*** Edit to remove whiny-ass diatribe ***

I am doing this build to keep me busy while I deal with a bunch of life crap (divorce, dad died, lost house, etc etc etc...).

I came across this one day on CL:
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and I jumped on it since I knew I could sell the rims for close to what I was spending on the car, in case I couldn't save it.

Well, the car was worse than I thought, breaking in half and worse fire damage in the engine bay than I saw at first. So I decided to start parting it out. Then I came across another ad on CL, a guy was giving away his entire stash of 914 parts!!! I borrowed a truck and FLEW from Ohio to Mich and got there before anyone else and drove home with a truck filled to 5 feet over the sides of the bed and the cab filled as well. The guy had bagged and tagged every part of a restored 75 and then gave up on the idea of ever using it all and just wanted it gone. Included in the stash:

almost new:

doors (complete with new mirrors and rubbers)
hoods
center consoles (2)
handles (2 sets)
gas tanks (3)
Bilstein shocks front and rear
Bursch exhaust (2)
Braided SS brake lines (still in the bag)
CV axles (still in the plastic wrapping)
bumpers (from a 75 so I don't want em)
headlights and motors
rebuilt calipers front and rear
completely rebuilt side shift tranny
professionally upholstered seats (black of course)
brake lights, side markers, heater ducting, boxes of rubber gaskets, boxes and bags of electrical and what not stuff......

FOR FREE!!!!! It was like Christmas.

So the project was back on, but I still had a crappy car to start with. Then I saw this on CL:
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The PO had begun the process and never finished. The car had sat in his (dry) garage for over 20 years. I quickly brought her home.

And the project begins..... many many more pics to come. I started already, and have been documenting as much as I can. But I will warn you all, I will need MUCH help as I go. Even though I have a big stash of parts now, I am still missing a lot of stuff, and I have very little idea what I am doing. Many of you have provided help already and for that I submit a big THANK YOU for all of you here on this great site.[s]

WOW

Well, I sold the Fuchs today, and along with selling a gas tank and one hood I am now even-steven on the first car, so I feel less guilty about blowing the savings on toys for me.

The engine that was in the second car is a waste, it was a Type 3 that wasn't even bolted to the motor mounts, so I am going to try and sell that. So I am back to the motor that came with the first car:

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It turns by hand, but I have no idea of it's condition. Plus side, it has one SS Heat exchanger on the passenger side

The interior is pretty good, just a small crack in the pad near the cluster hump

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I really like the wheels, a little different even though I know not what they are

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the bad part is the PO gave up before he started on the floors. I found this after a little tar removal

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Plus he jacked the car up from below the tunnel so now I am deciding if I can afford a new floor or if I will try and beat this one back into shape and patch the small holes.

you can do it man,

the floor can be beat into shape and reinforced if you are on a budget. or replaced with a new one. if there's a lot of rust like that, you may be better with a new one.

you can do this, man, we can help!

ps I dig those rims, too... different and nice.

Heck don't be jealous of the other guy , he got the PITA , you got a great start of a great car, it'll be with for a while once you get it into your bloodstream !!!
You came to the right place for that little car , get familiar with the search function , you'll find just about anything you want to know about a 914!!!!



Jaxdream

What's the condition of the bumpers on the black car ??Since you mentioned parting it out??

Jaxdream

LMAO Amen to that brother

Funny you should ask, that was the most commonly requested thing off the car when I posted it locally as a part-out. Sadly, the front is rusted straight through on the top, and the rear, (if it's in decent shape when I get it off (damn bolts won't budge)) has been promised to a guy locally in straight up trade for a 916 front bumper. Sorry. But it's the rear isn't great anyway, so don't think you're missing out on anything.

The only thing worthwhile on those bumpers were the grilles.

The black one looks like my second 914, it was a 73. The reason I say so is the silver rockers> Did it have a red carpet interior by any chance?

About the rims, does anybody know of a lugnut that will fit and look better? It seems that they are using some kind of special washer to make them fit right, some kind of collar? But the bolts look like nothing more than Lowes bolts not pretty.

