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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Road rage and 914's
Posted by: 914Mels Oct 22 2014, 02:37 PM
Over the years of driving our 914, I've noticed some people seem infuriated just to see a 914 going down the road. I could be driving any of our cars and have a normal drive around town but get into the 914 and you would swear I was chopping up babies and throwing them out on the road. People will tailgate, speed up to keep you boxed in, just about anything rude you can think of. Now, this won't apply to the jack stand crowd, unless you have rude neighbors who yell things as they walk by the garage, but how often these days, are other people getting the "It's only a VW" phrase, or getting road abused? Maybe it's just So. Cal, but I'm curious what others are experiencing.
Posted by: SirAndy Oct 22 2014, 02:48 PM
Must be SlowCal ... Up here people try to kill me no matter what car i drive.
However, i do seem to bring out the race car driver in people when i'm on the road in the 914.
Posted by: 76-914 Oct 22 2014, 02:58 PM
Respect, r-e-s-p-e-c-t. Aretha got it wrong! Respect is spelled 6 c-y-l-i-n-d-e-r. Those same assholes won't get near me anymore. 
Posted by: 02loftsmoor Oct 22 2014, 03:02 PM
Over the years of driving our 914, I've noticed some people seem infuriated just to see a 914 going down the road. I could be driving any of our cars and have a normal drive around town but get into the 914 and you would swear I was chopping up babies and throwing them out on the road. People will tailgate, speed up to keep you boxed in, just about anything rude you can think of. Now, this won't apply to the jack stand crowd, unless you have rude neighbors who yell things as they walk by the garage, but how often these days, are other people getting the "It's only a VW" phrase, or getting road abused? Maybe it's just So. Cal, but I'm curious what others are experiencing.
my daily driver is a Tahoe, that really slowed that down, but when ever i drove my sports cars and motorcycles , good god look out red alert every one was out to get you. drive sane everyone jacks with you, drive like there is no tomorrow they leave you alone. I don't get it.
Posted by: Johns914 Oct 22 2014, 03:05 PM
Not so much with the road rage but just not seeing my car. I had a kid in a Saturn cut across 6 lanes and cut me off. Must not have seen the bright Orange car coming down the road.
Posted by: damesandhotrods Oct 22 2014, 03:14 PM
I’ve spent 9 out of the past 10 years driving air cooled cars on a daily basis and I’ve never noticed the 914 being treated any different than any other small car. Now Beetles on the other hand are a different story…
Posted by: Johny Blackstain Oct 22 2014, 03:33 PM
Drive a creamsicle & see what happens. People follow you, circle you, stop @ the gas station to check you out, etc... Other Porsches give you a look & wave or thumbs up. They attract a lot of attention, however for me it's been all positive & never negative. When I tell them it came from the factory this way, I always get this look- 
Posted by: '73-914kid Oct 22 2014, 03:39 PM
Respect, r-e-s-p-e-c-t. Aretha got it wrong! Respect is spelled 6 c-y-l-i-n-d-e-r. Those same assholes won't get near me anymore.
Same here... a sport muffler that spits fire on decel seems to discourage tail gaters...
Haha
Posted by: sb914 Oct 22 2014, 03:41 PM
Not so much with the road rage but just not seeing my car. I had a kid in a Saturn cut across 6 lanes and cut me off. Must not have seen the bright Orange car coming down the road.
No road rage but,I'm constantly being cut off,are cars are so low,people can't see us and are always pulling out of driveways. Just assume there going to hit you, keeps you on your toes.
Posted by: somd914 Oct 22 2014, 03:52 PM
Most drive like jerks around here no matter. The big turbo diesel pickup crowd is by far the worse - brakes and accelerator must be binary switches in those vehicles and they must have vague steering since they are constantly wandering from lane to lane...
For the most part the 914 gets ignored in respect to other drivers and their habits.
Now the Carrera on the other hand attracts a lot of attention from those who think they need to prove they have a worthy ride be it an econobox, muscle car, or the above mentioned turbo diesel truck crowd. It gets old... But I find it really irks them if you drive slowly and ignore them 
Posted by: pilothyer Oct 22 2014, 04:07 PM
I guess we (914 guys) have to do like when you are on a motorcycle............Just pretend you are invisible.
