What do you say

[eric_ciampa]

This past weekend on two seperate occasions i got crap for owning a 914. And one was from a 16 year old girl!
purchased my first 914 last summer. I know all about the joint project between porsche and VW. and how it came to be about. AND THANK GOD THEY DID. I LOVE THIS CAR. I will be the first to admit that considering its porsche competition that the car is underpowered and that the car has some VW blood in them especially the type 4 engine. But give this car some credit. It is a mid engine sports car with lots of goodies.
Anyways sorry guys i just felt like venting. I know exactly what my car is and i love it.
But the reason for this post is to see how you guys respond to people bashing on the car.
WHAT DO YOU SAY? just curroius

[Barber Dave]

SAY" YEA THEY JUST DON'T MAKE GOOD CARS ANYMORE DO THEY" DAVE

[Hi_Fi_Guy]

This is a fun topic.

1.) Once they know my daily driver is a Boxster they tend to shutthehellup.

The thought processes go something like this... Everyone assumes that Boxsters, or any new Porsche must cost at least $85k or everyone would have them, if this guys can afford an $85k car he must be smarter than me, if he is smarter than me maybe I do not know what I am talking about bashing his 914.

2.) Let my RAT 2270 Type-IV do the talkin' (actually out of the car right now which leads me to...)

3.) Let a 3.2 DME do the talkin' (or some sort of flat-six)

Seriously... we don't have to be offended insecure sports car owners nor do we have to be ineffective porsche snobs. The best way to show someone what the 914 is all about is to take them for a ride or better yet let them take you for a ride in your car.

The 914 is a unique experience that a lot of people just will never "get". Those of us who do have a secret that we can share with as many people as possible... these are great and fun little sports cars that are/were way ahead of their time.

Lastly, don't worry so much about what others think. You know you have the best car in the world every time you slide behind the wheel and fire her up. Now, that's what it is all about.

[Racerbvd]

The best one was when some clown in a Fiero with a 308 body kit on ragging on my old 73 2.0, well I smoked his ass at a stoplight and he couldn't hang at all!!!!

[Bruce Allert]

I've never gotten crap for this car. Just the opposite. Most "kids" refer to it as "drool material"!
Anyone that puts down something someone has is nice or different is just showing their ignorance. I love my PITA and let they that don't stick it up..........
where everyone can see it!
bruce

[bludden]

One of my stepson's friends asked me if I owned the "ugly" Porsche. I sent him a pic and he said, :"yep, thats it, I hate those cars".

I feel the same way about his pickup and his '91 Firebird before that so no big deal.

I remember when I was saving my 88 Accord for my younger stepson. He said if I gave it to him he would sell it and get a "cool car", a Neon! WTF?

I own a new Turbo S New Beetle - not an expensive car, but I bet I get more looks and positive comments about it than a lot of more expensive cars. Especially from women.

And 16 year old girls don't need to be in Porsches. Fun loving, hot, smart women deserve them.

[6 Shooter]

Big deal.... don't let it bother you. If someone doesn't like it, their taste/choice doesn't matter. They don't count. All that matters is that you like your car. It's yours. Don't build your car to make someone else happy. If you like how another 914 looks/sits/handles/performs, then build yours that way. If someone else likes it, fine. If they don't, maybe they just don't "get" it. Not everyone is going to have a clue.

[scg]

Hell, give 'em something they can understand! Have them play NFS:Porsche in a quick race -- they get a 72 911S (heck, make it a 73 Carrera!) while the computer gets 7 914 2.0's They'll finish near the back of the pack every time.

Seriously, just smile knowingly to yourself and head for some twisties and enjoy the car knowing they'll never know what they're missing....

scott

[Curvie Roadlover]

6 shooter said exactly what I feel about these cars. When I 'm driving it, I always catch people's heads turning to look, but I figure (and this is especially true in this part of the country where sightings are VERY RARE), if they aren't turning to look, they just don't get it.

