[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Stock 914s have four lights in the "combo gauge"--the one on the left.

Most 914s have a big red warning light in the top of the combo gauge. This light will blink when either the handbrake handle is up, or when the switch in the master cylinder detects a loss of brake system pressure (like when you bleed the brakes, for instance). Or both. The MC switch will stay "set" until you manually reset it, so the blinking light does not necessarily mean that something is bad now.

There should be a green oil pressure warning light. If this light is on solidly when the car is running, turn the engine off ASAFP.

There is a red light for the charging system. This is not as critical as in a 911 or 912, where the light coming on often means the fan is no longer turning... The 914's fan is bolted directly to the crank, so the red light is not a "will start overheating now" light.

There is also an orange "low fuel" light inside the fuel gauge that is at the bottom of the combo gauge housing.

Rust. Exterior rust doesn't mean a huge amount, except as it indicates the presence of rust below the surface. The important places to look for rust are mostly not easily visible without crawling in/on/around/under the car. Things like the "hell hole" in front of the battery tray, the firewall, the floorpans under the carpet, the longitudinals behind the rocker panels, etc.

The car has some cosmetic issues at the very least. It also has mechanical issues--the steering and the brakes. If the structural parts of the car actually check out solid, this could be an interesting project car to buy for relatively cheap. If the guy wants more than a few grand for it, just walk away. If your cousin wants a driver and not a project, walk away. He should be able to find something nice and solid and running for not much more.

--DD