This is just curiosity on my part. What got you started with 914s?


Me, I can thank (Blame?) my wife. She had her 914 (yes, the same one that we use for a daily driver today) when we met. I had a 924. I got one ride in it and said "I gotta get me one of these!!". After I found out that they came with a six, I really had to get one. Needless to say, I sold the 924 after finding a 914 of my own. And I married her too.


So, tell us your story.....

Always liked the look of the 914. Didn't know much about them. A couple of years back I took a ride in Eric (partsman) Sander's 914 - and I just knew I had to have one. Love the handling, the simplicity of purpose and the fact you don't see one every day (unless Eric comes over to my house).

It started in 1973, still in college, couldn't afford a Porsche.

My girl friend at that time had a rich Daddy who wanted to buy
her a car. I told her to get her Dad to buy her a Porsche. He was a penny-pincher so he opted for the cheapest one...a little green 914 1.8L.

I fell in love with her car

Had to get one of my own!

Who wouldn't fall in love with this?

Found it for free next door to my brother in laws house.



Then finished up looking like this.

didn't we JUST go over this?!

why a 914? pt. 1, the prequel.


what I said then:

QUOTE

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!

QUOTE

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...

I love the car, dirving it, wrenching on it, seeing them, and the community is more than I could have ever hoped for! this site and the 914 community in general has kept me addicted when I probably would have thrown in the towel... I hope I'll always have a teener. and I know if I do another project, that the community for that car will be NOTHING compared to this site!

What I said then...

[QUOTE]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.

well..i was set on buying a porsche before highschool ended...at first i wanted a 944..but i realized i couldnt afford it...then i was forced into buying my uncles old integra when he bought a new rsx....so with my leftover scraps..all i could afford was a project car...and a 914 it was...and shes coming along..slowy but surely

I must have missed that thread. It was probably when I was at a customer site with no internet access.........

The best five minutes of my life. I met a complete stranger in a parking lot. He had the coolest car I had ever seen, stopped to talk to him about his car. He offered to take me for a ride. I think I stopped breathing for the entire ride that lasted five minutes. His car was a 1970 914 with a monster GNX turbo charged v6 hiding in the engine bay. I turned to the dark side that day.

I've had a Type III Squareback to use as a daily driver,
Needed a faster car to get me to the ski slopes,( was a ski racer)
Looked around for a while,settle down to two,A VW Sirroco or a 914 with an engine VERY similar to a Type III,
I'm so glad I picked the 914!!
Still have it! That was over 20 years ago.

I wanted a car that was light, quick, a porsche and was like driving a ww2 airplane everyday! You have to admit, driving these has much more 917 factor than any other porsche youll find for the price. Loud, stiff, minimalistic, and like a 911 it takes a certain person to drive it right. Everyone in my autox class was complaining i was winning-with a stock car basically- because i had a 2.7 instead of a 2.5 and the ten hp was making the difference-even though they had thousands in suspension mods etc. I just wanted an excuse to beat them and say"but you have 60hp more than me"

For 35 years I was into British and Italian sports cars. Owned a Brit parts, repair and resto shop....raced Mgb and Bugeye. Owned a long string of Jags, Healeys, Mini-coopers, Alfa, yada yada. My personal favorite ride was a Bugeye with a cheater Formula Ford motor. Always preferred sportscars to be very small, light, nimble and minimalist. Anyway, the bugeye got bent, I sold the business and stopped messing with cars. Now...15 years later, a friend lets me drive his 914....my car passion was reawakened. Within a couple months I had one, then another, now a six. So I'm a car junkie again and I spend a good part of every day driving, working on, or at least thinking about 914's. I had some great cars in the past, but told my friend yesterday that it was too bad I spent all those years deluded by all that Brit junk when I could have been building 914's. That first drive did it....I realized that with enough HP, this could be my perfect sportscar. I'm trying to make up for lost time now and lovin' it.

My uncle had two new ones - a '72 and then a '74 2.0L. I remember riding with him when he took a clover leaf at 60mph. I was hooked!

