Can you imagine vacating a property and leaving your project car behind? Personally, no, I cannot; then again, I have never despised a car enough or been leaving for such a compelling opportunity that I simply had to travel light. Whatever the story is, this 1973 Porsche 914 here on eBay was left on a property after its ownership changed hands, and it sounds like the current seller just wants it gone. It’s located in Delaware County, New York, with a Buy-It-Now price of $4,650.
As you would expect, the current owner doesn’t know much about the car. The interior doesn’t look half bad in this photo, aside from the unusual and quite rudimentary gauge cluster. Perhaps the originals quit working? The original radio also appears to be present. One of the nice surprises you’ll find inside the cabin are the remnants of the key, of which half remains broken off in the ignition.
Wherever this car sat, I’m guessing some trees were nearby. Or, alternatively, a few families of mice have been routinely spending their winters in the 914’s engine bay. Next to nothing is known about the P-car’s mechanical health, other than it was driven to where it sat for the last few years, so it ran at one point. Assume you’re starting from scratch with this one, and that any fuel in the system has turned to varnish.
The car sits quite low in the rear (or is it sitting high in the front?), so hopefully that’s just a case of blown-out shocks and not rusted-out towers. Something odd is going on with the rear end, which was either crudely painted or is sporting some wavy body work. The vacated trunk lock hole is also worrisome, and might explain why vermin found it so easy to nest here. A worthy project car? Perhaps, but not at that price. Would you ever leave a project car behind?
I think that’s the factory optional gauge cluster that originally stood vertically in the front of the console….sad find.
I am thinking these “needs everything” projects are going in the $2000-2500 range?
Car looks fairly solid, but still is going to need a lot of work (and money) to get back on the road. I would consider the price reasonable at about half of what the seller’s asking.
BaT auctions has a 1974 model right now with the current bid at $2200, and it runs and drives with an unbroken key: http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1974-porsche-914-2-0l-2/
Well gone to 9K with 6 days to go on auction !
Blown out shocks won’t affect the ride height in the rear unless the coil springs are shot but I bet the flat tires and half grass half concrete surface have something to do with it. The front strut torsion bars are adjustable for ride height and could have been raised to accommodate heavier trunk loads. Putting the wrong gas struts in will do the same. Except for the sub frame area below the battery box on the right the cars are very stout. Half that price for a good tub and you’ve got something to work with.The wavy rear is the rubber strip that sits on top of the bumper.
Also notice he’s holding the engine lid down because the latch has been removed… Not sure what the function of the concrete paver is.
Considering the situation I’m surprised they have the title.
I personally know this car. I have known Earl Hebbard (name listed on the title) for 40 years, and worked with Clark (his nephew to whom he gave the car, and owned the house where it was “found”) It was a good running & driving car when given to Clark some 20 + years ago, but Clark never really cared for the car and apparently never switched the title into his name or put the car on the road. ( He liked Corvettes, and had several different ones over the years…) He bought one of those canvas “hoop barns” and put it in there, and there it has sat for years. Whether it was started & run in all those years is unknown to me, and by looking at the pictures, it hasn’t been run in a long time. The body was in pretty good shape rust wise, but I know it has been painted, and I would expect some filler. The floor pans , and underside would be my biggest concern because of sitting on dirt with flat tires. I live 10 miles from where this car sits, and would be willing to take a look at it if somebody really wants it. Comment in this forum, and we’ll get in touch via e-mail.
In closing, I would say this car surprises me. Clark was the detailer at our dealership, and was VERY fussy about his cars. You could literally eat off the floors of any of his vehicles. Why he let this car get to this shape, and why he walked away from it perplexes me…
Photos mean everything with a first impression. This car, dirty, with flat tires, parked half on and half off the lawn with stuff around it? Well, not really impressed….
“I just want this pile of junk gone…oh, and and five thousand dollars.”
Save the Porsche!
A mess , even the cassette tape is jammed in backwards .. pity .