Hey guys! You probably have no idea who I am, but I've been a member here for about 4 years or so. This may or may not jog your memory http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...c=93935&hl=

Anywho, I've owned about 15 cars since 2009 when I first started looking for a 914. I most recently sold my '85 Corvette after deciding it was time to realize a dream I've had for a few years now. I now have the money to seek out my 914.

Tomorrow night I'm going to check out a car very close by me that sounds decent.
http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/cto/3530133142.html

He's asking 6500 for the car on the ad, but since posting his brother has piped up and said he wanted the car. Well, the dude's brother is not ponying up with the cash quick enough, and I've been talking to the owner, and he wants 7000 firm for the car now to buy it out from underneath his brother.

In my mind if the car is every bit as he describes it, it should be worth that price especially with the slim pickings of the 914 crop local to me.

Anyway, I just want to be sure I do an extremely thorough inspection of the car while I'm there checking it out. I will be taking this http://www.pelicanparts.com/914/How_to_buy_a_914.htm along with me, the only problem is I won't be able to test drive the car because the roads are covered in snow and salt at the moment.

Is there anything you guys can think of specifically to ask this guy about the car, or things not mentioned in the link to look for especially with the inability to drive the car?

If this car ends up not being right for me, my search continues...

Nothing beats a pair of eyes with 914 experience.
A lunch tab will be much cheaper than paying for a pretty car with issues.
Other than that take lots of pics and post'em up here.

Mike

Thanks Mike, those were my thoughts exactly. I don't know of anyone local to me that could come along to look at it so I figured the next best thing would be to post pics here. Unless anyone is close to Grand Rapids, MI that would like to help a brother out. I can buy lunch or beer or whatever tickles your fancy

The ad says $8900.... Has the seller raised the price?

Wow, I didn't realize it but you're right. He did say if I didn't buy it the next place it's going is eBay.

Car looks nice enough, but I don't like dealing with Sellers that play Games, especially raising the price. Fuch, he might not even have a Brother, but he thinks he has a Hook in your mouth & is going to try to reel you in.

Buy a California Car from someone here & have it shipped

After saving one from the brink, I can say that I wouldn't go back and do it any different. That being said, after seeing some of the low price, high quality cars that people from this community are selling on the West Coast, if I were to get another car, it would be to buy one that's already in good shape.

I totally hear you guys. I'm still going to go check it out because it's so local to me, but if it doesn't live up to his description, I'm not going to give him his 7 grand, and if that's not an option for him, I'll keep looking.

I've really got nothing to lose but my time, and I have more of that than I need anyway.

Nice car. My 74 was ravenna green as well. My kids called it the Skittle car cause it looked like skittle candy.

My opinion is if you're going to spend that much money, go for a 2L car. Going from 60HP to 95HP is huge in these little cars.

My 74 was 2L and it gave a much better feel to the car on the gas than a 1.7L.

Look for your 914 all across the country. Shipping a car isn't a big deal. Figure $1k to fly to see it and have it shipped home. I did this with my 930. Bought it in Colorado, flew there, bought it, and had it shipped to PA.

The car is missing the center console...I assume it had one because the gas gauge is missing the oil temp gauge (or, it's been replaced). I would look elsewhere...there were plenty of 914's made.

Asking price is just a number. It might be the right car for you for the right price. I've bought plenty of 914's for 1/2 to 1/3 what the seller was asking. Sometimes it takes a while for them to get realistic.

This is why I love this place!

I usually end up being blinded by emotion when shopping for a car I want, so feel free to keep talking sense into me. I'll probably end up taking pics of the car and posting them here later.

Also feel free to point me toward any other potental cars. I would not like to spend more than 7500 a car.

What'ya trying to say? Just 'cause East Coast cars are high in vitamin Fe203, he may not want one to reconstruct own?

nothing looks missing to me. How can you tell it had a center console? Most 914 did not come with them. and the gauge looks just like mine too. The open block above the gas gauge is a warning light. Some came with a temp gauge there, but not many. Most came without a temp gauge at all.

Car does look nice. Take an ice pick and poke around the floor boards and take the black covers off from under each door and poke around the jack points, etc...in the rear trunk under the carpet and of course the hell hole, poke poke poke.

Another quick test, take the roof off, sit in the seat and see if the door closes differently than with the roof on. If it does, the car sagged with your weight in it. that is a bad thing.

I wish I could go with you. Good luck.

