hey guys my name is tom and i live in columbus ohio. i just got my first 1972 porsche 914 1.7. the engine has been converted to carb for some reason, but is runs and drives. it does have some body damage. the left rocker panel was damaged when a tire blew out and someone backed into it with their truck. the damage to the front is minimal. i took some pictures for you guys (the pictures are not very good, it was bright out and they were taken with a phone) i have a few questions and any help or info would be great. i payed $5000.00 for it.
questions-
- whenever i go over a bump the targa top squeeks, is that something i have to learn to love or wil replacing the rubber seals fix it?
-why would someone convert it to carbs?
-how long does it take to remove the engine?
-how did i do????????
tips? info?

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Congratulations on the new car!

The FI was most likely replaced because someone got tired of trying to fix/understand the FI

The targa squeaking is fairly common. Do a search for fixes.

You can drop an engine fairly quickly...taking my time I can do it easily in an hour. Lots of guys on here can probably do it in a matter of minutes (seriously)

You have an aftermarket console...a lot of people like those

Did you check for rust in the usual places? That is what will tell if you did ok....

the trunks were coated with some kind of thick liner paint, under the floor mats are clean very little rust. the only place that i see a little rust is under the battery box buts its not too bad

Looks like you have a great daily driver. A couple things here and there will really make it look clean. You can replace all your targa seals and more here.

http://shop.914rubber.com/

The major rust areas are the longitudinals/jackpoints under the rocker panels and the area under the battery tray next to the firewall (that area is called the hell hole). Any rust in those areas can be expensive to repair.


Lots of info in this link and great "how to" articles
914 buyers guide

you need to pull the rocker covers as part of the regular maintenance.

pull yours off and asses your rust situation
that will determine how well you did

brant

Looks good from the outside but you never know until inspecting further. Removal of the rocker panels will reveal a lot and hopefully the longs are solid. Also look down below the battery tray itself into the "hell hole" area. That is more important than the battery tray itself. Slide the seats forward and off their rails, check the floor pans below the seats. Check under the carpets. Poke around with a tool, because the factory floor tar/sound insulation and paint can very easily hide rust. You can check the rear trunk underneath the carpet and below the tail lights, though it looks like your rear trunk was already coated with a truck bed liner (?).

Nice ride.

When you get a chance, check the longitudinals under the rocker covers under the side fenders and doors. This will tell you how solid your car is.

Also check under the floor mats in the interior.

Your price seems in order.

About the carb, many times the original fuel injection doesn't operate well and folks replace it with tried and true carbs.

Sorry to put it this way but the center carb is a turd. It will run but not at peak HP. It's the cheapest induction available. I sold the one on my car for $25 and was glad to get rid of it. Look in the classifieds for dual Weber carbs which will run much better.

Very nice find. If you can stand on your door sills and bounce up and down without the car flexing then you probably got a good deal but be cautious, if you have rust in the longs then trying that may make the car sag , break in half or you will not be able to close your door .

pulling the longs is a lot safer and I noticed that yours are ABS so it should be wasy and you can find replacements easy.

Nice ride. Good luck

Frank