3,800 Mile 914 - Preservation Ideas, How to maintain low milage 914 Options

[914x2]

I’m looking for some advice on how to “preserve” a very low milage 914. The car has 3,800 miles on it. I purchased it from a Porsche collector who bought it at this auction:
https://rmsothebys.com/auctions/mo17/lots/r...porsche-914-18/

For background, I purchased my first 914 for $600 in the 80’s at age 14 with five years of lawn mowing savings. The car didn’t run, had a lot of damage and was riddle with rust. My father and I spent a couple years getting it running, repaired the rust and “restored” it. I’ve owned old Porsches ever since.

I drive all my cars and frowned upon the idea of just displaying them in a garage. However, I now find myself feeling a bit like a caretaker of this car as it is likely one of the most original examples in the wild. So, I’ve morphed into the “display it in the garage” guy with this one.

I am looking for advice on how best to keep it mechanically sound while limiting miles. It is in a climate-controlled garage (always has been) with fluids changes every year. I use ethanal free gas as did the previous owner and I am removing the gas every year by pumping it from this car into my wife’s SUV. I take it on a 10 mile drive every 6 months.

I’d appreciate thoughts on anything I should, or should not, be doing to achieve the goal of preserving the “originality” of this car while still exercising the mechanicals.

[wonkipop]

I’m looking for some advice on how to “preserve” a very low milage 914. The car has 3,800 miles on it. I purchased it from a Porsche collector who bought it at this auction:
https://rmsothebys.com/auctions/mo17/lots/r...porsche-914-18/

For background, I purchased my first 914 for $600 in the 80’s at age 14 with five years of lawn mowing savings. The car didn’t run, had a lot of damage and was riddle with rust. My father and I spent a couple years getting it running, repaired the rust and “restored” it. I’ve owned old Porsches ever since.

I drive all my cars and frowned upon the idea of just displaying them in a garage. However, I now find myself feeling a bit like a caretaker of this car as it is likely one of the most original examples in the wild. So, I’ve morphed into the “display it in the garage” guy with this one.

I am looking for advice on how best to keep it mechanically sound while limiting miles. It is in a climate-controlled garage (always has been) with fluids changes every year. I use ethanal free gas as did the previous owner and I am removing the gas every year by pumping it from this car into my wife’s SUV. I take it on a 10 mile drive every 6 months.

I’d appreciate thoughts on anything I should, or should not, be doing to achieve the goal of preserving the “originality” of this car while still exercising the mechanicals.

its an interesting dilemma to have.

i have a 48,000 mile car. it was 34K when i bought it in 89.
i had it laid up for 16 years due to the average difficulties of life and its torments.
in the last 6-7 years i have clocked up 4K miles since recommissioning.

but its not in the league of your car.

whatever its worth as advice.
i drive mine probably at most once a month.
and when i take it out i make sure i drive it for at least an hour minimum.
and i get it warm. and once its warm i give it a damn good thrashing.
if i can. because life is short and the 914 is FUN in capital letters.

point. don't let it sit around for too long between drives. its bad for all the juicy bits.
and when you drive make sure the drive is not TOO SHORT because that is bad too.

i had an interesting problem just this last sunday.
half way through the drive the gear shift went spastic.
i was lucky to get it back to the workshop.
i had to fumble around at a set of lights for about 5 minutes trying to find a gear.
eventually found second and eased it off. you got to love that tourqey stump pulling type 4 engine. yesterday got it up on the hoist and pulled the shift rod.
the bushing at the firewall had completely turned to fragmented crumbling dust.
fortunately our "race department" here has a whole bag of 911 shift bushings.
go straight in. and i am back up and running.
so yes cars may have 3K miles on them but materials have 50 years of expended life.
bear that in mind on a jaunt in your time warp machine. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif)
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif)

in the end you still got to maintain them. and maintaining them is preserving them.