Radical 914-GT Evocation

[OttoB]

Life sometimes can throw us a curve ball or two (or 7!?!) but, I am neither special nor different than everyone else who has to work extraordinarily hard and, keep at it... All while with the hope that things on the business front achieve some balance as well as success, keeping the family happy, and then perhaps enjoying the passions that make us gearheads happy.

Many years ago, I started a thread here on Pelican about my 1991 Porsche 911 Turbo a/k/a Chimera:

Radical RetroMod 965 RSR

It was a very involved build fueled by passion, time, resources, and a vision that hit close to home for a variety of reasons. I will never forget how little ol' me had many people around (and including in other forums) being on the receiving end of opinionated, negative criticism about how the car instead should have been done. But, once I sold the car after owning it for 6.5 years and eventually the car achieving some recognition through it subsequent (who remains its present owner), as well as Magnus Walker, then the car all of sudden - same exact car, mind you - was a rockstar to the rest of the world... This link is to a short video of Magnus driving it in Miami where I used to live; although, he did get to put many miles on Chimera when the car made it to Cali as well:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQ4mGVdAHXT/


I actually did not sell it because I wanted to, as most of us have found ourselves having to get rid of things out of necessity at some point or another. But, Chimera ticked many boxes including a personal, lifelong dream of mine in having one of my cars being published in a magazine - Excellence April of 2016 - and the link is below:

https://www.excellence-mag.com/issues/235/articles/chimera?page=1#.VsOPAsf3XcA

Another box ticked for me was winning an award at The Palm Event in Mar a Lago located very close to where I live, which was also unbelievably cool:




After selling Chimera, I still managed to hold on to cars that I am fortunate to still have with me, although not quite as dramatic.

This link is for a subsequent build of my 1993 MB 500e that was another monumental undertaking similar to what I accomplished with Chimera. The ultimate goal for the 500e was to make it look like what either Mercedes and/or Porsche would themselves have done had they released a more motorsports-themed 500e, where I had D-lng in Belgium custom make for me a hub adapter for Rotiform Aerodics to be used on the Neez wheels up front, a bespoke plaid interior strikingly similar to Singer Vehicle Designs, located nearby where the car was built up before my ownership, and... too many other modifications and information you can read in the link. The car is actually available for sale on eBay and this is the link to the build:

https://www.500eboard.co/forums/threads/ottob.17573/


The highlight of owning the 500e (the only car I have owned 2 models of), besides the comprehensive transformation of the car from how I bought it, was getting to participate at last year's Werks Reunion at Amelia Island, where no one else but Magnus himself came by to check it out:





I participated in a few PCA events, although the Porsche Corral at Sebring that year, the 'organizers' did not approve of the Type 2758 Porsche, for smart and knowledgeable reasons apparently only known to them!



After time, this car also came to full circle on my end as I showed it at various car shows, including being genuinely humbled and appreciative of getting to display it at DRT Miami earlier this year, and picking up awards at other shows.



But, itch needed to be scratched where I could once again hop in a Porsche... After all, there is no substitute! From already having thoroughly enjoyed my absolute favorite 911 of all time - a 964 Turbo - for many years, it didn't seem right for me to either go back to a 911, or to a modern car at all, for that matter. My 'newest' car is a 2002 Vanquish 6 speed manual conversion that I purchased from the Cultivated Collector, so... that's plenty new (and fast) for me.

Well... what then is left in the expansive, popular pantheon of Porsches that is still a classic, is fast, looks aggressive, not many are seen out in the wild these days which is appealing to me, and has a lot of potential for more modifications?

A 1973 Subaru WRX Turbo-powered 914, of course! And, this one in particular which was sold last year by 911r, and then listed for sale a few months ago by 1600veloce:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1973-porsche-914-140/

It is now mine here in Palm Beach and I have over 55+ items I have purchased after getting the car, that will hopefully become my vision of a Radical 914-6 GT Evocation!



