Hey experts, I need some information about an engine in a possible purchase. The motor is a 1.7 that has been rebuilt with new pistons and jugs. The pistons were purchased from AA and AA instructed the buyer to get "flat top" pistons that have a lower compression so you can run 87 octane.

I was unaware the stock 1.7 could not run on 87 with it's stock compression?
If it is true that it now has a lower compression how much does this hurt the HP?

The heat exchangers are not installed on the motor so I can't even check if the motor will run. Can I start it without the heat exchangers just to check it? I guess I could pull the ignition wire and turn it over just to check it turns over via the starter.

He has a single carb on it but has all the d-jet FI components. He said he didn't switch the cam so the internals are all stock. How much work is involved to get a FI up and running? I know someone has a link or doc to restoring a d-jet. Will this d-jet work with this lower compression?

Included some pics (shoddy)

Ok, so, ain'tcha glad you didn't buy that orange lemon?

It's the same ol' mantra,

R. Really
U. You
S. Should
T. Try to find the least rusty 914.

That's it. If the engine is blah blah blah

Or the interior is yada yada yada

Or the wheels/tires/color/etc. isn't exactly what you want, oh well. If you really want to get into it, that's the bottom line.

Oh, and getting them running is nothing more than fun. It's a 40, no wait, 41 year old car at the least. Keep that in mind.


Along with the Mantra...

Say it again.

R.U.S.T.


Btw, that car don't look too bad...

It all comes down to your commitment. You can make the stock system work well it a bit of time and money. But the single carb will always leave a bad taste in your mouth. Buy it. Fix the D-jet and enjoy.

The compression ratio depends on which 90mm pistons were used. The 73 CA-only 1.7 ran (I think!) 7.6:1, and made 72 HP. The standard 1.7 ran about 8.2:1 and made 80 HP. I believe that some of the Buses ran even lower compression, though! The CA-spec 73 1.7 did run D-jet.

The regular 1.7 was spec'ed for premium fuel. A lot of people seem to run regular without issues, but I would consider premium to be cheap insurance.

You can run the engine without the heat exchangers, but I wouldn't for any real amount of time. Wear ear protection.

Fitting the injection can be done in a day, unless you have to search for six months to locate the missing parts of the "No, I swear it was complete when I sold it to you!" system. Parts that are sometimes overlooked include the distributor and the fuel pump. And of course, the old wiring may need help or replacement, depending on how beat up they are.

It's all doable, mind you, but depending on how much of a hack job was done to the car it can be a significant pain.

--DD

Thanks for the great info. There is a special distributor? Not the one that is already in the pic? The fuel pump he said was a faucet and he put it up in the front trunk then ran the stainless steel fuel line in the cabin.

It just depends on rust and price. Everything else can be easily fixed. Looked like a $2-2500 car from pics and what you describe.