I like very much the stock design of the 74 US spec car, but I definitely do like more the euro versions, without the side markers and thick bumper guards, add the 5 lug 16”x6” fuchs, it’s (to me) cleaner, more the original design and what I always wanted.

I respect the position of everyone, and I think your car should be what you like…

if you can do it in a way that it can be undone, maintain the essence, better.

Stock form will always be best if you need a new home for it.

Just have fun with it, and with the process.

I love my 2.2L, my 44mm twin webers, Bilstein’s, Mp3 Blaupunkt, golden Porsche lettering and specially my MOMO prototipo… which are not stock but in my mind are not far off the stock form in image.

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@CCE

You realize that you replied to a 10 year old thread. Many things have changed since then.

@CCE - Your car looks great. Sending you a PM.

Every car I have ever owned has been modified either by engine mods or cosmetic. I don't plan on selling the car as it it going to be passed down to my grandson. The previous owner repainted the car Guards Red, back dated the bumpers, (car is a 1975), and removed the side marker lights. I added Bilstein shocks, 19mm front torsion bars and 140 lb. springs in the rear. Rebuilt 2056 motor, Renn shifter with Tangerine racing shift linkage. SS fuel lines, 50mm throttle body, 1.5 qt. oil sump and remote cooler. Corbeau seats with 5 point harnesses, and replaced the steering wheel. Ford Mustang billett aluminum fuel door recessed in the hood Sheridan 7" rear spoiler, front badge, SS heat exchangers, and Triad dual outlet muffler. No going back to stock here!

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Yes

I'm happy for the guys and gals that are happy with stock cars, but I am to impatient to drive something that cannot get to 80 mph before getting on the freeway. There was a killer deal on a stock Karmann Ghia and I passed it up, because I knew I wouldn't be happy with it and have to modify it.
My first 914 back in 1980 i upgraded it to a 2.4 four. This car was rear ended and totaled on the avenue in 1981. Next car was out of college in 1986. Still have the car. Started off with a 2.7 six, then a 3.2 and next a 3.6. The brakes, suspension, flairs has also been a slow journey over time. Money and time also come into play when building your dream car. My tastes have also changed over time. I also bought a V8 914 already done. Only improvements i am making on this car is Boxster brakes and higher gearing. Maybe heating and air...

Yes, I was looking for ideas on how to install an amp and woofer, (not that I’m gonna, just looking around.) there are a lot of new options for smaller and more powerful accessories now.

As myself and the 914's get older, would say leave a stock 914 stock. It's why I bought an already converted 914-6. I didn't want to modify a nice, stock 914.

Others have said it, your money and time, ensure you get something you want.

(1) If the car is totally stock & original when you acquire it, then keep it that way.

(2) If the car has has suffered the attentions of ham-fisted owners & mechanics by the time you acquire it, then apply the "My Money, My Rules" principle and make/repair the car the way you want it to be in order to suit your personal taste.

For me it’s a Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde thing.
Restoring a 50 year-old fuel injected mid-engine German made sports car and getting it to run properly is every bit as fun as asking yourself …(and then doing)…What is this car really capable of becoming?
It’s like …..the 914 mid-engine layout was accidentally designed as an open source project.
My solution has been the 914 x 2 option.
I wear my pressed white shirt and slacks by day, and carry my Karambit blade under my overalls at night.

After two separate wrecks, my 914.. the big six, started out with the concept "What could Porsche done with the 914 in 1973 by raiding the parts bin for all the good, go fast parts?" So I started off with a 2.4S MFI motor, a 71 911 transmission for the pull clutch, 911 S front and rear brakes, with a 911 park brake conversion, and 15 by 7 front fuchs, and 15 x8 rears, factory Porsche GT flares, and a 911 style dash.

Well, the real world, and my horsepower obsession interfered. I found the 951 Fuchs on Ebay with all of 12 miles on them and bought them. Then I found 944 turbo calipers for the brakes. So the suspension was already changed. Later I changed to Boxster calipers and a 23mm master cylinder.

I have since changed the 2.4 for a 4.0 monster with a Cayman 6 speed behind it. And I am working on the flat fan/MS3Pro setup for the engine.


