Hello everyone! I’d like to introduce myself: I’m Cian, and I am a high school senior and a car fanatic who lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

In October of 2019 I purchased this ‘73 914 2.0L in Olympic Blue from my neighbor across the street. I have always wanted a 914 and finding one in a backyard about 100 feet away was a dream come true.

I inquired (without my parents permission ) and the owner and I met up the following week. He knew quite a bit about 914s, and he loved the car, but it was obviously time to let it go. He left it under a tree, and it was covered in dust and rotting leaves. However, under the filth, it was in pretty good shape overall, with minimal rust and dry rot. The dash was not cracked (!) and at least the front of the car could be salvaged paint-wise. He said that it has dual Weber carbs, and the engine was rebuilt a few years before it was parked (sometime around 1998.) he said the carburetors were in dire need of a rebuild, and I should replace the fuel lines as well. He also said it has minor rust issues (what abandoned 914 doesn’t??)

I asked about the price, thinking that I couldn’t possibly afford it. I ended up buying it for 400 bucks, complete, with a clean title. One and a half years later, I am still just as thrilled with it as the day I got it- it is my prized possession, and the fact that I got such a nice 914 for that cheap just makes me even happier.

One problem though- I have zero mechanical skill or experience whatsoever. We used to have a beetle, a karmann ghia, and a Volvo 240 wagon, but I was way too young to experience any of those.

I’ve started work on many aspects of the car, just haven’t finished them.

I’ve removed the carbs, but the passenger side one is seized!! Purchased rebuild kit.

I’ve removed the fuel tank (full of Porsche poo and sludge) and cleaned it out.

“While I was in there” I removed the lines from the tunnel.

Cleaned out the heater box and deep cleaned the entire car.

I just need help now figuring out what to do. I want to try and get it started without removing the engine, but I understand that it is a necessary evil of 914 ownership. I want to eventually do a 5 lug conversion, and get some nice replica Fuchs, and just have a fun car to go on spirited drives in from time to time.

In this forum I’m looking for any good tips, ideas of what to do, general sage advice, and a forgiving community if I end up asking really dumb questions about the car (I know I will.) I feel sorry for not joining this community sooner- I knew you were here, just shy

So, I took the plunge- and the plunge is a hell of a lot deeper than I thought. Anyway, thank you for reading my tome... Nice to meet you 914 world!

Included are pictures of the little beast including one showing how it looked when I got it... doesn’t work right now but at least its good looking yard art




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Images of interior and rear


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Welcome to 914world and congratulations on your new project! Looks
like you have a solid and clean start with that car.

Sounds like you got bitten by the tinworm long before you knew it existed. The car looks great already.

There is an event in Santa Fe next week, starting on the 23rd. Come up and check out the 914s, and ask lots of questions. Betty and I will be there.

Check out the Route 66 thread. It has all the info in it.

And thank you for saving another one.

Clay

That is a score and a half right there.

Looks to be clean/straight/ potentially low rust 73 2.0 in an awesome color.


You should get the fuel injection back on that thing and you will have a winner!

I showed Betty the pictures and your quote about taking the plunge... Her reply:

"Come on in, the water is rusty... Um... fine!"


Clay

Congrats - great start!

Removing the engine is easier that you would think. You just take your time and do it step by step. It’s easer to work on it than in the car and you will learn a lot. The tools you buy are all worth have my in your toolbox for future needs and repairs.

What a beautiful car! Congratulations on the find. Olympic Blue has always been my favorite color on a 914.

It looks like the paint cleaned up quite nicely and the interior looks great!

Since you already removed the fuel lines from the tunnel, be sure to replace them with stainless steel lines. The original plastic ones will break due to age and cause a fire.
http://www.tangerineracing.com/stainlessfuellines.htm

Removing the engine is pretty simple in a 914. In fact, some jobs are easier and quicker to do with the engine out of the car rather than leaving it in the car.

914World has some tech articles including replacing the fuel lines and dropping the engine:
http://www.914world.com/specs/tech_art.php

As Clay mentioned, there's an event in Santa Fe next week:
(http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=352164)

Come join us and talk about 914s! My wife and I will be out there. It should be a great event.

I wouldn't do a 5 lug swap, not on that car. Find a set of 4-bolt Fuchs and get it back to original as possible with original injection and enjoy it.



Also... post more pictures. Noticing a couple curious things about this car. It looks to be mostly unmolested but a 73 2.0 wouldn't have come with steel wheels from the factory.

Another odd thing is that it is missing the center console but has the combo temp gauge.

Check to see if it has/still has its front and rear sway bars and confirm if it still has a 2.0 in it.


What is the VIN on this car and have you added it to the VIN registry?


400 bucks is an insane deal. If you ever give up on it give me a call, ill give you 10x that.

what a find and an even better deal

Welcome aboard, and she looks as though she has been sitting for awhile. Get her cleaned up and see what you are working with. have you tried to start the engine?

Thank you for your kind words!

My neighbor has a set of Mahle wheels in his shed.. those could possibly be the originals, but definitely not the super beetle steelies. It used to have a console, but it was removed for whatever reason (there is still wiring and light bulbs for the gauges under the carpet) and it still has the sway bars. I think what happened is that the previous owner picked it up when it was a beater, and was planning on racing it- hence why it has a Lecarra wheel. He also has buckets, a roll cage, and 5 points laying around in a storage unit. Removing the wheels revealed mountains of race track gravel held together with rubber in the arches. I think once he started to modify it, things added up, and he couldn’t continue with a baby on the way. VIN was added to registry when I signed up. I believe he told me the engine is original- but how do you check?

Thanks for the reply! I’ll definitely be seeing you guys in Santa Fe next week!

