914 or Boxster

[targa911S]

if you were looking into buying another P car for under $10K

[Tobra]

914, every single time

[fastfredracing]

If you really want to enjoy driving , I say the boxster. I am smitten with our crappy little tiptronic boxster. IT is a real nice driving car, and even my lady loves it, it is doing daily driver duty in an out of downtown.
I'm picking up a 914 as well, but the driving experience is much much different.
Old smelly, quirky volkswagen different, not that that is a bad thing, but I guarantee I will drive the box, and the 914 will end up sitting in the back corner .

[Rick V]

Daily driver or just for a Pcar?
I DD a boxster and I love it, one of the most reliable cars I have ever owned, gets decent milage and the smiles per mile are hard to beat.
They are appliances, basically but they are very worthy cars

[Captain Ahab Jr]

Originally Posted by Tobra

914, every single time

agree 914%

[Craig T]

914 without a doubt. They're going to skyrocket in value.

[Jeff Higgins]

I finally bit the bullet and bought a Boxster a couple of months ago. I would not hesitate to recommend one to anyone considering them. Biggest bang for the buck out there today. The 914, on the other hand, was insanely overpriced and the least bang for the buck available when they were still $3000 cars. Their current prices in no way reflect their value or the driving experience. Not even close.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

a Boxster is a great car.

a 914 is a special car.

[jhynesrockmtn]

I have owned both, currently have a 914 2.0. Very different cars. It really depends on what you are going to use it for. For a frequent driver where you want heat, AC and comfort, Boxster. A car to take to PCA events and shows and a weekend nice weather car, 914. My Boxster was an S and I loved it but it was a tad small for my 6'1" frame. The 914 is much roomier and has more leg room. The newer gen Boxsters I understand have a bit longer wheelbase than the 2001 I had.

[Tervuren]

Weekend fun car, either.

Daily driver, trip taker, etc. Boxster.

[greglepore]

The 914 is a primitive elemental car. Much like a longhood in in its feel, just less power and mid engine. A boxter is a modern sports car.

For what purpose do you seek?

An under 10k 914 at this point you'll want to look at carefully, as they're not cheap to fix right. And they need either a non stock engine or a 2.0.

[targa911S]

well I sold my longhood S car 4 years ago. With prices as they are, another air cooled Porsche is well out of my means as a retired person on a semi fixed income. I have owned 4 914's in my Porsche Past and I do love the essence about them. This by no means will be a daily driver. More of a toy to tinker with. I'm 65 so my days of rolling around on a cold garage floor are over but routine maintenance things I can still do and will enjoy. I love the sounds, smells and quirks of an air cooled motored car. I do see some pretty crazy prices on 914's these days but a nice, workable car is still out there for under $10K. Boxsters are tempting as a DD but the ones i'm seeing for under $10K are high miles and with the modern technology of these cars maintaining a high mile car will be pricey and not DIY. The 996 is temping as well but as we all know from the thread that is as long as War & Peace here, they have the same pit falls as the Boxster. I'm leaning toward a nice, dry and sorted 914. Cosmetics, interior and stuff like that I can handle. I prefer a 2.0 and actually want one that somebody has added weber/dellortos and done some mods. I want a later car for things like side shifter trans and other things. Not in a big hurry, just sticking my toe in the water. I will be selling off a lot of my gun collection to finance the project and that will take some time. I'm thinking I'll be read by this coming spring. Just scratching the brains of my brothers here for some input.

[sammyg2]

I've owned three 914s over the years and have logged somewhere close to 80k miles in one. I have no desire to own another 914.

I'd take a Boxster over a 914 without a second thought.
That is, a boxster with a turbocharger on it of course.


EDIT: just checked craigslist, lots of decent looking boxsters out there for under $6500.

[porsche4life]

For investment reasons I say 914... Now if you want to start going to the track, or driving it daily...

[black_falcon]

I drove my first 914 last summer, a very nice example, and one of my first thoughts was literally "pretty cool but I wouldn't give up my 911/944/986 for it".

Don't get me wrong, I really like them, but they are indeed primitive and archaic to the bone. Great for weekend drives and shows. The Boxster is a hoot, pure Porsche in its sensations and very easy to live with. Drive a few examples of both and you'll know pretty quickly which car is for you.

[targa911S]

this is good...keep talking'. No track. no DD. Now I missed out when SC's were cheap and they are crazy money now as well. Whether Boxsters will go back up in value, I most likely won't live that long. 914's are close to silly money for what they are. But I grew up driving very basic bare bones sports cars so that is appealing to me.

[HardDrive]

I owned a 2002 standard Boxster, and would own one again. Boxsters are simply great sports cars. Surprisingly practical cars as well. The front trunk it pretty big, great for groceries. I would go with a 2.7 over a 2.5.

Only negative I can sight on the 986 was that the roof was pretty thin. Quite loud on the highway. I got one with factory hardtop, and it made it a comfortable 3 season car.

[McLovin]

A 914 was my first car as a teen in the early 80s.

I've had many of them since, from stock 1.7 to 350 hp V8. I daily drove them for years, putting at least 500,000 miles total (mostly in stock 73 and 74 2.0 versions). Worked on them, restored, maintained, etc.

Obviously, I loved the 914!

That being said, here in my late 40s, I can't see ever owning one again.

They can be fun little cars, but the reality is they are nothing like a 911. They are built by VW, with a VW engine and lots of VW parts, built to VW standards of the day.

Which isn't necessarily bad. But is what it is.

If you want a very spartan, bare bones, "vintage" sports car, though, it might fit that need. Because on the upside, it's a very lightweight, mid-engined, 5 speed, 4 wheel disc braked targa - a fairly futuristic and unusual combo in the early 70s.

[Jeff Higgins]

My Boxster S with the 3.2 is is simply the most capable car I have ever owned. Not just as a sports car, but as a genuine GT car. Back before I knew any better, early 911's and 914's filled that role admirably, but now that both myself and those cars have grown older, not so much.

I can honestly say that up until I bought a buddy's '93 Land Cruiser about 4-5 years ago, my current '72 911 was the newest car I had ever owned. My wife drives the new stuff, with her cars seldom reaching five or six years old, but I have always enjoyed the older cars, even as daily drivers. A '70 Beetle was my daily for a couple of decades before the 'Cruiser.

I have always been intimidated by the "modern" electronics packages on anything new enough to be from the "digital" age. Not anymore. The 'Cruiser kind of broke the ice for me. After driving that tank for a few years, though, I was well ready for a modern car that got better milage and was actually fun to drive.

Enter the Boxster. 25 mpg, all day several day touring comfortable, reliable as can be, and fast enough to entertain. No, it won't keep up with my thoroughly track prepped 3.0 liter, twin plugged, MFI inducted track rat, but it is decades ahead of it (literally) as a street car. It's quiet inside, I don't get out smelling like hot oil, and the ride is leagues ahead.

I would say drive a few Boxsters. I would be surprised if you were still considering 914's after you have.

[fastfredracing]

Im close enough by , if you want to take ours for a spin, you are more than welcome to Dave .