Should I get a 914?, Advice on buying and owning a 914 Options

[TerrySmith]

So, I just joined 914-World because I've been thinking lately I would like to get a 914. OK, so I've wanted one since about 1980 but never got around to it. Am I too late?

I have almost no mechanical skills and no facility to do much work on the car myself. I would want to use the 914 as a weekend toy and maybe a DD so it needs to be nice looking and everything should work correctly and well. I have no garage space for it so it needs to not leak rain. I don't want oil stains on the driveway, etc. I do prefer close to original (not a perfectionist) and not majorly modified or race prepped. No V8s, Subaru motors or flared rear fenders, etc. No speaker holes in the doors. Prefer pre-1974 for the Chrome bumper look.

Would like to keep the whole thing (original cost plus restoration costs) below $20K - lower the better of course. That probably means no 914/6. Preference would be for one already restored.

So, bad idea, good idea, fun, doable or PITA mistake?

Also, can anyone recommend someone (a shop) who can do PPI, restoration and maintenance work in Silicon Valley who really know 914.

Thanks,

[rwilner]

Hi Terry,

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My opinion: unless you have some mechanical skills, you may find owning a 914 to be a frustrating experience. Even the most thorough PPI will miss things.

That said, for $20k, you should be able to get what you describe. That should get you just about the nicest 914-4 on planet earth.

I would also highly recommend you buy one that's fully restored. In general: in terms of value/$, you'll get way more car for say 15k than buying an $8k car and putting $7k into it (this is true of any vintage car). You're also correct that for a fully restored 6, you're looking at easily twice your budget.

My advice is to find a great 914, buy it for the best price you can and see how it goes. The nice thing about these cars is that the economics are nothing like buying a late model car. They don't depreciate (assuming you keep them in as good or better condition than you got them)...so if you find it's not for you...you can sell it and get your $$ back, assuming you didn't overpay for a basket case.

The other piece of good news is you're in the epicenter of 914s, so finding what you seek locally (one-day round trip) is a very real possibility...a luxury us east-coasters only dream about.

Finally: you need to get over the oil leaking thing. Every 914 with more than 10k miles on the rebuild will leak a drop or two. It's how they mark their territory. Buy some pads and put it under the engine where you park it. However, you can get one to be water-tight...at least, I was able to by replacing enough seals and adjusting the targa top. (Of course, many teener owners don't know if their car is water tight because it doesn't see rain.)

This is the best online car community on earth so post pictures of potential cars and ask questions here. Lots of great members here, at least one of whom is a Porsche factory-trained mechanic, that have BTDT and can help you avoid costly mistakes.

Good luck!
Rich