Hello All,

So I just bought a 1974 as a project car for my daughter and I to restore. I’ve never built a car before, although I have some experience wrenching on my 944. My goal is to drop the motor and tranny and maybe replace it with a 987 swap. It needs new everything and I want to keep the Porsche tradition to it, as well as keep some retro roots to it. The body is straight and solid, with minor rust around the headlight buckets(which I’d like to eliminate and replace the fogs as my lights) and minor in the hellhole area. I’d also like to add a wide body kit to it... I know these are some lofty goals haha. I’m also trying to keep my cost reasonable and want to get my hands dirty, so I’m not afraid of the work... I just don’t know how to start or where to begin, so any help is appreciated. I’d like to learn how to weld, but idk what to believe on welders or other various tools for the job that won’t break the bank, but accomplish the same thing. My goal is to find a wrecked out 987 with the motor and trans intact to cut down on my costs.

So fire away with any help, I’m a sponge haha. Thanks for the help.

Scott

I would either get your engine running or buy a running 1.7. Then get the car running. Then make mods, upgrades, rust repair, etc. good luck and have fun.

Thank you and yeah that was the original hope when I got it, but the guy tinkered with it to a point I don’t know how much time and money into it knowing I’m going to replace it. And oh I will, it’ll be fun for sure.

Those are very ambitious goals. They can be accomplished but start slow, build skills and confidence, and accumulate the right tools as you go. Don’t try to eat the Elephant in a single sitting!

Mark (Mepstein) is right on the money. I would read, read and read some more here. Come up with a whole car plan- break it into the various components: body, suspension, brakes, wheels, electrical, engine/transaxle, exhaust, interior, etc.

Personally, I would shoot for a 911 6 motor, 3.0 or 3.2 if it is more power and reliability you seek. Been done a ton and it's an easy swap with minimum fabrication required and is a desirable upgrade. But it is hard to beat solid 2.0 with factory fuel injection when it is all done correctly.

Also, look at a lot of the build threads and do your research as it relates to body changes and kits. Though you want to build a car with your daughter, awesome BTW, at some point you may want or need to sell the 914 and it would be nice to have one that is desirable and easy to sell and one where you can recover some of the investment you put into the car.

Have fun along the way.
Cheers,
Michael

Awesome and that makes sense on the 911 swap. I’ve started with the list for sure, so at least I know I’m not crazy over planning haha. Yeah I promised her she would get the 44 when I’m long in the tooth, so the 14 would be my toy and yes, I’d part with it if I had to choose between the two. Thanks for the info for sure.

Big project. I know people have done it, but I wouldn't feel safe driving a 914 with headlights in the bumpers. US DOT minimum headlight height requirement is 22 inches, which is why Porsche opted for pop-ups. These cars are so low and hard to see among all the giant pickups and SUVs anyway...

I don't know much about welders and you will get better advice from others, but I have an ancient 110 volt Hobart Handler MIG welder that has been able to tackle all of the extensive rust repair tasks on my car. I know that the cheapest MIG welders can run flux core only. Stay away from those. You need shielding gas.

Good to know about the welders for sure and yeah the lights are ideas that I’m tossing around for sure. Thanks for the info.

My 2 cents is to be realistic with the time and money you will need to invest to accomplish your goals. I recently finished (well they are never really finished) my 914 project and it took 7 years, which was about 5 years longer than I planned when I started. It is hard to stay motivated that long when you just want to drive it! May want to get it running first on the cheap and then do upgrades as others have suggested.

Welcome to the world. Great people and great cars and some very talented people.

I agree with what the guys are saying


Mepstein has a couple different engines for sale and I would go with the 3.2 he has. Price is very good and Mark is honest as the day is long. Ad is In the parts section

Bob B

Motor won't fit between the susp ears. I'd start with the stock motor if it's not too involved to fix. Then when the chassis is ready, go for a 911 -6 if you have a bunch of money left over, or a Subaru 6 & trans swap if you are a more practical person


Headlights that low won't work so well. I've got HID retrofit H4 headlights and even then I can out drive them. Rust free buckets are a dime a dozen and not so hard to replace relatively speaking.


