Hi all. As y'all may know, I'm looking for a teener for around $4000. I seem to be getting hits on a lot of total junkers that seem to be WAY overpriced. One lady I spoke with today, after assuring me all the typical spots are rust-free, replied to my asking about the battery tray/susp. console by saying "Yep, I can assure you the battery is in there. It's bungee-corded down. I know it's there". When I clarified what the battery tray/susp. console was, she said she hadn't checked it. I guess that's not a typical spot....
But anyway, is it just 'cause I'm on the East Coast? I don't mind if the paint's kinda crappy (Skline posted that Aubergine one FS in CA. The paint looks , but NO RUST, and it RUNS WELL. That looks like a good one, but looks like someone else has spoken for it. ), but I just want a decent engine and good chassis. Am I just execting too much for the price?
Just thought I'd ask the experts.

Thanks!
Cole

QUOTE (wrpspddrvr @ Feb 21 2005, 07:38 PM)

I'm looking for a teener for around $4000. I'm on the East Coast NO RUST, and it RUNS WELL. decent engine and good chassis. Am I just expecting too much for the price?

you want a local, East Coast car with no rust and runs good, for $4k.
at least you don't want a perfect interior too...
(does it have to be a '73 2,0 as long as you're asking?)

yes, i think you are going to have to give a bit on one of those.
probably 'local.'

there are good 1,7's. i suspect we will see several California '76's "for sale out of state" in the coming year or two as they have registration issues.

an original car will have been kept indoors and driven 3 seasons tops by someone in a position to care for the car. you are going to have to pay for 30 years of indoor storage. or the car has been at least partially restored (at least one paint job) and at least one mechanical overhaul. done right, neither of those is cheap.

there are still cars in CA, NV, AZ, and ID. there are also cars that are being trucked to those states due to their perception of little rust.

i think you may have to dig a little deeper, and get a good car brought in, or rehab a local car (in which case you'll know what you have, but not everyone is excited about project cars.)

Yo Dude
The only way you will find a "real" deal @ 4000$ is to look for probably years, lots of compitition in car hunting.
I have spoke on other post about this...
914 is The hardest car to price. Problem your having, is that right now there is a fair bit of underground interest out the for the teeners, I have noticed a pattern lately that, the middle ground cars are dissapearing. I think the bank of car are splitting in the middle, restorable and junk. I will leave the top 10% for 100% perfect. On the market, that I have seen, are 4000$ cars that end up having panels replaced. Thats cool because the are keeping the car alive and moving up the ladder of 914 heaven. I think as time goes by all the unrestored cars will find one or two owners that tweek things and the price goes up. It might take some time but they might be a top dollar car. Take a popular 69 Camaro ss, how many do you see for 4000$, they are all restored or gone, now I don't know if this will ever happen but I can dream. Does it show I love my car ?
I feel your pain !!! Back in the day, I was looking for a "good" 914, and I looked hard (before internet), I payed big dollar, but NEVER regretted it. If you are picky as I am you might want to do the same.
Anybody know how many are on the road still ??
Just some hummble ramblings....
WBR
Joe

QUOTE (ArtechnikA @ Feb 21 2005, 04:57 PM)

QUOTE (wrpspddrvr @ Feb 21 2005, 07:38 PM) I'm looking for a teener for around $4000. I'm on the East Coast NO RUST, and it RUNS WELL. decent engine and good chassis. Am I just expecting too much for the price? you want a local, East Coast car with no rust and runs good, for $4k. at least you don't want a perfect interior too... (does it have to be a '73 2,0 as long as you're asking?) yes, i think you are going to have to give a bit on one of those. probably 'local.'

Hmm. That's what I was afraid of.
It's not like I'm really expecting NO rust. I just don't want something that's gonna fall apart on me. I don't want a project car. I just want something that doesn't have BAD rust (surface is okay, paint rust is even okay), and isn't going to die on me tomorrow. What kind of price should I pay for that?
I totally don't mind getting one from out of state, but then the max price WOULD be $4000, firm, since I'd have to go out there and drive it back or get it shipped. That's not cheap.
Am I just hoping?

Cole

It's findable...but tough. I got mine for $3,200...And I COULD have driven it for a couple of years before I dug into it the way I did. BTW: I've got a REAL nice brown interior I'd sell you cheap if you find a good car with a shitty interior.

If you had $6000, it'd be a WHOLE different ball-game. I wish I'd had bought an $8,000 car...But hind-sight is ALWAYS 20-20.

Hi
I with Tripps
But keep looking, here on the board stuff ups.
Good luck
Joe

Cole You are not being unreasonable but you are in for a long search. I have purchased cars for $2500 in the past with no rust, paint may not be great or the interior was very poor. Those same cars today are in the $3500 to 5000 range.
You need to keep your options open, and don't say you won't find one, you will, but be prepared to pay a little if the right one come along. Find the one you want, not just the one that is for sale.
CCLINCAMP914

$4000 cars are a dime a dozen out here in CA. I think you need prepared to first be patient because February isn't the best time to buy a classic car and second be prepared to travel.

