I am seriously considering the purchase of a 73 or 74 914 that will be used year around here in Minnesota.

Sane or not what should I be looking at from a reliability point of view OTHER than the heater?

Thanks in advance.

1) rust

2) RUST

3) more RUST

Remember that these are 30 year old cars. I'm not sure how cold it gets sown there, but odds are good that it won't start real well if it gets really cold. And, if there is any salt on the roads, the car will likely be rusted away to nothing by spring time. Our cars don't like salt and moisture.

As far as the heat thing goes, if all of the elements in the heating system are in good shape, a 914 should be able to pump out plenty of heat.

I am extra careful, and try to avoid, even driving mine in the rain... can't imagine it on ice.... not saying it can't /shouldn't be done... you HAVE to be better than me on iCE... but it would be very "interesting", for me anyway!

they were build to be driven in germany.
snow and ice won't be a problem.
rust will be!

ever wondered why there are so few 914s left in germany?
Andy

There are pan heaters for the oilpan that can be added on for those rare chilly days that you have in Minn.

Besides the salt eating it, they are just like any old car for driving in the winter.

BTW welcome to the board

ok... but forgive me if I don't try to drive it in the snow... the one day per year we actually get a 1/4" of the shit! he's probably much more accustomed to snow driving... I didn't think about rust though... again, it only snows 1-2 days per year around here... more in Lubbock, less in Austin... good point!

I drove my fist 914 year-round. It was my only car at the time. I was very pleased with it's winter performance (I had a set of studded snow-tires for it). It got great traction and in cold weather started very easily - more easily than any other car I've ever owned. I had to start it up on many -15F mornings and it always fired right up with no theatrics. I was very impressed with the cold-weather performance of the D-jet injection.

Driving in the cold/snow I only ever had 4 minor complaints:

1) rear-wheel traction was great, but front-wheel traction was sometimes lacking.
2) Not so good on ice. Great on snow, but occasionally tried to swap ends on ice at highway speeds (when not equiped with studded snow-tires)
3) To keep engine running well car needed to be brought up to full opperating temp regularly. If only driven short distances in very cold weather it will start to ice-up after a while. A 10 mile drive thaws and drys everything out if that happens.
4) If driven in deep wet snow the quarter pannels can litterally fill with compacted snow/ice. You may need to clear them out occasionally.

-Ben M.

Ben is dead on with his impressions of winter 914 driving. Driving in any more than a couple of inches of snow is tricky, if you have lowered the car. It's a good way to turn your 914 into a snowplow.

It's also been my experience that the flapper boxes can ice up a little bit, and it takes some time for them to thaw out. If the flapper box cable/lever seems stiff - don't force it.

But... it IS fun.

This picture is stopping for gas, in December... topless. By the way, if there is a lot of loose snow on the windshield, and you turn on the wipers with the top off... your passenger WILL get their own personal snowstorm.

That's a great picture, Rusty! Obviously not Iraq!

Mike

Did someone say RUST yet?

Here's a pic for you. The salt had eaten this long so bad you could get your arm through the hole. The whole outer long was removed by running a screwdriver along it.

Having driven 914s in Minnesota during the winter, and ruining them, choose another car, something with 4wheel , or all wheel drive. Maybe an old Quatro.