Why a 914?, and not some other sporty car Options

[Jaiden]

I've been dreaming about getting a teener for months now and my fiance has asked me.... Why do you want a 30 year old car instead of some other sporty car like a MR2 or a miata. For a second I didn't know how to answer and was thinking that the later would be alot easier to get parts for and cheaper as well but would not have the same CG and polar moment as the teener.

hell I've never even been in a 914 so I can't say it's how it drives. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/driving.gif)

So why did you chose a teener over another car?

[Part Pricer]

I drove one. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/MDB2.gif)

[bondo]

Yup, drive it and there's no comparison. There's also so much you can do. Try putting a V8 in an MR2. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)

[Mueller]

never drove one or had been in one before someone gave me my 1st one for free.....it seemed like an fun project so I took it on....10 years later and a few 914s later, I'm still hooked.....

i'm not sure I could recommend a 914 unless I knew the persons mechanical skill....you don't "have" to have money to own one of these cars, but it helps if you have a budget that you don't mind blowing thru once in a while (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)

[type47]

poor self-esteem, self-inflicted knuckle busting and uncontrollable urge to give away money without hope of recouping investment..... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wacko.gif)

[Aaron Cox]

cuz they are the best handling VW out there.... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

got a ride in one. had to have one.
got to drive mike z's sixers..... need a six....

got a ride in a 3.6 914- dont need one of dem....id kill mahself (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)

[tat2dphreak]

I don't like rice, but I like saurkraut... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif)


to be serious: I looked at miatas, and mr2s(kinda scarce), ghias, 944s, Zs, etc... but I found a 914 that I thought was a good buy, and I could afford it... so I thought, what the hell... I'd never driven one either, but one drive and I was HOOKED...

miatas, mr2s, Zs etc are all good cars... but something with the 914 just clicked in me and I am addicted to it like crack... part of it is the 914 community too... I would have long since given up if not for the helpful people on this site and others... and I'd probably have some numb-feeling car that I really don't like as much... but it would probably be on the road already (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif) but that's not the important thing to me... I like something to wrench on...

honestly, if you want a good sports car, there ARE more reliable and cheaper "projects" that can be a TON of fun... BUT, for me, there's just something about the 914... something about the bastard son of VW and Porsche... something that's you can't explain, but it's a great feeling when you pull up next to someone who actually recognizes it... or even if they just come up and say "what is that?" it's great!

[Jaiden]

To me it's not about the money, but about the enjoyment. If something was free but not fun I wouldn't do it.

I have been feeling that with a teener it might be the car, but it sure seams that it is the community as well.

I think that working on any car has it's fun/Pain/cash flow problems. I guess I'm going to have to find a ride in a teener to really tell if it's the car that draws you in or the people.

Be honest with me are they REALLY as fun to drive as I hope they are??

[anthony]

I got hooked on 914s because my uncle had two when I was a kid - one in 72 and another in '74. I always lusted after 911s too but they always seemed more exotic and unattainable (at least when I was 10 or 12 years old :-)). I finally bought a 914 when I had a real garage to store it in. I went with a 914 first because of budget. Now, I have both a 911SC and two 914s and love them all in different ways.

One thing that keeps me wanting to own a 914 is the local SF Bay Area community. The support, commaraderie, and synergy for these cars is incredible. It makes me want to always keep a 914 just so I can take it to events, fun runs, WCCs, and monthly breakfasts.

And there are still a ton of other cool vintage cars I wouldn't mind owning. My second love is probably BMWs. I'd love to get a fully tricked out 2002 tii. Another uncle had an '87 325is when it was new. I got to drive it a couple of times and was incredibly impressed. When my daily driver croaks, I could definitely see myself going for a newer 3 series.

I've also always liked VWs too. An '83/84 GTI was my dream car when I was in college. If I stumbled on to a minty original GTI, it would be hard to pass up fulfilling that cheap car fantasy.

[tat2dphreak]

QUOTE (Jaiden @ May 20 2005, 01:27 PM)

Be honest with me are they REALLY as fun to drive as I hope they are??

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/lol2.gif) all that and more!! first time I took my first one around the block... I was grinning from ear to ear, spinning the tires like a kid at every stop... when I took my (now)wife for her first ride... she couldn't stop giggling... and that was only a tired carbed 1.7 with weak tires, and KYBs on all 4 corners...


go to one of the events, midwest, MUSR, WCC, fall foliage, any of them... see for yourself... it may not be the same experience for you...

some things:
if you want all the comforts of a newer car?.... don't bother...
bad back... think about it, but probably not...
want a lot of power? (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/lol2.gif) (unless you go Raby big 4, big 6, or wasserpumper)
100% reliable? don't bother

ah, forget it...
really, you just have to drive/ ride in one!

