What 'obvious' 914 thing did you not know?, I was a 914 owner for X number of years before I found out..... Options

[horizontally-opposed]

I've had my 914 for more than 30 years, but didn't realize it had a longer wheelbase than a 996 or 997…and all 911s until the 991 debuted with the same wheelbase as the 914 (2450 mm, or 96.5 inches).

Didn't know about the threaded hole in the rear trunk until recently.

And didn't know about The Crack® until McMark pointed it out during my last repaint…

[KELTY360]

Didn’t know that the 914 wheelbase is two inches more than a bay window bus.

[IronHillRestorations]

And didn't know about The Crack® until McMark pointed it out during my last repaint…

The Crack??? The one on the driver's side inner long?

[Jett]

it was years before i noticed the ventilation control up/down arrows glow in the dark (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

on our 73 they are backlit (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[dt4]

Mine doesn't have the knob on the end ^^^ but at least I know what it does now
thanks

Found a knob that fits in the bits and pieces box and its now functioning
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[DRPHIL914]

I've had my 914 for more than 30 years, but didn't realize it had a longer wheelbase than a 996 or 997…and all 911s until the 991 debuted with the same wheelbase as the 914 (2450 mm, or 96.5 inches).

Didn't know about the threaded hole in the rear trunk until recently.

And didn't know about The Crack® until McMark pointed it out during my last repaint…

didnt know about the hole in trunk until 2 years ago at Werks Reunion Amelia island and i saw a nice GT tribute build that had the spare mounted there. I had wondered for 10 years about that, because of the gromet in the stock trunk carpet pad that is located right there too, i figured it had a specific purpose for mounting something, just didnt know what. Also found out about the Crack when getting my body work, long rust repair etc done 2 years ago. lots of stuff that i didnt know, i learn something new seems like every year, which is kind of fun, that after 12 years of ownership i am still learning and figuring stuff out about these cars! How many people knew about the targa bar mount points for the ski racks?? Or the plug in the bumper for the tow hook? I didnt know until i pulled the old 75 bumpers to mount the Early Chrome bumpers that now i dont have that because the late bumpers had that spot in the big steel inner bumper, whereas the early cars have it on the body- If i had known that earlier i could have had that added back while all my body work was being done before paint...

[ClayPerrine]

Everyone is learning here.....

What is "The Crack®"???

Clay

[mepstein]

Everyone is learning here.....

What is "The Crack®"???

Clay

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...=101249&hl=

[horizontally-opposed]

Another one…

The 914's roof/greenhouse design solves several problems at once:

*Excellent rearward visibility with minimum blind spots vs other production mid-engined cars of the time, which were pretty unusual/exotic back then (think Miura, Mangusta, Pantera, etc)

*Top can be stored as one piece without folding (like 911 Targa top), reducing legroom (as in Dino), or taking up much in the way of trunk space (911 Targa, again, and just about everything else). Unlike the 911 Targa's top, the 914 top offers coupe-like protection from the elements as well as vandals/thieves.

*Wide enough for three passengers across, unlike 911 (this was conscious, if you look at the three-across 918E drawings, with one more person sitting sideways behind them); Porsche was looking for ways to make a 2+2 sports car more practical than the 911, and an argument can be made that a 914 with three people on board is more comfortable than a period 911 with three aboard.

*Flat rear window not only excellent for visibility, but very inexpensive to produce.

*Minimum silhouette saves money on materials, saves weight, and significantly reduces susceptibility to side winds too.

The roof is, to me anyway, another example where the mid-engined 914 was cleverer as a piece of engineering than the rear-engined 901—as it should have been as a more modern project driven by none other than engineering genius Ferdinand Piëch (think 906-917, Audi Quattro, Audi Le Mans programs, Veyron, etc). The first example that got me to thinking about just how clever the 914's unibody is came as I stripped the car down for another paint job: The 914 has six crossways bulkheads to the 911's four, and a far smaller void for passengers—a boon to structural rigidity (offset, of course, by its lack of a roof). And two of the five voids are very shallow.

I used to think the 914's roof was kind of ugly. 30 years later, it's one of my favorite elements on a design that's aging very well indeed…

[abes914]

Turn sign stays on for parking, with out the key on!

+1

[horizontally-opposed]

To prevent the owner from locking a 914 with the keys inside, the driver's door can be locked from inside by:

> Opening door
> Pushing interior lock
> Holding door handle at angle as you shut door

Passenger side can be locked and stays locked if you swing it shut without holding the handle.

