I am seriously jealous of anyone who can own a 914 and not know how to fix cars. Because if that person were me I think I would have sold mine a looooong time ago, ther e is always something to fix.

ANY 30 year old car, not just a 914. They all need about the same amount of fixing. I certainly can't afford to pay someone else to do everything to my car(s)...

Over lunch today, some (non-car) guy was complaining about his 10 year old Ford and how a mechanic was wanting to hit him up for $300 to repair the rear brakes + $700 to replace the timing belt. The car has 90K miles on it, so he's decided it's time to retire the car and move on to something else. It's obviously worn-out. Now, if he'd learn to do these two relatively basic things himeself, it would be about $200 in parts plus a weekend of cursing and swearing to get a car he'd probably use for another 5 years, versus $1000 in repairs OR donate the car to charity and spend $20K on something new.

Your lunch friend obviously doesn't understand car payments and depreciation costs! $1000 is what, 2 or 3 car payments? If he buys a new car for $25K out the door, it's only going to be worth $15K 4 years later. That's $2500/year in depreciation plus the cost of financing. $1000 to keep his 90K mile car running for another 2 years is cheap.

I pick and choose my battles. So far I've been able to do everything on my 914. On my daily driver VW Jetta I've done everything except the 90K mile service and the timing belt. I didn't want to mess with cam timing and just wanted to know the car would be good for another 90K.

On the 911 I just bought I had the mechanic do a full service because he gave me a killer deal (free 2.5 hour PPI if I did the service). It wasn't because I couldn't learn how to adjust valves, timing, and change fluids on the 911 but it's nice to know that for $600 I got my 911 properly tuned, checked out, and all the fluids replaced. I don't need to do anything to it for 2 years now except change the oil and get to know the car. It's a nice feeling. And during the service he also found a leaky fuel accumulator. That could have easily been an engine fire so I'm glad I had a pro check it out this time.

hmmm...guess we all have our biases! I'm a car nut and wrench on my own 928, 911 and 914. And yes I could afford to have them all worked on if that is what I chose to do. But I have a love for the engineering of the Porsches and the reward for self-accomplishment of fixing something for it's intended use. I also do my own home renovations with the same sense of accomplishment.

Some people enjoy their cars for other reasons (not just being able to wrench it or describe it's intricasies from top to bottom). I'd dare say some people just like to drive them, some people just like to look at them and yes some people like them for the statement they make to others. But, in just a different dimension..they are enjoying their cars like we do.

Does that make it wrong? No, just different. And different is what makes life fun and interesting!

Just think, if we were all the same and everybody wrenched themselves..there would be no market for paid mechanics!

So, do I have a problem with...let's say another porsche owner that doesn't understand what is under the hood? Nope, becausethey love their car for other reasons..different but yet the same. And for those occasions where I run into that...I get to give alittle knowledge to someone who maybe didn't have the opportunity growing up to see the mechanical side of life!

The rarely philosophic jim (jim912928).

p.s. way cool the other day a new 911 was driving towards me (I'm in my 914) and he waved and blinked his/her lights first!