On the other hand, the factory six is going exactly the opposite way. I have removed the Rennshifter and put a stock shifter back on it. I have put a stock steering wheel with the correct date code back on it. We have redone the door pads back to stock. I have repaired the carbs and put the stock air cleaner back on. I took the 16x6 Fuchs off and put on the 5 lug Mahle Gas burners. The only thing left is to have the body work done and get it repainted in the original blue (which sucks because we really like the Boxster blue that's on it) and remove the rear trunk gas strut kit and put the torsion bars back on. The only non stock parts on it are the LED lights, and those are reversible, and they make the car much safer on the road.

One is a highly modified monster, and one is a bone stock 914-6. Both are going to be very nice cars when they are completed. The bottom line to all of this is what you do to your 914 depends on what you think should be done. It is your car. If you want to put a Gnome Type N air cooled radial engine in it, then more power to you. And I want to see it when it's done.

Having been a guest of Clay’s, I am confident the man knows the left and right limits of where to take a 914. And after seeing his beauties, there is definitely a lot you can do with a 914 and still retain the unique 914 look and feel.

I was looking up slantnose 911s for my son yesterday. I had no clue they were so rare and kind of a special order deal. I guess my slantnose 914 is probably even rarer than the 911s though.

Hell yeah it is!

It is super-duper rare.

But they are out there.


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The Journey is more important than final product.

I also had trouble doing big mods to a nice original car. I was looking for another car to do my second -6 conversion and found a nice 914 that turned out to be a really cool survivor. Instead of modifying it I cleaned it up, repaired it and sold it to someone that appreciated its "stockness".

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...p;hl=white++car

Luckily for me they are local and I still get to see the car, they have added some factory upgrades that have only made the car nicer.
I found another car that was a roller and mostly rust free to become my next -6 conversion. In the end much happier to be modifying a car that I am also saving vs cutting up a survivor.

john

never drive stock.

We just put 3 non factory slantnose 911's back to stock. One was an early turbo. It's a value killer unless it's factory. Still, if it makes you happy, go for it.

Just was looking at this post. If you want a hood badge put a decal on that you can always take off later. Happy New Year!

I hadn't seen this thread before today.

I have two cars I'm building.

A stupid nice, low mileage, 75 1.8 with the least rust I've ever seen in a 50-year-old car.
Never been hit, horrible repaint (silver), completely virgin, unmolested example.
I'm experienced in import car restoration and can tell if others have taken stuff apart in the past. On most of my tear down I'm sure I'm the first and all of the hardware is in its proper place!!!

It's the least valuable of the breed (so I think) and it's the heaviest, lowest power version made.
It's not staying stock, but...

It's nice enough that I am limiting myself as to HOW it is modified.

I'm NOT allowed to make a single new hole in the body. No sheet metal mods at all.
Anything is allowed as long as it "bolts in" and the original is kept in storage.

As this car did not come with factory sway bars this is a point of contention for me.
I already own a complete 914 factory sway bar set up, both front and rear.
I have the weld in kits.
I also have most of a 911 underbody front bar.
Leaning "make holes" on this one.
Devil on one side, angel on the other...

No changes to the wiring loom. If a circuit has to be modified it has to be done with removable wiring "taps" at an original wiring connector. No cutting any wires!

I'll end up with a large displacement T4 at some point, this will be serious.

The 1.8 has a brand new 2bl on it, all the original FI in a box.
I've already sourced a complete 1.8L-jet system with new wiring harness/injectors taken off a running car at the installation of an aftermarket system.

I'll return the car to FI, verify the 1.8L is decent, get a dyno run to test power/torque.
We'll use it stock while I build the bigger engine.
I'll replace the entire set up at once. Pickle the original engine and box it up.
If I get it right, I'll be able to simply "plug it in" to the original points.

I'm keeping the option of "return to stock easily" open.

The 76 916 clone in fiberglass is WIDE OPEN. No rules at all!
I can't screw it up worse than it is now. I'll be restoring a mutilated corpse to life.
I won't be the mutilator myself.

