I had a 67 Mustang Convertable that I restored from the ground up. When I moved to Hollywood, CA I wrecked it on Mulhulen Dr (that V8 was pushing the front end in funny ways) and almost died. So I went out in search of a car that would make it around the corner that almost killed me! Low and behold I found my first 914 and it was a 6....wow what a car! Well after many years of pleasure my pride and joy was totaled by some drunk driver in a Lincoln Town Car. So I just keep buying them and trying to get the original feeling back with my first one. Some day my current 6 will be better than the old one!!

Photo Proof:

My 914's original owner was a good friend of my wife. In fact, she was a passenger in the car on the day we met.
She always loved the car, so when it became available, about 5 years later, I bought it!
The rest ...shall we say... is history.

In 1971 a buddy sold his Bug, and got a new 914. In 1976 I got it, and it got me! I then owned many (10 or so) as street, race, and parts cars. I learned about cars when I was young. I am 50 now and been bulding (playing) with the 914 for 30 years. I love the look of the car, the way it drives, and great handling. Right now I own 4 914.

Great car, great club.

Thanks to all of you, for being 914 lover's.

I was at a local track (Hallett in OK) with my dad, and saw a guy with one and he had a saab turbo engine swap...I said "an MR car that was cheap and easily raceable"...so we bought one...my other car is a subaru wrx so I thought I would do a subaru swap into it...the perfect racecar...for a boyhood dream...I turn 18 in May...and I'm building a racecar with the pops...I'll be the driver...and he'll be my bitch haha love him...the father/son relationship I've always wanted

WOWSERS! That's incredible! I mean a 914 getting hit head on by a Lincoln Town car- and the passenger compartement surviving that well. Any idea what the combined speed of impact was and the circumstances/angle? I've heard that 914's have great crumple zones but your pic looks like proof positive of the best...

Yes, it is amazing that I survived! I was traveling about 35 and the other guy was going almost 50! I had a full sized spare tire that caught the front of the hood and pushed the car up and away. My car was pushed back almost 50 feet and into the front of a house.

We did not come out without injuries though! My friend received 186 stiches on his face and legs. I broke my neck, back, jaw and nose when I hit the steering wheel. I should have died!

I was also very surprised at how well the car survived. The body was sold to a guy who put everything into a 4 chassis in Santa Cruz. I think it is still around there somewhere!

Jeff

Great stories!!!!!!!
My first car was a 356 sc I paid $300 for, The owner said the engine was siezed, I had it running that day, drove it for a couple years. Rebuilt the engine and sold it in 1976 for $1750, and was looking for a 911, and saw an ad for a 914-6, payed $4000, it had 45,000 miles on it, I let my sister drive it and then rebuilt the engine (I think she over rev'd it) Sold it in 1981 when I started Navy flight school, (Big mistake ) Got out of the Navy in 1991, and bought a ax 4cyl 914, raced a 914/4 at a circle track in a 4cyl division for 4 years. Built a track car each year! A contact sport! Helped build a 6 conversion, 327 v8 conversion, and numerous other cars. Currently own 12 914's , including an ax and a 215v8 conversion.

I am not sure hooked quite covers it!!!!!!

This is my first 914. I've always enjoyed small cars from triumphs to fieros. My estranged brother intro'd me to his 74 914. It took one ride and 20 mph corner at 60 mph to hook me. Now I own the car and he bought an ass-dragger that he's currently restoring.

Good Stuff!

I've loved Porsche's since I was a little kid. Drove my first, a '62 356B, when I was 15. It was my girlfriend's (she was 16). I was surprised at how underpowered it was and amazed at how absolutely perfect it felt. I knew I was hooked for life. I've owned a few pre-74 911's since then because they were what I could afford to buy. But I sold them all, even my '67S Targa, these past couple of years due to escalating values. I bought a '74 911S and called it good. But I've kept my eye out for a nice 914.

I've always thought 914's were so sleek looking and the sparseness appeals to me. I bought a '74 1.8 Ravenna Green a few weeks ago. I haven't driven it yet, been refurbishing it ya' know. But I've driven a few others and love the feel. It's enough for me just to look at them. Beautiful Porsche!

Now if I could just locate that barn find LE

So I drives this 914 in PA and gets it. The drive stayed in my mind and only drove it from the paint shop to home and one spirited run on my street. Then, I gets this second one just recently. Am i hooked? Hell no but convinced its the only car I want to afford, work on and get more of.

