I wouldn't track a $2K 914. I'm not even sure I'd drive it on the street. You will have to sink a lot of money into it to make it competent/reliable, and you'll continue to put money into it.

Miata would be the cheapest and best performer of anything mentioned. Or just use the 944. It's just a car...

No I have not done much autocross at all but I don't want to get really used to how the 944 handles and then have to relearn a car.

I'm not seeing that many cheap Miatas around here. The cheap ones would need as much work as the 914s to be reliable.

Oh and since when are you guys the crowd for talking someone out of buying another car? I didn't ask for a voice of reason. I asked for opinions on some cars. :p

If people were damaging their cars you wouldn't see people doing it.

I'd say about 90% drive to the events, unpack, flog and drive home.
I'm one of the 10% that trailers to all events.

Bring the 944 out and give it a shot!


KT

I find that hard to believe (cost, not availability). Way cheaper to get the Mazda sorted and keep it that way. Odds are a cheap 914 will be a rust bucket. The same money can buy a good driver Miata, at least in CA.

I did. Thing is I could tell I wasn't pushing to the limits for fear of tearing up the car. I know its dumb but this is my first car and I am attached and really try to take care of it. I know if I bought a cheap beater with primer paint and just ragged it out I would push the limit harder and have more fun/less stess. And I know thats about 99.9999% mental.

I already trailer just because I am almost 2 hrs away from the events and my dad likes to go and us and a little bit of gear just about don't fit in the car plus my dad hates riding in that car.

Yep, a $2k Miata you could probably drive from the seller to the a/x.

The 914, at $2k may not run...



KT

Miatas were never really that common around here. The cheap ones have been owned by the fast & furious types.

Veyron.

Driving on the public roads is more dangerous than an a/x...


Hammer it!!!


KT

Sure dave. I have an extra 1.5 million. If I did I would just buy both, prep, compare, and post results.


Now back to the matter at hand. Would I be better off buying a rabbit GTI or a 914. Forget why I don't wanna rag the 944. I do that plenty on public roads.

FastFred knows what he's talking about... you'd probably be happier with the GTI, all things considered.

Thats really what I am leaning towards. Parts are cheaper and my dad is a pretty salty rabbit mechanic.

Oh and in my PCA region FTD is almost always taken by an SVT Cobra that is very well driven and very well prepared.

Time to knock him off that perch then.
I've had a 914 for about 10 years. It started out stock as a stove, but isn't now.
I have slid all the way to the bottom of the slippery slope with it now but the journey was a great one. Thru the progression it was competitive when I started
autocrossing it seriously in 2002......now days TTOD is expected locally ...amongst the doorslammers. Using selected bits, it has only missed a run twice.....both electrical screwups on my part.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1244300828.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1244300926.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1244300984.jpg

The 914 is like an artist's bare canvas. You limited only by your imagination (and pocket book). My only regret is I didn't start Autocrossing when I still had balls & reflexes.

BTW, I know that blue car referred to in this thread. It's a good place to start as it's already half way down that slippery slope.:D

I can't let my friend JP post a pics of his car without me posting a few before/afters of mine. SmileWavy

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1244304086.jpg

I would say a 914 just cause I fancy them, but I think that a Scirroco would also be a hoot....

That 914 (With the Washington plates) above looks like it has some black centered BBS type wheels on it.... anyone know what they are called or where to get a set... anymore pics of them???

We meet a bunch of VW guys from the Salem/Eugene area each year at the Packwood National Tour event and they are very nice, fun guys. They run D/E Mod with their FWD Jettas, Rabbits, & what not. One of em' got us due to rain on day 2 in 2007. It didn't rain in 2008. :p I think we'll run XP (tho I hate to add ballast) this year as the competition is tougher.:D

BTW, I am mistaken, Paul is at the absolute bottom of the slippery slope to the tune of about 400 lbs.SmileWavy

That is an old pic. I sold them years ago and went to Cookies as the Cookies are lighter. All 7 X 15 one piece. I know the fella that still has them. I'll ask him if he wants to sell em'. I stripped, polished, & painted them.
The are BBS.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1244306182.jpg

I would add.
Cheep 914s are rust buckets. A sound (notice I didn't say rust free) 914 these days is not cheap...5k & up. You need a close look from someone "in the know".
The difference between a 911 & a 914 is the entry cost.....from there, they are the same costs.

A Miata is the way to go for AX....if you want to join the herd.

I'm back to working on my 914 now.

If I were trying to seriously autocross with a small budget, I'd vote for the Rabbit. If I had more time to fix and collect go fast stuff and more funds to get these parts, I don't think I'd choose anything but the 914. There's a lot you can do to both cars but with the Porsche, you are looking at Porsche money for parts and labor if you can't do the work yourself.

