i have my 914 and a 04 boxster s,and amwondering how it feels to drive an older well sorted 911,and how does it compare to our 914 and even the boxster.so much press about 911,high prices etc,that i just want to know how it feels to own and drive one.

I really like them... My 75 Carrera drives wonderful, has a real nice balance of the "vintage" feel vs comfort. I've had a few early 911's and a few SC"s and later carrera's boxster, as well.

I'm a fan of the mid year cars... at my altitude SC's feel weak, and later Carrera's feel heavy. I'd buy a nice 74 75 over a SC anyday all things comparable.

I'd call my 75 sorted, steering is super direct, less body roll, predictable ect.

Early long nose cars provide the best classic driving experience but not for the $$.

Totally different but equally as pleasing driving experience. the sound, the handling etc is all new, yet familiar. An early car with a bumped 2.4 is a blast. MFI makes it even more fun. That said the prices the long hoods are bringing nowadays would make a late 70-early 80's car a much better buy for a driver, but buy now. They are starting to go up now that long hoods have gotten out of range for most

I've owned 6 different 911s (from a 69S to multiple 74 Carreras to a 88 Cab). I doubt I will ever own another.

Totally different animal than a 914 or Boxster

why would you not own another 911

I had a new 911 around 2006. It was a blast however the boxsters were a lot more fun to drive. The 914 is the most fun of all. The 911 was my daily driver. Much more room than a boxster. The 911 allure is simply its history and image.

some days my 914 is more fun than the boxster.i can throw it around curves and have a direct feel to the road.the boxster is much faster and definitely good on curves,but lacks the lightness and road feel of 914.i still try to imagine my 914 with more power.

i suppose if i had a 911 sorted like magnus walkers i might crave it.hes such a good promoter

I forgot to mention that my 914 is way more fun than either a boxster or 911. Just bare bones fun!

Well, I don't like any of the Water Cooled ones that I can afford and they don't have the Fun Factor of a Mid Engined Car.

I had a 911 once.......its engine is now in my 914.

(okay is was a major project car with unmatching numbers)

'86 911 turbo

This car is a blast to drive. Very quick when the RPMs are over 3k when the turbo kicks in. Very solid car. Very well made compared with the 914. Of course I'm comparing an '86 to a '71.

Handling-wise the 911 scares me as snap-oversteer is always in the back of my mind. I think my 914 handles better. I can throw the 914 into corners without worrying about the rear end chasing the front end around the corner.

I have a well sorted 1983 911sc. I recently took it up to Whistler for the PCA event. Was able to hang with the faster watercooled PCars driving "spritedly" up the Sea to Sky highway no problem -- it was a blast.

That said, my son's 914 makes me smile every time I drive it. It's a slow dog compared with the 911, but speed is relative -- it's all about the sensation of speed.

Low to the ground and fun handling that won't bite... just utterly enjoyable and people enjoy seeing them out and about as well. You always get a wave or a thumbs up when you're out cruising around in the 914.

A weird perception thing I've noticed with other drivers --- In the 911 you get some folks who think you're some yuppie stereotype (you can blame 80's movies for this) who may cut you off/tailgate/race to solicit a reaction.... It's a 30 year old car folks! Your Honda is faster and costs more-- I concede!

The teeners are just gosh darn good honest unpretentious cars that are fun, fun, fun and don't pretend to be anything they aren't.

I have some sentimentality having owned a 914 when I was 16 (now 42) so maybe that has something to do with it, but if there was ever a price per fun ratio, the 914 would be the deal of the century.

Greg

apples and oranges...simple as that. When I drive my 914 I'm transported back to 1973. The feel, the smells, etc. It's a time machine. I'm not looking to upgrade my 914 to a modern car. My 911 is a 1990 and much more modern in every aspect. However, the fun factor is absolutely the same. Really, if I had Seinfeld money, I'd do what he did, buy one of every type and drive them as much as possible, to include errands. I've been driving a 2002 Mini Cooper to work and that is a very fun car. Gives me the same smiles as the 914 (well, it has awesome air, so I'm smiling and not sweating).