Back in 1973 I was in the Marine Corps stationed at Quantico. We needed a new car and a buddy convinced me to go look at the "new" Audi Fox. So we drove up to Fairfax one evening to the Porsche-Audi dealer (HBL???). So I am standing there getting the pitch from the sales guy about how wonderful the Fox is. I look around for my wife so she can hear this stuff and she is practically making love to a new 914 2.0. Needless to say, we drove it home that night. Sunflower yellow, brown leatherette, no appearance group, steel wheels and caps. Today she drives a 993 and I just took delivery of my 3rd 914.

A funny follow-on story is that we take the 914 back a few weeks later for its 500 mile inspection. I am standing in line at the cashier to get the keys and the lady in front of me goes absolutely hysterical when she is handed her bill for a major service on her Audi 100LS (as best I remember). The 914 service was part of the purchase or very reasonable because we didn't bat an eye and why I remember the story.

We sold it a year later when she was too pregnant to get in or out. So we did the responsible thing: Bought a Pinto Station wagon!!! Young and dumb, for sure.

No pictures of the yellow car, but here is a link to my 2nd 914. Wish I still had it!

What about, "Someone gave it to me for free"???

What about, "Someone gave it to me for free"???

I lost a bet...........now I have 7 of them

I always thought they were uuugly and underpowered. I've had a couple of bugs still got the first, a 58. In 1970 I put a isky hydraulic camed 1500 in it with air conditioning. Oh yeah I made it into a pickup. I've been building a manx style fiberjet cobra with a wrx and 901 and decided mid engine wrx would be really neat and a lot quicker build. My son hot rods a wrx sti. I 've got lots of suby parts and have found a really clean 74 1.8 air cond. car from colo. and wyoming with very little rust. Sooo it's slowly getting started. I've nearly broke the bank with parts orders. Still gotta get guages. Haven't decided on wheels. I've got some repro. 15 fuchs, I think they're 7 and 8 inches, they were for the buggy but originally for a speedster thats still waiting on me to caress it. I also got a good deal on some 02 911 chrome 18 turbo wheels but they're really wide 8 and 11 inches. They were a really good buy though. They'll probably end up on the buggy. I can't seem to keep up with all the conversion threads, they all have something new to pick up on. So many ways to skin a cat. I will do all my own fabricating, wiring, painting and whatever. I have nerve damage in my left arm and hand (no grip) from a motorcycle accident a few years ago but it only makes me think a little harder and slows me a little. I love building gas powered vehicles. May try a diesel tow truck before long. My drivers are a 86 lifted 2 inches blazer with a 350 ram jet, 700r4 and two fieros, a 86 v6 gt and a 88 3.4 v6 5spd gt. the 86 is painted porsche guards red. Thats probably the color I will paint the 914.

Charlie

Lol... It is great reading how you all got into 914s. I got into them because the tech in the bay next to mine AX his. I was AXing an RSA, and he let me drive his 914. I liked it so much I had to get my own. Then I had a very bad experience with the first one I bought. The guy fuched me. However, I didn't let that get me down. I learned a lot about 914s because of that pile O chit. Now I have a great 914, and I try not to look back.

I grew up racing go karts so when it came time to buy a car it was the only way to go.

My Junior High art teacher in Oak Harbor, Washington 1977-78 had an Orange 914. I thought it was cool. I've been through various Z-cars, and finally got my first 914 last month. I traded my services as a wedding photographer for a 1971 Tangerine roller. Needs a drivers side pan and work in the hell hole. Hoping to put an STi engine in it, but I am open to anything interesting.

I believe this would be my ultimate choice:

http://www.h1v8.com/page/page/1562068.htm

It's a bit beyond my means, though... and at 3000 miles between overhauls, not exactly a daily driver.

My Dad bought the LE new & I was w/ him & rode shotgun in her May 01, 1974 right off the lot. 2 years later I snuck her out for my 1st drive, while he was away on a business trip, 3 yrs before I got my license . I bought the six last January.

I wanted an Elise and they weren't available at the time. The 914 seemed like the next best thing. I also thought it would be awesome with a Subaru turbo engine in it.
Turns out: it is.

I figure I can build a better Elise.

It is fun to read this one agian!

My parents had a red 71 before I was born. I spent the entire pregnancy in a 914... It was the only car they had and they had it for 2 years. My dad knows all kinds of cool tricks for doing things on the car and he's just in love with the fact I can find really good parts for it now and jumps for joy when we replace stuff on mine that was broken or sloppy on his. we just did the shifter bushings on mine this weekend.

My boss also is an aircooled P-car fan and actually found this 76 for me.

it doesnt hurt that i love all things 70's....the pantera is my dream car, i love the music, all that. growing up in the 90's was just lame as far as music is concerned, you can hear only so much nirvana...