This one looks decent and priced fairly for a '74 2.0L:

http://www.craigslist.org/sfc/car/59799073.html

Have a club member check it out or have the owner take it to HPH for a PPI you pay for and then fly out and pick it up and drive it home.

Personally I have not had a problem driving a car home that I purchased long distance. Because I have never driven one home that I purchased long distance.
We have all read the stories of someone breaking down in the middle of nowhere and having to fix there car on the road or paying to have it fixed.
I am a firm believer in get your long distance purchase transported to your door.
Just my opinion.
CCLININTERCITYTRANSPORT

I dunno.... I got like 20k in a beater...



M

I don't think you're being unreasonable... but it's going to be a tough search. You might have to sacrifice and accept a lesser cosmetic car, an early car with less options, or a 1.7 or something. I agree that 76 cars are going to be a boon for us outside of California... especially if they have backdated bumpers.

There is a lot of reselling for profit (to support a hobby or otherwise) going on in the 914 world these days... that drives up the prices of parts and cars. eBay doesn't help much, either. For the average joe who just wants to keep his car running and looking nice, prices are going to continue to rise.

As the economy gets stronger, expect to see the prices rise even more.

Check the classifieds... I think a car was just posted there in the 4-5k range that looked nice.

-Rusty

Another cause and effect would be the SAWZALL parties. The less 914s that are available, the more they are going to cost to purchase.
CCLINKEEPTHEMONTHEROAD

I'm sure it's been suggested...but try http://www.collectorcartraderonline.com

There are about 45 teeners on there now...maybe something you can call and take a look at. There is one for $4,900 about an hour from me...I'd be happy to go look at it for you. (Comes with a free 76 parts car!)

guy i got mine from was asking $4000 for it. It was very rusty at one time and had alot of welding done before i got it. Still needed quite a bit of work to be to my standards. Most of the unrestored cars you find for that price may need some rust work done, or some work to get them in running order. I would suggest finding something in good physical shape and get it running. Remember, if you want to find something local for a good price, try to find it though "connections" locally, where the cars widely advertised will most likely be asking more. Most of my finds have been just driving around looking for cars instead of searching a national database. Find the guy w/ the forsale sign on the dash, instead of the ebay or car search cars. This may not always yeild the best cars, but the prices will be much lower.

QUOTE (wrpspddrvr @ Feb 21 2005, 04:38 PM)

Just thought I'd ask the experts

i guess we are a bit spoiled over here where "it never rains" ...

i paid $3500 for mine, it was driveable, no major rust, but certainly had some issues. paint wasn't great, sloppy tailshifter tranny, broken window mechanism, vacuum leak on the engine. you know, the usual stuff.

i drove her like that for 1 1/2 years before i decided to have my slipping clutch replaced.
another 1 1/2 years and ~$12k later, i had a new car.

anyways, they are out there, just keep looking!
Andy

Join up with the local 914 crowd, they will take pity on you and they will find a nice car for you at that price. This is so they can trap you into staying in the local scene, misery loves company!
The locals always know and find out about the deals first! Look at the Westy I got for free, they wanted someone who would fix it up not junk it so they gave it to me.

Geoff

I think you have to keep in mind that for some reason 914-4's are an investment to some and they are buying the decent ones just to turn at a profit with a quick flip. not that making a profit in life is a bad thing, but it does drive up prices.

CCLINMAKINGMONEYONTHEFLIPS

Paid $2500 for a '76 Calif car last summer. Battery tray has a rust hole size of a .50c piece. That's it. No signs of rust or acid damage anywhere else.

Has 20k miles on new engine (Euro pistons), newer master cyl and calipers, almost perfect tan interior, MoMo steering wheel, Fuchs, fresh paint, etc etc....so there ARE bargains out there if you are in the right place at the right time!

P.S. having difficulties passing emissions - took it to shop, they claim it must have a cam or something, cause it 'burns tires' in every gear, runs like a bat outta Hell...just not cleanly.

I have the good fortune of finding one in New Mexico for 3250 this fall for my brother, not a speck of rust, the paint is all oxidizing and the interior so so, engine may need overhaul, but RUST was the deciding factor.... the guy was originally asking 4500 and couldn't find a buyer, I had been looking for 3-4 months/long drive home to Vancouver....perhaps looking at non-914 sites will help....
Good luck

I paid 950 for 3 cars (2 parts cars)

That was 3 years ago.. (this june 19'th..)

I've since put about 5k total into it. (proably alot less)
but most (if not 3/4 of it) of that money was from parts from the parts cars or this one sold off to pay for the upgrades and junk.

Im 2k away from a 10-15k 914v8..

One of these days I might have to sell it and get myself a boxter...

Depends on if dad buys it off me, and we get the "its a track car" scheme goin..

lol

Way far in advance.

You'll find one...

Its out there, waiting...

I'll sell you my yellow 72 for that. Just got it back from the paint shop. teh hell hole is nice and teh battery tray still has original yellow pained surface. I'll drive it out to you and then you drop me off at my moms house in Harisonburg. when it stops raining I will post some pics up here since it is another Dr Evil success story.