Hello from a fellow Michigander...

As a fellow Michigander, I'd say that car has one problem. It's from Michigan.

You only have one thing to look for and it's in the usual places. "Rust"

If I still lived in Eaton Rapids, I'd come out and check it out for you but... seriously, all you need to do is check for Hell Hole Rust, Jack Plate Rust and Floor Pan Rust. Check the firewall behind the seats too.

"Everything Else" can be fixed.

The fact that the ad says "No Rust on the Exterior" scares me. If it's not on the exterior, then where is it? If it's a MI 914... it has rust, probably severe.

But... to over simplify: Go look for rust in all the usual places. Engines, steering wheels, window glass and gauges can all be replaced. So can metal but, it's gonna cost ya.

Oh...all mine either have an oil temp gauge on the console or in the dash. I guess I've never owned a base car or one that wasn't upgraded.

I've noticed that those "in the know" selling a "rust free" 914 will include numerous pic's showing the Hell Hole, jack points, bare longs. firewall, floor pans, hood drip rails, rear trunk pan and pedal area. Just saying............

As far as the center console, I don't think this car came with one originally.

My main concern on the car is hidden rust, especially around here. I am an auto tech by trade and I get to be part of the joys and wonders of working on rusty ass cars all day long. I'm not afraid of anything mechanical, I just know for a fact I don't want to be involved in a complete "rustoration."

It does seem like the guy chose his words carefully when he said, "rust free exterior," but you never know. I'm also not too sure why he showed a pic of the inside of the rear trunk lip...

We'll find out after tonight!

Went to check out the car tonight, it had a few minor rust issues, not really something I wanted to deal with. All the structural points were solid, though. The car started after some long periods of cranking, and it didn't want to run very good even after a good 5 minutes of warm up time.

I'm definitely going to let this one pass by, as I think it wasn't worth messing with. However, it was a good experience to go see an actual car and physically see where the problem areas are, and get better acquainted with the car. I now have something to compare other cars to that I might look at in the future.

On a different note, I found this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1972-Porsch...e#ht_500wt_1182

I'm trying to set up a meeting to see this one before the auction ends. He doesn't show any good pictures, but it should be easy enough to whip down and take a look!

new dr side floor on the red one. expect other issues. bin @ $7.2k. total lack of pictures. a peek under the rocker covers is what i would want.

k

My thoughts exactly. I've got time to kill today, so I'm gonna go check it out.

Anyone know off hand what tools it takes to get the rocker covers off?

To remove the covers, you will need a (largish) flat blade screwdriver. There are 4 or so screws along the bottom edge. They are often difficult to remove especially if they have not come off in quite some time.
Once removed, you can pull the cover out a bit to view the rocker area from below.

If they were put on as the factory did, you need
1. a set of 10mm wrenches to get the bolts at the wheel wells
2. a drill to drill the rivits on the top edge
3. a #2 phillips screw driver to get the screws on the bottom edge that go into the floor pan.

Good luck, usually they've been replaced and not with the exact proper hardware.

if you get "i can't get the bottom screws out, they're frozen" keep looking. if a screwdriver doesn't work you can always snap the screws off with a set of vice grips.

The rear trailing arms look like they took abit of weathering over the years. Check the suspension points on it too. The yellow 75 from Virginia looks like a much cleaner car, if you don't mind a 1.8. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1975-Porsch...=item2a2904dfbc

Thanks guys! I went to check out the orange car this afternoon and it was much more solid than the first one I looked at last night.

All suspension mounting points were solid, longs were solid, jack tubes were solid, floor was solid, hell hole was solid, battery tray and under headlights was solid, overall it seemed really structurally solid.

Fired right up and ran well, interior was very nice, but it was definitely repainted at some point, it was a decent job.

Only issues I found with rust were a few very small bubbles below the sail vinyl and one quarter sized bubble on the front right fender next to the headlight. Guy owned the car for 4 years and says he HAS to get rid of it, also said he had quite a bit done to it and has taken it on several long trips.

I'm thinking I want this car.

"he HAS to get rid of it" - I love those words

Right! HAS to get rid of it but only for the right price.

Take it from me... the longer he "has" to get rid of it, the lower the price. Make him a reasonable offer and then after he turns it down, keep in touch with him weekly until he decides his price isn't in line with the market.

Very reassuring that you and I had the exact same thought process, I just have to figure out where that resonable offer stands pricewise.