So, car has been running, not too great recently. I have hydros, so I decided to adjust valves, and hydros take a lot less time to do. Found #3 ex valve had to pull the adjuster almost all the way out. Sunk valve. Crap. Oh well it's a 2.0 bus motor anyways, run it till it dies. Now, on to my front bumper replacement. Think to my self, this is going well, no broken studs on the pad....yet. Last one broke, of coarse. Not a huge deal, use some resin bond and sink a ss screw in. Got pad on, fog covers, license plate. Next morning put front bumper back on. Broke my pilot foglight lens. take a blood pressure break. Go for a ride, running way to rich now. Adjust megasquirt. Drive again. Take frustration out in an empty parking lot.....all worth it

Don't give up Jeff. Just remember what a PITA smog checks are. Remember how cool old cars are. Remember the satisfaction you get from building it. Remember these cars handle like go-carts.

Forget about getting dirty. Forget about finding NLA parts. Forget about gobs of rust. Forget about oil leaks. Forget about

If all else fails buy a Prius

Hey I have both

Every day ...

I already have ..........................

Every time I hear prius I thin of this

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qP-tyvBGla4...be_gdata_player

Yep and every time I get 400 miles to the tank I am not thinking about that. Amazingly enough both my teens learned to drive the Prius.

We've been hearing this from you for years.

This is why I would rather pay someone to work on my cars.

Get to have all the fun without all the headache.

It's not always headache. I enjoy working on it usually. I knew I shouldn't have touched it, Friday was the only sunny day in weeks here. I dont like working in the fog so much. Old injuries make re appearances on days like this.

Move South. hi near 80 here today.

Good for sneaking up on...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6prxGbsawXc

funny, I just bought my wife one today....

Rich

Women or cars it's cheaper to keep her. Another one will just catch your eye a few months later.

Actually, I got a good woman. Only gives me crap when she's playing around. I worked on cars all day, she did laundry and watched football. She is the one that made me take the blood pressure break.

I think about it sometimes, then I remember how much fun it is to drive and I enjoy working on mine. Also our cars aren't losing value, are cheap to reg, insure, maintain, repair, can dodge traffic and unite us in this awesome community! 914's live on

Buy a newer used car and you could be like Hammond with the m3 on topgear... Lol.

I really need a new car, my Jeep has 244K on it, just nothing really excites me. THe cars I like are way to much $$ for a DD. Kinda waiting to see if anyone comes out with a small turbo diesel pickup. ( majindra was supposed to, still waiting..)

Old cars require attention and work to keep on the road. Worth it to me. I don't really like newer cars, tried them numerous times and I always go back to somethng from the 70's. Current stable hosts my 914-4 and my Squareback as daily drivers depending on the weather.

Today I drove a 65' 356 coupe to work.

Next week I'll drive a 78' T1 vert to work.

Just can't see a Prius putting a smile on my face like any of the listed above do.

I love to drive my 914. At the same time, I'm really glad I have a reliable DD as well.

I almost bought something newer instead of the 914 (most likely a BMW Z3), and despite spending more on maintanance/upgrades in 18 months of ownership than I spent on the car, I've never looked back.

There's just something magical about a mid-engine, manual transmission sports car with no power steering and no power brakes. Think about how few of tomorrow's drivers will ever experience that.

No traction control, no ABS, no stability system, no differential braking... just you, the road, and a direct, mechanical connection between the two.

Driving it is your reward for owning it.

I was looking into buying a BMW Z3-M in '99 when i happened to come across my future 914.

The rest is history ...

Double check that valve adjust. Hydros can be difficult to adjust if they don't stay pumped up. Hydro lifter that won't keep pressure colllapses even easier than the valve spring. I use pelican parts article with the table of opposing TDC valves > adjustable valve. If lifter is full, on tha adjustable valve, I tighten the screw 1.5 turns past fist contact, then turn one wheel, keeping other fixed, to rotate engine to next TDC. Screw down all the way will probably burn up the valve. Thats not recommended...

Never thought of giving up .... hope my kids don't give up on me someday!

Adjuster not in all the way, it's out all the way, towards the valve cover.

Hey... I have a Prius and a 914-6.

