After months of research, reading, and searching, I've jumped into the world of 914 ownership. Bought a 1973 1.7l from a guy nearby, and being able to look the car over (and under and at the longs etc.) instead of a blind eBay purchase sure helped. Going in knowing what to look for gave me a lot more confidence, too, thanks to tons of research on this forum and others... so "Thanks!" to all on this site who helped me already without even knowing it!

It's in decent shape inside and out, and runs pretty well (now that all 4 cylinders are getting gas... ) but definitely needs some work... which is part of the plan. Not the original color. Not the original engine. But I think a fairly solid platform from which to start.

This car is meant to be an ongoing hobby for my 12-year-old son and me... hopefully he will learn some things about cars and life in general and we will have some great father-son time, all while we get our hands covered in grease.

Excited to be joining 914 World! It's quite a community, I can tell already...!

Anyway, here she is, with my boy riding shotgun:

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Looks great! Enjoy driving it for a while before you get into the nitty-gritty of a tear down.

Outstanding! You're in for a great adventure, and your son too. I wish I had gotten to grow up with a 914.

Well, there's a couple of things wrong with the last statement: I've never really grown up and I'm too old. I did get to buy a '73 1.7 brand new though.

You're in for a great ride.

That's awesome! You're building a solid foundation for your son. Growing up in Detroit,I was pulled into cars about that age. I built my first engine by myself when I was 14, which ultimately lead to a degree in automotive engineering. I have 2 boys, my youngest could care less about cars, he's obsessed with motorcycles though. My oldest freaked out when I brought my 914 home, he's already steak claim on it.

Glad to hear you're keeping the "old timey" values of teaching your kid to actually work with his hands most of friends teach their kids to call a mechanic.

... from far, far away

Son: ....hmmmm, I wonder how long til Dad will let me drive it!?

Have you heard about Okteenerfest? Great place to learn all about 914s and their owners.

Check out the Okteenerfest thread in this forum... there is a mention of a caravan from the Atlanta area in Post #150.

Awesome! Quite a few fellow teener owners in north Georgia area.

Solid platform is definitely a great start!

I have red 73 1.7 too!

Yes, saw that and wish we could come up, but don't think it will work out. We are expecting a new baby boy to arrive some time at the end of the month, which makes a road trip in the 914 in September unlikely. Next year!

What a great memories you are building with your son. My sons helped me restore a '49 Chevrolet pick up truck years ago, and it was a great experience.

Lots of info on this site.

Hallo Wolfgang!

Thanks for the welcome... I lived for many years in Germany and frequently took vacations in Tryol; in fact, I spent a lot of time in Tannheimer Tal hiking the Allgauer Alps. I love it there and miss it very much. Hope to get there again some day with my kids to visit your wonderful country.

Grüss Gott!

Joe

Spent many hours with my dad working on 914s. Great life lessons and learning experience. You will find lots of great support here and a great source of information.

If you can make it to Okteenerfest or other event they are worth while and you can get some greT parts.