914 questions from 944 owner

[scottmandue]

Well here I am thinking of going to a simpler Porsche, I have done some searches on this board but I'm trying to get some specific input and have not been able to find it in a search.

My Porsche is my second fun car so it does not have to be practical (I am more interested in speed than comfort)
I'm not a rich man so I want something that is not incredibly expensive to maintain, however I am a 944 owner so I am not afraid to spend some money to keep the car in good condition.

My budget is around $10000 - I would like to spend less, but I have read enough here to know I don't want to get a rust bucket!

I am a little confused about the different engines, is bigger better? My budget puts the 6 off the list so should I look for a 2.0? Carb or FI?

Transmission - I drove a friends 914 about twenty years ago, tranny felt like my brothers 1958 VW, really turned me off to the 914, but I hear Porsche improved the trans in later cars. Which trans should I look for?

So my question is "which 914 gives the most bang for the buck?" or maybe "can a 944 owner find happiness in a air cooled Porsche?"

I'm sure this question comes up from time to time so thanks for your patience and your input,

Scott

[kellzey]

For about $5K to $7.5K, I would look for a 1973 or 1974 2.0L with original fuel injection. You can get a real cherry car in this price range. T

he 2.0L are the most desirable and the 1973 and later cars had the better shifting tranny. Most sloppy tranny's can be improved with new shifter bushings which aren't that expensive and are relatively easy to install.

Fuel injection is reliable and efficient if properly maintained. There is lots of help on this board to make yours run right.

I'd avoid carbs unless you like to adjust them often, but they can produce more power, especially if you have a hotter cam in the motor.

Rust is your main enemy for 914s. Especially around the battery tray and suspension points underneath.

Look for a car in California or Arizona. They tend to be the least rusty specimens.

Check out the classified on this site or 914club.com or in the Recycler.

Have someone who knows 914 go with you. I'm sure there are some listers here on the board that can help you out.

Good luck!

[anthony]

With your budget I'd look for a '73-74 2L car in the best possible condition. They come standard with a lot of nice options:

larger engine
front and rear sway bars
center console with gauges
chrome bumpers
Fuchs alloys
limited smog equipment compared to later cars
higher resale value / faster resale if need be


A super nice daily driver goes from anywhere between $4K and 7K. Beyond that you're looking at concours condition cars or cars with special features - extensive upgrades, a $5K paint job, a $5K 150hp motor, etc.


Shifting will always be crappy compared to most other cars but when properly adjusted it works fine.

Remember, even when you buy a 30 year old car in excellent condition you will always have a long list of things to do for it. Most of which on a 914 are easy to do yourself.

[jamcleod]

this reply will probably get me kicked off the board but (at this moment) i'd say: don't do it. the 914 is relatively crude, simple, with less creature comforts of a 944. they are pre galvanized. i am sort of considering going back to a 944! (fantasy world that i live in). brouse this BB and see all the problems people are having to solve and, i guess, compare to the 944 BB. i haven't seen the 944 part so i don't know the action there. gee, i might like to have a/c and a radio! lots of people are asking about more powerful engines. it's alot of new stuff to get into. i guess i'm a bit frustrated now, lot's of sweat equity and still have a miss in the ignition. now today, i was told i need new front struts. what do you want out of your new venture with a 914?

[Paul_Heery]

Originally posted by anthony
With your budget I'd look for a '73-74 2L car in the best possible condition. They come standard with a lot of nice options:

larger engine
front and rear sway bars
center console with gauges
chrome bumpers
Fuchs alloys ...

Sorry Anthony, but I need to correct you on this one. The 1973 2L cars had that equipment as standard. However, for the 1974 model year, the 2L cars were stripped down cars in their basic configuration and everything was, once again, an option. In my garage, I have a 1974 2L 914 with:

No sway bars
No center console
No chrome bumpers
No Fuchs alloys

[anthony]

That is technically true. My understanding though is that most '74 2L's came "fully loaded" just like the '73s. In any case I'll amend my advice to look for those options if you are looking at a '74.

Since the thread starter is in CA I'll also add that '73 and earlier cars are currently smog exempt. A '74 will be exempt in 2004 so it will only require 1 smog check.

[Ron Meier]

Wrong Bucko - the state smog nazis (you listening MikeZ) have decided to kill the smog exemption for 30 year old cars, as far as I have heard. No more will be added.

I own a '74 and was really hoping, but my '70 is looking real good these days.

True or not, I wouldn't purchase a '74 and assume it will be smog exempt" in two years.

[unclerichy]

Well, there ya have it. I have both a 73 and a 74, and as many Californian's on the board can attest to, they are not easy to smog.

So it looks like you want a 1973 2.0L with whatever options you like. I guess that's specific enough.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Hey, Ron, where'd you hear that? Not good news for us with 74+ 914s....

Even if the laws have not yet been changed, it's still a real gamble to buy a 74 with the presumption that it won't need to be tested past 2003. Unless you can't find a 73 that is good enough, stick with something that you know will have fewer hassles.

BTW, all of the later stuff can be fitted onto an earlier car. The engine bolts up (if you get it complete), the later tranny bolts up if you use a "converter bushing", the sway bars are almost a bolt-up operation (OK, a little drilling required and you do need to remove the gas tank), and so on. So you can update an older car, or a later that that didn't have the options, with some work.

With $10K to spend, you could get a really really great 73 2.0. Or you could get a 914-6 that needs quite a lot of "help". Or a Six conversion with some issues.

