I've been dreaming about getting a teener for months now and my fiance has asked me.... Why do you want a 30 year old car instead of some other sporty car like a MR2 or a miata. For a second I didn't know how to answer and was thinking that the later would be alot easier to get parts for and cheaper as well but would not have the same CG and polar moment as the teener.

hell I've never even been in a 914 so I can't say it's how it drives.

So why did you chose a teener over another car?

I drove one.

Yup, drive it and there's no comparison. There's also so much you can do. Try putting a V8 in an MR2.

never drove one or had been in one before someone gave me my 1st one for free.....it seemed like an fun project so I took it on....10 years later and a few 914s later, I'm still hooked.....

i'm not sure I could recommend a 914 unless I knew the persons mechanical skill....you don't "have" to have money to own one of these cars, but it helps if you have a budget that you don't mind blowing thru once in a while

poor self-esteem, self-inflicted knuckle busting and uncontrollable urge to give away money without hope of recouping investment.....

cuz they are the best handling VW out there....

got a ride in one. had to have one.
got to drive mike z's sixers..... need a six....

got a ride in a 3.6 914- dont need one of dem....id kill mahself

I don't like rice, but I like saurkraut...


to be serious: I looked at miatas, and mr2s(kinda scarce), ghias, 944s, Zs, etc... but I found a 914 that I thought was a good buy, and I could afford it... so I thought, what the hell... I'd never driven one either, but one drive and I was HOOKED...

miatas, mr2s, Zs etc are all good cars... but something with the 914 just clicked in me and I am addicted to it like crack... part of it is the 914 community too... I would have long since given up if not for the helpful people on this site and others... and I'd probably have some numb-feeling car that I really don't like as much... but it would probably be on the road already but that's not the important thing to me... I like something to wrench on...

honestly, if you want a good sports car, there ARE more reliable and cheaper "projects" that can be a TON of fun... BUT, for me, there's just something about the 914... something about the bastard son of VW and Porsche... something that's you can't explain, but it's a great feeling when you pull up next to someone who actually recognizes it... or even if they just come up and say "what is that?" it's great!

To me it's not about the money, but about the enjoyment. If something was free but not fun I wouldn't do it.

I have been feeling that with a teener it might be the car, but it sure seams that it is the community as well.

I think that working on any car has it's fun/Pain/cash flow problems. I guess I'm going to have to find a ride in a teener to really tell if it's the car that draws you in or the people.

Be honest with me are they REALLY as fun to drive as I hope they are??

I got hooked on 914s because my uncle had two when I was a kid - one in 72 and another in '74. I always lusted after 911s too but they always seemed more exotic and unattainable (at least when I was 10 or 12 years old :-)). I finally bought a 914 when I had a real garage to store it in. I went with a 914 first because of budget. Now, I have both a 911SC and two 914s and love them all in different ways.

One thing that keeps me wanting to own a 914 is the local SF Bay Area community. The support, commaraderie, and synergy for these cars is incredible. It makes me want to always keep a 914 just so I can take it to events, fun runs, WCCs, and monthly breakfasts.

And there are still a ton of other cool vintage cars I wouldn't mind owning. My second love is probably BMWs. I'd love to get a fully tricked out 2002 tii. Another uncle had an '87 325is when it was new. I got to drive it a couple of times and was incredibly impressed. When my daily driver croaks, I could definitely see myself going for a newer 3 series.

I've also always liked VWs too. An '83/84 GTI was my dream car when I was in college. If I stumbled on to a minty original GTI, it would be hard to pass up fulfilling that cheap car fantasy.

QUOTE (Jaiden @ May 20 2005, 01:27 PM)

Be honest with me are they REALLY as fun to drive as I hope they are??

all that and more!! first time I took my first one around the block... I was grinning from ear to ear, spinning the tires like a kid at every stop... when I took my (now)wife for her first ride... she couldn't stop giggling... and that was only a tired carbed 1.7 with weak tires, and KYBs on all 4 corners...


go to one of the events, midwest, MUSR, WCC, fall foliage, any of them... see for yourself... it may not be the same experience for you...

some things:
if you want all the comforts of a newer car?.... don't bother...
bad back... think about it, but probably not...
want a lot of power? (unless you go Raby big 4, big 6, or wasserpumper)
100% reliable? don't bother

ah, forget it...
really, you just have to drive/ ride in one!