QUOTE (ClayPerrine @ Jun 27 2005, 07:02 AM)

So, tell us your story.....

same as i said in "the other" thread ...

i wasn't even looking for one. i had seen a few growing up in germany, never really liked them much.
the 911, in particular the wide body in guards red with the big whale tail, was always the porsche of interest for me as a teenager in the '70s ...

fast forward to the year 2000. i just had moved from mill valley to the big loft space here in oakland and all of my and the wife's stuff was in storage in san rafael.
on our way to the storage, we would always drive by a small porsche shop. they had a lot with maybe 15 cars that were for sale. mostly newer cars.
so one day on the way to the storage, there was this red 914 sitting in the lot with a "for sale" sign on it. it looked different than any 914 i had ever seen. flares, spoilers, wide tires. cool!
so on the way back from the storage unit, i stopped at the shop and looked at the car. talked to the shop owner and took it for a test drive.
came back the next day with $3500 in cash and drove it home. the rest is history ...

you can read all about it here:
http://www.sirandy.com/projects/cars/

Andy

Began with a Bugeye racing...moved to TR3...moved to a TR4...moved to an MGB and then got a job on a 914/6 Race Team.............the rest is a series of teeners, but never owned a sixer.....................

I graduated HS in '75. The 914 was in its prime. I just loved the look of the car way back then. My dad didn't get it; said the teener was an ugly shoebox and the 911 was much prettier. I disagreed, though over the years I have come to appreciate the purity of early 911's. I even owned a C4 964 for a very short while. It was fun, I would still rather drive the teener.

Fast forward to 2000. The VERY FIRST thing I ever bought on ebay was my 75 280z. The seller mentioned he had a 74 2.0 914. The car looked great on photos and I bought it for 5 grand. Life long SoCal car, solid battery tray, good longs, great interior.

The 2.0 runs great, the 901 must be pretty good, as I compare my experience to others I've read here. Have had very little trouble with car, adn I just love driving it.

Sooner or later, it will have to go on stands for preventive stuff (new fuel lines etc). I'll prolly remove the AC ahat point and sell it to Clay Perrine if he still needs it. Get someone to fix the AC hole, start upgrading the suspension, and eventually sign up for mo' power.

I just love how this 30 year old car hangs on in a turn, lets go gently with plenty of wwarning, and is easy to recover. I love the sound, the odor, the room yada yada

BTW, I have had the good fortune to own several of my dream cars, the Z, a 74 TR6, a 72 elan sprint. I will soon be seeling some of them , but will always keep the 914!

I drove a type III for 15 years. The CA smog gods said no more several years ago. Drove a POS japanese car until two years ago. I told my wife I wanted another VW, and she choked! I said how about a Porshce, still German and air cooled (I missed the smell). She was OK with that, but I didn't have enough for a 911. I took one ride/drive in a 914 and was hooked. It has been my daily transport since then. I'll have a 914 until there's no more gas or my old body can't get in and out. Most fun car I've ever owned, even better than my old squareback. Plus it smells great!

Back when I had just graduated high school, I wanted a 914. My dad had a '65 356 that needed restoration, but he wouldn't let me touch it. So I shopped around for a 914. I never could find one in south Florida, ended up with a nice first generation Toyota Celica, and I let the 914 dream die.

Fast-forward 20 years, and a friend calls me on the phone. She is totally stoked. She had just bought a pretty little white '74 914 2.0 with a gorgeous interior. She had already named her new car "Babydoll." When I got an opportunity to drive the car, I was seriously impressed. I could keep the revs up on twisty mountain roads and never had to hit the brakes. (Just try that in a Corvette or a 911 and you'll know why the 914 is so impressive). So now I'm helping her get her car into driving condition, learning about the care and feeding of 914's, and thinking about getting one of my own if I ever have the garage space to build it the way I want it built.

How I got hooked onto 914s...

