Well I got my first insult today. Was driving down a 4 lane road...guy passing me on the right yells out his window from his big SUV...

"Your car sounds like a lawnmower".

So I have the most expensive 2.0L /4 lawnmower in Houston. Idiots are always amusing.

Has anybody else been insulted on the open road about your "fake" Porsche or small engine?

So... How much to mow my lawn every week???

I figure the "lawnmower" comment was just all he could think of. The real reason for the insult was because he had to pass you on the right!

Seriously, when I'm wanting to pass on a multi-lane freeway and can't because all the left lanes are clogged with people who just drive there out of habit without being conscious they should be the the right lanes unless passing... And I have to pass to the right where the lanes are more free... That irritates the hell out of me.
(Not saying you were doing any of this, just reminds me of a point.)

Hah, yeah I'm with you 100%. This wasn't a highway though - a stoplight filled suburban road. Plus I was about to turn left

When I first got my 914, I was driving home from work and I realized, it did sound like a lawnmower...

Eric

I get the that thing smells like crap. People are so used to cat converters now.

I find that giving them "the bird" makes me feel so much better when responding to assholes like that, as in: "Lawnmower this!"

The only insult I've ever recieved on the open road in my 914 was from all things, a fellow air-cooled guy. Now, my 914 was needing some work at the time, but I pulled alongside a beautifully restored oval window bug, and was gonna compliment the guy driving on his ride, but he wouldn't even respond. Just kind of snobbed me and drove off.

I never!

But I have received tons of compliments on looks, sound, and quickness.

Also I've seen confused looks from guys who wonder why the little 914 sounds like their Corvette... LOL

I've never been insulted to drive a 914, although a few people in my PCA years identified themselves as idiots..

When asked what I drove, I'd say a 914.. if they were cool about it, I'd talk about my Dad's car, and my passion for racing, ask them about theirs, and then share a little about the 993 in the parking lot.

If they gave the classic NARP symptoms, I turn my back and talk with someone else.

Life is too short.

What you need is one of those electronic setups that runs different engine exhaust sounds through stereo speakers.
Where's that old thread?..... They have a setup that monitors engine rpm and matches the pitch... You choose what engine you want to sound like with a knob... V8, V10, etc.

In the early 70'sthe worst Insults came from the 911 owners.
They never considered the 914 or the 914-6 a REAL Porsche.
I went to 1 PCA Event back then and their arrogance was
amazing I never went back.

I had an old lady hold her nose when I drove past her. She looked a little irritated.

-- brett

I've never gotten the lawnmower comment, but I have been told my car is too loud, most likely because it is too loud for most people.

I have been to a little cafe/coffee shop by the beach, and a snob with a Austin Healey was badmouthing my car talking to whoever he had brought with him saying it was not a Porsche, and ony a low power VW.. blah blah.. oh well.

Just take it with a grain of salt. We like our cars, and that's all that matters really.

"You know that thing's a Volkswagen, don't you?"

That's the worst I've got...

Stoplight. Roof off. Airedale in passenger seat sitting up proper like a human. 2 Guys in jacked-up pickup pull up in lane beside. Look over (and down) at me and say: "Who's your girlfriend?" I had to laugh! Usually only get complaints about the smell and the noise though. Cheers, R

You should have introduced her, and asked him about his boyfriend in the passenger seat of his truck...

I got the "nice VW" comment from a Redwood Region PCA guy at a Charles Schultz Airport Autocross once. Later when he was handing out time slips and I had been beating him by a few seconds all day I said "kind of seems like a real Porsche now doesn't it?" as he handed me my last time slip...

Just the usual "Nice VW" crap.

I respond with "Thanks!" Then I drive away smiling.

I have no problems driving a nice VW.

Zach

I don't get comments like those

Not that one in particular, but all of the NARP, VW & other BS the others have stated - more so back in the 70's!

As with Rob's AX comment, most of the high & mighty tail-dragger crowd couldn't keep up on the curves! ... even a buddy with a new 930 Turbo lagged back (but he was a lousy driver) - of course I'm talking curvy roads - not formal racing & AXing in my case!