Posted by: Java2570 Oct 22 2014, 04:20 PM
I guess we (914 guys) have to do like when you are on a motorcycle............Just pretend you are invisible.
That's exactly how I feel about it....people are so preoccupied that they don't watch where they're going anyway. The 914, being so low and small makes it much less visible. I don't usually drive in heavy traffic but I've not had any negative experiences so far. And having loud
horns helps too!!
Posted by: aircooledtechguy Oct 22 2014, 05:28 PM
No problems in my 914.
If you want to know what road rage means try driving a VW split-window bus. . . Never mind that mine has a type4 in it and can do over 100mph. People see the vehicle and automatically assume you're going 20mph under the speed limit and will literally do ANYTHING to get in front of you. Never mind that I'm driving 10-15mph over. I can't tell you how many times I've been passed on the shoulder, cut-off on a merge lane, etc. because I'm in a bus and going well over the posted limit. 
I think most of what appears to be road rage is just pure simple ASSHOLES on their f**king phones not paying attention to the world around them while hurling 70+mph in their 2-ton vehicles.
For the record: I DON'T OWN ONE OF THOSE DAMNED THINGS!!
Posted by: Steve Oct 22 2014, 05:29 PM
Beware of SUV's backing up. They will never see you.
Posted by: GeorgeRud Oct 22 2014, 05:56 PM
There's a reason my cars are bright yellow! Nevertheless, we are so low and small in comparison to most of today's cars, it's best to drive like you're invisible to others.
I certainly get more thumbs up than problems on the road, but the -6 power can help in some situations. Main thing is to think and look ahead!
Posted by: 914Sixer Oct 22 2014, 05:58 PM
I was at the light here in Boerne when a jacked up 4 wheel drive dually pulled up next to me. I could not see the top of the front tire setting in the 914. That meant he could not see me at ALL. Scary Stuff.
Posted by: carr914 Oct 22 2014, 05:59 PM
Never, it must be because you are Ugly! lol
Posted by: r_towle Oct 22 2014, 06:09 PM
Every morning while shaving I see the biggest asshole I will meet that day staring me down.....
Posted by: aircooledtechguy Oct 22 2014, 06:24 PM
Every morning while shaving I see the biggest asshole I will meet that day staring me down.....
Posted by: JRust Oct 22 2014, 07:10 PM
This last year I got my motorcycle endorsement. After sitting through the class & them teaching you to drive like you are invisible. I realized that is basically how I drive my 914. If you don't you will get hosed. Always assume people will cut you off, pull out in front of you, back out of the parking space, out of their driveway, run that red light all while looking you dead in the eye
Posted by: Elliot Cannon Oct 22 2014, 07:18 PM
Every morning while shaving I see the biggest asshole I will meet that day staring me down.....
OMG, you have a picture of SLITS in your bathroom?
Posted by: DBCooper Oct 22 2014, 07:30 PM
Umm... Rich, do you really look like Ron?
Posted by: ClayPerrine Oct 23 2014, 11:43 AM
Betty drives her 914 to work everyday, and has for 20 years. Over those years, she and I have learned that even a bright orange car is invisible. So she had me change the horns out for the same ones that are on my truck. And she has learned to be aggressive with that horn. The stupid people may not be able to see her, but they can certainly hear her.
I suggested adding horns to every corner of the car. That way there would be no missing the horn. She didn't want to do that.....yet.
Drive paranoid, like everyone is out to get you.
Posted by: era vulgaris Oct 23 2014, 12:38 PM
Happens to me pretty regularly, mostly from SUV's and pickups. I was going 55 in a 45 the other day, and an SUV that was riding my ass passed me by going into a right turn lane and then overtaking me in the intersection.
I have to laugh it off because it's so unnecessary and childish. People who act that way on the road only do it because of other issues in their life. But I've noticed the 914 seems to be a target because it stands out so much from every other car on the road. It's an easy target for a road bully.
I also get people that try and change lanes into me simply because they don't see me.