I was in a desperate situation. I was driving a reliable 1978 924 that I had replaced all the wiring in to get it driveable. The car was plenty fun. For some reason the pilot bearing failed and ate a drive shaft. $$$OUCH$$$. One new pilot bearing, drive shaft and $1400 later, it failed a second time outside of warranty. Great.

I needed a car, fast, and only had about $500 dollars. The public transportation systems in SoCal will make you homicidal. I talked to a mechanic I barely knew at the time, Jay Ward. I bought the 924 from him (just to get it running) and asked if he had another car he could sell. One day he drove up his 914 to the shop and said "Well, here's a payment plan I figured out. You pay me $500 cash, and work here for 28 days. You need a car and I need an apprentice."

So I got a car, and a sweet job. Since I have taken the car to the track, I'll probably never go back to the land of ass draggers... That's not true, I'd take a 930 any day.

I was 20 and had just gotten stationed at the Coast Guard air station at SFO. I was tired of riding to work from Emeryville in the rain on my motorcycle ('94 Honda Magna) so I decided to shop for a cheap car. I did the whole shopping by price method not even paying attention to the type of car until its price cought my eye. I almost skipped over teh Porsche section until I noticed that there wer etwo in my range; a 928 for $1000, and a 914 for $1600. I found that the 928 would require like $10K in parts to get right later. I went to look at the 914 because I had no idea what the hell one was. When I saw it I imediately fell inlove with it. Its simplicity, exotic set up and engineering. Even the shifting was odd. It turned out to be a total beater and I nursed it along for a while, but I eventually sold it. I found my current car in '02 I think. I had the money as I had just been hit by another car while riding my motorcycle ('87 BMW K75RS) and the insurance money was burning a hole in my pocket (I fixed the bike myself, saved $2000). Contageous little beasties, these cars are.

I think that I am more attached then I want to admit. Last night I found a bunch of rust in my rear trunk (this damned rainy season realy f-ed up my car) and felt my eyes kinda well up. Most would think that the rust was nothing, but it is on my baby.

Hmm, I think this is one of those threads where nobody reads the posts, just gives their own story... there are a bunch of those. Well I read the posts and they are very interesting, but I highly doubt anyone will read my post, so I'll make the story a little more interesting.

Three years ago I was at Laguna Seca at an IMSA historics race. One of the fast drivers was driving the Wynn's Porsche 962. His lap times were amazing and he won the event. I went to the paddock after the race to see the car and talk to the driver. Not knowing anything about porsches, I went to the paddock only to find a 914 on jack stands. I was amazed to see a VW in a Porsche paddock. I asked the driver "what gives?" He said "thats my driver (pointing to the 914). I only race the 962 cause I have to..."

QUOTE (MattR @ Jun 27 2005, 02:37 PM)

Hmm, I think this is one of those threads where nobody reads the posts, just gives their own story...

Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah.

Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah.

And that's what got me into 914's

Blah blah blah to you too Mark.

I was serious, I want to hear your stories.


And I do read these posts, especially on threads that I start.

QUOTE (Mark Henry @ Jun 27 2005, 11:04 AM)

QUOTE (MattR @ Jun 27 2005, 02:37 PM) Hmm, I think this is one of those threads where nobody reads the posts, just gives their own story... Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. Blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah. And that's what got me into 914's

QUOTE (ClayPerrine @ Jun 27 2005, 11:08 AM)

Blah blah blah to you too Mark. I was serious, I want to hear your stories. And I do read these posts, especially on threads that I start.

Okay okay, my real story:

I wanted to build a car from the ground up. I like cars that handle well and I didnt have too much money (college student). I always knew the 914 existed, but I always considered it a POS NARP. I saw a dark red one in Pasadena one day and I fell in love. About 3 months later I sold my 78 fiat that wouldnt pass smog and bought a non running 914. That was about a year and a half ago. Its almost on the road

QUOTE (ClayPerrine @ Jun 27 2005, 03:08 PM)

Blah blah blah to you too Mark. I was serious, I want to hear your stories. And I do read these posts, especially on threads that I start.

Ok-ok...the short version.

