ok, over the past 6 years, I've done damn near everything on my car... the transmission is probably the only part 'untouched' and even it got new seals and every linkage bushing...

but now, when I drive it, I'm nit-picky, and every little thing seems to cause worry...

example... yesterday it got up to the high 80s outside, and my car, in stop-go traffic got up to slightly less than 220 on the way home... and I started worrying of over heat...

every rattle, noise, smell or anything a 40 year old car could have, worries me bonkers to the point the fun in the car is far upset by the paranoia...

does anyone else get like this?

FWIW--There is no way to have this much fun in a car for so little money.

Eveyone who owns a teener has their own reasons for buying one. Here's mine: I bought a 914 instead of trading in my accord for something moderately more entertaining, because the purchase price of the 914 was ONE THIRD the cost of any reasonably fun car, and more like one fifth to one tenth the cost of any very fun car.

Also, when I first started out with my car, it was doing some funny things -- flat spot at 3k rpm, some smoking on startup. know what I did? I drove it for 500 miles.

The car thanked me and those problems went away.

I say drive the sh*t out of your car. That's it's mission in life. If something breaks, fix it and keep driving.

Life is too short!

My concern is less about the car and a whole lot more about the dumb, stupid, reckless, and mindless, semi-comatose people who are "operating" motor vehicles.
To wit:
Testosterone hyped dudes in lifted, duallie P/Us with cab lights and chrome stacks running half a car length behind you when your already 10 over on the interstate.

Half-comatose, clueless seniors wandering through stop signs and blowing red lights as they peer through those huge cataract sunglasses while pointing their Buicks and Mercurys in the general direction they think they want to go.

Blond, latte-drinking, cell phone yakking women who feel "entitled" to be in front of you simply because they're blond, have a 5000 lb SUV, and are certain that they are on a higher socio-economic ladder than you, so they always have the right-of-way.

Soccer moms, mini-vans, and phones......the definition of distracted driver

The rusty, 12 year old "ricer" in three different colors, an outsized wing, a fat phfart pipe, with max bass pumping out, weaving and bobbing through traffic as if this car were equiped with carbon-fiber brakes and the latest suspension technology. All this "sophistication" is in the care of someone with maybe 18 months of driving experience.

The young girl in the 3 year old Kia with the space-saver on the front, doing 15 over in the fast lane, one car length behind a 10 axle dump truck, that is hanging on the bumper of the bimbo pushing her Lex-Infin-illac ever closer to your rare, early style 914 rear bumper, as you pedal furiously in your 1.7 looking for a hole in the slow lane to dive into, but you can't 'cause the slow lane is clogged with 18 wheelers, cement mixers and mini-vans.

The driving environment just isn't what it used to be when I bought the 914 35 years ago. (thus spake the "dinosaur")

Paul

What Paul said, oh and rock chips, I hate rock chips

yea, there's all that too... plus the fact that really, there's no way to drive it like it should without fear of the man! I'm constantly wondering.. is that a roof-rack on that SUV, or lights that's about to start flashing... the mirror shakes to much to say with any certainty

yes the 914 is 'cheap' fun, but it's no longer 'cheap'... I've put in a huge bit of cash(as I'm sure much of us have) over 6 years...

yea, drivers make me feel a real sense of mortality every day I drive here. 914 or not.

If you ask anyone who knows me they'd tell you that is exactly what I do. I take good care of my car, but really do beat the hell out of it. It keeps coming back for more so everything seems to be good.

And slow drivers that plug up the left lane....
Other than that, drive it like you stole it!
Mike

You've seen my cars and you have heard the stories!

Some of the best times I've ever had in life began because of breakdowns. Just keep your tools at hand and stop worrying.

I really only feel that way after they are painted. Fresh paint is the biggest magnet for dumbasses.


Now that my bus is running, I am still anxious for something major to go wrong. I just play through the pain. Its even worse with motorcycles. Everyone is out to get you, new paint or not.

Wayne, I know exactly how you feel.
Every rattle. Every movement. I am still learning the car. its the first car that I have built largely alone. its like I am expecting it to fail at any moment sometimes.

I have gotten to the point where I believe my engine will get me to where I need to get to, but I don't have any faith in my electrical system. Right now it is my headlights. They are ghetto rigged, but still not working right. i am concerned about it enough that i am not driving the car - and I *WANT* to be driving my car.

So, yeah. I know exactly how you feel.

Zach

I always feel like the car works great on its own and its only when I start messing with it that it turns around and bites me.

"... plus the fact that really, there's no way to drive it like it should without fear of the man! I'm constantly wondering.. is that a roof-rack on that SUV, or lights that's about to start flashing..."

Dude.... you need to come out to an autocross. The only cops there are the ones that pulled in to watch us race and ask about the cars.

The more I race my car in a controlled environment, the saner I tend to drive on the road, and the better able I am to avoid the idiots out there. Knowledge and skills will give you power!