Daily driving a Ghia for 2 years taught me a lot about staying alert and basically compensating for everyone else's stupidity on the road.
I might get flack for saying this, but I blame automatic transmissions. There's no easier way to zone out when you're driving than with an automatic. Driving a manual, you have to be aware: engine speed, road speed, your surroundings for potential up or down shifts, etc. It also gives you a feeling that you're actually in control of what the car is doing, and that in a weird way, you're part of the car.
All these idiots wafting around in their automatics have very little to think about so no wonder they do other things while their vehicle is moving: texting, phone calls, eating, doing makeup, reading newspapers, etc.
It's also no wonder very few people really enjoy their modern automatic cars. How can you when there's so little about it that's truly engaging? For most people who drive slush boxes, their car is an appliance that they don't really care about.
Posted by: Hank914 Oct 23 2014, 12:51 PM
Automatic trannies are the default. Even Ferrari has capitulated to this.
I like the idea of loud horns. But we are not much more visible than motorcycles.
Posted by: mepstein Oct 23 2014, 01:18 PM
I've had a 914 since I was 17 - I'm 48 now. SUV's, pick ups and minivans dominate the road now and it's even harder for people to see us. I take the same care in my 914 as when I ride my bike on the road. Assume they dont see you, dont care even when they do see you, are trying to hit you or are just stupid.
Posted by: Philip W. Oct 23 2014, 01:19 PM
I am actually surprised it doesnt happen more often. I used to have a motorcycle, drove it almost daily while in high school and college- BMW- but i had a LOT of close calls on that, way more than in the 914,. I have not noticed the road rage more in that than anything else . but i have had a couple close calls- on the way back from Octeenerfest on I26 in SC, i was right next to a lady in and toyota Sequoia, on her right- because she was driving slow in the PASSING lane- anyway i was looking right at her so i know she could see me, if she looked, which she never did, before she started to change lanes and run me off the road- she never looked- not until i had been running the horn and was half on the shoulder. -
btw i am pretty sure she was on her phone-
point is she didnt ever look to my way , if she had we would have made eye contact. I make sure i dont sit in someones blind spot. it seems like because its different a lot of people see it and will make some kind of gesture- the nice kind- and i keep a mental note of the perps , its 75% young females - on the phone, and we have a law in SC making that illegal but i dont see the patrol or county mounty pulling people over for it and they can.
- my pet peve is the guy/girl that sits in the inside passing lane blocking faster traffic then they give you the evil eye like you are doing something wrong when you pass them. - if im in the truck i usually get in front then slow down until they move over to the other lane then i move along
Posted by: RobW Oct 23 2014, 01:59 PM
Motorcycle riding and driving a 914 is very similar: assume no one sees you, look way ahead, and in the event of an accident - you're screwed.
So to cover yourself- make sure you are visible, stay alert, and have a mean lawyer in your contact list.
Posted by: HalfMoon Oct 23 2014, 10:59 PM
Mine has a sbc in it with a Dr. Evil sorted 901.
I don't have these problems (although sometimes I notice blurry things in my rearview)
Posted by: Cuda911 Oct 23 2014, 11:58 PM
I get nothing but tons of smiles and thumbs up from others when driving my 914.
OP, maybe you dress funny?
Posted by: mgp4591 Oct 24 2014, 12:08 AM
Motorcycle riding and driving a 914 is very similar: assume no one sees you, look way ahead, and in the event of an accident - you're screwed.
So to cover yourself- make sure you are visible, stay alert, and have a mean lawyer in your contact list.
Posted by: euro911 Oct 24 2014, 03:14 AM
A good set of air horns help, but usually by the time they're utilized, the other idiot driver has already pulled a stupid stunt.
I agree, you have to drive a small car with the same attitude as when you're riding a motorcycle.
Posted by: Bleyseng Oct 24 2014, 07:47 AM
No problems in my 914.
If you want to know what road rage means try driving a VW split-window bus. . . Never mind that mine has a type4 in it and can do over 100mph. People see the vehicle and automatically assume you're going 20mph under the speed limit and will literally do ANYTHING to get in front of you. Never mind that I'm driving 10-15mph over. I can't tell you how many times I've been passed on the shoulder, cut-off on a merge lane, etc. because I'm in a bus and going well over the posted limit.