Next time you see that A-hole, ask him how much fuel his PIG burns a week - then laugh!

Hey Brent - I find that giving them the "Un-finger" utterly befuddles them (i.e.: "that finger" down & leaving the space, with other fingers up). After all - F-ing is pretty fun stuff, & certainly too good for most of those a-holes!

Reverse shocker? Nasty...

Zach

You should have simply smiled and said " Nice truck, sorry about your dick!".


Shoe

I've never gotten anything but thumbs up only "complaint" was ever about the noise... and that was my old apartment complex... because I would leave for work at 6am, and was in the back of the complex, I had to basically go by most of the apartments in the complex...

When I had my 3.2 six conversion I had a guy pull up next to me in a new Boxster S. We were both waiting at a onramp light to get on the freeway, 2 lanes merge to one. Anyhow I look over and say nice Boxster, he looks over with his blue tooth in his ear and kinda smirks and chuckles. Needless to say when the light went green, my 3.2 ate his 3.2 for lunch. After that he would not even look over at me when he repassed me on the highway.

Ferg

Augh. Never knew Porsche made a 914

"What is that, a Fiat?"

Best one was a complement from a teenage girl gas attendant, local Sunoco, just miles from Mosport raceway. Doing a fill she was looking at my car saying "I hate Porsche's because their so ugly...but this one is really cute!
The guy in the pimped out C4 beside me was not impressed.

Yeah, most don't remember the smells that eminated from pre-cat cars.

In a town 5 miles from me (Lansdale, PA) they have any all day cruise-in every Saturday during the summer. Some of the sweatest muscle rods from the 60's & 70's just drive all day up & down Broad. The aromas from these high octane beasts are unbelievable! But, that's how it was back then. Lotsa unburned hydrocarbons! I love it!
Pat

On the brightside-

My UPS guy- who usually only has time to throw a package at me before sprinting back to the truck- actually ducked his head in the garage today and said, "Wow! Two Porsches!" And here I've been calling it a 411.

When I got me 72 one of the first "options" I put into it was a foglight flasher, so I could give the "Porsche flash" to others.

My first flashes back (at least a year later) were from 911's. I have never gotten a flashback from a 356. Remember, it was the 356 contingent that wanted 914's banned from PCA. Hell, they still had a burr up the ass for 911's back then!

Yet, some of my best buds from that era turned out to be 356 people. Go figure!
But, I've never had an insult from a "civilan".
Pat

The following story happened after a co-worker decided to insult my "Lola"!

Well I got into a heated discussion with one of the directors of engineering about my "VW". He kept saying "It's not a porsche, you need to take those porsche letters off that VW". I told him, "Who do you think designed the VW bug" and "why do you think the 356 looks just like a VW inside and out"? He then kept up with praising his brand new 500HP Shelby Mustang (I have a bad habit of not backing down when challenged) I then made the comment about how his so called mustang was just a ford falcon on steroids. Then I decided to ask him if he wanted to race for pink slips? Of course he laughed and asked "what do you have in there"? Told him it was stock 2.0. By this point there were several engineers and project managers listening, laughing and making wise ass remarks about our "loud" conversation and he was visibly upset at me cause I had the nerve to challenge his wonderful car in front of our peers. Now, after about 2 days of people (office gossip) talking about how I was going to lose my car and some people even saying "what if I win". the director came to my desk a little pissed and said to me he would race me anytime and anywhere! I laughed, and said "if just in the slightest chance I win , are you prepared to sign that 60k car over to me"? To make a long story short , he ended the conversation with "you have to have a turbo or something in there and I did some checking on-line. If you have a 250HP turbo'd motor, your half the HP but half the weight so it would be a good race". He then asked me (which was funny) if we can call it a draw? Since then (about 2 years ago) He hasn't made any remarks about my "fake" porsche.

she's probably the type that forgets anyone else is stopped at a light next to her as she digs out a booger

how about the brain deads that get mad at you for filling your gas cans in the front trunck... oops

Yah, I've got plenty of insults over the past 17 years or so of 914 ownership. All the usual NARP, "over glorified Volkswagen" and "Poor mans Porsche" crap.
But just last weekend I was out for a drive with the roof off on a nice sunny day, sitting at a stoplight and some jackass yells across two lanes of traffic "UGLY PORSH!" I wasn't even insulted, all I could think was, what an asshole.
Typically anytime someone talks shit about a 914 (or anything else for that matter) I simply ask them, "Oh ya, what can you tell me about them?" Usually they don't have the slightest clue. It shut's them up real quick
I love my Ugly Porsh Teeners Rock!