Always into bugs...hated 914's till I drove one...didn't think the wife would let me have one...so I let her drive it...we now own a 914 and fight over who gets to drive it.

Mike Rader's dad owned the dealership, and me and Mike were classmates. I went to hang out after school, and we started pretend racing all the cars. I had a choice: 911s, where you sit 10 feet off the ground (as a kid) or the Jack Rabbit Special..

ARE YOU KIDDING ME! I WANT THE JACK RABBIT SPECIAL!

So, the day I got my license, my friend drove me to Atlanta, and I bought a Malaga 75, and spent 6 hours driving 132 miles back... because I kept hitting the exits, just to sweep the ramps.


M

I migrated over from water coolers (928, 944, 968) I really wanted to learn to work on something, because I was sick of not being able to do a lot of basic work on these cars. so I made a decision to get something simple that I could understand, and do most of the work on. I never really liked 914's, but found a really solid clean one and said what the hell, it was a great experience for 5 years or so...

Turned out to be the most fun best handling car I've ever had..-Just sold it for an 911sc and while I love the 911, the 914 was more fun to drive....I'll be getting another on some day...

I was browsing around a car stereo shop asking questions, and the people working there asked if I wanted to see an installation going on in the garage, it was a 914 getting a ton of speakers. Anyhow they asked if I wanted to help, then offered me a job. The guy who owned the 914 also got a job there. Became good friends and always had fun in his 914. A couple years later I had to get rid of a mustang GT as the insurance was going to kill me - so I got a 914. Then another, then another, then another..... It's like a bad rash that may go away for a little while, but always comes back.

VW Beetle, VW Beetle, VW Beetle, VW Beetle, VW Beetle, then I thought... "hey, this is cool. Type 4 engine, low CG, 4 wheel discs"

Traded a 12 String Melody Maker for a Adrionadtaictictdislexic (sorry Dick... can't remember the spelling) blue 914 that was tweaked in the front left. Put a bra on it and a few months later I turned it into a Guards red 916 look. I had the seamless bumpers before the "Sir" but don't tell him. I'll have to dredge up an old pic and scan it. Complete with the 20 year old standing by the door.

Those was the days.

Sold it for a 911 and immediately wanted the teener back (loved the 911 but missed the teener). Bought another, and another and another and a -6 and another and here I am today.

I had worked in a friends body shop and stopped doing body work to finish school. I carpooled with a guy that had one and blasting through down town Milwuakee was way more fun in his car than my slant six Volaree. Finished school got stuck in Texas always missed his car. Had three kids and wanted something to do with the boys. Went through a string of Mustangs Vettes Bikes and a supercharged 63 Nova Got my salvage rebuilders license and parted out a 90 Vette rag top and the boys finally showed some intrest in these things. sold ALL my stuff because we were moving to this place. While surfing EBAY we came on the ad for our car the boys said that looks like a fun one so I made a LOW bid of around $800 and I won. The rest kind of blures but I can look bace at my threads here and wonder what the heck was I thinking

My 914 had been parked for a couple of years before I got it, needing repairs. I said,"It's a Porsche. I'll buy it and fix it. It'll be a good investment..."

My father had a foreign car repair shop. He/we were known for Porsche 356 work, VWs and race work, even old British cars, yuck! A local lawyer friend of my dads whom we did 356 work for came by in 72 with an honest 916. He drove, and being a litle kid, he was really trying to scare the crap out of me. I was impressed enough that I said "one of these days, I'm gonna get me one of those" The car is gone, and so is Peter. However my love for 914's remains. Had my first in high school. 73 2.0 two tone rust and primer, looked so bad, people would take a double take or ask, is that a Porsh?? Yes, It's a Porsche I would respond. Are you fixing it up, they would say. Yep, fixing it a little everyday. But you know what, even if it looks like crap, it still DRIVES like a Porsche, and that is why I own one.

Just remember, Until the Boxter came along, the 914 was the only street going porsche with the same engine layout as a formula one car! Maybe theres something to it after all.

Erik Madsen

It started one day when I said, "Jeez--I'm really bored driving this POS Accord! I want something fun to drive, dammit!"