I think most of what appears to be road rage is just pure simple ASSHOLES on their f**king phones not paying attention to the world around them while hurling 70+mph in their 2-ton vehicles.
For the record: I DON'T OWN ONE OF THOSE DAMNED THINGS!!
yep, driving the 914 in traffic is a pain but driving the bus on the freeway is unbelievable as everyone HAS to pass you and then cut in front of you. No one wants to be behind a bus pure and simple.
The ghia has the problem that everyone wants to drive next to it and take pictures, wave, point and smile at us. If I go to the Pike Market and park next thing I know is 10 Japanese tourists are standing around taking pictures, girls laying on it and giving the peace sign.
Posted by: ClayPerrine Oct 24 2014, 08:12 AM
The ghia has the problem that everyone wants to drive next to it and take pictures, wave, point and smile at us. If I go to the Pike Market and park next thing I know is 10 Japanese tourists are standing around taking pictures, girls laying on it and giving the peace sign.
If I came out and found some girl laying on my car, I would ask her name. Then I would call the cops and have her arrested for vandalism. If the cops won't come, get her name and file a claim in small claims court. People like that have no idea that the rivets and zippers on their jeans can scratch an expensive paint job. I cringe every time I go to a car show and some moron lets his grubby fingered crotch dropping crawl all over a really nice car. Or the moron on his own. I watched one moron move the "don't touch" sign so he could open the door on a show car. The owner caught him, and went ballistic on him. His attitude was "What's the big deal?" The moron probably drives a beat up old camry and has no idea the amount of money and work it takes to create a nice car like that.
Ok.. I will get off my soapbox now.
Posted by: RobW Oct 24 2014, 08:25 AM
No problems in my 914.
If you want to know what road rage means try driving a VW split-window bus. . . Never mind that mine has a type4 in it and can do over 100mph. People see the vehicle and automatically assume you're going 20mph under the speed limit and will literally do ANYTHING to get in front of you. Never mind that I'm driving 10-15mph over. I can't tell you how many times I've been passed on the shoulder, cut-off on a merge lane, etc. because I'm in a bus and going well over the posted limit.
I think most of what appears to be road rage is just pure simple ASSHOLES on their f**king phones not paying attention to the world around them while hurling 70+mph in their 2-ton vehicles.
For the record: I DON'T OWN ONE OF THOSE DAMNED THINGS!!
yep, driving the 914 in traffic is a pain but driving the bus on the freeway is unbelievable as everyone HAS to pass you and then cut in front of you. No one wants to be behind a bus pure and simple.
The ghia has the problem that everyone wants to drive next to it and take pictures, wave, point and smile at us. If I go to the Pike Market and park next thing I know is 10 Japanese tourists are standing around taking pictures, girls laying on it and giving the peace sign.
If I'm coming up on a VW bus, I'm going to speed up to get around you. Sorry.
I was a Pike Street a couple weeks ago on a football Sunday. I was the guy who took off my shirt and was rolling all over your hood.
Posted by: 914_3.0 Oct 24 2014, 11:32 AM
I get nothing but tons of smiles and thumbs up from others when driving my 914.
OP, maybe you dress funny?
+1 on that. Now when I had my 996..... people not so nice!! lol
Posted by: ConeDodger Oct 24 2014, 12:35 PM
I’ve spent 9 out of the past 10 years driving air cooled cars on a daily basis and I’ve never noticed the 914 being treated any different than any other small car. Now Beetles on the other hand are a different story…
Really? When I drove a bug, I would notice people yelling "slug-bug!" And punching each other, but they never seemed angry at me?
Posted by: Elliot Cannon Oct 24 2014, 12:53 PM
I wouldn't call it "road rage", more like "road ignorance" or "road head-up-the-ass", or "road nobody-matters-but-me". It happens to me in my 914 and it also happens to me in my F-150. It also happens when you're flying a plane but that's a whole other story.