Smart kid...

My inteest began in 1995 when I was 15 yrs old. I was still riding my YSR50 around in the summer and spotted from the corner of my eye a black sports car I had never seen before. I was on a one-way street and rather than going around the block I stopped a few houses down and rode up the sidewalk to get a closer look. Turned out to be a 73 2L and the owner was eager to show it off and teach me all about 914s. He explained the battery tray, hellhole, demostrated by standing on the door sill and opening the door, gaps and what-not.
Begged and pleaded my parents to take a look but parts were expensive and I moved on. Beauty of a car though. Black, Lowered, Konis, Chrome steelies and caps, factory console, I think negative stripes and a loud exhaust. He took me for a ride and slalomed betwen the yellow lines on the road at 50 or 60 mph. I was a lil scared but had a blast at the same time.

Years went by, Army,Wife,Son,House... Last year before my previous deployment I was in Yuma for an exercise and spotted my current and 1st 914 in the seattle classifieds. I took Christmas leave before I deployed and did a PPI on a tired but complete 71 with webers.

After leaving the country my wife bought it for me and upon my return in may I took more leave and over the next year I stripped, flared, built a good engine and got her back on the road before I deployed again.

So it took me 10 years but I am now a happy (and busy) camper. Pics are as delivered and somewhere in the middle
Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment

A friend of mine had one in college. Showed me pictures and I was hooked.

Junior year we got a place off campus and he was going to drive it up from Myrtle Beach to campus (Washington, DC) after Christmas break. I remember being so excited as I rode up in the cab to our place after break, looking up and down the street for Dave's car. When I got in I immediately asked him where his car was. He handed me an aluminum cake pan and said "here it is." I was obviously confused. Turns out the plastic fuel lines leaked, caught fire and his car burned to the ground on the side of the road. All he had left was the Porsche hood emblem and few other things.


The procurement of a 914 was something I had to wait until I had the time, location and resources. Finally picked one up in April. Turns out my uncle has owned a few of them over the years and is a big fan as well. He says I rode in one of his when I was little but I have no memory of it.

My dad had a 914 and he noted that I quite liked the car both aesthetically and performance-wise, so he gave it to me. =]

Friend of mine had a perfect black 914 back in Hawaii when I was in High school, just loved the look of the car and how it was down low to the ground.

Tried to convince my first wife to let me get one in 86 but that didn't work. Thankfully I scored a homerun with the second wife so now I have a 914 and some other toys. Just wish the car was here already! It snowed this past Sunday here in Germany and I realy need a vehicle to get to work in that will keep me out of the snow!

I met a girl in a bar back in '78. She had a 914 and she let me drive her home in it. Don't remember much about the girl, but I never forgot the 914.

I've wanted a 914 "with flares" since I saw one in a magazine in the 70's. Then I saw article on a V8 twin turbo with monster flares and steam roller tires. It was the coolest thing I ever saw and still is!

Now that I have one, I get to and till I get it the way I see it in my head

I purchased a 914-6 used in 1974. Loved the car!.The owners son at Victory Porsche in Calif. owned the car.
1970, silver, Ansa exhaust, Ginther suspension, 22mm sway bars, 5 point harness. Drove it for about a year before rolling it racing a modified 356. TOTAL!.I have never been so sick in my life. Young, stupid and regretful.

When I was 4 years old we pulled up in my mom's station wagon next to one at a traffic light. It was white and has been my favorite car since. Bought mine in 1994 and began complete rebuild about a month ago!

I grew up here - I would say I was born there, but I wasn't. I was born a few miles up the road. I went to work with my father as often as I could. His 914-6 is to date the quickest car I have ever been in, but mine is almost finished and I am pretty confident it will top his. My father managed the body shop at Stoddard through my childhood, and the boneyard there was my playground. I was raised on Porsche brand baby food. I have always loved 914's and cant wait to finish my current project, so I may begin a new one.

The little redheaded Harlot was sitting up to the middle of the doors in weeds and I was out riding my bicycle. I just had to turn around for a second look. Now she sports a 6k paint job and all custom everywhere else. For all the trouble and money she has put me through. I should have kept riding.

What a sucker I was.

