i am out looking for a 914 but don't know what to be on the look out for in terms of most likely spots to rust out or engine quirks to avoid. i know all the pitfalls of triumphs but don't know what to look out for in the 914 world

front trunk, rear trunk, and everything inbetween


seriously

The " hell hole " is the biggest thing to check. It is the area in the engine bay below the battery. They almost always rot out there, and once that is opened up the water/acid mix runs into the passengers longitudinal and start rotting from the inside out. I have seen quite a few cars that LOOKED fine from the outside of the long and suspension console, until the paint was stripped away.

The first thing to walk away from is if the passengers door gap is tight, particularly if the door drags or won't open at all. This is a sure sign the chassis is folding up from rust. Check the cowl in front of the windshield where the rubber strips are. That gets to be an involved repair. Check the rear trunk pan, check the front trunk pan, pull the seats forward and remove the carpet from behind them and check the floor there from the top side AND the bottom side. If the floor tar is still intact on the inside you won't see jack shnit. Check the back firewall between the pass compartment and engine compartment. The sound deadening pads held water and rotted out that wall. Check for folds or ripples in the sheet metal around the wheel wells and forward of them.


So yeah, check the front trunk, the rear trunk and everything in between

I won't buy a 914 without pulling the rockers off

I would rather replace/rebuild EVERY part of the drivetrain,interior,wiring etc. than deal with rust. I paid thousands more for my car just to avoid all of the fun I had with the rusty ones I owned before.The rust never seems too bad when you start but once you start grinding,cutting and blasting it gets bigger so fast it will blow your mind! And then you find more you didn't know about when you first bought it.It can be overwhelming fast! I bought my car more or less a rolling body so every area was easy to inspect. Made it a lot easier.Just my two cents worth

Look for someone on 914world to go with you and look at the car you're interested in or look for you if the car is too far for you to see personally.

Find as clean a car as you can. A fixer will cost you more in the end. Door handles and bumpers can set you back $1000 right there. Personally, I would look for a 73-74 2.0L. Even better if it has the fog lights, console and Fuch 4 lug wheels. Hopefully it will still have the FI system. A lot of cars were switched to carbs. You can always do that, but it's nice to have the factory FI bits if you want to go back. Most rubber trim parts you can get from 914rubber. Check that site and you can get an idea of what it will cost to replace bits you see on the cars you are looking at. Check Auto Atlanta and Pelican parts too for parts pricing.

Rust really can occur anywhere on the 914 however seeing that you are in the southwest that should minimize the amount you'll have to deal with (in theory). Most likely places are on the right side under the battery tray in the engine compartment & the structural longitudinal also on the right side. Since the car has a removable roof, these longitudinals a crucial to the structural rigidity of the chassis. Again, rust can happen anywhere on a teener & 1 thing I know about the southwest is rubber rot happens frequently there due to the arid climate so you have to be patient & really do your homework. Rotten seals means water can get in just about anywhere.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/914/How_to_buy_a_914.htm

I read this before I bought my first 914 and it saved me a lot of pain... and time... and money.

Or post a lot of pics of an individual car. People here can pick it apart in no time flat!
Bring a flashlight and a mirror, helps look into problem areas. I like it when cars are original color, others don't care, but bookmark this and ask:

http://members.rennlist.com/chuxter/914Colors.htm

Paul

Ummmm, just buy the first one you fall in love with and then spend the rest of your life improving on it. That's what I did, and it's working out fine