Our uncle has an old Targa that has been sitting for a long while and has rust on the bottom side. The shop wants to keep it and sell it for parts but our uncle wants to give it to us. What would you do?
Pass or take it?

The wife

 

If you could post pictures that would help. All old Porsches rust. When the 914 was made they really did not do anything to prevent it and it is the bane of the 914s's existence. Rust repair can be costly.

I would suggest you go over to 914World.com and post in the garage and introduce yourself and the car with a brief narrative and pictures. Ask what people think of the condition of the car and then make a decision. When you post pictures, hopefully, you will post all 4 sides, top, bottom, inside of all of both door jambs, the front and rear trunks, the floor of the car with the matts removed, the engine compartment, dash board, etc. Be sure to take pictures of the shut lines- the gap between the doors and the fenders on both sides. In the engine compartment, stick a light down below the passenger side of the engine compartment, pointed towards the front of the car and then stick your camera in there and shoot pictures. That is what we all call the "Hell Hole" on a 914 as typically rain water would run in there and over the battery and then the battery acid would get onto the metal and eat away at it, and keep eating away until it went through the suspension pieces too. Look at the back edge of the rear trunk where the taillight panel meets the trunk floor for more rust as water typically collected there. The area around the door handles is all prone to rust as is the area below the sail panels, the area right to the rear of the roll down windows. Anyway, 914 World is an active site, world-wide, that addresses everything you would or could ever want to know about these great little cars. I have had 4 and just love them.

The 914 has appreciated quite a lot in the past decade and if your car is truly a '73-'74 model year, its is worth some money. You can verify the year by looking at the door sticker on the driver's side of the car, below the door lock mechanism. If it is a '73, the 10 digit number should start with 473 and if it a '74 it would start 474. There 3rd digit is the year model of the car. There should be a metal tag along the driver's windshield pillar with the same number on it. Good luck and have fun.