I am considering purchasing this project 914. I am concerned that rust may have been covered up by a rhino lining or similar spray application at the hell hole. Does anyone have any knowledge of the car or any advice as to what exactly what I should be looking for when I go inspect the car in person?
Thanks,
JonClick to view attachment Click to view attachmentClick to view attachmentClick to view attachment[attachmentid=682
144]Click to view attachment

I can tell from the pictures that there was a very poor and improper repair done to the floor. It looks like some exposed screw heads with a bunch of goo covering it up.

That’s what I was afraid of.

The carnage occurring to 914's is atrocious.

I won't stir things up with the whole debate of why folks choose to convert 914's to water cooled engines. OK maybe I already did.

If you want a major project - jump in a please rescue this car.

If you want a driver - run away fast.

In addition to previous post on the floor pan:

Battery tray repair is substandard

Holes cut into Frunk and the copper tubing to accommodate the water cooling speak for themselves.

Trunk brackets are held on by self tapping screws

I can guarantee you that the previous owner was "learning" on this car. No shame, we all learn somewhere but the question is whether you want to inherit someone's mistakes.

There is rust under the paint as you already know. What you can see is only 20% of what is there.

As someone currently working on a project with Rhino liner or other bed liner crap spayed on, it will hide a multitude of sins that you won't see until you dig under it. Be prepared mentally!

Oh, the two best things to bring with you on a potential buy:

1) a very small screwdriver or Needle pick. Ask owner if it's OK to poke before doing so. A "Hell No" is a sure sign they know there is massive rust already and don't want you to find more than can already be seen. If they agree with a "Yes" don't poke around in cosmetic surfaces and don't do so unless you have serious intentions about actually buying the car regardless of what you find.

2) For the "No" cases and/or where you're not sure that you would buy the car - bring magnets. Simple refrigerator magnets only stick to the best metal. a magnetic stud finder that has the magnet on a pivot is great tool for telling where plastic body filler starts and stops.

Superhawk,
Thank you for the advice and the education! Sadly, I think this project may not be for me. I am in love with the idea of a 914 with some real power ( 250 hp range). But, I don’t need to bring home a box of problems. My wife is already frustrated with the projects I currently have

Welcome Jon!

As you have seen already it is a great idea to post as many pictures as possible of any car you are interested in here prior to purchasing.

Let us know what you are looking for, how you want to use the car etc and you'll get great coaching.

Porsche made more than one of these, so take your time and look.

If you have never had a 914 before allow me to lobby you:
1) a stock 914 with a 2.0L and 80-100HP is a great car. Drive one stock for a while and then decide if you need more power. You can always put a flat six in these cars later with ease and run HP up to crazy numbers if your wallet permits.

2) if you want raw power you're looking in the wrong places. 914's (or early 911's) were never meant to be straight line power cars. They are AWESOME steering and handling cars. The drivetrain is balanced to the needs of the car and is biased toward nimble, agile handling. If you just want to go fast in a straight line - go buy a Drag car. Likewise, if you want easy power just save your $$. You can go buy lots of 400 HP cars off the showroom floor WITH A Warranty. Amazing times we live in.

3) Lot's of people will tell you that you need more power or crazy stuff like Boxter's are secretary cars, or Porsche 914's are just VW's. Ignore them. They have no idea how to drive in anything other than a straight line. Most people get spooked pulling 0.5 G's. A 914 will easily surpass that on All Season tires. Put summer tires on it - Watch out 0.9G here I come.

4) I've owned VW's with 40 HP and I've owned cars with 400 HP. Even in the 100 HP cars, when the traffic light turns green I'm 100 yards ahead of traffic. Granted we aren't racing but I'll tell you that most people aren't using the HP they have. And yes that extends to the majority of the modern sports car crowd too.

Don't be afraid to start with a good solid 1.7L car. Learn to work on it, learn to drive, and upgrade as your talent and $$$ permit.

914's are awesome cars and I say that as someone that has access to a much wider slice of the automotive pie than any one man should be allowed. I've driven some of the best the world has to offer and I still came back to 914's after nearly 20 years away from them.

Those pictures show so many substandard repairs! I'm thinking I see a weird plate and cutaway on the passenger suspension console?

