racer

Well.. some background. After 5 years of driving a track prepped 911 SC, I decided to sell the car. I wasn't "using" it enough to justify my Porsche ownership experience. I thought what I wanted was the "modern" 914, the Boxster. I test drove and eventually purchased a very nice 2000 Boxster with 40K miles for a great price. I enjoy the car quite a bit, especially with the top down. It reminds me of my previously owned 914, only, well, more comfortable, more powerful and safer (given 6000lb suvs out there) But.. well, as evidenced by merely posting here, the honeymoon is fading. Its almost too quiet, too well composed, too capable of a car.

To make matters more interesting, my dad is considering selling his 914-6. Vin #172. Original owner. Then, I hear from a friend who mentions a 914/4 conversion that I was interested in last fall may be coming back on the market. 3.2l motor, 930 brakes, cage etc. Fully track/Club race ready.

I guess a first question is who, if any, among you enjoy BOTH 914 and Boxster ownership?

Why do so many 914 owners refuse to give up their cars and get newer ones? what are the intangibles that make you love these cars?

Would love to hear your thoughts!

Jay Gratton

I love 914's for their go-kart feel. I think owners are holding onto them so much because people don't want to part with good ones! Rust free 914's are getting harder and harder to find. I suggest owning a Boxster and a 914 if you can swing it. As from our previous conversations, I wouldn't mind getting a modern 914 (986) as well. Happy hunting!

Irishdriver

I have both Boxster and 914/6 (three of them) and the experiences are different -

The Boxster is a great handling car and good for everyday use.
The 914/6 is a great fun car but gets a bit trying in everyday use.

Comparing the cars is pointless and Martin must have had a traumatic experience with a poor condition Boxster. Replacing the engine in the 914/6 and the Boxster costs the same sort of money and smaller parts of the 914/6 are much more expensive (carbs wear and cost about 5000$ to repair/replace).

I like the 914 because it was advanced in its time. Like the Cayman Boxster it was always limited artifically by Porsche because it had the potential to be faster than the relative 911. I always liked the underdog.

The 70's were a fun time and the 914 represents the time. maybe I'm living in the past

Jay Gratton

While I agree the cars are very different, I think the main reason people consider them related is because the boxster was the first mid-engine Porsche made since the 914 that was sold to the public in large numbers.
I have driven many Boxsters and 914's over the years and although they are very different, I think they bother bring their own speical qualities to the table. I will say this, a good 914-6 rebuild will cost about as much as a Boxster engine anyway. I had a 914-6 and one of the reasons I sold it was because I didn't want to pay for a rebuild that I knew was coming (I also wanted a new house too).

Matt Romanowski

I don't own a boxster, but I would love having one. I find they are really great cars to have everyday. You can jump in, start it, and go where ever. You don't have to worry about anything on them. Even if it rains - put the top up and keep going (while running the AC assisted defroster of course).

914s are much older - the newest one is 31 years old now. They require more maintence and a special feel for driving. You always worry about someone hitting it, something that is NLA breaking, and all the other issues that go with old cars.

I would never sell mine becuase I really love driving it. I look at it in the garage and realize how much fun I have in it, how much I enjoy working on it, how cool it is - I really love my car. However, if I could afford a Boxster (or 993) I would definatly get one.

Martin - I think the Boxsters falling into the hands of people that won't maintain them becuase of their low prices is no different than many other Porsches. It happened to 356s, 944s, early 911s, 914s, 928s.....It's a cycle that many cars go through. Becuase of the Boxsters age, we are seeing it right now, but I konw someone who traded a 550 in for a 68 911S!!!!!

LA964RS

Martin...who's blue 6 did you picture above? got any more pics?....what color blue is that?...one of the stock colors for 70-71 like Adriatic blue?...looks nice in the pic.

By the way, your 6 is awesome!

Edgy01

That blue looks a lot like Blue Turquoise, formerly a 96-97 Boxster and 993 color (3AS). (I should know!) Maybe Riviera Blue. It's not stock 914. Seems too dark for Olympic Blue.

skl

Still have my 914 as it was my first car some 36 years ago and I just can't part with it- I also have a '73 2.0 which needs a full restoration and will be a project with my two sons. My '71 is extensively modified under the skin but looks pretty stock with everything OEM '6 brakes suspension etc with a highly modded carbed 2.0 liter 4 engine. The closest thing I could find to this in a modern car was the Lotus Elise which I got last spring (see avatar)- may not be a Porsche but it more a true sports car like the original 914.
When I got the 914 most 911 drivers would ignore me, until I smoked them in an autocross...

