Yes I know the pic's are vague at best , I'm going to see the car in person , this weekend I hope.

What i'm really trying to determine is price. How much is it going to require to make a teener like this a driver .

I'm not looking for breakneck speed , just nice reliable teener.

Is this a good buy , A money pit , in between .


What would everyone on this post do . Buy a already done driver . or work on something like this , and save some $$$


74 Porsche 914 - $2500 (La Verne)




1974 Porsche 914 for sale - Engine needs work - Car not running - Good Condition - Interior torn - Exterior paint is red and in good cond.
4 cylinder, 5 spd manual transmission
Price is FIRM
Serious calls only
h-909-392-7665 or leave a message




Location: La Verne
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
PostingID: 1086094085

Copyright © 2009 craigslist, inc. terms of use privacy policy feedback forum

there are way too many questions, you cant judge a car on that description, or those pics. It is pretty, but...

what lies beneath??

I wouldn't pay $2500 for a non-running car, unless it was otherwise excellent condition. It could easily cost you another $2500 just to get it to run... and non-running means you have no idea what condition the transmission is in.

If you want a reliable teener you should start with one that runs.

I'd keep looking. For 2500 I think you can find something better, at least something that runs. good luck!

WHAT? WIth those amazing door panels, I can't believe you haven't snatched that thing up.

Heck, why do you need it to run? You can stare at the interior better when you are not driving it!!!

LOL,

btw, I agree that unless you have a wealth of T4 parts and have rebuilt a few, it is better to get one that already runs.

gotta love that Early VW GTI inspired upholstery..

I agree the rest of the car has gotta be pretty spotless for a non running one to be worth $2500

you can't build a car and save $$$, it works the other way, you build your own car and you throw tons of money into it. Save money by buying the best car you can find. If your not sure if its a good one, let someone who knows 914s look at it.

You need to specifically ask about any noise the engine prior to it not running anymore. Based on what the owner describes could make or break the deal for you.

For example:

If the engine made no noise, but one day wouldn't start anymore it could be the fuel system or the ignition system both which are relatively easy & inexpensive to fix.

Please note relatively

On the other hand, if the owner said the engine made a "bang, bang" "thunk, thunk" or "clunk, clunk" noise, more than likely you'd be looking at a full tear down, replacing most everything. Ergo, not worth $2500.

Since the ad says firm, I bet the owner has a pretty good idea what is wrong with the car.

Hell, buy it and I will sell you an engine.

Door #1: 2.0L ... Didn't make any noise, ran like a Bat Outta Hell, but don't try to do a valve adjustment on #3 intake .... the seat is pulling thru the head.

Door #2: 2.0L ... didn't make any noise, was low on power. I'll get to it someday.

Door #3: 2.0L ... just bought it ... wants to fire, but injection has set for 12+ years. I'll get to it someday too!

There ya go .......................................................

Since you want a driver, this is probably an opportunity to avoid.
But here's a counterpoint: $2500 for a straight, RUST-FREE roller is a deal on the East Coast. You can buy an engine. You can buy a transmission. You will PAY DEARLY to be rid of rust.

While it might not matter nowadays, there might be some value in knowing if it was originally a 2,0 or a 1,8 -- I think an original 2,0 has a bit more intrinsic value -- although from the looks, any 2,0-specific parts (e.g. Appearance Group) are long gone too.

The difference in value between a non-runner and a driver is the price of an engine. Any 30-year-old used car is going to need the same stuff whether it's running or not - brakes, dampers, interior bits...

If $2500 plus an engine (shop around for prices, there is no upper bound...) is more than you want to spend for a reliable driver, what _is_ what you're willing to spend for a reliable driver? (This is a rhetorical question - I don't care the answer but you must know it...) Is _that_ number reasonable?

Maybe 914 prices are seriously depressed these days but I think the day of the solid, reliable $1000 914 are long over.

You've been wasting our time for the last 3 months - just buy a God Damn car or move on to a Miata.

YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN SO CLOSE TO GREATNESS IN YOUR SHORT LIFE>

Why such an asshole?

Apologise if people consider my post to to mean I'm an asshole. Quartermain has been posting car after car for us to peruse to see if he should buy it. We have said go for it on multiple occasions. But yet he persists, but doesn't buy.

T.C.

I believe he's growing impatient with the number of "should I buy this car" posts.

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...c=93298&hl=
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...c=93297&hl=
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...c=93059&hl=
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...c=93057&hl=
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...c=92993&hl=
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...c=92852&hl=
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...c=92745&hl=
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...c=92547&hl=
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...c=92392&hl=
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...c=92309&hl=

At least he's still looking. Sounds like he'll find a nice one. He's just being careful & trying to find a good one. I'm glad he keeps asking. I'd much rather we help him find a good solid 914. Especially for his first go around. No need for him to get screwed with a money pit of a 914. Take your time Sam & your car will present itself.

Damn



Tough crowd these days.

Couple of rules ...

No mechanical/electrical ability ... run and don't look back

Some mechanical/electrical ability ... go for it and buy a running engine for anywhere between $1200 used and $5500 new and hope the rest of it is "good to go".

Good mechanical/electrical ability ... knock yourself out.

