bloodraven

Yup, I love my 951, and wanted something to split driving duties with. I was going for a boxster, but just a tad bit out of my range still (didn't want payments basically). I then looked at 944 N/A's, but wanted a completely different beast than what I have. And while the power of the N/A is MUCH less than my 951, I just wanted something unfamiliar. I then found a great condition 928 for under 9k. It is an 86 model, S, and in great condition. But, gas mileage was a big factor. Then, yesterday, i ran across a 914 for sale.

"Hmmm," I thought, "I didn't even think of those!"

I stop and look at it, guy was wanting it for a steal (3000). I talked him down to 2500 and took it for a test drive and to get a PPI. Car came back perfect, not a spot of rust. It has a rebuilt euro 2.0 engine, aftermarket exhaust (can't remember name...Borla maybe?) and dual weber carbs and the whole thign has 20k miles on it. Body is in great shape but the paint is not the best. It was stripped down and repainted two weeks ago, but the guy didn't do too great. Its fixable though. It also has 911 brakes (not sure which ones) and drives like a dream.

I know its not the best choice for a daily driver, but its fun and hopefully will be as good to me as my 951 has been!

I love porsche

so you bought it?

no offence..but i doubt it really has 20k miles...maybe 20k miles on a rebuild.....

a 20k mile 914 is going to go for 10k plus....

but the car sounds nice...post some pictures

jwlester

So did you buy it? Just curious. I am thinking about doing the same thing. My daily driver is a Grand Cherokee V8 and it is sucking me dry. Let us know what your impressions are.

bloodraven

I haven't bought it yet, and yes, the 20k is on the rebuilt engine...

bloodraven

Oh, and I know a lot of guys would look down on me for this, but how hard is it to find the slantnose kit like is on the convertables but without the full convertable? It just makes teh car look SO much better...

FRporscheman

Hate to revive an old thread, but I was wondering about using a 914 as a daily driver. What are the pros and cons? I have a 944 and a 968, and I'm experienced at turning my own wrenches. What kind of car could I get for about $3000? I'm looking for the coolest car I can get that gets more than 25mpg. I'd love to get a nice Karmann Ghia, but they are so expensive!

DJM914/6

I think that a $3000 914 will likely have it's share of rust and other issues. I suppose it's possible to find a steel, but unlikely. A friend of mine bought his '73 1.7L car for $5000 from a guy in LA. It's a good driver but not perfect. My $5000 find was also a good driver but needed (and still does) a lot of work.

That said, you're in the right part of the world to find a nice 914 for little money. Check the classifieds here and on 914club.com. Also give a shout to camp914.com to see what he can find.

My 914 has let me down once in the 5 year's I've owned it. I sold my '95 GTI because it wasn't as reliable as my '70 914-6. My friends car brought us 3100 miles non stop from LA to Boston in two days and that was a car bought sight unseen with no PPI. It's still driven daily.

FRporscheman

I don't expect a 914 to be similar to my 968 in any way! Except, of course, the hood crest. I'm not looking for a car that eats twisties for breakfast, or a car that can give whiplash in drag races, or a car that will win beauty contests. I just want a p-car that is more practical as a daily beater than my 968. I used to drive my 85 944 every day, and that car was nearly perfect as a daily driver. It was very comfortable, handled well, got decent mileage, and was a p-car to boot. The only reason I'm looking at 914s now is that I am selling the 944 (too similar to the 968), and among the other p-options, like a 928, 911, or 356, it seems the 914 sports a very small engine, simple design, and relatively low price.

I don't think I want another FR 4-banger, since I have the ultimate one already, though 924s seem interesting. I know from my dad's experience that a 928 daily driver is a money pit. I won't even talk about 911s until I've got my doctorate degree in-hand and I'm making 6 figures. I've got about $3000 to play with, and if I keep racking up mileage on the 968 that $3000 is going to disappear quickly, either by repair bills or fuel prices. I hear the 914 is simple, reliable, economical, and quite sporty to top it off, with the one huge drawback of being extremely rust-prone.

I definitely haven't made my mind up yet, I'm just trying to fugure out what daily 914 life is like. I do expect it to be slightly uncomfortable, frustrating among faster and taller traffic, and kind of obsolete, but that's what I like. I can have a leather-adorned ride-on-a-cloud on sunday with my 968.

BTW it looks like I'll be going to LA for grad school in August... that's the main reason I want a more practical commuter.

ttwitc9516

Before I knew anything at all about Porsches in 1985 I bought a 924 as a daily driver but I needed some parts for it so I also bought a 914 to swap parts off of. Being an old school Ford man, where everthing fits everything else, this should work. However, being a new Porsche guy, I quickly forund out that nothing interchanges. The 914 had a blown motor and a slightly bent right front fender. Went to Chicago and got a used motor and bolted it in and began driving it daily also. Well, 20 years have come and gone and I still own that tired little 914, but the 924 and some additional 944's, and a 928 have all departed. The 914 is an excellent daily driver, especially if you live in warmer climates. The heaters suck. Barring some major disaster, I'll always own my 914. FRporscheman, if your not looking for a car that will eat the twisties for breakfast don't buy a 914. Porsche was about 30mm of tire from having one of the best handling Porsches ever. If you buy a 914 with working EFI, don't touch it. Carbs may marginally help power, but will wreck economy.