Considering purchasing a 914. I've always wanted one, but the "opportunity" has never presented itself until now. I know VERY little about these cars. What to look out for ect? I tried the site search feature, but didn't find much. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated. THANKS!
GRM had a project 914 some years ago, you may be able to find something in the project cars section if you go back far enough.
Rust everywhere is the issue on these guys along with parts at least for the body and seals that are amazingly expensive. Like Ferrari expensive is some places like the upper roof seals. They swap easy though and a carb swap will make then 10x times more reliable.
I am interested in these as well. I'm not actively looking, but always keep an eye out and if one popped up locally, I'd go take a look at it. I only know enough to have heard the term hell hole.
If it still has the fuel injection make sure the hoses have been replaced with the proper type and check carefully for leaks. Many have burned due to leaky fuel systems.
The worst place I've found for rust is under the battery tray.
I've owned 2 and still really like them. The prices are on the rise for sure.
Graefin 10 is correct, these are increasing in price rapidly. If you want one, buy the nicest one you can find in your budget....now.
Early 911 cars have gone nuts price-wise. The 914 is next.
I love them, but rust is an issue. If the doors open and close well, you're at least off to a good start. Flat 6 from an SVX fits nicely. Rudimentary suspension. The looks were polarizing in the day, but I think they've aged well. Beyond searching CL for them every once in awhile, I know very little about them. I've been told a Fiat X1/9 can be a better starting point if you fit.
Here are three not too far from me. Hmmm. I better not start thinking about these too much.
http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/5025787686.html
It's a Volkswagen (or correcty, a VW-Porsche), although marketed as a Porsche in North America only, the sales boffins rightly figuring that buyers here would be credulous enough not to know the difference, but the parts costs are certainly Porsche sized.
They were excellent back in the day, but seem quite vintage in feel now, suspension design has come so far.
A 914-6 might get me a bit more excited as it was the only one with a Porsche engine (although only 108 bhp, you can slot a later larger more powerful engine in there).
The 4 cylinder versions will seem very slow today - make sure you test drive before buying or they may disappoint you.
Prices are already up a bit.
914s have a place called a hell hole and it's not good.
Type-4 aircooled VW engine was the pinnacle of all of the manufacturing improvements over the years. This is an old car...older than the model year would suggest. Sacrilege: I think of it more as a carry-over of the 356.
All that aside...people love VWs and people love old Porsches and somehow the 914 got stuck in the middle. Prices are going to be on the upswing. Some Dellorto DRLAs and a quality linkage will take care of CIS issues. Or megasquirt if you can roll your own.
Rust rust rust rust...and PROPERLY overhauling a VW engine is more expensive than you might think. Find one that's not rusty and drives. If you love it, freshen up the drivetrain.
Old car keepin-it-real disclaimer: They are slow...they will get hot in traffic or at modern interstate speeds / won't have AC / unlikely to survive a tangle with a Denali, and will make you appreciate arriving at your destination, etc etc.
All were originally fuel injected. Lots converted to carbs - most of those don't really run all that well. Early cars were 1.7l, 1973-1974 2.0l engines were available as an option. Later cars had 1.8l engines, but less power than the early cars - also bigger, heavier rubber bumpers. Transmission shifter design changed some time around 1973. Later design is a little better, but neither are stellar. Also around 1974-75 there were limited edition versions (usually called creamcicles or bumblebees for their color combos). Parts availability is good, if not cheap. Like others have said, rust is the enemy. The killers on these are the chassis rails (longitudinals) and below the battery tray. Floors and trunks also - but those won't kill the car. Hell hole and longitudinal rust/weakness will let the car flex in the middle. Some say get a 200lb guy to sit in the car and check door gaps and how well the doors open. The spot below the battery tray is the hell hole - it's sort of a water and battery acid trap and is kind of double-walled and hidden, so usually rust has a pretty good hold by the time people notice it's there at all. There are fixes, but it's not an easy task. As prices take off, I suspect it will start becoming worthwhile to bring a bunch back to life or start fixing all the hacks that have been done to these over the years. 914-6s are in a different economic bracket than the 4s. Outside of a 914-6, if I were looking, I would target a 1973-74 2.0 liter car for best engine/trans combo and ultimately, desirability. Although a 6 cylinder conversion with a later engine like a 3.2 would be a lot of fun.
In reply to Tyler H: CIS issues can be fixed by fixing CIS and will make more usable power than Dellorto's
This is the same BS the 924 folks deal with because everyone wants to rip CIS out, yet the VW GTi and early Volvo folks keep on keeping on with their CIS installs.
Also check out GRM's 914 project car that they restored from the ground up.
Problem areas…
Rust – Battery box (as mentioned), B pillar / rocker panel intercept (jack up car and check door interference to assess sag)
Transaxle - Designed for rear engine, poorly adapted to mid engine, shifting ranges from bad to marginal depending on calibration.
Engine cover release mechanism– Cable tends to fail necessitating drilling a hole through rear body panel. Install a secondary latch release immediately.