PS - there is a lot to take in on this very first post, to those who would actually have the time (or want) to read it. I debated on whether to start a thread for this build at 914 World or here at Pelican, but I had repeatedly run into issues as to how many pics I could post there per post/sizing, so felt that a photo-heavy thread like this one would be more practical here at Pelican. 914 World remains the best source of information around for these cars, and I have received a considerable amount of help, support, and information there!

[kenshapiro2002]

Interesting. I’m the one who “bought” It from 911r until they damaged it and lied about it. I’ve communicated with the original builder, the con artist who consigned it on 911r ( Oregon, not AZ) and the original constructor. I almost bought it from the eventual buyer from 911r who brought it to NY and quickly decided he didn’t like it. I offered him 35K which he turned down. Then he gave it to 1600Veloce who also put it on BAT… another no sale. It has seemingly run its course on BAT. After THAT no sale, I contacted 1600 Veloce about buying it, but they’d already found a buyer outside of BAT… obviously you.

I obviously like the car, but it just kept dodging me. Part of me odds relieved because I disliked that the flares were glass vs. steel. IMO the knock off Fuchs are also too big and give the car a less than ideal stance when viewed from ground level.

Very curious about what you’re planning to change.

[914/6]

Otto, I Look forward to Your revised version... Been waiting for an update, since your post on 914World..

[OttoB]

For starters as part of my background, I do not seek attention nor do I maintain any sort of online/social media presence. I may differ from many others out there, but once you get sued personally, those with bad intentions will see to it that they try and get as much of you as humanly possible. Anyone who has also been in this predicament - unjustly and unexpectedly at that - would have an idea of what I am talking about and lived through... Again, I am not special and most of us have had to endure some serous setbacks in life.

So, whereas I posted about this build on a few of the FB groups for Porsche 914's that I first joined when I bought the car in order to learn as much about these wonderful cars as possible, this thread will be the only place that I document my vision and execution for this car. As such, my apologies in advance if I do not respond to inquiries or comments about this 914 outside of Pelican. True enthusiasts visit Pelican + 914 World, and that is really who I expect to read this. In all sincerity, the thread is being done mostly so that I can share my thought process on why I am taking an already beautiful car and, making a not insignificant amount of changes to it. I do not wrench on my cars as I simply lack the time or the skills, I do not sell cars (laughable to think I could recoup a portion of monies spent), and certainly don't try to please anyone.

I fully understand that opinions are like bellybuttons in that everyone has one, but I want to thank you in advance for your consideration in keeping criticism and disapproval away from this thread. In this society, it is almost acceptable (certainly at Bring a Trailer) for individuals to nitpick at everything like a damn hopeless hobby, all the while never having any intention of purchasing a car, or making a positive contribution towards the discussions surrounding an auction. In social media, this type of behavior - which is in very poor taste - is par for the course and why I can say I am not on social media (LinkedIn count?), a FB profile from 10 years ago when a dating app required I make one (does that also count?), and always try to stay in my lane without checking on friends or family (or strangers) on what they are doing, with whom, and where.

[OttoB]

So, everyone likes pictures, right? A little bit of my background which helps explain how I ended up here. My father - Gustavo Berges - graduated from Texas A&M via a full scholarship in 1970 and as a young/poor/married kid, brought some go-karts back to the Dominican Republic. At the time, the island country had endured a 30 year dictatorship, a revolution upon the assassination of the dictator, and political unrest until democracy was re-established in the mid 1960's.

When he moved back, there were some guys that did drag racing, some that did rallies, and some that wanted to go 'all out' racing in tracks... but there weren't any. My father was able to get everyone together and form the Quisqueya Auto Club so that all Dominican Motorsports would fall under one association. He was the founding member, president, and remained in his capacity as the sole Executive Race Director for Motorsports (emphasis mostly on racetracks) through 1988 when our family moved to Stuart, FL where my parents still live.

This is a newspaper cutout in Spanish where my dad is the first one on the right with the mustache, identified below the picture as Race Director and Committee President:



The very first movie I ever saw was Le Mans via VHS tape, and my brother - who is named like my dad and is 1 year older than me - watched that movie a million times because we would fall asleep with the lack of dialogue and the steady humming of the amazing cars at speed. I also developed a distinct preference for all things Porsche since I could walk!

