Insult to modified 914's in European Car...

[campbellcj]

Check out EC's response to Rennlister Mark Litherland's letter regarding modified (i.e. turbo) 914's:

http://www.nosubstitute.org/articles/MarkL_EC_June01

[SteveStromberg]

The guys at the mag are Kook's trying to be Barneys. The mag is a joke I have checked it out in the past. I you want to Turbo your car Go for it.Who give a ---- what those jerks think. I will race any of their car's with my SAAB Sonnet (Ford V-4 industrial motor) In time trials or hill climb and whoop their Butts. I have shown my tail lights to many guy who thougth they had fast cars, You should see the look on their faces when I leave in the turns.No one can go faster thur a turn than a SAAB Sonnet. I have dusted many a Mustang, BMW,ect. All with just 68 hp under the hood.Steve

[scg]

I saw the writing on the wall when they changed from VW & Porsche to EC and didn't renew -- haven't lookd back since.

Steve: Is your Sonnet green or orange (my favorite colors for those great 2 strokers)

scott

[72porsche914]

Hey Steve, have you found an 850GT yet?

I want to post a pic of my green 74 Sonett III. Is it the same on all UBB boards?

[72_914]

What a joke. They seem to be just like everyother car mag anymore. No body seem sto respect older cars, especially ones that have been modified. They talk about a 2.0l EFI turbo that dynoed at 400+ hp. I'm sure I could get that out of my 914 for the same amount of money!! I'm sure Mark put his turbo together for what the same guy is paying a month for a car payment. Total HP was not the point Mark was trying to make but somehow it turned into it. Some people just can't apreciate a nice cheap sports car, that would proably beat many of their readers butts. I don't know about you but 135hp would be a nice change from 80hp!! Sorry but people like EC piss me off, thats why I recomend Grassroots Motorsports, I'm sure they would love his 914.

------------------
James
Cincinnati, OH
1972 1.7L
My 914 page

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Actually, Sam Gore built the Turbo, then sold it to Mark. I think he may still read this forum occasionally...

--DD

[sammyg2]

Who, me?
Yup, I bought the turbo as a basket case (in boxes actually). The previous owner had dreamed up the project and had collected most of the parts, all I did was put em together and get it running.
It was a little rough around the edges when it comes to things like a choke or intercooler, but it was a first attempt and turned out well IMHO. I had a blast in that car and still miss it occasionally.
Since then there are several other turbo 914s either built and running, being built, or being designed. I expect each one to improve as the learning curve is collectively attacked.
I wonder why those guys at EC didn't compare that turbo motor they were talking about to a new 996 twin turbo?
Apples to apples, not new motors compared to 30+ year old designs.



------------------
Gerald Gore II (Sam)
73 914 350 small block

[SteveStromberg]

My Sonnet is a 1972 with 28,000 miles it is Linda Blair Green. I am still looking for an 850 gt Monte Carlo anyone know of a nice one? Steve

[vw@micron.net]

What was wrong with EC's reply? He prefaced with the fact that we love our cars, and that is what matters.
His point about old turbo designs is true.
His point about needing proper engine managenemt to extract the most power and reliability is also true.
Face it, 99% of European Car's readers couldn't identify a turbo, much less perform a conversion! Just be happy that you can.
Steve Arndt

[oredith]

i think it's the "knuckle-dragging" part that's annoying me..

sure, i've rode and driven in a 400+hp turbo supra.. sure, i've been in the car when we STOMPED other imports (like the GSX that EC is eluding to, i think).. but i think my 914 can hold it's own.. it won't be as fast in a straight line, nor hold as much boost.. but throw some turns into that race, and i think my 914 will come out ahead..

hell, without the turbo, my 914 was running same times as the supra..

-----
Jeff
Turbo 914 - semi daily driven at 8psi, will soon be 12psi

[JmuRiz]

Jeff,

Keep up the good work on that "knuckle-dragging" project of yours. I wish my car were as "primative" as yours Keep us updated on the good work and progress!!!

Nathan
PS: I still can't use the links on your web page, any ideas?