My first 914 actually had bondo packed into the longs! I checked and there is no structural bondo for sale.

That became a parts car.

I agree about low horsepower driving. I have a blast with my 75 HP 1.7. (If it still makes anywhere near that after 250,000 miles)


Repairing somebody else's mistakes will cost far more than starting fresh.

I disagree with some of the assessments above. those "screw heads" may be rosette welds. and as long as the battery tray is well done, it's not substandard. you never know until you can look at the car in person.

I wouldn't write this car off yet. definitely do your diligence and if you want a project with potential need for rust repair, go for it.

Why does everything on the bottom or the car seem so low? The sweated copper piping is a nice touch.

This car looks like someone else's problems to me. Unless you are up for a ton of remedial work fixing all the poor repairs, and marginal work; walk away.

The effective ground clearance looks to have been limited to about 3", if that.

IMHO this is an example of what not to do to a 914

with everything said above. I don't think that car is a good intro to 914 ownership. Too many mods and repairs of unknown quality. I'm also a huge fan of the stock 4 cylinder models. I've owned both 1.7L and 2.0L and can vouch that they are all a blast to drive, but the 2.0 hits a real sweet spot for pep, driveability, and economy. It just a gem of engineering IMO. Regardless of whether stock is your cup of tea, spending some time in one will give a good baseline for judging any modified car you might be interested in.

But back to the original question about how to check. Another tool is to ask for any build pics the owner may have. I'm a big fan documenting repairs as they are made and if they are available, can tell you a lot about quality of the repairs.

That exhaust is very low, careful on speed bumps!

Run Forest, run. I have two H20 conversions and one air sucker. Guess which ones get driven? That so-called motor mount scares the out of me. Wonder how the rears look? And the 901 transmission is a dinosaur! I agree with the floor pan assessment. If those are weld rosettes I'm impressed with the Welders ability to create the Phillips "X" slot within the weld. I see a shiny black paint spot just to the right of those screws. That rust spot looks like the rear jack point flange separated which I'd expect if the battery acid was allowed to run amuck.. If any part of the exhaust, engine, etc. is closer than 5.5" to the ground, watch out. The radiator plenum looks to have large gaps in it. Weld joints don't appear to be primed and painted so expect accelerated oxidation at those area's. "Mud Dauber" welds in structural areas are frightening as well.

What's the asking price on this car?

I have a Porscharu with a Renegade engine cradle, this one, whatever it is seems to hang the motor way too low. The copper pipe isn't a good idea either, way too easy to pinch it and restrict coolant flow without even knowing it. I think heavy duty Gates hoses are a much better bet, Porsche even made two channels on the underside along the center tunnel to recess the hoses into.

HORRIBLE

Motor hangs too low. Motor mounts look wonky. Copper piping is not good for use under the length of the car.

Everything I see needs to be redone. Unless the car is super cheap and the body looks good, I would walk away.

Could be lipstick on a pig...

craigslist maine
$10,500
https://nh.craigslist.org/cto/d/waterford-p...6780918698.html

Buy the most car you can afford and have fun with it. Every car on this forum is a project of some sort and every person has his or her ability so that being said even the very best repaired cars are still "repaired "and not by any means perfect.
Do the best you can with what you got and never try to compare yourself to someone who spent 5-10 years on trying to create perfection.
My 2 cents

If you go out to look at it, use the factory jack to jack it up. Do it on each side.
IF it lifts the car it gives you a better look—if it doesn't—run away.

He should have definitely taken either of those $9K "low ball" offers.

We're talking about the clearly visible screw heads on the outside long "repair", not the battery tray.

That's a lot to ask for a cheaply done 914 conversion car that doesn't run and looks like it needs LOTS of repairs. Run away!

Thank you everyone for your opinions and advice. My first Porsche was a 993. I loved the car, but did not like how the ass end would get light if you let off the gas in a corner. I would like to get a mid engine Porsche this time around. I like the idea of a light 914, but I want to have enough power to give that pushed back into the seat feeling. Also, I want something I can drive to the track for drivers education a few times a year. So I should probably be looking for a cayman. Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Jon

If you want a car that can do it all, in comfort and not have to constantly “tinker” with it, a cayman is probably a great choice. Just finding a low rust 914 on the east coast is almost an impossible feat in itself. Good luck with the hunt.

