Start with carpel tunnel that has turned into arthritis
Hand hurt sometimes

I forgot how honestly stupid and hard things are todo in the “engine bay”

Trying to remove and replace the injectors on a 75
Adding air injection just makes it even more challenging to get done.

I just am being reminded how stupid some things are on this car.

I simply forgot, or it’s a memory I refused to save.

I’m glancing over at the fan belt, with air pump….that should be fun.

I had 914’s since the late 70’s in my teens. Im now 62 and 20 pounds over weight, new knee and recent shoulder surgery. These were a lot easier to work on when I was younger and in better shape.

70. Working on it is a bit harder (mostly seeing in focus) but not too bad. Harder to get in (just kind of fall in) and a lot to get out.

Understand, I'am finding doing under car stuff is getting harder and working on the interior also,bloody knees seize up and back and one shoulder give me pain so everthing takes longer ,regardless of this I still really enjoy it.
Cheers.

How on earth did you manage only 20 lbs!!!


I work out so I can work on my cars without turning into pudding. I still do. I am not super in shape but after trying to do stuff on the mustang my back is shot. At least on my 914 I can lay across the trunk...

Get in with your hands clasped together. I know, it is a leap of faith getting into a 914. But as with aging, consider the alternative. More roads out there, both familiar and completely new.

I inherited my Dad's shaky hands (probably a sign of something bigger). When my arms start to get tired, my hands will shake when trying do delicate work. I can still swing an axe with surety and strength, but if I try to start a small screw or nut, I often drop it. I first noticed it in my early 30's and thought "My Dad's hands do the same". 20 years later, still brushing it off.

Sucks after a day of yard work, beat to the bone, go to grab a cool brew at dinner and everyone thinks I have a drinking problem because the glass is shaking. Oh well.

Pushing 67 here. Stopped skiing & windsurfing. Too much of a hassle. Can't fly a PC for more than a half an hour now. Left foot hurts alot. It's harder to see. And finally, those half cases of beer & wine are getting heavier with each new week. Damn.

70, worked construction for 50+ years. It's a miracle any of us over 50 can walk and talk, many of us cannot. Way I figure it I'm going to keep working 50 or so hours in our custom window and door shop as long as I can with sneaking into the 914 shop for fun when time allows. Add in 6 grandkids for fun.

Me too. 50+ years in plumbing. When I started pipe was cast iron, steel and some copper. I dug more ditches than I care to think about. Now I believe that is why I still get around OK at 72. I still think the best feeling in the world is when I've completely exhausted myself, drenched in sweat and the window rolled down with the wind blowing across my face. Idle hands may be the devils workshop but they are also the Grimm Reapers invitation to a permanent retirement. We just have to work through it and hope we see the sunrise the next morning.

Soon to be 79, and just paid to have valves adjusted since I can't really work under the teener any more. Essential tremors in hands, hernia surgery next week, torn MCL now in both knees, this getting old stuff is becoming less fun each year!

Coming up on 75 this August. Knees just don't bend like they used to. Still walking 1 to 2 miles a day. 100 knee lifts and 100 resistance push ups everyday to try to stay limber. 27 years as a phone repairman was hard on the body. Those sudden stops when you hit the ground from falling off poles is catching up.

Just turned 69, and you guys are making me feel good.

Shortly after turning 76 I had a minor stroke affecting my right side when I came home from the hospital I couldn’t walk without the aid of my walker also the use of my right hand was useless. I’ve been receiving therapy and recovering well, but still have some numbness in my right foot and hand but recovering well. Started driving just a couple weeks back did Luftgekuhlt Saturday and Sunday walking well although tiring easily. I’ve done some work on the 914 getting her ready for the Luftgekuhlt. Getting better every day but extra size daily is the answer.

Why can’t we hit middle age then start getting younger again.
I was born in 57 along with a few other classics.
My hands are a train wreck so I’ve been using
Diclofenac sodium and dmso. It helps.
Cramps and trigger finger can be minimized
with ice.

Interesting idea. You know where that will ultimately end up?

Try some CBD oil, like Ben gay, but no smell.
It does work, but not for long.

Turned 74 last month. Can still get in and out of the pumpkin.....slowly. The hardest part for me is getting up off the damn garage floor. I am a little slowly at working on the pumpkin but slow and steady works for me. This getting older shit is no fun sometimes. But driving the pumpkin still puts the biggest smile on my face. Gotta keep on keeping on.