My brother and I grew up in and around the racetrack - La Cumbre - which was built in the late 1970's to replace the air force base at San Isidro where the first races for almost a decade were held. Although the country was relatively modest and a large percentage of the population were of humble origins and/or did not have the means - there was a couple of racers that really stood out.

Welcome Luis Mendez no. 68 to the picture... For those that have not heard of him, he ended up buying Al Holbert's infamous 3.0 RSR Chassis no. 005 0009 in 1977 and took it back to the DR. In 1980, while still living in the DR, he became IMSA's GTO Champion! To a small island country, this was unprecedented and a true testament to the talent, skill, and speed of Luis.

His Porsche went through several guises and colors - 'stock' RSR, slant, with/without turbo fans, baby blue with DP'esque stripes, white/blue, etc.

This is a picture I took in La Cumbre circa 1983-84 of his car:



This is a picture of me behind the wheel of Fomfor's 935 around the same timeframe - which is now yellow and in Cali, I believe:



This next image accurately represents where I believe my first genuine underdog feelings developed. We have 2 amazing 240Z's raced by a pair of the most popular, widely recognized Dominican pilots - Adriano Abreu (yellow) and Tony Canahuate - leading a pair of Porsches, including Luis. It shows the resilience of these fellas giving hell with what they had to work with and, were often neck to neck with Luis. Notice the rest of the field, who were as competitive as could be based on what they raced.



Another interesting perspective developed with me around this stage. This picture shows my dad on the right, posing with Cristobal Marte - an aristocrat who had lots of resources but did not translate to success at the track, even with the 'best of the best' - the island's only other racing Porsche aside from Juan Lopez’s stunning 911 (of Optica Lopez fame)



From this very same car, not only did I root for the guy since it was pretty ballsy then (and now) to run an all pink car/Porsche, but I also rooted for him even though he simply was not that fast. The car was a mesh of an old 911 dressed up to look like a racer, and heavily relied on outdated, spares from Luis's stash of parts.

The other aspect I developed from this very same car is that he ran 2 mismatching wheels - the center locks RSR's up front, and BBS mesh out back. I came to the realization that it was cool to be different, it was cool to stand out, and it was okay to root for someone who had no chance of coming close to a podium - even if doing it in style driving a Porsche!

[kenshapiro2002]

I actually bought this car from 911 or after it first failed to meet reserve. Then they damaged it by backing a truck into it and lied to me about it so I got out of the deal. Most recently I tried to buy it from the last owner, offering him $35,000, but he decided to list it again on BAT through 1600Veloce, where it didn’t even meet that on reserve. So I’ve had an interest in this car for a few years now. I even established a good relationship with Ruben Linares, who did the initial build with the help of Brody Borgogno the fabricator. I’m only partially upset that I never got my hands on it because I never liked the fiberglass flares or would I consider to be the oversized wheels that give it a very strange stance when looked at from ground level. I’ll be interested in seeing how you change it.

[OttoB]

Here's a picture of my father when he raced go-karts (wearing a hat), which was the 'beginning' of it all for him, and organized Dominican motorsports, as well as the beginning for my brother and I. There are tons of pictures and newspaper/magazine clippings I have of him involved in the racing world from its inception at the island country and through our departure, but those will be shared some other time.



In the early 1980's, my father got a go kart that had a Margay chassis with a Yamaha 125cc 2-stroke engine for my brother and I so we could perhaps become racers ourselves. Whereas my brother and I raced at the country's only go kart track - La Caleta - close to the airport, and I participated in go kart races/events in our Olympic Stadium as well as the other one in Santiago (mostly as an exhibition since I was small and very young), there was no/none/zero organization for minors... No feeder series, no anything other than run with the 'big boys' and that was not realistic for a couple of kids in elementary school.



We were so small when we started racing - with the assistance of go kart legends in the DR of Rudy and Roberto Kohn - that the seat brackets had us basically eating the steering wheel since that was the only way for my brother Gus and I to reach the pedals. If nothing else, there was simply no fear at all, to go as fast as the dang go kart would go, and enjoy the thrill of pushing everything to the limit. Perhaps in another lifetime, my brother and/or I would have become professional race car pilots but, God had other plans for us and if nothing else, it planted the seeds (along with the GT races) for me to develop a passion for cars, race cars, and racing.

