From: darling@simlab.arc.nasa.gov on behalf of Dave Darling [darling@simlab.arc.nasa.gov] Sent: Wednesday, April 21, 1999 9:31 AM To: Cory M. Tobin Cc: 914 Subject: Re: [914] Got my '72 today At 10:09 PM -0700 4/20/99, Cory M. Tobin wrote: > And I have to say, these cars are quite fun. Yes, yes indeed! > The locks are sorta annoying, as expected. This can be dealt with pretty reasonably, depending on exactly what "sorta annoying" means. Pelican has an article about re-keying the locks so that you can only have ONE key! And many locksmiths will do the job for you at $10-$20 per lock. >Engine is very healthy >(125 psi on the compression test) but has a couple oil leaks. Pushrods >cases are sturdy, so it doesn't seem like the seals could be bad. Just because the pushrod tubes LOOK good and FEEL solid doesn't mean the seals aren't leaking. Clean up the area with a rag or paper towel and check it again after a day or three. It should be reasonably apparent if the oil is really coming from the pushrod tubes, or the valve cover. Also, check the top side of the heads near where the intake runner pipes bolt to them. If there is oil around there, then check the hoses for the head vents. (I *think* 72s have them.) Demick had a good-sized leak because the hose wouldn't stay on the vent at one point. (Since he was throwing the car around at an autoX, there was a good bit of oil out in the heads as well...) >... Shifting is very sloppy like a 914 should be ... Maybe like it "should be", but check all the bushings and connec- tions anyway. You may be able to tighten it up a bit. > ... needs a new clutch cable (how much do those run?) I suggest staying AWAY from aftermarket clutch cables! I had one fail recently after about 6 months of service. My mechanic replaced it with a factory one, and commented "those aftermarket ones are junk." I think it was about $50 for the part? Yes it's pricey, but I don't want to have to replace the thing again in 6 more months... > What's that huge solenoid to the left of the starter? Probably aftermarket. > Front shocks are original from the looks of it and by the fact that >the front tires have excessive wear on the inner tread, they're properly >inflated. Alignment can also cause excessive inside-edge tire wear. Excessive negative camber can cause some, but toe-out is a more likely suspect. The car will behave in a "twitchy" manner as well. Front shocks are easy to replace if and when you decide to. I'd say that, for $2K, you got a pretty darn good car! --DD Dave Darling 74 914 2.0 (kaput) darling@simlab.arc.nasa.gov "If it ain't broke--fix it until it *is*!"