Just closed a deal on a 1975 1.8 914 and now waiting on delivery. My search criteria was to not buy a "project" and I wanted a 914 still using the original fuel injection, no rust, and in my budget of around $20k, a tall order I know. I quickly found that finding one of these cars that had not been converted to Webers or Solex carbs was not easy. I would rather sort out any issues with the factory fuel injection than fiddling with carbs.

The car I find was enthusiast owned and appeared to be well cared for. I wouldn't be surprised if he was even a 914-world member. Still has FI, repainted, thought admittedly not a a concours re-paint, from out West so no rust. Interior is clean, suspension has been lowered slightly with Koni components, and overall, the car is in great condition and within my budget.

This is my first 914 but have owned a 1985 944 and 2017 Cayman S in the past. Other cars in my collection are older Jaguars, Mercedes, a Triumph TR6, and a Landrover Discovery 2, so brands that will test your patience.

Plans for the car are to enjoy it on sunny weather and maintain it as required. Depending on how the paint looks in person a total strip and repaint may be in the future. I do like the look and functionality of the appearance group center console, so that may be a future addition.



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Very cool car and welcome! I am a new 914 owner too, well as of last summer... so I am starting to get a seasoned .... enjoy and keep the photos coming!

Congrats and welcome! Looks like you scored a really nice one - looking forward to more pics & stories!

Welcome to the world! Nice looking car. I suggest you think about different tires. Those low profiles are hard riding, and you lose some mph from your top speed thru the gears, and cruising at 70 in 5th gear will increase the rpm's considerably.

Now you have to come to the NE Gathering. June in the Poconos. There is a thread on it.

Looks great! Welcome to the madness!

Welcome to the World ...Nice looking car. I love my 75 too

And attending Porsche Day this summer at the Larz Anderson car museum in Brookline, MA. I know from attending German Car Day that not many, maybe 2 or 3 at most, 914s were represented.

https://larzanderson.org/

that car looks familiar!
Definitely a recent member.

Nice score on a 914!

You did good to buy the best example your budget could afford. Means you'll get to drive and enjoy it more!

Come to the NE Gathering? Heck, I think he should be IN CHARGE of it. He's got a good-looking red 1.8 just like our previous fearless leader, @Big Len

Although Travis will do a fine job, I am sure.

Looks like a good car with a lot of potential, maybe hike up the front end to make the car level, will ride a lot better

Just waiting to hear from the shipping broker that he has found a carrier to bring the car from Montanna to Massachusetts. Sad the car will be stored for several months and not enjoyed until Springtime in New England.

There is no such thing as a rust free 914. You just haven't found the rust yet.


PS:

Soon the fun will begin, these are fun cars

Nice car, and welcome to the fray. The blacked out Rivs look good on that car!

Your illness has just begun....congratulations. and

Just like no such thing as a rust free 1980's Jaguar.

Welcome, looks like you got yourself a good 914!

Antoine

I have always liked the lines of the 914 and the fact that it is "unique" even in the Porsche world. I am looking forward to learning about the car, maintaining it, putting my own touches on it and enjoying it. I am very happy that the car is coming from an enthusiast vs someone's undone project or a car that is much less expensive but has been sitting a while.

It will be interesting to compare the 914 to my Triumph TR6. Each being pretty low, a true 2-seater, small sports cars. One of course being a mid-engine design and the other conventional front engine.

The car is now in Massachusetts. She needs a good wash to remove the road grime from the trip on the back of a car carrier from Montanna to Mass and she will get safely tucked away until spring after the pollen season has passed. That crap gets into every nook and cranny, especially on a Targa or convertible.

The car is in very nice condition. Produced in November of 1974 originally wearing L97A bright silver metallic paint. I believe originally a California car, but not certain of that. Still has the L-Jetronic injection and this afternoon with temperatures in the teen the engine fired right up and idled smoothly.

Needs a new dash as the original is cracked, no big deal other than 911rubber is out of stock. I have read their replacement dash is a bit nicer and more accurate than some of the others out there. Already ordered Coco floor mats. The only thing I need is Spring to get here in New England.

Do these look-like original carpets?


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Thanks for the Props, we have another round of the dash tops in the works. Still working on the OEM style, having to have vinyl made to get correct pattern.

Congratulations on the purchase the carpets look original and with very little wear. L jet still intact is a big plus. I'm sure you will enjoy the car.

I said the same, got told the same, and found out they are right lol! Still I fared very well!


Beautiful car!

Nice to discover all the body numbers match. Now I need to find the engine number, but I have no doubt the engine and transmission are original.

