914World.com > Wikipedia References Three 914-8s

Full Version: Wikipedia References Three 914-8s

914World.com > The 914 Forums > 914World Garage

Rusty

Apr 28 2006, 03:01 AM

Below is a quote from Wikipedia about the 914/8. Does anyone have personal knowledge of a third 914/8 or is this teutonic legend?

Anyone can apply for a wikipedia account and add to their database. I wonder if the addition of a "third" car reference was due to someone trying to make an unethical sale of a replica.

Check out how the paragraph starts as referencing "Two" but later added a reference to the third. The added sentence is written in a different tone - there are noticeably few technical details about the third car, but complete tracking of ownership.

-Rusty

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_914

QUOTE

Two prototype 914s, dubbed as the 914/8, were built during 1969. The first, a silver unit, was built to commemorate "Ferry" Porsche's 60th birthday, and was powered by a carbureted and detuned 908 race engine making 260 hp (194 kW). The second, a red unit powered by the full-blown, 400 hp (298 kW) 908 engine was presented to Ferdinand Piech chairman of the Volkswagen Group. The third was sold to a dentist in Maryland, and a relative inherited the car thereafter, but crashed the car and sold it to a mechanic. The 914/8 bodywork differed from that of the standard 914 in only a few small but noticeable ways. The wheel arches were flared out, larger wheels were fit, and a cooling aperture for the oil cooler was affixed to the front bumper.

McMark

Apr 28 2006, 03:58 AM

Bleyseng

Apr 28 2006, 04:06 AM

This BS story has become Legend now for some reason............

Gustl

Apr 28 2006, 04:11 AM

QUOTE(McMark @ Apr 28 2006, 11:58 AM)

better take a look at the german site

eitnurg

Apr 28 2006, 05:06 AM

It's the usual house of cards built on a grain of truth. It probably refers to c/n 9140430457 which apparently was a semi-official works project to produce a one-off 914/8 GT. The project was abandoned before completion and the car later appeared with Sonauto with a six installed. There is no evidence whatever that the 908 engine was ever actually installed in the car. They probably only got as far as the intention.
It was later in a huge smash, & was rebuilt - last heard of in the USA undergoing restoration, so that matches. But it is just a GT.

URY914

Apr 28 2006, 06:27 AM

OK, I use to have the third one and I kept it stored next to my garage. But I live in Florida and it rains here alot. One day I walked around the corner and all that was left of it was a pile of red rust. Oh well, end of story.

ptravnic

Apr 28 2006, 06:55 AM

Def raises a red flag... The paragraph starts out by saying 2 were built but mid paragraph a sentence begins with "The third...". Most articles in Wikipedia are well written - kinda embarrassing that a car I'm so fond of has a page like that to represent us to the *universe*.

davep

Apr 28 2006, 08:47 AM

Wackypedia? I take everything written there with a grain of salt; That grain that resides between Windsor and Goderich, Ontario may be big enough.

Richard Casto

Apr 28 2006, 09:41 AM

Anyone thought of editing the article to increase it's accuracy instead of just complaining about it.

jasons

Apr 28 2006, 09:53 AM

QUOTE(davep @ Apr 28 2006, 07:47 AM)

Wackypedia? I take everything written there with a grain of salt; That grain that resides between Windsor and Goderich, Ontario may be big enough.

Yeah, I hope everyone realizes anyone can edit a Wikipedia entry. That includes me you, and anyone with internet access.

Mueller

Apr 28 2006, 10:14 AM

this subject came up a few years ago...speculation is that it was a V8 conversion and the people that inherited it had no clue whatsoever what was factory and was not....

Part Pricer

Apr 28 2006, 10:40 AM

I'm surprised that the Wikipedia entry doesn't have a mention of the Grasshopper.

Rusty

Apr 28 2006, 11:28 AM

QUOTE(Richard Casto @ Apr 28 2006, 06:41 PM)

Anyone thought of editing the article to increase it's accuracy instead of just complaining about it.

Actually, yes. That was kind of my plan. But... I wanted to make sure I was correct before I did the edit.

-Rusty

highways

Apr 28 2006, 11:59 AM

Yeah seems someone is trying to write their family into history or something. The choice of words, or tone as you say takes a bat to the head. Sorta funny how it essentially reads.... "One went to Mr. Porsche, one went to Mr. Volkswagen, and one went to Mr. Dentist of Maryland who Porsche and Volkswagen had always admired from afar across the atlantic for his amazing dremel and scraping skills."

This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.