Both cars are likely to be rusty so plan of having to repair some items. Both are likely to need their suspensions tuned up to bring them back to spec or better. Both may need some money thrown at them to bring their motors back too.

My question back, is what are your plans. Do you want to keep building a car to be better and faster over the years and take your time or just have fun now and stay on the cheap?

At the moment I am looking to have fun on the cheap. I can do all the work myself and have access to all the tools required, So that is not a problem. Sourcing a car may be the problem. I guess I will just keep my eyes peeled and go for the first one that pops up.

Thanks for the follow-up JP, I was thinking those were four lug wheels... sorry my bad... Anyone know of a four lug wheel like that, that will fit a teener??

Any A1 VW will be a blast. But it seems like 1k worth suspension parts and general freshening up is necessary.

Power wise, 1k will get 125 hp+. (2.0 block, cam, exhaust). 1k gets your heads rebuilt on a 914 if you are lucky.

A CRX si would be even better...or 88-91 Civic SI. Not that I'm a jap car guy but my dad once bought an 86 CRX si with 196k on it on a whim on his way home from work one day and that thing was a revelation. Even my 91 GTI with full Shine Racing (the guys that build the engine for Grassroots Motorsports project 914 2.0 a few years back) suspension had a tough time hanging in the twisties with that tired old CRX (caveat: CRX had konis and sticky rubber but was otherwise stock).

Fixed it for you Trek :D

You can get a lot of bang for your buck with the A1 chassis:
Cheap sleeve type coilovers, revalved Bilsteins, make your own rear sway bar, use crash bolts for more camber in the front, early BMW 4x100 wheels for more favorable offset and slightly wider track. Add lightness.

Don't worry about the engine unless you have a reason to, but junk the stock exhaust manifold and get a header. There is a lot of parts interchange between VW engines, depending on what is allowed, you can build yourself a nice parts bin engine fairly easily and get quite a bit more power.

Before you do anything though, read the rules and see what is allowed. If you want specifics on anything, let me know, I can help you set a rabbit up for road racing, autocross shouldn't be that much different.

Tom

Well the local PCA region rules seem to be pretty lax. IE. If they think it looks safe you get to run. No classes per say.

How would this do?
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Sidney-

you sure you missed out on Jens's mk1 GTI? I think he still has it for sale. I can't buy it due to some last minute business that I have to fly out to california for....

I talked to my friend in the VW crowd again today (we went driving) and he said again how that car is a steal and should be pretty solid.

If you spend $2K on a 914, you will be no where near what that GTI at $750 +$1250 worth of work would be at....


If I had the chance to buy a $2K GTI or a $2K 914 both in the same condition however.. I would go with the 914 just because I would love to keep it 'in the family'....

I've seen a lot of guys use blue painter's tape on the edges of the wheel wells. I haven't tried this but I suspect this would be an area prone to rock damage since it's closest to the tires. Maybe try that.

My son has an MK1 Jetta with an 8V swap from an MKII in it. That thing is a blast.

Ya schumi I missed it. By the time I finally got ahold of him he said that somebody had told h to hold it for them.

Hey if you hear it's still for sale tell the dude I will send him the money to hold it

http://oklahomacity.craigslist.org/cto/1215283646.html

Wish that was a 2door

Except for the gay factor, a Miata is a cheap way to go.....or a Boxster....

Question: what's the red light on the dash & your wipers are on.....

The problem for me is that VW GTI/Golf are about as attractive as the Scion Box.

I still do not understand why the O/P would not want to learn the limits of his 944, become a better driver in it, and get in sync with it. A 944 makes a great AX car and to be honest, it is kind of what it was built for.

That said, if you get a Mazda Miata I am guaranteeing you that it will be cheaper to sort out than a Porsche 914. One long word..... Mazdaspeed.

You can join up as a racer (Even AX counts) and you get up to and sometimes over 50% off parts for your car. This is the main reason I still AX my RX7, so I can still get the cheap parts for it. I even order oil filters and spark plugs for it at a deep discount, when ever I am ordering another part since I am paying for shipping anyway.

Be warned, once you get into a Mazda and see all the support Mazda throws your way, even as the economy is tanking, its hard to be a loyal Porsche owner. This is one of the reasons why my RX7 is still in my garage and my Porsche is not, when one toy had to go it was not a tough decision. Mazda helps me out Porsche gives me a 1-800 number to call for free advice.

I am all for learning the limits but due to the track layout a push beyond the limits could end in spin in some serious trees. I'm just not into crumpling it up. I want something that I could literally roll and not care about. Not saying I ever would but you get the point. Basically I am looking for a car to strip and track rat with. Maybe even run it at Halet.


Jim- Could you give me the dl on the Mazda discounts? My dad is seriously persuing some Miatas.