[OttoB]

Luis Mendez was a hero to all in the country - not only did he drive with speed and talent, essentially winning out right all races run per year/championship for most of the 1980's - but, he also beat other local legends as well as internationally recognized talents. Here are some pics from books and magazines showcasing Luis and accomplishments:







Some of the more well-known local racers included Horacio Alvarez (Google him Daytona 24 in 1973), his son Horacito (VW Polo), Chuck Fleischauer ('64 Corvette roadster), Luis Manen Mendez, Jose Antonio Najri (owned VW in DR - mind-blowing racing Scirocco and Golf), Fernando Arredondo, Fernando Robles, as well as Adriano Abreu and Tony Canahuate who drove Datsuns. As for the others, I had the fortune to be at the right time and place to witness Diego Febles race multiple times with his Porsches at La Cumbre, Mandy Gonzalez (911 + 934), Kikos Fonseca (934), and Francisco Miguel aka Fomfor (M1 + 935). These are pics I took at the races and was a magical time... Too bad there is no videos or more images around as it played a significant part of my childhood and I am including them so everyone can get the background and perspective for this 914 build:








This last picture strikes a cord, because being a 924 GT - it would have been in a very tough crowd with its 4 cylinder engine and would struggle to keep up with the talent running around the track. Although... I rooted even then for underdogs and knew with the Etoile's that it was a special car indeed.

[OttoB]

Once we moved to Stuart in 1988, my father continued working in the computer industry which led him to bigger and better things, that facilitated him thereafter racing his bought-from-new at Champion Porsche his 993 C2S and subsequent 996, at PCA as well as SCCA track events. He inevitably became a local champion to SoFla in his own right doing autocrossing.

There was zero doubt we all were Porsche fans/gearheads and would attend races whenever possible including Sebring 12 hours here pictured with John Paul Jr. circa 1998:




Here is my father, brother and I at Rennsport II in April 2004:



My father and I attended Rennsport III again in Daytona in November 2007, and although I am pictured next to a Coca-Cola liveried 935 appearing to have been Fomfor's Porsche posted above with me in it in the DR circa 1983-84, it is another car entirely:




For the past 20+ years, I have attended regularly ALL car/race events throughout Florida and have many 1,000's of pictures I have never shared with anyone outside perhaps my immediate family. But, I have attended many numerous times these events including:

24 Hours of Daytona
HSR Daytona
12 Hours of Sebring/1000 KM of Sebring (WEC)
Sebring Classic HSR
Amelia Island - auctions, concours, participant, etc.
St. Pete Indycar GP
Miami Grand Prix (downtown and then Homestead)
Targa 66 by Brian Redman (PBIR and then Homestead)
Ferrari Cavallino weekend close to home
Barrett-Jackson every single year in WPB since 2003
Mecum Kissimmee (largest collector car auction in the world)
Supercarweek in WPB
Wheels Across the Pond in Jupiter
Das Renn Treffen (DRT Miami) - top 5 Porsche shows in the country
The Palm Event (Mar a Lago)
Festivals of Speed
Formula 1 (Montreal! As for Miami... a painted wooden lake in a parking lot, really?)
and countless PCA events, cars + coffee, car shows, other auctions, and too many other events to count and/or list, etc. I consider myself truly fortunate and blessed to reside in SoFla which allows me to attend these events and I have brought my now 11 year old Sebastien to many/most for the past 8 years or so (and counting)!


My first "Porsche" bought via eBay in 2005 was a Vintage Speedsters Carrera 356 GT replica that was my sole, primary vehicle from late 2005-2007, when I lived in Miami. Was it impractical since it was not weather proof? Absolutely! Was it very cool? Absolutely! Credit to the pics below go to my brother Gus who has talent behind the lens. The only reason I got it, besides getting over a breakup, was because Vintage's theme for it was as modified as could be, in order to resemble a street version of a racing 356 as possible with the lack of chrome trim, headlight rock guards, leather straps, lack of hubcaps, fog lights, racing mirror, etc. and had all the options/bells/whistles that Vintage could have thrown at it.





