i blame Dan Root [rootwerks] he talked me into it!

actually i remembered them form when i was a kid and thought they were a cool looking car. and very rarely see see one and still thought they looked good.
a guy at work and his son picked up a couple to work on and they got them running and he offered me one that i could have for about 1k, i lost out , he sold it to some one else while i was thinking about it.

so later whem the gass prices started climbing again i thought about getting another vehicle that was easier on the the pump than my truck, what to get ? a honda? a sporty drop top was calling my name for summer fun, a miata? a mg? a fiat nothing was really looking like something i wanted, then i remembered the 914! looked around a little, ran into Dan at his house while he was finishing up one of his six conversions and picked his brain, he sold me on them. i didn't want to buy some pos that i would lose all kinds of money on [riiiiiiiiight!] well that was it, i found one after looking about a month and a half. i bought the car with the least rust i could find with the money i had to spend. i had to fix a lot of little problems [electrical, bearings, interior, all that stuff] now i have a car that runs good hasn't left me stranded [yet!] and is a blast to drive even if it isn't a fast, tire smoking beast. it's just fun to be able to drive it run through the gears and not get in trouble with johnny law 'cause i'm getting on it a little, i do htat just to keep up with traffic!

I always thought Porsche was the ultimate car to own, And I still do. My first Porsche was a 1967 911 Targa. I was suprised at how similiar the Targa was to a VW.
My Family had owned Aircooled VW's all my life and at 18 my first teardown and build up was Shortening a VW pan for a Meyers manx Dunebuggy Project. My Dune buggy would eventually end up with a 2110cc, 10:1 Compression, Wild cam, 48IDA's and Porsche alloys, I was trying to make my buggy look like a Porsche because I could not afford the real thing. It amazed me at how fast and nimble my Buggy was, But eventually it sold for my Targa Upgrade. I was dissapointed With my 911, Parts were expensive & unavailable and I was Suprised that My Dune buggy was far more powerful and nimble. Here's where my current Porsche enters the picture, Very nimble, Inexpensive and reminds me of my old Manx. Stroked motor is in the near future hopefully with the roar of 48 IDA's for nostalgia sake, But with hope's of someday stuffing in a 3 liter 6.

'82 or '83: I'm 13 or 14, riding in the car with my mom. I saw my first 914 and said to her "That's the coolest car I've ever seen." She said "That's the ungliest car Porsche ever made." I thought "done deal."

I got my first one in '87 when I was a Senior in HS. Unfortunately, there are no pictures.

Got on a 6 month wait list (w/money down) for a red '71 240Z. When "my" car came in, it was orange (Datsun made an ugly orange). Told 'em I ordered red - told me take or leave it! Gratefully, I left it.

Wife really wanted a TR6 - I liked 'em too. Went to the local TR dealer to see, but found a '72 non-app grp 914 w/2000 miles on it on the used lot. Didn't even drive the TR6, but did the 914 & loved it.

Went to the P/A dealer, because the used '72 was only $500 less than new. They had a really nice used TR6 that they gave me for an afternoon. Loved the way it drove, but the trans tunnel had no insulation & you could have roasted meat (ie, your feet) on it. It's now June 1972. Ordered a bahia red app grp 914 - got it in early August. Been in love with it every since. Still have it & will never part with it.

VWs.

several VWs.

then a BMW so the next VW had to be special....

Saw one sitting in someone's yard close to 20 years ago. I thought to myself I had to have one. Eventually the car disappeared. Then a couple years ago I saw my uncle had one. Went for a visit a couple weeks ago and he gave it to me.....

It's in worse shape than some of the ones I have seen being restored on here but I am going to give it a try anyway... Will be lots of and probably a little along the way but that's the fun. Good thing I work in a metal fab shop as a weldor.

Would post pics but my camera died..... New here BTW. LOVE the resto/build threads. Some excellent work everyone......

Shane

Edit: It's a 74 2.0 btw, and the exact same color as the first one I saw, although it was originally blue....

Learned to drive in this car, drove it for a long time, long story, link in signature to thread to the tale. 914 is the ultimate VW, or an entry level Porsche. Has the motor in the correct place, light, low, what is not to like

Click to view attachment

In the early 70s, when I was around 8 years old, a neighbor had one. This was a time when American iron ruled the earth, and this little sports car looked like a spaceship to me! Totally different than the Fords, Chevys and Chrylsers the made up 99% of the neighborhood.

I never forgot it! It was yellow/black.

As a kid, I always loved cars, and that 914 put me on the road to German cars.

I drove a '68 Squareback for 15 years. It finally died and I was stuck driving a japanese car for several years. I really missed the noise and smell of the air cooled car. Told my wife I wanted another VW, and she about choked (guess she thought I had outgrown that). She didn't object to something with "Porsche" on it, so I started looking into a 912. Took one ride in a 914 and I was hooked.