The 964 didn't have torsion bar suspension. It's a dream to drive. No snap oversteer. It's an incredibly forgiving car. Of course, once I have to stop writing tuition checks, then I'm shopping for a GT3.

apples and oranges...simple as that. When I drive my 914 I'm transported back to 1973. The feel, the smells, etc. It's a time machine. I'm not looking to upgrade my 914 to a modern car. My 911 is a 1990 and much more modern in every aspect. However, the fun factor is absolutely the same. Really, if I had Seinfeld money, I'd do what he did, buy one of every type and drive them as much as possible, to include errands. I've been driving a 2002 Mini Cooper to work and that is a very fun car. Gives me the same smiles as the 914 (well, it has awesome air, so I'm smiling and not sweating).

The 964 didn't have torsion bar suspension. It's a dream to drive. No snap oversteer. It's an incredibly forgiving car. Of course, once I have to stop writing tuition checks, then I'm shopping for a GT3.

I have a '65 911. Not too much horsepower (130), not too much weight, really more like a REALLY good 356 with improved handling. Basic, simple, kinda noisy. I love it.

The Cap'n

I had a '70 911T Frankenporsch. 2.4 bumped up to 2.7, 915 tranny, S brakes, yadda yadda. It was a fun car to drive, but I found myself not driving it much when I started riding motorcycles. Sold it, but I still have the rusty ole 914.

Does a 993 count as a 911? I've got a '97 993 and love it. Wifey way prefers the 993 as it is very quiet and comfortable.
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I have a 77 with a 3.2 conversion. Fast and lighter than an 3.2 carrera. Super fun car.

Even though mine is lighter by comparison, it feels much heavier than my 914 - just more substantial over all.

My dad bought a 2013 Carrera 4 last year. I commuted in the thing for the better part of a month last summer - that car is amazing. Even though it is water cooled, I swear they some how made it sound like it has a fan. Very mechanical sounding motor. Blisteringly fast.

I know what you are saying. When I had my 88 Carrera I had BMW's up my ass every second. With the 914, always a smile and a wave.

John

I have a 1977 911S with a 3.2 conversion. I like it much better with the 3.2. Much faster and fun than the two 914's on jack stands.Click to view attachment

I had a 1967 Normal (non-S) for awhile, just a lovely car!! I kick myself for selling it - particularly now as they have gone into silly money....

the 911 had a 2.0L 6cyl with webbers, made a lovely sound, and handled well. Not tons of power.

However, it did not handle anywhere near as well as the 914.

But it was sure fun to throw thru the twisties.....great cars!!

I have had seven 911's of the various varieties. Of them all the last two were my favorites, a '97 C4S coupe w/6 speed and my current '10 C4S with 6 speed. These cars feel so planted and attached to the road when you drive them aggressively that they are confidence inspiring. My older 911's, ranging from '73 to '83 always felt unsettled during hard driving. I was always aware the rear could step out suddenly on me. I have had 4 914's, three of them have been real Sixes. Since I have not really driven my current Six, it does not count yet. The first three all handled like they were go carts. I always felt like there was no turn that was to much of a challenge in these cars. I totally love the 914's and that is why I decided to buy and restore one to my liking this time.
IN summary, the 911 is a nice daily driver and commuter for my wife. The 914 is an absolute terrific driver and fun car and I intend to drive my Six regularly once it returns home.

I had a 96 993 tiptronic. Very comfortable and the auto was nice for congestion. Cornered horrible until I Installed an M030 kit. Autocross with the kit it felt similar to the 914. For the street I hated it. It still had the lift throttle over steer problem, but the track correcting rear end would stop it from spinning out. Very wierd feeling versus the 914 would just slide sideways. I prefer the 914 and got rid of the 993. I won't get another 911. Maybe a Boxster or Cayman some day.

I have owned many 911s. I currently have a 2009 911S coupe. Awesome car...400 hp, but a totally different experience.

My air cooled cars were more primitive, which made it more of a ride to me. Incredible sound with the air cooled cars.

These are just different cars. Like a Boxster vs a 911. Both good, but different.

914 is more in the spirit of a European roadster, but with German toughness and reliability. You just have to have an open cockpit for that roadster feeling and the 914 delivers that. The 911 is more of an awesome GT.

It's fair to say the 911 is a better collectible and much more known. But something about the little 914 that keeps one in my garage.

My wife has an 82 911SC. Great car. It isn't a whole lot heavier than the 914, but it feels tons more solid. It also doesn't change directions as readily as the 914--tight twisty bits at the autoX are a lot harder in it than my 914. It does communicate wonderfully well what the contact patches are doing, so you can really feel what is going on with the car.

