Think we did this some time ago, but an update is due.

As the title says - "original owner".

You should have bought it new from a dealer and still have it.

What's its status & why have you kept through all these years?

Any interesting things on your COA?

Pics appreciated.
Pat

Pat,

I am located in the Doylestown Pa area...where are you?

Here is my story and photos:

My Dad came home one day in early 1974 with a saturn yellow 914 (purchased in Southampton, NY), which I called Lemmy (I had told him I liked the 914, but in adriatic blue or black...not piss yellow as my friends called it). I was 16 years old, he brought it because he could not get enough gas during the gas shortage to get back and forth to work in the Bronx with his convertible eldorado caddie (that thing had an 8.2 liter and got about 8 mpg at best). When the gas crisis ended he threw me the keys. He couldn't wait to get back to the comforts of his caddie.

I took the car to college (from 1976 to 1980) in Southampton, NY and then to grad school for in San Jose, Ca (1980). In 1984 I drove back from San Jose to New York to work as a geologist with an engineering company. In 1987 I retired Lemmy to the garage with the hope that one day i would restore it to like new condition, it had 143,000 miles on it.

Then the kids came and Lemmy sat until around for several years. In 1994 I bought a welder, compressor, etc, pulled the engine, had it rebuilt while I did the rustoration on the hell hole. Then I got all of the rust taken care of that one can do without the complete strip down.

Then a new house and more kids came (6 kids in total) and Lemmy went to the shed until 2010. I found a restorer and had Lemmy flat bedded away. Two years later (November 2011), he finally finished the job.

The engine runs great, it does have carbs that I put on back in 1981, while in California......they have never let me down....like the fuel injection did. I did have a carb cam added during the rebuild so it runs better than back in a day.

As you could imagine, Lemmy and I have many fond memories and a couple of very minor fender benders together...I was young after all. We turned many a passengers face white too.


ADMIN EDIT: Personal information removed by admin ... You really shouldn't post this on a public forum!

Click to view attachment Click to view attachment Click to view attachment Click to view attachment Click to view attachment Click to view attachment Click to view attachment

Number one! I DID NOT remove your personal info. though I may have if I'd SEEN IT! (note to whovever did that - that's MY JOB here!)

Number two - great story! I hope you and Lemmy have many more years of fun and memories.
Pat

BTW. I'm in Blue Bell (Montco) & have the '72 that I boought new when I was 25!

I deleted did.

The guy posted his full name, email address, street address and telephone number in a public forum on the internet for all the world to see.

I deleted that for him so his 914 doesn't get stolen or worse, his identity.

So.......
Any others?

I bought the white '75 from the original owner but didn't feel like doing a full resto so I gave it to Paul P. Still had the original sales receipt. 80K car parked in a dirt lot for 5 years because it needed a clutch. Weather finished it off.

Bought my 73 1.7 Bahia Red 914 in February 1973. Always wanted one while in college and purchased it six months after graduation from University of Georgia. UGA's colors are red and black so deciding on a color was easy! After my twins graduated from UGA four years ago, I started restoring my 914 because I had some disposable income.

Pictures of my car:

http://76.162.11.251/tuck/bicycling/914.htm

Hola Pat,
don't know... do I count as an original owner?

Hey Pat:I am not sure if I count as the original owner.My Father bought the car new, at a dealer near Alexandria VA.It has all the paperwork,and even the window sticker.He loved the car,and drove it for years.When I was in High school ,he gave me the car.It was in good cond,running and driveing.I drove it for a couple years,then the clutch went.I was still liveing at home, and parked it in the garage.There it sat for 17 years.Got lucky with the gas tank,it was empty.But I wish, I had removed the battery.It leaked an rusted some parts.The car runs great but needs rust repair, and paint.It even has a brand new clutch.I started to restore it about 2 years ago,spent alot of cash on new parts,and upgrades.Only to find the rust ,before I took it in for inspection.I thought i was done except for paint.L.O.L. So now she is disassembuled, and the chassis up on jack stands.Waiting for me to figure out,how to fixx the rust,trying to learn how to weld.I grew up with this car,and have lots of great memories and storyies of the car.I hope that some how,I can finish this project,before time runs out.You can see pics on youtube of the car. Lookup Rusty 914 , I have keep it all this time,because of all the sentamental value.One Memory is My Dad,me,and my grandfather at the final game of the 1980 world series,we drove the teener,after the game, we took off the roof, and just cruised for hours, celabrating the win.I just want to take the old man out for a ripp,in his old ride.Jaymann from PA

Fantastic car!

Few people will devote what takes to maintain any car for nearly 40 years1 Ifully understand what it takes.
Pat

Let's see JB...did you get your 914 NEW when you were between 7 and 13?

