Bought a 72 1.7 on Martha's Vineyard in 1980. Already had a 924, wife wanted a 914. It had blown out a spark plug, lots of rust in the kick panels on both sides, no hell hole yet - pulled teh engine and di a complete rebuild, then resprayed it dark blue. Drove it in Boston, wife put a dent in front left fender, fixed that - moved to SF Bay area and sold it in 82. Sold 924 and bought a 928 - still have it - fast forward 25 years to 2007 - saw a 72 1.7 for sale, in a sorry state but little rust, bought it, rebuilt most everything, repainted same (almost) blue - still have it.
1982
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2009
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I voted "Love at First Sight" because it is the closest fit... I learned about the mid engine and handling, the low polar moment... and it was a Porsche. I've wanted one on and off since I was a teenager. My art teacher in 1977 had one, but that really wasn't a factor.

I wasn't looking for one when I got mine... I took it in trade for services as a wedding photographer.

My neighbor had a siver 914-6 in the 70's. I always loved the look and sound of it. He put on just the rear flares in late 70's early 80's. It looked even better. He ended up getting killed in a house fire shortly after that trying to save the car. Sad story. Anyhow I always loved the car and it took 40 years for me to actually bite the bullet and get one. I've spent tons of money and time on other cars I didn't care for as much. I might as well do it with a car I actually want to keep.

I dont know about "love at first sight" but it WAS pure happenstance.

Great story!

Other! I got into 914 because of the after market support of our cars. I had a 75' VW Scirocco and could not buy a windshield gasket (or the windshield) I also found out that I could not get gaskets for the rear windows either. Ended up just cutting up the car and tossing it.
Steve

Had a 1.7 in about 77 in Houston Tx. used as daily driver. It was a rust bucket but a fun car. Sold the car when I was transferred to Saudi Arabia. Never frogot the fun. When I retired I need a project and bought my 73 2.0 from a friend. Its done and a kick in the pants to drive.

In 1982 when I got a drivers license I had a 73 bug and liked the car but it was missing the responsiveness of my go cart. I had a neighbor that had a 914 and drove it and the rest is history. In 82 you could get a 914 pretty cheap so I bought a 71 canary yellow car with leaking push rod tubes and drove proudly around in a plume of smoke. I have had 20 or so since then in, I think, every year made and have not been without one at anytime. If I could get the three I have now finished life would be complete!

First love voter here. Strolled the Porsche lot when I was a teener myself. Drooled on all of them. I still had the hots for a 911T however. I finally got a chance to work on them in 1980. We had some fast ones through our shop. It was then when knew I would own one.
Fast forward a dozen years or so. One of my kayaking buds married into the one his new bride had. After just a short while, he wanted Jennifer in a more reliable late model car. It just happened that I had been the last person to ask for the car if it ever went up for sale. Jennifer called me one day and asked if I was still interested in purchasing the car, of which I said I would love to. She even passed along a notebook of all the names and numbers of any and everybody who had ever offered to buy it if it ever came up for sale.
It's been in my hands now for the last seventeen years. I can't see me ever parting ways with it. Even today, the only non original parts consist of a Petronics, steering wheel, shift knob and paint color. I added the petronics igniter assembly. No regrets! Ever!

Great thread, thanks for resurecting it!

When I was 12 - 15 my school bus used to go past this one house and in the front yard was a 914, tucked up against the wall and looking VERY abused.

I would look at it and wonder what it would take to get that car. At the time I was known for dragging old beetles out of peoples back yard around the town and then either parting them, or sometimes reselling them for barely the parts it took.

When I went to high school, I walked to school so no more bus trip past the car, but duing my Junior year, I started to go by the car again and as I was almost allowed to get a license, the mind went wild.

SO, i stopped by one day and asked if the car was for sale after looking to find the engine out on a bench, the transmission under the bench and the car in pretty good shape overall, for a NE car. It also hadn't been driven for 7 years and had only 33k miles.
The wife answered and was clearly eager to get rid of it. I was young and offered $900 (about twice what I should have) and dragged it home.

Within a month, the engine was re-ringed and running (had to go carbs for a while until I had the money to fix the FI) and the car was mine for my Sr. Year of HS.

That was all in 1987 and I still have it. I am often thankful that 914 were not the loved cars that 911s were, otherwise, I would never be on this forum.
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mine was a combo of "Love at first sight" and "Interest in or ownership of other VW/Porsche"

I'd never seen a 914, but I'd driven a couple of 944s and 924s, and always loved the 911s, and lusted after them. a really good friend had bugs and ghias, which I also loved!

so when I was looking for a fun car I saw an ad for a 914. I loved it, but I had made a poor choice in buying that one... terminal rust and other issues. but it gave me a taste for them. I love the little bastards.