The 914 isn't going to be a very fast car without serious infusions of cash. (Just ask JPIII!) It can, however, be really very quick. And it won't have to slow down much for the corners. It is truly a "one with the road" type of driving experience. Comfort is a very very secondary concern with these cars; they are loud and tend to be hard-riding, most have no A/C (the dealer-installed one requires cutting a bunch of the car that I don't like), the heat is often very poor... But they connect you directly to the road, no power steering or power brakes or automatic transmissions or any of that junk to get in the way.

They're also 30 years old for the most part. They can be cantankerous, and they do require frequent maintenance. But at least you aren't spending $$ equal to the value of the whole car for a 60K mile service... Maintenance costs on the 914 are theoretically lower than the 944, though you have to do the work more often. Parts are generally less than 944 ones, but a lot more than Bug parts. (A lot of people expect Bug parts prices--"Hey, it's just a VW right?")

A lot can be done with the basic 914 platform. V8s, 911 engines, large-displacement four-bangers, homemade turbo setups, and so on. They make good full-out race cars, and can be made such with surprisingly little money. (Yes, $10K is a very small amount of money to convert a street car to a real live race car!)

You should be able to find a really good 914 within your budget, and quite possibly have a decent chunk left over!

--DD

[Joe Bob]

The 73 2.0, 914 is the most sought after with the 74 right after it....

I got a REAL good deal on a cosmetically challenged 914/6....a real one for 8500.00. Since they only made a slight percentage of 914s in the 6 version with the distinctive body serial number....I would try and find one of those.

You'll less of a bath on your "investment" and when the 911 snobs at the gas pump ask if it's a real six....you can say sure......

[rdvnac]

Had a 951 and a '92 Carrera 2, along with several BMW M cars. I have also had 5 914s over the years. My favorite of the bunch, and my current car, is the 914. IMHO you just can't beat the responsiveness, character and simplicity.

Mike Z. is dead-on re the factory six, you're least likely to loose $$ on them and there is a lot of market interest of late. The ideal one, IMHO, is a factory six but with an updated, tweaked engine. As others have said, a well-sorted '73 or '73 2.0 4-cylinder is an excellent choice too.

Finally, can't speak to carbs on a 4, but once the carbs on a six are set up correctly (which admittedly might take some effort), they're great. I have put a TON of miles on my 6 over the last few months in all sorts of conditions (just got back from an 800 mile trip that included everything from a one hour traffic jam to numerous 100 MPH sprints) and the carbs have performed flawlessly and returned very good MPG.

Good luck.

[Ron Meier]

The rumor about smog exemption being dead would have come from a rebuilder or one of the core sellers that deal with us. I haven't tried to verify this information.

That said, the reason given is that the "tree hugger, save the rat federation" thinks there are to many gross "greenhouse gas" burners out there. The idea is to force people into new cars.

Through an BAR Vehicle Retirement Assistance Program, as I remember, you can get $1,000 for any car that:

1.) Has at least the drivers door & glass
2.) Driver seat
3.) One window not broken
4.) Can pull forward under it's own power for 10' and stop

There ae other conditions, I have the paper work at my office.

[anthony]

Are you sure about the $1000?

I just junked a car and found that they would have given me $500 if I had junked a car that ran and was currently registered.

[Joe Bob]

The program is NOT State sponsored, so it depends on what the local air districts have for funding.....sometimes the oil companies pitch in bucks for what is called "emmission credits".....


They pay to remove gross polutters to be able to emit from the smokestack 50% of what is removed by paying for the cars.....cheaper to pay for the cars than pay for more pollution controls on the plant smokestack......

As to the rolling 30 year exemption....it is still on the books and the 74s will be exempt soon....

[scottmandue]

Thanks folks, great info!

So if I decide to get a 914 Iwill look for a 73 or 74 FI.

I have heard something about a "side shifter?" what is that?

What bothers me is I don't think I should have two Porsches because:

A. I am a bachelor and I already have two cars and two non-running motorcycles so I need a third like a hole in the head.
B. I only drive the car on the weekends/vacation and Porsches need to be driven!
C. I'm not a rich man so I'm not sure I can afford upkeep on two Porsches.

Although...

A. I don't have a wife to kick me in the head for having too many toys.
B. Darn wouldn't it be fun to have two Porsches!
C. I am a native So. Californiain, so I'm already in a great place to buy a 914 and I don't need heat or air conditionig.
D. Pelican does 914 PPI's

[Andyrew]

What bothers me is I don't think I should have two Porsches

I bought 3 914s as a first car and have 2 944t in the garage avalible, keep in mind that im 15 and i own the 914's and Dad, dan10101, has the turbo's. i have very little money and i finally drove my 914 yesterday for the first time, finally got it working... so.... just showing you that having more than one is not bad, oh ya i learned to drive on a 944t with roll bars and racing seats... woops, just rambling

[scottmandue]

Originally posted by Andyrew

I bought 3 914s as a first car and have 2 944t in the garage avalible, keep in mind that im 15 and i own the 914's and Dad, dan10101, has the turbo's. i have very little money and i finally drove my 914 yesterday for the first time, finally got it working... so.... just showing you that having more than one is not bad, oh ya i learned to drive on a 944t with roll bars and racing seats... woops, just rambling

Andrew, I'm sure you have heard this before,
you are a very lucky young man!

"There are kids in China who don't have ANY 914s!"

[red-beard]

"There are kids in China who don't have ANY 914s!"

LMAO!!!

James