A year ago I was basically given a '72 914 which is believed to be actually a '75. Subtle things seem obvious, the bumpers, the fuel injected 2.0, smog equipment and side shifter. I have rebuilt the brake system and got it to run on three of the four cylinders, the passenger side rear is at 0 compression. It has been painted, count 'em, four times!! Original copper ('75), green, orange and black. The right door is bondo, there is a hole in the front from where I tore out the A/C, the trunk has a little rust from the taillights. Interior has typical small issues. Other than that it is PERFECT !!

It has sat for a year because I bought a house. A buddy and I have raced in SCORE and really enjoyed it. We are looking at the car on the side of my house and are thinking about trying to put together a car for the track.

Here are my questions:


1. What kind of racing is best for a rookie?
2. I am sure there are several classes, which is the most economical?
3. Is it advisable to keep this car for parts and buy one already sorted?
4. I would like the best of all worlds; a car I could terrorize the local canyons at 2:00 A.M. and something that could be entered in different classes.
5. What else should I be thinking about?

I appreciate all of your input.

Look at the VIN through the window on the drivers side. 472****** is a 72, 475****** is a 75. Easy way to tell.

Best way to break into racing is to Autocross the car. Get it running 100%, stopping 100%, and upgrade the suspension. Them start bolting things on.

The VIN is 4722901758. But it has late model bumpers, a side shifter and a fuelie 2.0L. Seems like a lot of work for someone to convert a 72 to be a 75 especially with all the attachments for the large bumpers.

Thank you for the advice for the advice in Autocross. Who sanctions this form of racing?

I believe most of the events are PCA sponsored. Sounds like a VIN swap car to me.

the vin is also in the door panel sticker ( drivers side hinge are ) this if there also has the color code. other 75 things to look for is the fuel pump under the gas tank w/ the stock cover for access. look under the passenger seat for the seat belt interlock relay. different expansion tank on the gas tank, different gages, on a 75/76 the sides of the bumper are held on with a atb that is not there on pre 75's.

i am sure others will chime in with other things to confirm year by options and parts

teenrookie, good cheap racing in socal can be had with a number of clubs.

Porsche Owner's Club (the good)
Touring Car Club (the cheap)

would be my first two choices.

There should be a VIN number stamped into the top of the passenger side front fender in the shock tower. That number cannot be replaced. If the 2 liter is factory, it could even be a 76. In 75 there were more 1.8 liter engines than there were 2 liters. I am not that far from you, I could come look at it and tell you what it is for sure.

You guys are great!!

The VIN in the window matches the plate in the front trunk, but there is not a sticker/plate in the drivers door . I have a sinking feeling that Mark is right. Scott is on the right track as well, there is a seatbelt interlock on the passenger seat. Lastly, I found the VIN that skline mentioned on the shock tower, it starts with 475___, hard to read after four coats of paint. I wonder if this poses any problem for me in the future. I wonder if this is someones old pride and joy? What is weird is that the old guy that gave it to me does not seem the type to be around stolen cars, just not his charactor. Does 914's have people doing this for smog reasons like the muscle cars do?

Seanery- Thank you for the heads up on the two links, I will check them out tonight.

Thank you all for answering questions 1,2 and 4. What are your thoughts on 3 and 5?
3. Is it advisable to keep this car for parts and buy one already sorted?
5. What else should I be thinking about?

I need to put a lot of work in this car to make it track worthy and there seems to be several possible cars on this website alone. Thoughts? I am guessing you guys are going to say it depends if I want to have the uhm...enjoyment of restromodding the car myself or buy a bag of unknown tricks like say...swapping VIN numbers.

Once again, thanks for making me feel welcome, oh and skline, I am not going to ask you to come out to check it out just yet, but I might ask later if that is all right for a brain stumper. Thank you for your offer though.

Well, VIN changing is not uncommon for smog issues here in California, the smog laws have changed and a 75 is no longer smog required. It will cause problems for resale on the car and to go get it made right, will give you a salvage title or renumbered VIN. Both of which will cause the car to be worth less. If you are just going to do some canyon carving with it and maybe a few AX races, I would not let the numbers not matching slow you down. If there is extensive rust in the longs under the battery, check for structural rust that could make the car unsafe, then I would look for another car to put parts from that one on. My son lives out in Anahiem Hills so I am out there quite frequently. In fact, he is 11 and thinks my Chalon is the coolest. I will be driving it out there for him to see it finally run here in the next few weeks.