I still wouldn't mind getting a nice 911(3.0+) or a REALLY nice Ghia, but I don't think I can stop owning a 914.

Watched them race and win a lot in various scca events for years.

Loved them at first sight design wise as well.

I used to want a long hood long wheelbase 911... still do, in fact... but now I look at 911s and think "donor".

A friend of mine ("Skip" Page -RIP) had one and I had a Chevelle SS. Rode with him in his on a trip and was amazed at the gas milage and the handling. Got my first one, a '73 1.7 shortly after that. He taught me how to tune it up and many more things. I even worked at the local Porsche dealer as a mechanic for a while to learn more about my 914. I learned more about working on Audi's more than 914's, but did learn about Porsches too. Bought an orignal 914-6 and sold the 1.7 to my girlfriend. If had to had over 100,000 miles on it and she put lots of miles on it too. Started autocrossing in the first 914 and the six, then started doing DE's. Loved the DE's and have instructed at three tracks. Wore out the six's chassis and sold the chassis and bought a '74 for a DE project car. While working on the project car, bought a '75 2.0 because I missed driving a 914. Project car finished now and sold the '75 a couple years ago. Once had three adults and one golden retriever in mine and drove to the store and back. Maybe a "stuffing a 914" record??? Have been a 914 owner for 34 years.

I got into 914's after carefully thinking about what 'fun car' I wanted to have. Since I am stuck in the peoples republic of Kalifornia the most important issue was being exempt from the evil smog check nazis. Then from past experience I knew that I must be able to buy replacement parts (just try getting a windshield gasket for a 75' Scirocco or any rubber parts for that car.) It had to handle well or be able to be made to handle well. Must be rear wheel drive. This narrowed the field down to 240Z's, 510's and 914's all of these cars have huge owner support and lots of parts. I like Z's but I have never liked that big long hood, 510's have that goofy rear suspension and all 3 rust like crazy.
In college I fixed a fellow sports car club members battery box (my introduction to the hell hole!) and he let my auto-x (burgandy 73' 2 liter with webers) it for several events. He got tired of me beating him every race so that ended.
I found my car only 20 minutes from my house on the old club site and bought it as soon as I saw it - almost no rust at all and good paint, ran OK and the transmission needed work. I can't wait to drive it with it's new Subaru drivetrain.
Steve

I worked at Automobile Atlanta from 1982-1984, started as a shop rat and evolved into a master 914 cut-man and parts expert as we parted out car after car after car after car. Loved them then, love them now.

I started with one beer and just led to this

Got my first one as a new 72 tangerine orange and after the family needs forced me to be practical I went dormant for 30 years. It's refreshing to drive and have the performance that other little cars don't have. It's a great hobby and satisfaction.

that is a VERY clean looking car etcmss... very nice! I'd like to see more of it! not in a take it out on a date kinda way(long distance and all) just more pics in a creepy internet porn lust sort of way not that creepy tho, I mean, me and the car are the same age and all...

welcome!

In 1976 I had a '74 Super Beetle as my first car and I thought it was a sports car. One day I was driving as fast as I could down a winding road and had a car sticking to my rear end like glue. When the car finally had an opportunity to pass me I saw that it was a really cool 914 Bumblebee. It took about ten years but I finally got a 914 and have been in one ever since.

I was actually looking for a pre 67 bug at the time. Saw a Signal Orange "GT-4" in an issue of Excellence, and fell in love w/ the car. After looking at a couple of examples that were either way to rusty or a complete pile of non running parts (only had a budget of about $3k), I had pretty much given up and went back to looking for a bug project again. A few months later I still hadn't located a suitable project (the search may have waned a bit too) and went to a Seattle area VW show (mostly mk1 & mk2 VWs). A few old air-cooleds showed up and rekindled my interest. I found a nice looking ghia prospect, but when I called the car had been sold that day. Back to the drawing board. Still I was not turning up a car. Then I remembered the 914 again, figured it was a long shot, but did a search on craigslist anyway. Found one in Seattle on Mother's Day, though it was stretching the budget a bit. Drove down w/ cash in hand to look at the car (w/ no way to get it home if I did buy it). Turning out to be a fairly solid running project. Paid for the car and made arangements to pick up the next day.

Please let me know if you ever want to sell your helios GLi.

