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Posted by: JPB Nov 11 2006, 10:18 AM

It would be cool to see the ratio of driving to not driving members and their confidence in their cars. I'm looking for each member to vote on their one best STREET 914 car drivable or not. Had to put a race car catagories since I bet some only have race cars and they are important also. It would also be cool to see numbers growing anually in a positive trend. Its all up to us to make these numbers happen


If you have a concern with your car's drivability, post so local members can help if possible.

Posted by: eg914 Nov 11 2006, 10:22 AM

Mine is a daily driver, to work every day (just about), and I have driven from Elk Grove, CA to Brookings, OR and back (without having to use AAA on the entire trip) in October of this year.

I am either insane, confident, or insanely confident in my car.

Posted by: JPB Nov 11 2006, 10:31 AM

That would be me also and voted the fifth option down.

Posted by: Gary Nov 11 2006, 10:59 AM

Ran from Chula Vista to the Kitsap peninsula this Summer - missed WCC by one CV . Been a daily driver for about 9 mos, but had a full resto over the previous 5 years. It's still a tinkerer's car, not an appliance like modern cars are. Seems like there's always a list a few things long that need to be addressed. Didn't put coast-to-coast, but that's more a driver limitation.

Posted by: Brew Nov 11 2006, 11:08 AM

Mine too is driven daily back and forth to work, weather permitting, and I have no fear of taking it out for an extended drive in the mountains. It hasnt let me down yet, so yeah, I'm just insane enough to think it could make it out to WCC without AAA.

Posted by: Howard Nov 11 2006, 11:44 AM

Oops, may have to change my vote. I thought you meant best car, not best 914, so used my Hyundai.



But seriously, drove the 2.0 to Utah and back with no real problems. Carried a few tools, parts, tow rope, and the AAA card.

Posted by: vsg914 Nov 11 2006, 11:45 AM

My longest trip in my 914 was from to Tulsa to San Diego via the southern route and back to Tulsa via the northern (I-40) route. My passenger was my 8 year old grandson(now 15). We did every tourist thing available. Vegas, inside hoover dam, grand canyon, Yuma prison, old mexico, London bridge, Meteor crater, Sea World, and saw all three of billy the kid's graves!!! 4443 miles in 15 days. Installed a timesert in #2 cyliner for plug in Yuma.

I'd go again in a heartbeat (money and time available).

Posted by: effutuo101 Nov 11 2006, 01:08 PM

My 70 2.0 Drove from San Jose to San Diego, Denver, multipule runs, a lot of work runs, RRC 05, Seattle, WCC06 and back to Seattle. I lost a couple of switches, a speedo cable, and a headlight. My 73 hasn't been pushed yet, but I look forward to getting in some lengthy runs. I am just sorting out a couple of switches now and then she will be ready fro prime time.

Posted by: Tobra Nov 11 2006, 01:13 PM

Depends on how far I needed to go

Posted by: dekman Nov 11 2006, 01:26 PM

My car "anywhere".....the problem is me(~5hrs. is my max.)ie: WCC '04, will drive to WCC'07 though!


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Posted by: turboman808 Nov 11 2006, 03:18 PM

Drivable from Coast to Coast. But I couldn't afford the gas.

Posted by: BarberDave Nov 11 2006, 03:18 PM

I would drive mine to the WCC and back. Problem is my sleep apna, 4 to 5hrs. is tops for me . If I can get my wife to learn to drive a stick car , then it doubles the distance. But 400 to 500 mile from N.W. Ohio is a big area. I wanted to drive to more events this yr. ,but couldn't because of moving in July and the birth of my 1st grandchild. But next yr. will be different, farthest will probably be MSUR,
and SEC in Ga. Just as many as I can. With Mid. West stuff and local PCA things I hope to do 10,000 miles. I guess that ans. the ques. Dave

Posted by: jd66921 Nov 11 2006, 03:33 PM

I've already done over 4500 miles to events (RRC and MUSR8), plus my
initial 1600 miles home from California. I want to do CA next year, and
maybe the east coast. Also my daily driver!

Few problems, main one is a vibration I can't locate. One dropped valve
adjuster, one broken clutch cable, intermittent starter problems. None have been a showstopper!

I'd take it almost anywhere!

Jeff

Posted by: Jake Raby Nov 11 2006, 03:56 PM

My 912E logged 100K mi in just under 4 years back in September...

After driving a 170 HP Type 4 powered 66 Beetle 3,450 miles in less than 4.5 days earlier this year without a single "Burp" I'd drive a teener anywhere...