Rookie: There will be an A/X at Orange Show Fair Gruonds in February Come and check it out , or come with a helmet and run. It only cost $45.00. All you need to do is just give the car a once over ( battery tied down, front susp. tightened up).
Joe

If you have any paperwork....look at it. More than likely it is a salvage pink....two cars used to make one....are there two colors on the car body?

As mentioned above, before the smog laws changed it weas common to register later models as earlier ones to avoid smog inspections....or to avoid Johhny Law due to issues with the 75 registration....

IF you are going to keep it....register it as the VIN that's on the pink slip. You will need to disclose the two VINs if you ever sell it. OR....apply for a copy of the pink for the 75 VIN....hopefully it is not a clouded title. Have you talked to the former owner(s)?

If you are going to race it. Get it registered with a permanent Non Operation designation. This allows the pink to be re-issued in your name, but not registered for the street and not requiring insurance.

I HOPE that the person you got it from is trustworty... otherwise there is a "slight" chance the 75 VIN may be on a stolen list....

im right up the road from aneheim hills....off green river on the 91 fwy.

give me a holler if ya need help

I don't know what to think about the car right now. I got a call into the guy who gave it to me, who is a friend of my father in law. He is a very conservative engineer. Just doesn't seem the type, but you never know. My quess is that he changed the VIN to save the smog nightmare. the pump belt was disconnected when I towed the car home and the entire smog system had been torn apart, the pump was frozen, etc. I was able to tear it all off and it seems to idle OK now all though the 1 cylinder is dead and the car overheats in about 30 minutes of driving on the 3 remaining.

The car is listed on the pink slip as a '72. There is not a salvage stamp or anything like that on it. I already transfered it to my name through DMV and I wasn't arrested...yet.

I will let you all know what the original owner says.

skline- my 8 y.o. son loves rat 914 too. I have had 400 hp desert trucks with 25" of travel, fully caged and he still thinks this thing is more fun to go to the store in. So you dropped a 5.0 in yours? Can you A/X it now or only in special classes?

Joe- I will definately come check it out in February. I doubt my car will be anywhere near ready for an event by that time.


Aaron- Thank you for the offer, you are definately close by. I am unsure what I am going to do as of yet. I have to research the forms of racing, see what modifications are allowed and worthwhile, appraise the current car, consider the cost to bring it up to the spec of the type of racing I decide upon. Then decide whether to build this or by one that is completed.

All I can say is I have learned much more in the last 10 hours than with you guys than in the year I have been tinkering on this car.

If you really have a seatbelt interlock relay... that's only on a 1974 car.

There is a wire which leads from the passenger seatbeltunder the seat and disapears under the carpet. I have not traced it out. I was guessing it was the seatbelt interlock relay. But after finding the VIN on the front shock tower confirms that at least the body is a '75.

Hopefully I will hear from the previous owner tonight.

3.) It is usually cheaper to buy one already restored than building it yourself. Especially if it's a race car.

5.) If the VIN thing is not a problem, the next most important concern is rust. If you are going to spend time and money bringing a car back to life, be sure you are starting with a solid chassis.

Thank you Vegas Racer, that is what I think as well. I have been cleaning the pan to see how much rust is there. I did lift the car on the passenger side and had a 280# friend sit in the passenger seat. I thought for sure that the entire car would fall around the jack, but it didn't, the door still closed well.

I have also heard back from the original owner and he confessed to swapping the VIN with a car that was totalled. It could not pass smog and his "mechanic" said he would fix the problem.

He apologized that he forgot to tell me that when I picked up the car. What to do with that, the price of free was right.

Tonight I am going to try and read those two websites that Seanery forwarded me and see if I can figure out how much I can do to the car to still have fun on the street withit yet drive it in local events. ANy advice you can give in that regards ( cars to look at, shops to talk to etc.) would be appreciated.

Since the 75 is NOW exempt...get the other pink slip....if he doesn't have it...ask him to apply for a duplicate....assuming it's in his name and does not have tickets and other registration problems.....

BTW..... Right....heeeee, fooooorrrrgooootttt

That is comedy.

I asked for any paperwork he has and he said he will look. I think we know what he will say when I call him in a week..."I forgot".

Free 914's are more expensive than buying a good one to begin with.

MikeCool