I can see a future where the car is completely stripped and painted its original silver, but not until I have at least one summer enjoying the car. Maybe next year when she gets put away for the Winter.

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Excellent plan,
Don’t strip it until you have had a chance to enjoy it.

Engine number is underneath the manifold plenum on top of the case and slightly offset to the right half. Easy to see once you know where to look.

Looks great. There are some little things going on in the engine compartment that make me think a little look over would be smart before the season begins. Just things that make me go ?? Nothing serious but it would make me double check everything.

Oh, and never ever leave a loose rag in the engine compartment. If that gets sucked into the impeller....

Nice purchase. Noticed you are running Yokohama Advan tires on blacked out Rivieras. What size are the tires?

Tires are 195/50R15

Nice looking car--congrats.

A few things to consider checking if not replacing, as you might already know. Unless you are certain these were done recently, check all rubber fuel lines and clamps, up by the tank and especially in the engine compartment. And beware of the plastic fuel lines in the tunnel.

Watching your "new" 914 burn up would be a very sad experience.

I did find the engine number. It was easy to locate once I knew where to look. At least the number is a 1975 production number.

Good advice on the rag, I'll remove it. I have only had the car 2 days, so in time when the weather is nicer, no heat in the garage, I will give the car a good going over.

Feel free to point out anything that needs doing as this is my first 914 and it will be a learning curve.


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Nice car, looks like you got a pretty good one! L97A is “Diamond Silver Metallic”. I have a twin to your car, but delivered with the center console. Mine also had earl sheib special paint, back in my driving the beater days it was mistaken for primer grey. It’s been in pieces for almost 20 years now, as ive been distracted with other Porsches.

Love that the BUBs (big ugly bumpers) are still on the car, for a time they used to get quite the razzing, but now we’re starting to see and appreciate them more. Keep posting, would love to see what you end up doing with her!

Oh and,

@MSGGrunt

welcome to the wonderful world of L jets.
the technological fore-front of 1974.


looks like you picked up a nice rig.

if you got time peer behind those heater blower hoses in the engine bay and see if there is a stamped number there. it will be in white paint.
post up a pic if one is still in existence.

we have all the numbers for the 74 1.8s but not the 75s.

and.......
while i am at it @infraredcalvin - given you just blurted out your secret and you have a 75 1.8. is there a number still on your engine in those locations behind the heater hoses.
if it is, cough it up.
i'm very interested to see what the paint number might be on your engine (if its still there), given it was delivered with a console.

go 1.8s.

if i am not mistaken that rag seems to be an "update" in fabric for the fuse box cover?

Nice find, enjoy the car! Welcome to 914 World.

I used to.own a silver 75 and have to say even though it isnt one of the cool 70s colors it was a sharp looking car. The silver really does look nice. Drive it withiut fear and have fun thiugh first. You have ample time to comb over it and replace whatever seems not so great and enjoy for a year. The red paint is not so hot from the pictures so far so having it changed back in the future makes sense.

This was mine. And yes i got stainless steel bumpers in place of the bubs.

Had to be tough to let her go

What part of Western MA? I'm originally from Chicopee

Congratulations on your purchase; looks like a nice car.

I am in Athol. No making fun... I worked on Westover for the past 12 years, so I know Chicopee well. Now I work on Fort Devens.

Is the number behind the heater hose stamped or painted?

Does this mean I am hooked? Picked up a 1975 1.8 in Southern, NH this afternoon. I figure these aren't going to get any easier to come by and this one with all of the fuel injection and computer was too tempting. Paid $1,200.00 which I feel is a good price for a donor motor if I ever want to build a big bore and keep the original motor stock.



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On the red car the driver's side number is 919 as is the passenger's side. What does this tell me?

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The '75 donor motor is serial number EC040741 and the painted numbers by the heater ducts is 920. I asked about the 914 it came out of, but the seller got the motor with some other parts and no information on the whole car.


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thanks for that number @MSGGrunt .

that number is a number we don't have yet for a 75 914 1.8.

we had 918 and 920.

