914 decisions decisions, from Super Streed Options

[bandjoey]

I followed a Porsche 914 on my way to the office. It was clad in a classic black and gold livery and its driver wore a “freeway face,” a look just south of “totally blank.” On the other hand, I was grinning like the town idiot who had just spotted something shiny. I dodged and weaved through traffic while fumbling with an iPhone. I needed to get a picture of this thing… I don’t know why. It’s not like I hadn’t seen one before. It’s just that I hadn’t seen one in a long time, especially on the road, running like a normal car.

I finally managed to flank the guy only to have him peel off in terror. He must have thought I was going to shoot him or something. Or maybe he was a spy and thought I was there to “neutralize” him. Whatever. He was gone and I was sad. Like some rare bird eluding a spotter, you just don’t see them that often.

Visions of that 914 remained locked in my mind. I spent the next three hours looking at beautifully restored 914s and 916s, falling into a memory pool so deep it would take a week to crawl out.

I found several good examples on eBay and various automotive websites. Prices for a nicely turned out 1973 2.0 ranged from $8k to $27k, a bit less for later models. What struck me was the furious bidding on some of these cars. These guys must have been bitten by the same bug that got me.

I had narrowed it down to four cars, two of which I found at George Hussey’s Auto Atlanta (no surprise there). I was literally minutes away from pulling the trigger when it dawned on me: Where the hell was I going to put this thing? Bringing another stray home would mean war with the wife. She’d point at our son Cole’s mouth and start screaming about $4,000 in braces and all kinds of other crap I already know we need to pay for (and plan to). Still, I could find another garage to park this car without too much fuss. Besides, I work hard for my family. I deserve it, damn it!

Out of nowhere came a disembodied voice: “And what are you going to do with this car, Les?”

I figured this must have been part of a flashback from my younger, chemically enhanced days. I’d play along though.

“I’m gonna drive it. It’s what you do with cars.”

“Like you drive your 911-engined Boxster?”

“That’s different.”

“Why is it different?”

“Well, it’s a Boxster.”

“Why is it different?”

“It’s watercooled with a nice stereo and AC.“

“That sounds nice.”

“Yes, it’s too nice. I want something more visceral and raw.”

“Ah yes... you want something with rust.”

“This 914 won’t have rust.”

“They all have rust.”

I argued with this invisible asshole for two hours. In the end, he had me convinced the two happiest days I’d have with the 914 would be the day I picked it up and the day I sold it. Everything in between would be a never-ending battle to keep it alive.

“But that’s part of the fun of having an old car,” I whined.

“For some people it’s fun. You’re not one of them. You cry when you change the oil.”

I knew this bastard was right but wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. I furiously clicked on a new dishwasher (ours was dead) from the Home Depot. It was on sale and included free delivery.

I showed him who was boss.

I dodged and weaved through traffic while fumbling with an iPhone. I needed to get a picture of this thing… I don’t know why.

Les Bidrawn
Editor
europeancar@sorc.com

http://www.superstreetonline.com/features/...4-want-vs-need/

[JmuRiz]

Say whaaaat?
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

Thinking about buying a 914 from George...then seeing the talking-to-self conversations, it made perfect sense (IMG:style_emoticons/default/screwy.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[76-914]

Great read. LOL. You hit a nerve when you wrote crying about changing the oil. I used to cry about not having a garage wherein I could do a proper oil change. Then it became the problem of not having a proper floor jack. I now have a garage and a 2 post lift. This time I'm crying about not having an adjustable height oil catch pan.
If there is room for one more voice in your head, "Buy yourself another one, buy yourself another one". And don't worry about wife's resulting tirade. Just recuse yourself. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif)

[Elliot Cannon]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif) Dodged and weaved through traffic while fumbling with an iPhone? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[bandjoey]

I wonder if Les ever bought a 914. Think I'll send an email to see what happened. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[nditiz1]

Les - Thanks for the great read. I had the same argument with myself on the 3 hour trek home without buying the 73 2.0 for 7k.

I could use the money for something else like adding a 3rd bay onto the garage so I could get a lift.

Or get a different vehicle all together like another beetle, or a bus, or a ghia, or a dune buggy.

Driving home telling my wife "yes you were right, I don't need another car," yet here I am still crawling the boards and the seller websites for that diamond in the rough.

It's an internal battle I am fighting everyday.

[rgalla9146]

I drove my fun loving 1970 last Saturday, one hour to a gathering and another hour home.......in blazing sun.....with my pasty white skin. No AC, no fun.
Must be gettin' old
I'll take the right Cayman even trade.
A GT4 would do the trick.

[wndsnd]

I drove my fun loving 1970 last Saturday, one hour to a gathering and another hour home.......in blazing sun.....with my pasty white skin. No AC, no fun.
Must be gettin' old
I'll take the right Cayman even trade.
A GT4 would do the trick.

You are a lost soul....

[Steve]

I agree with him. Great story. That's why most of us work on our own cars. There hobby cars, never finished.

[wes]

I can relate to the happiest days in a 914 owners life the day I bought it and the day I sold it, seems like I've also lived that lifestyle in sail boats as well.
Oh no my wife must be right about my addictive behavior after all! Don't tell her I said that though!
Or how about I finally got it perfect,,,, I think I'm going to make it better if I just changed this, of course that means I'll need a different set of,,,,,,oh oh!

[halmil]

I hear that a lot of people regret the day they sold their old Porsche.
Like me and my pristine 15k mile 1989 911 3.2 Silver Anniversary Edition!!!