Rare :Original unrestored 914, How many out there ? Options

[jim_hoyland]

One of my favorite totally original, unrestored, and meticulously maintained. Plus PCA concours winner (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Color is Willow Green
Rex, the original owner, brings this beauty to the Cars and Coffee at Enderle Center in Tustin, CA

[Ottomotion]

Local car. Under 60K miles. Owner has installed a 2.0 but the original 1.7 is still with the owner.
Car is for sale. Owner has turned down $45K

[jim_hoyland]

Local car. Under 60K miles. Owner has installed a 2.0 but the original 1.7 is still with the owner.
Car is for sale. Owner has turned down $45K

Nice ! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[930cabman]

Low mileage examples will always be priced accordingly.

The rest of us, ... well you know

[StarBear]

Mine. Original, original owner, unrestored. 120k miles.
Last Sunday won 1st place at regional PCA concours event. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[914xr75]

I saw that willow green one for sale in Palos Verdes about five or six years ago. It was such a good price. I knew that it would only go up in value, but I also knew that I would never drive it because of the condition. Awesome color.

[shag]

Congratulations Star Bear, Very glad to hear it. Looking forward to seeing you and your beautiful 914 next weekend.
Shag

[wonkipop]

Mine. Original, original owner, unrestored. 120k miles.
Last Sunday won 1st place at regional PCA concours event. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

congratulations mate. thats fantastic. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

-----

the old jaffa is not as good as @StarBear 's.
("ruined" it according to some when i converted it to right hand drive 34 years ago under the totalitarian australian road registration regime who have since been overthrown in a coup).
sneaking up on 50,000 miles. two owners. me and a lady who passed away in the USA.
apart from the "mess" i made of the dashboard its original.
factory paint with careful owner applied dents. general patina gets a bit unavoidable after 50 years, a divorce etc. there in spirit. as unmolested as i have been able to be with regular maintaining. even had the original rubber core sh#t heap clutch in it until 4 years ago. but its in a box somewhere as an industrial curiousty.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif)

[wonkipop]

an observation.
not that BAT is necessarily anything to go by.
but a remarkable number of 73, 74 and 75 1.7/1.8s seem to have survived in fairly striking orig condition when compared to what else has been for sale.
maybe the real good 2.0s just got locked away years ago and barely come out to change hands openly?
but an awful lot of the "lowly" base cars seem to have been hung on to by what appears to be original owners right up until now. often left sitting for decades.
secretly "treasured" or something like that?

that willow green car originally posted is a real beauty. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[bbrock]

factory paint with careful owner applied dents.

If you get a chance, would you mind writing a tech article on how this is properly done? I'm afraid my restored car is missing some character but want to make sure I do it right. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif) Beautiful car BTW even with the buggered dashboard. I've always had a soft spot for the negative side stripes.

[JamesJ]

A friend's unrestored, original paint, 39.XXX mile '73 in Phoenix Red.

[wonkipop]

factory paint with careful owner applied dents.

If you get a chance, would you mind writing a tech article on how this is properly done? I'm afraid my restored car is missing some character but want to make sure I do it right. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif) Beautiful car BTW even with the buggered dashboard. I've always had a soft spot for the negative side stripes.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

its a black art mate. you either have the touch or you don't.

[jims914]

My 52K car for 42 years.

[second wind]

when I see the headlights-front hood-front fenders and front bumper line up perfect like in these fine cars....then I know the car is a winner. Not that mine is not...and maybe I am the only one who sees it.....the the lines on these cars make me very envious!! I am still working on it but when you got it you got it!!
gg

[Pursang]

These are some beautiful cars. Congratulations to all.

One marginally related subject, it gives me pause to see some of the quoted mileage numbers on our ~50 year-old cars. Yes, they're beautiful but, remember, these have five barrel odometers. Just sayin'. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

[wonkipop]

These are some beautiful cars. Congratulations to all.