A friend had been autoXing his 911 for about a year, and he recommended a 914. The notion of driving a Porsche had some appeal, and he made it sound like a lot of fun. I did some research--not nearly enough--and figured I could either afford to buy one, or afford to pay someone to work on one. But not both. "But it's just like a Bug, so I can actually do the work on it, no prob!" (D'OH!)

I test drove one. I figured out that my friend was massively understating the fun factor. Wound up buying one because I fell in love with the color--an Alaska Blue Metallic 74 1.8, which as it turned out had just about everything wrong with it except rot in the longs. Figured out in a big hurry that working on the 914 was not just like working on a Bug...

--DD

Someone hit me in the head with a big bag of rust and I have loved rust ever since. The 914 seems to be the best place to find rust sooooo, I got one!

17, my VW Bug died, found a 74' 2.0 (Black). It seemed like the logical step up from what I had. That was back in 88' or 89' I think?

Drove hotted up bugs through high school and into college.

While in College, my bug got hit by drunk teenagers, so I found myself buying a 1967 Karmann Ghia convertible for $500. Didn't run for shit, so I rebuilt it as a fire breathing monster with two speeds.... .Idle and GOOOOOOO! Drove that sucker through college, laid rubber in two gears....

After College, it rusted in two, the wifey made me sell it, so I ended up with a four seat family Accord

Fast forward to later, I'm collecting overtime and the wifey says "buy something you want with it....." What to buy?

Another sportscar that is aircooled so I can do one of my famous monster engine rebuilds..... Another Ghia?... Nah, offset pedals give me a charley horse. A coupla rides in my buds aubergine 914 showed me the way....

Off we went on a North Carolina car search. Looked at a dozen or so before I found one $1800 POS that passed the screwdriver test. Had a quarter inch of cracked lacquer (with rust coming out of the cracks) and a reasonable hellhole.......

One engine rebuild, , tranny rebuild, and a body strip and panel align later, I'm waiting for paint......

Ken

It's 1969, and I'm being sent to Germany with the Army. I had a TR-3 and felt kind of sporty.. Wanted to move up to a new car for my tour.. Saw a silhouette of a MID-Engined road car in R&T, alongside the Shadow Can-Am entry and fell in love sight unseen.. Ordered one, white /6 with 14" fuchs (Lower effective gear ratio, you know..) and brown interior. Picked it up in Brussels in the spring of 1970 and spent the next 18 mo's having a blast in the Mannheim, Hiedelberg, Karlsruhe area. Did you know that standing up and leaning out over the windshield in the passenger side at 140MPH feels like free-fall? I didn't do it, but my ranger buddy thought it was great fun...

Hopefully it will be back on the road soon!

I was taking Drivers Ed in school (86') and I needed a car to take the test in so my cousin taught me how to drive stick in his black 914. The car was the coolest thing on wheels and I always swore that I would get one. Fast forward about 10 years (through USAF, marriage, and two kids) and I finally got a 914 (an Orange 75'). Then about six months ago I picked up another one (impulse Ebay buy). Now I have two 75's, an Orange one and a Black one. This is how much I enjoy the 914's. Some times I have to drop off the kids in the morning so I load them up in my Maxima, take them to school, and then come back to switch into one of my teeners. On the way home I also switch back to the Maxima. I have a one hour commute and I'd much rather be buzzing along in the teener with the top off. Plus I have to admit that I love the sound that my Orange one's bursch (with K&N filter) makes when going through tunnels. Finally, I am seriously considering selling my black teener to get a 4 post lift and eventually a 911 (hence the need for a lift). Is it just me, or does it seem like everyone secretly wants a 911?

QUOTE (ovilla @ Jun 27 2005, 09:46 PM)

Is it just me, or does it seem like everyone secretly wants a 911?

914:The gateway car....

you start with a 914, then you go to a 911 and then a GT3!

QUOTE (ovilla @ Jun 27 2005, 09:46 PM)

Is it just me, or does it seem like everyone secretly wants a 911?

