'74 914 2.0L with only 5K miles.... Options

[Cal]

This should be interesting to follow early next month at the Gooding & Company auction at Amelia Island......'74 Porsche 914 2.0L with only 5,000 miles. It was part of the Brumos Collection since 2003. The estimated auction price is between $60 - $80K....without reserve. This might set a new mark for 914/4's.

https://www.goodingco.com/vehicle/1974-porsche-914-2-0/

[SKL1]

One big advantage with '73 over '74 is no rear bumper tits. When I had my '73 front bumper rechromed I removed the front tits and had them fill the holes. Yeah, it's not "original" but with all the other stuff I did a PCA concours judge would probably have a stroke... even though he'd have trouble finding any dirt!

[Ansbacher]

[quote name='SKL1' date='Feb 14 2018, 05:20 PM' post='2579107']
One big advantage with '73 over '74 is no rear bumper tits. When I had my '73 front bumper rechromed I removed the front tits and had them fill the holes."

Yeah, until those rear tits save you from backing in to something hard and immovable, then you will wish you had them. Had the '73 HAD the rear tits and were removed for 1974, everyone would be saying here that it was part of the cheapening down of the '74 model year. I am glad to be a '74 owner, as it rarer than the '73 and somewhat of a one-off model year. Go 1974!

Ansbacher
'74 2.0L

[Tom_T]

[quote name='Ansbacher' date='Feb 15 2018, 12:02 PM' post='2579389']
[quote name='SKL1' date='Feb 14 2018, 05:20 PM' post='2579107']
Had the '73 HAD the rear tits and were removed for 1974, everyone would be saying here that it was part of the cheapening down of the '74 model year. I am glad to be a '74 owner, as it rarer than the '73 and somewhat of a one-off model year. Go 1974!

Ansbacher
'74 2.0L
[/quote]

Nothing against the 74's - I was just pointing out the changes made to production by Porsche to keep the car price competitive with their Japanese, Brit & Italian sports car competition. Going + $2000 from $5299 to $7299 in about 6-8 months was killing their sales, so they made some adjustments. It's just part of the History of the 914s.

Also, 73 & 74 MYs were the peak 914 production number years, with something like 40-60% being 2.0s (maybe - just a SWAG estimate by me), so production of 73 & 74 was about the same, with 74 only slightly less (by about 15%+/- IIRC). Note that the production number at the chart in the 914info on here is by ""Calendar Year," so it mixes the 2 MYs in each calendar year. Ergo, part of the 73 production were 74 MYs & only part of 74 were 74 MY (ther rest were 75 MY), & part of 72 were 73 MYs (but all 2.0's were 73 MY, & the part of the 1.7s were 72 MY) & only part of 73 were 73 MY.

The F & R Tits & BUBs were phased in by USA law under US-DOT for their phase-in of the mandated crash protection, with the "Tits" being 3 mph crash protection (or 5 mph?), with F mandated for 73 MY cars, & F + R for 74 MY cars; then the BUBs were 7 mph crash protection F & R mandated for the 75> MY.

So they couldn't have reversed the F+R tits for F only tits in 74 & 73 as a cost savings step.

Porsche did Tits & BUBs on the 914s, & Tits & according bumpers on the 911/912E/930's. However, the 914 BUBs were actually the test bed for the later body fared bumper covers of the later 964> era 914s - although body color painted in the latter case. So our 914s actually helped out the future bumper design of the 911, 924/944/968 & 928 etc. model lines!

IMHO the BUBs look great on the darker colored 914s & good on lighter colored ones (too bad they hadn't tried the body color paint, rather than all in flat black). Also IMHO, I'm okay with the look of F &/or F+R tits, but think that the early plain chrome bumpers looked better - even if less functional.

And - yes - I have benefited on several occasions with the front tits on my 73 saving the need for a new front bumper, but only in very low speed collisions.

While many feel that the 75-76 BUBs is a polarizing look & many hate them, the more critical change from 73-74 MYs was the introduction of more stringent smog controls starting in 73 MY & increased in 75> MY - wherein for CA it required the fateful "Crapalytic Converter" - making CA 914 even more gutless than its 49 State siblings. On top of that, the new stronger 7 mph BUBs added 200-300 lbs. to an already detuned car - exacerbating the power loss perception when driving them.

To illustrate this power comparison for the USA engines - the 70-72 1.7s put out 80 HP & dropped to 72 HP in 73 with the 1st stage of smog controls added, while the 1.8 improved that to 76 HP; while the 73-74 2.0 put out 95 HP, then the 2L's dropped to 88 HP for 75-76 - which is not much more than a nice 72 1.7 benefiting from all the updates of adjustable passenger seat, added dash vents, better tuned tail-shifter trans, etc. Add 200-300 lbs. more weight from the BUBs, & the power-to-weight ratio of a 75-76 2L is nearly the same as a 70-72 1.7L 914.

IMHO & for my own personal choice when I got my 914 in late 1975 - I test drove a couple of dozen 914s from every MY 70-76 - including a 71 914-6 which a buddy owned which was way out of my budget. While I loved the looks of the 75-76 in the Anacona Blue Metallic & Laguna Blue with White interior - I was nonplussed by the lack of power (& power-to-weight) making them more sluggish than the used 73-74 2L's which I'd test driven then. And my monthly payment would've been nearly the same with the used car at 3 year 80% financing at a higher interest rate, as would the new 75-76 at 5 year 100% loan at a lower rate - so price really wasn't a factor.

I'm just sharing some of the 914 history here - not making judgements on any particular MY or model, & only was pointing out that there were other mitigating factors which - at present - do not make the pricing of a 74 2.0 higher than a similarly equipped, optioned, miles & condition 73 2L.

Bottom line is that we all make/made our 914 decision(s) based on what fits us best. So yes Ansbacher, be proud of your 74! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Cheers! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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