One marginally related subject, it gives me pause to see some of the quoted mileage numbers on our ~50 year-old cars. Yes, they're beautiful but, remember, these have five barrel odometers. Just sayin'. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

not really
mine had 35,500 on it in 89. at that point it had been laid up for 5 years after owner 1 passed away. it did 20,000m in first three years from 74-76. then was retired to a life as a summer car for the next 7 or so. service books backed the odo.
i got it back to aus and it spent 90-93 not doing much while getting converted to rhd.
from 93 to 2003 i put another 10,000 on it. was not an everyday driver.
from 2003 to 2019 it was laid up in storage.
back on the road at the start of 2020 and i've whacked on nearly another 5000.
probably the most its been driven since its first three years of life. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
i'm hoping to crack 100,000 before i die. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) big mistake not driving it enough.
i'm enjoying it all over again. if had not had a few difficulties shall we say between 03 and 19 i reckon it would have been a 75,000 or maybe more m car by now.

i accept though most of these babies have rolled the clock.
though there have been a few pop on BAT that do look like they fit the bill.
seem to have been through the same thing mine has been through.
a pampered weekend car up until the mid 90s or so.
and then a lay up. owners got old? died. whatever. car sat.

and as for StarBear.
that guy is one of a very rare breed.
one owner car!!!!!! man. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

my other cars are similar.
2002 renault clio rs. 90,000k = 55,000 mi. and thats a car i use reasonably often.
i inherited a 2008 audi A3 sport back an old mate architect left me in his will.
drove it away from the front of his house in 2017. 32,000k (think thats about 25,000 of your miles) in 9 years. its got nearly 50 on it now as its my favoured rig for country job trips. i had a citroen xm for a while but recently disposed of it before it bankrupted me.
that had quite a few kays on it. i won't mention the ford falcon ute i "restored". 390,000k and the odo was broken. almost my favorite car but. i'm targeting a million kays with that before i die and then will ask ford for a free EV. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

i remember stumbling across a beautiful black VW type 3 fastback in perth back in about 92. we were researching a 60s architect there to do an exhibition on his work.
visited one of his early houses still lived in by the widow of the couple who built it.
it was her car parked in the garage. its was an early one with short nose - circa 66 67. the thing had 30,000 m on it. she literally drove it to church and to the supermarket. it was immaculate. i think i heard one of the VW mechanics in perth picked it up after she died and stashed it and put minimal miles on it - just enough to keep it rolling. its probably still in someone's collection. anyway, it was not that hard to find still good low miles 914s in the late 80s. and if for some reason they didn't do a lot of work after that they will be more or less time capsules.

[MDTerp]

Mine. Original, original owner, unrestored. 120k miles.
Last Sunday won 1st place at regional PCA concours event. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Congratulations! Your car looks great as always. Enjoy the gathering this coming weekend. Will miss seeing you all this year.

[gandalf_025]

These are some beautiful cars. Congratulations to all.

One marginally related subject, it gives me pause to see some of the quoted mileage numbers on our ~50 year-old cars. Yes, they're beautiful but, remember, these have five barrel odometers. Just sayin'. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

Depends on how well the car can be documented.

I bought my car in 1973 with under 24000 miles. It was never my only car, I drove turbo Corvair's in the winter and if going somewhere questionable.

Pulled the original engine and shelved it with 35,000 miles and then life got in the way and I parked it in 1988.. Last Inspection Sticker is still on the windshield.
Hasn't been driven since..

[Amphicar770]

I guess it depends on how you define unrestored? No matter how nice, any car with 100k+ miles has had many parts replaced. Is it still "original".

My 74 2.0 has less than 50k miles, it has all documentation from new. It is in great condition. Engine, Trans, interior, body and paint are all factory except for repaint od deck lid back in 1974. I've replaced clutch, i powder coated tins, stainless fuel lines, tangerine shift rod bushing , relocated fuel pump, radio from a boxter. Is it still original?

[StarBear]

I guess it depends on how you define unrestored? No matter how nice, any car with 100k+ miles has had many parts replaced. Is it still "original".

My 74 2.0 has less than 50k miles, it has all documentation from new. It is in great condition. Engine, Trans, interior, body and paint are all factory except for repaint od deck lid back in 1974. I've replaced clutch, i powder coated tins, stainless fuel lines, tangerine shift rod bushing , relocated fuel pump, radio from a boxter. Is it still original?

Agree - a matter of definition. IMHO, have never seen a 100% original; consider if replacements are NOS, VG used, or VG aftermarket, ok as “original” to me, plus all or virtually all original paint. I like the term by @wonkipop as “unmolested”.

The absolute best original car/original owner I’ve ever seen is with @dcheek slightly east of here. IIRC he one first place in class at recent Porsche Parade in PA. Wish I saw him and his car more!

PS to @wonkipop : “Character” is special too. Highly personalized and “yours”. Better to drive and ding than sock them away in some air filtered storage collection!