The local PCA region here (Maverick) is VERY supportive of new people. Not to mention.... it's a heck of a lot of fun.

I don't worry to much about breaking my car. More worried I will push it to far and wreck it.

An interesting observation about the 914; and, not common for a new cars--even a Toyota. I think the 'noia is a result of the brain working overtime, kinda like dreaming, but awake.

I realized that since I can do basically everything besides paint and body, I worry so much less about that stuff. With a /6 engine, it really is the money aspect more than anything that concerns me when I see smoke rings billowing out of my tail pipe.

If you are that worried you aren't enjoying the car.. You are also creating somewhat of a safety hazard for others because you aren't concentrating on driving.

Whats going to happen, is going to happen. What makes one good at working on these cars and engines is having to work on the damn things. When I was a kid growing up in these rural mountains I either had to fix the problem with what I had on hand or I didn't go anywhere, there were no parts houses (and still aren't) and no one had comprehension of the cars...

Get in the car and drive the damn thing. Deal with the issues if they come up and enjoy the car, the issues you'll encounter and have to solve will build character.

I've restored a vehicle to include the engine and all other components (pan off), having only driven it up the road for 5 miles and then made a 10 hour drive the next day with flawless results. I did that at age 17.

Over time you'll build confidence. Over the years I have found myself on the side of the road using what I had on hand or what I could find on the side of the road to make patch up repairs to get to my destination. I pretty much will jump in any car in my lot and drive it an hour home and never flinch or worry. Hell I only check my oil once every six months in my 912E, its been three years since I changed it... 160K in 7 years and it still goes and goes.

It is exactly what you make it.

[quote name='jim_hoyland' post='1314364' date='May 5 2010, 09:09 PM']
[quote name='tat2dphreak' post='1314254' date='May 5 2010, 06:04 PM']
ok, over the past 6 years, I've done damn near everything on my car... the transmission is probably the only part 'untouched' and even it got new seals and every linkage bushing...

but now, when I drive it, I'm nit-picky, and every little thing seems to cause worry...

example... yesterday it got up to the high 80s outside, and my car, in stop-go traffic got up to slightly less than 220 on the way home... and I started worrying of over heat...

every rattle, noise, smell or anything a 40 year old car could have, worries me bonkers to the point the fun in the car is far upset by the paranoia...

does anyone else get like this?
[/qu

An interesting observation about the 914; and, not common for a new cars--even a Toyota. I think the 'noia is a result of the brain working overtime, kinda like dreaming, but awake.
[/quote]

Spoke the one who never drives more than 30 miles from home.

No, I honestly never think like that. These are great little cars. However, they are just a "thing" and it should be enjoyed. I always loved making my toys the best they can be but what good are they if you can't enjoy them. Learn you car and the sounds. If there is something weird check it out. Don't let it stop you from enjoying it though.

I know some people have cars just to keep as art or something in their garage. I personally can't do that and it would drive me nuts to have a cool, fun car I couldn't hop in a rip it in.

Wayne - IIRC that 220 is about right for a hot day in traffic, since they run hotter than watercooled steel.

After awhile you'll get used to what sounds right & not, then you'll only need to worry about the idiots that the others mentioned above!

.... something about folks not looking down for the little guys!

thanks guys, I appreciate the words of encouragement... and I in no way meant to imply that I wasn't still going to drive it as often as weather permits. I just get tired of the little things.... I hit a grasshopper only to learn the windshield wiper doesn't work(is that the butterfly effect?), eventhough a few months ago, it worked fine.. right front blinker is on the fritz, horn works when it wants to.

it's like dating a stripper... there's obvious fun factor, but the rest of the time you are wondering what's going to happen next... and how much will it cost?

part of me thinks I need to hurry up and put the stereo in so I don't over-analyze everything...

Wow...my car "thanks me" too and many little glitches are healing the more I drive her.

I did a concours frame off on a Europa about 20 years ago, and wound up selling it quickly because I couldn't relax and enjoy it for many of the reasons you're stating. Cars are meant to be enjoyed, so now I refuse to own anything but drivers. Buddhism also helps...realize that everything is impermanent! That 914 will be gone one day...enjoy it.

I am one who hears it all too. Fortunately my hearing is s^%& so I don't hear it ALL! I've have this daily driver for the last 16 years. The more I know about it's mechanical and electrical systems, the more confident I am with it.

Fortunate too is the fact that I drive the car in a "spirited fashion" with the expectation that I've built it like a C-47, possibly the most over-engineered aircraft in US history. With that knowledge I'm able to mentally mark any weird noises and look into them with however much urgency I think they need. I also travel with all the tools I think are required to recover with reasonable speed. That said;

I built it to drive like a scalded dog and love (nearly) every minute in it. There is one thing that this car has taught me over the years. It's true of all cars but more obvious with our 914's. I've made it an obsessive mission to shift carefully and smoothly. True with whichever transaxle is in the car, that doesn't mean drive slowly.

