Im looking to buy a second car and saw a beautiful porsche at a car show the other week. I talked to the owner and discovered the 914, which I never saw before. Ive been searching craigslist and found this. He doesnt have a asking price, just BO. I havent got a clue about 914s and their value so what do you reckon this is worth? Heres the description

You looking at a 74 Porsche 914 dual webers 40mm 1.7 engine.
Aroung 74000 miles and running strong
Over $10,000 invested.
Wide body kit.
Upgraded suspension (bilstein) disk brakes with wide wheels.

make me an offer.. thanks for looking

Depending on the underlying rust, $500-$15000

Pictures are deceiving. It looks like a $10,000 car but it needs a close inspection by a 914 expert. Rust is the main killer of these cars. Rust repair can go $20,000+ if seveire.

Under the battery and under the passenger rocker panel are the first places to look. Rust or rot in other places is a major red flag.

It's hard to determine on the internet. Best to have a person who's knowledgeable in 914s inspect it for soundness (rust, condition of chassis, rust, condition of drive train, rust, etc.) needs to be a 'hands on' inspection.

"$10k invested" is easy to do, it could be worth anywhere from 50~80% (shooting from the hip)

$10000 invested in what? It could easily cost over $5000 to fix the passenger side rocker panels/battery area unless you can weld them in. I suspect that the wide body kit could cost as much or more than $5000. it wouldn't hurt to ask what 'improvements' were made besides the wide body and suspension. You might ask for a picture of the passenger side door gaps to look for sag or a video walk around of the car.


Also why was the fuel injection pulled off?


I'm sure someone on this forum would be willing to look at the car for you to get the best idea of its value.

He said there "are no bad rust areas like other 914's. I'm 19 and this is my second car so I don't have alot to spend. I was hoping around 5k, is that unrealistic? I figured the originality was gone with all the aftermarket parts which you always lose money from.

Suspension upgrades?
Disk brakes?
Every 914 came factory equipped with disc brakes. From the photo it looks like the hubs are still 4 lug which will still carry stock non-vented rotors. Wheels do not look high priced. Wide body installation, glass on to the steel 914, I would have your PPI shop check the integrity of the body work as well as everything else on this car prior to any offer to purchase.
Looks like a Sheridan quarter panel and front fender kit, about $3,000. Carb kits are cheap from CB Performance, more costly when Webers or Dellortos are sourced. Add in prep+paint and labor
costs...and you are at about his claimed $10,000 of upgrades.
Get it checked out.
Marty

How far are you from Peoria? I would contact 914LTD and get Brad to check it out for you.

"No bad rust areas" is a big time red flag. As noted above, Brad Mayeur at 914LTD would be a good contact. He has an excellent reputation on this site.

And another oddity. The 1.7 liter engine is a fine engine, but it is the smallest, and considered less desireable. You don't usually see a wide body and the other goodies without a bigger engine.

... and if it is really a '74 and really a 1.7L, then it's a replacement engine as the 1.7 was not factory after '73. That said, it may not be a problem as the engine could be built up to whatever on a 1.7 case ...

Craigslist and “haven’t got a clue” are a recipe for heartache. You should take a few minutes and take a look at some of the restoration threads too get an idea of what kind of rust can be lurking. Ask to see the receipts for the work done, or at least for the parts purchased, with Porsches documentation is very important. Have you sat in a 914? For example, that Momo wheel looks nice but you might not be able to read much of the speedometer. A pre-purchase inspection is always a good idea, and it helps to look into them before you need one. Another thing to think about, summer is starting to draw down, once fall and winter set in the market shifts toward the buyer.

If that car was raced, without additional structural support like a roll cage (not in photos) or a body strengthing kit, any small area of rust may be a big problem. Small cracks can create stess points everywhere in the car. Especially check the longs and the suspension connection points in the rear.

Judging by the look of it & all the racing mods done to it, I don't think he'll take $5K....you may end up sinking a lot more into it over the years anyway - if I were you @ 19 (I wish...) I'd wait and get one that is a bit more original in decent shape, with a lot less aftermarket crap to worry about.


Just my 2 cents,
Ken

BTW,



It is impossible to put a price on it without knowing what is in the car and what condition (rust) the body is in.

If it is close to you, go take a look at it and drive it. What the hell; that's the best thing about looking at a sports car; you get to drive someone else's car without buying it.

Look for rust; look for engine oil leaks; see if the fender flares are fiberglass or steel.

If you really like it after seeing it and driving it, get someone who knows 914s (Brad?) to look at it with you.

with the others here. Check the underside of the passenger side rocker cover. (under the fabre glas) from the b pillar back to the rear wheel. Any signs of rust or repairs could spell trouble unless the repairs we done correctly. Hire Brad to check out the car. Hell he may even know of the car and it's history.