I would go west for a clean one. Just had to add that, those are such gorgeous cars.

Stoddard had a killer deal on Fuchs - something like $350 for a set of 4, so I bought them intending to put them on my '65 912. The deeper I got i got into that car the more I realized it needed more rust repair than I had the resources to address, and I wanted to drive, not restore a car. Sold the 912, went looking for another car I could mount the Fuchs on. Came across a Euro 914.6 in Pano and bought it ...

Read a Hot Rod article about a v-8 porsche 914 in the 80's and loved the look of the car. Was looking for a car to rebuild 3 years ago and after giving up on affording a muscle car I decided to look for a porsche. I had forgotten about the article until I saw the actual car that was in the article for sale on ebay. I had never seen a 914 in person until I found the 72 that is in my garage right now. I grew up in a small town in Kansas. What can I say? Love that car more than the Lemans I was looking for!

I got screwed by Brad.....

Love at first sight literally. I was 4 years old and we were driving in our town in Miami Florida. I saw two of my lifelong loves at the same intersection. A white 914 and people playing soccer in the background. It has been my favorite car ever since and I bought my first one, oddly enough during my first pro season in soccer(they do not pay Americans much!). I drove it back and forth to practice for 2 solid years 4000 miles per month at least.

I have always wanted an aircooled 911, but started life with a 1979 mg midget. I progressed through a couple of mgs, then 2 years ago I got a 73 vw thing, loved the simplicity of the aircooled. Then january of this year I got a 73 superbeetle love it, then in february I came across the 73 914 (see a trend here) Not only being a bigger VW but a Porsche to boot



79 MG Midget Original owner
73 MGBGT
73 VW Thing Under construction
73 VW Super Beetle beater car
79 914 2.0 work in progress

I was a young Private in the Air Force back in 1973 with enough money for a milkshake and a movie, but had a 69 VW Fastback. I went to the VW dealership in Barrie Ontario to get a part and they had a 914 on the showroom floor, wanted one ever since, got my first one a few years ago that was just too far gone to restore and got my 73 2.0 last year from a fellow Air Force guy who had got it from California, so no rusties! I am a bit nostalgic about my 73 as that was the year I wanted, and it just kinda fell in my lap so I consider myself very lucky as they are getting kinda rare.

Ian Stott
Moncton
Canada

I had an old 1955 vw bug, fell in love with the engine ........... I always loved 'race cars' and watching racing of all sorts ........... so to put it quickly ........ I thought the flat four was an awesome engine ....... and all 'race cars' had their engines in 'mid-position' ......... so the only car that had that combo, in my price range, was the 914 ........ the great looks was just icing on the cake !!!!!

914's are rarer over here in the UK than they are on your side of the pond. I have never passed another 914 driving mine!

I got into them by falling in love when I was 18 or so - It was the first time I saw one, sitting in a car park, rusting away in yellow. Hadn't moved for years. I thought it was the best looking car ever..

As I investigated them further, so many things just made perfect sense. Mid engined, low, two trunks, capacious inside - I just had to have one.

So I joined a couple of boards in the UK and kept an eye on what was for sale, when the car I bought did surprisingly come up for sale, I jumped on a plane, flew to the other end of the country parted with a small envelope full of cash and drove it 800 miles home

That was the best drive of my life so far...and I still smile everytime I open the garage door

Since then I found you guys here, and I'm glad to see the disease is normal

One day, when I was 19, my best friend showed up with this strange bright yellow car with two trunks, a targa top and an obnoxious glass pack exhaust. It was love at first sight.

Within a few months I had my first 914 (1971) which I wrecked and had rebuilt. Sold that and the next year my dad got a '73 for us to 'share' which my mom didn't care for - so it got sold.

The year after that a childhood friend drove a teener from Philly to California to visit and I ended up buying it from him. That was this '74.



Sold that in '82 and didn't own another one until last year. The romance continues.

My Dad had a 1973 1.7 914-4. Silver with appearance package. He had it in the garage in the 70's and I used to play in it as a kid. Loved them ever since. That is the reason I ended up with a silver 914-4 of my own. It is a 72. I still remember the day he brought it home...

Back in 1976 I dated a girl who had received a used 914 from her parents as a graduation present from high school. She really didn't like driving it, so I got to. It was love at first drive (the car, not the girl!) She went off to med school and there went the car. I bought a tired 356C two years later and the rest was a downhill slippery slope.

When I was 5,our Doctor had a Bumblebee.I loved it!He actually let me steer the car around the parking lot at the clinic while my mom ran the foot controls.(I sat on her lap)First car I ever "drove"I will always remember that.