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i'll explain what they are and how they work.

for 74 1.8s there were 4 numbers on USA cars.
604 = EC-B (49 states engine) without centre console.
(in other words it had a standard sump lid without oil temp sensor and wiring up to top of tins).
605 = EC-B with console. (had oil temp sensor sump lid and wiring).
606 = EC-A (california) without centre console.
607 = EC-A (cal) with console.

we also have a number for the 74 euro 1.8. 608 = ROW 1.8 without console.
609 is presumed to exist but not sighted in an example.

for 75.
this is what we have.
918 = EC-a (49 state) without centre console (standard sump lid).
920 = EC-a (49 state) with centre console. (oil temp sump lid).
these were from examples where we could identify the car/engine from emission sticker
and from whether it had a console or not.

if 75s follow a similar pattern as 74s there would be six numbers.
( say similar because another trap we discovered with 74 research is that the logic does not necessarily directly duplicate the next model year, its similar but not identical often).
i speculated the missing 4 numbers went something like this.
919 = EC-b (california) without centre console (standard lid).
921 = EC-b (california) with centre console.

and there would be two other numbers covering rest of world.

these could be 922 and 923.
it would make sense as the 2.0 L cars for 75 and 76 have 924 (49 states) and 925 (California). we don't know what a rest of world 75 had on it.

anyway, you have thrown up 919. thats a first.
thanks for taking the trouble. @JeffBowlsby will be pleased to see this information.
if my theory is right, that 919 belongs to a 75 1.8 (calfornia) that originally came in a car that was not factory fitted with a centre console. centre console had a temp gauge.
but i could be wrong. its a theory until we get all the data.
with the 74s we connected specific numbers, with engines known to be original cars, to original factory build data (sales orders).

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what does the number mean?
lots of speculation from time to time over the years.

my own view is the numbers identify the precise spec of the engine so that the correct engine was fitted on the assembly line to the car according to the market it was ordered from.

the only differences in 74 USA engines was a very subtle difference in emission set up and the sump lid set up. the euro engines were very different - carbs not fuel injection and higher compression pistons.

the same thing happens in 75, although the emission set up difference was a little more pronounced - the cal cars had EGR.

the engines were built remotely at another VW plant, fully complete and stamped with their identifying number before being sent on to different VW plants where the different VW model cars were assembled.

all the different VW engines of that era have these three numeral code stamps on them.

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the additional I.O. stamp means "in order" or in german "in ordnung".

PS @MSGGrunt .

other data you can get off the engines you have is.

1) the emission sticker. white label with red writing. stuck on the top of the cast fan shroud housing. may or may not still be there. be either EPA conforming (49),
or California conforming.

2). the sump plate lid on the underside of the engine. this is not the lid with the drain bolt but the other lid closer to the fan shroud.

if either of the engines you have are original enough.
the 920 should have a sump lid with a temp sensor inbuilt?
the 919 should have a "flatish" lid? it has got a bump in it, but a temp sensor does not stick out.
thats if my theory is right based on limited data to date.

@MSGGrunt

went back and looked at your photos and comments earlier in thread.

looking at engine bay, evidence says its a california 1.8 (EC-a) engine.
you can see where the EGR has been cut off.
also has vac port on throttle body upstream of throttle plate which originally activated the EGR (its now hooked up to your distributor vac can).
would back up your information suggesting car is originally a californian car.

in its present condition its basically set up like a 74 EC-B engine (49 states).

also i see it does not have a console with temp gauge. and carpets sure look original to me (and in great condition too) and if it had had a console you would be able to tell. and it does not look like it.

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here is what one looks like with the EGR.

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49 state 75 1.8s did not have the EGR.
ran a plain hose from the oil filler cap crankcase breather to the intake air boot like 74s.
also did not have the vac port on the throttle body upstream of throttle plate if engine still has original throttle body. vac advance hose from distributor was just tucked under the intake plenum and left open.
a 49 state 75 1.8 basically is identical to a 74 californian 1.8.
more or less.

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Thanks for all of the info and glad I could help fill in some blanks regarding engine numbering. The decal on the fan shroud does in fact mention EGR and that the motor is California compliant.

Additionally, no evidence of a center console, so that adds up. I thought the carpets looked original. Also, the cannister, I presume part of the EGR system, that sits atop the passenger's side of the motor, though not installed, was in a box of parts included with the sale of the car. So I think it would be a safe bet to say the car is in fact a California car. Does Porsche have records of where cars were shipped to by VIN?

I had a 1985 300CD Mercedes that I was able to track was imported through the port of Houston, Texas and then went on to Tink Wilkerson dealership in Colorado Spring. Knowing this kind of information on the 914 would just be a nice bit of the car's history.

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@MSGGrunt

sometimes owners retain paperwork with the original showroom window "sticker".
that has all that information on it regarding original dealer/point of sale, regional distributor etc. or most of it.

if you don't have that in the paperwork that came with the car someone like @davep who is a member here might be able to help you. he can provide you with a full history of the car for a small fee. i believe he is able to provide more information than porsche with their certificate of authenticity. you could PM dave.

thanks for posting the emission sticker.

whats the sticker on your donor motor say?
am betting its only USEPA conforming?