Plus it makes amazing noises. I think the air-cooled flat-six motor is one of the best-sounding street motors ever.

--DD

I've had several 911s ('75, '84, and '87), as well as 914s since 1974. Different animals, but the big engined 914-6 is the most fun of all. Other than the AC in my current 911 Carrera Targa on a hot day, I like the 914-6's handling and feel much better. The later 911s truly feel heavier and different than the early cars.

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I bought the doner 964 about 5 years ago and it has been a blast, love the power of the 3.6 and can't wait to get it into the 914. I think we all have a thing for the under dog! Something about any old Porsche, when you jump in and it takes a minute to figure out. The pedals take a second to get use to, it takes a few shifts to figure it all out. Then it's a party! Next year when I pull the 964 apart I will maybe pick up a 356 or a 912? I will never part with my 914, she is by far my favorite car to drive and own! Air cooled for life !

I think the longhoods are pretty.

I drove mine for the first time in a looong time last year. I just need to buy a few parts and do a little work and it should be back on the road fairly soon.

84 911 cabriolet here.
Quicker, draws more racers to hassle you.
More luxury, smoother ride.
Faster

Oversteer is just a problem if you don't remember it's coming...911 has enough power to adjust if it starts to happen. I cruise in mine, so it does not happen anymore....it did happen a lot the first week when I went from a 914 to a 911

The 914 handles better, no argument
The 911 has better build quality, but at the end of the day they are both setup the same with the same front suspension and read trailing arms.

All around, both a nice cars depending upon your mood.
I plan to keep my 911 mostly stock and keep is as my cruiser.
The 914 has gone through two phases.....stock, then racer, then stock....

With the 911 in my stable, I can take the 914 much farther down the road into a racer and not worry about street driving it as much.

The 911 feels much narrower and you sit higher than in a 914. It's halfway between a 914 and a beetle as far as that goes.

I had a 95 993. Perfect high speed freeway cruiser. Very confident in the twists but not as much feedback as a race prep 914. I wouldn't do another 911 because the 914 is what I like (although I have always dream of a street /6) but if I had to I would only choose a C4 and likely a convertible.

Halfway between a beetle and a 914! Truly. I have an 85 coupe and it reminds me of my old bug I had in high school! In a good way. The a pillars and front side windows in my peripheral vision is all bug. The sound is there too.
Super fun car, just different from the 914. Feels more planted, but is heavier. Going to put her on a diet..

I have a 69S that I've never driven, it needs a resto.
I've driven just about every version of 911 up to 1998 while repairing them for a living.
I love 914s' and early 911s' equally.
I love 914 6s' and pre '73 911S' especially
My ultimate garage ?
My current 1970 914 6 ( Tangerine, restored since 1987)
My 1969 911S , original Tangerine ! as a finished car.
197? Conversion 914 6 w/ steel GT flares, 3.0, white, extra lightness, etc.,etc. a good poke in the eye to any 911 or any sports car for that matter.
1932 Ford Roadster, steel body, no fenders, hot flathead, early post-war California dry lakes style
1989-91 VW Vanagon Westfalia full camper.
4 out of five need to be done.
When they're done , I'm done.

I would agree with the apples and oranges comment. I had a 87 Carrera for 14 years and I loved it. It was truly a reliable car. Power windows and sunroof. Power seats, good stereo. Comfortable. Quick enough for me. Had it radar clocked at 135mph at a track day here. Downside was that it only had room for two, but if that is an issue you shouldn't have a Porsche (no, I don't like the new 4 door or the SUV either).

Prices are skyrocketing on the 87-89 cars especially and, more than the dollar value, I kind of wish I had kept it. The problem was that I had two sports cars and needed a good sedan. I kept the 914 because I have owned it for 27 years and it is a family member.

If you can afford one, go for it. I'd recommend the 87-89 models as the best of both worlds; just enough vintage to feel right and just enough modernization to be enjoyable. Buena suerte.

Can't go wrong… My favorite is my 88 Carrera. Just sold my 930 to buy a 512TR Ferrari.

Have a couple of different P-cars.
Drive the '72 914 1.7 the most.