Posted by: JPB Nov 11 2006, 04:21 PM

I Lord Raby!

Posted by: JPB Nov 11 2006, 04:25 PM

Good eye mate! Fixed.

So far 67% good for long hauls? More than I imagined.

Posted by: drive-ability Nov 11 2006, 04:33 PM

I just drove my V-8 2,500 miles in a total of 3 1/2 days (day and 1/2 out and same back). The car ran perfect, its one thing to take short trips but when you put a constant pressure over a long period that will expose most issues. I haven't found any yet. I am confidant it would go cost to cost but I wouldn't go with out a cell phone

Posted by: So.Cal.914 Nov 11 2006, 04:45 PM

Went from Palm Springs area to San Fransisco and back last year, other than

a little bigger oil drip in the morning it ran perfect.

Posted by: william harris Nov 11 2006, 04:48 PM

Well, I have put 2,000 miles on the teener since she hit the road about 8 weeks ago. I would not hestiate to go anywhere, except for winter driving conditions with no heat and no defrost.

Posted by: SGB Nov 11 2006, 05:40 PM

Last big trip was Alabama to Hershey, PA. I only blew out one valve cover gasket and fried one alternator in a 10 day period.
The trip before that (to Daytona for Rennsport II) I fried a voltage regulator and blew out a spark plug.

I voted: "Its dependable because I am nuts"

Can't wait to drive it cross country!

Posted by: Howard Nov 11 2006, 05:47 PM

I think we should put our money, etc.

Ironbutt Rallye anyone?

Posted by: JPB Nov 11 2006, 05:55 PM

WOW! Had that happen to me this summer in my friends VW bug. He got new heads now since they were cracked when we took them off. Thats some serious schmit there brother.

Posted by: blabla914 Nov 11 2006, 07:10 PM

I did a track event at Watkins Glen. 300 miles each way just to get there, plus 2 days on the track.

Also did a few track events at NHIS. That's a little closer.

It has no radio and no heat. Right now it's the only car I have.

I voted it's reliable because I'm insane.......

Kelly

Posted by: Toast Nov 11 2006, 07:24 PM

Oh, like everybody doesn't already know what my answer is!!!!

Posted by: JPB Nov 11 2006, 07:34 PM

Confusious say,"You fall in most honorable Wild Man catagory."

I just got stressed reading what you did; you must have de huge cohones!

Not many things get me but reading it a second time just triggered the old gag reflex from just the idea That is way to much for me to handel and not post some colorful language here. I'm completely overwhelmed and stressed in amazement, non the less, at what you did.

Posted by: JPB Nov 11 2006, 07:39 PM

I would only imagine a perfect 914 babe would have a perfect 914 beast.

Posted by: wbergtho Nov 11 2006, 07:45 PM

I'll second that.... Although I have heat and defrost, I would never risk driving this car in ice or snow. I have enough trouble with traction on dry roads. I have driven my LS6 914 over 7,000 miles this year and have only had a couple of minor issues. I have confidence in my car to go coast to coast...and if it does experience a problem...I have confidence in myself to fix it in short order. Hell, that's the adventure in driving an old car. If you are unwilling to take a chance once in a while, you are truely missing out on the whole experience.


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Posted by: JPB Nov 11 2006, 08:13 PM

That is one serious porn pic right there bro.

Posted by: DonTraver Nov 11 2006, 08:21 PM

My six is a daily driver and I wouldn't hesitate to just get in her and go, got a thing about keeping the 6 and RS America gassed and ready to go on a moments notice kind of thing. Also Autocross and Time Trial both. I didn't buy either of them to be garage queens, they were built to drive and I sure enjoy it. I've taken off on 2000+ mile trips in both with short notice. It's a nice place to be with them, the hard part was getting them there, easy to keep them there with regular maintenance.

Later, Don

Posted by: highways Nov 11 2006, 09:06 PM

When my car was running I made two long trips from Orange County to Mammouth Mountain ski resort (about 600 miles?). One trip was awsome- zero traffic at night (as in not a single other car on the road) and I was doing 90-110mph for about 6 hours straight with snow flakes falling in the desert. The other trip a friend and I went up to a campground at the base of Mt. Whitney (tallest mountain in lower 48 states). The campground was at 10,000 feet. We pulled in at the middle of the night, couldn't find our friends and turned around to go back down the mountain. We had to go slightly uphill again to the apex of the road and as we passed over the highest point the motor died. We coasted down the mountian soap box racer style in the middle of the night for the next 6000 vertical feet with no engine what-so-ever. Luckily there was a VW repair shop in Bishop. Once I complete my current restoration- I'm gonna do it all again, with AAA!!!!