Your bio lists your birthdate as '63. S'why I'm confused.

Jaymann,

Do it!

If the 914 is a family legacy, it's as good as being the original owner. A legacy 914 may even be more important, though that's just my thought.
Pat

Pics would be cool!

11 to be exact & my name on the original BOS. Too bad I rode in the passenger seat that fine May day back in 74...

I bought mine new while I was in the service in Germany. I ordered it in October of 1969 through a travel agency while I was still stateside. Total price was $5400 delivered in Brussels. I moved to Germany in January of 1970, but had to wait for it to be built, so I drove a 54 bug for a few months. I picked it up in Brussels in April and drove it back to Mannheim, where I was stationed. While there, I had the first of a series of rust problems. The wheel arch lips above the rear wheels rusted through the paint within the first 6 months. I had them fixed under warranty at the Volkswagen dealer in Mannheim (Islinger, I think). Next thing to happen was the oil pressure light started flickering under load. Took it to Reinhold Joest (Yes, that Reinhold Joest) and he quoted me a $300-500 charge to rebuild the motor. Luckily, it was found to be the sender itself, so no big deal. Put nearly 20000 miles on it in Europe. Shipped it back to the US in September of 1971 and drove it until 1980, when I found the floors had rusted out under the seats. Life happened and it hasn't been back on the road since, but has had all the floors replaced, the engine rebuilt and has been repainted. There were some issues on the engine and it is in the shop even as we speak. Hopefully soon!

THAT is unique! Great story.

WOW! Rust issues at 6 months?

Hi Pat. Just surface rust coming through the paint. No real damage, except that they had trouble matching the light ivory for some reason.

Pat,

While not the original owner myself, my 73 had a few small surface rust bubbles when I got it 3 years old in late `75, which the seller/OO said had started within the first year of their ownership, but the dealer gave them the runaround about fixing it.

That was part of the reason given by the OO/PO/seller as to why it had been repainted Gold from L80E/Light Ivory when I bought it. Based on my paint archaeology recently, it also had either a beige/light tan tinted primer under, or yet another repaint attempt of Sahara Beige between the light ivory & gold paint layers - so it may have been "fixed" by the dealer & OO/seller twice in the first 3 years!

I did go around with the dealer & VoA/Porsche+Audi about it myself after my 12/75 purchase to no avail - that their supposed fix & repaint was defective, ergo my first rust fix & repaint the following summer of `76 to Copper Metallic L96K.

Ditto for my 3rd paint job & rolling resto in 1980, as them devils came back!

Great topic! Love to read these old OO stories - even if I only qualify as a long time 2nd owner!

Good stories boys! Not easy to live with something crude for so long.

I'll put my story in here. Some of you already know it.

Late 1971....put my order in for a 240Z (at the local Pontiac dealer!). Ordered red with equipment I've forgotten. Told it would be 6 months.

May 1972, I recieved a cal that my Z had arrived. I was super excited & rushed to the dealer within 10 minutes of the call.

It was orange! Dealer told me "that's what came in". "Take it or go back on the list". Cancelled my order & got back my deposit. Pissed, and went looking for a used red one. None found, but I'd been enamored with the TR6, so I went to used dealer in Cincy (Rally Ralph) who had one. It was BRG, but he also had a used '70 914-4 in Irish Green. Drove them both. The TR had been abused & had a lot of problems (2 yrs old?). The 914 was sans appearance group, fun to drive, but it stank of cigar smoke. Walked.

No eBay or Craigslist in those days (come to think of it - not computers or internet). Watched & waited for the right TR6 & put out feelers.
A fellow by the name of Frank Bork (who else remebers the saleman that sold him thier 914 new) called me from Classic Porsche/Audi & said he had a 73 TR6 with only 4K miles on it. I was there again in 10 minutes. Gave me the keys for n afternoon. Fun car, shift linkage"snick, snick" but it was July and the heat from the transmission to my feet was horrible. When I took it back, Frank asked me to drive a new 914. I did and loved it. Placed my order right there for Bahia Red & got it within 2 weeks.

Very long story short - I still have it. Drove it for 2 years every day, before the concours bandit lured me. Won a total of 36 concours awards including 2 Parade class wins. It's on stands now, waiting for the right mechanic to bring it back from 7 years of non-driving. Getting close to that right now.

Getting older has caught up with me & I can no longer get off a creeper without screaming & farting, so I've finally realized that a pro is needed.

But, I still have it. No one else every has. I had it repainted & replaced the sail panels in '79. Fritz has no rust anywhere (except the old gas tank). I'll die with this car.