I had a choice. It was 1973 and I'd just recently returned from 'Nam and was ready for a fun car. I eliminated the 240Z because they were too common. That left the Fiat 124, Volvo 1800ES and Porsche 914 in my price range. I almost went with the Volvo but I really wanted a convertible so I bought a Sunflower Yellow 1.7 with chromies. Gawd I loved that car. I named it Kelty because it was like a motorized backpack with storage nooks and crannies everywhere.....not just the two trunks but behind the seats, the center console and the spare center. The Kelty Pack Co. even sent me a label i could sew into the backpad (never went that far).

Sold that car after I moved from SoCal to Seattle but never stopped wanting another 914 and got a 2.0L last January. 33 years later they are just as much fun as when new. Can't say that about many cars.

Many years ago I knew a guy who waited 6+months for a silver-gray 240Z. He had it for abour 1-1/2 hours and rolled it..

My 914 story: 1973, looking to replace my tired 1969 triumph GT-6. A friend told me to go look at the 914's. Went to the closest (25+ miles of urban/suburban streets) dealer and took a test drive. Loved the car, but the distance to the dealer and the price wouldn't let me do it. Fast forward 20+ years, looking to replace my 50 Studebaker Champion with a slightly more sporty toy car. Found a slightly worked 74 2.0 just a few miles from home. Bought the car, paid more than I should, found problems, still trying to bring it up to the level I would like it to be. whenever I can.
Harvey

I've always been a car nut ever since I was like 5 years old, therefore around 1972.

Was always curious about 914s, always thought they looked cool and fast (even standing still).
A Porsche, small, targa, and affordable, what more could you want?
My dad was always critical of the air cooled VW engine, high potential for rust, but still in the back of my mind, 914s always remained present.

In 1973, I fell in love with Corvettes after seeing a green 1968 big block at a local used car dealer. That passion is still with me today.

In 1995, at 28 and just out of school, I finally made my dream come true and I bought the best Corvette I could afford, a 1988 Convertible with 4+3 transmission, red on red with white top.
A real gem that still lives in my garage to this day.

Many years past, worked hard, bought a house with a double garage, many girlfriends came and went, and I found myself looking for a project.

I looked for an old Corvette, but they were rather expensive.
Then I came upon a 914 project in a local small adds web site.
I printed the add and let it sit for a few weeks before I decided to give the guy a call.
I checked it out with a friend of mine who knows a lot about old VWs.
It seemed like a good idea at the time, some rust, but still mostly solid or so I thought. It was a 1973, 1.7L car and it came with two engines (1.7L), two transmissions, several bumpers (fiberglass and metal) and other extras.
At $2000, it seemed like a good deal, so I bought it on the spot.

I was finally realizing my dream of having both a Corvette and a Porsche in my garage.

Well that was back in late 2002, since then I met the woman of my life, got married, sold both our houses and built a new one by myself, got a son, and got a heart transplant (at age 38!?).

So as I write this, 4 years later my little 914 is still in deconstruction stage in my garage sitting pretty beside my old faithful Corvette.

My problem is time, but rest assured I will certainly finish it one day.
You guys at 914World.com have me really hooked, more like obsessed.

Long live the 914!

I could have answered ALL Of The Above. I've owned 12 Porsches (8 914s & 6s, a bunch of VWs (waterpumpers, mostly) and I love the looks of the 914. I just bought a copy of Porsche Past & Present by Denis Jenkinson. I always respected him til I got this book. "Porsche have not many mistakes during their 34 years as automobile manufactors, but one that seem to miss the boat was the 914" & " The 914 from some angles reminded me of a frog ready to leap, rather than a high-performance car about to drive off" What an A@#HOLE. I'm burning the book.
T.C.

How did you get into 914s?........from the top of course

Warning - Noob Delurking

In 1988 I was 18 years old and I was driving a 69 Mustang. Got rear ended and the car was totaled. My dad and our neighbor used to race a Formula Vee SCCA car and my dad also had a VW Ghia so I started focusing on air cooled cars. I learned about 914's by chance while looking at VW's and old 911's. I purchased a '70 1.7 for too much $$$ from a shady dealer and drove it halfway home. Halfway because there was no alternator (surprise!) in the car and I ran the battery down.

Replaced the alternator, drove the car another 4 months and after getting stranded a few times, decided to rebuild the motor with my dad and put a 96mm big bore kit and a pair of webers on it. Drove it reliably for another year and a half and then blew an aluminum plug out of the motor case and out went the oil. I was crushed because I loved that car. Long story short, parked it at my parents house, bought a Toyota truck and went to college to become an enginerd.

Fast forward to 2006. Married, two kids, driving an F150 but never forgot about 914's. Had some heart problems totally out of the blue this year at age 36! Got them fixed but realized life is short and decided to get back into 914's. Found an original owner '74 1.8 car that my dad bought last month. I drove it and I got bit hard (again).

I just bought a '72 with Mahles and chrome bumpers that suffered an engine fire and I'm trying to decide if I want to combine it with my rusty old '70 and start a huge project or just part out both cars and save up a little more cash for a running 914.

Sorry for babbling. I love these cars.

I had never been a "gear head" of any description, but had always been from a mechanical family. Both of my brothers restored at lest 2 old cars and I watched this process as I grew up.

