Your BEST & WORST 914 moments, any good stories? Options

[seanery]

I'll start this one off:

BEST: May 1999 when I took my 74 2.0 to the track the first time. Guess where it was? Laguna f'king Seca! What a great place to do my first event! The car really impressed me, it was bone stock except for the 205/55/15 BFG R1's. It stuck like glue, and I was so happy.

WORST: May 1990 coming home from the Indy 500 Parade. I was in traffic on 465 at Meridian street and the engine overheated and seized. (LONG story) I remember sitting on the guardrail and having people laughing at me, yelling out of their cars, "NICE PORSCHE, HAHA!" things like that. No one stopped! I eventually walked to a gas station and called AAA. They towed to the car to Farmer's and that's where he told me the bad news, yup, the motor's toast AND your suspension console is just about gone. I was a 20 year old kid and had no money, so I parted the car. I told my friend Dave, "I will have another one of these some day." It took almost 9 years, but I got another, now I've got 2!

Anyway, let's hear the stories!

[Brad Roberts]

Great idea for a thread.

Problem is: I outdue myself every week. Every week the crew cab and trailer are involved in some 914 related "fiasco"

I'll think of something.

B

[vortrex]

wanted a 914 since I was 16 in MI. actually got one when I was 17, but on inspection the local VW shop (steves VW for the MI people) said too much rust, and I made a return. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

anyways, 10 years later I move to the bay area, leaving my jetta behind in the hopes of getting a 914. I settle in SF and end up getting a '73 914 2.0 from seattle, flew up and drove it home. a nice and complete original car with 130k miles on it. I then start my new job in the bay area and in the first week of commuting there is disaster! coming home from work on 101, right before the city, I come over the top of a hill to see gridlock in all lanes. I managed to stop just fine, but as I sat there being the last car in line I just had a feeling something bad was going to happen. sure enough, the next vehicle over the hill is not paying attention, brakes are locked up, smoke, squealing, and then SMASH right into rear of my 1 week old 914! of course it couldn't have been a chevette or a geo metro, had to be a beater F150 pickup truck.

strangely enough, when we went to exchange insurance info, the two guys in the truck were from flint, MI which is about 30 miles from where I just moved from! they were on a vacation road trip and happened to leave MI about the same time I did. it's like they were just following me for weeks to wait until I got a 914 they could smash. yes, I have bad luck. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

[GWN7]

Towing the 72 doner car out to the farm, for it to rust in piece. It's on the car dolly, we are half way across the city and I had just said to my son "We should have brought the camera" and SCREACH!!!! I look in the rear mirror. The car has broken in half. Two guys in a 1/2 ton stop and laugh. They also helped us wedge 2x4's into it and chain it back together so we can get it home. Out comes the sawsall to finish what mother natures rust hasn't. I gets loaded on the utility trailer and this spring it will be hoisted up an old oak tree to become the worlds first 914 wind chime. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Best: Driving home thru the mountains. Top down, open road

[mskala]

Worst-to-Best moment: (keep in mind this was a first car and I knew nothing
way back then)
My friends and I went to pick up my new 14-year old '73 914 in
another city. Drove off, brake pedal goes quickly to the floor the first
application. Crappy e-brake still gets us to the side of a gas station. We
get out, my friend looks at the Haynes manual for a minute or so, then
says, 'got a paper clip?'. Unfolds the paper clip, takes off the brake cap,
sticks it in the vent hole a few times, pedal comes back and we're off.
Mark S.
'70 914-6

[cha914]

worst: spending a whole day putting a newly rebuilt motor in the car for the first time...crank it over to see if it holds oil pressure, and within minutes the garage floor has oil all over it ... oil cooler had sprung a leak...

best moment so far...taking the car on a 3+ hour romp through all the curvy roads I know - felt good to actually enjoy the car as a sports car for a while and not just a project...

and it will only get better when I get to tear around the track for the first time this spring (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

Tony

[Jeffs9146]

Best moment:
Hitting the corner (at twice the speed) on mulhullen drive in my 914-6 two weeks after wrecking my 67 Mustang convertible on the same corner!

Worst moment:
Besides wrecking the Mustang.........? The drunk driver who destroyed the 6!
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/ar15.gif)

[JWest]

One of the worst from long ago:
Background: I had a VW bug that I had installed a 901 gearbox into and had rebuilt a couple of 901s.
Had just built a hot 2056 and rebuilt the trans for my 914. Got it running in record time - everything went great. Went for a test drive - "what's wrong with my shifter?!?" Grind a few gears, think about it - drive it some more - NOOOOO - I put the diff in like a 911 and had 5 reverse gears! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) Had it fixed the next day and got a lot of laughs from it!

Best: I was in a parking lot waiting to go on a caravan road trip with a group. I was leaning against my 914 looking cool (at least I thought so!) doing my best James Dean impression. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif) I saw this gorgeous girl walking over with a couple in the group - a year later she was my wife! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smlove2.gif) The 914 made a good first impression!

[Andyrew]

That reminds me of how my dad drove home my car, like maybe 40 miles, but.... The clutch cable was broken loose, therefore not much clutch, if we stoped he'd have to turn off the car and put it in first, then turn on the car. the brake pedal stuck, the brakes sucked. The valves were leeking, and smoked everywhere. the lights didnt work. the tires were like 195 55 15's, the suspention was Completely out of allignment. the battery was dying, and it was really low on oil, with bad gas. THAT was the proudest moments in my life, I had bought 3 914's, 2 parts cars, (my car still amazes me with the little amount of rust it has) with all MY money,($950 but hey). At that time it was my best, at that time it was my dads worst. gawd he's a good driver.

