I am looking at a extremely original 914 1.8 liter (1974) that is all original- does it help or hurt value that it has airconditioning? Thanks

I would value it more for myself since these cars get hot in the summer and I would drive mine more if it had a/c.

One of the main reasons I'm doing a suby conversion.

Back in the day 914/4s were not known for excess horsepower and torque, so for many years A/C was drag on an engine that couldn’t afford it and extra weight. But after all of these years, a good working dealer installed A/C is probably a plus…

Wish mine had air. These systems were installed by the dealers. Some did very professional installs and some were hack jobs.
I say it increases value. I would have paid more for one.

To me it decreases value. Hacked up engine shelf, and hacked up front trunk floor pan. Personally I'd never buy a 914 with AC. Even in 100 degree summer heat it's never been too hot out for me to drive my car. Man up, dawg!

Was it an option from the factory, or was it a dealer option?
That would change the value, unless you have documentation to prove when it was done....

Only dealer.

The dealer modifications (hack jobs) done to accommodate the A/C in my opinion decrease the value of the car.
The body cuts and holes are neither well conceived nor well executed in the cars that I have seen with A/C.

Probably like an in-ground swimming pool for your house. Realtors say that it neither increases or decreases value.

For me, AC is a must have and was something I looked for when buying my own 914. When I was 20, no AC was no big deal, these days I want to be able to drive to work or wherever without arriving hot and sweaty.

The original systems did use HP robbing York compressors. I updated my system with new barrier hoses, fittings, and a Sanden style compressor that uses very little power. I kept it with R12 and it will freeze you out on the hottest day. Can barely tell when the compressor kicks on.

The Hagerty valuation guide says to add 10% for AC equipped 914's.

I have updated my car for its drivability, engine with more power and tighter road handing, have thought about adding air though haven't as one of the big reasons I love these little cars is they are simple and fun to drive. About the value of the cars and my thoughts, as a driver it's a matter of the owner desire if you intend to race to much wight and drag on the power. If you're more into just a nice occasional drive or a daily driver might just be more desirable. As a serious collectors point of view the more original the more $$. My final thought tends to be if you need all the comforts of a Boxster buy a Boxster.

I would not want AC in a 914 but I live on the coast.

Most of the dealer installed units in the cab look like shit to me.

Most are in poor shape not working and eat up trunk space and leg room. Not a big fan myself. The units were an after thought and not designed by Porsche. I feel they detract value, but can be removed and the trunk floor replaced to make it right at some added cost.

I would also say it decreases value. If you need AC, don't buy a 914. It's not like it would be your DD.
Have to think 99% of these cars are toys used for enjoyment- take the damned top off!!!

(I have the '73 in AZ- sure it gets hot in the summer but I still wouldn't want AC in it. As noted, ruins too much of the car.)

First - some 914 A/C 101 -

There were only 2 types of dealer installed A/C - & some good & some bad aftermarket non-official A/Cs out there. Any of the later aftermarket ones - with the possible exception of today's higher quality Sanden, RetroAire, AutoAtlanta, etc. units - were not of the same quality & not generally offered by Porsche+Audi dealers (some did do so IIRC), but rather were installed by local auto air shops, Sears, Monkey Ward's, etc. - & those I'd shy away from.

Only the VPC & DPD A/C's were approved for sale/use by Porsche for dealers to install in both 911/912 & 914 cars - as were a set of dealer installed options & accessories.

Unlike today - where you can get just about anything on order from the auto mfgrs./factory - back then in the 50's, 60's & early/mid 70's the dealers installed most options on cars - not the factories for any make. Heck - Porsche only started their own new free standing USA Porsche+Audi dealerships in 1969 (in time for the `70 MY when the 914/4 & 914-6 were introduced), & previously sold their Porsches in the US on VW dealership floors, & so many VW dealerships dropped Porsche & Audi to save the expense of building another facility!

So contrary to some unaware of this fact about dealer installed options/accessories, a dealer installed period option is considered correct & generally adds value or at least doesn't take away from it. Likewise, an original dealer installed unit, since updated with a modern Sanden or similar rotary compressor &/or updated to R134 shouldn't change that value, & may even be more desirable since it provides the chill without robbing more than 1-5 HP, vs 7-12 HP on the old Yorks.

A dealer installed option or accessory from the pre-1980s period is just NOT the negative "add-on" attitude, that it is for more modern cars, with anyone knowledgeable in classic cars. This is true not only for A/C, but also for radios & tape players, leather & wood Porsche crest shift knobs, "PORSCHE" side stripes, & all sorts of other goodies available from the dealers from the Porsche approved brochures of the VPC offerings.