Any ideas?

Nope, lol, very very sooty brown carpets. The rockers are nice and clean though now that I think about it.

Dude, that's nothing. Patch it up if that's all you find.

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ok thanks, I feel better now. Dude, now THAT is some nice rust. And a nice collection of parts you have there, I'm only up to page 2 and I'm impressed.

As others have said this site has the info you need and looks like you have a great selection of parts.

If all the rust you find is that tiny patch in the floor, you are golden.

And of course

you'll find a lot of help here

Well, it's been a while. I have had some setbacks; got kicked out of the garage I was using, a shed I borrowed to store parts blew down in a windstorm, then my dad died...... life sucks sometimes.

BUT!

I am back at it, and I have a new reason to get this thing done in the next 9 months

Here is a little of what I have been up to:


CLEANING......... I have included some before and afters of a few things I am working on.

Here is what happens when I put some elbow grease into my heat exchangers
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Headlights before

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Headlights after

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Headlight trim rings before and after Brasso

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Clean clean clean that gas tank

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........why does it look the same?

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What happened to that hair that used to be on top of my head (mental note: never look at a picture of the top of your head after 30)

I have removed the dash frame (what a BITC# that last screw on the passenger side is!) to put one in that I just fount that is perfect. The tunnel is completely removed, and the floor is waiting to be patched and then replace tunnel/lines.

(The floor is actually much better than it looks, I was lazy and got flash rust after grinding off the tar and paint)

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Good job cleaning. Sometimes the little things make the whole look a lot better and for little cost.

So are you going to keep us in suspense over your new reason? The period of time you mention has one obvious outcome: out come da kid, that is...

PO did a crappy silver paint job in the engine area, so it is soaking in paint remover as I type this.

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I'm not supposed to tell..... yet

Here is the stash of parts that I have moved so far ( Did I mention that I moved the project to my mom's house?).

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And here is where I need to move it all TO while I build

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And there she sits.... dying to get on the road before summer is over.....

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I'm doing a lot of little things right now, the stuff that is time consuming, like removing and cleaning every nut and bolt and latch. I have a lot of spares now, so I am picking and choosing the best of the best as I put them on.

I am wondering about one thing: can I test any of the electrical items before installing them? Like the headlight motors, and windshield wiper motor etc. ? I don't know how to go about bench testing them, is there a method someone can share?

I'm rebuilding my doors, and I have 2 questions:

1.) the inside of the doors are caked with what I am assuming is rust prevention sealant or sound deadening or whatever. I mean CAKED. I guess this is normal, since I have seen it in every door I have taken apart (although these doors have more than I have ever seen). Should I remove it, or leave it alone since it doesn't seem to be hurting anybody?

2.) I have a 72 with the old style lift mechanism. I also have 2 sets of doors with later style doors with good scissor mechanisms. Can the old style be updated with new? Is it even worth messing with? I have a pretty much unused old style which will work fine (In fact, I don't think the pass. side was ever even rolled down once), so just curiosity here.

Also, I am still wondering about bench testing electrical items (see above post).

Jeff,
Thanks for the advice on my electrical connection, it just doesn't budge, but I will keep at it. I am finding that alot of these parts take a ton of effort to get off. My first one I've taken apart...so not very familar.

I like your project, cool looking rear flares and looks like you've got a ton of spare parts. Life throws at you a ton of curve balls, got to keep rolling with the changes. Good luck on the project.

On your thread question, maybe someone else can chime in because I'm not the electrical guru, but I would imagine that you could hook up a 12 volt battery, connect positive firmly and have the negative for just a short connection to verify that everything works. What do you think?

Dave

This rebuild is awesome! I am enjoying it greatly. Keep up the great work and don't stop! P.S.- I love what you did with the head light mounts.

I can chime in on #2.

The newer doors will fit the body, but the top will also need to be changed to a newer top. New doors and old top will not seal. I updated to new doors since i bought a clean pair in my quest to replace a really damaged passenger side door. Ended up changing both.