I've heard many times that it LOOKS like a lawnmower, but not sounds like a lawnmower...

I had the top off one night and someone spit on my car...oh well, they're just pissed off that a kid that is 10 years younger then they are has a WAY nicer car then they'll ever have.


Ive gotten nice vw all the time...its not worth explaining to people that you won't find a 914 in the vw museum in wolfsburg but would find one in porsches in stuttgart.

The worst I got was from another 914 owner at 2008 WCR. He drove by me slowed & said. Dude your 914 is leaking radiator fluid . Damned if he wasn't right . Then he laughed as he drove on by. Okay I wasn't offended. If I wasn't pissed that my car was breaking down. I would have laughed my ass off

BTW

Someone once said

"Oi, mate is that a real pawsh"


"no, it's a fucking hologram"

Was at a gas station last Sept. at the MUSR in Hot Springs filling up. Some teenagers leaving the station yells out "that car is shit". Now it is hard to keep up with the younger slang. My girlfriend said that was a compliment.... I thought they were insulting the car and was ready to fight....

Insults?

How about when the 911 waved me by at blackhawk farms on novic track day?

Did they say "that car is shit" or "that car is THE shit"?

Back in 75 i had an older guy in the parking ramp who got out of a 911 walk past me and my 73 914 tell me that after i grow more hair on my ass maybe i could afford a 911.

At the time i was working for my Dad in his Art Studio and i could of bought a 911 if i had wanted one.

It must have been "THE" shit.....Kids these days.....

I never had any insults (that may be due to my size in part), but there seem to be more and more thumbs up and admiration for the car these days.

The closest story I was told was when my car was in a local Porsche shop. The owner had my conversion car up on the rack when one of his 911 Turbo customers came by the shop and joked that he must now be working on VWs. He simply replied to him that he wouldn't want to try to race against the 914-6, as it would easily beat him in a straight line, and be all over him at a track day. The owner had a beautiful 914-6 hot rod many years ago, so he knows of what he speaks.

The best advice is enjoy your car and don't worry what anyone else thinks. That must explain all the rusted out Honda Civics with coffee can exhaust tips!

Big SUV = little weenie
little 914 = big weenie -kinda like Enzyte Bob "swelling with pride"
Pure jealousy

I can remember only two insults across the years. One on the 914 and one on my Norton Commando. Both great machines.

There was a Potomac Region DE at Mid Ohio where the lead instructor, a 911 pilot, during our first class was teaching us the lines around the course.

I held up my hand after a bit and asked him if those lines were the same for mid-engined cars like my 2.7L 914-6. He said that for all practical purposes they were the identical. Then he had one more thing to add.

He said the 914-6 was a wonderful car to start with, and that he had done just that. But that I would want to upgrade whenever possible to a 911. I had only driven Sears Point and Memphis at that time so I was a rank newbee and kept my mouth shut. Then we hit the track. With the Commando...

Crotch-rocket folks used to tell me my beyond-restored Norton sounded like a washing machine. Then we would leave Alice's Restaurant for Half Moon Bay (and thereabouts) where they could never leave me in the dust and some got passed regularly. I used very sticky tires, and having the shifter on the right side was clearly an advantage. The point is...

In neither case did I have to say a thing. Our machines tell the story just fine without us.

+1

if some one did insult my car I probably didn't notice, either from the gas fumes making me happy, or I didn't hear them over the 40 webers+ exhaust... I love my car, but maybe love IS blind, deaf and dumb

Yup, "The shit" is a big compliment, as if your car is "IT", the end all of cool cars.

However if they said its "Shit" then.. Take it literally..


Ya, I hate slang...

yep, big difference between being "SICK" and "making me sick"