I got a 73 1.7 about 4 years back for 3600.00. Surface rust under the battery tray and a little in the rear trunk. All was ground off and sealed up, no panel replacement necessary. Oh yeah there was some under the firewall pad that I will need to patch. But structurally it was 100%. It's a compromise, always. Not unless you are willing to pay top dollar for a perfect car or a perfectly restored car.

I just bought Craigs grey car, with shipping form OR to AZ it is just breaking 4k. rear trunk needs replacement, but I can weld in a new one for about 200 bucks. All in all that is a great price I feel.

With a small market for 914's you are most likely need to purchase a car long distance. My 73 was bought in San Diego and driven back to PHX, at the time there wasn't any decent 914's around and I couldn't wait (if I didn't spend the money, someone else was gonna).

-The one problem you may have here is that if you're "not looking for a project car" you may be dissapointed because all of these cars are projects, no matter what you end up paying for it... I think you're going about it the right way however in terms of knowing what you want and sticking to it..there are still good cars out there, and even though they've gotten popular lately, there will end up being a bunch of restored cars getting sold in the next few years as people change their minds, and those cars will have already had all of the hard work completed...

Don't be afraid to have one shipped....I am shipping one to South Carolina from CA....$850.00 door to door.

QUOTE (mikez @ Feb 22 2005, 12:07 PM)

Don't be afraid to have one shipped....I am shipping one to South Carolina from CA....$850.00 door to door.

I couldn't agree more...It's a LOT more affordable than you'd think. I got a quote from AZ to OH and it was like $910. Someone once said you can't swing a dead cat in Cali without hitting a $500 rust-free 914.

Get something with a 1.7 or 1.8 and enjoy it...you can always put a different motor in later. It's a LOT easier than you think.

Get a PPI, and it'll be just like Christmas when it shows up a few days later. Just make sure you insure it properly before it starts its journey.

QUOTE (7391420 @ Feb 22 2005, 08:58 AM)

"not looking for a project car" you may be dissapointed because all of these cars are projects, no matter what you end up paying for it...

I think perhaps I'm just lucky. Cause I've heard some horror stories on this site about 914s and I've absolutely loved both of mine.

1972 Tangerine 1.7, dual Webers, sideshifter. 100% rust free, stored in Arizona. No cracks in dash, ran beautifully, interior reasonably clean, paint was a 6. Had a few "quirky" electrical problems----- Paid $3500 (Plus $800 to ship it to me)

Sold it 3 months later (money problems), for $4500...... 6 hours after it was listed in the local auto trader.

Currently, a 1972 Willow green, 2.0, dual Solex, 100% rust free (not even any bondo) recently rebuilt engine, tranny (tailshifter) with all reciepts, No cracks in dash, interior is near mint, tires were new, paint was an 8, runs perfectly....... Paid $7500.

I've owned it almost 2 years, and the ONLY "repair" I've ever done to it was putting in a new battery.

I think you'll find what you're looking for.. I found EXACTLY what I was looking for both times I've searched for a car. Hit the Auto Trader, Hit Collecter car trader online, and make sure to call up the owners of cars with no pictures.. some people just don't have digital cameras (thats how I found my current one)

I'd avoid ebay. Too much exposure. Anything worth buying will be easily recognizeable by too many people.

Just my 2 cents.

Good luck

I did the math on it and $650 was way cheaper than the other possibilities. drive up, rent a 1 way trailer down, nope. drive up with a borrowed trailer and back down, nope. Fly up and then drive it down - save a couple hundered if there is no problems. If there is a problem of any sort (and didn't pack the tools or carry the spare part) you have exceeded that price post haste. Also the time off needed to pickup and drive back etc.

QUOTE (ninefourteener @ Feb 22 2005, 12:24 PM)

Sold it 3 months later (money problems), for $4500...... 6 hours after it was listed in the local auto trader.

I had a 76 2.0 that I paid $2,500 for (2yrs ago) from a friend that needed money. I sold it 8 weeks later for $5,200. My wife did some mis-calculating and thought we needed $2,000 in a hurry...I'm thinking I'm saving the house, and she tells me 'oops...I missed a '2' and we actually had $22,000....not $2,000.

I sold it the first day it was in the paper...if I'd held on to it through the weekend, I'd STILL have that car.

Moral of story: An M.D. doesn't always mean you are good at math.

Speaking of shipping, Travis gray car is being picked up today.
CCLINSUNNYCAMP

WooHoo!!! Post a pic if you can!

Yes, please get all those 1976 Teeners out of California, since mine is a keeper, it will be really rare! BTW - just passed my smog with flying colors; I've got a 49 state car and don't worry about cat replacement!

Wow! Thanks for all the responses! You guys rule! I'm still looking around, and got a couple offers from people that saw my post. Awesome.
Thanks a lot, everybody, it helps to know what to expect. I'll try and run my limit up a little bit and see what happens.

Thanks again,
Cole

This forum is a good place to hang.
Good luck
Joe

Cole...listen to the 'old timers' here...they know their stuff. I'm newer, so I just THINK I know everything.

We are all here to help...just ask for it. Now CORRECT answers are not always there, but we'll make a convincing argument.