I know that your post was over a year ago, do you still have her? I live an hour south of Nashville in Columbia Tennessee. My 914 is in ICU right now, but my 911 is running fine. Let me know if you do any rides!

im 17 but ever since i can remember my father has always had 3 914s and at times 6 of em. some were parts cars others were too good to be parted. now we are done to three agian. all three are worth being restored. well 2 of em are one was already restored when he but it. my dads red porche the one u see for my pic he bought in taft along with my yellow 74 and two truckloads of parts that came with them, for a litte under 900 bucks!!!!!!!! it was an estate sail. guy died and didnt have anyboy to give the cars to. but i grew up with these cars and well ill never grow out of them thats for sure. ill download some pics to my pc some time and show all three. my dad has the 75 that was completely restored stored up int he garage. hes afraid if he drives it it will get hit by some idiot who deserves a beating for it . mine is a work in progress. so is my dads canary yellow 71. that car he bought for 650 bucks. guy had here in town. he was having all kinds of troubles with his ljet system. he and my dad made an agreement and later that day my dad comes back with tools and fixes the car and drives off with it. that guy had such a sick look on his face.so thats how my obsession started.
steven

The 914 or the wife? I still have both!

I saw you were in TN in another thread and was wondering if you were nearby. My 914 is put away for the winter but we can certainly do something in the spring.

That's easy. This place and the people that support the cars!
I had a 1st gen VW scirocco that I was building into a track only car. After getting the cage installed I started to reassemble it. Can't buy a new windshield, can't get the windshield gasket, can't buy side windows, hoods are almost impossible to find. I gave up before I spent a fortune tracking down NLA parts to put on a car that would get banged up.
Then California changed the smog laws to exempt 75' and older and I started to look for a fun car to drive on the street and the occasional track day. I looked at Z's but never really liked them that much, looked at 510's - to hard to find one that wasn't beat to crap, thought about a 2002 and then I remembered the 914 I drove at an autocross back in school. Started looking online for 914's and found the old site and all of the great info and the vendors - then I found my car in the classified ads, it was only 20 minutes away. Bought it that weekend, been having fun the whole time, even if the silly thing has been on jack stands most of the time I have owned it.
Steve

Two weeks after my ex moves out to find herself(move in with co worker ) A guy I work with asks me if I want to go to an all Porsche swap meet at Ski Roundtop PA. Being a car guy, 67 RS Camaro, worked in and engine shop for 2.5 years, helped friends with street rods and stock cars for ten years, I say yes. We go and I see all these cool little cars including a Yellow 73 2.0 with polished fuchs and a Signal orange six. Everyone driving one has a huge smile on their face. LIttle did I know that they were smiling because they're usually on jack stands !! L0L The guy with the Yellow 2.0 says I should get one cause they're so much fun. Three months later I have three including a 73 2.0 Marathon Blue. Five years later I find a 74 1.8 that's beautiful and swap all the rebuilt parts into her . Plan on a turbo IV and six supsension. Now there's a 3.2 six in the corner of the garage, flares on the way and I'm trying to find the money for a 915 and a Wevo kit. I can't help myself but I don't care I'm happy!

Just watching mildly equiped 914's kick but on the track got my attention.

i came home in the hospital in it (i think, or a sentra wagon, but a porsche always sounds better)


my mom has owned the car since new, so it has seen 4 kids grow up, and has always been the family car i guess (and was at my parents wedding, and pretty much everything else)



for me, it was when i was a little kid, and my dad would take me up to oak glen or the mountains, and just cruise i guess, and i thought it was one of the most fun things to do, so at like age 4 i claimed the car to be my hs car/project, and now im 18, and that is exactly what it became, and hopefully i can do the same for my kid one day

My 914-6 was restored at Stoddard in the early 80's before I bought it from my father. Is your dad Richard Brown? I have some letters/pictures from him giving my father updates on the cars progress.

-Justin

Built my first show car at 17 y.o. ( Baja Bug) Wanted to put disc brakes on the rear, contacted the local Porsche guru, long story short I ended up working for him and got hooked on all things Porsche. Still in touch with my VW and Am roots though

Always loved VW's as a kid I built a bug model with a V8 in the front trunk with tilt nose!! I got my first 62 bug off my brother who put a 1600 in it an made it 12 volt I drove the thing in till the floor boards fell out!! Found a 68 ghia roller took the motor out of the bug put in the ghia ran that till I found my 75 914 witch I fell in love with at first site when they first came out!! In 79 I finely got my 914 drove it till 86 then I started to restore it to fine out it was wrecked pretty bad thats when I decided to go V8 chalon so I got the body kit cut the car up sandblasted the hole bottom of the tub built my motor. Then sh#t happen's an it sat for 20 years just this past summer I finely got to drive it again V8 power!! I'm even deeper in love now and my childhood dream a reality!!