I’m planning to do stainless steel, and I have a whole list of everything I need for that job laid out, I just haven’t gotten around to ordering them yet.

My neighbor has an engine stand, so I can borrow it if I need to pull the motor. Thanks again for the info!

Thanks for the reply! I haven’t tried starting it up just yet- It seems like there are about a million and one steps to get to the point where I can... hopefully soon!

Thanks for letting me know about the event! I’ll definitely be headed up for that. I guarantee you, lots of questions will be asked. Looking forward to meeting you and Betty!

Hey dude, congrats. Really nice score. Don't put a battery in it, don't start the engine, don't even turn it through. Even a fresh engine left sitting, especially a horizontally opposed engine can rust inside. especially at the rings where they meet the cylinder walls. If you have access to a video bore scope you can look through the spark plug holes and see if you can see any contamination. Otherwise I'd pull the heads and check. Check the wiring loom for chewing, mice and rats love to chew copper wiring. One electrical short could make it a really bad day. Have fun

For the tours, you can probably find a ride with someone who has an open seat in their 914. I can give you a ride for a few minutes, but Betty won't let me kick her out of the car.

Clay

Thanks for the advice. The last thing I’d want to do is break something... probably why I’ve had the car for over a year now and haven’t done much to it. Ill try and track down a camera and maybe add some marvel mystery oil. Ive checked for chewing before, and I haven’t been able to find any, just dry rot on some of the wiring has made the insulation a little... crunchy.

Looks like a good start to me!

Congrats and welcome!

Both are reasons to remove engine.

Mouse nests and debris on top of cylinders is leading cause for overheating problems for these cars.

cruchy wiring needs to be addressed before putting a battery to it or attempting a start.

Nice score Just work your way though the process. Don't get in a hurry.

Congratulations on a beautiful car! Removing the engine and trans may seem intimidating... I can vaguely remember, but it's been almost 40 years ago, since my first time. Jack stands and ramps always seemed scary to me, so living on a farm with plenty of open space, I found a nice shady spot under a tree, used my father's tractor with a dirt pan and dug a hole about 2 or 2-1/2 feet deep just a little narrower than the wheels. Cut some plywood to enforce the sides so the soil wouldn't collapse and had a nice pit for crawling under to do whatever was needed and to lower the engine/trans with the car being level. Used an old swing set frame with a chain and come-along to hold the engine from the top and rolled a floor jack with some wood under the rear to support the trans. After they were lowered, I'd just roll the car forward and then start disassembly. Only real downside to this setup was if it rained, it'd take days to dry. Remember scooping mud more than once. Anyway, just be creative, remember safety, and you can solve any problem a 914 could present and you'll have a ton of fun in the process.

Dan

Luckily my situation isn’t as dire as that one... but extra points for the creativity!! I have pretty much all the tools I could need, such as jack strands, a full size floor jack, ramps etc. I just need to do it- but as a first timer it can be intimidating, as you said. Thanks for the advice! I appreciate it more than you know!!

Welcome to the insanity! Once you do get your baby running you will find out you lucked into having the absolute most fun car you can ever have. The 914 truly is a street legal Go-Kart!

Are there any parts you're missing? We sure do have a lot of duplicates up in "Parts Heaven" (what we call the attic) and since we're trailering Clay's car we've got space in the tow vehicle to carry parts.

Welllll... carry more parts than we'll already be bringing because there always seems to be an opportunity for an 'impromptu Tech Session" on one of the drives or in the hotel parking lot after the drives.

congrats, lots of good info here so get reading.

Not that I know of... its pretty complete. Unless you have an extra hella front indicator lens laying around

And Congrats on the car. I made a bunch of videos that you may find helpful. Link in my signature below. Start with the 914 for Newbies series. The brain trust here is amazing and the community is incredibly supportive. I'm sure that you'll soon have the car you've always dreamed of. Good luck and be safe!

I have a euro one.......

Clay

Congratulations. What an excellent car to begin you're passion. Read all you can and try to resist the impulse to do anything major until you have read many hours of threads and consumed all you can from this site to help you decide on the correct path for your car. Lots of experience on this forum and they will not steer you wrong.

Welcome to the World. Getting a car from the desert is sometimes very good.
I have a 74 Olympic Blue car that came from Palm Springs area. These pictures are from before I it got. That car has no rust to speak of.

Great advice here from people that really know and love these little cars.

I find if I am looking for answers here from old posting on any given subject I look up on Google and ask say : 914world dash replacement.


914rubber replacement dash vs NOS Porsche - 914World.com
http://www.914world.com › ... › 914World Garage

Apr 14, 2016 — I finally had a chance to get my 914rubber replacement dashboard and the NOS Porsche replacement dash that I've had in my parts stash for ...
17 posts · ) Hard to believe the NOS is that far off from the factory original. I just got my Mikey914 ...

There are over 10 answers taking you to where you need to go. I go there first and if I cannot find what I need, I ask the guys here on the 914-world site.

Bob B


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That's one hell of a score! I'm looking at rusted rollers costing several times your complete gem, and now you've got me thinking back to my death trap of a first car in HS that still cost more than your 914, despite being on a tight budget. Color me impressed.

Welcome!

Thank you Ian! I have been watching your 914 for newbies series on YouTube over the past year, and I’m a big fan. Your step by step instruction is pretty much unmatched, and I definitely will use them for the jobs I need to do

Very nice find!

Awesome acquisition, especially for only 4 Benjamins

Grab the spare parts from your neighbor if you can ... especially the Mahle 'Gas Burner' wheels. Those will totally transform the look of the car.

Look for the engine number on the case. A '73 2.0L should start off with GA######

There's probably some other World members in NM, so don't be afraid to ask for local help if you need it.