Well it took all F'N day but I got the possible 74 LE car home. The frozen steering problem was fixed
when I found Nine (9) sets of keys in a box full of
parts, yep it was the last key I tried that got the
ignition to turn.

Next major issue was all the wheels are frozen
solid, as in, won't turn. Had to drag the car 75+
feet to clear the house so we could get to the
trailer. The next trick was to get it on the trailer.
I nice neighbor lets use use his 1 1/2 ton
come-a-long to help pull it up on the trailer.

Next task after getting home is to get it off the
trailer. Stopped by Menards and bought 2 sets
of wheel dollies. These work get!!!! took us 2 1/2
hours to get the car on the trailer, 20 min to get
it off and in the garage.

So it's here. I am amazed that we didn't pull it in
half, but we did open up the door gaps

Here are a few pics.

-Garold

on the trailer

at home. (that's me)

In the garage. First time since 1986.

WOW

Is that a parts car or are you going to repair this one?


What's the story behind the car?

Cheers
Kerry

See this thread:

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act...t=ST&f=2&t=6215

Actually that was part II.

This is the frist thread:

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act...t=ST&f=2&t=6136

You dented it.

The parts car I picked up did break in half. Ass went on the trailer first backwards, then the front forward. People must of thought " what the hell does he want with that piece of crap".

Glad to see you got it home OK.

Soooo,
Whata think?
Two weeks and you'll be driving it to work?

Good luck, great find

Paul

Indeed, great find.

I bet it is lighter than your car.

I honestly don't know why it didn't pull a part.
There is NO front trunk, floors, rear trunk, longs
are gone, wheel wells rusted out, doors are
shot, fenders are shot, trunk lids are shot, bondo,
and the list just keeps going.

But are you ready for this......Windshield is perfect,
no dash cracks, leather wrap steering wheel, seats
and back pad look perfect, gauges look good. Of
course they have 18yrs of dirt & dust on them
but not bad. I honestly don't think it can be restored.

I welcome anyone that wants to check it out to come
by. Is there anyone in the Chicagoland area that has
done a serious ground up restoration that could look
at this car and give me a idea if it can / should be
done.

Of course I still need to confirm it IS a LE, but so far
all the signs show that it is.

- Garold

Geeez...my F350 4x4 has less clearance than that puppy......

Remind me never to ask for a mountain rescue....my winkie and huevos will still be frozen to the side of the mountain.....not like I use them much now anyways.....

Just don't get any WD-40 on it, that'll really ruin it!

MWUHAAHAHAHAHA

Um.. why the "F" did you put the chain thru the trunk and around the rear tailight section ??

Bend over another 12 inches and hook the chains around the SHOCKS that are worthless.

I'm assuming he did this before you arrived.

Scary car.


B

"serious ground up restoration" Ahhhhh...... I once looked at a SS Chevelle on the gunnery range that had been hit by Cobras for target practice. I think it was in better condition than your car. I did get two parts off it though, I hope you do as well!
Maybe there is a little too much hype about LE cars? NAH!!!!

Um.. well lets see, I could put the chains ..nope
that is rusted away, well how about......Um, nope
that is rusted away too. The complete rear clip
is rust.................



Yep, PARTS CAR. I just wanted to get it on the trailer
and home. Since everything seems to point that this
could be a LE car I guess I felt that if it could be
saved then it should, but in reality not by me. I like
the thought of having a LE car, but if I was going to
put out the kind of $$$ to restore this car to "new"
I would rather spend it on a nice 3.2 six.

Ha ha.. The shocks where rusted ?? That would be cool.

Hey.. and Hooters shots ??


B

My hooters

I thought you would never ask

You want me to post Indy bade shots here?

A noble and valiant effort Garold, not many would go the extra mile you have...

WHATS THE CHASSIS NUMBER????

Jeff,

The plate is covered in paint. I will get it tomorrow.

Garold

OK, I couldn't wait. Chassis 1019543 paint code L80E

- Garold

ITS AN LE!