Also, the dealers back then would do a respray of the cars to suit a buyer 7 if it wasn't selling well in a particular color, & they could do a side-by-side full interior swap on 914s & 911s for a buyer wanting a different interior color, & regularly stripped optional items off of cars to suit a buyer - leaving the stripped car short of equipment listed on its window sticker. My 73 914-2.0 not only was resprayed from L80E Light Ivory (white) to Sahara Beige, then Gold before being first sold; & it had its fog lights/grills/dash-switch & Fuchs 2L alloy wheels stripped by the dealer before the OO got it (I'm the 2nd owner).

However, a current owner added to dealer spec unit or later "modern" unit is more dicey, as it may or may not add value, even if they probably work better than the old ones from back in the day.

Of course, as you can see from the responses in here so far - cars are a highly personal choice, so the + or - will ultimately be in the eyes of a particular buyer.

A well done A/C dealer installed (or resto of same) which is operational & in great condition should add some value in many buyers' & appraisers' minds - while beat up, inoperable ones are just dead weight & detractors.

I just had the discussion in Nov./Dec. with the Hagerty guys, which led to the change for A/C adding 10% - vs. some other incorrect value add items which Hagerty previously listed under the "Notes" section (e.g.; 5-speed transmission!? ). I'm not sure that 10% is the correct number, but that's what they came up with so far.

Also of note, I have had no discernible loss of cooling power on either my 85 BMW 325e nor 88 VW Westy when we updated both of them to R134 Freon, at the time when their respective OE compressors died. So I see no reason to stick with R12 - especially at now $100+ per unit! So don't hesitate converting to R134 - especially if you're changing to the Sanden or other more efficient rotary compressor &/or otherwise updated the A/C system.

As for the pros/cons of the VPC & DPD systems - both used the same York compressor which robbed 7-12 HP when running, but the later DPD was an improvement in terms of operation & fitment. Both were apparently designed by the same engineer(s) - initially for Volkswagen Products Corp. (VPC), who also produced (or contracted for) a whole line of Porsche options in the US/NA marketplace (IIRC DPD was also sold under the VPC accessories & options brochure program).

The VPC used a big rectangular evaporator coil housing in the spare tire well of the front trunk, which forced the spare to be mounted several inches higher, so the floor board was higher & robbed trunk space up front, as well as having the under dash A/C controls off-center in the dash with only 4 outlet vents center & right/passenger.

Whereas, the improved DPD had a smaller evap. coil with a conical housing, which allowed the spare to sit down over it & within the original front trunk floorboard level, thereby preserving trunk space. Additionally it added another outlet vent closer to the driver/steering column & centered the controls under the heater/ventilation dash controls & thereby closer to the driver's reach - both improving the A/C's effectiveness & ease of use. There were also supposedly other engineered improvements to the DPD system (supposedly the AA modern A/C system was designed by the same engineer as yet another level of improvement).

These visible differences in the front trunk & under the dash is the best way to identify which - VPC or DPD - & pix of them are in the info at Jeff Bowlsby's 914 website. Jeff Bowlsby's 914 website has online copies of the Porsche+Audi dealer accessory/option sales brochures, DPD & VPC install guides, owner manuals, etc. FYI.

Also, additional sheet metal exposure areas for the tin worm are other concerns with the dealer, aftermarket & modern A/C installs (& more so with aftermarket hacks of the 70's & 80's).

Now as to wanting or needing A/C - well my 914 was my DD for about 10 years & 130,000 miles from 12/75 to 5/85, before being sidelined in my garage since (another story), & I surely would've LOVED to have had A/C in my car back then, but they were & are still fewer & far between, & I bought mine financed used on a tight "first job out of college" budget at 3 years old, after a 8 month search of a dozen or two 70-74 914s (& even trying the new 76 2.0 at dealers, which had a permanent 10-12 HP loss due to increased smog controls over the 73-74 2.0s), some 40+ years ago now.

It would've saved me having to remove ties, roll shirt sleeves up - & even sometimes roll suit pant legs up, & blast the fan with the old "Sears 265 A/C" on (roll down 2 windows & drive 65, for the uninitiated) when it was 90, 100 & even 110-120 sometimes!

.... & we don't have your eastern, nor midwestern & southeastern humidity!!

When you have to drive a 914 to work, meetings, site visits, etc. & are expected to be in suit & tie - it just is NOT comfortable in a non-A/C car - 914 or whatever!