It simply means matching revs both up and downshifting, and getting the clutch pedal all the way to the floor. Once smoothness is habitual, driving is faster and safer and the mechanical bits are happy. As for creature comforts;

Southern summers are hot, but not as not as a Norton (15 years) in full leathers. And the winters, until I started using my front oil cooler as a source of cabin heat, were... full of clothes that make the racing seats so tight that my wife won't ride in it. Come to think of it the heat in the summer has the same effect... crap. I'm on my own here with this car! Life is full of trade-offs. The point is...

Ignoring those noises takes many hours of practice, both driving and learning the car! Zen and the Art of 914 Maintenance

Well said!

It's gotten to the point that I can hear a problem as it develops. When it sounds funny, it's time to break out the wrenches. That said, my latest issue was the failure of my FI trigger in the distributor. But like any point of failure that I had not previously seen, I failed to trust what the diagnostics (and members of this board) were telling me.

But this car is my daily driver. If the car is a no-go, I am a no-go. And in the past three years, I've only had a few days where I was unable to travel.

Eric Read

I'm still very new. Only had my 914 4 years and it's the first time I've had the opportunity/need to do wrenching. Did the front brakes and bearings myself (with some help) as the first car project of my life. It's been running great for most of that time as I had Brad Mayeur go through it 2 years ago.

I generally get nervous at any new smell that wafts into the interior. Generally don't get new sounds, thank goodness.

So... yeah, these days I do tend to get a bit anxious while driving, as I somewhat expect something to break soon. I'm find with that but I have little to no support locally, not even a VW or Porsche shop I feel comfortable with.

I'd like to drive it longer distances (partially to get somewhere with twistier roads than are available at home), such as MUSR11, but am concerned about getting stranded in the middle of nowhere with limited skills, when the timing may not be best for a so-called learning opportunity.

I used to be that way when I was younger, especially with over 40 able to be driven 914s in my possession, I was like an old woman worrying about EVERY creak and groan! Now I just accept that they are old cars and appreciate them for what they are, the best thing is that when I hear or smell or feel a problem with a 914, at least I know what it is and there is great peace of mind in that.
Just relax and enjoy the car for what it is and continue to maintain it.

this morning's drive was great... after reading this thread this morning I just hopped in, and hammer down took the long way to work, that has fewer red lights, and enjoyed it...

I think the same way. When I hear different sounds that don't seem right, I think of what they are and how I can fix them( if need be).

When I get home, I check it out. It's how I learn. Not only with the 914 but with other vehicles also. It's kinda made me the neighborhood mechanic.
After all the time and effort of rebuilding everything, it's understandable to be that way. you want it to be right.

I do notice when I put all the nit picky anal BS aside and just drive it. I enjoy it immensely.

Paul you hit the nail on the head. If the car breaks down, I can always have it flat bedded. But these F'n drivers around here are unreal. People with the right of way seem like they have to yeild to those with traffic control devices. They are always running through stop signs & yeild signs not looking and pulling out super slow. Oblivious of about the consequences of hitting some one or someone hitting them. I had 2 aholes consecutively run a stop sign, cut me off from going up my road because they didn't want to yeild to a parked car on their side of the road. Next jack ass at the top of the hill thought he could race down hill in his pickup and do the same. Wrong answer.. I beat him to the punch and he had to slam on his brakes and into a curb so he wouldn't hit the parked car on his side of the road. I'll take mechanical break downs any day. Just please clear the roadways of these idiots. So Wayne, with that said, enjoy driving your car! Forty year old cars will always need something or other. Took me the better part of 5 years to fully sort out my 1975 that I had. Enjoyed the hell out of it once I did. Was defenitly my favorite 914.

....sounds like someone gave you some sound advice there Rich...

Ray
Driving my car to your place and back was the best thing I could have done.

Of course, the 10 hrs of wrenching didn't hurt either...

Only thing i worry about is paint ...

my paint is shite, it's the least of my worries.

I try to live by the mottos:

"Enjoy your life ... it's the only one you get."

and

"You only live once."

Although many of your 914's are works of art, I believe the true beauty of a great car like the 914 can only be fully appreciated from behind the wheel.


I consider my self lucky to have the 914/6 3.2 (conversion) and a 1988 BMW M5.

Some people tell me I should not use the M5 as a daily driver because it is somewhat rare. I have art on the walls of my home gaze at and admire. I believe the beauty of the M5 is only fully appreciated from behind the wheel.

Anyone who has seen my teener knows that the car is no beauty queen ... more like Miss Piggy. I built the car for driving. I enjoy driving the car a great deal, especially at the track (although Porsche 911 drivers don't seem to enjoy seeing the teener coming up in there rear view mirrors).

If you built it only to look at, what did you go to the trouble of installing things like pistons and valves.

Drive it! That's what Mr. Porsche himself did!

If it breaks, you can always fix it ... again.

Cheers,

Eddie