Thanks, Marc!

I was super-pleased to get the inspection results, since I bought the car without a PPI.

I ordered some lugs from another 914World member. He had a set of 14 OEM lugs for $100. I sure hope I'm not getting scammed, since he only has three posts here. Keeping fingers crossed on that one. Looks like he's been a member since 2010, so I'm hoping he is just the quiet type.

1:30 am and I couldn't sleep, so I was out polishing the tail pipe on the 914! (my neighbors must think I am insane).

Question for the group: I have seen so many tail pipe configurations.... including 1, 2, and 4 exhaust tips. I assume all but the single tip are aftermarket? But, I have seen single tips that are chrome. Was that a dealer option? A tail pipe cover? Part of a complete aftermarket exhaust?

And, just to bug Ripper911, the other non-air-cooled in my garage:
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It's not advisable to taunt me. I'll park my air-cooled cars in your driveway causing a large oil slick on which you just might slip and fall.

This would qualify for the "Document the Madness" thread....if we had a "Document the Madness Thread.

I would then be forced to up the stakes and leak toxic coolant all over your driveway.

Progress update (6/21/2014):

Note my shiny tail pipe (see below)!

I pulled the rockers today to inspect. Didn't see any sign of rust, but there was a nice pile of crud that I cleaned out from behind the driver's side. Passenger side was completely clean.

I put on one of the "Porsche" stickers today. Due to a total screw up on my part, I need to order a new sticker for the passenger side. I love the looks of the stickers!

Went for a long drive today. I noticed that the "G" (alternator) light on the dash would periodically come on. This was after dusk, so I also had the headlights on. I looked in the owner's manual, and it says that sometimes the light comes on at low RPM. So, question time:

1. Is it normal to have the alternator light periodically go on and off when the headlights are on (bigger current load)?

2. If not, is my alternator dying? Voltage regulator dying? Both? Neither?

You are in my neck of the woods! Great back drop and the stickers look great too.

Hey alphaogre, going to Cars & Coffee in Carlsbad tomorrow? It will be the "Grand Unveiling" of my 914!

So, as I mentioned in a previous post, my wheels showed up. Still waiting for the lug bolts to show up. One of the wheels was painted yellow from that limited version. So, today I stripped it down and repainted it to match the other 4. Primered it and put on the first coat. Will sand with 600 and 800 and 2000 tomorrow and do the final paint tomorrow.

I also put in a new set of targa roof holders in the trunk, lubed all hinges, latches, etc., and did a major detailing of the interior. Even polished the flanges on the shock mounts under the hood!

Also, found this little part in the glove box. Any idea what it is? (see last picture below)

Pix below:

That is a clutch cable pin clip. It goes on the end of the clutch cable and attaches it to the pedal assembly.

I've been reading through your thread and what a great looking car, and a great find! You'll definitely find some great people on this forum and they have saved my butt numerous times as I have reached out for help over the past two years during my build. I just need to finish it up so I can get out and enjoy the ride like you are!

Clutch cable pin clip.. thanks, mdelwiche, I would have never guessed that!

I read through your rebuild thread... VERY impressive!!!! Far beyond my skills, which is why I needed to buy a car in great condition. And, the yellow is one of my favorite 914 colors!

I'll be in Vegas in October if you are still there. Doing the Exotic Racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Signed up to drive the Lambo, the Ferrari, and the Mclaren.

Will probably drive the Cayman there.... can't wait to cruise the strip in a Speed Yellow Cayman!

The reason I knew that is because I just ripped out my pedal assembly a few weeks ago..lol

I live right by the speedway. I should still be here in October, and hopefully the teener is up and running by that point. Still hoping I can ship her and my M3 to Italy when I get transferred in Nov.

Yea this build has been a learning process. Again a lot knowledge learned from the members here. Probably the biggest regret is starting it only after having the car for four months and not having a chance to enjoy it for awhile. But hey when it's done though, it's going to be sweet!

Does the light come on when you are idling?

Could be a number of things. Yes, there is a larger current draw with the lights on. When the alternator can't produce all the current necessary for the lights, the voltage drops and the battery helps out. Could also be a loose alternator belt.

I wouldn't think it would be the VR since it does work ok with the lights out.

The 914 is known to have many small voltage drops in the wiring which is why the voltmeter in the center console is unreliable especially when the lights are on.

You can try cleaning all grounds and tightening up all ground and power lugs. It might not help but it doesn't hurt.

If the GEN light comes on during idle with lights on, get a helper and put your voltmeter directly across the battery terminals. and have them elevate the RPM above idle and note what voltage you measure.

BTW, nice car.

Thanks for the tips, Spoke.

Gen light has been coming on and off seemingly randomly. At idle and at speed.

Well.... after driving the car all over the place since I bought the car on June 10, with nary a problem, the car wouldn't start this morning. Battery nearly stone cold dead.

I jumped it and drove around, but as soon as I stopped, car idle dropped to zero and car wouldn't restart.

Quite the fun trip getting home! At every traffic light, I had to heal/toe it to keep the brakes on and the revs up, to prevent the car from stalling out.

