Is a 914 right for me?, 914 newbie questions Options

[MiddleMan]

Okay, so I currently have a 2008 Cayman. It’s beautiful. It’s fast. Handles great. Just a fabulous car in general; I’m sure you’ve read the reports. Trouble is, I have a really hard time hanging on to a car for more than a couple of years- regardless of how much I like it- and I can really feel that itch coming on.

My Cayman:


And having some experience with a water-cooled Porsche, it seems only reasonable to look next at an air-cooled variant. I’m thinking about the 914 for its obvious similarities to the Cayman (or vice versa, perhaps), as well as its reasonable entry price. And while the Cayman is great, I really like having a relatively light car (previously had an early Miata and MR2 Spyder), just because it feels right.

Currently my Cayman shares DD duties with my truck and bicycle, though a 914 would likely be relegated just to pleasure driving. I don’t have a ton of mechanical experience, though I did use an old British car as a DD for a while in school and managed to keep that going pretty well.

I’ve done a few AX, and would likely continue with that, though so far I haven’t been on the track.

I haven’t sat in or driven a 914 yet, though there are plenty for sale nearby (i.e., www.HighPerformanceHouse.com is just a few miles away). Is there any obvious reason as to why I should not seriously consider making a switch like this? I know the deal about buying the best example possible, rust issues, PPI, etc. I also know that this board will likely have a different perspective than a Cayman board…

Thanks for any thoughts.

[RJMII]

Part of the appeal is that I actually could do something to the car.

THere are some great articles here, and a lot of support within the community. If you are willing to learn, and want to enjoy doing some work on a car, the 914 is an excellent choice.

If you want to make the journey to the middle of nowhere, I'll trade you test drive for test drive. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) You can see what it's like to ride in a 914 on jackstands. I'll even let you make the vroom vroom noises.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)

as for changing cars every couple of years, my wife and I do that with our daily drivers. I don't know that we last a couple of years, though. We go on the theory that if the plates expire, so does our interest in that vehicle. (if they keep our interest that long)

[MiddleMan]

as for changing cars every couple of years, my wife and I do that with our daily drivers. I don't know that we last a couple of years, though. We go on the theory that if the plates expire, so does our interest in that vehicle. (if they keep our interest that long)

Exactly. Cayman is car number ~12 for me, while my GF just picked up her 3rd after having her previous for 8 years...

Thanks again for all the replies, I do appreciate it!

Chris