Only as a donor car for a 914 /6 conversion.

QUOTE (ovilla @ Jun 27 2005, 10:46 PM)

Is it just me, or does it seem like everyone secretly wants a 911?

yes, someday I DO want a 911... but I hope I always have a 914 too

I wanted to drive something different from everyone else. This was 1970. Fast forward to 2005 and it is still different from all other sportscars. Great to know that I wasn't the only nutcase about these cars as I read the forums here and other places over the last few years.
My biggest question is why we growl at each other when we do. Remember it's a 914. It's a personality trait that says we all are fun loving nuts in the same self inflected nuthouse.

http://members.rennlist.com/mikecool/
see the 1st one I owned when life was more fun in 1970

Mike Cooley
Memphis
1970 - 2005.
30 914's and counting into the 35th year of 914 nuthouse fun.

Funny how when I was growing up, there were 2 cars I always wanted... a '68-'77 Corvette and a 911 (SC or earlier). I eventually made both of those boyhood dreams happen, and they live together in my garage, as different as two sports cars can be, but they are both a blast to drive. I built the Corvette to my own personal specs over a 3 year period and it's my baby. The 911, although a phenomenal handler and VERY fast, doesn't evoke all the passion that I thought that it would. Truth be told, I was thinking all along before I bought it that I might eventually want to take its hot rod motor and put it into a 914. I didn't know how the PO would have taken to that idea, since he owned the car for 20 years or so and built it to his personal specs. Later, he told me when I bought the car, that I was basically paying for the engine, and the rest of the car was considered "free."

So there will probably be a 2.4 MFI powered 914 in my future. But not until we get Babydoll sorted.

PS: After posting my note, I went back to page 2 and saw Clay's note on a 911 being a donor car for a /6 conversion. I think he may be onto something here...

Well I bought my 914 not knowing much about them. I was actually looking to buy a Karmann Ghia and had looked at one when I saw the 914 I have now on the side of the road for sale. The motor was locked but chassis was in good shape. Got a quick education from the DAPO and bought it for $800. I have rebuilt the motor and currently working on the trans. Have had a little fun driving it in between. The main reason I wanted to buy a fixer upper is that was a way I could feel close to my Dad who passed away in 91. The knowledge he gave me allowed me to do a majority pf the work on it myself.

In 1974, back in Germany, I owned a '74 911 Coupe. Wanted a nice weather car - removable top - found a reasonably priced '73 914 in yellow - ended up liking it just as much as the 911.
Moved to the US in '84, bought a '70 914-6 with tailshifter - hated it because it felt gutless (stock 911 T) - and was a pia to shift. Sold it - got in to owning and racing Triumphs.

Fast foreward to 1999 - just had sold my 1971 TR6 - was without a sportscar and saw a ratty looking '73 914 2.0 for sale. Did a testdrive - fell in love all over again and started throwing money at it to make it look nice and drive fast. Loved it. 3 years later - traded it in on a '92 911 - bought it back 3 month later - traded it in on a '73 911S Targa 4 month later - tried to buy it back another 4 month later - when I realized I couldn't live without one. My car was sold - couldn't get it back. Bought a nice little sambezi-green 73 914 with a 1.7 ltr - and thought about sticking a 6 into it - but car was running too well and was too original to slaughter it - found my 1970 914 with a busted motor converted it to a small (2.2) six - and never will sell it - as long as I can afford to have more than one car-

My wife and i were newlyweds, happy but poor. Her Dad was racing in PCA, and she had always driven his 85 carerra. I had always been a car geek (1959 TR3A, 1948 MGTC, 88 Mustang GT), and a guy was selling his 914. Ten years later, and i enjoy it more every season. I just love reeling in cars that cost $50,000 more than my car on the track, like they are standing still. Always wanted a SC or Carerra, but just last weekend my friend bought a Euro 911 Carerra. Nice car, but it wasn't as fast (at least on hte street) as i had expected. I'm sticking with the 4 hardest working Gerbils this side of the Mississippi (76 with heavy azz bumbers, and a heavy azz driver)!