And

I got a little more information. Here's what he sent me.
"don't really know everything about the car so im not sure about the strengthened. I got this car just 5 weeks ago. Don't get me wrong I love the car, but im dealing with some financial problems and I cant keep it. I don't believe this car was raced. This 914 is in good shape for 74.

Ok the bads!!!
4th & 5th gear don't pot in, the linkage needs to be adjust.
the seal for the roof top need 2 be replace.
no key to lock the doors, but have key 2 start car.
the back trunk don't closed."

Seems iffy :/

Sounds like the seller isn't that knowledgeable about 914s. Hate to , but again, see if you can get a local forum member to do a PPI on it.

You will definitely want to see what is under that diamond plate.

Hopefully I can look at it soon. The ad was deleted so maybe it sold already! If not though lots of things to look for

I see you seem to have caught the 914 disease. That can be a good thing or a bad one depending on your ability to stay composed while shopping for your first car. Rust is the number one issue with these cars. Guys with good intensions have done all kinds of things over the years to hide it. The car your looking at has bonded quarter panels and bonded fibre glas rocker covers. So checking for rust will require a serious look by someone that knows what to look for and where to look.

If this car is sold take a look at the classifieds here. There are lots of cars here for sale. If the person listing the car has been a member here you can see how long they have been around and how many posts they have made. This should give you a little bit more confidence when entertaining a purchase. When buying a 914 buy the best car you can afford. You won't be sorry.

There ate too many things that don't add up on that car. Wide body on a 1.7? Wrong engine for the year? No rust? Owner only had it a few weeks and now has to sell it ? Shifting problems only require adjusent to fix?

Unless you have $5k to throw away (yes I know the price is $10k) I would not put a lot of effort in this one.

Based on my experience, I would not even pay $5K for this car. I would be willing to bet that it's a rust bucket.

That diamond plate could be a cover-up. Red flag for sure. The flares and 1.7 engine in a '74 make no sense either. Don't feel bad if you miss on this one. There are more cars out there.

Talk to Brad at 914limited. He's a good guy that has lots of knowledge. I'm sure he can help show you what to look for.

Well the lowest he will take is 7k which for me, being 19 is too much to spend on a second car. He said he got alot of people offering 5k and he turned them all down

looks like you already got your question answered.

Browse the cars for sale here. I should've when I bought mine LOL

Here is one for sale not too far from you.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-914...r#ht_656wt_1021

First off . If you like these cars and haven't even driven one yet your screwed because the first time you get behind the wheel of one you will end up with a grin from ear to ear. + they are super on the hiway if'n you keep the OG FI. Carbs are a bit noisy on the hiway. The one your looking at reminds me of an old Country Western song where a shocked father tells his son upon meeting his son's "date", "Hell son, she ain't no debutant. She's a cocktail waitress!" Anyone that tells you one of these cars is rust free is #1-uninformed, #2-lieing, #3-hasn't looked hard enough or #4- has just completed a full "body off" rebuild with an experts help.
Do this: go online to auto trader and do a custom search w/ $5K as max amount and <100,000 miles. You will find a ton of cars that have a rebuilt engine but keep reading until you find one that is all OG. The car may be 15 years old but so what. Might have to change out all of the rubber hoses but other than that you should be set with a reliable transportation for the next few years. Once you have reliable transportation you can resume your search for a 914.

Well I have a rust free unmolested car for sale in the classifieds. And I am informed, not lying, and have looked very hard from top to bottom. Occasionally a rust free car does come along.

A friend of my brother emailed me a couple of years ago to tell me that he bought a "mint" '74 1.8, and from the pictures it looked pretty good. When I finally got a chance to see it in person, it was a POS that cleaned up nicely for pictures. I think that he got lucky and was able to sell it for around the same $5k he paid for it, but it was probably closer to a $2k car.

Contact Brad. He most likely knows most of the cars in IL and which ones are for sale. With his help, you can save yourself a lot of money up front, and down the line.

If 7k is to much, what is your budget?

You wont find a running solid car in your area for much less than that.. You might need to take your money and put it into something a bit cheaper that is still fun. Maybe an old 510 or Z car?

Says: 70, noticed it has 'titted' front bumper (possibly from a '73/'74) and '75/'76 wheels.


On Jul-24-13 at 07:54:47 PDT, seller added the following information:

Insecure Wife says car must go. $12,390...All REASONABLE offers will be considered...



[rant]
Why do so many people change the original paint to red on their P-cars? My '67 911 was originally a beautiful Bahama Yellow ... someone thought it would look good red?
[/rant]