I finally was able to buy my first 'proper' Porsche in 2010 for $37.5K - my then dream car - as a 1991 965 and I had changed from this:

(pictured with Speedline replicas which is what my budget allowed)


(pictured with upgraded Work Brombachers)



To this towards end of 2014 as a result of a wreck:



(at Daytona 24, but also made many rounds before + after other tracks/events)



So... Porsches run in my veins since I was born, and the more aggressive ones with a racing pedigree or inspired look - which is what I did with the 911 - is what I have planned for the 914-6 GT Evocation...

[Racerbvd]

Very cool, my Mother raced in the 50s and early 60s.



The “Special” she raced.


A picture of her 1st husband and their 1st Porsche Speedster

[OttoB]

So... the pride of having an affable, talented, and very fast pilot to call 'our own' in the Dominican Republic by way of Luis Mendez left me with an indelible, impressionable mark that follows me to this day. On any given numerical combination for passwords, etc., I still use his number 68 - for example.

Luis owned the more popular speed shop in the DR under his namesake - Luis Mendez Racing - and was the exclusive dealer in the country for Momo, Alpine, Recaro, etc. For this reason, most if not all of my cars have always had these manufacturers present in some way or another. I had both Momo and Alpine in my 911, and there's a 100% chance of that taking place on the 914-6 GT Evocation... Luis also happened to drive a beautiful white 911 Turbo on the street, and raced his baby blue 911 RSR 3.0 at the track.

Unbeknownst to me until perhaps 8 years ago or so, I did not know the background story that his 911 RSR, chassis no. 005 0009, actually belonged originally to Al Holbert. So, despite me seeing Luis race his Porsche for over a decade in the DR, I simply thought of it as him driving 'the best car in the world'.

In 2011, I was attending a Gold Coast PCA event with my 911 and saw Al Holbert's RSR... Loving old racing Porsches, especially RSR's, I was thrilled to see it/one and below are pics I took of it:





Talk about serendipity? As a grown man then at the PCA event, attending with my own (old) white 911 Turbo because of Luis, while I was in another country at a Porsche show where his car was there! I mean, what are the odds of ever being around that car again some 20+ years later with my own?

Given my ties with Porsche, I have always made an effort to attend cool PCA events every now and then, including Gunnar Racing's first ever Open House at their shop in WPB back in April 2016. This is chassis 005 0009 right in front of me at Gunnar without me then knowing it was Luis Mendez's 911 RSR!




Kevin Jeannette, his wife, and the rest of the team at Gunnar are simply some of the most wonderful, kind, and down-to-earth people anyone will ever come across. I was fortunate to also attend their only other Open House earlier this year with now the Gulfstream Region.

In 2016, I took many pictures of the unbelievable, historically significant machinery at Gunnar Racing. However, this one definitely got my attention in light of the others...

[OttoB]

Fantasy... escape... Two words that for us grown men, do not get mentioned very often, am I right? Why? Well, because for most of us, our priorities revolve around doing whatever it takes to put food on the table, a roof over our heads, taking care of our families, maybe our health, and then - if 'anything' is left, ourselves...

So, being that my life was not going to be that of a professional race car driver, an amateur/weekend warrior one was also not realistic. My father has always worked his ass off, even through today in his mid 70's, so wrenching on cars was not as high in the list of priorities growing up as, was getting good grades and working hard once the career path in law started. With that comes sizable school debt, credit cards, rent/mortgage, etc. so spending monies and time on driving the wheels off a car that I could not maintain myself, was not in the cards.

But, I could certainly admire race cars from another more sensible, different angle? These pics show parts of a model collection I personally amassed circa 2013-2015 and, EVERY SINGLE ONE was stolen by a very close friend back then (of 30 years). No sense talking about this very sore subject now other than I have painfully moved past it, but it still has been a tremendous personal sore spot for me to have lost this friendship over something material that he stole, and knowingly so when it did not belong to him - as I purchased each and every single one but needed a place to store them when I had to shut down a previous law firm.






