Today, as I was leaving for work, through the garage, to the car parked outside, I encountered the building trade dudes who are working on the house. They noticed the 914 in the other garage bay and the one sez "Awesome". Guy #2 asks if it's alright if he can take a closer look-see. They start circling the car, peering in through the windows, and ask to look under the "hood". Sure sez I, and open the rear trunk. Whistles of appreciation are forthcoming. Then I go forward to open the front. Silence. Then one of the guyz sez....."where's the engine?" (Sidebar....these two very nice guys are probably in their early 30s, so the can be forgiven, ...I think). They very likely haven't seen a car like this up close before. Then the usual questions, "wot's it worth, wot year is it, how fast, etc." I had to bite my tongue not to quote Murcielago specs. Anyway, they finally drift away as I insist I gotta leave for work. Both tell me again that the car is "awesome". For the 3+ decades that I've owned this mostly stock '70 /4, that's an adjective I've never heard before. I wonder what their reaction would be to some of the more exotic examples that I've seen here on the 914 Forum.

Moral of the story.....it seems to me that as the 914 has aged, its attributes(rust susceptability excepted) and uniqueness have come to be appreciated has they never were in its "salad years".

You nailed it. They are slowly taking their place in Porsche history.

B

The other night I went to Arby's to pick up some food. There was a brand new boxster convertiable behind me in the pickup line. I pull up to the pickup window and a young gent tells me how much I owe and tells me how nice my car is. I said to him, look at the one behind me, he said, yea its ok I like yours better, he said he liked the old school much better. Sure made me feel good. I say the lad was around 19 or 20.

A fact shown by the steady rise in interest ... AND RETAIL PRICES!

Man I can't wait to get mine! ... come-OOONNNN A1-Auto-Transport!!!!!

Doug

Alaskan Blue Metallic
That is an awesome color.

I would say that 3 out of 4 times that I take my car out, I get someone that makes it a point to stop me and comment on the car, ask me about it or tell me about the 914 that they used to own. I'm sure the Boxter guys get the same thing

I was hanging my signs on a post the other day and a 70ish year old neighbor walks out and starts asking about the car and complimenting me on it. Then he asks if I I have a few minures to check out his project. It was an Triumph that was being reassembled. Every nut and bolt was polished...the thing was amazing. Car folks are just cool.

Now that I am doing the conversion on my car, my wife asks me why I don't just get a Boxter instead of dropping more money into my car. I say, because it would be, just a Boxter.

Great story....

Anybody can go out and buy a new sportscar if they have the cash, but it takes someone with unique passion and talent to maintain these cars that were built in a time where automobiles were still part machine and part art, instead of being an electronic appliance.

Here's to those of us who see the forest for the trees....

I have the same thing happen to me, and my car looks like crap. It seems the nastalga of these cars is appealing to everyone and there are not many on the road.

On my way to work this morn. I had the top off and was thinking how good i feel when I'm driving it. It looks like crap and runs like crap but damm I am happy in it!!

My wife doesn't really "get it" either. I like to buy parts here and there to refurbish my car back to a new-old condition and just generally tinker on it.

Every time I buy something I have to keep it a "secret" otherwise I get the "what are you buying now?" or "You spend too much money on that car." As a result I get all my parts and things shipped to my work place then bring it home surrepitiously as if I've always had these things hanging out somewhere.

I also have to give the old "This is it, just this last thing and the car is done, I'm so close, it will be perfect."

When it's perfect I'll unveil it to myself and cry like a baby Over Hauling Style.



Of couse it's never "done" it goes on forever and ever...


As for comments from complete strangers they always like to wax poetical about the days gone by when they or their friend had one of these cars and had a lot of fun with it. That's always a treat for me.

Funny but how true the happy in it is.....never owned any car that gave me so much pleasure and I have owned......you name it.

I enjoy when people twist their necks around their head to take a look on the freeway..... then again that may be for my wife.

Here here

Last weekend, the local Porsche dealership hosted a tech session, featuring free tech inspections for _all_ Porsches registered for the CIR-PCA driver's ed this coming weekend. I had asked ahead of time if "all" really meant "all", as I have had a previous unpleasant conversation with the people who run this dealership. Apparently there have been some transitions of people, and the new bunch running the show wants to restore a positive relationship with our PCA chapter. Anyhoo, I show up and all of the garage guys and salespersons come out to have a look. Lots of "I've never seen one of these up close" and "I had one of these when I was first out of college". Even one regular customer who was in stopped me and shared his memories of his from back in the day. The guy who did my inspection asked for me to explain a bit about the car because, he admitted "you know more about these than I do". Of course, everything was in order, but after putting it back on the ground he said "we need to take it on a test drive to make sure that everything is alright". Haha, but sure - off we go. He is impressed, thinking that since it is old, it will also be slow.

We get back to the dealership and everyone wants to thank me for bringing my little piece of Porsche history out for everyone to see. I say if you really want to see something fun, come out to Putnam Park and see me on track

FYI - CIRPCA "Spring Brake" is this weekend, Apr 22-23, at Putnam Park road course. As usual, I'll be the only 914, but I will represent

Sorry folks but all porsches besides the 914 are just ugly and boring. Don't know what it is but even after seeing a carrera 4 rip up the track it just doesn't excite me in the least little bit.

914 is the only porsche I ever liked. Wish they would come up with a competely new design and stop trying to make every porsche look the same. So boring!

that being said I have wanted a 914 since I was like 5. Should be picking mine up within the week

I get that same story of friend had one in College or sumpin.
Why does it always go like we were screaming down this back road into a blind curve. He never lifted off the gas yada yada.

I just ask "wanna go again" get in.

Every time I buy something I have to keep it a "secret" otherwise I get the "what are you buying now?" or "You spend too much money on that car." As a result I get all my parts and things shipped to my work place then bring it home surrepitiously as if I've always had these things hanging out somewhere.

I thought I was the only one who did that!!!

Well said! Wish I had said it.






..

I just heard a funny story relating to this. A friend of mine bought a 924s and he needs to seal the deal on Saturday. The sale is through an intermediary ( Autosport Engineering actually) and the guy wants his money in CASH.

So my friend was asking why not a bank check etc. The guy wants cash so his wife doesn't know how much he sold the car for, so he can funnel some of it off into his "secret car account".

I guess this is pretty common, I need to start one of those!

...the last 13 years of my life I've been watching packages getting delivered to my home...for my wife or kids. It's finally my turn...and it's making them crazy.

It was entertaining at first for them, I could tell it's wearing thin.

Because of the rust issues there just aren't that many on the road anymore. I was talking to this guy at Eurocarwerk in Houston and he was saying to hold on to my 914 because they are really starting to become collectors items. I think we are still a few years off from seeing any real increase in the value of these machines but it was good to know that the guy with a vintage 70's V12 Ferrari and 60's Lambo sitting in the showroom was telling me to hang on to my 914. It really seems that so many people have memories of these cars becasue they were a little more attainable than say a 911.

i had two girls all over the car at the gas station the other day, one was 19 the other one was 21.
not only were they cute, they were really into cars as well. they asked all the right questions ...

made my day ...
Andy

One thing I have to say is that my 914-6 conversion gets ton more attention than my stock 914-4. I have had on two occasions now had strange women walk up to the car and ask me what kind of car I was driving. Never got that with the Boxster or when the 914 was in stock form. Cars on the road slow down and point and give thumbs up. Its just plain weird. I dont think the car looks all that much different.

I wonder if it the flares that make the car "more noticable"

Hey, you're in Bonny Don. Do you know where Robert Heinlein used to live?

BTW, I've got to make an in car video too.