First Time 914 Owner!

[Michigan944]

Hey everyone! Posting this for my dad. He's currently in the process of purchasing a 1975 914. It's a one owner, garage kept car with 92,000 miles. Hasn't been on the road in about 30 years.

If you were just pulling a 914 out of a garage like he is, what are the first things you would check/replace? Obvious things include plugs and wires, tires, brakes and oil.

Badging on the car says it's a 1.8, but the current owner thinks it has a 2.0. We won't really know until we can get a good look at the engine. Still has the factory fuel injection. I know these were prone to fires. I'm assuming it's fuel lines that were normally the culprit?

[ClausGraf]

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Change all of the fluids. Oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, gasoline.

Replace all of the rubber fuel lines. Failing to do so is just asking for a fire.

If you have access to a borescope (available for relatively cheap on Amazon), look under the engine tin for mouse nests and such.

After that, I'd start looking over stuff like the brakes, maybe squirt some oil into the cylinders, and give it a tune-up.

--DD

[tonythetarga]

Quick longitudinal strength check… take the top off and jack up one side at a time. Watch the gap at the door. Open and close the door, if you can. You’re looking for the car ‘bending’ under its own weight.

[Cairo94507]

Welcome, congratulations and please don't put it on the street on the existing tires.

[Michigan944]

Thank you everyone for the responses!

I won't be able to check out the car myself for a few weeks -- have to travel to MI from AZ. From the other pictures we have of underneath it looks like the car has little to no rust. It was a summer only car and garaged it's whole life, but we'll for sure take a better look once we can get it up in the air.

@Cairo94507. Oh don't you worry. It for sure will not be going on the road with those tires. We'll have to check the date codes on them, but according to the PO they're the originals. We're just hoping they hold enough air to push it up on the trailer.

[Fly Mach .86]

These cars started rusting when they came off the assembly line. The first place to look for rust would be under the battery. Battery acid drops down off the battery on to the "hell hole" and can leave lots of iron oxide. The fuel lines are plastic and run through the tunnel on the inside of the car and are NOT to be trusted. Replace with stainless steel fuel lines. I used steel truck brake lines for mine 19 years ago. "Little to no rust".
Uh huh!! Tell him Dave. LOL

[Kazoo-Mal]

/Quick and easy way to determine 2.0 vs 1.7/1.8, look at air intake gasket near fuel injectors. If 3 nuts hold down intake manifold you have a 2.0. If there are 4 nuts, then you have a 1.7 or 1.8

[dr914]

clean it up and try to save the original paint, change the oil flush the brake fluid lubricate the cylinders with marvel mystery oil after removing the spark plugs of course and turn the engine over without any fuel or spark remove the tank and clean the fuel system

[racer]

If its still fuel injected - the 1.8 ran L-Jet and the 2.0 ran D-Jet. Those systems look very different. Google is your friend. or, see Kazoo-Mal's description as well if its been converted to carb (single? Double?) its even easier to see.

[Prsh356]

Hope they removed the battery when they parked it !

[930cabman]

Welcome aboard and she looks great. Did you get her running? keep us posted with updates as they come available

[Michigan944]

Update on my dad's new 914 project. He was finally able to pick it up from the PO and bring it to his house. While he was at work I gave it it's first bath in over 30 years. It definitely cleaned up nice, but there is some cosmetic work to be done. It spent 30 plus years as a shelf in the PO's garage, so there's some dings and scratches here and there. A little bit of surface rust on the back corners of the doors as well.

Fun fact, the tires are original to the car. All four tires are period correct with date stamps for 1975. They will most definitely NOT be on the car when it rolls down the road for the first time.

I managed to get my head inside the engine cover (very up close an personal). Haven't determined if it's a 1.8 or 2.0 yet, but will take Kazoo-Mal's advice and look at the intake gasket. What I have determined is that it does have the factory fuel injection and if we try to start it it will automatically burst into flames. Most of the lines are cracked. Just going to get a complete fuel line kit for the whole car and redo it all. Dad doesn't want to mess with swapping it over to carbs.

I'll post additional updates as I get them from my dad. He most likely won't start digging into it until the winter when landscaping slows down. Hoping that come spring it's ready to fire up for the first time.

[jim912928]

Nice looking car to start with…I’m in south bend, IN so depending on where in MI might be close.

[930cabman]

Yes, she did clean up nicely. I would remove the gas tank and consider replacing it. 30 years of old fuel (varnish). Dansk has new tanks for just over $200. Also all of the fuel lines and same treatment with the brake system, including master cylinder, all lines and all calipers. Contact PMB for help with the braking system.

Great project, have you inspected the underside or inner rockers (longitudinals)

Does the engine turn?

[racer]

FWIW, if you are a concours weenie, take those 1975 tires and wheels off and store them away.
Otherwise, yeah, new rubber could be in order.

Cleaned up nicely!

[Michigan944]

Update on the 914 project. Pulled the battery several weeks back. The battery tray is pretty rusty as expected. The battery that was in there was decades old, but luckily hadn't leaked any. Will post a pic later.

Got a new battery and hooked it up today. All of the lights turn on and function as they should. Pop up headlights work. Pulled the plugs a few weeks ago and put some lube in the cylinders in case they were seized. Turned the key this evening and the motor turns over freely, just turns very slow.

When removing the plugs my dad found that one of them was cross threaded. Have any of you had any experience with this? The spark plug in question is different than the other three plugs. Three are from 1974 and the fourth is 1976. Any thoughts on why the PO may have had just one plug changed?

[dr914]

very nice car, probably a 1.8 the rear springs are sagging

[Cairo94507]

That sure cleaned up nicely. I am glad you have decided to leave the factory FI in place. Also, replacing the complete fuel system is smart. Tangerine Racing and others sell the ready-to-install SS fuel lines that go in the tunnel- well worth the minor effort to replace the original plastic lines. Replacing every hose for the fuel system and fuel injection is important. Do all of the vacuum lines at the same time. New master cylinder, soft lines at the wheels and rebuild all of the calipers and replace rotors- don't forget the brake proportioning valve on the firewall.

[BoxsterGT]

In case you may have interest, I offer a complete E-85 Rated Fuel Hose set for the 912e that will work for your 914 EFI motor.....



Hoses are fresh from Germany and not sitting on a shelf for months or even years. All are made to order and will last for the lifetime of the vehicle.

Please email me for information. I do not answer PMs.

len.cummings @ verizon.net