i have to write a Persuasive essay for school. I have chosen to do it on "why bother restoring a 914?" I have written about the history of the 914 but would like to add personal responses to my essay. I would like to get a few answers to questions I have about why others choose to rebuild this car. If anyone would help answer a few questions online I will work the responses into my essay. I told my mom that it was because the car choose us and we didnt choose them but she said that that doesnt work so im resorting to this. In your response if you could post how long you have owned a 914 and if you had any proffessional experience in the automotive field that will be helpful.


my first question is...........why choose a 914 to restore over any other car?


thanks for any help i will post the next question when i get a few responses.
dylan

"i restored my car to sell it for a loss later" LOL

it aint for the money...its for the "labor of love" doin what you can to make it yours and keep em on the road.

5 years of owning the car.........

A better question is, "Why would any dumb ass choose a 914 as a daily driver?"

JT

Butt out Dad, im trying to get my homework done

Thanks AA for the response, anyone else out there want to help answer this baffling question???

Why restore a 914 over any other car?

Its the one Porsche I could buy, and then afford to upgrade. Its unique.

Other than that, I, like Aaron like throwing my money into a pit

Haha, ima dumbass... I love my 914 daily driver. Wouldn't trade it for a fully loaded BMW. Well, unless I could sell it and buy a nicer 914!

I chose a 914 because I wanted a low, light, awesome handling, mid-engined, uncommon, affordable sports car that's easy to work on.

"Why a 914?" is best answered not with words, but with actions. Take your teacher (or have someone) take them for a ride.

The car is a unique antique that is fun to drive, still cheap enough to repair for the average person and best of all has the support of several 1,000 members in almost every part of the world.

Because the only cars in its era that were even close to being as much fun were 240Z, and they have all rusted away,

And since the 914 was dropped there have been NO cars that have even come close to being as much fun to drive.

And they are pretty basic, and we can learn to work on them ourselves,

And having sex in them is like nothing else in the world, if you can get untangled afterwards.

How about a description of all of the sex positions that you can make work in one of them, and kneeling on the floor is not the best one to try.

I am restoring/modifying my 914 because, like many people, it was my first car (or at least a 914 was my first car) and I have always loved them.

Over theyears I always dreamt if I could built the ultimate 914, what would I do to it.

I am trying to live the dream now... it's just taking a while.... 3 years and counting!

Qarl

Dale
you gotta keep it g rated its a high school project thanks for the ideas and i mean all the ideas

have to go bbl
dylan

I have had mine for 24 yrs. Why would I want to restore it?

All you have to do is drive one, and you wouldn't ask such a silly Q...

I have been wrenching on cars and bikes for 38 + yrs. And it has come in

handy. Hope I answered your Q's.

Q #2 Not yes but hell yes.. I think it is the vibration.

My Dad had one when Iwas about 13, and I thought it was cool. We went camping many times and we had everything we needed. He sold it when Iwas 6 months away from 16.
Orange, and very clean.... I guess I always loved the car, and reminds me a bit of my childhood.

Research the car... Do comparisons with the other cars of it's time. Explain the unique interest that people have have with the car over the years, and try to show how the car has gained in popularity over the last few years due to the 914CLUB!!!!!!!

Don't feel bad, my dad sold (traded) his '54 factory ordered autoglide Corvette when I was 12.

I loved that car with its snap in windows. My Mom made him get rid of it.

He traded it for a '52 Ford pick-up with a camper shell....

Serious Buddy ,
I have to commute 2 or 3 times a week without Miss Mari,
110 miles round trip and 60 of that mileage is road MADE for teeners.
I love my unrestored driver and every time I think of a different driver ( Don Travers RS America excepted) I go for a ride and all thoughts of changing disappear
The car is simply a blast to drive

Now get back to work!

JT

Answer:

I already have a garage full of parts that don't fit on any other car.

or

The personal property tax is very low. ($5.00/year)

or

There are not that many around.

or

They are NOT made in Japan.

or

It's a Porsche!

or

It's PAID FOR!

I have more

QUOTE(Headrage @ May 2 2006, 07:35 PM)

Research the car... Do comparisons with the other cars of it's time. Explain the unique interest that people have have with the car over the years, and try to show how the car has gained in popularity over the last few years due to the 914CLUB!!!!!!!

QUOTE(Headrage @ May 2 2006, 07:38 PM)

QUOTE(bmunday @ May 2 2006, 07:30 PM)

He sold it when Iwas 6 months away from 16.