QUOTE

Be honest with me are they REALLY as fun to drive as I hope they are??

they "can" be...it really depends on the condition of the car and the person driving it....also the roads have a huge impact on how fun or enjoyable it is.....

I think a new Miata or MR2 would be blast to have..more modern with creature comforts and a warrenty....bad part is the car payments....I'm sure there are some crazy people like us out there that own them, but act more like a mental support group

I've owned or driven three Miatas (old and new), three MR2s (1st and 2nd gen), and scads of other sports cars (German, Italian, and British). Nothing on that list of cars comes even close in the handling dept. Perhaps there's some exotica out there that will. A Europa or early Elan might be in the ballpark, but I've never driven either (and they're very fragile). I doubt there's anything even remotely close for the money, though.

Out of 23 cars, the 914 is the only car I've ever had more than one of. I'd happily buy a third.

The 914 also appeals on the hot-rod scale. I don't know of any other car that's has more drivetrains applied to it. There's a site that sells conversion kits to make a car all-electric. They sell a generic fwd setup, a specific kit for a Geo Metro, and a specific kit for the 914. That's it. And this place is NOT associated with Otmar and his "Zilla" line of electric car controllers (Otmar has a 914 electric drag racer). Kennedy sells more adapters for more engine types to the 914 gearbox than any other kind of gearbox by a large margin. The car simply doesn't have the snooty "keep it original" crowd attached to it that so many other European sports cars do.

Bought my first one 4 years ago from a picture, had never even sat in one, and had only seen a few in my lifetime...
Flew to CA and drove it home 1100 miles, that day, what a blast! I didn't even know where to put the gas at my first gas stop, Doh!

At first I wanted a sub 5k summer toy, that I could auto-x, work on myself, join some sort of club with, and wanted something not on every street corner.

Now, completly addicted and alot of $ later I have zero regrets.

Anyone can go out a "modern sportscar" but it takes a Enthusiast to own a 30 year old one...

Ferg.

See this is why I think the community has Soooooo much to do with the whole experience.

You've given me lot's of ammo for the talk with the Fiance. I know that I'll love it the moment I drive one.

Now if only I could scrape up a couple of thousand more to get a Teener in great shape.

Oh and I'm ready for the life with a teener cause i already have Jack stands!! Ha!

QUOTE (Jaiden @ May 20 2005, 01:50 PM)

Now if only I could scrape up a couple of thousand more to get a Teener in great shape.

if you want to drive it any time soon, don't SKIMP... get a good, fairly rust-free car... the body is the hard part to find...

get the best you can afford, you won't regret it...

QUOTE (tat2dphreak @ May 20 2005, 10:27 AM)

... I like something to wrench on...

I bought one without every driving too. But after everything I read I knew it was the car for me.
The car drives like no other. Aircooled is the shizit. With a 10mm and 13mm wrench and Gandi like patience you can fix almost anything on the car. Oh, and with the two trunks I can fit all my band instrument(I teach music) baritone, trombone, trumpet, Sax, Calinet, flute, and a music stand. Try to cram that into a Miata.

just got one.

miata's are girls cars. and nothing else seemed to have the top off , and basic easy to work on with parts relatively cheap [try to get muscle cars parts like body and trim]. besides i remember when i was a kid i thought they looked cool [adriatic blue is fixed in my memory].

and this year it was going to be a cuiser bike or a sports car. i dont think the value of what i bought is going to go down.

Because there is nothing out there like it.....

Roof comes off,
built in rollbar,
not one but two HUGE trunks,
lotsa interior room (try a Miata on for size),
Mid engine (best place),
great fuel economy,
great fun to drive,
great handling,
light weight,
balance,
low cost (except for parts),
it's the Mr. Potatohead of cars... add a 911 front end, a 911 engine, or almost any other engine of your choice,

And, oh yeah, show me another 30 year old car you can bring to the track and make other drivers nervous.....

I had Sprites, MGBs and Truimphs.....worked for a 914/6 race team....built streetcar for owner and had to drive it to his girlfriend (his wife drove a Caddy), have been hooked ever since(couldn't afford one)....My first teener was bought in '76....I have owned 6.....not another car like it, even though it is a Deutscher WindSucking POS

Yeh, there's better and newer, but they are all fakes!