It was also a deterrent for the gals who wanted to be cool & comfortable on hot days, as it is now still an impediment for my wife not wanting to be stuck in a hot car some 30 years later!

So I have to disagree a bit with some of the above naysayer & "just toughen-up" comments, & even today I'm still a bit on the fence as to whether to retrofit an updated period correct DPD/Sanden/R134 system - even if it won't be my DD in the future, but now in my 60s I'd still prefer the option to turn the A/C dial, be cooler & put up with a couple less HP gitty-up!

Bottom line - you make the decision that fits you, & pick the best 914 you can find & afford - whether with or without A/C. And if the A/C is non-op, then it's no added value, until & unless youspend the $$s to fix it so don't pay extra if non-op!

Good Luck!
Tom
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I think they decrease the value as these cars weren't design with that in mind. The integration is really bad and definitely not up to the German Porsche level in my book.

I daily drive my car in Socal weather. Yes it gets hot in the summer but this is a 1970s Porsche 914. Want AC, any Camry will do the trick. If you are looking for originality, I would get something that is the way it came out of the factory.

To the OP's original question, I don't know about resale value, but there is a fair percentage that doesn't like A/C in a 914.
But I'd argue the head unit, at least the DPD unit, helps ventilation (even if it doesn't blow cold) because it moves a LOT more air than the lousy factory fan.
Call me a wimp, but one of my favorite features in this car is the ice cold A/C. It makes a lot of sense, especially in a car where nothing is original.
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Thank you for all the info- I appreciate the time and effort everyone made with great comments- Happy New Year to everyone here at 914World!

I agree with Tom!

I suppose the purists should be removing the radios from their cars as those were also added by the dealer and did not come from the factory.

Personally I think the DPD unit integrates really nicely with the interior and gives it much less of a cheap VW feel. With a modem compressor I'll trade 1.5 hp for a cool cabin.

To each his own.

My '74 shed 60 lbs. when I removed all of that A/C junk. The giant York compressor was 25 lbs. itself. The only piece I retained was the vent console beneath the dash, which I believe makes the interior look better and more substantial. Now, had the system been functional, I probably would not have removed it, but trying to revive a leaky Freon 12 system is ridiculous.

Ansbacher

Thanks for the write up Tom, always helpful information you have!

I thought buying my 74 with an AC was a plus but it really was the 2.0 liter that I was after. I have the DPD system but after further review of the installation. I was a little disappointed at the install, especially at the engine shelf. The shelf and surrounding tin was completely butchered. The hose routing from front trunk to the engine runs along the passenger long resulted in rusting on the exterior triangles and forward portion of the longs. Knowing the system was probably non-op I removed the entire setup. The interior install appeared to be nicely done. Wire patches were clean and the unit mounted nicely under the dash. The dealership sprayed weatherproofing all over the front trunk around the dome/fan housing which is going to be a pain to cleanup. It is going to take a little effort to patch all the sheet metal holes and cutouts.

Revival was a bit of work but not all that difficult. The Sanden style compressor was an easy fit. I used barrier hoses with aeroquip fittings, had to look around to find the right R12 fittings. Removed evaporator and condensor, cleaned and nitrogen flushed everything, replaced the expansion valve and recharged. Better than new.

please do not get silly radio's do not loose engine power or do they look out of place like the a/c unit does.

Back to the OP question, I'm on my fourth 914 and the first three had A/C. I specifically sought out the current car without A/C because for the original dealer to install the A/C there is ALOT of cutting and drilling and adding of parts that were not originally designed for the car.
Just my two cents, an "uncut" car is more valuable than one that has been cut, particularly if you are looking for original as you can get.

There has been a DPD AC unit in Betty's 914 since before she bought it. When we were dating, I got it working with the old York compressor. It was an Horsepower hog. You had to turn the AC off to pass someone. It blew a hose in the engine compartment on the highway and the R-12 killed the engine due to lack of oxygen.

Over the years I have kept it working and even upgraded it. It now has barrier hoses, a small rotary compressor, a bigger fan on the front condenser, and a second condenser with two fans added to the underside of the engine lid (off a 911 SC). Even in the Texas mid summer heat, it gets cold enough to make you shiver.

If the car came with AC when you bought it, get it working. It makes it more livable in the summer.

For all you SoCal guys who say "just take the top off", I invite you to come to Texas on a 100+ degree day and sit on a stock vinyl seat after the car has been sitting closed up all day.

I promise to take you to the Emergency Room to have the third degree basket weave burns treated.

Gitcha some o' them corduroy seats! No burns in the summer and warm buns in the winter.