Don't feel bad, my dad sold (traded) his '54 factory ordered autoglide Corvette when I was 12.

I loved that car with its snap in windows. My Mom made him get rid of it.

He traded it for a '52 Ford pick-up with a camper shell....

Headrage
i have done alot of research and wrote another paper on it i know why i do it i want to know why you do it

johnman you have the idea i am looking for and my dad likes number four



[b]question number 2 what is the opposite sex factor or
if you have a 914 is it easyer to pick up girls?

I have owned mine for almost 7 years. Restoration was because:
There is no substitute
I could read and understand the owners manual
you don't see 1000 of them at the local car show ( unless it is WCC)
each one is unique
I could fit in it.
I don't have to worry about people letting their kids loose with "chocolate and ice cream" in hand and getting crap on my interior,
It is really fun to drive.
Everybody gives you the thumbs up when they know what it is
It is a conversation piece
Where else can you get a 36 year old car that still out handles a car that costs 45K and has 6k worth of suspension?

this is a test designed to provoke an emotional response.

oops i posted as my dad sorry for the confusion

1) The 914 is a Porsche! Enough said. You are guaranteed the privilege to pronounce it correctly. You join the ranks of all previous Porsche owners, from Steve McQueen to James Dean to that rich doctor across town.

2) It is one of the most affordable Porsches to obtain. Almost every other model's price range can only be described as astronomical.

3) It is one of the most unique sportscars ever manufactured. Whether it is its mid-engine layout, its "questionable" heritage, or its striking body lines, no other car compares.

4) The car is quite easy for the novice to understand. There are very few complicated linkages, adjustments, or anything to REALLY confound the newbie. Obviously, there will be questions. That's why this lovely forum is even here! But overall, it's not like THAT bad. An aside. . . .I just read how the 356 clutch system works. Wow.

5) As has already been stated, there is an intangible joy (that I have not experienced yet) that comes with driving a 914. It is that quiet chuckle when the guy can't find the engine. It is that pride that gets bruised when they ask if it's one of them thar Fiats. It is that look you get when they think you're pouring gas "directly" into your engine. You can't get that with a Camry.

6) It is one of the more versatile cars on the road. It can be a daily driver. It can be a show car. It can run LeMans. It can autocross. I don't know about off-roading, but we could try, right!?

7) It can be personalized any of thousands of different ways. I doubt, by now, any 914 is exactly like any other. We've engine mods, wheel combos, new bumpers, old bumpers, custom bumpers, interior mods, all of the amazing products that the club offers, etc. And they're all pretty interchangeable.

That's what makes them worth it.

for real................the real 2nd question is............what have you seen happen to the values over the last 5 to 10 years have they gone up or down? what do you think the long term result be?[/b]

thanks again
dylan

hahahahahahahahahaha

I don't know that the car helps so much. I'm 17 and quite often drive a pink truck and hang out with wicked hot girls (IMO and that of others)











On the real second question the values have gone up astronomically in the past few years. I would expect that they will eventually (within the next 5 years), plateau and hold their value for a while atleast. But, on the other hand, 356 and classic 911 prices have been increasing for a while after plateauing in the mid90s IIRC.

ok guys i have to go to bed jt is glued to lemans please keep replying i will look at them in the morning and post a new question

thanks for all the great posts talk to you all later
:hide:dylan

They have gone up 25-30% over the last 5 years........

Pretty soon they will be $1,000,000 cars......mind you gas will be $5,000 a gal then

And now for a million dollar question: How much can a person expect to spend to restore a roller with with average expected rust and other issues normally seen in cars which have sat/ben abandoned (like mine ) to...
Daily Driver Condition?
Racer Condtion?
Show Condition?

Thanks for all your help, Dylan

Mabe I should paint it pink... was my response, dont know what happened to that last post

i dont think it looked good in hot pink.

I had a hot pink 914 I used for fixing my wreck damage.

I threw up a little everytime I saw it.

b

QUOTE
"hahahahahahahahahaha

I don't know that the car helps so much. I'm 17 and quite often drive a pink truck and hang out with wicked hot girls (IMO and that of others)
End quote




Some one had to do it!

In addition to what was said above:

I think of cars as kinetic sculpture, much like an Alexander Calder mobile. Since I see them as art, more than just a simple machine, my addiction is a little differently described.

