jp -





Stoddards sells a new 914 dash repro which is excellent for about $800.

Unless you really drool for a wood steering wheel, you might consider having Dallas Steering Wheel (DSW) or the guy who comes to the Porsche Swap Meet at the Phoenix Club in Anaheim in March do a leather recovering - with the extra layer of felt padding under it if you prefer a softer grip &/or thinker rim - on either your current aftermarket 3-spoke or another OE 4-spoke wheel with butterfly horn pad or puck). [I prefer the grip & feel of leather myself]

Autos International in Escondido or World Upholstery in Ventura & Lakewell.com in Belgium all sell 914 upholstery kits in the smooth beige/tan leatherette (only Lakewell has the tan basketweave) - but not sure which also does the corduroy inserts like yours. I suggest get them all to send you samples now, so you can choose which you prefer.

If you're not confident in doing your own reupholstery, then AI & WU does top quality interiors, but a local upholstery shop which does classic sports cars & rods can probably do them for you too, if you want to just order the bulk fabric or kits. Not sure who is near you in Culver City, but I know a couple of shops in HB that I'd trust with interior work. If you need new foam, then AI or WU may be easier, but their prices are way up there too.

I had my OE Recaro front seats in my 85 BMW 325e 2dr coupe redone in in smooth & perforated/patterned-insert Perl Biege vinyl in 2014 by one of the HB shops & it was about $1200 including redoing the leather steering wheel & rebuilding the operable seats/backs/seat-shocks (it has a back seat, unlike a 914 ). It's seats are more complex, required custom stamping of the detail in the inserts, & probably had more material - than a 914 seat

So the price may be less for your 914 & they may have a match for the vinyl & corduroy at such local shops too, bit then you have to add in more for the backpad, center cushion & door panels to get it to match. AFAIK Lakwewell is the only one that still has the 914 Beige in the 70-74 (excl 71) Basketweave for all door & some seat inserts, so I bought both smooth & basketweave yardage from them so that both would match, sufficient to do it all by a local shop or AI at some point (email them for yards needed).

Suspension - IMHO Koni Reds or Bilstein R shocks & F strut inserts, & the poly street bushings all around - unless you plan to race or AX with it, cuz their race bushings are harder & rough riding on the street for DD/pleasure use. Ditto if you need springs or torsion bars - stick with stock lbs. (0 lbs for a 73 1.& IIRC & definitely for a 2L) - unless you're racing/AXing - then you'll ride rougher on street use.

The better idea to improve handling on a 1.7 without the anti-sway bars is to add a used set of the OE ones or new Elephant sway bar kits F & R. If you do tie-rodss, then stick with either the stock or Trubo-tie-rod upgrade from Lemforder only - don't waste you money on the knock offs - they're built cheap too! Don't forget fresh wheel bearings (SWF or other German OEMs only) + brake lines & Porterfield R4S brake pads from PMB.

Engine - Do a bunch of research first on what you want out of the rebuild, & check out the 1911cc upbuilds, & what places like FAT Performance here in Orange does with Type IV motors. I don't know how much Raby has on his website, nor if someone like McMark at Original Customs can build a 2056 from your 1.7 - soo check around alot. A tried & true set-up is better than guessing at what might work, so poll others with 1.7s on here too.

I know other VW & 914 folks who like Der Buggy in Garden Grove, but AASE in Fullerton & Bill Brewster's shop in So. OC are top aircooled Porsche shops. Others may recco some up in LA closer to you, & OTTOs in Venice used to be good, but he passed away & I don't know how good the new guys are. I'd recco my 914 guy of 40+ years Hans, but he won't take any new customers with aircooled cars - only us old customers that still have them.


Tom
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Hi JP,
Who did you get the PRESS stickers from? I remember seeing them a while back but could not find them recently.

Nice Mike!

Those are also listed at the Lloyd link for the Porsche mats, along with their plush ones.

http://lloydmats.com/porsche-licensed-cust...ogo-floor-mats/

jp - his seat inserts' material is called Houndstooth - & was used on 60's 911/912 & 356 - & although not used on 914s from the factory (except maybe by special order &/or on 914-6 by order) - it's seen on a few 914 restos around SoCal. AI should have samples of it in pix on their website, & they had a pair of 914 seats on display a few years ago at that Phoenix Club/Anaheim Porsche Swap Meet that I mentioned. IMHO it looks best in black interiors.


Tom
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NICE! - Looks like you have a start on the Riviera repops on the LF wheel jp!

My 73 2L was originally L80E Light Ivory (white), so mine will look similar to yours when completed, & probably with the black positive "PORSCHE' script side stipes too, except with the Fuchs 2L alloys which would've originally been on mine. The OO/P+A-selling dealer had changed them to Riveras before I bought it - so I'm recreating it back to OE look, but will probably keep my Rivs for street tires for whenever I just want to drive it with other tires than the period 165HR15's which will be on the Fuchs.

Have fun & bring it out to some of the local SoCal PCA events & car shows!


Tom
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jp -

In case you missed this where I added it to my prior post on pg. 2 .....

.... since it's worth the factor

....... & I'm really NOT a green car guy either!



It's a great 914 book too BTW!


Tom
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I just looked up this book, it is 100 bucks crap, going to have to wait on this one...

Those are the inner door seals on the pinch weld at the body. The outer door seals I make are a solid neoprene, and install by stretching the rubber to reduce the thickness. You can then push the rubber into the track, as it expands when the tension is released. No glue needed. They are solid, so unlike the OEM and other aftermarket seals (made from sponge rubber), they will not hold water in the seal up against the metal in the track. This is a major cause of rust in the door tracks.

The only unfortunate issue is that I'm currently back ordered, and it will probably be 3-4 weeks before I can have them back in stock.
I think you will find these worth the wait in that they make an excellent seal. I think these alone without the inner door seal are more than adequate to seal out air, but still recommend both.

Thanks,
Mark