Someone in my general area is selling a 1975 project. I haven't yet looked at it, but the owner says the motor has been completely rebuilt by a local shop (no details provided), possibly up to 1.9L. The L-Jet FI is included but no guarantees on its condition. The engine and transmission are out of the car, which has been recently repainted by a local shop (probably a decent driver quality paint job, nothing special).

The seller says the car came from Oregon and has no rust. I have not yet independently confirmed this, as the car is more than 3 hours away from me. If I were to go take a look at it this would be the first thing to check. The interior is in rough condition and will need to be replaced or redone somehow. (For example the dash has a split in it.)

The seller asks $5000 for this project. Is that high, low, etc.? What would it be worth?

I apologize if this is the wrong forum for asking this question. I am happy to move it to another category if people suggest that I should do it.

Even if the engine is rebuilt and he's got some proof of it and there is no significant rust AND the paint isn't bad, then 5k would still be too high a price as a starting point. (Some may note the edit I've made to this first sentence!) The L-Jet may very well have issues and finding / fixing them yourself can be challenging and finding a technician who's able and competent can be the same, not to mention pretty expensive. A Weber set up will run you about a $1,000, without installation and tuning. Perhaps more, IDK.

It may not be as easy as you may expect to determine if there are any significant rust issues, but if the jack holes and round jack mounts underneath are solid, especially on the passenger's side, and the doors close nicely, then whatever rust issues it may have are likely not too serious. Check the gaps between the rear of the door and the body. Ask him to use the stock jack to lift the car on the passenger's side and see if that gap increases at all. If it does, the car has a problem in the "hell hole" and will require welding and parts which can be acquired from Restoration Design. That alone would also cost a significant sum to repair. Look for signs of any accidents, especially in the front trunk. No matter what, you need to expect to invest at least 5k to get it together and the interior looking good but that doesn't mean the car would be worth that much at that point and that's just the beginning! There are numerous other things the car will certainly need, each of which will cost, on the average around 100-200 bucks apiece. Brake lines, fuel lines, gas tank restoration, electrical issues, clutch cable, brakes, accelerator cable, ignition switch, Etc. etc. etc. Be prepared! A car like this that's not been cared for will need all these things and more before it's what anybody would really want it to be. The scope of the project may, thus, be much larger than you've expected it to be up until this point. Also, the 1975s aren't the most desirable models. The bumpers are heavy and, some say, ugly, and once you've back-dated the bumpers (assuming you choose to do that) and taken the L-Jet out for Webers, your car isn't original any more and has then lost any real "collectible" status. The 1973 2.0 appearance group and the LE cars are the most desirable and fetch the best prices.

You need to expect to put significant money and work into any project like this. If you don't have another 5k ready, then don't expect the project to be anywhere near completed until you do, and that's a very conservative estimate. There is low demand for something like this so with the amount of investment and risk involved only about $2,000-$3,000 can be considered a fair or at least. Somewhat good price, and that only if he's got receipts and specs on the engine build.

Was it resprayed the original color?

What wheels does it have on it?

Photos would be helpful!

M.i.M.

Lets see,

A 75 1.8L is the lowest performing 914 made. Modded to 1.9L by an unknown entity, and the engine does not run because the FI is 'dubious'. Uh-huh.

Drivetrain is pulled, and all required parts for reassembly are not confirmed. You will definitely need some parts that are missing. Paint is average, interior needs total replacement.

Brakes, electrical, exhaust? Numerous things may still need attention and fixing them carries a price tag.

When a car is not functional, its nothing more than a parts car. Value it accordingly. Even running, a 75 1.8L in the described condition is not a top dollar 914. Imagine this same car in running condition, and what effort it will take to get it there. Deduct that value for pain and suffering and that's its value as it sits. Probably less than its value as parts alone if your time is worth anything.

Basically, Jeff went straight to the point which I beat around the bush to get at, more or less. For perspective, look at the Blue 1972 here on this forum, cars for sale, which just sold for (only) $7,500. if it ain't gunna be a labor of love, it'll be closer to a nightmare and losing proposition. A more fair starting point, price wise, would be more like 2,000 bucks. 5k is just too much.

Here's a perfect example of why not to pay anywhere near 5k for your non-running project car.

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=317988

Well, here is the link to it.

https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/d/1975...6310647936.html

The motor does look like it's been rebuilt, but who knows what they did (owner said new cylinders and pistons, but I don't know if they rebuilt the heads, etc.)

I am quite comfortable with the L-Jet system (I switched my current 914 from carbs back to L-Jet from a box of parts, so I know what I am getting into).

The car has been resprayed white, not original color. Used to be yellow.

My suspicions are in line with what everyone else said, it would be a halfway decent deal at $3000, but not more. I'll try to talk the owner down, but he seemed to say he plans to put it back together himself if he does not get $5k.

I’ll add a slightly dissenting view. IF the car is reasonably complete, and IF it is truly as described, $5k is not way out of line, IMO. $5k for a complete, rust-free 914 with fresh driver quality paint could be a decent starting point, if you can live with the color and paint job quality. The paint job alone would cost you a big chunk of that, and lack of rust is huge. In my mind, the rest is just details.

$5k seems high for what is essentially a parts car.

Can you guys look at the photo of the hell hole and tell me if it looks good or rusted? I am not sure what I should be looking at.

PO did a battery tray repair and the area under the ECU next to the batter tray to the right, looks good in the photo that is one of the corners that get rust from water and battery acid known as the hell hole

PO did a battery tray repair and the area under the ECU not the right, looks good in the photo that is one of the corners that get rust known as the hell hole

Tell him you’ll give him $5000 for the blue Chevy wagon.
Craig at CAMP

No

What you are looking at is basically

1. A 75 rolling chassis that is no longer its original color
2. A 1.8 long block in unknown condition
3. A pile of parts

I think $1500-$2000 (if its worth anything) depending on condition of the tub and the completeness of the pile of parts. It sounds like you would need a 914 junkie to go with you to evaluate though and as a long time 914 junkie i can tell you that if you need someone like me to go with you to identify the pile that this is probably not the car for you at any price other than maybe free.

What you are looking at here is a good amount of work and a large list of unknowns that will result in more work and or money all for what is generally considered the least desired year and trim. To even consider $5k that car should at least be able to move under its own power.

If you have the time, take a ride and check it out. Based upon your research here, you should be able to make some kind of assessment as to what it's worth. Look closely at the usual problem areas and if you're interested, be prepared to make an offer and take it. The asking price is just that, "asking". If it's in pieces, then he is probably willing to part with it for less $. Good Luck.

I agree
If you look closely at the engine the cylinder studs are not the same length; that alone brings a huge question. The cylinders were not replace, just honed(?) they are old. Might not be a big thing but... You don't know what was actually done, so a tear down might be in order(precautionary, better now then after BOOM)

$5k is out of the question; $1k to $1.5 maybe, but its really a lot of parts and then some. On the up side the paint does look like a good driver.
If you need it...offer them something, but don't go any where past $2k
NOT TRYING TO BE NASTY, JUST BEING REAL

I wouldn't bother 'going for a ride' to check it out before sending the seller a link to this thread and asking him up front how flexible he is with the price, first.

If you're not ready, willing and ABLE to work on this project, and notice I say PROJECT, not CAR, predominantly yourself, then you probably shouldn't be considering it at all.