Then I cot to college and one of the teachers there had a yellow 914. It was love at first sight.

I knew it would be a while before I could own one so I started studying them.... Learning about them.. What to look for when buying, what to look for when maintaining, what was good, what was bad... What was stock, what people did to them....

By the time I was able to own one, I knew exactly what I wanted, exactly what I was looking for and exactly what I could and would pay for one..

The rest is history!

Doug

Welcome to the club Steve, another one in the AZ contingent.

I got into 914's when i was working in a car stereo shop back in 1989. The first install we did was on a 914, we built a custom backpad to stuff a bunch of speakers in it. Anyhow the owner of this car ended up working at the stereo shop with me later. A few rides in that car and I was hooked.

1991 and I was driving a newer mustang GT, my parents were giving me a free ride on insurance and told me that I was on my own - a car like the mustang and being 21 with a few bad tickets on my record - I was on the hunt for a different car. So I went and bought a hotrodded 1971 914.

So 4 914s to date with a dry spell in the mid 90s (still have 2, well 1.5)

First car: 1972 Mercury Capri (The SEXY European) Made in Germany
2nd: Parts car for the above (later put in hot Pinto engine bought from a 4WD Willys racer and added 350 Holley w/Walsh Racing kit) too hot, drove it to every Lime Rock event I could for 4 years, wrecked during a suprise summer thunderstorm at night, we all lived to tell the story.

Next: 1966 Volvo 122S. Slow but got me everywhere until I saw the DREAM.
OK. I bought another 122 that was an automatic another parts car. How fast do you have to tow an automatic 122 before you put it in gear? Apparently 35-40 mph I learned. It worked! I drove it from Wales, MA to Enfield, CT that day.
Before the DREAM, I bought a '89 VWScirocco (sp?) Sold it; too bad; never diagnosed issues.

Have you ever seen a 1972 BMW 3.0CSi? Ever see the CSL race? Well I did. That is when the DREAM was born. Must have been 1972. Yes, I was just out of sixth-grade in Garden Grove (OC to some) in 1969 when the 'rents needed to move us 9 kids to CT. The CAR went by me at age 12. (Oh yes, one day I WILL have one of those, I thought)

Yadd-yadda-got one, rebuilt it, drove it for a long time, donated it to charity, bought a 1972 914 from (The Holy Hand-Grenade) of Antioch, CA. Came with a crankcase full of 93 octane.

That was June 1999.

The rest of the story later. Come to Chris Foley's alignment gig on 11/4 (my birthday) and get the "rest of the story'. OK, the new dream is the 914 but the CSi was a rocket.

What! You had that many Corvairs & no Yenko version?

A gradual infatuation: As a poor man, I liked the idea of the poor man's Porsche way back when, AND didn't think it was ugly (and it now looks more 'early 90s than 70s!). About 5 years ago I saw one for sale at a gas station, far from my house. Took the phone no., but no one ever answered. About 2 years later I saw one in the library parking lot three times in a month (a real rust bucket). Then in the summer of '05, looking around on eBay, I started thinking about it. Drove 250 miles to check out a "bargain" that turned out to be a rust-bucket/parts car. A week later, within a mile of my house (destiny!), I came on a very nice '73 2.0--almost a show car. Actually, it is, sort of a show car: It was featured in the "ack to the past car column" in the Fri. auto section of the local DC paper: google Chris Hager, Wash. Times, and Porsche 914 together and you'll see the article. And the paper has an annual fall show for its featured cars to which I take it every Sept., as un-restored (doesn't need much) and non-original (slightly). And now I have one of George Hussey's RARE 9014s--the silver one w/blackpinstriping (anyone know where more of these are?)!

I was always a car guy. (At age three I could tell the tell the difference between the Porsche, Ford GT 40, Ferrari, and Lola Matchbox cars) Even then it was always about racing to me. Drags, stock cars (remember when they were called that?), Bonneville, sports cars, it didn't matter as long as there was a number on the door. When I was about 9 I started paying more attention to road racing, after all it was 1972 and the Can Am was in full swing! I think that was when I started being a Porsche fan as well.

A few years down the road there was a lady at our church that had a Signal Orange '73 2.0 with the negative Porsche stripe and Rivieras that I had seen many times but hadn't paid that much attention to up 'till then (No number on the door... ). One day I sat on the curb next to the thing and started to notice; "Wow that thing is LOW... Kinda cool looking... check out those brakes, they look like the ones on a Can Am car...(Cut me some slack, I was 12...) The engine's in the MIDDLE..." Wow.

When I was in high school I had a Ford Pinto that I gradually built up into a pretty neat canyon racer. but I was by now a full-fledged Porschophile and told anyone who was intersted that if I had my way I'd be driving a 914 with the (then current) 3.0 911SC engine. That was my dream car. Well, ROAD car anyway...

