Hi everyone. I am new to the forum. Just got a 1973 914 1.7... I have a number of issues I wanted to discuss. Not sure what to begin with. First I am including a pic of the car and also a pic from the inside looking at the location where pedals would be (they are removed right now. Here are a few questions i have right away.

1. need to get a master cylinder. Looking at ebay I see they range from $80 to $400. some are ATE some FTE others are just remakes. Not sure how important it is to get a OEM part or will an $80 part do?

2. If you look at the picture you will see a gaping hole right under where the gas pedal and the whole pedal assembly is. Any thoughts on how to fix it. I looked under the car and there seems to be a bracket support there as well. What is that bracket called and thoughts on best way to fix the hole.

3. i tried removing the fuel tank but had no luck it seems to be very difficult to get out. Am i missing something? Is there a trick?

Lets start there. Any help is greatly appreciated and please allow for the newbie factor...

1. Brakes are important...there are several options available. Do a search on this site to see what options you have. Don't cut corners on your brakes.

2. Do a complete rust assessment on your car before you spend any money. Pull off those rockers and check out the longs. Look at the hell hole and see what's happening there, Check your trunk floors and floor pans. What you find (or don't find) will help you decide next steps.

3. The fuel tank comes straight up. If you have it loose and it's coming up a few inches you may need to reach under and cut the fuel lines to finish pulling it out.

Oh...

Oh one more thing. Someone today on Facebook in response to a question about distributor wrote "You still have points... get rid of them" I don't actually know what that means.

Check this thread for the pedal area, this is what is did to mine. As others will tell you, dig deep into the longs and hell hole, pull the rockers and poke with an ice pick, the rust seems to have been installed at the factory when they were made.

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...=213451&hl=

And welcome!

Great thread. Just what i needed. Looks like it also has the support bracket part number. Thanks.

Keep asking questions. The depth of knowledge on this board is amazing.

Konrad

In short, and simplified terms, the points are what discharges the electricity from the coil in the form of a spark to the spark plug wires. It's a mechanical device inside of the distributor. It's a little more complicated than that, but they need periodic adjustment, so some folks replace them with an electronic substitute.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignition_system


For now, it's not really something you need to worry about. You've got bigger problems including getting the braking system reliable and safe, fuel delivery and of course, RUST.

You're going to have to be patient and methodical. Work on one thing at a time and ask questions here. There are lots of savvy people here who love to help. Oh yeah, and pictures...lots of pictures....the more pics you post the more help you'll get.