I just picked up a 1974 1.8 (carb conversion). It has been parked in an unheated garage for about 3 years, and was supposedly running fine before that, although it wont' fire up now.

My plan is to get it running, drive it on nice summer weekends, and use the other 9 months of the year to fix it up.

Never worked on a car before, so looking forward to joining the fun!

I'll post some pictures as soon as I figure out how...

Click to view attachment

You have Mike's914 in Colborne and I'm in Port Hope if you ever need anything.

L-jet check the hoses and look for vacuum leaks. Then remove the injectors and with a pin see if you can push the pintle and get a little "click".

Doh..... I should read things.... carb conversion....if single carb yuck!
I'll sell you a complete L-jet system if you want to go back, power sucks but totally reliable.

I'm in Kingston for the weekend of February 21-23....

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Dual carbs...better.

You should pull the engine tins off and look for mouse nests.

Thanks Mark, I'd definitely love to meet up sometime!

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get heat in my garage for this winter, so I'll have to wait for spring to do any real work.

Right now, I'm still trying to get the ownership transferred. I was basically told I was stupid by the local MTO office for not knowing that I needed an official appraisal. Any ideas on where/how to get one done, that isn't going to cost me more than I paid for the car?? There's no way I'm getting it towed again just for that.

welcome....

and also I'm sorry...
sorry because you will soon be addicted and spending your savings on these fun but never ending projects they call cars.

Gather up your pennies. Getting these cars running again isn't cheap.

You need an appraisal on a car that has bottomed out in bluebook value?

THAT is what sounds stupid to me.
Now if you said that you paid $1 for it, then maybe they just figure you are trying to get out of paying sales tax?

Oh, and if you tried to fire it up with that linkage disconnected from the carb, that might be why it wont start.
Also, you probably need to drain all of the fuel and flush out the whole system including the carbs.

Welcome to the Madness! Nice Score!

Nothing wrong with a midlife crisis!

BTW this is MY midlife crisis:



And you can see the two pre-mid-life crisis cars in the background....

John

if the engine turns over ok .... first thing to do would be to check the valve adjustment, then disassemble / clean the carbs / fuel system, fuel pump, spark plugs and inner distributor components .... while you have the spark plugs out .... you can put a tiny bit of marvel mystery oil into the cylinders along with changing the oil ..... and ..... as was mentioned ..... mice nests .....

Some appraisers will come to your place, but they charge more. We have a bodyshop in town that does it for $25 but you have to take it to him. Plus it's only good for the MTO, no good for insurance.
Expect $80-$120 for someone that comes to you.
Phone your insurance company and ask who they recommend, they will want an appraisal as well, so make sure it someone they approve of so you don't have to do it twice.

This has been law or policy on the old cars for several years now .

I would have that BRZ in a second. Love it. Congrats!

When I turn the car on, a loud clicking noise comes from the fuel pump. I am guessing that is not normal. Do I need a new one? Could it be a bad ground?

Click to view attachment


If I need a new one, what should I get?

Here's the radio. Unfortunately, my selection of 8 tracks is limited to the one that came with the car.

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

A loud ticking noise from those type of pumps are normal. They are even louder when pumping dry with no fuel so check to see if it is getting fuel to the inlet. Sorry to hear about the Merle Haggard selection. Look on ebay for a better selection.

The transparent fuel filter housing is only about 1/2 full of fuel. Does that mean anything? Is that filter on the inlet or outlet side of the pump?

Click to view attachment

Inlet, protects fuel pump from trash. Fuel filters are cheap, replace after draining out gas.

That fuel looks bad. Smell it. If it has any hint of varnish drain it and replace it. Those fuel pumps click loud.

and the fuel pressure may be unregulated, exceeding 3 1/2 #.

Thanks guys. I only noticed the fuel pump clicking because I turned the car on to show somebody. The gas is definitely old, and I will drain it if it ever gets warm again!

I'm especially pleased with the deal I got on the car; not only was the rust free, but so were the vise-grips!

Click to view attachment

An appraisal is $50 up here in Kemptville and you don't have to bring it to them. My insurance company didn't need an appraisal since i only put liability on it. If I wanted full coverage a 'real' appraisal would be required. As it stand the insurance is only $40 a month. Also, when you do get on the road get historic plates, it's only $36 for the yearly tags.

Regards'

Jon

Drain the Fuel, buy some SS Fuel Lines from Tangerine Racing before you do anything else

this is air trapped in the filter housing above the inlet and outlet ports.
If the filter is mounted vertically, inlet at bottom the filter will fill completely.
generally not a problem though.

There more than one way to adjust a clutch, I guess...

Congratulations on the purchase and welcome to the madness. My '74 is also the first car I've done much work on myself. They are great for learning... relatively simple once you gain some confidence.