Jump forward yo 1999 and I'm still building and racing Fords, only now they are Merkur XR4Ti turbos. One of my Merkur buddies also had a 1.8 914 in his shop that he was rebuilding/using as a shelf. He knew I was interested in 914s and when one of his buddies had a '73 2.0 for sale I was the first guy he called. I paid $1k for the thing and drove it home. I re-built the engine, added a cheap paint job and a set of tires and drove the wheels off the thing. In 2000 I autocrossed and time trialed it in PCA C/Ss and won my class for the year. I still have it - its now the turbo race car .

There have been a couple of more 914s between then and now, acouple of 2.0, one with five lug and 911 brakes, all a lot of fun. My current road car is a - Ta da!! - '73 914 with a 3.0 911 SC engine!

It was my dream car back then and it is now.

I'll never sell it...

I was riding down the street on a bicycle in 2000 and this lil bitch was sitt'in in the weeds. I should have kept peddling. Now I just open up the garage door from time to time and throw another wad of cash at it to keep it happy.

I'm a sick person I tell ya! I can't frigg'in stop !!!!! Somebody help me !!!!!

Great stories guys!!

Back in 1984, I was looking for a new car to drive my senior year in HS. I was mostly looking at GTOs (that's me standing next to Pops 68 in my avatar) when I saw an ad in our local paper for a 1973 Porsche 914!! Being in love with 911s at the time, I had to go look. Started easy, ran good, and looked different than any other car in our HS parking lot. So, it's between the 73 2.0, a red 68 GTO convertible (d'oh! ), and a real nice 71 GTO hardtop. Well, the 68 didn't have the GTO engine in it, but the sales moron tried to convince me otherwise. Next car please. The 71 was real nice, like I said, but not only does the top come off the 914, it's a PORSCHE!!!!! In retrospect, I shoulda bought the Goat, but I loved the teener nonetheless.

FFWD 21 years later, my Pontiac is pissing me off, gas prices are going thru the roof, and I need a fun, economical car to drive around. So I says to myself; "Oh yeah, that 914 I had in HS was a blast!! And look!!! They're the same price today as they were 20 years ago!!"

And here I am.

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I was detailing cars as a teenager,developing a passion for the car hobby,one day after school i opened the garage door and here is a Porsche! Cool I get to detail this? As I looked above the car there is a sign hanging. Clean it up,it's yours.
Happy belated birthday! Love Dad. What a moment. I was 17 yrs old. Had the car ever since. It was a stock 73' 1.7. Now it's a bit different. Even with all their inherent problems I love it. Cheers,Dion

When I graduated high school in 1981, a lady classmate bought a 74 2.0 and drove it over to my house to show it off. It's handling and quirky styling immediately made a positive impression on me. Fast forward to 1986...I bought the Oct 86 copy of VW/Porsche and it featured a Renegade Hybrids V-8 914 conversion on the cover with an extensive write-up. I fell in love with the idea of a nimble lightweight two seat sports car with V-8 power. Fast forward to 1997...I bought a 74 roller from Andy Leany (former owner of Renegade Hybrids) in Redlands, CA for $500 and built my own V-8 car over the past few years featuring an LS1 and ultimately the LS6 powered 500HP beast that lurks in my garage. I also owned a 1971 2.0 sideshifter before completing the V-8 project. I am in love with the 914...whether it is bone stock, six conversion or GT conversion...and obviously enjoy the V-8 cars alot!

Sports Illustrated used to have a picture of a 914 on the Inside Front Cover.

I used to tear them out of my dad's SI and tape them to the inside of my bedroom door.

Years later when trying to decide what to buy after selling my '69 Firebird, my dad said, "why don't you buy one of 'those'?".

so I did.

I fell in and couldn't get out

My adventures in 914 ownership started in 1985. I had a friend whos parents were really into SCCA road racing, and he talked me into watching an SCCA Autocross. Well, the 1969 Pontiac Firebird that I had was a great 12 second quarter miler, but it didn't turn worth a So I started shopping for a "Sports Car". I was looking for a 240Z, but I stumbled across a 1979 Porsche 924 in the apartments where he lived. I bought it thinking that I would be able to AX it.

On November 17, 1985, I went to an SCCA Autocross at Fair Park in Dallas. My friend was too hung over to go with me. So after registration, I start walking around the pit area, and I see this bright Orange little car. I start looking at it, and it turns out to be a Porsche, one that I had never seen. So I start talking to the owner, who turns out to be a girl!!! She tells me its a 914,and that she has not had it very long. I spend the rest of the AX bugging her, and at before we leave, I ask her out on a date.

Our first date consited of me driving 42 miles to her house. She offers to drive me around because I don't know the area. So I spent the evening riding in the passenger seat of her 914 in winter, and only the driver's side heater box was hooked up. So all I could see was the fogged over right hand side of the windshield. The date went very well, and I started working on her car with her. We fixed the one cylinder that wasn't firing (clogged screen in the injector), we added sway bars (burned myself in a very "sensitive" place), and put low profile BF Goodrich tires on it. She started really being a threat in SCCA AX, so much that we later found out that the guys in her class were cheating to stay in front of her!!!

The first time I drove her car, I was hooked. I had to have one. Then I found out that they came with a 911 six, I really wanted one with a six. It took 20 years, but I finally got what I wanted.