So, this model collection became my escape, my fantasy and a hobby - which allowed me to have cool model cars of 1/18 scale and, you can find in there a few dozen Porsches...

The more immersed you become in something, the bigger the desire arises to acquire hard-to-find things, no? The very first custom model I bought from that model collection, believe it or not, was this 914-6 which was not (nor has it ever been) produced in 1/18 scale - as the class winner of the 1971 24 Hours of Daytona:



Of course, I then run into the actual car itself at the Daytona Historics in 2013 after Jürgen Dotsch had shipped my new/custom model to me from Germany a few weeks prior!



I would run into the very same car again years later at the now defunct Palm Beach International Raceway (formerly Moroso) at Brian Redman's annual Targa 66:



I was captivated by the mismatching wheels done because in 1970 when the 914-6 made its debut, Porsche did not have 9 inch wide wheels, so the racers obtained Panasport Minilites instead. From when I was a punk kid, I liked the notion of things being somewhat different, like the Cristobal Marte pantyhose Pink racing 911 with mismatching wheels! Of course, the megaphone exhaust with cookie cutters reminded me of Luis' RSR also...

[OttoB]

What proof for myself do I have of first wanting/liking/appreciating 914's? This might be the best clue possible which happens to be the first very picture of one in my expansive album of this black, widebody one from March 10, 2010:



What is the correlation of this image to this post, you say? Well, that is the week that I started shopping for my first 'proper' Porsche after recently having opened up my first law firm. I uploaded pics of Porsches that stood out to me and I ended up buying my 1991 965 a couple of weeks later. BUT, it told me this past day when I re-discovered the picture that although its taken me almost 15 years to have bought a black, widebody 914, God may have had plans for me to end up with one all along

Another picture I uploaded that day in 2010 as well as part of my research? Well, this long hood with arched fenders, Minilites in the rears, and a pretty cool/racing inspired twin exhaust!



Switching gears to the model collection... I opted for my second, custom model from Jürgen to be a one-off, since he had created/made the yellow no. 5 Porsche 914/6 for a previous client. What model car was important (in my eyes) in the racing scene from the early 1970's and, that was never made/sold/available then (nor now)? Well, the Brumos 914-6, of course! Whereas the 'real one' did not have certain things, I specifically asked Jürgen that this model have Minilites in the rear, quad foglamps, rear spoiler, chrome rollbar, and megaphones out back, as this would be my vision of what - in 2014 - I would have wanted in a racing 914-6:








This actual model is likely the world's first 1/18 model of the 1971 IMSA GTU Champion piloted by Peter Gregg and another personal hero of mine, Hurley Haywood.

[OttoB]

It was only after I posted pictures of the many models from the previous stolen collection that I realized even 10+ years ago, I had recognized the need of including race cars of important Porsche luminaries such as Al Holbert (his blue 934 is there, so is his 1983 Le Mans 956 winner with Hurley) - and, of course - about 7 or so Haywood/Brumos models (sponsored by Brumos, although many more that he drove afterwards).

Custom models are very cool in my opinion and the 2 914/6 GT's were the beginning of a slippery slope for me... Another custom one I had made (but was stolen, even though it has my name in the license plate) was Chimera:




I attended the 2022 Daytona 24 Hours with my son and got a pic of an older Brumos DP similar to the one from Rennsport II where I was pictured with my father and brother:




As to my current collection, I have been very fortunate to pair up with another custom modeler who has been able to create some very amazing stuff, and wanted to share them with you. Since they don't make these Brumos DP models what-so-ever, I purchased decals overseas for another Brumos model and sent them along with a Crawford Pontiac Grand Am to get this, which is likely the only one around:






Here is one of my 500e which was very impressive to get so many details into it (I sourced the wheels overseas):



I also get custom ones in various scales, including some of these in 1/64 scale:



And in 1/43 - where again, I had to source these Diego Febles specific decals from overseas (mostly all via eBay) and have them professionally installed on a plain white 934/5:

[OttoB]

Plastic/resin models cannot be 'repainted'. So, if you are wanting a specific color for a model, either you source a metal/diecast one to paint or, you get the closest you can to what you want with with a plastic one instead...

