So I was helping my FIL this weekend and he says Hey, I really need more space in my garage. Do you want that old little car under the tarp. I said Sure!!! I've always wondered what was under there. What is it? It's a Porsche. 1975 914 1.8 litre to be exact. I'm now brimming with excitement to get her home this Wednesday. I'll be sure to post some pics and the VIN when I get her home. Hope all is well out there and just wanted to drop by and say hello. I'm sure I'll have lots of questions as she hasn't been driven in 17 years. Wish me luck when we pull that tarp off and load the trailer!!!!! Thanks in advance...

Travis

Thanks a ton! I can't wait to get her home!!! I'll get some pics up as soon as I do.

Very Cool, the best price to pay.

Its a "rust free" car.


It ran great when parked


Dont you mean drag it kicking and screaming with all the calipers frozen and the spider webs holding it to the floor...


Seriously, good luck and

Yeah Towle, I think you're right about the kicking and screaming part and I'm certainly anticipating a few parts to get soon. Probably new brakes and pads, brake lines, etc. I'm sure it'll be a fight, but hopefully she'll just bat her eyes and roll right into her new home.

you should have said no, but I am sure someone in California would like it

Nice score, keep us posted on your journey and

Jim

All 914's are 'rust free'... I have never been charged anything extra for the rust on any of mine... Welcome to the madness...

your gonna catch the bug!

Most of us pay for the right to spend a bucket of cash, you got the right to spend a bucket of cash for free.

Time spent on jackstands is time spent not driving. Driving is good.

goodluck and welcome to the 914 family.


def post some pictures when you get her home (and of the restoration about to take place lol)


and yes, all 914's are rust free. And run perfect after 17 years, and never, ever, leak oil!
But seriously, they are fun, great cars, so Congrats!!

Thanks everyone for being so kind. I'm really, really nervous to see what's under the tarp. For all I know it could be a rust bucket that needs a complete frame-off, to a burnt orange show car in perfect condition. I'm anticipating (hopefully) no major rust since it's been inside under a tarp. I'm thinking probably siezed brakes, decent body, need to replace brakelines, hopefully the fuel was drained years ago. probably new fuel lines, a fresh tank of premium and if that's it I think I'll be the luckiest kid on the block! In Reality it's probably going to be a LONG winter and an awesome spring!!! Thanks again for all the welcomes and I promise that come Thursday morning I'll have some pics up here of the little gal.

Take care,

Travis

new tires, brakes, brake lines, fuel fines, and clean out the gas tank are probably what you need to do to get it on the road just from it sitting so long. But good luck reviving the narp from under the tarp!

Sorry to sound like such an idiot, but what does NARP mean? Aside from the National Association of Railroad Passengers...
Unfortunately due to an illness in the family looks like I won't pick it up until the 6th at the earliest.

T

NARP= Not a Real Porsche.

Welcome to the fun!

You married into a family with a Porsche (OK, thats debatable) and didn't even know it? My GOD, Man!

Hahahaha... yeah, I hear ya. I was talking to the wife and she said the guy they got it from used it as a show car, so now i'm getting really excited that it might be in decent shape!! Thanks for the reply to my noob questions... I can't WAIT!!! I've got the bug already and haven't even seen it yet. I'm so excited to get down to it. I've already got tires and need a good place to get brake and fuel hoses, and possibly brakes... anyone know a good place to get this stuff? 1.8 litre, if that helps..

Travis

well, here's the pics!

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That looks pretty nice. Especially for the price. Good luck getting it going.

Very nice and congrats!

Great Deal, Good looking car.

Welcome to the Madness.

T.C.

complete with a haynes manual - that's gotta be a good sign

Nice catch, welcome to the club....stroll around the grounds until you feel at home.....

Great find! Gold with light tan interior, I love that color combination. If you ever want to sell it..........

Looks to be in pretty nice shape. Cant beat the price! It will be interesting to see how much it really cost 6 months to a year from now.

thanks for all the warm welcomes. I certainly appreciate it. I rolled her off the trailer and brakes aren't locked up, which is nice. I'm going to replace all the rubber lines, so the order will be replace fuel and brake lines, clean out the gas tank wash, wax and 303 new fluids all the way around and then The next morning I'm SURE she'll fire right up (hahaha) and the wife and I will sail off into the sunrise.

