OK - I look at pictures of these freshly painted 914's (prior to trim and such), and engine swaps, and customizations, and I can only think to myself: Oh golly, I am still building and playing with scale car models !!
I mean really, when I was growing up I wasn't allowed go-carts, but I had a HUGE hot-wheels collection, and electric car race track, but I spent a lot of free hours (too many) building scale models. (What do you mean glue causes brain damage ), With models, it was even to the point where I would chop and channel and put in electric lights (with an AC/Adapter) and do custom interiors, and swap engines (where they weren't always susposed to go) and everything !

So, without any great meaning from this poll, I am just curious - do you think the 914 specifically might be a result of this ? Or more specifically, do you feel sometimes looking at the 914, above all other cars, you are working on scale models again ?

Lots of Hotwheels. When my daughter came around, got her, then my son. I think he has more hotwheels than I did, as well as an almost complete colleciton of Speed Racer cars and a couple 1/32 scale mach 5s (one for the garage and one for his room). My favorite is my 1/64th scale 916.

I've always looked at my car builds as nothing more than a giant model.

You may have a point, Hot wheels, go-carts and models were a big part of my

childhood. My 914 is as close to the handling of my cart as I have been able to find

I just haven't yet built my first cart. Hot Wheels yes, Models yes (but most were destroyed as I was a destructive child). The kids are 7mo and almost 3 years. Just a bit young for the carts I want to build.

Until then, I still haven't had a cart, but then again I haven't yet grown up either. (Which is why I still play with my 914s).

I started off with Matchbox cars. Very cool cars built in England. The were $.50 each I think. I still have a bunch. Than Hot Wheels came out and I had miles of track. I had a "Powerhouse" that had two spinning wheels that shot them around the track. Than they came out with some that had motors in them that you charged the battery up with the "Juice Machine".

HO scale slot cars were next. Tyco and Aroura AF/X. Mine had silicon rear tires. Stuck to the track like glue. Bought all my supplies from Auto World via mail order.

All the while I was building model cars. 1/25 scale. I build the combo below in high school.

I never owned a go cart but I had friends with them and we would go to tracks around town. I remember that even tho I was a pretty big kid and weighed more than the others I always beat them on the track. The trick was to never lift and NEVER use your brakes.

All of the above and not using the brake thing, ya thats me. I loved to skip around bumpy corners when it broke traction. The 914 is first and then the boat as far as models go these days. I've been designing boats for the past 5 years and want a 40'+ tripple decked powered catamaran. I've designed and made many remote controled airplanes but I need to get away from the real thing or its gonna do me in:D

Had a 'soap box' derby wannabe that we'd take down our street. Brakes were not even close to being adequate for the hill we were going down! Lots of exciting moments back then

Also slot cars! Was into that big time. Even had a Porsche 904 & 908!!

I had RC everything( planes, cars, boats etc. ) then dirt bikes, then a 71 olds in high school, then a jet boat now a 914.

I look a the 914 like a rc car, you can mod almost everything on it an I invision it to handle the same.

In the 1970's it was Go Karts, minbikes, models, slot cars, trains, Before I could drive I had already pulled a T4 motor out of a VW Bus to have the engine torn down and rebuilt into a firebreathing monster. When I got my learners permit I was the only kid with a VW bus that pull wheelies!

started collecting Hotwheels in 1967, gave them all to my brother at some point. Got my first go cart in 1970. Still have it in pieces.

What are you guy's talking about , when i was that age,we only had a log to roll around!!!!!!!!!!! Dave

I built models, also had AFX and tyco pro tracks & cars slot & slotless.then moved on to bmx & go carts.
james

Do mini-bikes and dirt bikes (motorcycles) sorta count as go-karts? There was a guy in my neighborhood that had an old Rupp style mini-bike. No suspension and a rear 'scrub' brake w/ a McCulloch kart motor in it. Thing was probably the scariest, un-safest ride on the planet....and an absolute blast!!!!!

I was all over the model kits, slot cars, hotwheels...hell, anything that remotely resembled cars!!! Cox dune buggy, Schwinn Sting Rays, etc. Does anybody remember those center mounted flywheel cars with the rip cords? Freakin' dangerous!

Of course the models I built were never like the box. I still can't leave things well enough alone. My sickness started long before my teen years.

LEGOS!

I was 7 riding a friends go cart in a vacant parking lot. I just put the petal to the metal and never let off. I had it up a 2 wheels a couple times making turns. My dad was freaking out about that but I was grinning ear to ear.

I have always been interested in cars and had every form of auto toys. I did the nitro RC thing for a while but it was too expensive. I'd rather spend money on the real thing.

I started off with normal Legos and then moved on to building and programing Lego Mindstorms for compitition. I also used to play with lots of RC cars (none of the really expensive stuff though) and used to work with my Dad whenever he was fixing anything. I loved to work in wood and still do.

I had an "Erector Set". Steel pieces and nuts and bolts to build stuff. It even had a electric motor to power the thing you built. I built alot of cranes and picked up stuff.

Anyone else have one?

I had a decent collection of Matchbox and Hot Wheels (one of my favs was a 928), as well as sharing an electric slot-car race track with my younger brother. For that, we had a small 917, 956, and 935 along with a few others. I used to build scale models, mostly military aircraft, but when I got a little older I started to build scale model rockets. I got to the point that the prepackaged kits weren't so interesting and I'd create my own designs. Around the same time, my friends and I got hooked on 1/10 scale r/c cars, so we all made similar ones and would spend hours and hours racing them around the local baseball diamonds. Ah, sweet memories

Once I got into college I didn't have much time for any of this stuff, but now that I'm out and have a career I do see my 914 as an extension of those childhood pursuits.

Yep, I had an "Erector Set". I had forgotten about that. Lots of stamped steel pieces and nuts and bolts. Wonder where that kit went?

I did model cars and airplanes. I had slot cars during the original slot car craze when hobby shops had big 8 lane tracks. Also had an HO scale slot car track and a bunch of HO slot cars.

I think those sorts of hobbies are good practice kids to develope mechanical skills. Of course, I would probably be a lot better off if I had been practicing financial investment skills instead.

By the way, I also collected baseball cards at one time. Years later, I would kid my mother about where that box of cards went? $$$?

Everybody in MY family has 10 left thumbs...the Mailman musta been a closet wrench.