Smooth sailing

[Curvie Roadlover]

I am a new owner of a 914 ('76 2.0). I have been reading several 914 BBS's for about 2 months and have been concerned about the incredible amount of trouble people have with them. I would like to hear from owners that perform routine maintainance and replace known wear items and otherwise have smooth sailing. Anybody out there?

[This message has been edited by Tom M. (edited 02-09-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Tom M. (edited 02-09-2000).]

[Joe Bob]

People have problems with them because the previous owners pounded on them, did not adjust the valves on them and change the oil...find a competent mechanic, join the PCA and talk to the local memebers in your area....

Good Luck.

[JP Noonan]

Of coarse this IS a BBS for technical questions. So it will tend to be one sided. Look at the picture pages on the home page, lots of nice looking 914's. Also check out the Owners Stories, and definatly check out the personal web pages.

I would say that as with any 25 year old (car, person, mobile home...) it's suitability for daily running is definatly related to how well it was mantained. Like the previous post said if the PO beat on the car and did halfassed repairs the car will have trouble. Also if it had a good record (I have receipts for $30,000+ going back to the first oil change in '76) but sat for years (mine sat for 7-8 years) there will be problems.

All in all it is a very basic car. No water cooling system (i.e. bad radiators, hoses, water pump failure), no power steering, no vaccuum assist brakes, no electric windows, hard targa vs. soft top or convertables, and th engine is box-o-rocks simple pushrod air-cooled VW motor that is legendary for reliability.

I think of it this way, if normal/reasonable maintainence should cost $100-$300 a year then compile all the years it was abused, (lets say 3) that means (IMHO) that I'd expect to spend $300-$900 right off the bat to get the car in tip-top. My budget is a little (O.K. A LOT) lower than that so I do the work myself, and use used parts. That's where the BBS comes in.


Problems with 75-76 to the best of my knowledge: run a little hotter due to the high backpressure exhaust sytem, and the parisitic air pump and EGR. The interlock seatbelt relay that came on the scene in 74 can fail. The interior colors are out of a bad '70's boogie knights movie, and I personally hate the bumpers, but I'm told that these have no impact on the reliability of the car

Fixes. If possible retrofit the 73-74 exhaust, by-pass the relay, and get seat covers.

[7391417]

I have owned my 914 for almost 2yrs now. My car was taken care of by all of its previous owners, the one I bought it from was not mechanically inclined but he had the car maintained. I love this car! I mean I really love this car. In the two years I have owned it, only three times have I found myself driving next to another 914, it is great to have such a unique car (I just bought a 91 Honda Accord 2 months ago and I have seen more than a few that look just like mine.)

But I digress- The 914 is a great car, almost nothing on the street can out handle it (especially considering that you paid less than 10K for it probably)

They are more than reliable if properly maintained. Most the money I have put into mine has been for upgrades and personalization, not mechanical failures.

Anyways congratulations on your 914 purchase, now take the top off and take it for drive!

-Brent

[ws91420]

Hey its great to see a another 914 newbie. I also have a 76 2L. The PO (prior owner) let the car sit for years w/o starting it. The ring had rusted to cylinder wall. I bought it for $800.00. The PO had shifting problems that is why he parked it. Imagine that when the clutch needed replacing and to top it off he had a whole new clutch set. Duh! I have been working on the motor with help occ. from Tom at PP. I should have on the road this spring.

[mejulihn]

It is a little bit like death and taxes... the older any car gets, the more attention it requires to remain reliable and trouble-free. The care your 914 has received from its previous owners (my guess is that not too many 914's still live with their original owners) has a lot to do with it, as already mentioned. It simply emphasizes a truth that many of us have found to be self-evident: the better this car is (or has been) maintained, the more it tends to be a joy to own.

[This message has been edited by mejulihn (edited 02-07-2000).]

[Curvie Roadlover]

The PO inherited the car from the original owner (his brother) who passed away. I got the impression he felt an obligation to keep the car in top shape as a tribute to his brother. I have all the records of all work done on the car since it was new including the window sticker. It runs great and everything works except the clock. But after reading the BBS's, I felt like I'd sort of purchased a timebomb. Keep the encouragement coming.
Thanks,
Tom M.
P.S.
7391417: I knew you must be from CA before I saw your profile if you've been alongside three others in 2 years. In this part of the country (Michigan), if I'm EVER alongside another 914, I'll be shocked.

[Joe Bob]

I consider the 914 as a great car to play with and commute with. I drive it every day to work except when it rains. If it is maintained by a competent owner and/or mechanic it will last as long as any other Porsche. It is suseptible to rust, like all cars and it is getting harder to get parts like all older cars.

But like the other Porsches and VWs there is a fantastic network of original and after market parts out there that should keep it running until we are all dust.....or until the Smog Nazis make us give them up....

Regards

MTZ
Asst.Smog Nazi with a sense of humor.

[campbellcj]

Second the comments about P.O. care and maintenance. Even so, properly 'fixed up' there's no reason any decent teener can't be a reliable driver. (Knock on wood) mine's gotten me around daily for 7 months now with only one glitch [ignition switch], which was easily fixed in <2 hours and <$100. The car had not really been 'neglected' by the P.O. but more like unused/ignored. So quite a few things were rotted, old, cracked, out-of-tune etc. The huge majority of the $$ I've put into it is restoration/enhancement, not repair. That said I don't think it's prudent to have a teener or any 20-30 year old car as one's only car though...like most folks, sometimes I really really need to get places, i.e. work, and/or haul stuff or passengers around. I think MikeZ and I have the right system -- *at least* 2 Porsches at all times, plus a truck/SUV for hauling, family road trip, and foul weather duty.

[stelan]

You are right having a backup car helps, I have a 92 vw jetta that my wife drives everyday (50k miles only) I drive a 90 vw jetta carat (100k miles so far) my kid 16 years old drives an 85 white vw cabriolet and I have a 72 914 2.0 and a 69 triumph gt6 in the garage for whenever the other ones get sick! Cool is in it?