914's as an investment, just a thought Options

[anthony]

QUOTE (Howard @ Jan 28 2006, 10:37 AM)

So why did you buy a 914/4 instead of a Miata or a 914/6 instead of a Boxster? Good stuff, guys, keep it coming. Do a paragraph (for this article).

Basically, it was because of nostalgia and wanting a vintage car experience.

Nostalgia - I always wanted a 914. My uncle had two - a '72 1.7 and then he traded in on a '74 2L. His '74 2L black and in pristine original condition with a 5 lug conversion and became one of the dream cars I always wanted.

Vintage car experience - I don't know how others feel about this but there is something I like about old cars. The simplicity of the 914, the vintage materials it's made of, the odd sounds it makes, the smells, etc. all add up to a visceral experience that you don't get from newer cars.

[merrill]

My Ex brother in-law had a Ravenna green car when he married my sister in 82-83'. He would drive the backstreets of Denver at the speed limit and never slow down for a corner. As soon as I had my license and the cash, I found a Marathon blue 2l that PO was autocrossing. The car was just plain fun to drive. I would scrape my change and put it in the tank and just start driving. The sound and smell of the car and the connection from you to the pavement is hard to describe, but exactly what does it for me.

[lapuwali]

One buys investments so you can have the money to buy toys. Cars = toys. 914s = very fun toys. Some cars do appreciate enough that they will earn a return, but the return is nearly always far less than than you can get with "proper" investments. Since you usually devalue the car by using it, it's not a toy, it's just a shitty investment that occupies a garage slot for decades while you wait for it to appreciate enough to sell it.

Why a 914/4? Because it's one of the 10 best handling cars ever made, and because it's a blank canvas car. You can do nearly anything to it, and it's still appreciated by most people who like 914s. An early Miata is a similar car, really, but I don't like ragtops all that much.

[vortrex]

at the rate CCLFLIPPINGFORDOLLARS is overinflating values you guys should all be rich soon. hang on to those pieces of gold.

[KELTY360]

As a financial investment, very few cars can be considered viable. A car gets it's value from it's utility and in that realm, the 914 is amazing. I just bought my third 914 expressly for it's flexibilty as a semi daily driver. I'm a printing broker and frequently make deliveries to my customers or ferry partially completed work between different vendors. For large projects I use an '87 Westy but for the days when I don't have too much to carry I discovered that a 914 worked better than any modern small car except for some station wagons. Sometimes I have to carry large flat sheets, up to 26x40 in., and cartons of finished work measuring up to 12x18x12. I carry the flat sheets in the rear trunk, on a sheet of plywood angling from the back of the trunk to the shock towers, and bulky cartons in the front trunk. This let's me blast around town during the week, enjoying the fun factor while using it as a business/delivery vehicle. I can even remove the top without affecting the cargo capacity. Try that in a Miata!

Considering the design is approaching 40 years old, the engineering specifications and the physical layout make these cars amazingly functional when compared to contemporary offerings. My investment value comes from the utility it gives to my lifestyle. I intend to learn to A/X this year, with the same car I use for deliveries during the week. It's been 25 years since my last 914 and I feel like I'm home again.

Marc

[drew365]

I wanted a mid-engine car that I could take racing and would be tunable, competitive and affordable. You would have to spend a considerable amount of money to buy another mid-engine car that can compete with the 914-6.

[KaptKaos]

Howard,

I am not sure if I should be pissed that you are writing an article like this or not. I don't know if I want you to clue anyone into the fun that we are having. If too many find out then it won't be as affordable anymore. Now, if you make me a sweetheart deal on Suzi, I "might" forgive you.

Anyway, I think that the 914 is the last "true" Porsche. Laugh if you will, but I always liked the 356s best of all. The 914 is aircooled, four cylinder, lightwieght and nimble, just like the original "giant killers" of the '50s - the 356s. The 914 is a natural evolution of the 356 to a mid-engined car. Sure the 550 and 904 were out there, but they are priced similarly to the CGT today (well, maybe not as bad).

So with the 914 you have all of the mechanical honesty of the original 356s, with a modern chassis and perfect balance. How could an enthusiast, a real enthusiast, not like this car?

Now, don't write that article or I will be forced to taunt you mercilessly.

