how'd you get hooked?, your 914 story Options

[silver74insocal]

hi guys, just wondering what got you hooked on this little car. if you've got a moment..please elaborate (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) thanks, Dave

[ws91420]

Mines simple. Was looking for a Karman Ghia and saw a 914 sitting for sale on the side of the road. Looked at it, bought it, and the rest is history.

[mojorisen914]

My uncle had one back in '84 and we had some good times in that car. 22 years later I bought mine. Not sure what took me so long to buy one but glad I did. I'll pass it down to my 6yo nephew one day for him to enjoy.

Happy Motoring and Happy New Years to you guys and gals!

[etcmss]

bought one new (72 tangerine) -loved it---kids came -had to be practical -sold it. Recent years had opportunity to rebuild one --cheap barn find--bought 2 more and sold them and have one left--still enjoy this...

[zymurgist]

Many many years ago, my dad had a 356. I thought it was the coolest car ever. I looked around for a 914 as it was the cheapest Porsche around, but couldn't find one locally (this was the early '80s) so I settled for a '73 Celica instead. (Cool car too, but it got wrecked.)

914s fell off my radar for years, until a friend bought one in the late 90s and named it Babydoll. Her husband wouldn't let her spend any money on a proper mechanic, so I stepped up to be the wrench. Now I get Babydoll from time to time when I am repairing her, although last time I had to give up my tail dragger for a couple of weeks (because we swapped cars to keep them both garaged).

[scotty b]

A guy at a prty told me he had something I'd love. We went outside got in his car, and I experienced the rush of a lifetime. Saw him the next weekend and asked for another shot at it. Got the typical line of " hey man, I really like you but this stuff does cost me money ya know " So being the decent guy I am I ponied up a few bucks. Many years later and several $1000.00's later, I finally beat my crack addiction.

[Gint]

When I was was a kid I bought a 1976 Road & Track Sports and GT Cars edition. I carried that mag around for a couple of months and read it cover to cover more than once. Among others it had a 914, a 911 and a 930 in it. That coupled with the 914 that was parked on the street down the block with that 150 MPH speedo (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shocked[1].gif) were probably the earliest provocation for me. I spend a lot of time now hunting down classic cars that I dreamed of owning in my youth and snapping them up for a little fun. The 914 is but one of a loooong list!

Not sure why this is in the sandbox. Definitely garage material. Moving...

[tat2dphreak]

after college, I was making (what I thought) was good money... I had a nice apartment, no GF/wife(not looking for one either) so I decided to get a project, something I could play with and still tweak. I looked at BMW z3s, a miata I almost bought, several 944s(I always wanted a 911). 911s were out of my range tho. I saw an ad in the paper for a 72 914. I called, talked to the guy. went over, drove it, the brakes needed work, but I had NO CLUE what else to look for... I worked on it for a while, but soon found I'd bought a worthless pile of rust that was falling in half. so I bought the car I have now as a roller, and 6+ years later it's finally "done" enough to be on the road.

[zymurgist]

Many years later and several $1000.00's later, I finally beat my crack addiction.

(IMG:http://longtermtourists.com/fark/quizzical_dog.gif)

[sixaddict]

Maybe it is my affinity for the underdog ! After selling a primo 73 S I decided this was my path to "fast". Bought a bone stock 6 except for some unspecified engine warming and found it was my path to "slow". Slowly turned it into a winner (even managing to whip my good friend Terry Z (ONCE ) at an AX. (That IS a war story) ...Went back to 911s and never got the satification compared to making that little car handle. Sold it when big tired corvettes of late 80s started killing me with there ABS and 17 inch wheels. Returned to 914-6s 2 years ago and have the "habit " bad ... Run conversion GT on the track to avoid potential of killing a real one but love em all. One that turns my crank the most is 2.7 with mechanical inj with gears .

[tradisrad]

'cause I not be too smart.

[codices]

Started my love affair with Porsche in the early 60's while living in upstate NY. Bought a well used 356 Speedster (from a local dentist) while a member of the Southern New York Region of the SCCA (as a member worked as a Pit Marshall in two of the F-1 races at Watkins Glen) and really enjoyed the "oversteering--throttle steering" qualities of the 356.

