Just bought my first car Hopefully the weather gets better so i can drive. Makes it difficult with this humidity when the heat and defrost don't work. Looks like previous owner removed the heat lever and covered it with carpet.



Click to view attachmentClick to view attachment

Where at in WA?

Your first car, this is the car you will always remember, no matter how many you will have in a lifetime.
Just drive it and learn from the experience. Make sure you go on a thorough search for the rust and previous damage. Take a look at some of the old threads to get an idea what you are looking for.
Have fun. Mike

Looks good from here!

......WELCOME....1 of my 1st 914's was yellow!

You'll never forget your first. Looks nice and straight. Hope it looks as good underneath as it does on top. Enjoy!

And I suggest that you buy a fire extinguisher for it and mount it in a handy place inside the car, and do it soon.

Caution; 914's are habit forming.

1st car a 914, how cool is that!
Welcome to the madness, you may never get away...

Oooh nice. I like the matching roof more than the stock black.

Does water leak in here?
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1st car

Is the most high performance old vw ever made ,not bad
If i had a 914 instead of a baja bug who knows but

Be aware your no longer low profile , when you drive around
Everybody will be looking at you so id behave .

Recommended 1st drive to a mechanic to do the basics

Congrats! A 914 is a great first car so long as its mechanically sound.

This was mine when I picked it up at 14years old.

My first car was a 914. As others have mentioned, you will never forget it.

My first car was also a yellow 914, but it didn't look that nice.

Alki

Thanks, will do

Thanks. I will.
Took it to the mechanics shop get the ignition cable replaced. Bad spark on starting ignition. Starts up every time now



Cool. Do you still have it? I like the red.

Me too. I was thinking about sanding it down and repainting it black though. The paint is pretty rough.

It does leak in water. I need to get it fixed asap. It's currently garaged right now though. More worried about this.. Click to view attachment

I'm a couple miles north of you, so if we ever get a dry day you could try putting my black polished roof on your car to see how much worse it would look.

My weather stripping is probably worse than yours, and no heat or defogger. It's so breezy in the cockpit it doesn't seem like the windows are up. I guess http://914rubber.com is the go to place for that kind of stuff, and I have the impression Pelican Parts is also well regarded.

You're local, nice! That would be great.
Maybe spring if we're lucky or before 5pm when the fog settles in

I put in a temporary rubber seal from home depot and filled that spacing just to keep it a little cozier in the cockpit. The top doesn't leak anywhere thankfully though.

I had to drive in heavy rain from the shipping depot when my car first arrived from California (by transporter). That was traumatic for me, and probably the car. In addition to the interior, I'm not certain either trunk is sealed properly. Also my car lacks the rain catcher that's supposed to be under the engine grill. Plus no defogger and one wiper not bolted on tightly enough since the car wasn't being used in the rain. I will use the Miata or the family car on days like today.

Who did you get to look at your ignition problem?

John Walker refused to have anything to do with my Dellortos. Gerber Motorsports did some repairs, but refused to touch the Type IV motor. Chris's German had four 914s in progress (plus a 356, some 911s, and a 928 parked outside) when I visited them. But he's booked for a month or more. Tomorrow I'm driving down to Franklin's VW Werks in Kent. I'd rather not drive so far in the rain if it's avoidable.

whats the last four numbers in the VIN number ?? 1730 by any chance..

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=114780
Yup

Welcome

Yeah that sounds scary in the rain. Should maybe avoid rain at all cost
Check out alki auto repair. Their new location is 2938 SW Avalon Way right next to Luna Cafe. They work on older cars. What are you trying to get fixed?


No sorry

Nice car! and Congrats!

Living on the ocean, you want to do a thorough inspection for rust and stay on top of any cancer. You also want to manage the moisture. Then, drive the hell out of it.

FWIW - I use to live in Magnolia. I kayaked in a race from Alki across the sound to Bainbridge and back, in 1hr 18 mins. Good times.

Thanks

Planning on doing a thorough inspection when i'm back in town
Kayaking is great out here in the summer. Looking forward to using mine again.

My first car was a 914 too! Yellow as well [after repainting]. I bought it at 13 and drove for the first time at 19-20 after a long restoration. I used to drive with my windows cracked in the rain to stop fogging (no heat as well).