You dont have a point of view , your not not worth killing" ty Cobb

Save the sob stories for the book , stumps

PATIENCE GRASSHOPPER ..ONLY YOU WILL KNOW WHEN ITS RIGHT

'Course that usually only happens after the fact in my case.


Lots of previous threads with the same question. Good for you to look so hard, but take all the advice from all the threads and you wind up with the same answer methinks. If your budget it only $2500 AND you want a reliable driver, it's probably not going to happen unless someone really just needs to rid themselves of a 914 quickly to raise cash. Save twice that amount, and you'll be able to find a NICE car that you'll be able to drive immediately, and maybe even have enough money for the replacement parts that you'll undoubtdely need to buy to keep it running.

Good luck!

I bought a 75 914 1.8 fi, from a friends friend for 2500.00 (I was the high bidder) that I found out was leaving to move out of state. They were leaving in three days. My friend called me the next day after I told him I was looking for a 914. The car was driveable. I drove it on the trailer. The guy was not a good mechanic and it was his girlfriends car. She had helped her sister out with a loan and got the car as collateral but ended up with the car. It has a long scrape in the driver door that has barely bowed the bottom corner out a little. It's been spot painted on the trunk. There is a small rust through hole in the front corner of the skin on the door. The valves need adjusting. I got nearly every receipt on the car since is birth. One of the lady owners did a background reconstruction on the owners. One guy (about the second or third owner) let it go back to the bank after using it for 6 years but it is very low mileage. Before the bank got it I have a picture and it had bbs gold wheels on it. All of it's life was in CO. and WY. I got it in TX. The previous owner went back to WY. The interior is very good as are the gauges. The steering shaft was so loose the horn would honk while we were trying it out. When I got it home off the trailer I let my son try to drive it and he has no vw experience only integra and sti and 5spd fiero shifting so I had to take over. It was really loose. The rear shaft bushing is gone. We didn't get a mile in our neighborhood and the right rear brake hard line was rubbing on the tire and broke and almost punched a hole in the tire, It started making a thump, thump, thump sound. If I would have backed up it would have punctured the tire. I can't imagine how it got into the tire. The 5 tires are brand new stock size. The emergency brake lines appear to be new, he said he redid the brakes but the rear calipers are plated and rusty so I don't know about all new brakes yet. It's got brand new cheap carpet installed. It had ac but the compressor has been removed and the engine tin is not in that spot. It's malaga red. It had a motor and tranny redo at a porsche shop in CO. in 91 with 50k on it. It has 80k on it now. I've got the receipts. While the motor was out they did 2k worth on engine bay fixing and it looks like the jack posts have been massaged. There is no hole in the bottom of the pyrimid. They have a yellow colored maybe epoxy type primer on them. The rockers have sheetmetal screws holding them on. I bought the car to do a suby conversion but I wanted to start with a pretty good car. I though it was a rust free car but I have decided that is a impossibility on a 75 914. I have since the purchase found a small crack on the bottom of the pass. long by the donut that I opened up to be the size of a quarter thats rust through so thats probably just the tip of things to come. Just like anything 75 they were designed to rustout. The car came with new kybs on the back and the struts are laying in the front trunk. I think I got my moneys worth but I'm a mechanic. I have gotten all the 5 lug stuff for the front and rear and better shocks and struts.

There will never be a good driver for 2500.00 unless it's a auction in my opinion or a gift from a relative. I think it will take at least 6k for a driver that doesn't need anything but paint and tires or brakes

added 5/23, the car has been repainted b/c, I repaired the door and somewhere it got completely repainted. I didn't see it in the receipts. Just white primer, dark gray primer, basecoat and clear. I have removed all the paint from the hood.

$2500 is not to much to pay for a non running car.Find the best chassis you can get and everything else is cake.Check the Hell Hole,battery tray,longitudinal supports,suspension consoles,rocker panels,jack posts,floor pan(inside and out) front and rear trunks for rust and rot.If they are good and the car is complete, running or not a solid body is by far the best place to start with a 914.

I love that the starter of this thread has 58 posts, but has never owned a 914. You think you have questions now, wait until you actually buy one and get it home!


BTW, I don't remember any details from the previous 'should I buy this car' threads, but do you own some tools and a space to work on the car? Maybe even a garage to keep it out of the rain? I only ask because you really need to know what you're getting into with a 30 year old car. Even if you can drive it away from the seller's place, it will undoutedly need work right away unless you buy a legit $5k car, give or take a few bones. And even then you'll need to maintain it, because something will go wrong with it. If you can't do the work yourself, and I mean any and all work, you're going to spend a LOT of money paying someone else to do it for you.

My $5k car that I bought 3 years ago ran, stopped and drove great, and also looked pretty good doing it. I've also spent about $3k in maintenance, upgrades and fixing things I didn't notice when I first looked at it- i.e. rust, just like most of these cars have. And after all is said and done (and it will never be done, btw) it's still about a $5k car. Now if I had spent the total $8k that this car has cost up to this point on a car with a $8k price tag, I'd probably have a hell of a car, but one that I'd still undoubtedly be pouring maintenance $ into.

Not trying to discourage you from acquring one of these fun little cars, just telling it to you straight because if you think a driver won't be any work or $, you'll get frustrated pretty quickly with your new purchase.

Now hurry up and buy a car already so we can start answering questions and offically say