Questions about Porsche 914
WEILER,JOHN DWIGHT III
I have been seriously considering buying a 914(probably a '73 2.0L if I can
find one in reasonably good condition).I've been following the 914 conversation
that has been going on for the past couple days/weeks and I've got a few
questions that somebody might be able to answer.
1)You say engine in 1973 was a VW engine. Does that mean that I can buy parts
at VW specialty places(dealers, mail order, etc...) or did Porsche change the
engines in some way?
2)That leads me to another question. Where is the best place to get parts
for reasonable prices?
3)Also what is the best book/manual to guide me in my repair fun. Anyone
ever written a book like "How to Keep Your 914 Alive" maybe?
4)Does anyone know of any good garages which work on 914s in the Atlanta(school
) and/or Pittsburgh(home) areas. Anything even remotely close will do.
Thanks in advance
John "Architecture is my life" Weiler
--
WEILER,JOHN DWIGHT III
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
uucp: ...!{decvax,hplabs,ncar,purdue,rutgers}!gatech!prism!gt7734a
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>
> 1)You say engine in 1973 was a VW engine. Does that mean that I can buy parts
> at VW specialty places(dealers, mail order, etc...) or did Porsche change the
> engines in some way?
Most of the parts can be bought from VW places. Other things like the 2.0
heads, sheet metal, and other stuff is different than VW stock. I would
stick with people that know about the 914 engines. (see below)
>
> 2)That leads me to another question. Where is the best place to get parts
> for reasonable prices?
Different places have different prices for same parts. I will let the rest
of the net world give hints in this one.
>
> 3)Also what is the best book/manual to guide me in my repair fun. Anyone
> ever written a book like "How to Keep Your 914 Alive" maybe?
You could always get the factory manuals. Other than that, you might want
to try a haynes manual. Those are the only ones that I have actually seen
up close. I am sure there are others though.
>
> 4)Does anyone know of any good garages which work on 914s in the Atlanta(school
> ) and/or Pittsburgh(home) areas. Anything even remotely close will do.
Automobile Atlanta is supposed to be one of the best 914 shops in the U.S.
Go over to the shop and ask them some questions. They will be able to answer
the questions with no prob. I actually saw someone from AA selling brand new
brake calipers for the 916. Nice calipers but I did not want to pay $700
each. wow.
Kevin
dari...@verifone.com
>
> I have been seriously considering buying a 914(probably a '73 2.0L if I can
> find one in reasonably good condition).I've been following the 914 conversation
> that has been going on for the past couple days/weeks and I've got a few
> questions that somebody might be able to answer.
>
> 1)You say engine in 1973 was a VW engine. Does that mean that I can buy parts
> at VW specialty places(dealers, mail order, etc...) or did Porsche change the
> engines in some way?
>
made at the Wolfberg plant. The engine was used in the 411/412 and the vans
frmo 72-79. Many of the parts can be purchased from VW shops, but the type
IV engine is just beginning to gain popularity. It is a good strong engine,
but the heads are the weak link. The basic differences are the cams and the
oil filler location.
> 2)That leads me to another question. Where is the best place to get parts
> for reasonable prices?
>
In your area there is a great shop called Automobile Atlanta. They started
out as 914 only. Check the magazine called European Car (formerly VW Porsche).
> 3)Also what is the best book/manual to guide me in my repair fun. Anyone
> ever written a book like "How to Keep Your 914 Alive" maybe?
>
Call Automobile Atlanta, they have two books 1) by Hayes that is okay and
the other whick is supposed to be better (sorry, I forget the name).
> 4)Does anyone know of any good garages which work on 914s in the Atlanta(school
> ) and/or Pittsburgh(home) areas. Anything even remotely close will do.
>
See Automobile Atlanta.
Regards,
Daris Bouthillier, VeriFone Inc., Costa Mesa, CA.
Vincente DIngianni
John Weiler & others considering a 914,
In '73 with the demise of the 914-6, Porsche introduced the 914 1.8
with a "stock" VW Type IV engine, and the 914 2.0. The 914 2.0
contained a 2.0 Type IV engine with higher compression heads and
a different cam grind than those produced by VW. These
engines are valuable, check the engine number before buying--The
Porsche 2.0 Type IV has a prefix which is not used in any VW automobiles.
The Porsche 2.0 Type IV engine produces about 5-10 HP more than the
similar VW 2.0 Type IVs. Most of my friends who own 914s agree that
a totally stock 914 2.0 with no engine modifications is much more
valuable than a 1.7, 1.8, or 2.0 that has been "hot-rodded."
The 1.7 and 1.8 liter 914 engines are exactly the same as the
Type IV engines used in VW busses.
Local VW specialty shops usually carry all of the engine parts
which the Porsche 2.0 and the VW 2.0 have in common. If you
need new heads or a cam, you should order them from companies
such as Tweeks, Automotion, Performance Products, etc...
Warning, if you want new Porsche 2.0 heads, you might do better
by buying another 914 to use as parts (Porsche heads are expensive).
How did I find this out??? Well, I owned a '72 1.7 liter 914
when I lived in New Orleans. I searched high and low for a
good 2.0 VW Type IV engine to put in my car. When I started
comparing engine numbers and specs from the Haynes manual,
I noticed that the prefix letters were different. The local
VW dealership had no record of any vehicle with the Porsche
prefix. I think the Porshe prefix was "EC" -- but check
the Haynes manual to be sure of the correct prefix. In fact,
check the Haynes manual for all information on how to keep
your 914 alive.
I have had some very BAD experiences when I let garages work
on my first 914--But that is another (long) story. If you
want a 914, and want it to last, be prepared to do it
yourself.
I DO NOT recommend it as a reliable car for a college student
with no money--personal experience. However, if you have
the time, money, and second car, buy a 914!
Vincente D'Ingianni
--
Vincente D'Ingianni, II Bell-Northern Research, Richardson, TX, USA
MCI DMS-250 Software Design PH: 214-997-1031, ESN: 446-1031, vin...@bnr.ca