But if things go as I'd like, I'll be hunting you at some point @clayperrine

My first 2 were 4 cylinder totally stock cars - loved them. My 3rd is a great tribute - flared fenders, 3.2L, 915 trans, Boxster brakes, etc..... A lot of fun and there is no right or wrong way to do it.Click to view attachment

I think I’m striking a good balance with the car I choose. It was a super rusty 1.7 that was fully restored body wise and had all kinds or trick mods but all within period stuff more or less. No flares so switch out the seats, steering wheel, put on the gas burners and stock shifter and it sits looks like a stock car. Throw back in the GTS Watkins Glens seats, 370mm ST steering wheel, Ats classic wheels with 205 sticky rubber, and rennshift and with the 2.7mfi and close ratio transaxle its ready to fly down the mountain roads.

I feel a 3.0 would have crossed a certain line…… The 7r case somehow seems to fit the spirit of the early 914 body.

I think the thing is about how you want to use the car- or if you want to use it for driving. or just have it and drive it. I choose the 914 because I wanted to experience the mid engine handling/layout in a light weight car. I already have an 964 and so the 914 meant less of a learning curve in terms of maintenance and workshop tools/nomenclature than, say a lotus (which i could never fit into anyway.) And I’m just can’t stand modern interiors and wanted to stay simple so the heavier Cayman/boxster were out.

Anyhooo yeah- drivers should make the car do what they want. Builders should build the car the think represent the spirit of the car. Collectors should keep it stock. Those of us inbetween have to find our own individual balance and it’s not always easy.

Pete

2 is 1. Best case scenario is to have 2. Leave one totally original and a second to modify. For me building and developing the car is where I find all the joy. A stock car is like having sex with Grandma, while the type R is like a pornstar.

I bought an already converted six and made it my own. Wouldn't modify a nice stock 914 anymore.

15+ years ago, certainly modified my fair share of 914's.

I’ve had mine for 41 years. It was fun stock. But the more work I did on the engine and suspension, the more serious the fun became. It is now getting more suspension work, better brakes and 5 lug. Shifter is stock with a bit of internal work and a short shift kit and shift rod and shift console work. Flares for bigger tires was a must to me. Adding bolstering to the seats to keep my butt where it belongs. Nothing needs to be done to make them fun, I guess it depends on how much fun you want to have.

I suppose you're referring to your Hondas?

I often recall the words of Ferdinand Porsche:

Change is easy, improvement, that's more difficult.

Those words can be applied to business practices, phone upgrades, vehicle facelifts, politics, relationships, and, and, and... Because, in many ways, there is nothing new under the sun.

Whenever I look at a car that has been modified, I always ask, is this an improvement? Certain cars, like the Mk1 Audi TT, there is no body kit that can be added to it, that will not degrade its beautiful appearance. With the 914, and 911's there are certain things that can be done to improve it, after all some were budget builds from the factory, and the factory went cheap in the later years on the 914. My Porsches are modified. But I actively seek out dilapidated candidates for my projects.

Or maybe I’m just getting old,
But fuch I hate the cold.

I put a hood badge on my car, Euro tail lights and euro front turn signals, it had a monza exhaust and I love it. I even put a German 1973 small decorative plate in the rear window.

Oh, also a rear fog light. The car was just a project when I bought it, so I was able to make it look like my dad’s with the light ivory color and the hubcaps, then I added a few other things I really liked. I wouldn’t change a thing it’s perfect to me.

Most of the things I’m doing had been done to the sixes, or in my opinion should have been done by the factory. Darn windshield wipers park right in my field of view. I took them off for a while. Then saw a better way.

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Porsche has always been 'development over engineering'. Why else keep the same body style for decades? It's what separated them (and VW for that matter) from the constantly 'evolving' US car market.

Progressive refinement.

When I bought my 914 (fourteen years ago!), the wiper "park" function didn't work. They just stop moving wherever they are when you turn them off.

It's very easy to time it to shut them off when they're at their lowest position on the passenger side.

Problem solved.

(I have no idea if the failure was a result of wear or a "fix" by a PO. But it works for me!)