Bruce Jenner's 914, Is it worth selling? Options

[meilin4]

I bought Bruce Jenner's 914 (the one he bought new back in the day). It's in okay shape, I guess. Definitely not great. It's fairly straight and doesn't have much rust. I have documentation and bought it knowing it was his car. I'm not into restoring cars, I just bought it because I've always wanted a 914, not to restore, but to do some light customization. Question is: Do I customize it? Or sell it and get another 914 for me? In other words is it worth selling? It doesn't run, it definitely needs a lot of work. It would cost about $1,000-2,000 to replace since I live in Idaho and would have to travel and probably tow another one back here to replace this one. I know this is vague, but I'm only looking for vague opinions. Does the fact that it's Bruce Jenner's 914 make it more valuable enough that I shouldn't mess with it and just sell it? Thanks in advance!

[Michael N]

Here is an interesting clip from an interview from 2009 with Bruce Jenner.

http://www.chron.com/cars/article/56-Ford-...uce-1620204.php

If you have never pulled the trigger on that dream car of yours what would it be?

I have that story. 1976, the year I won the games, was the first year that Porsche came out with the Turbo Porsche. I was driving a $175 VW Bug. That’s what I did when I was training. I drove this ’63 Bug to the track and back. I made no money for the games, I couldn’t make any money. I lived on like $10,000 a year. I had a $145-a-month apartment and I trained, that’s what I did. I trained and ate.

Six months before the games I signed this deal with Adidas. They couldn’t sponsor me, but they could sponsor my track club. And kind of filter expenses through the track club. It just so happens I’m the only member of my track club.

I got $6,000 from the Adidas deal. I now have $6,000. I’m thinking, I get $170 a month and I only spend $400. So I bought this brand-new 914 Porsche, the only new car I’d ever bought, for $5600.

What was the color?

I didn’t like the color. The color was green, but it was the only one they had in the 1.8. I couldn’t afford the 2.0. I took and got some white pin-striping and I put it along the sides just to break it up. My payments were $98, and I’m thinking, how am I going to pay that?

Well, low and behold, right after I buy this little 914, my first new car ever, what does Porsche come out with? The first Turbo ever.

I see this thing and I’m going, is that the coolest car ever? I go into the dealership and check it out and I’m thinking, man, look at this thing!

So I come back and Playboy had done an article on it: ‘Life begins at 3000 RPM!’

You were picturing yourself in it. Cruising down the freeway?

I’m thinking to myself, if I can pull the games off, I will get that car. I’m buying that car. Done deal.

I cut the picture of the car out. I took the picture to Montreal. I was in a bunk bed on the top and I taped the picture of that car above my bed.

So you used it like a focal point.

Yes, and 3 months later it was sitting in my driveway.

Over the years I upgraded it. I kept it for almost 20 years. It was better 20 years later than when I bought it.

I’m sure you opened it up. How fast did you get it?

I had it over 100 but I never really drove it that hard. I’m not a big-hard driver on the street. Too dangerous. I just go to the track and do it.