BTW.. the 924 was sold shortly after we married in 1988. It is one of the few cars that I don't miss.....


So, you can blame Betty for my 914 addiction. ( and I am a lucky man....)

I wrote this article for our local PCA newsletter. It is my "auto" biography.

Please excuse the length of the piece.



When I attended the mid-winter party Ken Jeremiah said at the business meeting that it was requested that I write a biography for the Rundschau. My answer back to him was “Why, because I wasn’t there?” He said yes.
Anyway here goes.
Through the years, like many car enthusiasts, I have chronicled my life by remembering the car I owned at the time. I will try not to bore you with non- Porsche related information although there were some very interesting times in our tenement on wheels motor home that mirrored cousin Eddie’s motor home from Christmas Vacation. But I digress.
Back to my beginning. Similar to most club members, I had many homemade motorless go-carts as a young boy. Many were engineered from 2x4s and tricycle wheels and one even had a turntable steering wheel.
At age 16 I purchased my first car. It was a three speed and I had never driven a manual transmission. When I spun the tires on the test drive, the deal was sealed. Within 6 months I wrapped that 64 Ford Fairlane around a telephone pole. I replaced this with a hypo 65 Mustang. You know what they say about falling off the horse.
Several years later Uncle Sam sent me an unsolicited invitation to spend 2 years serving our country in Germany. This was at the end of the Vietnam War Era and luckily I was on my way to Europe, not Southeast Asia. This is also the time in my life when I married Debbie.
We needed a used car to travel around Deutschland and at the local used car lot was a strange looking bath tub shaped 356 convertible for 1700 Deutschmarks, which translated was 700 American dollars. But I wisely chose the 400 dollar German Ford Taunus.
Heinz-sight is not 20/20!!!
Shortly there after a GI buddy took me for a ride in his bright yellow 1970 911S.
The ride was exhilarating and I was thoroughly impressed with the handling and acceleration of the 911. It was also at this time when I realized that I knew who my automotive soul mate was. One evening at the local Hofbrau I saw a new vehicle that I had never seen before. It was a gold 914. I remember it like it was yesterday.
Back in the states from 1975 until 1979 we did the custom van thing. In 1979 I got a bug for an affordable Porsche like I had seen in Germany. The search was on. I found a local one owner 914 that was bright Ravenna green and authentic rust color. I emphasize rust. The studded snow tires should have been a dead give away. Within three years the rust was terminal no matter what tried to do to save it. My only real regret is that I did not know about the Porsche club then. I would have been a member for over 26 years now.
Still feeling the need for speed, I purchased a new “state of the art” 1983 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. ( for Debbie) Ha ha, it was a 5 speed and she did not know how to drive a stick. History repeats itself.
In 1988 I purchased a new “state of the art” Ford Probe GT (lemon) the best and only good part of this car was the Mazda Engine.
My luck changed in 1991 when I won a sales contest. The grand prize was a “state of the art” 1991 Chevy Cavalier. I sold this immediately at a loss and eventually used the money as a down payment for my life long dream car. The search was on again and this time for a used 911. This was pre- internet and before my awareness of the Porsche club. With the help of a friend that has owned 911s, we found a local individual that was selling his 1982 SC.
My friend is a mechanic by trade and I utilized his expert advice and purchased the 911.I feel this car has been loyal to me. For those of those of you that have seen my “arrest me” red (is there any other color?)911, you know what sets it apart. Hey how about those seats, groovy baby? Just like platform shoes, maybe they will come back in style someday. This car still wears the original paint and has 63,000 mile of which I have driven 30,000 of them as the third owner. It is a Euro version with the prescribed mechanical updates. Fast forward to 1998 and our introduction to the internet. What’s this? A Porsche club in our area. This has to be a good thing. And it is. Our first event is the highway cleanup. One month later is a gimmick rally and we come in first place. Life is good.
This is a great bunch of down to earth folks. Everyone makes us feel welcome and we really enjoy the camaraderie. It was suggested that we try a driver’s education event.
Debbie and I had no idea what we were getting into, but we decided to make a mini vacation out of it at Watkins Glen. It was truly an inspiring and educational event. The next year I went to the track at Mid Ohio. Wow!! I was hooked. Up to this point my hobbies included hunting, fishing, boating, and ATVing. That all changed. I drove the 911 at the track a few times, but since it was our “first born”, we decided to shelter it in the garage.
In 2001, during one of my 50 hours a week on EBay, I came across a local 914/6. It originated in California with a rust free body, 3.2 engine and many upgrades. To me it was almost too good to be true. I showed the auction to Debbie and she said “Go for it”
What a woman!
This 914 is no concours vehicle, but it is a very capable track car. The only thing I had to upgrade in addition to tires were the seats and harnessed which I purchased from Apex Performance. I have bonded with this vehicle. I attend 6 DE events a year with my 914/6.
Over the past 8 years, Debbie and I have really enjoyed the club activities and all the great friends that we have met. In the middle of my Porsche shrine of memorabilia sits our Best All Rounder 2001 trophy that we were both humbled to receive. We look forward to many more years of fun activities and friendships.