Posted by: Toast Nov 11 2006, 10:10 PM

Ok. So I was wrong. Not Everybody follows the Classics events whether they attend or not.

Both the Red Rock Classic events I attended, I had to get towed 200 MILES each time.
I've also had to be towed twice this year just trying to make it out of town.

I may have received offers to repair my car. I have yet to take advantage of their offers.

Posted by: VegasRacer Nov 12 2006, 07:03 AM

. . . . . . . from sea to shining sea!
*(...and everywhere in between)
**(...just as often as I can)






***(Join me on the next trip)
:permagrin:

Posted by: JPB Nov 12 2006, 07:32 AM

Thank you for the correction and never intended to say you would take advantage of anyone; never even crossed my mind. I will correct the last statement for good measure.

Sorry to hear of your cars troubles and hope they will go away soon.

In a totaly hetero kinda way I must say:(Way to speak yo mind girl! )
Toast gave me the finger Toast gave me the finger

Posted by: type4org Nov 13 2006, 03:38 AM

Definitely drivable from coast to coast - matter of fact that is exactly what I did with my '76. Bought the car, sight unseen, but with a raft of well-done and trust-inspiring pictures "remotely" over the internet. Flew out to pick it up in Salem/OR on a Tuesday. Didn't even stay, left the same day. Arrived in northern Virginia on Friday.

The crazy part was the fact that the car had not really been driven in years and years, it was stored most of its life (24,500 original miles at that point). I had the PO put on new tires, which turned out to be garbage and not fully round (Nankang) and he took it to a shop that was supposedly able to handle that kind of car for a tune-up (waste of money, those people knew nothing). The clutch was close to being shot, the idle was way too low and it wanted to die at every stop. In Chicago I nearly overheated in stop-and-go traffic, which turned out to be a very low oil level. Only a few weeks later the first fuel line started to crack

Nuts, I know. But one of these things I always wanted to to.

Sudden sand storm somewhere along the way:

Posted by: Joe Ricard Nov 13 2006, 06:53 AM

Last week I drove 311 miles to go to an Autocross. made 41 runs took TTOD and drove it back home.

total milage in 2 years over 26,000. Consisting of 3500 miles is 3 days to bring it home

40 or more Autocrosses
2 lapping days @ NPR

Wanna go for a road trip? I'm in.

Posted by: ClayPerrine Nov 13 2006, 11:03 AM

Y'all are a bunch of wussies....

Joe Yoder (with Steve Milo as co-pilot) is the KING of long distance 914 driving. Dallas to San Deigo. San Deigo to Seattle. Seattle to Chicago. Chicago to Dallas.


All in one trip in a 75 914 2.0.

Posted by: mskala Nov 13 2006, 11:30 AM

coast to coast.

Not that I have the time or wish to do that, though.

In my -6, bought in Ohio, drove 700 miles to MA.
Last year road tripped ~500 miles each way, to Maryland
and back. No problems except for starter getting hot.

Daily driver to work when weather is good, and just
put on the R tires for autocross and do 10 of them per
year.

Engine has not been opened since 1983.

Posted by: nbscooters Nov 14 2006, 01:58 AM

I noticed I am the only person who voted for "Its all about the tinkering and not the driving" haha I guess thats what a 15 year driveway princess deserves. On the bright side of things, they are being fixed little by little.

Posted by: mudfoot76 Nov 14 2006, 02:11 PM

My car could go coast to coast, but like others said, I don't think I'd want to without good reason (so maybe i'm not so insane?).

Next summer I plan to go to Mid-Ohio for a DE weekend. Leave Indy friday, track Sat & Sun, and then maybe drive home sunday night. Else get a good rest and head home monday morning. I do have AAA+ just in case of emergency...

