Hi all, finally after years of dreaming and then finally realizing "why the hell don't you have one yet?" I went and purchased a Porsche. Actually, won an auction off ebay for a 73 914 which arrived today.

Unfortunately the ebay description and pictures of the car flattered it a bit too much. For starters, the seller said (quote) "It has the fuel injected 2.0 engine (I think)" I'm not sure, but I think all the 2.0L engines I've seen pictures of have a rectangular air box... this one has a round one that matches the 1.7L ones I've seen. Where is the engine number so I can tell for certain what's going on? I can't seem to find it anywhere!

How do you adjust the idle on these cars? Mine looks to have the stock fuel injection (not carborated like I see many of them have switched to). Mine is idling extremely high... I need to lower it.

Also, what is the red colored lever on the floor in front of the shifter? Is it a choke? I don't remember what you do with a choke if it is any help would be appreciated.

Well, still going over the car - it will need a lot of TLC but I feel the love already, and I've only driven it from the middle of my driveway into my garage!

Oh yah - here's the original ebay listing in case pictures would help...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...2&category=6430

there a red reflector across the back between the tail lights. I don't think this is stock... is it? Are the side mirrors stock? Thanks!

cheers,
Markus

Markus! Welcome to the BBS! :howdy:

The red lever on the floor is for heat. It is connected to the heater boxes, through a double wire that runs through the firewall behind the seat.

No, the center reflector wasn't stock. Some people like them, some don't. Do what makes you happy.

The mirrors aren't stock. From the pictures, I'd guess they were baby tornados?

I'll leave the FI questions to those more qualified to answer them. Can you count the number of bolts on your heads? That's a good indicator of 1.7 or 2.0 engine (or at least heads).

Again, Welcome!

-Rusty

Second thought... on review of the pictures, that looks like a stock 1.7. (What should be in a 1971 four cylinder car).

Looks like a conversion to a side-shifter tranny, too. That's generally thought of as the better of the two transmissions, because of the shorter shift linkage. Nice.

-Rusty

Oh, so your the one that won that.

Welcome to our world! You will be addicted soooooonnnnnn (follow the bouncing ball )

The exhaust looks like 2.0 but the fi doesn't look like any of the 8 2.0's that I have owned!

Jeff

What's that thing in the front compartment thats hanging on the firewall.

At least you got an early model with a side shifter.

Whoa... the VIN is a 1973 car, not a 1971, as advertised. It should have the side shifter tranny as standard. The bumpers are correct for a 73, too.

"Curiouser, and curiouser," said Alice.

first - welcome. this list, and the 914 RennList group are very valuable resources. and (IMO) join PCA. opinions vary - but if you don't like it after a year, don't renew.

"i don't know nothin' 'bout /4's" but perhaps i can get you started - others will follow and have lots more useful information, i'm sure...

"i think" - sounds more like 'i hope - i hope you won't know the difference...' it doesn't really matter - few of those engines are completely original after 30 yrs anyway, and just the engine number won't tell you the actual displacement (other than 2,0 cars are very rarely downsized...)

after you find out what you've got - go buy a repair manual - the Haynes is the 'standard reference' - available everywhere, usually pretty accurate. spend some time looking through the usual suppliers' websites and you'll find lots of other references...

red lever in air-cooled cars is almost always heater control; that's what yours is too.

reflector is not stock, it was a popular accessory for a while. side mirrors may or may not be stock - i haven't chased down your Ebay link to see...

good luck - these cars can be extremely frustrating but they are also so darned much fun ...

Good eye Lawrence! The engine number range you need to look for is GA0000001-GA0006765 if it is the original 73 2.0

Jeff

wow - thanks for the replies!

The thing in the front trunk appears to be a coolant resourvoir attached to a pump. Also - possibly looks like a fuel pump in front? I hear this was a popular mod as well.

Dirty as hell this thing - looks like it sat for a very long time....

Dam - rear tire just deflated lol

> "Do what makes you happy."
Stock makes me happy Original, stock, as-from-factory, design flaws (fuel pump location etc) and all.

Is it possible to find out what options came with the car from the factory? I hear that 2.0L cars came with a center console (with guages) in 73... I guess that's another reason I suspect this is not a 2.0L

So where would the engine number be located?

thanks again for the responses.... I look forward to learning as much as possible - hope to take it out for a spin this weekend,
Markus

Serial Number Location

Jeff

Without closer inspection, I'd say that you have a 1.7 there. I base that statement on the round filter and the way the heat exchangers turn up towards the exhaust.