This is my story and I am sticking to it!

Oh, we can "go long?" Heh heh heh...

I used to have an '88 Honda CRX, and about 1991 I worked with a guy who had a CRX Si. One notable evening I had a hell of a time keeping up while following him to some group event after work, and we got to chatting. He tells me about how the CRX was fun, but he really missed his old Porsche 914. The bit that really stuck with me was how late at night he used to drive Route 2 outside of Boston and not lift for the rotary (or "roundabout," or "circle") out around Concord/Acton... See it here.

A few years later I was living in Manhattan and loaned the CRX to a friend so he wouldn't have to buy a beater to get through the winter. He got rear-ended and that was the end of the CRX. Over the summer I found I *really* wanted to have a car, but didn't need one. So I thought, "Hey, I could get anything, doesn't have to be practical. I could get a Porsche!" Mind you, I don't think I had come across so much as a picture of a 914 by this point.

This was mid-1997. After reading up on 914s on the 'Net a bit I somehow decided that I would need to learn to weld, and that I should start off with something that didn't pre-date Disco. So I wound up dumping a lot of money into an early-'85 944 and got T-boned within three months of getting it on the road -- but that's another story. I didn't give up on the 914, just post-poned it until I had a garage and money. I got the garage, the money took a while...

To this point I had never driven a 914 in my life, but I had gotten a very memorable ride in my first PCA DE instructor's trick 2.2l 914-4 at Watkins Glen. The only thing that blew him away in the curvy bits was the Lowenbrau-liveried 962 that was at the track that day...

Jump to 2005, I'm in Berkeley, California trying to buy a house (Fool!), and getting frustrated. I start looking at 914s again, because I'm in the land of the rust-free car. ™ Lo and behold, I came across a gent in Seattle selling a very pretty '74 914 that appeared to be in great shape. I flew up and bought the car after talking to him and his mechanic on the phone a few times. The car had some issues, but I loved it and have rarely had a better time alone than the drive back from Seattle.

So far I still have that car, and the factory -6 I picked up earlier this year. On the one hand I should sell the -4 and put the money into the -6. On the other hand, the -4 is setup well and so much fun, I don't want to. On the third hand, there's no room for it in the garage and it can't be left to sit out in the rain... Something's got to give, and I don't want it to be body rot on the -4.

Once I took a quick glance on my buddy's 914 and I was hooked. To this date, my height is the one and only hindrance from owning a 914. It sucks.

Got to talking about them with my bro n law. Said he had one, his mother had one his brother had one, his sister had one (but not all at the same time mind you)!and my wife learned how to drive on one.

So then he gets up & goes to the book shelf & draws out this Haynes manual & says, "here, do some light reading." That weekend I read the whole manual & was hooked.

It's been up & down hill from there

....b

My first car was a 63 bug with a burnt valve. Dad was a salesman and used it for his route he put 150K miles on it....fine wines, spirits and high end meat. Rebuilt it and tossed the crank threw the case.....got a Gene Berg 1835 and tossed the second gear thru the case....fixed the tranny and then wrapped the ride around a curb while chasing my asshole neighor thru the twisties.....he was driving a 2.0 914.

Fast forward to 1990, my bro-in-law had a neighbor who's son passed away and his project 1970 was sitting in the drive. 200 bucks later I got a semi running 1.7 with crunches on both sides but with four f\glass flares.

Built "The Rocket" a 3.0/6 and ran it for 8 years. Won the PCA Zone 8 AX championship in 1999. Got bored, sold it (dumb), bought a 911 cab.....missed the car, missed the crazies on the various lists, tried to buy back The Rocket (no go), so I bought an unfinished 3.2/6......

In between I have bought, cut up, sold around 60 bugs, vans, and 914s.....

Currently have a 57 Speedster replica with a 2180, FI and turbo'd, 73 914/6 (3.2), an 83 cab that has been backdated to 73 body style and sports a 3.6 with a No Bad Days chip and Motronic FI.

Yes, I'm sick......

..that's why we LOVE you Mikey!

built a model when i was a kid of a 944 cabriolet... then my dad bought an 83 944 in about 90 from his boss. Learned how to drive a stick on it and always wanted a Porsche.

Then a kid who worked with me at Omaha steaks had his dads 914 on a regular basis at work. I guess the guy was a police cheif or something in Omaha? It was a silver 6 conversion with custom front slant-nose like fenders.

he took me for a ride when i said, "but how do you live without torque?" --- a few quick turns and then we were at about a 100 on the interstate fairly quickly and I was sold.

he ended up getting hit by a lady (not his fault) a few months later and broke his leg and they parted the car out. Anybody know that guy?

then I saw this car on ebay...



but got outbid at the last few seconds and it ended up going to hawaii?

so I bought the 356 replica the next week instead.. owned it for a few years, took it apart.. lost interest and didnt have a car with AC in AZ... so put up ads to sell it so i could go buy something else... now its MikeZ's and he rebuilt it into a turbo'd beast... (hindsight, i never would have traded for his Dakota if i knew my buddy would finally offer to sell me his camaro 5 months later) but Z, the truck is still great. 14.6 is still the best 1/4 time. --- this winter it will hit 13's somehow if i can get the timing down with the methanol injection now.

anyway, before i traded away the 356, i saw my current car on ebay with 1 day left, i made a fairly spontaneous decision and won it in the last seconds of the auction, flew up to seatle, drove it back to phoenix, then put 14k miles on it and the took it apart...