Posted by: dmenche914 Nov 15 2006, 12:35 AM

Used to pack allthe camping, clibing gear in it, and twice a month, either in my 914, or my climbing partners 914 take off to Yosemite to clib the big stuff. jammed pack, front / rear, behind seats, even canned food shoved in aroudn the gas tank. packed to teh max, hit 100 mph on the two lane back roads, catching four wheel air on the step rises on the road, usually 500 mile + round trip. also lots of day trips to Pinnicles for climbing, not as much gear as usually a day shot, but the windy road was a hoot, passing folks ove rthe double yellow like hell on wheels, hell every extra minute ont he road, was one less onthe rock. we were crack addicts to be sure, (hand cracks that is).always with a good bowl full of killer green to make the drive more pleasureable. and some thing to toke at teh summit, what arush. You shold have the seen the looks, passing tour busses ont the blind hair pin turns heading into teh valley like a bat out of hell. Nver stopped by yogi rnger, 'xept for no front plate, while we was reading the riot act on no front plate, every RV we passed inthe last ten minutes was driving by honking,and giving us the bird, yogi ranger asked if we knew them people! what a hoot. we had just lit up ten minutes before he stoped use for no plates in front. he let us go, with no fix it ticket but took ten minutes out of our climbing time. oh well good thing he didn't searchthe 914. Rangers think low life of clibers, guess cuase we was cheap sob's, and would neve spend much mullah in the park cept for a good las tmeal inthe cafeteria, usually tuna fish , gatorade and crackers on the route, oh and creme filling toffee cockies, gawd teh source of lfe for climbing. one time we got stuck in valley for snow cahin resrictiton,got tot eh last pitch on an eight pitch route, when teh snow started, strt of day was hot, took off our shirts so hot, buy the last pitsh, driving snow, high winds,a dn a rush to topout and get the hell of the rock. hella fun

The 914 is an excellent camp vehicle, so darn reliable, and too trunks, not to forget the open roof, great for valley views of the walls, teh handling like on rails ont eh winding roads couldnot be beat, NOTHING could beat us, NOTHING.


beware of crazy stones climbers rushing to seak cracks. climb on, drive on. race, oh well, that was youth.


them was the days, drive them anyware, and commuted to work, rain or shine, 50 mile round trip. best litle car I had, alas it was wrecked by a chick that hit me, after 60,000 miles of pure stick othe road quick is fun. love them memories.

then there was teh time the clutch cable broke on leving he Pinnicals west enterance, did a running push start,adn away we went, good thing the top was off so I could jump in ran every stop signs between there and home. or the off roading trail tot eh camp, and our cars were low, 50 series 195 tires, with dropped suspension, bragging pine cones all the way,

bitching fun

Posted by: fat73 Nov 15 2006, 04:04 PM

4,997 miles from Tampa to Las Vegas, and back for SEMA 2006.

Ed aka W9R1

Posted by: bd1308 Nov 15 2006, 04:51 PM

I've driven mine without incident for six months daily without issue.

My old engine dropped a valve though, so this one is monitored but seems to work well.

Posted by: PinetreePorsche Nov 15 2006, 08:36 PM

OK, not quite the same, but in '74 I drove a funky 1300 cc 1966 VW hippie van from Boston to Guatamala and got back to Penna. (incl. to PCanada) before it gave out --and that was only because in the dark I couldn't tell how fast it was burning/blowing oil. Would have made it in the daylight. So I'll take my almost perfect '73 anywhere. -Chris H.

Posted by: RS22b Nov 15 2006, 09:40 PM

mine is i guess pretty reliable, but i was prepared to drive out to the RRC had i gotten my car back by then.

Turns out, after i got my car back from the motor build that my brakes and tierods were shot, haha.

Posted by: Nor.Cal.914 Nov 16 2006, 02:30 PM

I bet my teener would be reliable from coast to coast, but I would say it just depends on the weather. I have a concern that my motor would overheat if it was driven for too long with consistent "high" revs (3600 - 4000 rpm seems to send the temp up sorta quickly) Other than that though I would say my car would be reliable for a decent amount of time.
-Chris

Posted by: JPB Nov 16 2006, 03:30 PM

Sounds good fellas and the pole is getting more accurate with more votes 50% and still strong

Posted by: Nor.Cal.914 Nov 19 2006, 05:27 AM

Well now speak of the devil. Really late last night I'm coming home from a drive to Mantica. When I'm crusing along all of a sudden a big POP!! Guess my little baby popped a fuel line or something. I have to go pick it up off the side of the freeway tomorrow morning.
-Chris

P.S. - If anyone local driving along 580 coming down towards San Jose and happen to see a white stranded 914 it's mine!!

Posted by: gfulcher Nov 19 2006, 07:43 PM

Hmmm... I think any long distance trip in a 914 is well within the "luxo" category. I did an epic perimeter trip of the USA, nearly entirely on back roads, in my VW '73 Thing, solo... without a top or a map. 17,000 or so miles in total from Cape Cod to Seattle to San Diego to Fort Lauderdale and back to Cape Cod.

Would do it again in a heartbeat. Doing it in a 914 would be super comfy and zippy by comparison - but I would have missed all of those dirt roads across the dakotas and montana and the rockies....

-greg-

Posted by: fat73 Nov 19 2006, 07:52 PM

Just curious...but how long did that take, what was your route, how long ago was it, and was it winter/summer/spring/fall?