Seriously, though. I can't believe how good of shape this thing is in. He said the ECM was pretty finicky. I hooked up my jump box to the hot and cold and EVERYTHING worked. I couldn't believe it. Electric truck released, lights popped up and worked, all running lights worked, fog lights work, interior light works. I was a happy boy when all that worked, which leads me to believe it's going to be in pretty decent shape and won't be too hard to get going. (I hope) I'll get some more pics up and aren't I supposed to get some numbers for a registry thing here? If you want me to get any other pictures or if there's some part of it you want to see let me know. It looks like the exhaust is definately aftermarket, but looks like a very clean car...

Well, here we go!!! It's ending the winter and starting the spring, so time to get her rolling!!! I've got the gastank out and that needs to be sent out to be boiled and relined (the wife frowns on me using the stove in the house for this... ) Anyone have a good place to start with that>? I also pulled in injectors and they need replaced as they're plum full of varnished gas, and the spark plug wires just fell apart in my hands, so i'll need new of those as well. Any reco's on a good parts place for 914 related stuff? Replaced the fuel filter and oil filter, new fluids, cranked her by hand to move some oil and fired her up with ether, and she turned and ran. That's a good sign!!! Time to get some fuel moving through this thing!!!

I just want to get on the road and then start upgrading things as time allows. Got a new battery in her, and new shoes on the rims, so she's now rolling and firing!!! I'm starting to get excited!!! This site is a GREAT place for information and thanks to everyone for contributing such great advice. Really appreciate it, guys.

My Dad always said to look at the stuff that makes the car stop first.

Don't throw those injectors away yet. It might be cheaper to have them cleaned and blueprinted for flow pattern and volume than finding and buying new.

Start with the brakes. You have to be able to stop before you dare go... Wheel bearings and seals go along with that.

Clean - clean - clean...

Hmmm... Stopping... Now that's a concept I hadn't thought of first. I thought if the bearings were bad enough it might just slow down on it's own!!! I'm checking those next, but I usually go fuel, fuel delivery, sparks, brakes and lines, cosmetics and radio. We'll see how this shakes out. Good call on the injectors. I might just get some new ones and then clean the old and keep them just in case. They're pretty bad, though. 16 years of fuel sitting in there has made me less nostalgic.

Radio? Why do you want the radio to work? The sound of the engine should be music to the ears. That's my radio! Great find and welcome to the madness!

Glad you feel that way about the radio. If you ride with me at Talimena that is exactly what we will be listening to. Well, that and your screaming!

Send those injectors to witchhunter.com. For $17 each they clean and test them. Mine had been sitting for 20 years and they work great after I sent them in. You can't beat the price and new Bosch L-jet injectors run about $100.

Thank you so much for that recomendation. I will certainly send them there and see what they can do with them. I was looking around 86 plus shipping, so that's a lifesaver!!!

Got the injectors off to Witch Hunter, calipers being rebuilt, pressure tested the brake lines, and good there, emptied cleaned and refilled brake fluid, tank is being boiled, cleaned and relined, as we speak... it's coming apart, but starting to come together!

Fuel tank has been boiled and relined, got that back in.

THANK YOU for the advice on the injectors. Got them back in tip top shape, and couldn't be happier, not to mention at 86 a piece for the new ones vs. 17 to have them redone, I figure just save a couple hundred. Got the new injectors in and ready to go there!

Took the brakes apart and they're not horrible. Looks like we're moving right along rebuilding the brakes and checking the calipers and whatnot. Good pressure from the MC.

and.... SHE FIRED RIGHT UP!!! YEE-HAAAWWWW!!! Once the brakes are up and running I'm off for the DMV and then hitting the road.... Beautiful day for it out here. Thanks again for all the advice and kind hello's!!!

Wow, it is great to hear a story like this!

Usually I dig through the rustoration threads for 3 years and they often don't get farther than the paint shop.

Welcome to the world of 914 and congrats on having a cool FIL, although he'd be cooler if he drove the thing, LOL.

Enjoy!

Car looks good from the pics!
Is the Ski Nautique yours of the FIL's?