Also, I beleive that the device in the front trunk is an aftermarket electric windshield washer.

One of the best resources for that kind of info, outside of Jon Lowe or Dave Darling...

Brett Johnson's book, "914 and 914-6 Porsche: A Restorer's Guide to Authenticity"

Most of your online parts places keep it in stock. I got mine from Zims in Texas in 2001.

-Rusty

P.S. This car *might* have started it's life as a 2.0, only the engine was replaced. The chrome bumpers and sail panel vinyl were an "Appearance Group" options availble in 73, that were commonly packaged with 2.0 cars. Also, a center console is EASY to remove. The Cardex may be the only way to know for sure.

One question for you..

What's the deal with your front trunk floor? It doesn't look right. You should be able to touch the car's sheet metal down there, and see the spare mounting point. Do you have some kind of wood construct down there?

P.S. Don't take it personal... we nit-pick the hell out of cars around here. You'd never see pictures of MY trunks!

Trust me! I appreciate your comments! I appreciate as much nit-picking as possible.

I won't take it personally though I admit I'm a little embarassed to be asking my questions AFTER the cash has left my wallet

Unfortunately I wasn't able to dig that far down through the twigs, leaves and dirt today I'll take a closer look tomorrow and see what that's about.

Jeff - thanks for the link ... great pictures.

thanks again,
Markus

let's hope this is 1 car not 2 put together.

These signs of part 71 part 73 are a bit disturbing.

Plug angle, oil bath, kick up HE's scream 1.7.

Front trunk looks like it had AC in it, that's where the big hole for the condensor goes. Got any unexplained holes in the front passenger wheel well?

Looks like a 73 to me, in the ad he says 71, but the description also says 73. Check all three vins, front passenger fender, windshield, and in the rear trunk.

I was once told that in 73, all CA cars had sideshifters no matter what engine. Is that true?

Fast idle = vacuum leak

Carlos

Hi Sean,

I could be wrong... but the only signs of 71 is the typing in the eBay ad.

-Rusty

that's good!

I vote that its a 73 1.7L, becasue of the VINS indicated. The 73 2.0 cars did not have Riv wheels, they came with the 4 bolt Fuchs. A PO simply swapped the wheels and bumpers, and did the common center reflector thing.

But hey...a 2K 914... whaddaya want...it will make for a whole lotta driving fun and upgrades. If you want original blood, Concours Stock, open the wallet about 6K-10K more times.

I too am new to all this, actually, I've owned my 72 and 73 for about 8 months, both gutted to make one good car, I wish you all the best and look out for the Rust Bandits!

Yep, I vote '73 1.7 as well. I bet it had a/c at some point too.

On the positive side $2k is a pretty good deal, and it looks like the fuel pump has been relocated up front. What is that reservoir thing up there? Aftermarket Windshield Washer thing?

Sure looks like it could be a 1971 1.7L. Is that a non-adjustable passenger seat? I thought the pre-73 cars had the non-adjustable passenger seat?

Good luck with your *new* car. I just got mine a couple weeks ago. Now waiting for it to cool off a little in AZ.

boxsterfan

My car is/was a '73 1.7 and that air cleaner is just like the one on my car when it was stock. As you can see from the picture to the left, that was a long time ago.

Welcome aboard.

BTW, this is my 700th post.

Paul

I think thats the stock oil bath air filter.. ie GET RID OF THAT HP STEALING THING!

and I do also agree that it looks like it was an A/C car.



Nice starter car tho!

My '73 1.7 didn't have an oil bath- had a paper element.

Paul

Thats because the 73 1.7l cars came with the paper air cleaners only the early cars had the stupid oil bath thing.

Geoff

thanks again for all the comments...

its reasuring to know most of you don't think I was ripped off @ 2K... to be sure the paint and interior are in worse shape then they appear on the photos, but I'll be cleaning her up this weekend and hopefully taking it for a test drive (can't wait!)...

Carlos>> Fast idle = vacuum leak
ouch... I'll have to figure this out before I go for a spin, the idle is simply too high. To solve a vacuum leak, I'm assuming I'll have to replace the rubber hoses? Yes I'll be purchasing those suggested books ASAP

BTW my kids love the car - my 2 year old son got behind the wheel (of course he was adimant that I fasten the seatbelt for him) and pretended he was driving a race car. I see there was a 2+1 seatbelt option available. That would be interesting...