225s will fit with a little fender rolling in the rear and with summer tires is incredible grip on a 2000lb car. Steel GT flares are the way to go, but it's still only 245 or so.


A 110v will work fine on sheet metal and you will want gas shielding. TIG is easier but MIG is more common. My local Community College has a trades program. $200 got me trained and certified as a MIG welder. Another $200 got me paint and body experience and discounts at the sponsoring paint supplier.

The nice thing about a Porsche 6 is the car was designed for the engine and with the addition of a bulkhead mount (also a Porsche type piece) they literally bolt into the car and trans. They do take specific conversion parts, time and money but it’s all been done by hundreds of 914 owners, many times in their home garage.
I’m still a believer in getting the stock car running and fixing and modifying as you go. I’m doing it the “all at one time” way and it results in a non running car for a long period of time. You will also learn a lot about the cars and how and what you may want to change might be influenced once you drive the stock car.
And yes, I have 2 nice engines for sale if you want that special sound of an air cooled six.

A little sideways on the topic but please do tell what certs you got for 200? I am one of 3 nation wide master trainers for welding instructor certifications.. Would love to hear what cert you got

To OP ..I would suggest a nice 2056 to start with..

My .02
Keep it simple. Fix the rust pull the motor evaluate if you want to rebuild the motor or find a running motor. Post up in classofieds. Stick to a 4 for now. You can go up later.
Both of my boys wrecked thier stock vehicles Is part of learning, hopefully you will be luckier, both of my boys werent doung anything really stupid. But were caught by surprise and rearended another vehicle. So first make the car stop before you make it go. Especially if you go big on the motor.

You are in the right place welcome

Headlights that low won't work so well. I've got HID retrofit H4 headlights and even then I can out drive them. Rust free buckets are a dime a dozen and not so hard to replace relatively speaking.

Replace the H4’s with LED’s I did, world of difference, also have the 22” covered. The upper lamps are not xenon but could be they are available from Bosch. Now with the LED’s bulbs installed, no need to go xenon on top. (The housings are custom, the lamps in the housing are Bosch units)

Lower LED’s installed



Welcome, good to see more Michigan 914 projects.

My project car 2016 Michigan Build

#1-As far as welders go; don't cheap out. Think of it as a lifetime investment. Not a "once and done" tool. That being said I'm a big Miller fan. Look thru ads on Craigslist, Evil Bay Facebook Marketplace, etc for a nice used one. 120v is fine up to 1/4". I purchased my 2nd Miller, which is 120-240v, new for $900 during a Miller special. Miller also sells a nice auto Darkening welding mask for around $100 which will accept magnifiers if you wear glasses.
#2-I'd look to @McMark for a 2056 with his distributor delete feature for reliability.
#3-For safety I'd add a 3rd brake light in the Targe bar and I'd install the later doors if your car doesn't already have them. Remember your daughter will be in this car.

@captaimamerica87197

Scott,

Welcome.
A good place to start is how soon would your daughter like to have a car and how much time and money do you want to spend doing the work?
You could easily spend anywhere from $10 to $50K with all the mods you describe.
Set realistic attainable goals.
I agree with the others and get it running and on the road. If the 4 banger needs a rebuild you are looking at $2 to $5K to rebuild it. Go to an aircooled six ( good choice) figure $10 to $20 k. 987 engine will not fit.
Many owners get overly ambitious plans that never play out. Years later they sell the project at a loss.
Mark DeBernardi @mcmark of Original Customs is in Grand Rapids and is an expert on these cars.
He also is one of the few places that have the fixtures to check and straighten the body. These cars tend to sag. Make sure you have a really good body before dumping a lot of time and money into it. You will probably end up with a car that will not sell for as much as you put in it. But if it is what you want go for it.

Bruce

Glad to see there’s another masochist, er, 914 restorer in Kzoo.



Bill

PM sent