Like art and artistic pursuits, it is not about the finished product, but the process. The process that one goes through by looking at other cars, deciding what suits them best, researching the ways and options to acheive ones goals, planning the work, getting it done, enjoying the fruits of your labor and then starting all over again is the exact same artistic process that painters, writers, scupltors, and other artistically inclined people go through. For me, it is the same process, but my medium is the 914.

As for my car, I have had it 3 years and I am doing more and more of the work on it myself (with the help of the members of the non-club llc). I am taking slow steps and researching things as I go. The brakes have been updated to a 19mm master and steel lines with good pads. I just replaced all the bushings in the transmission linkage. I have a new hi-torque mini starter and pertronix ignition. I have recently bought a front sway bar and am looking for springs now too. After that is done, its either paint and body work or a new motor (hopefully a Jake Raby special). Additonal items on the list are: bumpers, bumper tops, new dash, GTS seat, new seatbelts (944 maybe) and a few other things too.

So that's my plan, and it will take me w few years to complete and it will change as my aspirations, funds and time ebb and flow.

Hope that helps.

I chose a 914 because years ago, while autocrossing a 240Z and winning my class in nearly every event I evaluated why I was losing those two or three times a year. I found that I consistently lost by 2 seconds when either of two guys would show up. One owned an Alfa Romeo GTV-6, the other a Porsche 914 2.0. The thought of owning an Alfa Romeo was just too nauseating. How would I deal with the shame? But the 914 intrigued me. The problem was I lived in Minnesota. There were no 914's to be found that didn't have terminal rust. Then I moved to California... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Here is 914 country.

I just wanted to thank everyone for helping the kid with his essay. Youve given him some great ideas and useful quotes. He knows why he is doing his car project but it really helps hearing why others would want to endure this daunting task. Does anyone have any thoughts on costs as mentioned above?????

Thanks, Mari (wanateener's mom)

what have you seen happen to the values over the last 5 to 10 years have they gone up or down? what do you think the long term result be?

they've gone up and down, but IMHO they are headed up to stay this time, due mostly to rarity of good cars and renewed interest. though, i think the 4's will always be the lease expensive porsche available. there was a really good article on this in one of the porsche magazines recently - can't remember though.... maybe somebody else knows

i guess my thread isnt dead and everyone is asleep rcrgrl we didnt see you at the g&r why didnt u come?!!!

Easier to pick up girls??

I'm sorry, but an answer to that question would (from my experience) would be a wholehearted NO.

In fact, when I drive my 914 I get more looks from guys wondering what the hell is that. However, the 914 does draw more attention than my 911 Turbo. It seems that nobody cares about those old cars anymore.

I've never really been drawn to girls who care what kind of car I drive.

(Besides girls like that could give a crap unless it is a NEW Carrera GT or the latest Lambo, Ferrari, or (insert supercar here).....)


I didn't realize the REAL question #2 was about values?

I don't really know as I have not been in the market. I have owned my 914 for 18 years or so and have no need for another and no desire to rid myself of the one I have taken care of and repaired. I assume that since the cars are older, and they have recently been recieving a lot of press, the values are on the rise. Parts seem to be getting more scarce and prices for those parts is climbing.

John

For the million dollar question.....

I only have one question for you that applies to all your scenarios:

HOW MUCH YOU GOT?

The sky is the limit. If you want a full CW car as a daily driver it will cost more. If you want a full race car with a full out 962 engine and tube frame to handle it, the biggest and best money can buy, again the sky is the limit.

However, no matter how much you spend, no matter how fast you drive, there will be someone who spends more or goes faster. It's the law of the west.


just my $0.02

ok rephrase that question how much would it cost to restore to almost complete original doing most the work yourself

ok new question #3

in your opinion do you think you should keep the 914 original or modify it to what ever you want and why ????????

i couldn't come - had to be here in SD at 11 - really wanted to though, i'll make it next time - maybe even with a running car!

and just for the record its not the girls that care what kind of car you drive - its the ones who know how to drive it (maybe even better than you)- and fix it - that make life interesting!

bump

Yes

Since my car is MY car, I'll do with it as I please.

Original cars are nice. Mine has been original (more or less) for the last 18 years and I have always wanted to make it a /6. Now I'm in that process (with a 3.2).

Only you can determine if original or modified is for you. Some here are 'purist/CW' types while the rest of us are more interested in improving our 914's.

Why am I modifying my car? Because I want to and can afford it.

thanks guys i will post the essay when im done with it
thanks again for the great responses
dylan