"and thats....... the rest, of the story"

A lot of years ago when I had just returned from Southeast Asia and was out of the Navy, I was looking for a auto project to build. Making a long story short, I ended up with several Alfa Romeos' over the next few years which I did various stages of restoration including complete rebuilds, locating parts, horse-trading, and whatever.

This lead to selling and getting out of the car restoration hobby for about five years. I was working full time in San Francisco and going to night school for my Masters Degree. After five years and transferred back to Sunnyvale area, I was looking for another complete build project.

Then came a 914 with a fire burn, completely stripped, nothing there except for the shell. Two years later it was running a 350 V8, etc. You must remember this is before you have the packaged parts such as today. Renegrade or Ron Simpson made just adaptors and converted water pump kits. Most of the information was located on type written paper, in someone's files, etc. I built it completely except for the painting. Ran it for 300 plus miles, handled like an old Corvette (early 60's). After putting the best suspension, etc. in it while building I was greatly disappointed. It sat for fifteen years.

Got involved with Alfas' and Lotus' again. Time to retire and move. After moving needed another project. The projects I do I think you have to be insane but I really enjoy bringing cars back from the "dead file" to where they are on the road again. I still had some 914 parts leftover from the V8 conversion and after moving (sold key parts just so I would not have to move them).

Guess what!! The parts led me back to 914s'. Since moving I have been collecting parts to build a 914-6GT replica. The building curse and 914 sickness reared it's ugly head. Car and parts are in the garage where the Corvette usually sits (it is in storage) and the "SICKO" project of building a body shell again has started. It is going to be a sixer with Carrera front suspension, 901 trans, modified rear suspension and brakes, flared fenders, etc.

I simply love these little cars. I love the design, handling, engines, history, people involved with them, etc. It is a "SICKNESS, SICKNESS, SICKNESS!!!

WHY DO WE HAVE SO MUCH FUN BEING SICK????

Steve Hurt

I bought this 914 for my daughter when she was about 19. She's 28 now, anyway, she didn't like it cause it only had 2 seats. Well I adopted the car and its been with me ever since. Now shes in love with the car,,,lol.

My Dad bought my 74 2.0 in 1976. I got it about 9 years ago.

All right, I'll bite. How tall/short are you??

I mean, if Wilt can do it......

My relationship with 914s started in 1974 after I had I bought a brandnew 911 coupe in Germany - that car was fast and fun but had no open top. In the spring of 1975; while my 911 was being serviced at the Porsche dealer I saw this 1973 yellow 2.0 914 on the dealers lot. The Porsche salesman made me an offer I couldn't refuse and this is how I got into my first 914 - doesn't everybody need a car for the summer? I really enjoyed the car - it appeared more reliable and almost as fast (top speed and less squirly in the rain) as my 911. I had it for 4 years and than I sold it.

I moved to the US in 1984 and imported a 914/6 in 1985 - drove it for a while and sold it again in 1986. Didn't really like the tailshifter. (duh ) Than I got hooked on english sports cars for a while 1986 - 2002 - had every Triumph and a couple of Jags until I thought I had finally "outgrown" this car habit. That lasted for about 6 month.

I found a white '73 2.0 with a "for sale" sign on the side of the road. $2000 later it was mine...started to through money at it to make it reliable and nice looking, and drove the hell out of it...for 3 years.

Than I traded the car in on a 1992 Carrera 2 Targa which I still have...10 weeks later I bought the same 914 back...since I thought I coundn't live without one and the price was right ($3K less than what I traded it in for)...only to trade the same 914 in on a 1973 911S Targa that I couldn't live without....after a few month I sold that... on the notion of being a little to frivolous...and I tried to buy my good old 914 back. Unfortunately it was gone for good .

I found a '73 1.7 zambesi green 914 that I wanted to convert into a 914/6 with 6 cyl motor, flares and the whole enchilada - than thought the car was too nice to cut up - sold that one - and than 2 years ago found the clean and rustfree chassis of my current 1970 914 with a busted motor - had GD Racing install a 2.2 E spec 6 cyl and have enjoyed it ever since. The car is fast and fun...the irony is shortly thereafter I bouht the 912 racing car chassis that housed the 2.2 and now I have that as well with a 2.7 ltr RS spec motor which I enjoy at track days...sometime I wonder if it is time for some trading again...

I think I need some treatment?

How did I first get into 914s?
Well....
I opened the door and sat down in one and the rest, as they say, is history.

My female cousin had a new blue 1.7 when I was a kid. I loved riding in it. It was so cool, and so basic. No frills, nothing you didn't need, it cornered like it was on rails, the top came off, and hidden headlights!