I’m attracted to the extreme nature of the car…super low polar moment due to the mid engine being placed directly behind your back and super low CG due minimal height plus a boxer engine. But, it’s basically a Targa Beetle so it’s heavier than necessary, has lots of body flex, can’t take much additional power, and has primitive running gear throughout.
Bottom line, I’d buy one but I’d hold my expectations low rather than attempt to remedy it’s shortcomings.
My shop has 2 V8 conversion 914s right now. We sold a 3rd one last year. My bosses are Porsche nuts and are amazed at the power/torque of them. Doesn't even have to be a built V8 to be impressive in those little cars. Would be a total sleeper with a quiet exhaust on it.
turboswede wrote: In reply to Tyler H: CIS issues can be fixed by fixing CIS and will make more usable power than Dellorto's This is the same BS the 924 folks deal with because everyone wants to rip CIS out, yet the VW GTi and early Volvo folks keep on keeping on with their CIS installs. Also check out GRM's 914 project car that they restored from the ground up.
Haven driven a nice CIS 911 that was subsequently converted to carbs, I'll take a well-tuned carb setup over archaic fuel injection any day. I'll also take modern fuel injection over carbs any day. CIS /= modern fuel injection.
I'm in favor of preserving a well-running CIS system for originality, but as you observed -- most of them have been hacked on over the years.
While I can't go deep into the mechanicals, I have my personal experience with one.
I grew up in the Detroit area. During the fall of my Senior year in High School my close friend had some money burning a hole in his pocket (he worked as a valet and made good money and had previously purchased a basket case '72 MGB for $750 and flipped it for the same amount at the end of the previous summer) told me that he wanted me to go with him to Grand Rapids to look at a Porsche. It was ended up being a beautiful '74 914-4 2.0 in Alpine Blue. Almost totally rust free. We arrive there late at night on a week night and take it on a test drive just as the first snowfall of the year begins to fall. As we are pulling back into the lot it stalls and won't refire. The shop guys come out and promise to fix it. My friend goes back the next week and buys the car for about $4000. The car had been converted to carb. Apparently the car also had sensors in the seats so that it made sure that if someone was sitting in the seat that the seatbelts were buckled (like most cars do today). It appeared that that system had been disabled as well.
The car was a lot of fun, when it worked. It sounds much more exotic than it has any right to and feels exotic too with the seating position. However, about half the time it just wouldn't start. It would randomly leave you stranded. You'd catch a ride home, come back for the car the next day, and it would fire right up. He threw all kinds of ignition parts at it hoping to fix the problem, no dice. The car also had very old economy tires on it and he ended up spinning the car off a damp road and luckily not hitting anything. Of course, after the spin, the car refused to refire and had to be towed (Police: "Now, how exactly did this car get here?"). We took the car to the Woodward dream cruise with a for sale sign on it and got quite a few calls, but while there he basically killed the clutch trying to do a burnout and then the heads ended up being warped from excess heat. Apparently someone had previously removed a heat shield that ensures that air flows across the heads rather than around them. He sold the car as a very clean roller for $2500 that fall to a Japanese guy who I think was planning on putting a 3SGTE in it.
Of course this didn't teach him any lessons about air cooled VW ownership and as of the next spring he was the proud owner of a '72 Westphalia.
Nostalgia obscures the actual vintage car ownership experience. Then when you're staring at the temp needle climb or trying to crank through fuel pump vapor lock, it all comes into focus. 
I'm on my second 914. The first was slammed, hot and would rattle your teeth loose, but rusty. My current is an Arctic Blue 2.0 5spd with less than 60,000 miles.
After I sold the first one, I tried an X-1/9. a '66 Datsun roadster and sat in many others, Mrs. 914 never really bonded with them. I will say that there is no other sports car you can drive and not bang shoulders with the passenger.
I could be wrong, but I believe the early models were carbed 4 speeds. Later they went to injected 5 speeds.
For an Auto-Xer or weekend out car, I like it. Problems? Keep the engine clean, stay on top of any oil leaks and keep the tin flashing buttoned up. I've never had one over heat. There actually IS heat, keep the boxes nice.
It presents such a small frontal profile, get used to people pulling out in front of you because they think you're farther away.
Ask around 914World dot com
Dan
Isn't the suspension pretty rudimentary? They're still pretty cheap in California. I almost bought an empty shell of one for $450 recently. Sorry that I didn't.
How about cost of parts? The one Porsche I've owned was a fine car (924) but mediocre performance coupled with way-high prices was a bad combo.
Kreb wrote: How about cost of parts? The one Porsche I've owned was a fine car (924) but mediocre performance coupled with way-high prices was a bad combo.
You shopped in the wrong places for parts if you thought 924 parts were expensive. It's an Audi 100 motor with recycled VW suspension.
The U.S. versions were pretty lackluster in performance thanks to emissions requiring lower compression ratio and less ignition timing. The 125hp euro models were pretty decent and were a piston/ignition swap away for the U.S. cars.
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