[QUOTE]And, oh yeah, show me another 30 year old car you can bring to the track and make other drivers nervous.....

Now this is what I'm talking about!!!

That is SUCH an easy question for me.......

When I was 20, I saw an ad in a newspaper for a "Porsche" for $800. Being the curious, yet un-educated car nut that I was, I HAD to go take a look.

So I find this rusty piece of shit laying out in someone's yard that hadn't been started in God knows how many years. In fact, the only thing that DID work on the car was the windshield wipers....... so I played with them scraping across the windshield (because the rubber had long since rotted off). Nevertheless, I sat and stared at the car for nearly 2 hours, fell in love with the lines, the way it looked, and it's rarity.

For 6 long years (and countless GM muscle cars), I BEGGED my wife to get a 914. She thought it was the ugliest car in the world and wouldn't let me buy one.

I left my wife in January of 2002, Sold my 34K original mile 1977 Trans Am, paid my lawyer, and bought a rust-free Tangerine 1972 914 two months later, SIGHT UNSEEN (except pictures) from an elderly man in Arizona.

The first time I ever drove a 914 was the day it was delivered to my house off the shipping truck.

Sold it 6 months later to cover some financial difficulties. For a year, I didn't have one. Then, the DAY AFTER MY DIVORCE WAS FINALIZED, I flew up to Chicago, bought my current 914 from a collector (that ironically was liquidating all his assets due to a divorce), and bought it as a "divorce/child custody victory" present to myself.

My license plates read "Dads 914"

The 914 is the Ultimate low-cost head turner. Maybe not so much in Cali, but where I've lived, they are virtually unheard of. I love the questions, the comments, the thumbs ups, and the attention it gets.

Oh yea...... and untill you've screamed around a long curve at full throttle without breaking traction in a 914.... you just haven't lived.

My advice? GET ONE!!!

QUOTE

Try putting a V8 in an MR2

That's been done... http://www.v8mr2.com/

I'd rather have a 914 though. Just fell in love with the super low, light, great handling, targa-topped, and unique 914. The Miata isn't mid-engine. I wanted something less common than an MR2.

i had a 912. Stoddard had a sale on Fuchs wheels. discovered the 912 had Terminal Rust and wouldn't support any of the activities i wanted to participate in. looked around for another car i could afford that i could mount the wheels on. 914.6's were cheaper than 911's.

but i have never looked back...

914's have a lot more character than the others. I've driven my brother's Miata, and it just doesn't compare. I'd take my 914 over the others any day.

Someone (DD?) called them "go-karts with bad brakes." That's really what it feels like to drive around in one. Try it and you'll be hooked.

QUOTE (Ferg @ May 20 2005, 10:47 AM)

Bought my first one 4 years ago from a picture, had never even sat in one, and had only seen a few in my lifetime...

me to and I am on my last one I hope . Green 76 then a black 75 now a Red 74.

I like rust.

When I was 16 my brother in-law had a Ravenna green 73'. He let me drive it around the block, go fast turn left, do not touch brakes. I bought my first 73' 2.0 when I was 18, way too much fun living on mt roads. I am now just as giddy with my 4th 73' These cars just make me smile when I see them
How many other cars can you look out of and see what kind of brakes and rotors the car next to you is running

It takes a special kind of person to own a 914. Don't like to get your hands dirty - don't buy one. Can't handle being stranded once in a while (or stopped on the side of the road) - don't buy one. Need A/C, P/S, a nice cushy ride for you and the Mrs. - don't buy one.

If you want a unique, classic German sportscar that handles as good (or probably better) than most new(er) cars out there and has an almost unlimited ability to be modified to fit YOU - buy a 914.

I love my car and don't regret buying it for 1 second. So it left me stranded last weekend - with friends like you have here, it really doesn't matter. A few days later I'm running around in the sun with the top off and having a blast. I couldn't ever imagine NOT owning this car.

anyone who asks that "apparently doesn't understand the intricacies of Porsche's German engineering."

Just had to borrow that line from the comedian Ron White

Because every grown man is still a little boy and this is one hell of a go-Kart!!!

and it is a PORSCHE........you know, there is no substitute..................

I own a Miata, and it's not the same. The feeling isn't teh same as the teeners. I've stripped all the power stuff from mine, still doesnt have the level of feeling. Nothing else I've driven comunicates with the driver as well.