My first car was a yellow 914 too. It was my first and favorite. I still have it 44 years later.

Cool first car !!!
I've had mine for 37 years

OK... will investigate.

My first 914 was in 1985, a 1975 2.0 in Arizona ostensibly with air conditioning, and with a stupid single carburetor where the fuel injection is supposed to be. I had bad experiences with mechanics. One Phoenix summer, I noticed the oil pressure light flickering at idle. The shop said my engine must be shot and I spent big money for the age I was then to rebuild it. They said "Hey we noticed a problem with your cylinder heads. We can get you new ones." That's how my Porsche 2.0 3-bolt cylinder heads were replaced with VW parts. Once the rebuilt engine was in, the oil pressure light started flickering again. I found out this was due to one weak spring, probably the only problem I had all along.

With these kinds of cars I think we have to be our own mechanics to some extent. I tried to learn before, but of course there wasn't a helpful forum like this back then.

Enjoy your 914. I was like 25. Great car. lots of great times

Bob B

Glad you got in early, I waited about 30 years too long. Hope you enjoy the ownership experience and take advantage of the great resources here.

Got my first one when I was 19 ... in 1973. Got my second one in 2006. Had a few 911s & 912s in between

1. get that rubber seal fixed right away. http://www.914rubber.com/

2. Or put it in the garage

914s are constructed mainly out of rust and like water about as much as the wicked with of the west.

Konrad

Signature worthy right there

>> Alki << Very cool. I live on the hill behind you. PM me if you'd like to get together for a beer and "talk shop" sometime.

- MR

PS: I'm not trying to circumvent the "Puget Sound Tuesday Teeners". I'd love to attend sometime. Tuesdays just happen to be a night on which I have another standing commitment.

I’m near and I’d join too, though not much knowledge to contribute.

Moost, I live in Kirkland and own the Delphi green 914 and 79 guards red 928 at Chris’s.

We completed restoration on three 914’s and have a ton of new rubber from 914Rubber, along with extras of many parts. I’m not super interested in selling parts but given it’s your first car (my first car was a 914) I’d be happy to help.

...after a professional ensurses that the critical systems work, like brakes, I recommend fixing the rubber and then heating (heat exchangers, heater boxes, engine tin, tubing, fan, and lever) yourself. I had a very kind member sell me SSI heat exchangers for our 73 1.7 Phoenix red driver... you need heat and defrost in Seattle !

You can buy that windshield seal at 914rubber.com.

It looks like they're currently out of stock, but worth the wait, and well worth the $

http://shop.914rubber.com/914-Main-Targa-S...tion-914MTS.htm

Do you by any chance have the blue 914 with the white porsche vinyl on the side? I've seen it pass my house a couple of times now. I know there's a red one right down on the water a mile from my house or so.
Would be great to meet up and look at other 914s. Mine is the only one ive seen up close.

I'm looking forward to seeing that black 914.



Thanks. It can be frustrating to come back to a wet seat! Do you have a windshield to targa seal for sale?

Been driving it around seattle and everything works great so far! The motor has 140,000 miles on it and has never been rebuilt. Still feel like I can get some juice out of it before it needs rebuilding. Everything works on the car except the heater and defroster.

I think we have one, we have a large tote full of 914Rubber . Will check when we get home... looking at your car we may have stuff you need

Sounds like you’ve done well. I can only get 5th gear when the humidity is exactly right...

I've only touched 5th gear once.. Seattle traffic

For some reason I was in New York this weekend, but should be home next weekend. I'll want some time with my family Saturday. How's Sunday for y'all, if it's not raining?

Hi Moost:

>> Do you?? <<Not sure if this question was directed at me or Michael. I'm nearing the end of a 4 year restoration on my tangerine 1970, so no. I think I've spotted the blue one you are referring to, however. Saw it drive down Admiral Way when we had those couple days of nice, warm weather. The only other local one I've seen lately is a red one that a guy who goes to the same gym drives. Haven't seen him lately, so he might've moved. He was living on 49th.

Michael: I'll be out of town next weekend, coming back Sunday PM. We should def make plans to get together, though. Weeknights (other than Tuesdays) are generally best for me.

- MR