Small world, Pat! I worked at Classic Porsche/Audi in the early 70's. I did most of the new car prep on the 914's when they came in to the dealer. I don't think I was still there in 73, otherwise I would have been the first person to drive your 914!
Bill Atkins

Well Bill, you WERE there because my 914 was a late 72.

Now this is wierd, but I remember Frank Bork telling me that "Bill" would get my 914 ready, and offering to sell me a set of the new Fuchs wheels from the new 2 liter cars for mine (couldn't afford another buck).
Sound remotely familiar?
Pat

Yeah, kinda does...but that was a long time ago. Glad that you still own it after all these years! I remember driving one and then coming back to tell the boss it was popping out of 5th gear about 80 or so. For some odd reason, he wasn't thrilled with that bit of news, probably for a number of reasons! Oh, the old days!
Bill

Well. at least you worked it before the owner did.

Bill, since you were in the midst of these cars when they were new.......do you have any recollection of the importance, relevance or purpose of these numbers that were typically stamped on the engine tin?

And do you also recall someone who worked at Classic by the name of Rob Champlin?

Paul

This was my fathers. He was the original owner and gave it to me a few years ago when my mom couldn't get in and out of it anymore. It runs, but not well. Its in need of a rebuild. Original interior, Fuch's, engine and paint except for the passenger door. Here is the original owners manual and bill of sale from Chick Iverson in Newport Beach Ca.Click to view attachment Click to view attachment

Thanks for taking this thread off-topic.
Should have done it in another thread.

Pat,
Been meaning to do this for awhile and I hope this is the place(was the thread removed?) Here is the car, window sticker, Bill of Sale and a pic of the original second set of keys, key fob with antenna release and two of the drain tubes from the front trunk. BTW the chassis number is 0239511. Ive got it on the road again and its been my DD for about a year. Not numbers matching, my fault, Mc Mark installed a 73- 1.7 with side shift, that was taken from one of his customers cars. Mark also changed third, fourth to M - S gears...fun on the roads in west Marin. It needs tlc, but I'm enjoying it almost as much as when it was new. The pic of the car was taken in 2005.

Thanks,
There aren't many of us left.
Pat

Mine's a 1974 1.8 in Sunflower Yellow, purchased from Berlin Porsche-Audi in Charlottesville, VA in August, 1974. Currently under restoration, it has about 200,000 miles on it before being parked some years ago.

At the time of original purchase it was the most basic model offered - it was all I could afford at that time. Since, it has acquired a set of fog lights with grilles, and the center console. Someday, I'll spring for a set of Fuchs and sway bars, and maybe even chrome bumpers.
Click to view attachment

I just want to say how cool it is that there are some original owners of these cars here. I knew Pat was, but was not aware that there were others!

As a 29 year old slowly becoming more financially stable, I'll theoretically be able to buy a new car in a few years. But to be honest, I don't think I ever will. There is nothing out there now that I could honestly see myself holding onto for 40 years. Something tells me if I were able to buy a new 914 40 years ago, the story might have been different. Instead, I think I'm destined to drive second-hand used cars, saving that money for more 914s (one day)!

Thank you guys for holding onto these treasures and for sharing your stories.

Welcome to what I affectionately call the Raisin Club. I call it that because we original owners are all wrinkled up.
Pat

I like the name, Dead Pecker Society!

Original owner 1971 914-4 delivered to Gruber Porsche+Audi in November 1970. Appearance group, houndstooth seats. I've had 43 years to do so many things to it i've forgotten half of it. Highlights- meeting the Porsche family and getting autographs of Ferry and his sons at my first Parade at Lake Geneva the following summer.
My dad liked my car so much he got himself a Bahia red 914 6 months after mine was delivered. My uncle started the whole thing, getting his '69 912 from the factory...

It soon had all new OEM 914-6 suspension brakes etc.

Still running great, one repaint in the mid 80s in original metallic silver.

Now in process of restoring a '73 2.0 that one of my best friends bought in 1974- I was given the car by his widow when he passed away from a rare disease about a decade ago.

Both cars will always stay in the family. I have two boys and they will each get one. Lucikly they both Click to view attachmentinherited the Porsche gene from me and their grandfather!Click to view attachment Click to view attachment

Original owner '74. 2.0 bought it at Downtown L.A. Porsche+Audi.
Even had the bumperettes (tits) chewed off by the doberman guard dogs on the sales lot !
The dealer replaced those, threw in the cocoa mats, an Ansa muffler and lowered the front end , for my troubles[b]
But this car has not ever remained stock, only has about 50,000 chassis miles on it and 1,200 miles on its current drivetrain.Click to view attachment

Maltese- assume you're over at rennlist too, recognize the name.

What engine is in that thing??? Interesting "radiator"...