Jay Gratton

Nothing like beating up on a big bad 911 with a little ol' 914! I always treat the gas pedal like an on-off switch, it is on the floor or not at all! Gotta love these cars.

Ron_H

I have an original 914/6 that is not so original anymore. It sits in my garage all dusty, waiting for me to paint it, and install all the goodies I have for it, like the MFI 2.7 RS engine I can't wait to experience, and the sportomatic transmission I need to install because the surgeon who repaired the torn cartilege in my knee after my 914/6 was hit violently at a light told me to never think about driving a stick shift again because of the clutch. Sometimes I sit in it and remember the wrinkles it put in my face by grinning from ear to ear while driving in the rain on some winding mountain road. The original radio doesn't work properly, but who cares or would ever care once they hear the 6 throats sucking fuel and air and humming away so loudly the radio is useless. Passengers need a megaphone to commuincate with the driver but he is laughing so much he wouldn't pay attention anyway. I remember the camping trips in that machine which swallows up so much gear with room to spare that I could live out of it for a week or two as I travel across country. I remember the time on the way to the Oklahoma Parade, after having driven across about three states in the rain at an average of 100 mph, and feeling a bit weary I stopped to rest at a truck stop somewhere in Texas. It was pouring. I wrapped myself around the gearshift lever and put a piece of plastic over my head to deflect the water that was dripping from the roof/window joint on the driver's side, and went to sleep for a couple of hours and then drove the rest of the way to Oklahoma. A bit cramped but almost tolerable for my 6 foot length. I also remember sleeping in the car in the back roads above Oakland after knocking my oil cooler completely off of the car on a pavement bump in the middle of Nowheres-ville, California. The garage opened the next morning and re-routed the oil lines and I was on my way again.

Bruce Anderson asked me last year at the Portland Parade why I didn't just sell the six and buy a Boxster. Incredible. How could I think of such a sacrifice? No one makes 914/6s anymore. There are only so many left. Sitting in it after owning what I consider to be the ultimate GT, my 928, with its perfect seating position, the 914/6 seams cramped and crude. But the smile comes back the minute I settle into the Koenig racing seat and I remember how much fun it is to drive. As is any Porsche. My first 356. My Speedster. My 911s. They are all fun to drive. The Speedster is the most fun, and the 914/6 adds just a little more to the basic P car feel of the Speedster, with roll up windows and a bit more power. The 928 is outrageous. Don't ever spend any time more than a few minutes behind the wheel of one in clear air and open road. But it is a different animal from the 914/6. The 928 puts a smirk on your face with a slightly restrained grin and an emmense feeling of competence and satisfaction after 10 or so hours at triple digit speeds. But the 914/6 will have you laughing out loud as you drive the tightest roads you can find. Ha! Ha! Ha! What a gas.

Now where can I find a Sportomatic transmission for it??

Jay Gratton

Ron,
What a wonderful post! I really enjoyed your trip down memory lane with your car. I have some found memories of my old '73 2.0 that I will never forget! Breaks my heart that I sold it. But I wanted to buy a house with my wife (the things we do for love). Best wishes - Jay

Ron_H

Jay, I understand perfectly. My six is living on thin ice at present because I might need to raise some cash to save a real estate deal and it is more important in the grand scheme of things than a car. You probably did the proper thing despite the hurt and remorse. But what is the greater purpose?
The car I truly regret selling was my original Speedster, which I sold to Harry Shorman to buy a new 911. What a loss for me. Life has its moments of regret and the ups will outweigh the downs.

Jay Gratton

Well put Ron, well put! I would love to see some pictures of your 6! If you ever consider selling it let me know, I would love to jump back into the 914 game again.

skl

Unfortunately we all have cars we wish we had't sold!! Like my '71 914-6, my '95 993 coupe... the list goes on...sorry to hear about your knee, but I find the Lotus is as close to a 914 as you can get in a new car...

Jay Gratton

There might be juuuuuuuuuuuuuuust a little bit of a difference between a 914 and a Lotus. Of course I wouldn't mind owning a Lotus either.