I'm guessing alternator. A friend of mine who is very familiar with 914s and has owned many of them thinks it could also be a ground somewhere.

Oh, the car also has what I think is called "hot bypass" or something like that.

The battery was replaced in 2011 by the previous owner. The car was barely driven from 2011 to 2014 (maybe 1,500 miles total over those 3 years), so maybe the battery is bad too.

I'll take it to the shop next week and see what's up.

Fun stuff!

OK, I limped the car into the shop yesterday to see what's up with that electrical issue. Will keep you posted.

My lugs showed up today for the Mahle wheels!!!

Question:

Keep 'em black or paint 'em silver? The steel wheels on the car now have those blacl OEM lug bolt caps. I think most of the Mahle cars I've seen have silver lug bolts (maybe chrome?).

I'm thinking black would look good with my center caps.

Here's what I have assembled:

I'd do silver or chrome. Keep it simple to emphasize the center caps. JMO

I'd stay with silver colored Mahles. Maybe you can get the lug bolts blasted if you don't like 'em black.

Or, after you mount the wheels to your car, mask off the wheels and spray paint the bolts silver and then follow up with a flat clear. They'll look great until the next time you take a wrench to them.

Thanks for the input, dlkawashima. I'll try the black to start with (which the lugs already are), and if I don't like it, will follow your suggestion.

Update 7/3/2014:

Got the car back from the shop. As I had suspected, it was a bad alternator, so that was replaced. Also, they were able to find and install and re-key a door lock, so now I can lock the car!!!

In addition, had shifter bushings replaced. Much less "slop" in the stick now.

Then, I headed over to TC's Garage in Vista, CA and picked up the following parts:

- New wiper arms and blades (the old ones were a bit too faded for my liking)
- New antenna - it is the Hirschmann one that was installed by most dealers.
- New PORSCHE letters for engine cover lid
-New rubber covers for clutch and brake pedals (the old ones were fine, but why settle for fine when I can have new?

I installed all of the above today except the PORSCHE letters. What a dope I am... at first I thought I would have to pull apart the dash to get at the antenna wiring, until after 5 minutes of staring at it, I opened the hood and realized that it was right in front of me. DUH! I also cleaned up all of the contacts... I could "sort of" get about 3 radio stations before... now I get about 50!

Another question for you guys: I got a new OEM shift knob (well, a new used one)... the lettering on mine is a bit faded.... I just can't get that SOB off of the stick. Any secrets of how to pull it off? It's on tight with that crush washer.

I cut a channel in a 2x4 the width of the shaft and slipped it under the knob and used a hammer on the 2x4.

Great idea, Mepstein! Yesterday I tried sliding a cloth-wrapped steel bar up the shift shaft to hit the bottom of the knob, but just couldn't hit it with enough force. I'll try some slotted wood, that should work!

did you try pulling and twisting at the same time? worst case it may be epoxied on.

I've always believed that the crush washer helped teach me how to shift my 914 when I got a brand new one in 1973. I used to grip the knob tightly when shifting, kind of yanking the lever from position to position. The shift knob kept coming off in my hand and I'd have to delicately find the spot to press it back on the shaft. I finally learned to use light pressure when shifting, actually only using a couple of fingers on the side of the shaft to change gears. Made shifting smooth and easy and the knob didn't come off any more.

What paints did you use?

^^^ I used Duplicolor Automotive Primer/sealer, followed by Duplicolor automotive Stainless Steel. Came out great!

I see you have an outside mirror on the passenger side. Is that flat glass or convex? I've heard that there were OEM option convex mirrors, but many people just reverse a standard mirror for the passenger side.

Hey Kelty... the passenger side mirror is flat, like the driver's side. Interesting, I never heard of a convex one.

Someone asked for a pic of the yellow wheel that I stripped and painted, next to one of the original Mahle's. See below, the one on the left is the one I stripped and painted, the boxed one on the right is the original one. Extremely hard to notice a difference.

Today I got the Mahle wheels put on. Only one of my center caps would go on... I didn't want to bash them too hard and dent them. I used a piece of PVC pipe over them (as you guys suggested... thanks!!!), but it wasn't quit large enough diameter to fit all the way down to the edges of the caps. Need to get a bigger-diameter piece to use as an installation tool.

So, here's today's progress:
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7/9/2014: Progress update:

I put on a new set of engine cover letters (old ones were a bit pitted and flaking with age):
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Lookin very good.

I wanted to ask you why you'd want to drive the 14 when you have 2 great cars in your garage. Does it compare funwise?

Hey Big Len,

Every Porsche has different characteristics that makes them fun for different reasons. What I love about all of them (at least from my own limited experience), is that they all have such wonderful steering feel and suspension feel. None of my other cars has come close to any of the Porsches in terms of the fun factor.

Maybe it's still the Honeymoon Phase, but I like driving the 914 the most for local trips or leisure trips. But, with no A/C, it definitely has some limitations in Southern California. And, when I get the "need for speed," I grab the keys to something else.