A year ago, I told my wife,"I want a car I think. For fun."Started looking around,saw a 914 in a driveway, and was reminded...That was it for me.

I learned to drive on a 914. I owned a bug when I was 13, the funds came from my paper route, which I cleaned up and flipped. My dad would drive me around in it but I never got to drive it. Back then I wanted to put a V8 in everything. I would draw pictures of my bug with a 350 hanging out the back. Then I bought a bus to fix up. It was a 1978 so it had a type IV. People started telling me it had a “Porsche engine” in it and I was like "what, really"? Then it was like... I should put a bus' "Porsche engine" in a bug. Around the same time I was looking at a Fiat X/19 for sale and I kept getting it confused with 914's that I saw. I'd be like "is that one?"
"No that's a Porsche, the one that has the same engine as your bus"!
Then it happened... I told my dad that I wanted a Porsche engine to put in a bug. I told him that I'm going to go to a wrecking yard and buy a 914 engine and put it in a bug....then he said, "Why don't you buy a Porsche. It's as light as a VW and it's designed for that engine. BAM! I was in a frenzy... Can I afford a Porsche? Where would I get one? How much harder are they to work on then bugs?
I started buying books like "Excellence was Expected" and magazines like "Excellence" and "VW/Porsche". I started combing through the want ads for 914's. I had a paper route so every morning I would finger down the classified past the trucks for sale to the autos for sale, then down past Pontiac to Porsche. There would always be at least a couple of Porsches and every once in a while a 914. I decided I wanted a 2.0 and at the time I liked the 75-76 bumpers because they looked modern.
One day a forest green metallic '75 came up. 2 liter, no rust, good paint it just couldn’t pass smog. So I got it for $2600. The day we picked it up my dad took me out to a private road in the country and taught me to drive a stick. It was bliss for me. I have been hooked ever since. I still feel the same way whenever I drive one!

I was going to buy a classic Beetle with the intention to convert it to an electric car. Done ton of research on the subject, thought it would be cool to do as an engineering feat.

My dad showed me the 914 and suggested to buy one of these instead - you can still do an electric conversion on them.

And here I am, 2 years later, building a sports car with a /6 instead of an electric motor because it's too damn fun to drive.

Towards the beginning of high school, my father decided to get back into old VWs. He had one during high school and liked to tinker with them. He also wanted me to get a broader understanding of how a car actually functioned before I would find myself in one.

He found a '69 Beetle that was in pretty terrific shape and had a good price. So it began. After driving it around a bit, he talked about resurrecting another one and selling off this '69. He's quite into the process of rebuilding things and since the current one didn't need anything more than upkeep, he was missing out on the full experience.

Next came a '66 Beetle in rough shape he scooped up for $125, then a '62 in similar or worse shape for $25. By this time, I was getting into college, but I did help out a little bit and got to see the ins-and-outs of an aircooled motor, trouble spots for rust, etc.

While old VWs appealed to me, I developed a healthy obsession with the 911 (993 Turbo especially) and encountered a friend's, uncle's oddball green Porsche, a 914. I had seen one in a parking lot some time ago, but didn't know much about them. I got to sit in it and noted the dogleg shift pattern, the spartan look of the car, and the removable targa top.

Throughout college and afterwards, I could never afford a project car of my own, so I put it out of my mind. In the meantime, my father restored a '50s Single-Cab bus pick-up and an old Willy's Jeep. He also fixed up and maintained some more "modern" 80s and 90s cars for the family to use as reliable transportation.

A few years ago, I brought up the idea of finding a 914 in the $2-3 range to fix up. I figured that between all of the Beetles and the Bus, we should be able to tackle something like this. He was game, so we started looking.

I found a '73 1.7l across the state on eBay, purchased it and picked it up. It wasn't running at the time so we had to flatbed it back to his garage. By mid-day the next day, he had the motor idling. It needed a lot of body work and a new paint job, but it was pretty mechanically sound. We took it down to bare metal and had it primed for paint in about 2mos time.

I got a call during a weekday night that the garage it was in, along with all of my father's tools he acquired over the years burned up in a fire that evening. Thankfully everyone was safe and we had garage and car insured. It was a hell of a setback, but my father kept it together and started getting things figured out for the garage rebuild.

After the garage was back up and running, I started looking around for another 914. Since we did a rebuild already, I was looking for a more complete car this time. I found a '70 914 1.7l going for a reasonable price and it looked to be in pretty fantastic shape. I won the auction and had it delivered to my Dad's garage.

