914/4 as a Daily Driver, Thoughts?

[Dave Colangelo]

I posted this over on the 914 section but that seems like it gets little to no traffic so I figured I would post it here and see what people have to say. I know many of you guys are very knowledgeable on all Porsche's.

My current daily driver is a minivan, and in short I have had enough of it. I do own an 88 924s and a 78 911SC but for various reasons those can not be my daily drivers. Today I found a very decent 72 914/4 for a reasonable price. The car would be my daily driver for the most part. I am in college and dont drive every day because I can walk to class and just about every where I need but some places require driving. I will be using it every day this summer to get to work.

So to the question,
Has any one used this car as there DD or know how reliable they are, I know they are P-cars and require a bit more than your average car and I am willing to do that, but if they are reasonable reliable then this could be a serious possibility.

Regards
Dave

[DRACO A5OG]

Hell why not, a 4 banger should save you some gas too boot.

I remember my TKD Master drove his every day.

[jason2guy]

ive owned 2 of them and they are very cool. the one to get is a 73-74 2.0
i wouldnt bother w/the other ones unless of course is a 6

[Dave Colangelo]

The one I found is a 72 1.7, it was kind of an impulsive thing. I have been looking at 944's and the 914 just kind of came up on craigslist and it got me thinking. When/if I hear back from the guy with more pics and info I will decide what I will do about moving forward. Thanks for all the input, keep it coming.

Regards
Dave

[Dave Colangelo]

According to the post it is an FI engine, it also says it has the updated side shift transmission. 30MPG is looking really nice for what I want the car to do. I am some what drawn to how kind of strange it is.

Regards
Dave

[Kraftwerk]

Ok, it is around 40 years old...as am I, but for a car that is old! things break or become less than perfect constantly. You will have a first hand knowledge of entropy which is a great thing for a young person to be aware of. It is also possible that the more you drive it the less it will break!
If it is a good one in good shape you should at least try it. Don't pass up a great 1.7 for a beat -up 2.0. The actual hp difference between the two is 8hp, nothing to get excited about, but people will always tell you otherwise.

[Dave Colangelo]

When it comes to HP I have the SC for that and boy does it do it well. This would be more of a college-fun-mobile and of course a 3rd Porsche to add to the collection (getting me closer to my goal of owning one of every thing they made before i die). From the pics it appears to be in decent shape until more pics are sent and more information is gathered I cant make any judgments. The car is in the north east but sounds like it spent its early days down in Arizona which would keep any rust off it at least for that amount of time. It sounds like the car was garage kept and some what well cared for by the current owner. It would appear as if it was his fun weekend car and now that he has a second kid the wife is making him get rid of it.

In all honesty I have a 31 Ford Model A that had no issues until last winter when the water pump started leaking 80 years after it was installed. Old cars dont scare me off that much, if any thing I find them better built and find that they last longer if any thing.

If it is in decent shape and he has some play in the price I dont know if im going to be able to turn this one down.

Regards
Dave

[Tidybuoy]

I drove my '74 as a daily driver for many years.

The key with any 914 is to learn the fuel injection system and keep it tuned. Mine "was" a 1.8 liter which has a different FI from the 1.7 & 2.0. Once I got it running well, it was a great car and very reliable. There were a few quirks along the way and once I figured them out, the car always ran well. As with any car of that vintage, plan on replacing vacuum lines and fuel lines.

I've had several 914's and I would recommend a 73 or 74. The 75/76 have very heavy bumpers, much cheaper interior, crappy exhaust, and smog equip that's difficult to remove without a lot of expense.

Good Luck.

[Dublinoh]

Why not..I did it for six years, back in the 70s

[carr914]

There is a difference in using a 914 as a DD in the 70s, 80s or even 90s like I did. The car is now 40 Years old (gosh I feel old just saying that). A 914 that you find for sale now usually hasn't been driven in a while & if it has, not driven much. That being said, it will need attention. The Plastic Fuel Lines NEED to be replaced ASAP. Then things like brakes etc. You will need to be mechanically inclined as most good 914 Mechanics are retired or have forgotten how to work on them as the wealthier 911 Clientele has taken up his time. Valves need to be adjusted all the time. Rust is the enemy of 914s - there is a reason an area is called the Hell-Hole.

When all the issues are taken care of, 914s are a Blast

[CorsePerVita]

No reason you can't. Although agreed they are susceptible to rust, so wintertime on salted roads is not so great for them. But during the summer and decent weather I drive my teener around an awful lot and love it.