Ski Nautique is mine - she's a '89 model 2001 Ski Nautique and runs like a top. 600 hours and I'm the second owner.. AND even better news!!! I just took her for her first test drive and she was great. Brakes are fine, but you really have to stand on them, gears are impossible to find (opposite of my wife, she's got great brakes and runs hot almost immediately... hehehe) the tires were pretty bumpy from sitting for 16 years, but I'm in LOVE!!!

Anyone know how to tighten a shifter knob, by the way? And good eye on the Ski Nautique, by the way... I just went back and looked at the pics and you must be a fan?

LarryR - 837.46, by the way... I'm pretty stoked!!!

Oil filter
Gas
Oil
Spark Plugs
Freight and cleaning at witchhunter
rebuild calipers and MC
Remove and line tank
new fuel sending unit

Well done and congrats!!!

To tighten the shift knob you need a crush ring that goes around the shaft between the knob and the shaft.

When you pulled the existing knob off, did a ring of metal fall out?

Some people are able to reform the crush ring and then force it back on (as I have done) but for a beginner, you might want to get a new one.

Careful when you install it the next time as it is a one time install, lol!

Also, it takes a fare amount of pressure to put the knob and new ring on.


BTW, one of the first things you should do now is to replace all the shift linkage bushings. It is a (relatively) easy job and make a world of difference.

And I should have been more specific. It's not the knob itself that's spinning, but the whole shifter arm that, presumably, comes out of the tranny (?) through the floor, so when you go to shift the whole arm spins, which makes it even harder than normal to find the gears. Still an awesome car though.

AH, that is very different.

Usually, that means that a weld is broken on the shifter shaft.

I'd suggest that a used one is your best bet. Ask on this forum and most people have a spare or two.

Welding is fine also, but if you have to pay someone, a used good one is much cheaper.

After I re-read your last post and I saw "presumably, comes out of the tranny (?) through the floor" I'd recommend that you spend a little time with the Haynes manual, especially the exploded views and assembly views.

This will give you a much greater knowledge of where the parts are and how they are connected.

Then, get under that car and apply what you have learned from the haynes manual to the actual item.

These are relatively simple cars and pretty much a true joy to work on (except getting to the engine from above).

Enjoy

Use someting like shoe-goo on the knob, will hold very well and still be removable if necessary.
I used to ski and wakeboard obsessively, and can spot an inboard a mile away. My first boat was a 1973 Correct Craft Mustang (same as a SkiTique with Ford Mustang inspired interior), loved it. Then onto Malibu's, then on to middle age.

YOU'RE NEVER TOO OLD!!! There's an AWESOME mustang on my lake. I love those old CC's, and that's probably the baddest sounding boat out there. Very nice. I love my CC. They're just awesome boats.

Update on the shifter arm - I rewelded it and it works great now!!! I drove her home for the first time (as opposed to trailering her) and pulled her in the driveway. Now I just need tags and insurance so I can take her for a trip!

Thank you guys so much for all the encouragement and advice. It's quite a project to get one of these rolling again, but what a neat car. They really are a joy. Thanks again!!

Travis

Ok... So after a short celebration I decided to get some new rubber as the old tires, while still in great shape, were a little flat on the side they rested on, causing a rough ride. Got some new BFG's on there and rolling along nicely... .

Question - When I'm in the low end of the torque curve (28mph in 3rd at 2k rpms, let's say...) there is some missing and coughing. I got new disty, cap, rotor, condensor, spark plug wires that are going into das auto on Monday. I'm hoping that's the culprit, but due to the fact that the missing ONLY happens in the lower end of the rpm range, not during idle, not when on the gas, not when at higher rpms, etc. I'm wondering if it's not getting fuel when tractoring around... I know, I know - I should probably ALWAYS have her pegged and WOT (that's wide open throttle, not way off topic... ) but my neighborhood is about 1.7 miles of 25 mph. Any ideas? I had a feeling I was celebrating a little too soon!!!

Next I need to replace the butyl around the back glass and replace those shift bushings... First does grind occasionally.

Thanks in advance.

Travis

By the way... THANKS GEORGE!!! Auto Atlanta is soooo helpful. What a great resource!