71, and man it takes a long time to do stuff on the 914 these days—but I thought it was because gravity has been getting stronger these past few years. Viking disease is pulling my fingers in, but I can still hold a wrench…and a steering wheel.

As my old man used to say, getting old is tough but it beats the shit out of the alternative.

74 and counting, I think. Two oral surgeries in the last year have robbed me of strength and balance. Last week I went to raise the pop top on my Westy and couldn’t lift it…sucks. Worst part of getting old is the amount of time spent talking about maladies with other geezers.

We ought to start a Senior 914 owners club. We can talk about our 914's and what ails us! Just turned 75 still love working on the 914. Getting down is easy, it's getting back up off the floor that takes some time.

Yup, 75 and counting. Still do all my work and part time at Kelly-Moss. I've got some vertigo, so after being upside down under the dash and crawl out I can fall over. But I still feel pretty lucky and working on the 914 is the best part of the day. Best, MarkClick to view attachment

Who needs pills and silly computer programs to keep our minds sharp? We have our cars and ignition, electrical, figment, parts, etc to keep us mentally active!!!

70 in June. I used to mow and power edge the property in about 3 1/2 hours. Now? The mow alone now takes 2, 2 hour shifts over a couple of days. My prostate refuses to stop growing (benign prostate hyperplasty). Had a second TURP in Feb. post procedure did not go well. If you can’t pee, the urine can back up into the kidneys. Then you’re really fucked. I’m 50# lighter than I was when I had a resection of my colon. About the same weight as when I was in 9th grade. None of my pants fit. And my cholesterol is too high. I thought I was dying after 6 weeks on statins. I will not take them again. Ever. When a Dr brings up the subject there’s only one reply. “I’m not going to take them”. The list of statin potential complications is a long one. I went to the Mayo site for the complete list.

I'm 65, Medicare and Silver Sneakers pay for my Gym Membership ( I use the Pool a lot).

I've lost a lot of weight and and am eyeing my HS weight.

I've had 14 Knee Surgeries including Replacement, Neck Surgery, 232 Stitches, A Fuch load of Broken Bones.

Feeling better than I have in years

Each of you should take a moment and make an effort to reach back and pat your own back.... It's always a motivator for me to keep plugging away when I see other folks of a distinguished age who refuse to quit. I'm 65 and it is difficult to contort myself to do things that used to be easy. And I bang my head more. Frankly, I'm a bit scared to quit, as car stuff kindof defines me a bit at this point in my life. I'd be a wee bit lost without it....

Despite the high cost of living, it still remains popular.......

This group is older than I thought...I'm feeling more at home now since I'm 70.
Like most, I carry a few extra LBS but enjoy relatively good health. I'm still actively racing, have my 914 conversion underway, cut my own 3 acres and manage all the crap my wife signs me up to do! I'm hoping I have my Dad's genes since he's 94 and still gets around pretty good too.

...and yet, you never see that scrawled on a bathroom stall.

Can we mix politics in there for a little fun

NO WAY, too bad for the blood pressure!!

This thread sheds a new light on the photographs of older women in the Sandbox.

We went and bought a husqvarna robotic lawn mower.
Best thing ever
We now don’t need to burn a day doing lawn moving.
We have about 5 acres of grass….many tractors have died here.

Getting the bicycles out and cleaned up….gotta keep on excercising.

"Old age ain't for Sissy's" "You gotta be tuff to be old"
I don't know any of you watched George Burns 99th Birthday that was on TV. George is standing there with a drink in one hand and a cigar in the other. Milton Berle walks out and remarks, "George, what does your doctor say about you drinking and smoking at your age"? George replies, "My doctor is dead"!

71, but had to give up my 914-6s a couple of years ago due to neuropathy in my legs prevented me from being able to drive anymore. I had tears running down my face when we were selling my first one, but now look back at how fortunate I was to be able to enjoy them since my first one back in 1974. I just couldn’t see letting them sit and deteriorate in my garage any longer.

Once a Teener lover, always a Teener lover. You will be welcome here forever brother.

I am 59. I pop and crackle when I get up in the middle of the night to go pee. It takes longer to get up off the garage floor these days, and I hate having to crawl under the dash.

I know it will only get worse as time marches on. But I will continue my adventures in 914 ownership as long as I am capable of holding a wrench.

This needs to be posted here again.


