Does anyone know if the appearance group console is less in height if a 914 had installed A/C?

Since I bought my '74 2.0 in Dec., I've often wondered that when I see pictures of other 914's w/o A/C. It seems as if the console is taller than mine and there is little or no gap between the top of the console to the dash to accommodate an A/C unit on photos I look at. I stare at mine and it seems shorter with the A/C unit stuck in between the console and then dash.

Where they cut down? Is it my imagination? Do you guys have a "gap" in between the top of the console and the dash on cars w/o an A/C unit?

I don't have access to other 914's to get a close look and compare. I'm trying to compare by pictures etc.

Also, interestingly, I read that historically A/C was dealer installed. Mine has A/C on the original window sticker and there is a factory like sticker on the drivers door that makes reference to A/C. Any thoughts on that? (I've tried my 1st photo add so these may or may not be any good) Thanks
Steve

Yep, w/o AC has a taller console. I have examples of both.

The window stickers were printed by the dealer, not in the Fatherland.

This poses the question than....were the consoles dealer modifed to move the gauges to fit the lower console? On the tall (non-AC) consoles the gauges are in a line. In the short AC console cars, the gauges are staggered.

So did the dealer change the holes for the gauges or did Porsche/Audi supply blank console plates for the dealer to drill for AC cars???

Someone has to know the story here....Dr. 914 you in the house???

I have a short console out of an air conditioned car I got for free, and the panel the gauges sit in is a heavy duty piece of plastic, rather than the wood stuff the rest of the console is made of.

I've attached a better photo of my short console with the 3 staggered gauges (with a working clock!).

Another question involving the A/C unit is the resetting of the odometer. The guy I bought the car from said the original reset was under the dash and A/C unit was blocking it.

Any comments / advice on that welcome. Thanks
Steve

He's right. The knob is on a cable but it is not very long. The ac blocks it unless you have very very thin fingers.

AC was not a factory option.

so my guess is it was up to the individual dealer on how to handle the install.
i don't think there was a special console available from porsche. it looks like they were modified by the dealers ...

Andy

appx. where is the knob? I'll fish around for it.

NEVER MIND! I just found it. Thanks
Steve

Most of the AC cars had the trip odo reset cable removed from its mounting point in the dash and hung out the hole in the bottom of the dash pad where you can access the steering column mounting bolts.

And yes, they cut the consoles at the dealer to fit under the AC unit. They had a template that came with the unit. The one in this picture was a VPC, and my father worked at the plant where they were built. There was an install manual that came with them, and it had a full sized template to cut down the console, and a plastic plate with staggered holes for the gauges.

Thanks Clay, that about covers it.

Thanks to all for the good info!
Steve

Looks like the window sticker you show makes reference only to the "fresh air ventilation" That of course is not ac. The air conditioning units were ALWAYS installed at the dealerships, although the 914-4s were designed so that the ac system could be easily installed. Two units vpc (volkswagen products) and dpd (I forget the guys name in texas) were available. The easiest way to tell them apart is by the font trunk condenser the vpc being silver and rectangular and the dpd black with a top hat that would fit the spare tire.
Whenever a appearance group car was fitted with air conditioning, the early cars had the deposit box removed and the later cars had to have the console cut down to fit. The insructions provided to the dealers had a cutting template included and the template for the vpc and the dpd varied so one cutdown console will not fit the other unit. Many of these "cutdowns" were done very poorly by kids working at the dealerships. There was never a "factory" cutdown console.

VPC supplied with the kit a staggered plastic gauge face plate. DPD supplied a tilted vacuum formed plastic gauge plate with an additional plastic cap for the console to hide the ugly cutting! Porsche never supplied anything for the air conditioning system for the 914

Thanks George...