Ed aka W9R1

Posted by: theol00 Nov 20 2006, 03:55 PM

my car could go coast to coast - but not me ! Other than an airplane there isn't anything I would go coast to coast in..

Posted by: JPB Nov 20 2006, 04:38 PM

Sounded like an awsome time

Posted by: MikeSpraggi Feb 21 2010, 12:08 PM

Coast to coast in the sixer. I think everything has been repaired and no more scheduled track time for that car. The track car on the other hand, from the garage to the end of the driveway with the current four cylinder and no brakes, and no seats and no lights and no ..........

Posted by: Eddie914 Feb 21 2010, 01:13 PM

The 914/6 is good for Coast to Coast even though is it a street driven track car. There is not much left on the car to go wrong.

I voted "dependable cause I'm nuts" ... cause I MUST be nuts. It's amazing my family hasn't disowned me yet.

I have proven over the years that with enough tools, money and time, that no trip is too long.

It has gotten so bad that when one of our vehicles starts making bad sounds, my son automatically reaches for the fire extinquisher and my wife shouts out ... "it's time for another adventure".

Since our family's daily drivers (4 of them) average 17 years old with 265,000 miles ... something is goning to wear out every once in a while.

The last two weeks hasn't been too bad ... the son's Audi burst into flames while parked and the wife's Suburban lost the fuel pump AND the radiator on a trip from Seattle to Los Angeles. Just another "Adventure"!

Cheers,

Eddie

Posted by: Drums66 Feb 21 2010, 01:21 PM

These cars are just not comfortable enough for me
to drive over 200 miles in!!......maybe it's the seats

.....now Boxster or 911 different story

Posted by: grantsfo Feb 21 2010, 05:08 PM

I bought my 1.8 sight unseen in Augusta GA. Drove it all the way back to Santa Monica. Only issue I had was vapor lock one time. Car was all original. Got 36 MPG on trip home.

I left with a trunk of spare parts that I never used.

Posted by: jcambo7 Feb 22 2010, 03:46 AM

My current car is not drivable but the car I am buying soon will be drivable but I don't know for how far. Can't wait to get home so I can drive it too. Only 2 in a half months left on my deployment.

Posted by: tat2dphreak Feb 22 2010, 11:30 AM

the biggest problem with my car now is the squishie part behind the wheel, ME.

I think the engine and brakes and suspension are solid enough to make it anywhere with care.

Posted by: ericread Feb 22 2010, 11:48 AM

Due to an illness of a relative, I have made three round trips between Southern California and Las Vegas in the past month. That's 303 miles each way door-to-door. It also includes two 4,500 ft mountain passes and some desolate hiway. But my little teener hasn't had any problems in getting me where I need to go.

However, as a SoCal driver, I removed my HE's (since they were falling apart and full of goo from old oil leaks). This made some of the driving in the low 30's (including more than one snow flurry) a little cooler than I'm used to. I ended up with so many layers of clothes that I felt like Ralph's little brother in "A Christmas Story" where he couldn't move his arms...

Eric

Posted by: bembry Feb 22 2010, 03:26 PM

Man,
I don't know. I tried an ill-fated 500 mile trip from Bakersfield to Phoenix in 1998 after I had bought my 914 and owned it for a couple years but had only driven it a very few miles, and it still had d-jet on it. The trip really sucked. I made it through the Tehachapis doing OK, but then my car started to go to crap pretty bad. I arrived in Phoenix over the course of 12+ hours, my 914 was running hot as hell when it was running at all, and eventually wouldn't go over 45 MPH. Not fun in the middle of the desert after midnight with a dying car.

Posted by: pcar916 Feb 23 2010, 08:38 AM

San Francisco to Little Rock and back twice. ~3900 mi.

Little Rock to...

- Columbia, SC ~1400 mi
- Tampa, Fla ~1900 mi
- Lexington, Ohio ~1500 mi

and back.

More miles on twisty Arkansas roads though than I can count... daily driver. Gotta get to the northeast some time. Maybe Summit Point! Ear plugs required.

Cheers

Posted by: BigD9146gt Feb 23 2010, 09:57 PM

Does putting it on a boat and shipping it across the Pacific count for milage? Cause thats kind of a risk too!?

Posted by: Tonyiz Feb 24 2010, 10:59 PM

Drove 914/4 from San Diego to Chicago. On long stretches got the speedo to read 130mph several times. Accuracy of speedo unknown. No problems.

Posted by: Brando Feb 26 2010, 01:30 PM

Could easily go coast-to-coast. What a blast that would be