914 Journey to the Concours, Project: 1974 914 2.0L LE Bumblebee Options

[JeffBowlsby]

Because it handles so well out of the box, most 914 owners want a 914 so they can tinker with it, race it, and modify it so that it is ‘better’ than the factory ever envisioned, to whatever their definition of ‘better’ is from their perspective. We have seen so many great things on the internet about the 914 lately, on this website and others. It is exciting to see the interest in the car thrive and I am glad to be a part of it.

As much as I appreciate and admire the modified cars and the tremendous efforts put into them, I really like the stock, factory original cars the most. I don’t know if it’s the nostalgia or what, but to see and be near a 914 that looks, feels and smells like it just rolled off the assembly line 30 years ago is an exciting event for me. So many have been modified, and so few are original. I don’t know if I ever will be able to have a 914 that is a contender in a Concours event, but I think it would be fun to try. This continuing saga will be my online chronicle of the effort. I prefer to use photos so I will attempt to include lots of them as I go. To anyone who doesn’t share my enthusiasm for original cars or stock restorations, I hope you will still appreciate and encourage my journey. One great thing about these cars is that they are intriguing on more than one level and this project is about preserving originality for us, and future generations, to enjoy. But I still will drive it to enjoy its best attributes…

Here are a few detail shots of my car VIN 14536, the object of this thread, that I recently sent to Otto, to assist him in the restoration of his 914 LE Bumblebee VIN 14700:

[JeffBowlsby]

Concours Rules

I am occasionally going to spend some time reviewing the PCA Rules for Concours in my Zone, which is Zone 7. I am not currently a PCA member, and as it turns out, no one needs to be a member to participate at the entry level…any Porsche owner can participate. To actually compete for awards, PCA membership is required. I will omit certain rules that seem more administrative and less important.

1. and 2. Definitions and Eligibility

A Concours is a competition, following rules adopted by its sponsors. For anyone who doesn’t care about rules, Concours are probably not a good fit. For Porsche 914s, the most common Concours events I know of are the local PCA Concours, and my local region is Zone 7. There are also private Concours events sponsored by local charities or other organizations. I had recently enquired of the large, local Vintage VW club, if they would allow 914s in their big annual Vintage VW show in San Jose, and they were simply not interested. The 914 is a rejected species. Not a Porsche, Not a VW…When will they understand its the best of both, when will we accept that its neither? What they don’t know works to our benefit…the 914 is a hidden treasure and its good for us owners that not many appreciate the car like we do.

From the PCA Zone 7 Competition Series Rules (8 pages in total):

“1.1 Concours d'Elegance, a term denoting a gathering of automobiles in competition for judging their relative merits in terms of coachwork design, finish, and appointments. The purpose of the Concours in PCA is to select the Porsche in the best condition according to the standards discussed below.

1.2 Judging. Vehicles entered are judged independently by a team of judges who deduct points for flaws and non-originality from the total "perfect" score.

1.3 Originality. The vehicles are judged on how close they are to the way they were delivered when new to the buying public by an authorized Porsche dealer or distributor. Originality will not be judged in the Wash & Shine Category or the Competition/Special Interest Category.”

So you don’t need to have a 10,000 mile original car to compete. Each car is categorized so that it competes with other cars of equal caliber.

“1.4 Maintenance and Preparation. Judging in this area is to determine how well the owner of the vehicle has maintained the vehicle, including cleanliness, wear and tear, touch-up, lubrication, etc.

2.1 All PCA members in good standing who hold a valid PCA membership card and who have paid their registration fees and have signed all registration forms and releases will be eligible.”

So that’s what the Concours is about, in a nutshell. One needs to be a PCA member to compete in PCA Concours events, but as we will see, PCA membership is not required to participate at the entry levels. A perfect car in the highest competition categories has to be original, flawless, show no wear and be spotlessly clean. That’s a tall order.

But the way I read the rules…do I need to be a PCA member as owner of a car that is entered? It sounds like the person entering the car needs to be a member, but the owner doesn’t necessarily need to belong. Is that a loophole? If I don’t join the PCA, maybe a PCA friend will enter it for me?