Restoring and modifying your Porsche 914 book..

[Tbone425]

First off, new 914 owner here. Just bought a 71 to compliment my 76 911 and 86 951. Gathering some resources and ran across this book on Amazon.. $98-$300 feels a little stiff for a book, any thoughts on its value?

Also, thinking about tearing down the original 1.7 and rebuilding it as my first complete rebuild. Anyone have anything to add on cost vs. time. Or difficulty? What should I expect to pay for a stock rebuild..best and worst case?

Thanks!

[Cairo94507]

Link?????

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Is it this one?

If so, no. Not worth it at all for that price.

Hmm, I see that we no longer carry that book. I guess it's out of print, which is why it is so expensive?

Regardless, there are far better sources of information available for a lot less money. The Haynes manual for the 914 is a cut above the run-of-the-mill Chilton's guide. The 914 one actually is word-for-word and image-for-image a copy of about 80% of the factory manual. Its shortcomings are straight from the factory books, and at ~$20 it's a heck of a lot cheaper.

The "Restorer's Guide to Authenticity" is decent, and can give you an idea of what stuff originally was on a 914. It's not perfect, of course, but it's not bad to have. It's also ~$20.

The best resources you can find, however, are on this BBS (and the similar one over at 914world). Lots of people on here have actually done the stuff you are thinking about doing, and some of them will actually answer questions. Plus you can search the archived knowledge and come up with answers that way, too.

And, of course, there are the Technical Articles available on here as well. They don't always show the best, or the easiest, or the most professional way of doing something, but they do show one way to do it.

--DD

[Tbone425]

Good info, thanks. I built my 911 from a shell and about 40 boxes of parts by using the heck out of the BBS an through horse trading with others here for parts (at little before and after below).....done a ton of work on my 951 straight from advise here as well. Although the 914 is a particularly clean, original specimen, like most it has some issues. I should add that I bought it from a listing here by another member.

A huge thanks to pelican!

[Tbone425]

...and yes, that's the one. Sounds like it might not be worth anything to me. Did have another pelican offer me one up at an extremely fair price though. Just can't see the value in it for myself though... based on the above information.

[Beakster]

What's BBS stand for ??

[Tbone425]

Bulletin Board System..what we are exchanging these posts on.

[Beakster]

I'm Also going from a 78 930 Turbo to a 914 .. which has been a interesting move ... I'm having to re school myself in learning a whole new model of car and it's issues .. But I find PP BBS 914 side to be very slow and very few in relaying any info .. Other then DAVE who has help me out a few times .. the guys at 914world and 914.com are fully into answering and issues and discuss things .. PP seems to be more gear to the 911 and up crowd ... But I still enjoy being on the site ..

[Tbone425]

I am learning that Beakster, lots of 911 help to be had here...and between here and the "Clarks" site for 944's, it's provided all I need. 914 is a different animal indeed. Trying to bone up as best possible on it through those other sites and some reading materials. Bough about ever book made as well as a set of factory service manuals.

can't be any worse than working on the 951 though. :-)