They do not make any metal 1/18 RSR 3.0's after tons of 'research' on my end in order for me to get one of Luis' 005 0009 made. So, I went up a scale to 1/24 and found a 934 in blue which then required me sourcing all kinds of decals from all over, in order to get it made with the Alpine, BBS, Momo, Montecarlo sponsorships and the color scheme/stripes he used throughout the majority of the 1980's. Adriano Abreu being his closest competitor, I sourced this metal 1/24 Datsun 1200 and had it exactly replicated as well, which is pretty rad as it evokes so many childhood memories!




Since I have limited room for models, but getting custom ones are too enticing, I had a last one from the DR done - a Mk I VW Polo as raced by Horacito Alvarez. I will not bother showing how radically different the models looked when we started modifying them, but are now as close as to what they appeared back in the early to mid 1980's:



This last picture of models shows the 1/18 RSR 005 0009 as raced by Holbert next to the
version as raced by Luis Mendez.



In this same shelf, is another 911 RSR but with a genuine autograph by John Fitzpatrick who won his class at Le Mans in 1975 with that same car.

[OttoB]

As some of you read this, keep in mind that I have been fired from a handful of jobs, gone through a rather costly divorce, and been forced to sell stuff -
even used clothing against my will just to have money to pay for necessities - but always with a clean conscience.

It is therapeutic for me to share about all of this, even several years later, as my background ultimately has made me who I am today. All of us learn from these backward steps that life throws us, in order to hopefully take the necessary ones forward and that’s where I’m headed with this Radical 914 GT Evocation!

[914/6]

Thank You for the Honesty.. Life has its challenges for sure..Its all about how You move forward,,and not letting go of the past History for you and who you are..

[OttoB]

One of the many reasons I consider myself old fashioned - other than the wrinkles, gray hair, and expanding waistline - okay, well that's just all of us getting older is that I never really quite truly vibed with technology since I was a punk kid. You see, the first computer I can recall having at our house was an Apple 2E, followed by the 2C, and then the first Mac in the DR. Our family would earn the exclusive contract for the country from Apple Computer Latin America and that inevitably led to bigger and better things.

My dad's brother built a house in the boondocks, directly across the street from ours. My brother and I are 1 year apart, and my cousins happened to also be 1 year apart from each other, with me being a few weeks older than the oldest of the cousins. We grew up in a neighborhood with quite a bit of kids all in the same/near identical age group. Whereas we played outside all day, rode the wheels off our BMX's, and did things we weren't supposed to, my brother and I just sucked really bad at playing Atari.

My uncle bought one for my cousins and they may have had 7-9 games, max. My dad? Well, we had floppy disks with over 60 games but, no one ever heard of any of them, the graphics/quality/sound were very crude, and none of the neighborhood kids ever came to visit our then. So, I was not enamored with technology from DAY 1.

But across the street is where the action was... Pacman, Chopper Command, Asteroids, Frogger, Donkey Kong, etc. All 10+ neighborhood kids would meet up although my brother and I - seemingly the only ones without an Atari - lost out almost immediately since we couldn't practice at home. So, no luck at the computer at the house, or with the video games across the street

My only refuge? My uncle's office in order to kill time in between long waiting periods of instant video game elimination... During this time in the early 1980's, my dad subscribed to Road & Track, whereas my uncle had Car & Driver, and sometimes a random Automobile/Autoweek would enter the mix. MotorTrend? Well, that was considered third rate back then (and who would have thought they have run the gamut several decades later)?!?!

So, my brother and I would take turns serving as couriers to swap the mags between my father and uncle all the time. Since there was no internet and, American magazines were already months' old when they arrived in the DR (and were not readily accessible), we would read all of them cover to cover.

At some point, my uncle had decided to bind his magazines per year in encyclopedia-type books. Clearly, my uncle was a very important man - he had many leather bound books and the office smelled like rich mahogany So, his office became my sanctuary and I likely had read 100's of car magazines going back to the 1970's by the time I turned 10 years old.

