A 75 import with a GA 2.0 motor ?

[simsalabim]

Hello All !

After spending the last few years restoring a 911, I have taken the plunge on what I believe could be a unique and worthwhile low mileage (58K orig. miles) barn-find 914.

But I know next to nothing, and hope I can once again count on the extraordinary knowledge base and good will that contributed greatly to my other P-Car .

I bought the car from an older gentleman who claimed to be the second owner and had purchased it from a coworker who while in Germany, ordered the car and imported it to the USA in 1975. The door plate states it was built in 10/74 although it has a Vin # that puts it as a 75 (4752903070). While this is not unusual, when I looked at the engine code (GA011510), I was surprised as the P.O told me it was a 1.8L !

Needless to say, I was quite pleased to discover I had a GA coded 2.0L with a D-Jetronic F.I and now want to verify the originality of the car as built, and if authentic, be sure to do justice to the restoration (the car was repainted - poorly - from its original light Ivory L80E color, to the "blue" color shown in the photo).

The car has sat in a garage for the last 10+ years and has not been run in that time as the P.O removed the gas tank, interior seats and carpet set, as well as the trans linkage and air cleaner assembly etc. as a preface to a father/son restoration project that stalled and never started again.... That didn't stop the mice though, from taking up residence and doing some wiring modifications (they chewed cleanly through the center tunnel main harness branch leaving NO wires intact). But I digress ...

My questions to the forum at this time mainly involve discovering what I actually have ? or how to find out as I have a feeling that a C.O A may be quite inaccurate, especially being that this is a German import car ?

I have always loved these step child P-Cars, and their perfectly simple and elegant design and am very excited about bringing this one back to its glory ! Any help I can get from the Pelican community will be greatly appreciated ! By the way, the car came with plenty of spare parts that I am still sorting through, and may make available in the future. But first, the restoration.

Thanks in advance for ANY help at all !

Bill

[beatnavy]

Welcome!

There's some useful information here if you haven't already found it: P914.com.

Based on that chart it looks like you have a legit 1975 Model Year with a
'74 2.0L engine that was put in at some point. Nothing wrong with that.

[simsalabim]

Thanks beatnavy !

The big question is whether it was possible that the car actually came off the line with the GA motor in it .... Being a German purchased and imported car, is it possible that the 74 USA motor was installed at the purchasers request ? It IS a late 74 production after all and maybe the motor was available ? This would be valuable info as far as my decisions regarding the restoration. If it is original as is, I would keep it this way, but if it has already been modified (which I doubt), then all bets are off ! How can I verify ???

Thanks again !

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

The factory would do just about anything you wanted if you waved enough money at them, but it is unlikely that someone would insist on having "last year's motor" (from a different market!!) put into the car. The European-spec 75 should have come with a GC-code motor (for a 2.0) or an AN-code motor (the carb'ed 1.8). A 74 Euro car would have come with a GB-code 2.0 motor, or the AN-code 1.8.

It is far more likely that the motor was swapped at some point, most likely when or after it was imported.

As for the original destination market for the car, we can make inferences. First, does your car have a VIN tag on the windshield frame? I believe that those were only a requirement for US-market cars.

There will also be emissions stickers in the engine bay of all US-market cars.

The European cars will not have side markers (except, I think, for the Italian-market ones), and the front and rear turn signal lenses will be the European style. (Front==white and amber; rear==white, red, amber.) The front turn signal buckets will have two bulbs and a divider in between them. I see US-spec taillight lenses on your car.

The front and rear bumpers will not have the large "bumper shocks" holding the bumper frame to the car; they will have a simpler and lighter bumper frame with simple deformable metal brackets.

So, all of those things could be changed out, one way or another. Filling in the holes for the side markers is a common mod, for example, since many people like the looks of the car without them. But filling should leave some evidence that they were there, unless the person doing the work is exceptionally careful and does a lot more work than is usually done. Most of the other stuff could be swapped over or covered up as well.

Note that US-spec 914s could be ordered for "Tourist delivery", where you buy a car from the dealer but pick it up in Germany. You would drive it around Europe for a while, then have it shipped to your local dealer for you to pick up after you fly back home. It could be that this was what was originally going on with the car? (Sounds unlikely though.) Or there may have been some way for a US serviceman stationed in Europe to order a US-spec car so there wouldn't be any hassles about Federalizing it on import.

But check for the non-US parts. To me, it seems more likely that the story you were told was incorrect or incomplete than that you got a Euro-spec car with several US-spec bits on it, but you never know...

--DD

[TheCabinetmaker]

I think the red taillight/rear turn signal lenses are an American car item, the European ones I believe had yellow lense over the turn signals, (other lense section)

this is easy to change, I put euro lenses on my USA car.

nice car no matter what and the GA 2 liter with D jet is a very nice motor, much better than the smogged out 2 liter sold in California with catalyst, smog pump etc....

[simsalabim]

Thanks for the extremely valuable feedback Dave and CMaker !

I have been busy of late, but have had time to work on this car here and there. Work so far has focused on assessing what I have to work with and researching as best I can, what the history of the car is. I have been cleaning out the mice and their mess, and exposing the damage they did (wiring and hoses mostly), removing bumpers and rocker covers and all interior items and searching/treating all areas of rust (so far just minor surface stuff).

Dave, I think your assessment of the cars history may be accurate. ID plate is present at dash/windshield, wiring and a thin metal plate is present where the side signals would be, bumper pistons are in place and front signal cans do not have separations. No emission stickers, but the trunk was poorly repainted like the rest of the car. Still, even if the motor was not the original one, it must have been put together at the same location within a couple of months of when the rest of the car was built. And, if everything is otherwise stock, I think I am leaning on restoring it back to original (mostly ?).

Cmaker, I agree with you regarding the car being fine regardless. If the motor/drivetrain checks out in good shape, and the rest of the mechanics are in good order, then I will focus first on the exterior and interior/wiring issues first.

I would like some advice on what if any modifications I could get away with without compromising too much on the authenticity of this low mileage example.

While the GA motor was about as robust as these cars came with, I (like most) would like to bring it more up to par with todays road conditions and my own personal "spirited" driving preference !

Sway bars seems like a no brainer as they were an offered option, and maybe some better shocks (mine are orange/Koni's?). But it is with the motor that I have the most questions .... Keep it bone stock or not ? I know about the 2056 and 2270 set ups, but if I can get another 10-15 HP with just better heat exchangers, ignition and other bolt on bits, this seems preferable to changing out the cam, P&C work and head modifications if these things will only yield another 5-10 HP more than the bolt on mods (Sticking with D-Jet!). Again, I would like to keep this relatively rare motor original if it does not compromise my enjoyment/usability too much.

I plan to drive this car regularly and want a fun, reliable and long-lived example of the breed. I want it to be a very nice driver quality 914.

Thanks again for your comments, and I am sure I will be back multiple times throughout this project !

cheers,
Bill