[Rog914]

Cheer up and think about it. This is the way I see it. We got the best of both worlds. It's a mid engine car designed by PORSCHE. Plus you have the best aircooled engine VW ever put out, the Type IV. I hate it when people say "You got a VW motor in there". And there thinking it's beetle engine. To me I have an affordable 550 or 904 without the hassle of the hard to tune and expensive 4 cam engine. Plus there's so many options (if you have the bucks)out there. If you want 6 cyl. no problem it'll fit right in. I could go on and on but, it all comes down to is as long you like it, the heck with everybody else.




74 2.0

[Zeke]

You say, "If the 914 was such a bad idea, why was the 914 inspired mid-engine Boxster single handedly credited with the saving of Porsche AG from certain bankruptcy?"

Porsche lost 300 million each year for three years prior to the introduction of the Box. The cube's overwhelming sales figuers were the first of a few modern day successes for the marque. This according to recent articles in Autoweek and Barrons.

OT for this thread, but if GM pursued the non-use of the name Chevy as Porsche and VW do with their respective trademarks, due to the huge Chevy aftermarket industry in this country alone, we would absolutely see hard times in our economy. In fact, in the lastest issue of Autoweek, GM was lauded for leading the way from economic disaster stemming from the events of 9/11/01 by offering 0 percent interest on new cars. Self serving? Maybe. But it worked. One in seven American workers is somehow involved in the auto industry.

[derek_sf]

why don't you just compare your '74 car with other '74 cars and then see what they say. pinto's and gremlins are some pretty hot american cars for the day. LOL.

[AFJuvat]

Or you could just ask them:

"...and what kind of Porsche do you own?"

AFJuvat

[guards73/2.0]

I went back and looked at your region, and that might be part of
the problem ( not really a problem with your car, just mass acceptance thereof). I visited out there years ago ( Palo Alto), and was shocked to find all of the running, daily driven crappy 914's ot there. You see NONE of those here, since out climate kills
all the ratty ones, making them not safe to drive as is, and not worth fixing. I think most people appreciate and old car in nice condition. I can imagine a Ford Fairmont from the late 70's or a LeCar, or Yugo in concours shape at a gas station, and yeah, I'd look....you just don't see those much, and those are a couple of the all-time lemons. But a perfect one would still be a cool sight!
Keep your car nice and anyone who loves cars will love yours even if they don't know what great cars 914's are. I like that the
Boxter has given sportscar enthusiasts a fond remembrance of 914's , even among those who panned the car in the 70's due to bad press and an identity crisis.

[BenI]

"not a real Porsche" is such a bogus arguement. Remind me who designed the first VW and the amazing robust engine that not only powered the Type 1 as the best selling car of all time, but whose close cousin can also be found in 356s? Oh yeah, Ferdinand Porsche. When jokers say "It's not a real Porsche" I tell them that air-cooled VWs are rooted in original Porsche design.

[red-beard]

I've usually had the opposite experience. Most people seemed impressed with the car, even my old 1971 (now departed...heh heh heh)....

My next door neighbor back in NY started using the 914 in his car racing video game.

Me impressed, no.

James

[psu914]

I go to penn state, and while driving through town friday i got **** from a freshman about my car not being cool. f@#!! them if they don't like it, its the only one in town.

[Potter]

Remember that kid in your 4th grade art class? You know, the one who would sneak up behind you when you were putting the finishing touches on some really really cool clay figure (that you were going to give your mother) and then pounce over your shoulder and smash it. Those kids grow up to make 914 VW comments. They were losers then, and they are losers now.

[campbellcj]

Camaro-driving-toothless-dickweed: "Isn't that one of them porshes that's really a VW?"

You: "Yep, what's yer point?"

Camaro-driving-toothless-dickweed: (smirk & chuckle)

You: "wanna race? I pick the road...."

Camaro-driving-toothless-dickweed: "uh, I gotta go..."

[red-beard]

"Dickweed"

I used to over-use that expression! I figured this out one day when I looked at my wife, after someone cut us off, and said:"You know what that guys is?"

Non plussed, she says "yeah. a dickweed."

Hadda stop using it then....

James