "worth the work", the amount of rust is usually the deciding factor. Post pics of the underside and engine bay. Are those flares fiberglass or metal?

FYI lots of people (like me) are transplanting SVX engines into 914s. You can offer it for sale here if you don't want it. Does the SVX run BTW?

Those rims are awesome. Never seen 5 lug "fans" before . The exhaust appears to be a Bursch Sport. VERY loud but cool.

Bottom line is we need more pics...lots more...

Your statement, "it seems fairly rustless for being outside so long, however the floor board near the peddles has a couple holes in it" scares me the most. Here's hoping it's not indicative of more serious issues elsewhere.

Those flares look extra large to me. I wonder if they're fiberglass? 5-lug conversion done on it too. Considering the interior, you can make it "look original" there, but elsewhere it would be cost-prohibitive IMO unless you start with a better candidate.

In the end, only you can answer the question, "is it worth it?" I hope you find that the rust isn't terrible and you say "yes!" to restoring it to a fun driver. The more of these rescued the better, and I like idea of having a blank slate with a car that's already "non-original" ... as in wide-body, 5-lug wheels, perhaps redone interior ... make it your own!

Yes, replacement panels are available from various sources.
If unmolested, the engine size can be determined by looking at the number of intake manifold studs per side; 4 studs 1.7 and 1.8, and 3 for 2.0.
Plenty of great information on this site, learn to search and you'll overwhelmed with good tips and knowledge.
I'd also suggest meeting up with someone who really knows these cars, at least to inspect the typical rust areas before deciding how much "work" you're able to do.

Mike

pretty sure those are the extra wide F/G Flares (11 inch wheels will fit)

they are indeed fiberglass, however the lower strip (black) needs to be molded to fit the panels.

as for the rust.. its only rained about twice in kansas in the past 3 years, and i have no fear of doing some panel work. it will be a first for me, but i look forward to it.

HA i didnt notice the 5 lug swap.. i guess that means at some point someone knew what they were doing. ebay has new carpets and even seat sets for what i consider reasonable

the SVX runs, but smokes (burning oil (valve guides??)) and the transmission is out, so its mainly good for parts. i will sell it for REALLY cheap.



thanks for the fast replies! it gives me hope that i can take on this project. btw im no noob to porsche, ive had a couple 944's, my daily driver is an Audi A6 and my toy is a 79 Alfa romeo Alfetta sport sedan.

what is the crazy red car in the pic, behind the SVX

Looks like an old electric car from the '70's...

The MOST valuable pieces of the SVX are the drive train, so I would probably scrap that one...leather interior is somewhat desirable. svxworldforums.com if you want to post it there or part it out.

the red door stop is a CitiCar electric vehicle. 3 or 4 hp and 50+ miles per charge.

agreed. the SVX is a parter

My dad had one of those electric cars, I sold it on ebay 3 years ago for 4 thousand dollars. Sell the 914 and restore the 280zx it will be worth more in the future..
Don't discount that electric car, if it has a title it can be worth some good money!
Good luck

Aaron
What shape is the Yellow 1966 Dodge Dart in? I cut my teeth on driving one of those bad bastards slant 6 and 3 on the tree!! We used to be able to hide a 12 pack inside the air vents back in the day

you will depart with all your extra time and $$ to get an under-appreciated, under-valued fun mobile

OF COURSE it is worth it

The world is your oyster

Enjoy the next few years. The team on this site is extraordinarily ejudicated.

Dave

Good choice. Looks like a cool project. You'll have way more fun in the 914 then any of those other cars.

Cool vintage Western Turbines! I wonder if the car has wheel adaptors or a true 5 lug conversion...

so i got the opportunity to take a "few" pictures of the major rust areas.. i cant believe how clean this car is!



in front of the left rear tire... damn thats clean! (well.. not rusty)


















engine compartment

dirty, but its just a bunch of dust










front latch sill area


front trunk pan









p.s. thats not me haah

Do It...Do It...