Cool to know AC may have been in there... when Powerball finally agrees to let me win I'll have to find a unit to put back in there. Hell I'll buy one for each of you.

Speaking of finding stock items - how hard is it to find stock radios? Was there only one type of radio that came from the factory for 73?

enough excitement for one day,
thanks again all, it's a great feeling to ENTLICH have a Porsche!
Markus

If I remember my 4 bangers the 1.7 and 1.8 had 4 bolt intake manifold head studs and the 2.0 had 3 bolt intake manifold head studs.
That's the easiest way to tell if its a two liter unless they swapped the heads.

There right about the air cleaner.
Only the 70 and early 71 had the oil bath setup.
I wonder if someone swapped the engine??
73 was the first year of the 2.0.

Best of look and welcome to the club.

Steve

Since we're talking new owners here, I have a couple questions for my new 914.

Has anyone compiled a list of how much and what diameter hoses are needed to replace all the vacuum lines for a 73 2.0.

how much and what diameter hoses are required to replace all the fuel lines

I replaced 2 injectors that had leaking hoses, should I break down and buy the other 2 and replace them, or do the injectors usually outlast the hoses.

Can anyone in the Bay area recover the vinyl on the center console and duplicate the factory look for the seams?

If I can get all the hoses changed before the 30th and get it running smooth, I'll try to bring it to the breakfast, otherwise, I'll try for Septembers breakfast

Thanks
Brian

The bumpers, dash vents, and adjustable passenger seats all say 73. The engine looks like my 1.7L

Heh P-Factor - I've got a 1.8T Jetta as well , in fact my wife and I have always had a VW between us... so I actually LIKE the dual heritage of the 914.
Markus

The car appears to be a 73 1.7L 914. It pretty obviously had air conditioning at one point, or was in the process of being cut for it. Ugh. I don't like AC in 914s... Check the right-side engine shelf and engine tin to see if those have been chopped up as well.

The plug angle pretty much gives it away for me. The 2.0 heads are very expensive (much more so than the 1.7 or 1.8 ones) and the 2.0 914 heads only (plus 76 912E) have plugs that exit the engine tin on the vertical side parts. The plug wire in the one engine bay shot is very definitely coming through a hole in the top of the engine tin--so it doesn't have 2.0 914 heads. It may have more displacement than stock (not that likely) but it isn't a "real" 2.0 motor without the heads.

The round thingy on the side wall of the front trunk is the stock pre-75 fuel pump. Don't know what that rectangular thing is--stereo amp, maybe???

Brett Johnson says that in 1973 the following radios were offered, all from Blaupunkt: Wolfsburg, AM/LW (US version only had AM); Emden, AM/FM/LW (US version only had AM/FM); Hannover, AM/FM/LW/cassette. Other sources (e.g., Kap'n Krusty on the Rennlist who worked for the dealer at the time) say that most or all of the radios were added by the dealer or the importer. So any 1973-vintage radio would be equally "correct".

Fast idle is from a vacuum leak (could be internal through the Aux Air Regulator or Decel Valve) or from overly-advanced ignition timing. Check timing and dwell first.

Vacuum hose diagrams for some 914s (including 73-74 2.0 cars, but not specifically 73 1.7s) are available on Pelican Parts website--see my sig for the link.

Passenger's seat was made moveable in 1972. 72 cars also had the oil-bath air cleaner. (Been there, done that, got the mess all over my T-shirt!) The 73 1.7 paper-element filter is worth something to 70-72 owners who want to get rid of the oil-bath cleaner. Which does not appear to be much if any more restrictive to air flow than the paper-element one, BTW. Just messier.

That's all that comes to mind at the moment. Have fun with the new 914!!

--DD

Hi and welcome to the club.

Looks like you got a not bad car for the $$.

It's nice to know there is another car owner close by (even if your 8 hrs away).

Clean it up and take more pictures, enjoy

Welcome to the joys of being a 914 owner!!!

Since it was sitting for a while, do a check over of the fuel lines around the engine and look for gas leaks especially around the injectors. Look for cracked or old fuel lines and replace. Also if you smell gas inside the car, your tank lines may be old as well. Leaky fuel is a BAD thing.