Your wife must think you are nuts....

Congratulations.

A big Welcome to the newest member of the Society of 914 Limited Edition Owners!

I will addit to the LE Registry.

There are other LE owners not too far from you...check the Registry.

Would that be the: S9LEO ???

B

save the VIN

cut it out and put it on that nice white 74 you're going to buy soon ...
Andy

Hey man.. dont promote that crap. Not even in jest. Its bad enough everyone thinks they own a 2.0 914.

I'm trying to clean up the 914 image and swapping VINS and "telling" people to do it isnt cool.

B

Cut the VIN tag off, and you'll have the coolest keychain!

I tried to buy a rusted out 914/6 chassis on evilBay, just for that purpose. All I wanted were the VIN tags for use as car art, or car awards. I got outbid at 50 bucks, and I thought I was paying WAY too much.

-Rusty

Andy gotta a spank'in nah nah nah nah !

j/k Andy

Glad to hear you didn't keep trying after you got one to turn

ok ok,
sell it on ebay!

WOW! That one is really gone! Too bad. Looks like you need the usual:

1. Top Part
2. Sides
3. Bottom Part

If there's nothing left of it... what can you do? Is there any structure at all to the body? Anywhere the rust didn't get to? How are the door sills? Center tunnel?

bowlsby, how do you know it's an LE? i thought LE VINs were random. (or are you J/K?)

LE VIN's were not at all random. Granted they span a larger range than the 1000 cars would require, but there are very few cars in North America that fall winin the range and are not LE's. That means that most of the other cars in the range were ROW cars for other markets. Besides, this car has all the hallmarks of a LE. (Disclaimer: that is what my 20 years of research on this topic has shown me at least.)

DaveP

The car is shot. I have two 4 x 4 timers on jackstands just before teh front tires and just after
the rear. This is the ONLY place that there is any sort of structure.



Cool, thats a great idea



Do I still get to be a member if all I have is the vintag
& chassis number from the door jam??- Garold

need more input (pictures)

You are 'Listed' on the Registry Garold...check it out, just finished the changes a couple of hours ago.

If the car dies, let us know and I will indicate it as 'deceased'.

At some point these cars are terminal...only you can determine that.

I will say...your car wins the record for least expensive LE...at $12.50...no other LE has been acquired for less!!! But maybe then its not all there....

For those requesting more pics. Here you go.

rear trunk. Don't let the metal fool you, if I put my hand on it th rest of the trunk will fall out.

That's the rear sway bar showing in the above pic.
Heres the Interior floor. Or should I say garage floor

Here it is on wheel dollies and being supported by
the timbers on jack stands. I can't get the passenger
door open, but I will.

I cant watch this carnage anymore...you gotta do what you gotta do...I think I will go away for awhile and try to ponder the meaning of life...and how any person could allow this to happen....to any 914, much less an LE car.

Sorry Jeff. If I honestly thought it could be saved
I would. But everytime I take some thing off to see
how far the rust is something else falls off. I took out
the drivers seat and the pedal cluster fell out. I
can actually see the gas tank

The real sad part is I still have to pull the blue 71
out of his yard, and so far it looks to be in much
better shape, I think it can be saved

- Garold

Man, I think you redefined the word "bittersweet". Got to give it a proper burial. What a drag.

That is officially the worst rust I have ever seen. And I thought I'd seen it all with my last parts car!

I'm with the rest of the group Garold... go ahead and shoot it.

At least you will save a few Sawzall blades... this one should come apart really easily.

You can't save 'em all!

Tis a sad day..... , gonna sell the parts?

Izzit a "rust free Californiay car"?

Enquiring minds want to know....

Ewwww.... I think I.m gonnna be sick

Need happy rust free pics.... Need happy rust free pics.....

Ken

Thanks for the pictures. (I just wanted a reason to use the picture smilie before). It's worse than you described in the earlier posts.

I don't think you have to worry about taking it apart. Just get (or make) a big sifter and sift the good parts off of it. Sweep up the remains.