QUOTE(kellzey @ Sep 17 2003, 04:45 PM)
Thanks for sharing the story Queenie!
I don't know what it is about these cars. I've been in love with them since I saw my uncle's '73 zambezi green 1.7 with brown interior. I had my first one in 1986.
I don't know exactly what it is either, Karl ... but whatever it is, it's got me hooked.
This is my first 914. I've previously owned a '61 356 B coupe (which I crashed), a '78 911 SC and a 1966 912 (which I actually haven't driven yet; it's my ex-husband's car that I aided in restoring before we split. I'll be driving it to school while he rebuilds my engine next week.). I've also owned some early Volkswagens (bus, bug, single cab truck). I had never really wanted or considered a 914 before. I was in love with the 356 to the exclusion of almost every other car on the planet.
I became a 914 owner literally by accident. I had been driving an '84 Rabbit GTI for a couple of years, but on my way to work one morning it got totaled when I smashed into a Jeep Cherokee that had been running stop signs. I got a good insurance settlement for the GTI and cashed in my pension fund from my previous job, determined to get myself back into a Porsche no matter what.
I had about $7K to play with, and I work next door to the only Porsche mechanic in town that I trust. I felt that these were both auspicious signs. I looked at some 912s, having always been a rear-engine gal in the past. But those that were in my price range were fairly beat, and the nicer ones were awfully spendy. I knew the only other Porsche in my price range was going to be a 914. When I went down to ask Guy (next-door mechanic) his opinion as to whether I should be looking for a 912 or a 914, he didn't hesitate: "Buy a 914," he said.
So I did.
I looked around for about a month, but being a long-time enthusiast of the marque, I wasn't going to settle for just any old 914. I had requirements. It had to be running well. The body & interior didn't have to be perfect, but had to be reasonably good. Obviously, massive amounts of rust were not acceptable. It was ok if it needed
some work; I'd have enough money left over after purchasing the car to deal with the small things that always, always, always come up - but it couldn't need a lot right off the bat. I wanted one of three colors (listed in order of preference): light metallic green, orange or yellow. And I wanted five-spoke Fuchs, because they are (for my money, anyhow) the classic Porsche wheel.
I had actually seen a light metallic green 914 with Fuchs on the road several years ago, and I remember saying to my ex "If I could have one that looked like that, I'd own a 914 in a heartbeat."
Oddly enough, I found exactly that. In my price range. Running well. Tight suspension. Clean enough. New tires. Delivered to my doorstep from Dana Point (about 250 miles south of me) for $4K.
Funny how things work out sometimes.
I've put almost 12,000 miles on it (and only $1700 into it, including regular maintenance) in the 14 months that I've owned it, and I've already decided that my next car is going to be a 914-6. I have never driven anything so purely fun in my life.
How's that for too much information?