Lots of people I know have multiple Porsches. I think it's a contagious sickness I caught from them. A friend of mine has 5 Porsches, ranging from a '71 911 to an '85 944 to a '93 RUF BTR to an approx 2007 Boxster. He enjoys them all for different reasons.

So, the short answer: Yes, it compares funwise, but for different reasons.

Today I went over to the beach to photo my new wheels. Here's something bizarre... look what was parked in the EXACT spot that I was going to take my photos!!!! :
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Click to view attachment

Jeez, you live in SoCal. Do you even know what humidity feels like? Now THAT'S when you really need A/C.

Otherwise, it's all about cooling by evaporation...

BTW, car looks great.

Thanks, Porschef!

Actually, I grew up in Syracuse, NY, so I sure do know all about humidity and every other aspect of the foulest weather on the planet!

I just bought some "miracle" towel at the County fair that you moisten, and then it stays cool for a few hours, to use as cheap AC in my 914.

You grew up in Syracuse?


I stand corrected.

I'll shut up now

Here's my first car, in my driveway in Syracuse. If you squint, it looks an awful lot like a 914, doesn't it?

Considering how little snow is there, I'm assuming this is mid summer.

Then, to Buffalo for a few years, then I spent 6 months at the South Pole. I was the only one there that didn't think the cold was anything difficult or unusual.

.

Wow.

Wow.

I prefer 40* to 90*, but that's impressive

So, do I now "officially" have the right to bitch about not having AC in my 914?

No. You've grown soft.

BTW, the wheels look great on your car. Glad they found a good home.

^^^ Thanks, Kelty. Yep, I'm extremely pleased with them.... They are in way better condition than I was expecting... they barely look like they were used. Thanks for selling them!

Always fun to see where your stuff ends up, eh? I sold some exhaust tips for my 996 to a guy in Georgia, and later saw pix he posted with them on his car.

Windshield washer question:

OK, so recently I put on some new wiper arms (I didn't even want to try the wiper lever with the old blades, since I didn't want to scratch the glass.

The wipers work just fine. Today I filled up the wiper fluid reservoir and attached the hose to the spare tire. No go when I tried to use the washer via the lever. Not sure if it's a clog in the nozzles, or what. But, I could hear air escaping at the reservoir cap where the hose enters it.

Should I try getting a new cap for the reservoir? Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

OK, the consensus was that the washer ain't worth fixin', so leaving that alone.

This week I replaced the windshield, since the original was rather pitted with age, which made a lot of glare at dusk.

Also, replaced the passenger side turn signal lens which had a small crack, and replaced the cigarette lighter, since the one that was in it was from I think a 356 (thanks, Rhody!!!!).

Gettin' there with this car, just a few more things I want to do!
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That is a GR8 looking 914 !!!!! I got's to ask , the aluminum strips around the windshield look to be perfect , are they original or did you replace them with some new unobtainum strips ?? Great car man !!

Jack

i think you need to switch the wiper arms. that way the long straight one won't drag over your nice trim. glad the lighter fit. your car looks great.

It's the original trim. It came off easily during the windshield replacement (I was a bit worried it would get bent).

I was wondering about the trim> When these cars were new, did it have an extreme mirror-like shine, or a more dulled finish like currently?

I'm pretty sure the wiper arms are correct. In fact, I replaced them with new ones a few weeks ago, and I studied the arms that were on the car before I replaced them the same way that the old ones were. Then, a week ago someone told me that they were on wrong (I assumed that the previous owner had them on wrong), so I just swapped them a few days ago to the current configuration.

It doesn't really drag on the trim, as it extends over the side, but not touching the trim. I asked another "914 guy" about that, and he said that's normal. I guess the older 911s use the same wiper arms and fit the same way (extending off the side a bit).

So, now I'm confused again. Are they on right?

Mine fit the same way.

OK, so I think the wipers are on correctly.

Today I finished de-rustifying the trunk. There was some surface rust along the rear edge. Sanded it down to bare metal, treated the exposed metal with a rust converter as a precautionary measure, primed it, and painted it.

Also, detailed and polished the wiring harness in the trunk, and polished the muffler.
.

Looking good Mike! As a precaution, I recommend carrying your jack with the base nearest the corner of your trunk so as to prevent it from slicing into your carpet.

Thanks for the tip, Dave!

After I took out the jack and tire iron, for the life of me I couldn't recall how they belonged back in the clips.

My tire iron still doesn't seem right to me.

You're correct, the tire iron isn't original. An original "tire iron" actually consists of two parts: a socket and a tommy bar. See image below for reference:

Click to view attachment

Ah, OK, that makes sense.

I've been looking all over for an original tool kit. I've found an original tow hook, but that's all.

What's the little wire clip-shaped tool for? Looks similar to the current center cap removal tool for other cars.

The black rubber band is to hold the rolled up tool kit together? Or to use as a fan belt?

Not a whole lot of fixin' to be done with that kit! Not even any pliers?

Does anyone have a tool kit they want to sell?

Boy Mike you're on the slippery slope aren't you???

Slipperier than a greased pig on ice.

This afternoon I cleaned up and polished the trunk latches.

the little u shaped wire is there to pull the large chrome covers off steel wheels.