WHEN I AM AN OLD SPORTSCAR OWNER


When I am an old sports car owner...
I shall wear nomex and sunscreen,
And carry an old helmet with me.
I shall spend my social security on racing fuel and tires,
I will sit in my garage
And listen to hot engines tick as they cool.
I will sneak out in the middle of a summer night.
And race my old car through the countryside
Ignoring speed limits
If my old bones will allow.
And when people come to call, I will smile and nod
As I walk past weed filled gardens to the garage
To show them my freshly waxed fender.
I will wrench and sweat and wear grease on my face
as if it were a jewel.
I will be an embarrassment to all,
Who have not yet found the peace in being free
And the joy of a four wheel drift
in a old friend made of metal and rubber and plastic
Who will wait forever
For the kind of person I will be
When I am old.


An original idea adapted from the poem "When I am old I will wear purple".

Turning 69 soon and despite yet another knee surgery, major shoulder reconstruction, back decompression procedure, and all of the major shit I went through 8 years ago, I'm still riding my bike (no more motorcycles for me...) and skiing. I retired over 2 years ago and after feeling healed from 3 consecutive years of medical care, I was driving home from a great ski day and stopped into PMB to apply for a job. I'm now officially the slowest mechanic in the shop but I'm learning. The younger guys to auto mechanics are very bright and a blast to work with...they're keeping me younger. Now if only they had a positive influence on my aches and pains! Enough for my complaints...between work and a great woman, I'm a pretty happy guy.

I just had to add to this thread....67 years young....and as soon as my right hand doesn't look like a claw gardening tool in the morning and my back and shoulder thaw out I will finish replacing my rotted out fuel lines on my '73 2.0.....has only taken a month so far but the rain has slowed me down. I am inspired that my peers are so dedicated to the hobby and between 914 World and other groups I am a member of I will never be really alone.....trusting that I will meet a woman that is as nutz about these cars as I am....have met a few in the past....fingers crossed....all the best always to all !!!
gg

I’m 5’10” and weighed around 150 out of high school. From 40-60 my weight hovered around 170. 174 is the high point of the BMI index. I’m now in the low 180’s eating a light breakfast no lunch, no junk food (carbs) and a light dinner. Metabolism is gone. Main reason for no lunch is so I don’t fall asleep on the job. It can always be worse. A close friend just passed away at 61, but he smoke and drank most of his life.
Smartest thing I did was buy an exercise bike and a scissor lift for the car. They have both helped a lot over the last 20 years.

at 62 the biggest mistake i made was putting my 914 to sleep when i was 45.
........its now feeling a lot younger than me after being rip van winkled!!
and it lets me know it every chance it gets

still got my health. though for the life of me i can't understand why.
but i do increasingly have to take very long walks every 2-3 days so my bushings don't seize up.

I'm pretty able still but having a shop with a LIFT is a complete game changer. I can't recommend it enough. Dropping an engine is just a one hour job on a lift and then everything is easier.

I’m keeping my mouth shut in this thread

61 and just had a lung transplant. Rheumatoid arthritis and renaud's disease. ( numbness in the fingers). 7 weeks post transplant , so I don't know how much of my strength I'll get back. Some of the post op drugs affect strength. Two years ago after Okteenerfest I was doing 10 mile hikes in the Smokey Mountains at 6500' and now this. The alternative to this condition wasn't appealing, so I'm not complaining.

Hobbies are far underrated. Keeping ones mind and body should be #1. Sure we all need a bit of $ to keep things going, but we only have one self.

Most important, follow the words of one Sir Winston Churchill " Never give up"

Myself, I am most interested in hanging around to continue adding positive influence into my daughters and grandkids lives

Hey I’m a member of this “not so grumpy old man” club too! Two and a half years ago I found out the tremor in my left hand is Parkinson’s. Not the end of the world. I joined “Rock Steady Boxing” three times a week, which is non-contact, and I’m in better shape than I’ve been in 25 years, stronger than I think I’ve ever been, and keeping the progression of PD at a minimum. I retired the first of the year, and I’ve been working part time at a British car shop. Golf, playing guitar, boxing, and wrenching are all therapeutic for me. I thought I’d slow down some but I’m busier than ever, with no complaints.

Digital scale and portion control. A ‘serving’ of pasta, example, looks puny before boiling. When cooked, it’s plenty. Ice cream…2/3 of a cup is a ‘serving’. 2/3 of a cup is a ‘tease of IC’. Like a child’s cone. I limit the days I consume the stuff.

So I’m seeing a shrinking market for these cars and parts ………as George Jones sings..,”who’s going to fill those shoes”……
Friends keep saying all the guys that did “that” (work on the 914) are retired or worse!
Uplifting thread

One of Winston Churchill's other comments was "when ever I feel like exercising, i lay down until it passes"