[rick 918-S]

Here's one I can think of. I'll need to set the scene and give you all some back ground. as I recall this took place about ten years ago.
When I had my Body Shop my shop manager bought a hot 2.0 from Brad Mayuer. The car ran sweet and it was fast. Dave my shop manager spent about 2 months during the winter repairing all the rust. I painted it a nice gaurds red for him.
I needed to go see the metel crafter and use his English Wheel for a custom repair panel on a customers street rod. I hadn't driven Dave's car yet so he tossed me the keys and said go for it.
My upholstery friend Clint and I headed out in Dave's 914. It was a great sunny spring day. The metal crafters was about a 25 mile trip. The trip took us on the freeway, (at high speed) some twisties on the back roads, and through a few small towns. I really enjoyed the drive there.
After I finished up the panel we started on the return trip. Clint took the wheel and I was shot gun. You need to understand Clint used to drive a modified 69 Boss 302 at B.I.R. in 1970. He's not a novice behind the wheel. He was starting to get used to the feel of the car as we got closer to the freeway. As we crossed the overpass heading for the 90 degree negitive on ramp Clint down shifts and cans it! Before we both reallized it we were in a 4 wheel drift sliding onto the ramp. The car was so out of shape I thought we were done. I remember looking out the passager window and seeing the concrete ramp and watching the tappered curb get closer fast. I remember thinking "I wonder how much this is going to cost!" (worse moment!)
All of the suddened I looked over at Clint and watched him loosen the death grip on the wheel. I remember hearing the steering wheel spinning through his hands, I watched him give it a quick thrust in the direction we were heading, and just as fast as we were out of control, we were heading down the ramp like nothing happened! Clint never lifted off the gas and was pulling the next gear!
We both cused alot and talked about how cool that was. We agreed not to tell Dave how bad we abused his car. I think it must have been several years before the story came up while we were all standing around bench racing. I'd like to say Clint's just that good of a driver. But that's just not true. It was the greatest moment of shear luck I've ever seen displayed! I get pumped just thinking about it!

[seanery]

These are good, keep 'em coming!!

9 responses and a hundred and how many members!

C'mon guys, these are chevettes, I know there are more stories out there!

[seanery]

oops (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) , that's supposed to say,

These aren't chevettes!

[ChrisReale]

Best moment-driving my 73 2.0 for the first time, a few months ago.

Worst-havent had a total disaster yet, but I get pretty pissed when it starts to rain and I have the 914 out :finger2:

[Brad Roberts]

Chris,

from what I understand, your first drive must have been really cool. Can you give us some detail how you came about this 914 ? Its cool if you dont want too.

B

[ChrisReale]

My dad bought the car back in 1989 totally stock, with like 180,000 miles on it. He drove it around, but the injection took a crap on him, so he parked it. He had prev. converted our VW rabbit to Carbs, so he decided to do the same with the 914. During the process, something fell into the intake port and seized the engine up completely. He was beside himself trying to figure it out. He suffered from depression associated with being in the Vietnam war, and I think not being able to fix the car along with the depression were too much for him, so he basically lost interest. Fast forward to Feb of 2000, and I am away at school in my junior year of studying Broadcasting, and I get a call from mom. My dad has brain cancer. I drop out, go home and basically take care of him. he died one month to the day he was diagnosed. I stayed home and worked....decided the 914 should be driven, not sitting. I dropped the engine, removed the heads, found a bolt that was freezing everything up, drove it (the engine in the back of my Subaru) out to a Porsche shop, and they rebuilt it. I did the suspention, engine compartment and interior in my garage. This car means a lot to me, not only because it kicks ass, but because it was one of my dads projects that I was able to be a part of. Now i am hopelessly hooked (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif) I have no chance!

[ChrisReale]

Oh, yea, pulling away from the shop was THE best feeling I have ever experienced.

[Brad Roberts]

Thanks Chris,

I had bits and pieces of it, but not the whole story. I know your a fairly young guy, but you should try and keep the 914. It really does mean something special. I was furious when I lost my first 914. I wanted to keep it and restore it for my first kid. About a year after having the car (age 16), I figured out the date codes and production codes where the same month and year I was born (11/70). I really thought at that point the car was very special to me. What are the chances that your first car was built the same month and year you where born ?? When I bought it (age15) I thought it was a 1971 (which is when it sold) The car was taken from me at age 23 while it sat in a paid storage facility. To this day I keep track of the person who had a towing company take away 4 cars I had in that lot (after he stole 2 car trailers from me) One day he will suffer. It will be a few more years. He needs to forget.

There is my worst.

The best is yet to come.

B

[Gint]

I'm sorry about your dad Chris, but that is a great story. I'd definitely try to keep that car. Hell, I'm glad I got contribute a part to the car.

My own best and worst will have to wait until I have more time.

[ChrisReale]

I plan on having this car for a long time, barring accident or theft. Im learning as I go, which makes it even more rewarding

[jonwatts]

I don't really have a best and worst moment (not like some of you unlucky SOBs); unless you want to count meeting Brad Roberts as both (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)