Am I just nuts or could I ever use a 914 for the Phoenix freeway commute in July? I mean after sitting in the sun all day and needing to go home at 5:00 without completely soaking my cloths.

that sounds like a challenge to me!

No cares about you ( I meant that in the nicest way possible).

You sweat, the car no sweat.

The single biggest problem is if you get caught in dead still traffic on the freeway.

On the real hottest days, at the real hottest time of the day, I try to avoid driving mine if there is any chance of get caught idling in ugly conditions.


John

P.S. 914's are GREAT in Phoenix, 345 "driving days" a year.

what about adding a nice size oil cooler with fans you could kick on when the oil gets hot and you are sitting. Most guys with 914s install coolers, but I never see fans on them. Not the case with baja guys that run in the desert for instance. Fans on every cooler.

Just a seemingly logical idea, but I haven't proven it in a 914... in Phx... at 5pm... at 110deg...

QUOTE (byndbad914 @ Mar 1 2006, 12:49 PM)

what about adding a nice size oil cooler with fans you could kick on when the oil gets hot and you are sitting.  Most guys with 914s install coolers, but I never see fans on them.  Not the case with baja guys that run in the desert for instance.  Fans on every cooler. Just a seemingly logical idea, but I haven't proven it in a 914... in Phx... at 5pm... at 110deg...

One really has to experience the heat here at the bad times.

The whole roadway system, pavement, columns, overpasses, all the concrete, becomes "superheated" by direct sun light.

The mass becomes so charged with heat that with the top off the 'teener one can still feel the heat radation at midnight while driving beneath the overpasses.

John

I was driving mine all summer last year. 114 degree days and the the car ran perfect. Me on the other hand....I was melted to the seats. The cars do fine. Leave the roof on otherwise third degree burns by the time you hit the end of the driveway!

no

I have a daily driver, summer gets hot. Not bad too bad on the way to work, but on the way home I am pretty ripe. An oil cooler would help, but mine seemed ok during my commutes.

QUOTE (MW 914 @ Mar 3 2006, 05:41 PM)

I was driving mine all summer last year. 114 degree days and the car ran perfect.

Any idea what your Cylinder Head Temps were?

Mine were 340-350

QUOTE (newto914s @ Mar 3 2006, 11:44 PM)

QUOTE (MW 914 @ Mar 3 2006, 05:41 PM) I was driving mine all summer last year.  114 degree days and the car ran perfect. Any idea what your Cylinder Head Temps were?

Oh yeah....you haven't seen my car. No gauges. That way it never appears to be running hot!

mine was a daily driver through last summer and for the first part i was driving all day 140 miles a day to apointments. The drive home at 5 was worst, i would shed my clothes and shower the minute i got home!

I just took off my tin from my engine last night... LOTS of build up, to the point i'm amazed it stayed cool at all. but i never had ANY with the car - almost 14k miles last year from dec04 to aug/sept05 as a daily driver.

So add an AC unit. Gerard has a daily driver in the Valley of the Sun with AC and says it works great.

I know where you could get the A/C vent assembly and a matching console if you were interested.

I drove a convertible bug in Sacramento, where triple digit summer temps are the norm. I feel you with the radiated heat, floor boards in the bug got too warm for bare feet before I installed carpet.

it can be done

i did it all last summer

you just have to be careful when getting in otherwise you end up with this basket weave burn mark on your back(regaurdless of weather your wearing a shirt or not)

id always make sure my lower back wasnt exposed or anything

always have water with you
2 bottles minimum
warm or cold water is water

i also brought a rag/small towel with me and when i got out of the car put it over the steering wheel so as to keep form getting burned later and i put my sunglasses case over the shift know(mines wood with a metal diagram of the gear layout in the center, and that gets really hot when exposed to sunlight for about 30 minutes)

you get used to the heat

the car did well too
as long as you avoid the freeways that come to complete stops its fine
even the 51 at rush hour moves descently

perfect at night though
when its dark and gets down to like 80* going down the freeway with the top off is perfect

-jim