The underside looks similar to how mine did when I bought it. Your CV boots may be torn or loose; so grease got slung all over the bottom of the car. Good for rust prevention, not so good for axle lubrication.

I wanted one of those for my midlife crisis too, but SWMBO (she who must be obeyed) wouldnt budge. She did however, agree to this, and is hands off my 912E restore.

Back on topic, CONGRATS on your find! Youre off to a great start on this site. I think a 914 is a great 'first' project car. Take your time and enjoy!

Carefully. Pump gas from a clean gas can to the carbs. Gas tank and lines are likely varnished up. Clean out the carb jets. Order a CB or weber carb book for settings and overhaul. If it was running before. Go the elimination route first to see if it fires up. Have fun

Since I can't actually work on my car yet due to the never-ending winter, I've been figuring out what it needs to get it safetied.

The driver's side seatbelt webbing is frayed to about halfway across. Is there a way to replace the webbing myself? If not, what is the recommended fix? I did some forum searching already, but didn't find anything yet.

I will also need new glass for the driver's side rear view mirror, and a driver's side sunvisor.

Shout out to Tweet, who sent me two key blanks, so I can now open all the locks on my car!

There are companies that do complete seatbelt rebuilds. Try google?

Give these guys a call regarding seat belts

www.seatbeltplanet.com

Affordable replacements and familiar with 914 s

First two little projects started, very exciting! Can't say I enjoyed working in a cold garage though, even for such a short time.

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment


I couldn't get the bolt off the lower seatbelt attachment point. I thought it shifted a bit, but it never came loose. What's the best penetrant to use?

I have this overwhelming urge to get every little part replated, powder coated, etc, but I don't really want to go there. What's the poor man's method of making things looks pretty again?

actually its very reasonable to get plating and powder coating done if you take in everything at once to your local commercial plater and powder coater. Doing it one at a time or sending out will be pricey. If you take it local and tell them to put it through when they are already doing the same for a large job, it can be very economical. The time, effort and material cost is a huge saving over doing it yourself.

Hmmm, good point. The problem is I only want to do one thing at a time, otherwise I'll get overwhelmed!

Well, I just discovered why the passenger side seat belt worked so much smoother than the driver side:

Click to view attachment

I'll post an ad in classifieds, but I don't expect anybody will want to supply me the just the pin and lever.

Picked up some parts this weekend to start my stash. Thanks to all the 914world members who contributed!

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Trying to get approval from the boss on the next set...

Can I pull all the tins off with engine still in the car?

no. drop the engine. you will find plenty of - while i'm there things to do with the engine out.

If you're looking for another good cold weather project I would suggest pulling the carbs off, taking them in the house and cleaning them up, they don't look so good and it will help you get the car running and learn how the carbs work.

You'll want the Tomlinson book for them. This'll help you clean them up and learn how to set them up and tune them. You'll need a snail meter for synching them, but that's down the road when you're trying to start it.

This one?

http://vwparts.aircooled.net/Weber-Tech-Ma...tech-manual.htm

My birthday is coming up, I'll put it on the list.

That's the one, really good book.

You'll need a rebuild kit too.

Here's the snail meter fyi (http://vwparts.aircooled.net/Snail-Type-Syncrometer-Carb-Sync-Tool-GERMAN-SK-p/ste-sk.htm)

The accelerator is very sticky. Any particular place that typically causes this? The carb linkage is fine.

Might just be old and sticky in the sheath. See how it moves when disconnected at both ends. That will isolate the cable. Also check that it's not wrapped up with the clutch cable. It happens. Ask me how I know.

Got a good look at the pedal cluster in my attempt to diagnose the sticky throttle. Not sure I'm a huge fan of the 'bowl' design that captures all the random fluids, but maybe that's better than letting it all sit on the floor pan.

Click to view attachment

Can anybody describe, or have any pictures, showing where the throttle cable is supposed to be routed up beside the engine? Mine was just slipped up through the gap where the main engine rubber seal is supposed to be (my car is missing the seal).

I disconnected and pulled out the throttle cable. The accelerator pedal and carb linkage moved smoothly by themselves. I then reconnected the throttle cable, ensuring it wasn't wrapped around the clutch cable. Now everything is very 'sticky' again, and there's a loud squeaky noise coming from the center of the tunnel when I press the accelerator pedal.

I thus have to assume the throttle cable is binding, and needs to be replaced. Where can I buy a new one?

Pelican Parts.
GPRparts
PMB performance

Big milestone today. Thanks to the new throttle cable, I was able to drive the car down the lane under its own power!

Things I learned:
-Speedometer does not work. Any trouble-shooting tips?
-At least first and second gear work. The gear shift is a really far reach, I will have to find out if I've got the proper shift lever.
-Brakes don't really work. Likely not something I can ignore.