BTW, my Prius, is lowered 1" with TRD struts/springs and has 20% larger front and rear sway bars, Gram Lite 17" wheels, front strut tower brace, HID fog-kit in the factory lights, heated seats, two-tone leather, etc. I can stay with most commuter cars on canyon roads and get at least 40 MPG doing it.

Seriously, it is my commute car and I actually enjoy it and get to (for now) use the commute lane by myself. But it looks like that may end in July if that law drops off the books. Oh well it has been a nice 5 years so far.

Don't give up. You've dreamed of having something your own your whole life and now you have it. Life is too short to settle for "a car"...

I think about it when times are bad, and forget about it when its running well. That's normal.


BTW why the hell would you buy a Prius, when a small diesel will run a million miles and get better gas mileage?

Prius hate rant over.

I'm probably gonna spend 2k on a 87 300 sdl mercedes diesel and see what diesels are about. Maybe even make some diesel. I love being in the country in tx, I can have lots of projects and work on whatever I want every day. I've had toyota's and hondas forever and they are good wife cars. I only have to change the oil in them. But I like old stuff for me. I only drive about 8k a year in all my cars so gas mileage isn't a real big deal to me yet.

I hear ya Jeff, I just took a 1000 mile round trip mini vacation to visit my kids. Two miles from their house, fuel pump failure. One Sunday spent chasing car parts and laying under the car with gas running down my arm. Leave to go visit my Daughter in Oceanside, made it about five miles. Pull into a FLAPS to find my points had little to no gap. Adjust along side all the rest of the parking lot mechanics and get on the road. I decided that after all the car trouble not to add another 200 miles to the trip and head for home. Cutting one day off the vacation I headed for home and almost made it. About 10 miles short of home the car just died. The little tit on the points broke off. I did get to experience the 80 degree weather down there though. Just can't say that I got to enjoy it.
Oh yea, and in replacing the fuel pump I tore the heater hose off, so the heat was very limited on the way home. It was cold on Tahachapi Pass.

I was wondering-and tried calling, to see if you made it. Was that a good number for the fuel pump ? And you know you can always call, I have spare points all the time.

A few years ago when I 'gave up' on driving old cars for commuting purposes, and started trailering my 914 to the track, I think my stress level decreased and fun factor increased by several clicks! A hobby is only fun if you don't let the occasional setbacks get you too frustrated.

I like having a modern car for a daily driver. Infinity G 35 6sp. and an old

truck for garbage hauler, a Bronco 4 X 4 for the snow and Ice but when

I get in the 914 and start it up, I feel 16 years old as I drive out of the

garage and down the road. Love the smells and the sounds

That pretty much sums it up.

2002 Jetta for the daily driving, 914 for the fun stuff ...

Donkey Bop!!!

Where do you park a 65-foot car ?

The funny thing is, I just did the opposite. When we moved to Texas, we sold Kylie's car. Now she drives the Subaru, which leaves me with the 914. I drive the 914 every day (sometimes I don't have a choice).

And guess what? My happiness with the car has gone up by a factor of 10.

When I had another car to drive, any time the 914 had the slightest problem it would sit in the garage until I could figure it out. Sometimes it would be months. And it has a few minor problems: it looks more oil than it ever has since I've owned it, it fills with water in the rain, the trunks are getting rustier every year, it overheats on 90+ degree days, and the brakes need some work.

But I have decided that as long as it runs, I will drive it every day, rain, sun, freezing weather. And when it stops running, I'll just have to fix it and start driving it again.

I was talking to Mark D. about this a while back. When I had a daily driver, I always wanted the 914 to be perfect, and because I could never achieve perfection, I was never happy with it. Now that the 914 IS my daily driver, it just needs to get me from point A to B, and as long as it can do that I'm happy. Very happy.

(Also, living in Austin I see zero other 914s here, EVER, so I feel the need to represent. )

To quote one of the Blue collar guys, "I don't care who you are, that's funny."

But to stay on topic, yes, I can see a day when the teener will be gone and I only have modern, albeit sporty, transportation. It has something to do with reaching a stage in life where downsizing becomes practical and necessary. I'd like to think I'll always have room and a desire for 3 cars and 2 motorcycles but I know one of those things will change. Even now I'm weaning myself off "heavy duty" working on cars by paying someone (hi, McMark) to do it.