I have and love my 82 911SC, they're pretty bulletproof too IMO

I've owned 6 911's over the last 40 years. They were all different, one from another. The most "fun" was in my first car, a 1966 911. Very easy to spin that car, but it was a connected to the ground car, just like my 914. My last, and current, 911 is a 993. It is quite different from a 914, in that it is no longer as "connected" to the road. However, the handling and power are far superior to anything else I have ever owned. Mine is a 1998 Carrera 2S, which is the last model year for air cooled motors. I love this car and will never sell it. Incredibly fast and incredible stopping power. But, both steering and braking are now power assisted, which contributes to the car being "not connected" feeling.

My 914 is running and my 911 is in jack stands.

That said, an older 911 is similar in many ways but the overall "build" feels more solid. There's that familiar "cling/clunk" when the door is closed. Drive a well sorted one for a while and it fits like a glove. Those two headlight humps and a hood that slopes to the pavement end up making you feel like your one with the car and the road.

The 914 has a feeling of oneness too but, it feels more stable and predictable as you power out of a corner. I'm sure you've heard or read it a million times, you get a sense of control over the impending rotation if you really stick your foot into it. My 911 felt like it would get me to "it's" limit and surely bite me if I went beyond it. Trailing throttle oversteer is a real phenomenon. You'll find yourself "bouncing along" in a chicane if you push it too hard then let off... In a corner on the street, you might be in big trouble. Get a driver like Vic Elford behind the wheel and he'll use it as a steering wheel and beat the pants off everyone else.

So an older 911 (to me) feels like a more solid build but, it can have some bad habits if pushed beyond it or your capabilities.

A 914 can be more "flexi" with its roof configuration and all but it's noticeably more predictable in its handling.

That's my $.06

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Here is mine
1970 911E

So it's confirmed. you think you're 3x more impotent than anyone else here ?

Have had several over the years. Will keep both 914's in the family as I've had the '71 since new, but nice to share the garage with a 911. Have a .2 GT3 and that should stay in the family too as it will probably be the last "real" 911 with the proper 3 pedals etc!

Yes

No. I just babble 3x more than I should.

This is my 1989 911 Carrera. Last of the "Accordion Bumper" coupes. They only made 1100+ coupes that year. That was a transitional year where the 964 C4 911 was introduced and the Carreras where phased out. I always wanted a 911 and this one happened to come up for sale in our local PCA Region. I bought it 12 years ago with 1794 miles and I'm the 3rd owner! Yes I paid top dollar, but it was essentially a new car. I was lured by the low mileage and the color combination (Grand Prix White with Burgundy interior) not for the fact it was the last run of the Carreras. It's a wonderful car to drive with tons of torque and rock solid, with one of the best shifters I've ever experienced, namely the G50. I love this car. It's a completely different driving experience in that you sit higher and is much more powerful than my 914. I can't pick one over the other though. I like them both for their own virtues. But, there is something to be said for having 6 air cooled cylinders. I guess that's why the 914-6's are so cherished. That, and the limited production numbers are driving the 6 prices through the roof! All I know is that 60-80K can get you some serious 911. I'm just saying.....
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OK never owned or driven a 911 as a DD, But have one now for about 12years . (1975 911S) needs a complete redo from seats to body work. I pulled the engine out of the car thinking I would go through it. that never happen.(2.7) I've been trying to get it over to Ron's forever now to take a look at the 2.7

My wife is on me to get the 911 out of the side driveway. She like's the 914
So here is my plan. I love the 914 ( had 4 so far) my white 914 (Im the 2nd owner) is a driver but not a DD. So this is what I'm thinking The 911 is getting a type 4 in it. I've also have owned 2 912 a 68 and a 76...the E was a fun car to cruz not fast but very fun. I would like to have a running project car!
while somehow I get the 6 up and running.....

P.S. one of my daughters has claimed the 911 hers, not sure I would the kind of power at her feet.(she kind of a lead foot)

And of course plans do change.

Hell yeah that counts! Me too:

It's air-cooled.

That's exactly what I'm looking for. I'm pretty much set on an 88-89 Carrera, pref coupe but will consider a targa (no convertible). Still weighing the pros and cons between an SC and a G50 Carrera. For those of you who own either, advice is appreciated.

I love the 914. I've had 3 and will always have 1. I was considering getting (in addition to my LE) a /6 conversion or an SC or late 80's Carrera. I've pretty much decided to go the 911 route but still deciding which one to get.

I have this one. 2250#. But I'd like to add a 964 to the team. I'd like something with working A/C. A wine & cheese car. But with the Singer thing going on they're getting expensive
But day in, day out I consider myself a 914 guy.

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