I had purchased the car from an original owner who kept the car in the family the whole time. He had also had the car fully restored and repainted the original color about 7 years earlier. He spent about 2x as much restoring the car as I did buying it.

I've driven her a decent amount over the last two summers and don't see me letting the car go any time soon. We're addressing issues that crop up (addressing a leaky seal / OPRVs, post oil galley plug blow) and enjoying it when we can.

We also picked up a rusty '63 Ghia convertible last year that we're close to finishing. Looks to be a fun summer.

914:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/netbanshee/sets/1076179/

Ghia:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/netbanshee/sets/1522079/

Hi guys,

I happened to be at a car action for storm damaged cars, i was buying a Volvo 850R as a toy, when as i was reading the catalog of the cars, i spotted the 914, i went and had a quick look at it just before it went up for auction and bought it.... price was right and it was 99% complete...

So i came home with 2 cars.....lol

Since then (month ago) i have got it running, drove it today and loved it.... so i'll slowly fix it up and use it as a toy on the warmer weekends..

So now i own 13 cars...... Such a sad life....lol

Seems i have a facination for Odd cars.... Austin 1800 Utility, 1977 T-bird, Volvo 242GT, Landrovers, Holden commodore Ute 2010 model.... plus odd chev's and plymouths...

Clarkie
Australia

In 1973 I test drove and attempted to buy a yellow 1970 914 that was brought over from Germany by a G.I. I really loved those cars and driving one just made it worse. I was in college and couldn't afford the 914 so I languished for a few years until my Gremlin was stolen and wrecked. The insurance money was all I needed to buy my first 914 ( which I still own today) A 1973 1.7. I did not know very much about the models of the 914 or else I would have bought a 6 back then. I was too busy with the 1.7 and the ladies who would ride in it.

In 2008 or 2007 I heard that a good friend of mine was disillusioned with his 914-6. He had owned the 6 for decades, and threated it like a newborn baby and I drooled over it, watching it like a hawk for over 20 years, waiting for my chance. Finally it came. Hearing through friends that he was tired of the 6 , I posed the question. He said yes, that it wasn't running as well as it used to that the rear right disk was getting hot, that he just had it worked on and it ran like crap. Spent 7k and all. Unfortunately his biggest mistake was to take it to a friend of his who specialized in GM products for some work on the brakes?!?!? not his usual Porsche mechanic. This shadetree mechanic failed to adjust the rear calpiers properly and so the hand brake bound. I kept my mouth shut. He wanted 14k for the 6, but took 12 and a couple guitars that I had. I fixed the problem quickly, ( after making it look quite serious) and now it is fine, sorry

,

Open drivers door and stand inbetween the open door and the door jamb facing the front of the car. Simultaniously raise your right leg, begin squatting, and using your left leg, slowly move your now unstable body to the right and down. Continue these motions until you are hovering above the drivers seat. At this time gravity and lack of balance will want to take over so you will need to extend your right arm out and down to support your weight on some internal part of the car as gravity plops your pesterior into the seat. At thispoint some owners like to grab the windshiled frame for support, and to lessen their bank accounts by a fairly hefty sum ( approximately 500.00 ) Once firmly butt planted in the seat, raise your left foot and leg and bring them into the cockpit ( stop laughing Dave ) with the rest of your person. Now place your feet on the desired pedals,( typically the right foot on the gas and the left either on the brake or clutch, but this is really a matter of preference and nationality) Now reach out with your left arm and grab the door handle. Pull the door towards the car untill the door latch makes contact with the door stricker making certain to use enough momentum to fully engage the latching mechanism.

CONGRATULATIONS !! You have now gotten into your 914

Audio imprinting

Way back in 1961, when I was 6, my dad (NOT a car guy) bought a 60 beetle. Best car he ever owned.

On longer trips, I made it a practise to scrunch up in the luggage area behind the rear seat.....needed to hear that reassuring sound of an air cooled right behind me.

914 said come home to mama....

1973 - Steve Gaglione gets a 2.0L, and he torments me for 3 years while still in undergrad Seton Hall.

1976 - I get out of Villanova Grad School and succumb to my first in a long line of 73 2.0L's. Oly blue and tan interior. The best exhaust I ever had. 4 pipe SuperSprint.

(I would buy a good working SuperSprint for a lot of dough. I would even buy one that needs rebuilding. Nothing ever sounded like a SuperSprint 2.0L at 3,500 - 5,000 rpm.)

