I came across an add on Facebook marketplace for a 1971 Porsche 914 for $5000. I’ve never owned a Porsche but have owned 3 VW buses from the 70s in the past which have similar engines and have always wanted a 914. The owner claims the car runs and drives but “needs a tune up” because he hasn’t seriously ran it since it was put under a tarp outside years ago. It’s yellow and the paint is faded but doesn’t appear too bad. I haven’t seen pictures of the interior yet. It has a set of strange rims I can’t identify. I’m seriously considering buying it but I’m not sure if it’s a good deal. It would be a 6 hour drive to get the car so what questions should I ask the seller before I commit? I’ll attempt to attach a photo of the car in question. Let me know if you can’t see the photo.

Thank you all so much for help!

Click to view attachment

Get as many pictures of the common rust areas as you can. Mechanical bits are easy to fix, especially if you know busses. RUST is where you will sink all your time and money.

Hi - In for a penny in for a pound-if its been sitting outside for years- all the brake calipers will be stuck the fuel injection will need love- and rust never sleeps- The engine will need a rebuild- all the push rod seals will be rotted, so it will leak oil fast- Plan to spend another 8k to make road worthy...

Picture is not really sharp, but:
Jackpost cover missing? Divider between front fender and cowl missing + paint difference all the way down the fender under antenna?

Definitely a must (!) to take the covers off the longs to see how the situation is down under (no - not Australia, off course).

Could be a bondo-bucket or a good unmolested example for a restauration. Get pics. A honest seller will cooperate.

Good luck!

PS: Rear valance is missing, the 1971 still had the "long" one with a hole for the tailpipe.

At a bare minimum, I would try to get detailed pics of both trunks, the area under the battery, underside of the doors, door jambs, floor with the carpet removed, especially behind the seats, and the longitudinals. If those are all good, I'd say $5K is a decent price in today's market(at least worth making the 6hr drive).

FYI....those are American Racing Lemans wheels. Good Luck!

Is the car near you?

And watch Karr's movie on what to look for on you tube.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iJmizIoobo

6 hours is a long drive, but may be worth it to really go over the car. before committing. Look long and hard at the bits, may be worth the price for everything but a good body. Then hunt down a good tub from out here. Welcome

nope

Why not post another question - Is there anyone on 914 world that that can meet me in the town where the car is to help me with an inspection? I'm willing to pay $100.00 for this. It might save you thousands down the road.

Two seat interior in a '71 ?
possible rust repair on rear of front fender
Too much money.......unless you know alot and love work.

As usual, you've got a bunch of great answers from the brain trust. Maybe with the exception of watching my videos . Link in my signature below.

My spidey senses are tingling about this one. It has the patina of cars hiding lots of rust. I agree with Rory and others that 5K seems rich for this. If you don't know thesse cars, Len's suggestion to find someone in the area to do a PPI is money well spent. I just usually ask to make a donation to St. Judes (my favorite charity).

The best possible advice about buying a 914 is to buy the best one you can afford. There's nothing more expensive than a cheap classic car. Set a budget and post a WTB in the classics section here. Good luck!

As mentioned above, if the car is close by and you want to look at it, it would be helpful to solicit the help of a 914World member that lives close by and would be willing to help with a pre-purchase inspection (PPI).

I'm not sure how new you are to 914's...Ian Karr has made a series of terrific videos on YouTube about these great little cars. This one is very important for "newbies" (as all 914's have rust...the "hell hole" being the most common.):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO2e-J-EA-A

Depending on your skill level (mechanical and welding skills particularly), almost anything on these cars is repairable...given enough time and money.

Replacement parts are readily available. Rear brake calipers are scarce. For a car that has been sitting, this could be an issue.

There is a common expression..."buy the best 914 you can afford". Investing time and money into a major restoration and you'll never recoup your effort (for repairs done correctly). Repairs not done correctly have a whole new set of consequences.

You've come to the right place...there are a lot of people here who can offer you sound advice...take advantage of that.

Good luck and welcome to 914World!

I see rust at the base of the sail/rear fender area, and if there is rust that far up you can be sure the body areas below are a disaster.

Yes, you need a lot more photos. Especially of the rust areas but also interior and engine. Dashboard trashed? Was it converted to carbs? etc.

I also agree that someone on the forum is probably closer and will be willing to help. I wouldn't worry about anyone here poaching you. Communicate by PM and get to know your helper and you'll be comfortable I'm suire.