[Mueller]

QUOTE

Be honest with me are they REALLY as fun to drive as I hope they are??

they "can" be...it really depends on the condition of the car and the person driving it....also the roads have a huge impact on how fun or enjoyable it is.....

I think a new Miata or MR2 would be blast to have..more modern with creature comforts and a warrenty....bad part is the car payments....I'm sure there are some crazy people like us out there that own them, but act more like a mental support group (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wacko.gif)

[lapuwali]

I've owned or driven three Miatas (old and new), three MR2s (1st and 2nd gen), and scads of other sports cars (German, Italian, and British). Nothing on that list of cars comes even close in the handling dept. Perhaps there's some exotica out there that will. A Europa or early Elan might be in the ballpark, but I've never driven either (and they're very fragile). I doubt there's anything even remotely close for the money, though.

Out of 23 cars, the 914 is the only car I've ever had more than one of. I'd happily buy a third.

The 914 also appeals on the hot-rod scale. I don't know of any other car that's has more drivetrains applied to it. There's a site that sells conversion kits to make a car all-electric. They sell a generic fwd setup, a specific kit for a Geo Metro, and a specific kit for the 914. That's it. And this place is NOT associated with Otmar and his "Zilla" line of electric car controllers (Otmar has a 914 electric drag racer). Kennedy sells more adapters for more engine types to the 914 gearbox than any other kind of gearbox by a large margin. The car simply doesn't have the snooty "keep it original" crowd attached to it that so many other European sports cars do.

[Ferg]

Bought my first one 4 years ago from a picture, had never even sat in one, and had only seen a few in my lifetime...
Flew to CA and drove it home 1100 miles, that day, what a blast! I didn't even know where to put the gas at my first gas stop, Doh!

At first I wanted a sub 5k summer toy, that I could auto-x, work on myself, join some sort of club with, and wanted something not on every street corner.

Now, completly addicted and alot of $ later I have zero regrets.

Anyone can go out a "modern sportscar" but it takes a Enthusiast to own a 30 year old one...

Ferg.

[Jaiden]

See this is why I think the community has Soooooo much to do with the whole experience.

You've given me lot's of ammo for the talk with the Fiance. I know that I'll love it the moment I drive one.

Now if only I could scrape up a couple of thousand more to get a Teener in great shape.

Oh and I'm ready for the life with a teener cause i already have Jack stands!! Ha!

[tat2dphreak]

QUOTE (Jaiden @ May 20 2005, 01:50 PM)

Now if only I could scrape up a couple of thousand more to get a Teener in great shape.

if you want to drive it any time soon, don't SKIMP... get a good, fairly rust-free car... the body is the hard part to find...

get the best you can afford, you won't regret it...

[newto914s]

QUOTE (tat2dphreak @ May 20 2005, 10:27 AM)

... I like something to wrench on...

I bought one without every driving too. But after everything I read I knew it was the car for me.
The car drives like no other. Aircooled is the shizit. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/aktion035.gif) With a 10mm and 13mm wrench and Gandi like patience you can fix almost anything on the car. Oh, and with the two trunks I can fit all my band instrument(I teach music) baritone, trombone, trumpet, Sax, Calinet, flute, and a music stand. Try to cram that into a Miata.

[messix]

just got one.

miata's are girls cars. and nothing else seemed to have the top off , and basic easy to work on with parts relatively cheap [try to get muscle cars parts like body and trim]. besides i remember when i was a kid i thought they looked cool [adriatic blue is fixed in my memory].

and this year it was going to be a cuiser bike or a sports car. i dont think the value of what i bought is going to go down.

[Katmanken]

Because there is nothing out there like it.....

Roof comes off,
built in rollbar,
not one but two HUGE trunks,
lotsa interior room (try a Miata on for size),
Mid engine (best place),
great fuel economy,
great fun to drive,
great handling,
light weight,
balance,
low cost (except for parts),
it's the Mr. Potatohead of cars... add a 911 front end, a 911 engine, or almost any other engine of your choice,

And, oh yeah, show me another 30 year old car you can bring to the track and make other drivers nervous.....

[SLITS]

I had Sprites, MGBs and Truimphs.....worked for a 914/6 race team....built streetcar for owner and had to drive it to his girlfriend (his wife drove a Caddy), have been hooked ever since(couldn't afford one)....My first teener was bought in '76....I have owned 6.....not another car like it, even though it is a Deutscher WindSucking POS (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wub.gif)

Yeh, there's better and newer, but they are all fakes!

[Jaiden]

[QUOTE]And, oh yeah, show me another 30 year old car you can bring to the track and make other drivers nervous.....

Now this is what I'm talking about!!!