No one ever developed a vaccine for this German disease.

I am in late stage 4. I need at least 2 more before I disintegrate.

No rest for the 914 wicked.

J

I've wanted a 914 since I was six, after seeing one that belonged to a family friend and asking (a lot of) questions. The owner was patient, especially considering my age, and once I had a grasp of what makes them different from the average car (this was during the early '80s); IE: mid-engine, rack and pinion steering, four wheel discs, no power steering, no power brakes, etc., I was sold.

In 2009, the dream was realized, and despite the cost in dollars, I'd do it again without hesitation. Life in-general and a nagging conscience telling me (wrongly) that I couldn't possibly afford one kept me from owning a 914 sooner. Having owned two other classic vehicles (First was a '41 Plymouth, second was a '52 Chevrolet), I'm all too aware of the costs, monetary and otherwise, of owning a classic vehicle, but assumed that a Porsche would eat me alive. Occasionally, I miss my old American cars, but know all the while that I made the right choice in selling those attractive, but lumbering behemoths. It would be a mistake I'd surely regret for the rest of my days if I sold the 914, or failed to replace it if something happened to it (insert superstitious gesture here).

-S

My brother had a new71 Karmann Ghia coupe that had the nose backed into (like many) so into the dealer he went for a repair estimate and came home in a 72 914, it's only options, Silver paint, tinted glass and AM/FM radio....I was hooked (love at first sight/drive) my car at that time was an MGB.

Went on to race a 914 in E Production in the late 70's....bought a new 76 914 as a birthday present and restored a few through the years.

I've owned 911's, 944 Turbo's and Boxster's but I always come back to 914's.

My brother now drives a 2010 Carrera S and I recently found a 75 2.0 California car that had been sitting in a garage covered for 12 yrs....working on getting it up and running, then 914 6 GT look and been thinking of a Boxster/Cayman S drivetrain conversion/update (as opposed to the Sube' conversions of the 914 world)

I wish there had been a thing that said "Pop up headlights are COOOOOOOOOL"

I started off in '86 with a '69 VW bug. Somewhere around that time my bro-in-law had a 73 2.0L that I got to drive it for a weekend end. From that day I totally fell in love with the 914 and someday knew I would own one.

Not to long after that he gave me a '75 "roller" project car and I though now its on, my very own 914 Little did I know that at 17 years old, not only could I not afford to build this car, I was the only guy wrenching on a car when guys my age where hitting on girls...LOL. That project ended sooner than it began (meaning, high school is over, time to enter the "real" world)

Now I'm back thanks again, to my bro-in-law who gifted me a 914 track car project. And thanks to all here on the forum, one day my teener will turn a wheel on the track again

Sorry for the long post

During the summer before my senior year in college, I worked at a bank in Atlanta. Every day during my lunch hour, I would walk down the street to the Porsche dealership and sit in the cars and dream. After graduation, I purchased my 73 1.7 and I still have it.

It wasn't love at first sight. I was putting T4 motors into VW bugs, needed a core so bought a 2.0 914 with rebuilt heads and slight fire damage at an auction. Pulled the engine and sold the car, but that got me thinking and onto 914Club. Bought another nice car with a bad engine as a mechanic's lien (too expensive for the owner to have the engine rebuilt, so he abandoned the car). My son built a hot T4 motor and drove the 914 for a while, then pulled that engine for his autocross Ghia so I could put in a V8 into the teener.

The Ghia with the 2270 914 engine:



Ended up with a Subaru motor instead of a V8, best decision I've made in a while, light, fast and fun.

I was on a little league soccer team in the mid-late 70s, and the Coach had one. The coach was a real douchebag, but I liked the car. He had it all tricked out in typical 70s style. It was a copper color 75 or 76, with a big decal that said "PORSCHE" across the top of the windshield, Negative Porsche side stripes in black, Riverias, and a big Alpine stereo.
Later, in high school, I read the article in Car and Driver (around 1987) where a younger reporter had bought Csaba Csere's 73 2.0 and road tested in and did an article. That got me hooked again. I used to eyeball a little red one in central Bakersfield until the owner sold it. In college, I scored one right after the internet got big, and I started searching for them. Got mine in 1995, then it mostly sat, with a few interruptions, until 2010 when McMark rebuilt the engine and some other stuff to make it drivable.

I was so hard up at the time that I gave myself rupies and went to a bar just to see what'd happen. I woke up in my shop with my pants around my knees and this red car grinning at me. She's been pretty much in control ever since.

What? You asked!