 914 Daily Driver?, What do you think? |
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| Eric Taylor |
 Feb 16 2005, 02:47 PM
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#1
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Senior Member  Group: Members Posts: 909 Joined: 1-June 03 From: Newport, OR/Eugene Oregon- UO Member No.: 770  |
I'm looking for a car that's a good daily driver, that I can get in and drive every day back and forth from campus to my apartment. I've got an audi right now, but it get's horriable gas milage, and is just like every other audi really expensive to repair and not something that I can work on. So my thinking is that If I could find a nice rust free car for around $5000, with reciepts and maybe new paint that it would make a good daily driver. The pluses are that I already know a lot about how to work on them, and i'm deffinatly not afraid to do thing's on it. I've already got a good solid mostly rust free restoration canidate that I will continue to work on, however it's gona take a lot of years, and money to make it what I want to to be. So what do you guys think? Is this fesiable or am I off my rocker?
Eric Oh yeah, I should mention that I'll probably be making a couple 100 mile drives a month in it, that might cause a problem, but let me know what you guys think |
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Replies(1 - 19)
| vortrex |
Feb 16 2005, 02:50 PM
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#2
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,687 Joined: 24-December 02 From: SF, CA Member No.: 4 Region Association: None |
I did 70 miles per day 5x a week for 1.5 years in bay area traffic. it was my only car. no problems for me. I think with a car this old it comes down to luck of the draw. I also did SF to seattle non-stop.
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| JWest |
Feb 16 2005, 02:50 PM
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#3
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,663 Joined: 6-January 03 From: Fort Worth, TX Member No.: 97 Region Association: None 
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I daily drive mine. But I do keep it in a garage at night.
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| Aaron Cox |
Feb 16 2005, 03:27 PM
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#4
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Professional Lawn Dart Group: Retired Admin Posts: 24,542 Joined: 1-February 03 From: Corona, CA Member No.: 219 Region Association: Southern California |
i daily drive my car.....
~ 200 - 300 miles a week.... no problems. 50 series tires make 5th gear fun on the freeways..... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif) oh...pilot lights piss off other drivers.... i gotta aim them down more..... |
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| mattillac |
Feb 16 2005, 03:39 PM
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#5
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robots! Group: Members Posts: 536 Joined: 27-October 04 From: vallejo,ca Member No.: 3,020 |
buy a roller then spend the rest of your money on a Raby motor (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)
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| TonyAKAVW |
Feb 16 2005, 04:03 PM
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#6
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That's my ride. Group: Members Posts: 2,151 Joined: 17-January 03 From: Redondo Beach, CA Member No.: 166 Region Association: None |
I drive my 914 daily. I only have to commute about 3 miles, so I don't end up driving it a lot during the week. I bought it last summer for $1000. I ahve worked on it a bit, but for the most part I haven't done any major work aside from some recent stuff to prepare for the West Coast Classic. I still need to get a paint job, but so far I've put less than $1000 into it (not including the parts from my previous 914). So you can definitely get a decent 914 that makes a good daily driver for fairly cheap. I got very lucky with my car, I don't think its very common these days to get such a good deal. Scour the ads daily and jump on a good deal (after looking at the car). I talked to the seller of my car the day the ad was placed. Had I not Im sure I would have missed it.
I also have a project car in the garage which is going to take me a long time and a lot of money to finish, but for now this car is a lot of fun and there are a lot of quick projects that I have done on it. Its nice to be able to drive something you just worked on. -Tony |
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| mike_the_man |
Feb 16 2005, 04:13 PM
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#7
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I like stuff! Group: Members Posts: 1,338 Joined: 11-June 03 From: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada Member No.: 809 |
It can be done. I plan to use mine as a daily driver this summer. Although, I planned to do that the last two summers as well, and it never really panned. A 30 year old car is likely to break down, but ya never know. Plus, I'm not sure how much cheaper a 914 would be to maintain than an Audi. I own both, and they seem to be pretty comparable. The 914 may be a bit cheaper.
For $5000 you could buy a nice Honda with air conditioning that would get 50mpg, and never break down. But who would want that? Not me! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif) |
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| Dave_Darling |
Feb 16 2005, 04:21 PM
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#8
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914 Idiot Group: Members Posts: 15,200 Joined: 9-January 03 From: Silicon Valley / Kailua-Kona Member No.: 121 Region Association: Northern California
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For $5000, I would suggest getting a $2000 Civic and putting $3000 down on a Raby motor! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)
--DD |
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| jr91472 |
Feb 16 2005, 04:21 PM
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#9
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"I'm pacing myself sergeant..." Group: Members Posts: 1,205 Joined: 2-August 04 From: McKinney, TX Member No.: 2,437 |
definitly possible. But just know that it will take sometime to work all the bugs and kinks out, don't get discouraged. These cars aren't that complicated (with the help of this board). If you fix things right the first time, it will pay off.
good luck PS: find a garage to keep her in. Most of them have had a hard enough life already. |
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| Andyrew |
Feb 16 2005, 04:29 PM
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#10
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Spooling.... Please wait Group: Members Posts: 13,380 Joined: 20-January 03 From: Riverbank, Ca Member No.: 172 Region Association: Northern California
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for 5k, buy a crx, strip it, take a mustang chassis, put a sbc and corvette suspension and drive train... paint it black and drive it daily...