I grew up on the Big Island of Hawaii and was very much influenced by VW's. My dad had owned two Carmen Ghia's before we moved from Malibu, and always talked about them. I was a Haole' boy there, and not living the rich "Mainland" import boy lifestyle. I moved to the Islands in 1969 and went through the low income housing public school BS. The guys who had the money for the HOT VW's were the Asians or Mokes. I almost ended up with a Pacer! God was with me that day. That's all I needed. Lucky for me I ended up with a Toyota Tercel.

My love of VW's drove me to the history of PORSCHE. Boy would I love to have a Porsche to take down to O.A's! I think there was maybe 1 or 2 914's on the island. Even less 911's. Hawaii back in the 70's and 80's was not a place to find a German sports car. To us, a decked out accord was cherry.

A 914 was a treat to see.

I just vote "Watching 914's in racing" but that's not really true.
I got into 914's by working on them. I had been working for Porsche/Audi dealerships for 9 years. At the dealerships we did not get a lot of 914's and if we did there was usually another tech that had experience on them, so I did not get many to work on. I had kind of a NARP attitude and did not like trying to do anything in the engine compartment so I was quite happy to let others deal with "those" cars.
In the late 80's I went to work for an independent shop in Sacramento (Autosport Technology). At Autosport we did a lot of 914's and a lot of Auto-x and time trial cars. I started doing the suspension set ups at the direction of Dwight Mitchell and I learned not only how to set these up but I also learned how good they could go. That got me hooked on 914's and the mid-engine concept.
I bought my first 914 from a customer that bought a 911. I scrounged and bartered anything I could to make the suspension work and I started Auto-X.

Jim

I have always liked Porsches & motorsports. In 1983 at the age of 15 I bought my first car a 73' 914 2.0 cost me $500. Before I got my license I would sneak out and go for a drive. Drove it through out high school year round even in heavy snow. Was a great first car and the envy of my classmates. Bought my 2nd 914 a 75' in 1988 still have the 75'.
Would love to still have the 73'.

I'm 46 and have owned many sports cars. I always like the look and style of the 914 in particular the 914-6 which I drove one once in 1981 it was $11,000.00 at he time...nope too steep for me. I've owned (2) 240Z, 1967 Jag E-type ford V-8, Alfa Spider, (2) 1966 Mustang Fastback...but the car I fell in love with was my 1974 911 Carrera black with red graphics...I smiled everytime I started that car...but alas kids grew up...and we needed money blah blah blah...it sold in 45 minutes on craigslist!

My youngest turned 13 last year and we wanted a project so we bought a beater 1975 914 1.8...and I fell in love...it needs more power but all around just fun fun fun....it cerainly will NOT be my last 914. BTW the 13 year old....lost interest quickly and now wants an El Camino?....apparently he takes after my wife...pathetic!!

Test drove one in 1974 just before graduating colege. in California. Got married and bought a Triumph TR4. Drove that around until a guy ran a stop sign and totaled the Triumph. Along came the kids (3 boys) and life went on. Just finished building a 1964 Cobra replica which I can't use as a daily driver. Subscribed to Vintage Motorsports Magazine and began reading articles on the 914. Picked up a 1975 with very little rust and I am in the process of rebuilding the suspension and interior. Can't wait to get it on the road! The 914 has so much potential from bone stock to turning it into a vintage racer.

Let's see... year 2007. I was 13, and for Christmas I got GT Legends for computer and a racing wheel. Went through the game, and loved how this little 914-6 could beat any other high HP car around the track. This was only a game, but it was my first real exposure to the whole "go-kart" handling. Didn't think much of it then, as I thought it was ugly. Just didn't have the sexy lines like the corvettes.

September 2008. My 15th birthday. My dad and I knew it was time to look for a car, so I'd have a year to build it (it wasn't supposed to be driveable. that was the deal we had) My dad had always wanted a Datsun 510. Independent rear supsension, and sedan handling. I guess there was some guy he saw while racing SCCA thatjust thrashed and killed at the track in a dark green 510. Went and looked at what I thought was going to be my first car. a Beautiful light blue '72 L20B 510 with dual webers. the guy wanted 5k, and my dad said the car was only really worth 4,500, so no go. I was not happy...depressed, and felt deprived of what I thought was supposed to be my first car. 2 days later, I was looking around on craigslist at random cars I thought would be cool. Vega's, el camino's, more 510's, and then the 914 came into picture. Found an add for a 1973 non-option car with a problemed 2.0l motor with a rod knock and spun bearings. Tjhe car was complete and in good condition. 2k. worked him to 1,900 and took it home the next day.

The rest, is history. One parts car, 3 sets of wheels, and 3k $$$ later, It's still not done, but I love this thing.