- Joe

[IronHillRestorations]

QUOTE (rick 918-S @ Jan 28 2006, 09:31 AM)

911 stlye front suspension, 911 style 4 wheel disc brakes, welded unit body construction, (not a simple bolted on floor pan) clearly improved rear boxed trailing arms with coil over type suspension control. This is a clear and stark improvement over the flat steel and torsion bar susupension in the 911 of that era!

OK, maybe a little OT, but let's get it right!

The 914 front suspension was developed for the 914, and then used for the 911, not the other way around. Sure the brakes are different, but that's the sequence of events.

[gregrobbins]

QUOTE

So why did you buy a 914/4 instead of a Miata or a 914/6 instead of a Boxster?

Fun factor. Memories. I am sure there are lots of fun to drive / own cars. The 914 has always been special to me.

In college I had a MGA and drove it hard thinking I could be the next Dan Gurney. A friend’s sister purchased an "ugly" Porsche 914 that we all laughed at. One day she let me drive it and I went to my favorite twisty route and was blown away with the car's handling. I remember comparing the ride to that of a roller coaster, the car held the road as if it was on rails.

I couldn't afford a 914 when I was in college. After graduation, marriage, family and a series of practical cars. Now we are empty nesters. I saw a 914 with a for sale sign in a parking lot. Flooded with old memories, the car was mine later that day. Six 914s later, they still are very special to me: I have two.

The 914s have never been attractive to my wife; we got another Porsche that she thinks is cute. Our 968 is pretty, has lots of power, and all the creature comforts, but my favorite ride is the 914.

Is a Porsche 914 a good investment? You bet. My returns come in the form of a big grin after each drive and that adrenaline rush of running my 914 at autocrosses and track events. Maybe some day I can sell the cars for what I have invested in cash, maybe not. No matter, I know I more than gotten my money's worth!

[Toast]

It would help to know how to work on and / or disassemble these cars so that you can sell the parts. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/av-943.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif)
That would be the best way to make $ off of them as an investment. IMO.
Of course that would mean that you would have to actually get greasy by tearing down the car and then go through all the hassle of evil-bay or trade/sale to get your money's worth.

[redshift]

Copy, and Paste this:

914s ROOL! YOU SUCK if you don't have a 914. If you have never ridden in a 914, walk into the sea.



M

[BKLA]

Most either love or hate the 914. Rarely is there any ambivalence.

For me, my interest in the 914 hit me when I was about 11 years old in 1970 and saw a brand new one parked at my dad's office parking lot. Later, in high school, I saved my part time job money and paid for half of a two year old alaska blue '73 1.7 with about 30k miles on it. (I wanted a "six" but couldn't find one that I could afford at that time.)

This car was a big part of my life, even though I didn't understand it at the time. I A/X 'ed it, lost my virginity in it and met my future wife in it. (Not necessarily in that order -- wink wink nudge nudge) When I was feeling down I would take a drive up the old Lorane HWY or out to the coast, or up to Marcola. I drove it to Utah during winter break to go skiing with a cousin who was an instructor at Snowbird. Looking back, this car was my best friend in many ways.

I sold it three years later when I decided that I was the going to be the next George Folmer. I used the money to buy a used race car and trailer and went SCCA/ICSCC racing for a season. For the next few years through college, I met and raced with some great people that are still friends today. Yet, I missed the 914 and still lusted after a six.

Fast forward twenty five years. I acquire an old non-running 914 from a family member that has owner the car for 12 years and decide to to a 914 6 GT conversion. After six months of finding parts and dismantling the car, I realize that I am in way over my head for the budget that I wanted to spend. Mainly it has to do with the cost of rust repair. So... what to do? I start looking for a good base car or a conversion started by someone else.

Along comes the 914club, and I discover that there are a lot of crazy 914 people just like me and that the car has strong following.

For me, the story continues as I now have a '74 roller in the garage and a '74 6 conversion that is nearly complete. (I have had nothing to do with the conversion. but once it is complete and I take possession, we'll see...Hmmm.) The roller is sold (I think?) and I will soon pick up my conversion.

Do I think of it as an investment? Not in the financial sense, but I plan to enjoy it with my wife and my sons.

Am I trying to recapture the past? Maybe. I don't really know. I'd like to think its like reconnecting with a long lost friend and rediscovering why you became friends in the first place.

Some of my porsche friends think I'm crazy and tell me I should have bought a Boxster. Yes, the Boxster has more horsepower in a very similarly packaged, newer vehicle. Yet nothing, and I do mean nothing... has the unique character of the bastard child 914.

thanks...

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/icon_bump.gif)