That's what it is for me. The 914 talks to me, tells me whats going on. Nothing Like it.

The community is great too. I check the Miata board, but I *read* this one.

--Alex

QUOTE (Jaiden @ May 20 2005, 11:15 AM)

So why did you chose a teener over another car?

i wasn't even looking for one. or a car in general for that matter ...

on the drive up to my storage unit, i always passed by this porsche garage in san rafael.
then one day, they had this red 914 sitting outside that didn't look like any 914 i had ever seen before.
had a for sale sign on it too. so on the way back from the SU, i stopped by and talked to the guy.
turned out a guy had traded it in to buy a new (1 year old) 911 from them.

so i test drove it, ran like crap, shifter was more than sloppy, pass. window didn't roll up anymore, floor had water standing on it ...

i get back from the test drive and get out of the car with a BIG grin and bought it right then and there. $3500.
didn't even haggle for the price.

5 years, tons of hours and even more $$$ later, i still get out of the car with that same grin on my face ...

best car purchase i ever made!
Andy

For me it was a normal transition/evoloution; started out with a '72 240Z, upgraded to a 911E, 'upgraded' to a Ferrari 308 GTSi and finally upgraded to my '76 914.

Sometimes there's just no explaining it. You need to get a car that you've fallen in love with and just gotta have. If you have to logic it out, you're not infatuated. I had to have a 914. And I love the never-ending project.

Why a 914? Because I need a car that meets these criteria (to be what I consider truely fun), and there are very few that do:

• Must weigh less than 2,000 pounds
  
• Must have very low polar moment of inertia (mid-engine preferred)
  
• Must have very low center of gravity
  
• Must have adjustable camber, caster, toe
  
• Must have 4-wheel independent suspension
  
• Must have big brakes or be easily upgraded to such
  
• Must have good power to weight ratio or be easily upgraded to such
  
• Must have quick steering ratio
  
• Must have manual transmission
  
• Removable top a plus
  
• Must be well built (but light)
  
• MUST NOT COME EQUIPED WITH A BUNCH OF DEAD WEIGHT JUNK (a/c, carpet, cupholders, ionic breese air filters, boot dryers, rice cookers, seat heaters, vanity mirrors, refridgerators, entertainment systems, pet beds, coffee makers, 35mph bumpers, forty-eleven airbags, etc. etc.)
  
• Must be affordable
  

The 914 is about the only car that meets ALL of these criteria.
-Ben M.

now that I think of it, there "has" to be something appealing about a 914...we have plenty of owners here that also own regular 911s (myself), twin-turbo 911s and at least one 914 owner that has a brand new GT2, yet with all that power, they still own and occasionally drive a 914

QUOTE (Mueller @ May 20 2005, 01:13 PM)

now that I think of it, there "has" to be something appealing about a 914...we have plenty of owners here that also own regular 911s (myself), twin-turbo 911s and at least one 914 owner that has a brand new GT2, yet with all that power, they still own and occasionally drive a 914

The 914s are the sports cars. The tail-draggers are just grocery getters and commuters...

Don't have a 911, and I've never driven one. I do have a 912, which is rather like a low-powered very early 911. Totally different animal from the 914, despite about the same power and the same weight. They share front suspension (mostly). Yet the 911/912 still feels completely different from the 914. I have yet to have the confidence to slide the 912 at all, yet I'll gleefully slide both ends of the 914 on any on-ramp.

It's a good, valid question. If you have never owned, driven, or ridden in a 914, this is a very good question. The cars (as you have stated) are old. They are not inexpensive to properly maintain, and they can be more expensive to restore as parts become more and more rare. (look at a rubber seal kit for example)

For me, a 914 is an ultimate fun/track car. I have one for fun (sunday drives) and I have one for track (Friday-Saturday-Sunday drives).

I used to drive my 914 daily to and from work, but as I got older and married, I had to succumb and I obtained more reliable transportation and have grown to like things like air conditioning, power windows, automatic transmission......(for commuting in traffic to and from work).

I have another Porsche (a 930) and I will probably keep my 914 longer than I keep the newer, faster, more comfortable tail dragger. The reason being that I like the 914 that much.

I have been around 914's since my dad bought his new in 1974. I have been working on them since the early 1980's. I have grown to know intimately each and every part on those cars.

