Hey all,
I currently own a '73 914 project, it was in a wreck, has been to the the body shop and has now been sitting in my driveway for about 9 months.
Anyway, first of all, I have changed oil, put a new battery in, etc. and now I basically wanna see if she'll start.. problem is, my only key broke off in the driver side door (I did manage to remove it.) Unfortunately, I have called every place in town, and they all want over $110 to re-key it. Before I do that, are there any other options? I am just dying to see if this car runs.. any possibility of starting her w/no key? I have no idea how to hotwire and deffinately do NOT want to screw up my ignition.

Also, after I get everything in working order, I was thinking it would be nice to replace the transmission w/something a little less awkward.. any possibility of fitting a tiptronic, or even an automatic? I live pretty close to a large junkyard/parts recycler that specializes in Porsche and Audi, so finding parts would likely not be an issue.

why would you paint your 914 british racing green?????

QUOTE (bd1308 @ Jul 4 2005, 05:38 AM)

why would you paint your 914 british racing green?????

It was that way when I bought it. I don't think it looks THAT bad.. I do plan on having it re-done in silver or black eventually, tho.

ah i see....to actually answer your question, I'd stick with the 901...it's a rock-solid tranny very capable of holding the engine....i'd look at the wiring diagrams and see which wires get 12V when the ign is turned over...then do the screwdriver trick with the starter and you've got power



oh yeah....WELCOME!

If you can remove your door handle tumbler and bring it to a locksmith, they should be able to make you a new key. I don't know why they would want to re-key the car?

To your second question, almost anything can be done to this car (powerplant and gearbox wise), but it involves alot of time and money. Before replacing the tranny, maybe you should try and replace the linkage bushings and adjust it properly and it should make things better.

Why do you call it awkward, I don't know.

if you can pull all the locks and mail them to me i will rekey them to the same key, i have spare keys that dont go to any car. but if you pull the rear trunk or a door handle you should be able to get a lock smith to cut a new key for less than 50

$110.00 is REDICULOUS! I just had a key made for a 968 door handle, and then had all other locks made to match the original key for $75.00. Send them to Scott As for the tranny, there is no need to go with anything different with the stock engine up to 200 hp. Calling a 901 rock solid may be a bit of a stretch but it is a decent tranny. If you have a lot of vagueness in the shifter, you might want to invest in a bushing kit (around 70.00) that replaces all of the bushings associated with the shifting linkage. One other high priced (but werth it) option is a Wevo shifter. Good luck. BTW there's nothing wrong with British racing green.......except that it's British

If you are asking about an automatic transmission in a 914, it can be done but the work is extensive. The Audi 5000 transmission will work. There was a 1.8 liter 75 that recently was up on Ebay with the conversion done. As for the bushing kit, $70.00? Who has been ripping you off? They are about 30 to 40 bucks for a complete weltmiester kit from Mesa Performance. I have put them on about 3 cars in the last 6 months.

take the piece of the broken key to any place that cuts keys. they should still be able to use it for the pattern for the new key. if it doesn't work, you're only out a couple of bucks.

k

Welcome to the club, always nice too see someone from arizona post. If you remove your passenger door handle and take that to a locksmith (because the passenger side will be less worn than the drivers side) they can make you a new key. I took my handle in with a key blank to use and I think it was around $30.00

I am sure the $110 quote was to come out onsite and make you keys at your location. Can you get into your car? If you are locked out, you can also get a key made off the rear trunk lock.

As for the transmission, I would start with the basics before you swap it out. shift bushings, transmission bushings, clutch adjustment, shifter adjustment. You can always do a rennshifter, which I understand is a night and day difference in shifting. Show us a pic of your car!

Thanks for the info/warm welcome everybody.. I plan to pull the passenger side lock later today. Unfortunately, my car had a really shabby 911-style brake light conversion - whoever did it forgot to relocate the lock on the trunk - and didn't bother putting an actual light behind the panel. When I removed it to get into the trunk, I found nothing but a hole where the lock should have been

My main reason for bringing up the tranny swap is the fact that
my girlfriend never learned to drive stick, and I really wanted something we both could drive... Well, that and the fact that a 914 w/tiptronic would just be badass

I'll try to take some pics later on today..

Gud time to get her to her learn....go get a rental with a stick and find a big parking lot....then find a hill....the REAL test is zero rollback from a standing stop.....

it's kinda hard to teach someone to drive stick, i was trying to tell my girlfriend how to drive stick by explaining how a transmission works and a clutch works....that's how I figured it out, but hey people learn differently and some not at all....


do what Z says, and don't pull too much of your hair out.....

Unfortunately, I think she may be a lost cause unless I convince her to go to driving school or something She already wrecked one car, after I *thought* she had it down.. stalled it out in an intersection. Thankfully there was no (human) damage. She currently drives a '96 (?) Miata M w/AT.

Tell her real racecars have sticks......

yup the GF doesnt think *I* know how to drive stick.....


she drives like my grand-mother.

QUOTE (beast boy @ Jul 4 2005, 05:47 AM)

QUOTE (bd1308 @ Jul 4 2005, 05:38 AM) why would you paint your 914 british racing green????? It was that way when I bought it. I don't think it looks THAT bad.. I do plan on having it re-done in silver or black eventually, tho.

[QUOTE]
Silver is a fine choice! excellent, Your taste in colors impecable, silver is a great color for a German car!

About the key. Key shops can put the broken key in the key cutter in two peices. Once they got one side done, flip over the new "half" and make a key from that. We did it all the time at the local Hardware store, If they say they can't do it tell them I think they're FOS.

Well, I just took the door panel off, it looks like what is holding the handle/lock on is the biggest phillips screw I have ever seen. Might be rusted in place, as well.. so, I'm off to Checker to try and find a screwdriver that will fit while I wait for the WD-40 to set in..

QUOTE (bd1308 @ Jul 4 2005, 06:38 AM)

why would you paint your 914 british racing green?????

why not??? it's just a "color", the car doesn't give a hoot what color it is....besides, there are a few factory greens that are pretty similar to it...........

I'm pretty close to ordering this paint off of eBay, dirt cheap for the complete setup, good enough for a DIY garage paint job

Welcome Beast

Got a name? We like to put them in the "sig" if it's not one everyone can guess... (like mine).

You get credit for the coolest newbie avatar.

What everyone else said on the keys. You should "easily" be able to take the two pieces to a qualified locksmith and have him cut a new one from a nice new 914 blank. Cost...$5-10 bucks plus the blank.

Take the Ms. to an autocross. Let someone take her out for a ride... prefferably in a 914. She'll want to pick-up the stick in no time flat. After they pack up the cones you can have the parking lot to yourself... she'll get it. It's a hell of a lot easier than sticking a tip in a teener (would be cool though).

Oh... what should be holding the door handle on is a 10mm nut. No?

Welcome to the center of the 914 universe.

One of the funniest first posts I've ever read.

Complaining about $110 and considering a Tiptronic in the same breath.

Sorry, I just thought it was funny.

KT

So, Beastboy, you're from 'Red Rover'. I never heard of that place until I looked it up. Interesting ghost town. Might come up your way for a day drive once it cools down.

Better not take the 914 ... unless I convert it to 4WD.