If we are going to hijack this thread and turn it into a thread on stupid stuff done to cars thread, I get to go first.

I rebuilt the 901 in a 71 911 years ago when I was fixing cars for a living. I had been working on 914s for years. Well, I put the transmission together exactly like it's a 914... I got it in the car and there were 5 reverse gears and one forward gear I put the differental in just like a 914, rather than a 911.

To fix it right I had to pull the tranny back out. To do that on a 911, you have to pull the motor and tranny as a unit.

Lost my on that job.......

QUOTE

You guys are starting to make these cars sound like money traps. well you have definitely change the way I was thinking of doing things. Is all this money going in because of maintenance or because of putting in the ultimate gota have it upgrade? I am looking now at a ready to go or close to it daily driver with minor cosmetics and think I have found one for the right price.

All classic cars are money pits. And Porsches can be maintenance money pits. IMO, it costs on average $500-1500/year to drive a Porsche (911, 914, 944). This is especially true if you are putting daily driver mileage on these cars. Sometimes you can go a year with just a couple oil changes and then another year you might need an engine rebuild ($$$$). Figure on thousands more if you can't resist the usual upgrades or if you are refreshing systems a little at a time.

If you spent $20K rebuilding a 914 back to new condition it would probably be a fine car with below-average reliability for a good 100K miles but in this case you'd be starting with a 100K mile car.

If you find a car, get a club member that lives close to you to check out the car with you.

I have seat time in a 944 Turbo S and I own a 2.7S 914/6. The 944 is a rocket, it is easy to drive, it is quiet, it rides great, it has AC, a nice stereo, and electric windows, etc. The 914 is the fastest go kart you will ever drive.

If you are around CT drop on by and try it.

I am Looking to buy off a member from Washington, DC
many new things done including rebuilt engine.

if I were to use it for work it would only go out on weekends maby 1-4 hours a week unless my wife kidnaps it and takes it on her 5 minuet drives to her work place. I work out of the home so I am not looking at major miles here.

Sounds to me like you have your mind set on at least buying one ( that is good ) and the current concept that when you decide to sell that you would like to make a few bucks on it ( unlikely ) but if you subtract the value of each hour you have enjoyed driving it then maybe you will break even? Good luck - Jim.

QUOTE (thomasotten @ Jun 28 2005, 11:30 PM)

You can't make money restoring cars unless you are restoring somebody elses car and getting paid for your labor.

Words to live by...I don't do resto's on spec.

Yes, the only one making money is the guy who is paid for his labour. The guy saving money is the buyer who could not have done it himself as cheaply. If you don't have the ability and tools to do it all yourself, you are in deep trouble. That is why we need this self help group. Perhaps you can talk someone into giving you their money-pit for free. The 944 is even more of a money-pit for someone without skills.

QUOTE (boxstr @ Jun 27 2005, 09:41 AM)

Best and quickest way to increase the value of your 914 is to fill the gas tank. God I just love that one.

Man craig I think I wet myself!

Anyway I think what above has been said it pretty accurate. 914's are drivers cars and something to have fun with for the most part. I know i'm slightly upside down in my car right now, but I don't give a dam because it's way to fun! I get so much out of the little guy and it makes me think so much that the dollars invested in the car don't really make a difference. However if I was looking for possiable profit in what I did I think that a /6 conversion would be the best way to go. This however is it's own box of worms, but in the end a /6 will hold a value much closer to your investment than a /4 would. For example a really clean /4 even with a raby motor would only bring around $8000 , while a properly done clean /6 conversion even with a similar horse power raiting could bring close to $17000. Anyway my best advice would be to find a nice driver enjoy it for the summer, and sell it if you want next fall. Even if you loose your ass a little bit,you can look at it as renting the car for the summer and to me it would be worth it.
Eric

"Anyway my best advice would be to find a nice driver enjoy it for the summer, and sell it if you want next fall. Even if you loose your ass a little bit,you can look at it as renting the car for the summer and to me it would be worth it."


That's kind of the concept I had from the beginning. At any rate since I am self employed it should all be tax deductible.