'cause all the sports cars around here are Ferraris, Vipers, GT2's etc. I wanted to have fun AND make a fashion statement.
NARP's are the way to go

It was 1986 - a buddy and I had planned a Ski trip to Big Bear Mountain from Garden Grove, Ca. in his Black '70 914.
-------------
I knocked on his window early in the a.m. He finally got out of bed & said
"I've got the worst hangover - you drive". I had never driven a 914 before -
and so I proceeded to grind 2nd gear just about every time I shifted from 1st.
I said to my bud "what a POS!!!" as I chipped 2nd gear again and again.
But by the time we got to Running Springs I was hooked. I had found a street legal slot-car!!! What fun!!!
When I got home I told my wife I had to have one. She said "BS" or something like that...
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I few years later I had an accident on the freeway while riding my Yamaha RD350.
Totaled my bike. she said "no more motorcycles!!!" - I said, "if I can't have fun on a bike then I gotta have a 914". A year of looking at POS rust buckets and I was beginning to lose hope that I would find a 914 that was repairable by someone who doesn't weld. When we went to go see one I found in H.B.
It was FUGLY, barely ran, had no brakes, but when I lifted the engine lid
the battery tray was intact. It was a '73-2.0 F.I. & it was instant love
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I grew up with 914's. My dad was a Porsche guy in the 1960's. During late 60's he was AXing a beatiful red 1964 356 SC. We saw one of the first 914's in our area AX and he knew that was the car for him. In late 1970 he bought a new orange 1971 1.7. Soon after that he had Koni adjustables, big rims and Good Year race slicks etc on the car and was cleaning up at AX events. As a kid I got to ride with the 914/6 guys at AX's. I also was given a ride in an incredible Pebble Beach Concours winning 914-6 along the 17 mile drive in 1973. I became a 914 kid groupy of sorts. I went to Laguna Seca to watch Dwight Mitchel and others kick butt. My bedroom was filled with 914 posters and models. (wish I had held onto that stuff). My father has old 8mm movies of 914's racing that I need to digitize one of these days too.

During my senior prom I drove my girlfreind (who is my wife now) in my fathers 914. When I graduated from high School in 1980 my dad gave me the Orange 1.7.

I drove that car for a couple years, then sold it and bought a faster 2.0 liter car. Unfortunately I was moving out of state and sold that car a couple years later. I went almost 13 years without a 914 until about 4 years ago when I bought a clean 1974 914 1.8 sight unseen off ebay. Flew out to Georgia and drove the car back to California.

I've got a friend who is a Mustang guy. He had a old Foxbody Interceptor, had the 5.0 plant, Stroked, bored. Was a good ride.

Anyway, I'd go to events, and some races and the drags with him. I drove it alot.

So I started looking for something to make my own ride. I decided I'd look for a Crown Vic interceptor, and make in to the Samual L Jackson Pipe Swinging Arrest me Machine that Kenny Belle made for C&D about 6 years ago.

I found a CV I liked, it wasn't a interceptor, on the test drive, I blew the tranny infront of another dealership that had a 914. I test drove it, and din't fit, but it went like stink and as my leg was in the way, I was blowing stop lights, and taking corners in 3rd, cause 1st and second was out of the question.

Anyway I decided I'd back burner the Crown Vic, and try the Porsche world, after talking to my friend it sounded good, he could come do porsche events with me, and I can do Ford stuff with him.

Anyway I bought a 1300 dollah 914 off ebay, found the Bird site, Went out and drove a screw driver through the hell hole, sold it for 1500 to a redneck from idaho, and used the cash to get the GF a boob job.

Realizing that 914's are for midgets, I decided to jump up the scale to a 911. I fit in them better.

So I'm saving for a 911, with the intention when I'm done getting a 914 now that I have some ideas for the Floorboard, and the firewall., and then eventually a Crown Vic, or Lincoln town car, to do what I originally was going to do, the Samual L Jackson Pipe swinging arrest me machine clone.