Just FYI, I bought a similarly situated '73 for $4,000 but it was local and I got to see everything. But 4 months later I'm still spending to get it to run reliably. It was also stored for 3 years and I, too, got those famous three words: "Ran when parked" LOL.

Plan on new gas tank, fuel lines, lots of vacuum lines and, if still FI, a lot of work and cost on things like manifold and throttle sensors. Not to mention plugs, wires, coil, etc. And once you get these cars running, THEN you find out about all the bad synchros, brakes, etc.

But I wanted a project and enjoy these kinds of challenges. If you're the same, go for it. But only after following the above collective advice.

Ron

Mouse house. I wonder how long the driver's side window has been open. What would your TOTAL budget be for this car? Triple it.

The three dead batterys is not a good sign about the seller.

Yup, do as Beg Len said.....I wanted a high end Hot-Rod builder to paint my car, not interested. Six months later i offered him $150.00 for him to just come over and look at it after work. That did it.

pretty rough, you better have a lot of mechanical talent. Unfortunately, these days, the car is worth 5000 for parts

I am familiar with SD so I understand distances can be daunting. Don't let all the scary talk stop you from going to look at it if it close (south dakota close). Watch Karr's video, go and take a look. Who knows, maybe it is just a little surface rust. If the hell hole is rust free and the longitudinals, floors, firewall all look good, it might be worth it if the engine is nice. Who knows, maybe it has a 6 in it !

Welcome aboard, having VW bus experience is good, have you completed any rust out work? It may be a good car, but proceed with caution as these cars can come to be money pits quickly, but quite enjoyable once sorted out.

One thing I’ve learned is often people cover a cars and home roofs with a tarp to protect it from the rain. In autos dampness from the ground with heat gives way to condensation trapped in creating rust in places where there was none.

I'm surprised I got so many answers so quickly! I have never repaired rust on a vehicle before so that part worries me. The seller only posted one photo but I didn't want to waste his time asking for more if I wasn't serious. I don't have a garage to work on the car which is a big problem. I've just never seen a 914 for sale at that low a price before but it sounds to me like it worth what he's asking. To gather the money I'd have to sell my 76 VW bus. The car is in the Bismark ND area if any of you are interested. Your answers have been helpful if there's anything someone hasn't mentioned yet please add to the thread!

I would read through some rustoration threads on this site. It’s a much bigger project car than you think. If you have to sell a car to get the money to buy it, where will you find the $20-30k to restore it?

What does you 76 VW BUS look like. They are bringing very strong money!

Bob B

You don't need to return it to day one condition too. If the bones are strong you can slowly work away at the spots that need help. If the tough stuff is gone to rust (longitudinals, hell hole, etc) then I would let it go to the next person.

Somebody on here is probably in the Bismark area...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRBvwsQDBj0&t=237s

Paul

If you already had a solid car that needed bumpers, side mirrors, cool aftermarket wheels and other minor parts, this would be a possible good buy at $500 to salvage those parts....... but then you would have a rusty hunk of junk in your driveway.

Pass.

....Or buy above parts for me

First, I think all the fine folks here telling you to be cautious and skeptical about this car are spot on. 914s fitting this car's profile tend to be in rough shape. That said, there is a lot of speculation going on here with very little hard data. Only way to know is to have somebody put eyes on it. My hunch is like others that this car is a project, but that is only a hunch. I also understand how rare it is to find 914s for sale even six hours from where people like you or I live so if you want a 914, make your decision on facts rather than speculation. This car might surprise you. Probably not, but it might. I'm not so sure about getting rid of that bus though. I had a 74 and really miss it.

You need to put eyes on it! Either yours or a member here who is close by. Start another thread asking if there is someone near Bismark who could take a look.

The advice you've seen here is largely spot on, but don't let the valid cautions scare you from checking further.....IF you're serious about getting a 914.

Just curious, where are you located in SD?

None of us have actually seen the car. All of this is based on previous experience with other cars under tarps with batteries stored near by. The thing could be next to perfect and we would not know. Do as kelty says, put a call out if needed and have it actually looked at.

Buy it what are the odds that 25 people are wrong

My first impression is "Run away, run away!"
My second impression negates the first one, but with the caveat that you are experienced in all types of metal, paint, and wiring repairs and don't mind being upside down with your time and money into it.
Perhaps you prove many of us wrong and find a solid chassis, but $5K is a lot even if you have that.
For a little more money you can find a vehicle much further along.
That is my long distance PPI(pre-purchase impression).
One more thing...welcome to 914World!