[DRPHIL914]

When getting out of the car, the driver's door can be locked without using the key by:

> Opening door
> Pushing interior lock
> Holding door handle at angle as you shut door

Same trick doesn't work on the passenger side.

ok so , i have to ask, is that how its supposed to be? if so then put me down as not knowing that until now. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) - right now i can lock the passenger door from inside and shut the door and it will stay locked but not on driver side, have to use the key, or as you said hold handle open as shutting it.

PHil

[dt4]

how little does the person in the middle need to be to be able to claim it as a 3 seater?
and how the hell would you change gear?

[horizontally-opposed]

ok so , i have to ask, is that how its supposed to be? if so then put me down as not knowing that until now. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) - right now i can lock the passenger door from inside and shut the door and it will stay locked but not on driver side, have to use the key, or as you said hold handle open as shutting it.

PHil

Ah, thanks for the logic prod—will revise my text to make clear: You can do lock the driver's door from the inside but it won't stay locked unless you hold the handle out when closing it. It's a way to keep you from locking yourself out. Yes on passenger door.

[horizontally-opposed]

Turn sign stays on for parking, with out the key on!

Yep, and front fenders are also "indicators" of another kind—as with 356, 911, and 912, Ferry liked the raised headlight or parking light humps because they help a driver "sight" where the corner of the car is on the way into a turn.

In the 914's case, a small bonus at night seen in very few other cars: You don't need the dash lights to tell you a turn indicator is on, or which one.

[mepstein]

how little does the person in the middle need to be to be able to claim it as a 3 seater?
and how the hell would you change gear?

The early cars have a mount for the center belt. Two, even three girls will easily fit in the car with a driver (at least it all worked that way when I was in high school). I bought a center belt when my kids were young but never used it. I realized I would need a harness bar and a shoulder belt unless I was willing to sacrifice my child on the gear shift knob.

[horizontally-opposed]

Two, even three girls will easily fit in the car with a driver (at least it all worked that way when I was in high school).

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

In high school, 2-3 girls plus the driver—or 1 guy and 1 gal plus the driver—was not only a non-issue, but pretty tolerable for all involved. Don't remember shifting being a problem, but I was rail thin back then as were most of the usual suspects. And, of course, we were all incentivized by freedom…

Three normal-sized dudes was a lot less comfortable, as was my all-time record of five people: 3 gals, 1 guy, and driver. I think that was just leaving a football field as I was worried about my longitudinals even back then.

One downside with Scheels is no more possibility of more than one passenger, but it's been decades since that's been a need with my 914.

[Montreal914]

ok so , i have to ask, is that how its supposed to be? if so then put me down as not knowing that until now. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) - right now i can lock the passenger door from inside and shut the door and it will stay locked but not on driver side, have to use the key, or as you said hold handle open as shutting it.

PHil

Ah, thanks for the logic prod—will revise my text to make clear: You can do lock the driver's door from the inside but it won't stay locked unless you hold the handle out when closing it. It's a way to keep you from locking yourself out. Yes on passenger door.

If I recall, other European cars locked the same way. I believe my parents Peugeot 504, 505, Renault 12, 5 and Citroën GS all locked with the key or by holding the door handle (or trigger) pulled while having previously done a similar operation as the 914 from inside the car.

Locking my 914 without the key never seemed strange to me. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

[mepstein]

Two, even three girls will easily fit in the car with a driver (at least it all worked that way when I was in high school).

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

In high school, 2-3 girls plus the driver—or 1 guy and 1 gal plus the driver—was not only a non-issue, but pretty tolerable for all involved. Don't remember shifting being a problem, but I was rail thin back then as were most of the usual suspects. And, of course, we were all incentivized by freedom…

Three normal-sized dudes was a lot less comfortable, as was my all-time record of five people: 3 gals, 1 guy, and driver. I think that was just leaving a football field as I was worried about my longitudinals even back then.

One downside with Scheels is no more possibility of more than one passenger, but it's been decades since that's been a need with my 914.

Early cars with their larger, flatter passenger seat were better for dates. And shifting was never an issue if the passengers were female.
The targa bar was like a second row of seating.

[horizontally-opposed]

If I recall, other European cars locked the same way. I believe my parents Peugeot 504, 505, Renault 12, 5 and Citroën GS all locked with the key or by holding the door handle (or trigger) pulled while having previously done a similar operation as the 914 from inside the car.

Locking my 914 without the key never seemed strange to me. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

I don't think it's all that unusual, and may have been either required or expected in period, but it stands out as one of those little features that might escape a newcomer unless they're told about it—particularly in this era of even the cheapest cars coming with remote power locks.