When you clean up the car, check aggressively for rust. The problem areas are around the battery area, the rear trunk, behind the seats, and underneath the car and rocker panels.

Before you spend your powerball money, check here first. I've received great information from folks here who have been there / done that, and you'll find it saves you time, money, and frustration.

Welcome again, and congratulations!

Yup, you better believe I smell gas... we live in a town home with attached garage, I came downstairs this morning and the whole main floor smelled like gas

Thanks for the info...
Markus

Dave Darling,

Thanks for the excellent information! Will be sure to frequent pelican parts' web site... is that your business or are you an employee there?

thanks again,
Markus

Does anyone have an estimate of how many feet and what diameter of fuel line and vacuum hose I'd need to purchase to replace all of it? I think another "newbie" posted a similar question earlier in this thread.

Dam I smell like oil and gas... it's like being a teenager again lol

Thanks!
Markus

The diagrams on PP website will give you the ID diameter and lengths of the vacuum lines.

I think it'll give diameter of fuel lines, but not the lengths. I remember using a piece of string to measure them out before I bought new.

please park that thing outside 'till you get it fixed.


trivia......how did led zepplin get its name?

Keith Moon and John Entwistle of the Who were hanging out with Richard Cole (The Yardbirds road manager) one night at the disco “Salvation” in New York. Moon and Entwistle were burnt out on the whole scene with The Who and were talking about the desire to form a band with Jimmy Page and Steve Winwood. And Entwistle said “Yeah. We’ll call it Lead Zeppelin. Because it will go over like a fucking Lead Balloon.” Laughter followed and Cole told Jimmy about the discussion later. So when the time came to change the band’s name from The New Yardbirds they finally settled on “Led Zeppelin” after short stints as “Mad Dogs” and “Whoopee Cushion”. They changed the spelling of lead to “Led” so that people wouldn’t mispronounce the groups name as “Leed Zeppelin”.

Jeff

yup.

#2 . damn i am turning in to alfred.

what was the skippers name on gilligans island. not his real name, but the name in the script.

led zeppelin? no idea

I actually use the zeppelin handle to refer to the air ships - I once read up on them and found a fascinating story of engineering, 'dreaming' and co-operation between Germany and America. Imagine - 'docking' those massive air ships on the side of the Empire State Building!

Trivia about the Hindenburg: the disaster wasn't caused by the hydrogen fuel... apparently the skin surrounding the ship had a lower flash point.

cheers,
Markus

my mother said she watched it blow.

Backus, Jim Thurston Howell III
Denver, Bob Gilligan (some say Willy Gilligan)
Hale Jr., Alan Skipper Jonas Grumby
Johnson, Russell Professor Roy Hinkley
Louise, Tina Ginger Grant
Schafer, Natalie Lovey Wentworth Howell
Wells, Dawn Mary Ann Summers
Maxwell, Charles radio announcer



Jeff

yepp, they had used a new paint on the hindenburg.
it had metal compounds (especially aluminium) in it that reflected heat and sunlight better. what they didn't realize was that it also had all the ingredients we use today to make nice little explosives.

the ship had charged up with static electricity while flying through a thunderstorm and when they threw down the lines to fasten the ship, they got themselfs a lightning rod. big spark, paint ignites, ship burns down, we know the rest ...

Andy

You're welcome, any time!

Tom Gould and Wayne Dempsey started the business in Tom's garage. I joined up a good while later. I don't work at Pelican--I'm six hours away from the office. I answer emails for them and visit the 914-oriented BBSes and show the name around.

And sometimes I mention that Pelican sells parts that you can put on/in your 914...

--DD

For what it is worth, the 73 1.7L was available with the appearance group for $300 it included:

Vinyl covered roll bar
dual-tone horn
chromed bumpers
fog lights in bumper
Pile-type carpet
5 1/2jx15 steel wheels
165x15 tires
leatherette covered steering wheel
console under dashboard
leather boot for shift leather

If your car had A/C installed, they usually got rid of the center console to accommodate the A/C components.

The original list price of the car was probably around 4,866.00, give or take a few hundred. I've got an original window sticker, good luck.

i thought bob said it was quinby, but he might have smoked to much. your probably right. no more highjacking of the post.

Steve is right on the money! My came with that package. The list price was 4550.00. With dealer A.C. it came to 5050.00. Oh, Pedrini wheels as well.
Still have the car.