My guess is a Chevy bolt pattern with wheel adapters...

Looks like a good project.

those aren't the rust area's

you need to pull the rocker covers.
I'm betting anything that the jack points are completely gone from the looks of it...

those are 1.7 heat exchangers so most likely thats what your motor is.

weird that its got a real sway if its a 72 though...... could of been added. although the brackets look like they could be factory. What year is it according to the vin?

that rear valance is really trick.... nicely flared.

Brant he says it's a 74

vin on the sticker says 73, vin on the windshield A-pillar says 70. hmmm title says 73 though.. ill pull the rockers tomorrow, how do i do it?

as for wheel adapters. i will pull a wheel tomorrow and check it out.

missed that
sorry I didn't pay more attention

they are 70/71/72 heat exchangers...
but they could of fit any year motor I suppose..
looks like a lot of work has been done, who knows...


regarding the windshield vin and door jam vin
since they show different years, you likely have a situation where one half is early the other late.

it was really very common for accident cars to have a "clip" put on where half of the car was welded together to repair the wreck... its likely. There is a vin plate in the front trunk, see what it matches against the other 2.

if you think about it. These cars are easiest to piece together in the interior compartment.

the rocker covers usually have screws in the door threshold. and one in each fender. by pulling them you can see the longitudinals and jack point.

You need to have a BBQ and invite all the locals. I assume we have some folks in your neck of the woods. Nothing like a team to pull a car apart and determine all the weak areas

And welcome to the club.

anyone from kansas???

broken trans mount..

is this a "side shift" transmission?? ive seen the term, but not sure if its special.

I don't want to be a party pooper but that car is rusty as hell. Look at the thread on my car that Scotty B just finished up. I'm not saying your car can't be fixed up; however, you need to go into this with realistic expectations.

side shifters are on all '73 and newer cars. Nothing special.

Look on the web for pictures. Basically, a side shifter has the shift rod coming into the shift console on the side like this:


Click to view attachment

sorry. shift linkage

do keep in mind, these pictures do not do the car justice. it has patches of rust as expected, but areas that ive seen on other cars that are completely gone, are still in good shape on this one.

besides, who says i have unrealist expectations?? i expect to replace any rust that needs replaced, in a correct manor. this isnt my first restoration, just my first 914.

Wow, nice rear sway bar you got there.
Good luck and have fun with the project. It'll look great once it's done. And I'm sure you'll have a blast driving it. Nothing else gives you that intense visceral experience like a 914.
Dino

Let's hope i'm wrong about this, but i have seen this a few times before. You may be in for a surprise.


Look at the VIN stamped on top of the pass. side front fender (under the hood) and see if it matches the VIN sticker.

I appreciate your enthusiasm. I hope your assessment (and commitment) remains the same once you start digging into the bodywork.

BTW: You have a side shifter

cant wait to get started

what surprise do you think i'll find with the missmatched vins???

A spliced tub

Major body work like flared fenders etc. is often a sign of insurance payout after an accident.

If the car was hit hard in the front, back in the day the accepted fix was to splice in a complete front end from another car.

If that happened to your car, you should be able to see a line going across where the two halves were welded together.

and if thats the case.... might aswell just make it an SVX powered track car?

If indeed spliced, the value will only be the enjoyment you get from it. In other words do what you want to it. Don't bother trying to make it "original"

Those same exchangers were used on the 1974 1.8 cars. I think I spied the square 1.8 air cleaner in one of the engine bay shots, so that would fit.

--DD

I thought all of the 75 and 76 cars had the short stub pipe headers with the late style heat exchangers. The less efficient kind that reversed flow. I know my 75 had them anyways......

Yes, the 1975 (and 76) cars had the awful roundy-round exhaust. The 1974 1.8s had the same exchangers as the 1.7s did. The muffler was a bit different, at least than the 70-72 mufflers, but the exchangers were the same.

--DD