Jon, there is a fine line between a car that is neutral in a corner and one that gets light tending toward classic oversteer (i.e. 911's). Frankly that line is based on personal opinion and driving style.

The secret is don't lift in the corner. If you have your speed set at corner entry, you really want to be easing back into the throttle during the corner rather than lifting which is panic reaction to having gone in too fast. This transfers weight to the rear axle and helps stabilize that rear end.

However, you are on the right track. Do as much driver education and track time as you can afford and find time for. You won't regret it. A Cayman is a fine car but being that it is a Porsche you'll find that it too will be neutral to oversteering on an abrupt lift throttle. You can't go wrong with a Cayman but don't expect it to be forgiving of an abrupt lift during a corner either.

If you're not already aware, the main issue with 914 handling (and a mid-engine Cayman) is that once you start to lose it, the car can rotate pretty fast due to low polar moment of inertia that is why we love mid-engine handling in the first place.

Good luck in your quest.

My 993 is much more forgiving than earlier 911s
its the only one I have not spun out of my history of an SWB 911, 914, and my 84 Carrera...

of course I have matured a bit over that period of time.

-Andrew

i agree with superhawk996 comments about tracking.
I think a cayman (or a Boxster) would be a good choice for low cost track car.
My Boxster project was $3k and I'll be in it $10k for a great little car that can be a DD or a cheap track car

I'd buy the car in question only with the understanding it's a project car

If you're going to buy it to have a hot rod conversion you should run. Everything there needs to be reworked. So this may have all the parts in it you want you still have to build a car out of the parts. This car needs a complete rebuild of the chassis. I once bought a "rust free" car that had fiberglass on the firewall, inerfender wall and floors. I found out going over a dip when the battery box fell, sheet metal screws don't work in fiberglass.
For 10 Grand you can buy a nice driver ( 914 or Boxster ) in the South West , ship it home and learn to drive it. Maybe not a Cayman but Boxster for sure.
10K is a lot of money for a parts car...
I have about $15 in this.

Click to view attachment

In ten years it is still not done.

Couple points here.

My 914 (which is a mild 2056 making about 150 at the crank on the dyno) will push you into your seat WOT in 2nd and 3rd. A 914 tends to be a quick car, but not a fast car. My stock WRX is faster and feels faster in nearly every regard. In stock or near stock forms, they will never match a modern Porsche in terms of speed. They will struggle with some mini-vans in a drag race. They are 40+ year old cars, and even when new they were not speed demons. They were always cornering cars, and to this day they can out corner almost anything on the road.

I've been in a stock 2L spinning, and it happens very very fast with little time to correct. I've also been in a stock 2L where I looked at the other guy after a corner where the car held the line even when we were both puckering. The best way to deal with it is just seat time, learning how your car reacts and teaching yourself NOT to panic stop mid corner, but rather to slow down before the corner and throttle through it.

Zach

Dude,

A Boxster or Cayman if you can afford one is a great car. The newer the better but as Boxster’s have been around for 20 years you should be able to find one. Be careful on early 6s in Boxster’s because of the IMS bearing.

I remember when my 1st 911 needed a fuel pump. It was $350 for a part on my car that was just a few 6 years old. Used Car was $9,500. Back in 78. 73 911s. You know what that S is worth today.

The Boxster is all around you. It is an extension of you just like a 914. These are really very small cars.

On the Radio was Toto. Hold the line
Lyrics
It's not in the way that you hold me,
 It's not in the way you say you care,

 It's not in the way you've been treating my friends,
 It's not in the way that you stayed till the end, 
It's not in the way you look or the things that you say that you'll do,

Hold the line, love isn't always on time, oh oh oh Hold the line, love isn't always on time, oh oh oh
It's not in the words that you told me, girl
It's not in the way you say you're mine, ooh
It's not in the way that you came back to me,
It's not in the way that your love set me free,
It's not in the way you look or the things that you say that you'll do
Hold the line, love isn't always on time, oh oh oh
Hold the line, love isn't always on time, oh oh yea


Bob B