Moved to Colorado in 1976 (after living in New Zealand for 6 years) and bought a '71 914 to get back into the Porsche fun. Lost it in an accident and bought a '74 2.0 that I restored (the one in the picture) and then sold it to my daughter in Amarillo where it now resides and I have visiting rights. I now have another '74 (1.8) that is the doner for the Buick/Rover V-8 conversion.

Having owned a 356 Speedster and run the course at Thompson, Conneticut, I will still take a 914 every time. Dollar for dollar they are the best.

Dave

[Socalandy]

Met a really cute blonde that moved in across the street from where I was renting around 1989 and she had a silver 2.0

Once I drove it on one of our dates and I was hooked. One the car!! Last I heard from her she ran the engine dry and seized the motor. I should have bought it then but I found one a few years later and recently found some pics of my 1st 914

70 with a 2.0 from a 74. Original color under the white and purple was Yellow (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) and boy did it have rust issues!!!!

[jsayre914]

My dad loved to work on cars as i was growing up Triumph, Alfa, Spitfire ,etc. always little cars. he would rebuild them in the barn, respray them and sell them. i guess it imprinted my brain. i love little sport cars. saw a 914 decided my budget for a sport car started looking to buy one. was working in fells point baltimore one day talking to the lady making my sandwich you know (i am about to buy a porsche conversation (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) ) when she tells me her husband has enough parts and two rollers he could assemble one complete car for me at a pre agreed apon price. I agreed and we wrote a 2 page contract and both signed it.

6-8 months later the car was almost done, the guy split town left me the keys, never heard from him again. car was running and i drove it home to finish building it. i had never paid the guy the final installment. i was happy (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

drove it every day. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

had a kid, sold it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

had another kid (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

bought a nicer one (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

THE END

[Ian Stott]

In 1973 I was just a young Private in the Air Force, had enough money for a movie and a milkshake, when I saw a brand new one at a dealership in Barrie Ontario, loved it right away. I got a 74 in 05 that was too far gone to save and then got the 73 2.0 that I am driving now, the 74 became a parts car. I am very happy to finally have one, I drive or did drive for a living and have many miles in many different vehicles under my belt, still get a thrill like no other tooling around in my teener.

Ian Stott
Moncton
Canada

[kafermeister]

Dad was a foreign car mechanic in the 1980's and had bought a '75 1.8 repo from the local bank. I got to drive it every once in a while and liked it.

[aircooledtechguy]

Since I was a baby, we had to drive by Hanson VW/Porsche/Audi In Olympia, WA to get where we were going. A car guy seemingly at birth, I always loved looking at the VWs and Porsches as we drove by (as well as anything else with wheels and a motor). Seeing that brand new 914 on the pedestal ramp did it for me. I was hooked since I can remember probably around 1970-71 when I was 4 or 5 y/o. Took me a long time to finally get one, but it was well worth the wait!!

I didn't always have good taste though. In 1973 also fell in love with the VW Things. . . It wasn't until 30 years later that I had the chance to drive couple of Things. . . What loud tinny POSs they are. . . (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif)

[Chris Pincetich]

Researching the best home EV conversion, and concluded it was the 914
Bought one, drove it, kept driving it, raced it, kept racin it
Still saving money for the EV kit!
In the mean time, everything but the stock 1.7 is getting restored and race prepped.
Light and tight will be great once the EV drivetrain is in, so no worries.
Just enjoying the ride one day at a time (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[EdwardBlume]

"My mother was a french prostitute named Chloe..." (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

[jmill]

My neighbor had a siver 914-6 in the 70's. I always loved the look and sound of it. He put on just the rear flares in late 70's early 80's. It looked even better. He ended up getting killed in a house fire shortly after that trying to save the car. Sad story. Anyhow I always loved the car and it took 40 years for me to actually bite the bullet and get one. I've spent tons of money and time on other cars I didn't care for as much. I might as well do it with a car I actually want to keep.