Hello, everyone! I am new to the forum, and to 914s. I just dragged home a 1973 914 1.7L that has been in storage for 27 years, and not started during that time. (It was owned by one man since 1974.) It is in need of inner rocker replacement and door sill/jamb replacement on the passenger side as well.

The goal of the project is to make it safe and get it running while keeping it as original as possible for as little money as possible.

Last night my husband and I pulled the gas tank preparatory to replacing the fuel lines. The car was put into storage out of gas, fortunately. The tank looks good from the outside. Should we get it boiled out and sealed, or is this an unneccessary expense?

If we don't do that, I will probably use POR15's cleaner and degreaser with a quart of hot water to clean it.

Photos:




Tank:




I'm sure I'll have other questions as the resurrection continues. Thanks!

Kim inside the tank. Sometimes they survive very we'll. you will need to pull the fittings on the bottom and replace the filter sock and gaskets.

And welcome to the fun house

Damn, I was first to welcome a newbie. I'm feeling special now. When do I get my crown?

Any local radiator shop can boil it for you. Just don't use the POR15 sealer in the tank. Too many horror stories about that stuff.

Change ALL the rubber hose bits. Get a fire extinguisher. All the fuel lines in the engine bay will be dry rotted after sitting so long.

Check in the member vendor section for parts.


Welcome to the madness...

I've used RedKote on my last two cars and no issues. The 72 was done over 6 years ago

http://damonq.com/red-kote.html

Pull off the filler neck and give a look inside. You will need a new gasket up there anyway. If there is no rust I am not sure if you should do anything. My had a little so I used an eastwood kit 20 years ago and It has been great. Included stripper. Welcome!

Take a look inside. It might be fine in there. Mine was like new when I looked at it last year.

And

Thanks, everyone. Now should I replace the clear plastic lines that run from the brake reservoir to the master? There is no fluid in the reservoir or the lines, so they may be cracked down below, but the brakes do work - at very slow speeds, anyway - so I guess the level must just be very low.

If so, what should I replace them with?

Is there anything else I should do before the tank goes back in?

If the master cylinder has been sitting that long with no fluid, it is most likely ruined.

The clear lines should be fine. They do not see any pressure.
The master cylinder is probably bad. Check all of the flex lines too. The 19mm masters are less expensive now than the original 17mm ones.
Bruce

Hope you are soon

Did anyone else notice where the wrecker driver hooked the car? That has to be a pretty solid car or it would have folded up! Nice Start!

You want the best success with the brakes replace the master and the soft lines, rebuild the calipers or get rebuilt ones from PMB in the member vendor section. and do a search for setting the rear brake venting.

Hey welcome and are those 5 lug wheels I see?

You're looking at period-correct aftermarket wheel covers, I believe! VW steelies underneath.

What I can't understand is why the brake pedal stopped the car. Maybe there's a little fluid in the lines, even though there's none in the reservoir. It was the pedal I was using, not the e-brake.

ETA: I pulled the fuel level sending unit and filler neck today. The inside of the tank is clean and shiny, so I think I won't worry about getting it cleaned.

How lucky is that
Pulled our tank- sending unit and all- varnish corrosion blargh. Sending unit is likely toast, but well see.
It's headed to the radiator shop in am to get dipped and sealed.
Good luck!
Hope you are driving soon. My better half is h so excited to get her car on road.

Here's some pics of my tank:


As pulled:


Cleaned and sprayed with Duplicolor Rust Fix:


Painted with matte black Rustoleum:


I'm enjoying working on the car. I'll be glad to get it running, but I have a secret weapon to keep the anticipation from killing me - a Miata in the garage. It helps. Try it!

many here have tried.
Some talk about it openly, others deny it ever happened.

oh, I forgot

Great looking tank!!!! If we all were so lucky to have that clean of a tank to start with. I agree to going through the brakes, do it now and you won't have to think about it for quite a while. Is it still fuel injected? Looks like you got a good starting point. Was it an original Texas car? Hopefully from dry west Texas, which would explain why the jack point was strong enough to anchor the car down.
Jim

Heh, heh. Funny photo with the Miata there.

The car was in Texas only for a while - the owner bought it in Lincoln, Ne., and was transferred to Texas only for a year or so, I understood. When they moved back to Nebraska, they didn't register it here because it was nonoperational at that time.

New Question: Which company makes the best-fitting restoration parts? Is one better than another?

I need to order the door sill, door jamb, and inner rocker on the passenger side, for a start.

What do you guys think of the clamshell Auto Atlanta makes? It attaches over the top of the inner rockers so you don't have to take them off first. Is this a cheap, half-a**ed way to do it? Or is it a respected alternative?

That was the FIRST thing I noticed too. Funny. Looks like it's missing the square-tubes for those rockers though.

You're in good hands here.

Restoration Designs makes the best chassis stuff. I don't think you're going to hear too many arguments about that from anyone.

congrats on the new car. being new to these cars i suggest you formulate a game plan. sort out one issue/project at a time and don't start with a big pile of parts in the garage. get the fuel system sorted from tank to rear firewall exit point. buy a haynes manual if you don't have one.

k

Restoration design does make some great stuff. Also, Brad Mayeur at 914Ltd has a stiffening kit that fits over the current sills and certainly strengthens that area (as an alternative). The other area to carefully inspect is the 'hell hole' (the area under the battery where the battery acid tends to accumulate along with debris and rots the metal).

No matter which you use, be sure to properly support the door openings so the chassis doesn't twist while welding them in.

I'd also suggest making the car safe first, then take things one step at a time.

Thanks everyone for your replies so far!

New question: How to remove fog lights? I have one with a cracked lens. Do I have to remove the bumper? I took the grille off, but it appears that the attaching screw is inaccessible.