First car magazine subscription when I was 12? Hot Rod Magazine as I built a few 1/24 scale plastic models and went to great lengths to customize them. I moved to Stuart in 1988 when I turned 15 and before turning 16 - what was my second magazine subscription ever?

VW & Porsche Magazine. Following the lead from my uncle, I kept each and every single issue for decades, which is not easy to do when you're in college... And, I eventually built a couple of bookshelfs so that when they came back bounded like my uncle had done decades prior, I would be able to proudly display them.

The pics below show the bookshelfs and when I first got them done, although I have them right through the last issue of European Car Magazine in January 2018. In 2008, I discovered Sports & Exotic Car Magazine and kept every issue until its demise in March of 2017 - all bound as well.






The last pic above shows another magazine which everyone liked (at least back then), which I was able to afford once I joined the labor force!

[OttoB]

What does this have anything to do with a Porsche 914? Well, to my amazement the other day when I grabbed the first one out of the bookshelf consisting of the 1989 VW & Porsche book with all 12 issues, I found that pretty much each single monthly magazine advertised and/or featured a 914! I grabbed the 1990 book and it was pretty consistent. No wonder my first car in 1990 ended up being a souped up 1984 VW Gti (with a smashed driver's door)!

I am limited to 10 pics per post, so these are the ones being included although if I had a few hours to kill, would find God knows how many more 914 references, images, articles, tech tips, etc. Whether subconsciously, inadvertently, or ??? - it seems as if I was always destined to own a 914 of my own - and, one from the same year I was born is the icing on the cake!












I especially like the advert on the last pic (again) for the GTU kit, or the one below it

[OttoB]

Okay... the car. How did I get here? I did not want to spend crazy money on another car given that I have a stable of old(er) cars as it is, and many of them are not reliable. This was not going to be a trailer queen, show car, or my 1 and only trophy car as much as wanting to get back into a Porsche that looked fast, runs kinda fast, and has good a/c. And, I would have to change up a few things so I can personalize it (or any other car) to my particular taste.

Like most of us, I saw this 1973 Subaru powered 914 in BAT last year when 911R listed it for sale twice in a matter of months. The photography by the Seller was spot on - as usual - and, whereas I was nowhere near the market for another car, it ticked all the boxes in that it seemed as if it was in pretty good shape.





I like the more aggressive look on my cars and although fiberglass, the flares were always going to be a must on a 914 for me. Check.

Although I already own a black car, I think this one looks pretty damn good and I can live with another black car. Check. Changing colors (like I have done before) takes a long time and was definitely not in the cards for me.

A well executed 914 with a Porsche 6 cyl can get very expensive in a hurry. This one with a Subaru engine is arguably for me, more desirable. This thread is not meant to question the masters of Porsche Universe nor open up a debate or anything in that regard, please. Before you get on my case as to why this combo may be a travesty, or why yours is so much better than mine because it has a 2.2, 2.4. 2.8, 3.0, 3.2, 3.5, 3.8, etc - I was not looking for originality nor, a discussion on the perks of having an air cooled engine behind a Porsche designed to have an air cooled engine. I already had a 1991 Turbo for 6.5 years - I wanted something different + got it. For me, however, this more appealing to me as it is (arguably) more reliable, faster, and can handle a much needed a/c system which is imperative for SoFla. Check. (I know some of you will still feel the need to chime in - okay. But... it's not like you are going to somehow change my mind).

Good interior and cosmetics. Check. A lot of funds can quickly escalate when having to redo upholstery, trim, carpets, badges, etc. Plus, I wanted something turnkey as I just went through another project recently that took more than 6 months to complete and it too had good interior and cosmetics

Potential to make it better in my eyes. Check. I seldom buy a car and leave it alone and at this point, I have a list of purchased items that exceed 60+ parts (no, I am not including 4 tires and 3 pairs of wheels as 10 parts for example, but 4 orders certainly).

This is a picture of the car today and I will continue with this thread as time permits, in order to share the reasoning and inspiration as to why I am headed in the direction I am with the car. I have it entered in a handful of shows, but I do not anticipate it being ready for months and definitely will not make it to at least one (or possibly more).