[oredith]

ideas?.. yes.. stop trying..

that page hasn't been updated in about 2 years.. i'm working on a new one now..
www.snailpower.com

no.. don't bother going there, there's even less there than the page i've got listed right now..

if all goes well, i should have that page up in a month or so.. and hopefully by that time, i'll be at 12psi, or building the new engine for it..

[Wayne 962]

So what do you think? Cancel my ad in European Car?

-Wayne

[Rob-O]

I would, Wayne. I stopped way back after the change to EC from VW & Porsche. Haven't even had the urge to pick it up at the newsstand since.

Now "Excellence" on the other hand...

I do believe I'd keep that add.

Wayne, everytime I go to the newstand I pick up Excellence, Hot VWs, VW Trends, Grassroots, that foreign Porsche mag that you write in, and then I just browse the covers of the rest. If one of them has 1 or 2 great articles I buy the mag.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Wayne, I think you should base your decision on the "ec" ad solely on if it is working for the business or not. If it gets people to show up to the website, and/or buy parts, then keep it. If not, then maybe cancel it.

Frankly, who cares if they call some of the niftiest 914s I know of "knuckle-draggers"? It's not like you'll have any real effect on their editorial position by pulling one ad. (And frankly, if it did have an effect I'd respect them even less than I do now...) The magazine isn't really intended for people like "us" here on this BBS.

If the ad is working for Pelican, then keep it. I really don't want to see this resource go away, nor do I want to see you and Tom go broke supporting it. I think that concern takes precedence (by a long shot) over the "less-than-entirely-enlightened" editorial views in the magazine.

--DD

[B Komar]

Here's one BBS participant that came to you through European Car. I think that the magazine is a good "generic" car magazine. Not alot of substance... but there are some good pics and sometimes some unusual stuff in there. Excellence, GRM, and Panorama also get deposited in my mailbox so I guess you could call me uh..."well rounded" but I first noticed the PP ad in EC. I must admit that I have had to just shake my head at some of the things that are said in EC. I followed "Mr." Clemens' articles about rallying and really got psyched up about trying that...he wrote his article implying that rally would be a great way to get started in motorsports. I called and talked to him... and was SOOO rebuffed and told that Rally was strictly a PROFESSIONAL sport and that I had no business even thinking about it. I immediately wrote an e-mail to the EC editor about my experience with this and never received a reply and wasn't posted in the Letters section. Still, a subscription special at less than $10.00 a year can't be beat...even if it is just for the pictures! Brian

[Wayne 962]

B Komar, that makes no sense? You registered for this BBS in March. I didn't start advertising in EC until May!

???

-Wayne

[Wayne 962]

I'm just not sure whether the readers of EC are reading it for the cool pictures, or whether they are enthusiasts of the cars. I have a tendency to think that the readers are all 13-year boys who want to own these cars, VW rabbit owners trying to soup up their 76-HP engines, or older BK workers who are dreaming of owning a 996.

It's nearly impossible to tell where our readers and advertisers are coming from...

-Wayne

[David McLaughlin]

Ok, I wasn't going to comment on this topic, but it's been going on for so long that I must.

I have beea a reader of that magazine since it's VW Porsche days. It has changed with the name change, but I'm still and avid reader. It now falls into the same catagory of Roadent Track, Carson Diver, and Motor Lenz. It is good for it pictures as noted above, and new car reports. On increasingly rare occasions, there is a good article for the grassroots crowd and tinkerers. After a few years of letting my subscription slide, I renewed only to realize it's not a magazine that I can read cover to cover like excellence. It has now gone the way of Playboy. I used to read it as a teenager and in my early twenties when I thought my 8V Golf was the balls, but now it's only good for a few chuckles and "humph look at that" comments. The Photography is nice and sometimes I get to the articles, but once this two year subscription is done, i will not pick up another issue.

Ok, next on the soap box...

PS: If anyone is interested, those other magazines will be hitting ebay this week in hopes to raise some cash to fund the 914/6 to GT conversion and restoration.


------------------
Dave
1970 914/6
1995 Golf GTI-VR6
1996 Passat TDI
djm914-6@mediaone.net
http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/pmpre/pm.cgi?action=display&login=DJM914-6