In high school, I drove a 67 bug for a while and enjoyed its cool factor. It got me to the ski hill, to school and around town.

About 8 months ago, I rode in a 914 with a 2.7 RS spec motor, with E cams with a track prepped suspension. It was a wild ride, with 4 wheel drifts and slides, tons of power and a great 6 cylinder sport muffler bark. After that I was completely hooked.

A few months later, I found a rust free, repainted 71 with a Webber carbed rebuilt 2.0 with Fuchs. It also had the appearance group. When I drove it, the memories of the air cooled bug engine sounds came back, as well as my cousin's car, as well as the wild ride in the 2.7 prepped car. The price was reasonible for a car in such good shape, how could I say no?

I have since added a side shifter and have a complete suspension upgrade sitting in boxes ready to install. I also have a spare 2.4 190 hp mill sitting in the corner of the garage collecting dust. What's a person to do?

started smoking Pot, then just leapfrogged to L.S.D , the only thing left was a
914

Well....my first car was a Triumph Herald convertible, my dad thought it was the TR3 I had mentioned as a graduation present from HS. Drove it into the ground in 3 months, traded for a 58 vw bus, didn't last long. After that a string of British stuff mostly Triumphs and MGs....but I kept thinking of a ride I had in John "OTTO" Williamson's 356 in HS and decided I needed one...bought a 57 coupe and fixed it up...traded it for a 58 speedster...fixed it up....sold it to buy a new VW sedan after I got married because my wife couldn't drive the Pcar. Good decision, huh? After being married several years got fed up with various sedans and trucks and decided to buy a 911s in 1973. Went to Anderson Behl in San Jose and Art Downey the lead salesman let me drive his s, it was great, he also showed me a 1964 cabriolet that I almost bought and then he asked if I'd ever driven a 914, since I was a bigger fan of handling than power he thought it would be a good fit....drove it and couldn't believe the difference in handling. We made the deal on the way back down Stevens Creek blvd. I had that car for almost a whole year until a dipshit in a Ford F250 made a heroic move and killed the car...damn near killed me too...a few inches, oh well. So I took the $ from the insurance and went back to Art, he had an Ivory '74 2.0 with demo miles on it, and with all the stuff that had been stock on the '73. Made me a nice price and I drove that until 1978 when my son was born and I had to get something with more seats...by then it had a 2.7L twin plug Pikes peak engine and some flares, and suspension tweaks. I sold it to the first guy who looked at it and told him to take it easy for the first couple of weeks, til he got used to the car...he crashed it a week later, tore the car in half just behind the targa bar...had a couple in between and now I've got my Brazillia Zambezi Goddess.. whoohoo. now I miss my speedster (in my dotage).

In 1978 my friend bought a 75 914 off the orig. owner. About a month later I'm riding shotgun(where else?) and he lets off in the middle of a tight turn. We ended up across the road, car sitting upright on the passenger side with drivers side wheels in the air before falling down on all fours. No damage except a rolled rocker panel. Ten years ago he took it off the road and it had been sitting in his garage till last year when I talked him into selling it and putting it back on the road. So you could say I have a little history with mine.

I was actually looking for a Karmann Ghia when I spotted the 914 for sale. Now I'm Hooked.

Actually, my wife wanted one so that's when I started the search for a 73' 2.0L, we still have our silver 73' 2.0 that we bought 10 years ago.
How many people can honestly say.......It's all Her Fault!

Since I'm a new member here, this seems like a good place for my first post. I have been working on a '73 2.0 for about three and a half years now, slowly getting it roadworthy after it sat for a while.

This car came into my posession when I told a friend I would work on it a bit. The original owner, who is now in his 80's kept talking about this old Porsche sitting in his driveway that he wanted to get back on the road. Only problem was that he had trouble finding someone trustworthy to work on it in this area. I finally gave in and told him I would work on it for him to get it back on the road. I like fixing stuff, so I was just going to do it for the fun of it. I had no idea how much help this car needed.

The more I disassembled, the more I found wrong. A mechanic that worked on it previously (and incompetently) let it sit out for over a year with a leaking rear window and another one partially rolled down. Needless to day, there were some rusty spots on the floor that needed fixing, the worst being at the pedal cluster and in the tunnel. Very sad, because previously this had been a rust-free California car. So I got those areas patched up and have since done too many things to think about. The interior has been repainted and recarpeted. Seats and deposit box recovered. Gas tank coated inside and repainted. New fuel pump. Front trunk/fuel tank area repainted. And on and on. Next is fresh calipers and bearings and a trip to the body shop.

Thankfully, the overall condition of the body is not that bad.

The best thing about the whole deal is the owner said right away that he'll give me the car when I'm done. He pays for the parts and I do the labor. He just wants to drive it around for a while to show it off to his golf buddies. Pretty cool, huh?

Sorry about the length, but thanks for reading.

By the way, my name, Phoenix914, was chosen because I feel like I'm resurrecting this car from the dead.

Bryan