[BK911]

I use a '72 914 1.7 as a daily driver 2 - 3 days a week 35 miles each way. Winter, summer, spring and fall. Rain or shine.
A lot of time was spent getting the FI dialed in, but once that was done I havent had to touch it in years.
Leaks a bit during rain, but no big deal.

[URY914]

Originally Posted by carr914

There is a difference in using a 914 as a DD in the 70s, 80s or even 90s like I did. The car is now 40 Years old (gosh I feel old just saying that). A 914 that you find for sale now usually hasn't been driven in a while & if it has, not driven much. That being said, it will need attention. The Plastic Fuel Lines NEED to be replaced ASAP. Then things like brakes etc. You will need to be mechanically inclined as most good 914 Mechanics are retired or have forgotten how to work on them as the wealthier 911 Clientele has taken up his time. Valves need to be adjusted all the time. Rust is the enemy of 914s - there is a reason an area is called the Hell-Hole.

When all the issues are taken care of, 914s are a Blast

I agree with everything TC has said. In addition you need to remember that there is no A/C and the heater is more of a dream than a reality. I dove my 914 for years when I was in my 20's. I few years ago I tried a 914 for a DD. This is what I learned...

1. Trucks and SUVs will not see you. You have no air bags. My wife was not real happy with my daughter and I in the car. All her eggs were in one unsafe (by today's standards) basket.
2. A/C and heat, see above.
3. I hope you like changing gears. You'll be doing a lot of it.
4. The car is small and low. You will get a work out just getting in and out of it. If was fun when I was 22. Not fun now.
5. The ride is rough. It is no minivan.
6. You will become a mechanic.

They make great weekend cars but as a DD you need to realize it was designed in 1969.

Enjoy!

[Winter]

Dave, I've been following your posts and you're obviously more competent than most when it comes to wrenching.

But for a DD, I'd have to say find something newer. With heat and AC and modern safety gear like airbags. You already have a 911, do you really need a 914? (well, maybe you do! )

I'm partial to the 90's S cars from Audi, you can find sweet early S4 sedans for not too much, with S6 sedans also decently priced (avants are another matter, they are rare).

They're modern enough to be comfortable, but not so modern that you can't do a lot of wrenching yourself if needed. Plus they take mods easily and once nicely tweaked are quite sporting to drive.

That's just my preference, and I've owned a few amount of them, so feel comfortable with that technology, sourcing parts, etc.

I think some of the newer Subis are pretty sweet, too. But I've never played with them. My wife also had a nice BMW, and we'd consider getting her one again when she falls out of love with her New Beetle tdi.

Anyhow, my $0.02. Maybe start watching the listings on Bring a Trailer. A lot of cool stuff pops up there and you seem like a guy who doesn't want to drive something "ordinary" as a DD. I get it, neither do I.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

[deathpunk dan]

Get a used WRX wagon.

That way you can haul people, porsche parts etc, and grin while doing it

[rgmrgm]

i have a 71 914 1.7 stock and enjoy driving it especially in city traffic. worn out old tail shifter makes shifting more of a random event. but when i get back in my 82sc shifting seems so quick and precise. i believe that the 914 will be a car that appreciates in value if you can find one without rust or accident damage. drive it a while and make a profit when you sell it. parts are reasonable and mechanics are simple. access can be tricky for work like valve adjustments but they are pretty bulletproof.

[GH85Carrera]

I drove my 74 914 as my only car from 1974 until 1991. With just a 914 no one will ask you to help them move

I had no AC and every summer I wished it did and every winter I was happy it did not. I did almost all of my own maintenance. I still miss that car.

[cubby911T]

1) Sounds good to me on the 914!

2) Sorry to be nosey, but I gotta ask.....how the heck are you able to swing owning/driving not one, not two, but potentially THREE P-cars as a college student? I remember feeling damn lucky to own a worn-out 924 as a college student, LOL.

Anyway, good for you and best of luck with your P-fleet!

[Beschleunigt]

Go for it. I sold my 914 last year but I drove it as a daily driver to college and work every day. I drove about 50 miles a day and drove in 100+ degree weather all the way down to snow and 20 degree weather (don't recommend that, but it's doable). Depending on the car, it may require a lot of maintenance, they are 40 years old after all. Make sure that you have a backup car in case something breaks and be willing and ready to work on it. Good luck.

[GH85Carrera]

My 914 did great in snow that was less than 6 inches deep. After that I would start to drag the bottom with the snow ruts.