Posted by: mbseto Oct 27 2014, 07:54 AM
Can't remember which comedian said every driver should be issued one of those rubber suction cup dart guns. You shoot anyone that cuts you off or otherwise drives like an idiot. Then all the police have to do is drive around and look for a car with lots of darts stuck to it, pull it over and give them a ticket for driving like an a--hole. Very democratic.
Posted by: chandler1969 Oct 27 2014, 10:09 AM
This is what happens when someone says "I didnt see you". Really? You hit me coming off a side street
when the heck did it become "slug bug"? Its suppose to be punch buggy 
Posted by: mrholland2 Oct 27 2014, 02:55 PM
This is what happens when someone says "I didnt see you". Really? You hit me coming off a side street
when the heck did it become "slug bug"? Its suppose to be punch buggy
It was slug bug forever. Punch buggy is from a stupid movie: LILO and Stitch
Posted by: mgp4591 Oct 27 2014, 04:56 PM
The ghia has the problem that everyone wants to drive next to it and take pictures, wave, point and smile at us. If I go to the Pike Market and park next thing I know is 10 Japanese tourists are standing around taking pictures, girls laying on it and giving the peace sign.
If I came out and found some girl laying on my car, I would ask her name. Then I would call the cops and have her arrested for vandalism. If the cops won't come, get her name and file a claim in small claims court. People like that have no idea that the rivets and zippers on their jeans can scratch an expensive paint job. I cringe every time I go to a car show and some moron lets his grubby fingered crotch dropping crawl all over a really nice car. Or the moron on his own. I watched one moron move the "don't touch" sign so he could open the door on a show car. The owner caught him, and went ballistic on him. His attitude was "What's the big deal?" The moron probably drives a beat up old camry and has no idea the amount of money and work it takes to create a nice car like that.
Ok.. I will get off my soapbox now.
The soapbox is a good thing! I've worked on a number of show cars and still, when I'm anywhere near a car on display I put both hands behind my back and peer in without the owner fearing I'm gonna do something stupid. I've gotten high fives from owners for respecting their rides- I don't mind doing it and hope it'll let others know to respect the work done.
Posted by: orangecrate Oct 27 2014, 06:09 PM
I ride---- like I'm invisible. Generally because in less than 30 seconds--- I am!!! Gonna take a lot of $$$$ to make the teener move like my bike. So I will have to be particularly wary when I finally get it on the road. It seems very few people actually look where they are going. Inside a steel box off in La La land. Yes we teeners are low, and mine will be relatively slow as it's a stock 1.7. I'm not really looking to go real fast in it, I just don't want to slow down!!!
Posted by: Wdunster Oct 27 2014, 07:15 PM
I've had a 914 since I was 17 - I'm 48 now. SUV's, pick ups and minivans dominate the road now and it's even harder for people to see us. I take the same care in my 914 as when I ride my bike on the road. Assume they dont see you, dont care even when they do see you, are trying to hit you or are just stupid.
"See and be seen"
Posted by: damesandhotrods Oct 27 2014, 08:07 PM
I’ve spent 9 out of the past 10 years driving air cooled cars on a daily basis and I’ve never noticed the 914 being treated any different than any other small car. Now Beetles on the other hand are a different story…
Really? When I drove a bug, I would notice people yelling "slug-bug!" And punching each other, but they never seemed angry at me?
Pedestrians, bicyclists, and skateboarders are not afraid of Beetles. They will jump in front of you without thinking twice. Even if you have eye contact they will still go right in front of you. The same thing happened with cars trucks and SUVs. Life improved drastically when I moved up to a Type 3.
Posted by: al weidman Oct 30 2014, 06:40 PM
I live in a rural area in No. Calif. and have a replica speedster, a bug, a VW bus and a 914 and always had people come over at a gas station parking lot or car show and tell me their dad had one or they have never seen one in real life. I have driven air cooled VW's and Porsche's since 1959 and it has been a great experience and have only suffered the "I didn't see you" in my 914 and it is always on the freeway. Still haven't been hit though. BTW my '75 just went home to Germany. The transporter said I wouldn't believe how many cars are going to Europe. He said there are hundreds every shipment. He was picking up another 914 and a VW bus on this trip. My American bidders just gave up and never reached his bid. 
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