Yup. That would be my daily drive honda... that or a 500hp turbo honda.. Gota respect the real builders here... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif) I drove mine to and from school 3 days out of the week all last year... Lots of problems, but heck, I fixed most of em.. Its all about haveing a nice engine.. If you dont have that, then its not pleasureful... |
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| Aaron Cox |
Feb 16 2005, 04:41 PM
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#11
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Professional Lawn Dart Group: Retired Admin Posts: 24,542 Joined: 1-February 03 From: Corona, CA Member No.: 219 Region Association: Southern California |
5k? if i were you id get a datsun 510..... with a rotary..... and tubbed out flares....and a cage....and...and...
im dreaming again (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wub.gif) get some new ultra reliable car..... |
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| Dave_Darling |
Feb 16 2005, 07:35 PM
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#13
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914 Idiot Group: Members Posts: 15,200 Joined: 9-January 03 From: Silicon Valley / Kailua-Kona Member No.: 121 Region Association: Northern California
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Only get a 944 if you want to set aside a $1000 budget for scheduled maintenance.
Hondas are cheap and generally reliable if not abused. A cheap Civic will get you to class and back and will still be cheap. If you're looking for reliable transportation while you put your 914 back together, a Honda is tough to beat. Besides, the notion that you're driving a Civic should be motivation to get you out there working on the 914 more often!!! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/lol2.gif) ...I doubt that I'd trust any of those cars to be reliable... --DD |
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| Eric Taylor |
Feb 16 2005, 08:53 PM
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#14
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 909 Joined: 1-June 03 From: Newport, OR/Eugene Oregon- UO Member No.: 770 |
The h word. I've thought long and hard about something japenese, but I just can't do it, they are so BORING. Nothing to drive, less power than a 1.7 and it looks like every other ricer boy out their. However it is very true, it's hard to deny the reliability of it. Those little sewing machines never break, and they are cheap to repair. Anyway, it's a tough call when looking for something fun that fit's this description. A jetta is a good car and the one that would ultimatly make the most sense, but a 914 would be so much better, and so much more fun, and I could fix it when it broke and I would have another 914! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif) . Anyway, I suppose that it would come down to reciepts for the car, and what was done to it. If it had a reciept proven motor build then it would probably be a good car. Who know's keep the ideas coming! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)
Eric |
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| redshift |
Feb 16 2005, 09:04 PM
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#15
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Bless the Hell out of you! Group: Members Posts: 10,926 Joined: 29-June 03 Member No.: 869 |
How many miles are you getting per gallon?
Carbs on a 2.0 aren't much better than a bigblock vette... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif) M |
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| anthony |
Feb 16 2005, 10:18 PM
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#16
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2270 club Group: Benefactors Posts: 3,107 Joined: 1-February 03 From: SF Bay Area, CA Member No.: 218  |
The question is how much hassle do you want to introduce into your life. A 914 might be fine as a daily driver if you want to spend at least 1 weekend a month working on a car.
I bought my first new car because after 8 years of ownership with a '77 BMW 320i I was tired of having an old car. It was reliable and only left me stranded once in 8 years but it was a pain in the ass. I was always doing something to that car to keep it going. The other issue is that buying a nice, clean, rust free 914 and then turning it into a daily driver is doing a disservice to the car. A car like that should be reserved for weekend drives on twisty roads. Letting it get beat by the sun all day and dinged up in the schools parking lot and driving it in the rain is just killing the car earlier than necessary. Buy a beater with a good engine if that's what you want to do. |
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| redshift |
Feb 16 2005, 10:33 PM
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#17
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Bless the Hell out of you! Group: Members Posts: 10,926 Joined: 29-June 03 Member No.: 869 |
Anthony, are you trying to tell me something?
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif) M |
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| campbellcj |
Feb 16 2005, 10:45 PM
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#18
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I can't Re Member Group: Members Posts: 4,633 Joined: 26-December 02 From: Agoura, CA Member No.: 21 Region Association: Southern California
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I drove a 73 2.0 "almost daily" for a couple of years. At that time however my commute was very short - 3 miles each way - but I even did some client visits, errands etc. in that car. It worked out fine considering that there was no A/C or creature comforts. The biggest issue is rain...which sucks in a 914 driver comfort-wise, not to mention you can practically see the car rusting right before your eyes.
Maybe I have a lead foot but I never got much better mileage in the old Porsches than other cars I've had (except the Jetta Diesel but that's another story.) I drive an Audi now and get around 21mpg using heavy boost and A/C always on, while my current 914/6 conversion most likely gets about 15mpg even when babied. (Never really cared or tried to measure it.) |
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| xsboost90 |
Feb 16 2005, 10:51 PM
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#19
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,393 Joined: 2-August 04 From: cincinnati Member No.: 2,432 |
"Only get a 944 if you want to set aside a $1000 budget for scheduled maintenance."
i did a complete belt job w/ seals on the 924s and a 944, each for only around $150. but i did the work myself. I guess if you have your car worked on it could be a grand, but any car could. Maintenance on a 944 is no harder than any other honda or whatever, just no one wants to try. I wouldnt suggest a 914 as a daily driver mainly because of the age and leak factor, and besides, at that age you dont want to chance messing up another teener in traffic on a daily basis. I will drive mine most the summer, but im constantly wrenching on it, broken or not. |
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| nebreitling |
Feb 17 2005, 12:09 AM
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#20
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Member Emeritus Group: Members Posts: 3,314 Joined: 26-March 03 From: San Francisco Member No.: 478 |
i've done the daily driver thing with my 914. worked okay for about 10-12 months -- keep in mind, though, i was working on it about one full saturday per month. definitely it can be a hassle. i'd buy the honda, or a little import pickup (useful to have around).
spend your time and energy getting your current 914 into running condition, instead of spreading yourself thin between restoring one 914 and keeping another one on the road. |
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