tim martin

hello 914 people-

I have been lurking here and on other 914 forums on and off for a couple of years….I have always liked the simple mid engine platform and have thought about purchasing a 914…..I am fortunate to own a 2010 cayman s (with r suspension, aggressive alignment, blah blah) and think it is fantastic. But I yearn for a conv./targa car……have had 911s and will no go that route. So I keep thinking of a 914…..have read about its "eccentricities"…..and it seems that once you get one you get bit by the bug….So I have a few questions if I may:

1) I am not mechanically inclined and I would need to find a trustworthy wrench…..any recommendations in southern california? Is this even advisable for a car over 40 yrs. old?

2) Will i be disappointed with the performance? I will keep my cayman and I realize the big differences but the purity of the 914 really intrigues me….

3) it seems a lot of 914s have been converted to 6 cylinders……that is a whole other layer but interesting…..


So, any input from the owners would be appreciated……thanks for reading….

Tim

ehokana

Tim,
I went from a 914 (my first car) to a Boxster S and C4S. There was a huge difference between the the cars, but the 914 is still the most fun car I have owned. They corner like go-carts (probably because they are glorified go-carts) and better than most modern cars. The straight line speed is not great by any measure, but you'll have no trouble matching freeway traffic.

Overall, I think you are very correct in your description of the purity of the 914; there are no creature comforts and nothing to distract you from driving- not to mention, no computers interfering with you as the driver. That was a huge factor in my going back to a 914

A lot of guys love the 6 conversions. That'll be a personal choice- myself, I'd take a factory 2.0 over a conversion, but I have seen some done very cleanly. I'm sure you already know about the factory 6 prices.

Hope that gives you a bit of direction. Let me know if you end up getting one- I'm in Rancho Cucamonga so we'll have to meet up for a fun run

-Eric

skl

You are dealing with a 40 year old car, so if you can't do any of the work yourself you do want someone you can trust, and someone who knows these cars. But realistically, anyone good with VW's will feel pretty comfortable. Of course, a real six or a good conversion is great and listening to that sound right behind your ears is addicting (don't ask why I sold my REAL '71 914-6, one of only 240).
Going fast in one of these cars is not the point. Just enjoying the drive is the point! My previous Lotus Elise is the closest thing on the road today.
Don't be confused about them being a "cheap" Porsche. A good one today is not cheap, nor will it be to keep running, but the price is worth it!!