Let's talk about "being stock" vs "having the car you want" Options

[ScoopLV]

When I was a kid I had a 914. I wanted 5-lug Fuchs, the Porsche rear reflector, the front badge. And quite frankly, if I could have done one of those ridiculous Beach Boys body kits (the kind that makes a 914 look like a Ferrari) I probably would have.

I was on a parts website, buying some side lenses, when I saw a sale on the rear reflector and put one in my cart. Then I took it out of the cart.

Why? I have a basically unmodified teener -- 99% stock. It's almost like I feel I have a responsibility to keep it stock. I'm going to upgrade the fuel lines, and the shift linkage. One's a safety issue and the other is an invisible upgrade. But I'm going to keep all the old parts so that I could "put it back to stock" if I ever wanted.

I never really liked the look of the vinyl sail. I prefer the B column to be the same color as the rest of the body. My car doesn't have sails. Obviously a previous owner agreed with me on that point. But I'm seriously thinking about putting sails back on, because, hey, that's the only thing that isn't stock on the car.

I always liked the look of having a front badge. To me, the car looks nude without a badge on the front. But that would require drilling two holes into a perfectly good hood. Sure, I could fill the holes if I ever wanted. But that's one less hood out there that's never been mucked with.

I don't really know where I'm going with this post, or even if there's a point to it. But I'd like to hear from people about the validity of "turning your car into YOUR car" vs. "there aren't many unmodified cars out there anymore, so keep it stock."

Where do you fall in that spectrum?

[914xr75]

I put a hood badge on my car, Euro tail lights and euro front turn signals, it had a monza exhaust and I love it. I even put a German 1973 small decorative plate in the rear window.

Oh, also a rear fog light. The car was just a project when I bought it, so I was able to make it look like my dad’s with the light ivory color and the hubcaps, then I added a few other things I really liked. I wouldn’t change a thing it’s perfect to me.

[Shivers]

Most of the things I’m doing had been done to the sixes, or in my opinion should have been done by the factory. Darn windshield wipers park right in my field of view. I took them off for a while. Then saw a better way.

[MikeK]

Porsche has always been 'development over engineering'. Why else keep the same body style for decades? It's what separated them (and VW for that matter) from the constantly 'evolving' US car market.

Progressive refinement.

[flipb]

Most of the things I’m doing had been done to the sixes, or in my opinion should have been done by the factory. Darn windshield wipers park right in my field of view. I took them off for a while. Then saw a better way.

When I bought my 914 (fourteen years ago!), the wiper "park" function didn't work. They just stop moving wherever they are when you turn them off.

It's very easy to time it to shut them off when they're at their lowest position on the passenger side.

Problem solved.

(I have no idea if the failure was a result of wear or a "fix" by a PO. But it works for me!)