For me, owning a 914 is a passion. (some may call it a sickness).

I am a PCA driving instructor and have been driving a 914 (slightly modified) on racetracks for the past 18 years and I can honestly say that I know of no cars that I would trade for (unless I were to sell it and build another 914 and have a nice big bank account to boot). If driven properly, 914's are very tough competition even for cars 30 years newer. The biggest downside to 914 performance (even modified) is lack of horsepower, but this can be overcome with a large enough wallet.

Be advised though, there will ALWAYS be someone with a larger wallet than your own.

I guess I'll go back and read what others have written...

QUOTE (Jaiden @ May 20 2005, 11:02 AM)

[QUOTE]And, oh yeah, show me another 30 year old car you can bring to the track and make other drivers nervous..... Now this is what I'm talking about!!!

Being a complete 914 fanatic myself, I do have to asnwer the question...

A Shelby Cobra...

But a 914 costs around 1% of the cost of a real Shelby...

...and handles about 5 times better to boot!!

914's are a love-hate kind of car. If you don't love 'em, chances are you've never driven one. If you hate 'em, chances are you've never even been in one...

Just don't expect it to be an appliance like a Miata. It's going to need attention. And fellow 914 owners are the best support out there...

-Josh2

oh, one more reason.... dont tell your girl this though.

these things corner harder and more controlably than anything as far as street cars that i have driven. i must qualify this with excluding any of the so called super cars; vettes, vipers , that sort of thing. and street/ part time race cars.

and this is only based on the car that i just bought with little 195/50 15, no sway bars and shocks that are whooped, it is lowered though.

For me, it was simple. I've wanted one ever since I took my first ride in one when I was 16. Finally last year (29 years later) I bought my first one, wish I'd done it long before. I'm sure I paid too much (like many of us do) but don't care, this car has saved my sanity in a very stressful year. You just can't have a bad day driving one of these cars. Dead stock or modified to the max, they're just a fun car to drive.

By the way, the people on this site are great. Anything you need to know about the car is right here.

I dunno....shit happens?

Let's see....914s according to "Z"

It pisses off the 911 weenies....the 356 weenies, the wasser pumper weenies etc etc.....


They are fun.....

You don't see another one like yours and worry about putting the key in someone else's when drunk.....

Ya piss of the 911 weenies on the track when ya crowd them in the turns and they barely pull ya in the straights.....

The 356 weenies will nod at ya.....

The wasser pumpers will ask if you have any parts.....

You can be obnoxious online and go to a meet and be friends.....

ya go home and some ricer throws you a rev.....

You are just cruising and you run up the ass of a Ferrari where some dickhead is trying to get laid and he can't lose you in the twisties....

The F-car throws you the bird when HE turns off....

You hang here and we like YOU for whatever warts the car has....but we still get to screw with ya.....and you don't mind.....

Two words: Chick Magnet

Yeah, I'm with Mark..


M

You gotta drive one. When I was 18(I'm 34 now) I went with some buddies to California. I rode with a guy that had a 71 1.7 liter. He let me drive it for about an hour. I came home and bought one two days later. It's tough to explain.

QUOTE (MarkV @ May 20 2005, 04:04 PM)

Two words: Chick Magnet

you mean, like this?

I love my little 914 It was what I could afford as far as Posche goes. I wanted something that was different, unique. There aren't that many around anymore. It'll last me another 30 yrs. It's also a great car to drive. With top on or off The biggest plus is the other folks that drive them! Mental, crazy, sick, f'd up, geeky, freaky, funny and smart ass but all OK people.

See? Linda like 'em..


M

QUOTE (/L. @ May 20 2005, 04:51 PM)

Mental, crazy, sick, f'd up, geeky, freaky, funny and smart ass but all OK people.

linda-

you just described me

QUOTE (/L. @ May 20 2005, 04:51 PM)

I love my little 914 It was what I could afford as far as Posche goes. I wanted something that was different, unique. There aren't that many around anymore. It'll last me another 30 yrs. It's also a great car to drive. With top on or off The biggest plus is the other folks that drive them! Mental, crazy, sick, f'd up, geeky, freaky, funny and smart ass but all OK people.

You're Nobody till Somebody loves you baa daa dee ooooo

And Tokillya helps

Wanna lick some salt