914/4 as a Daily Driver, Thoughts?

[Dave Colangelo]

My current daily driver is a minivan, and in short I have had enough of it. I do own an 88 924s and a 78 911SC but for various reasons those can not be my daily drivers. Today I found a very decent 72 914/4 for a reasonable price. The car would be my daily driver for the most part. I am in college and dont drive every day because I can walk to class and just about every where I need but some places require driving. I will be using it every day this summer to get to work.

So to the question,
Has any one used this car as there DD or know how reliable they are, I know they are P-cars and require a bit more than your average car and I am willing to do that, but if they are reasonable reliable then this could be a serious possibility.

Regards
Dave

[David McLaughlin]

My 914 has been put to DD use several times over the years. When my newer cars are in the shop or I'm between new cars, my 914 has not let me down. Yes, things have broken but it has never left me stranded.

[racer]

In the northeast, to me, a "nice" 914 quickly becomes less so once exposed to road salt, sand, grime of winter. 30+ year old cars with no factory rust proofing. No AC. Leaky tops and, compared to your SC, no hp

The very reasons you don't seem to want to DD your SC will be the same reasons you would tire of your 914.

Smelly heat too never impresses the college ladies either.

You would want 4 snows for winter use to have any chance of getting around.

I DD my 914 in highschool. I was young and foolish. No ac.. sticky vinyl seats; also, only 70-100hp and 2000lbs when all around you are 3-5-7K pound cars/trucks with drivers that dont pay attention.

If you lived in souther cali I 'd say go for it. It will be a harder go of it in the northeast.

Also, given age, more frequent maintenance needs.. timing, points, plugs, valve adjustments etc.. in the 3-5K range for optimal performance, and with only 80hp, you'll want optimal performance. Their simplicity, however, is their reliability. But sourcing parts may not be as quick as a trip to Napa for item "X".

Check the rust usuals..longs, battery boxes, trunks, under weather striping, floorboards.. well, essentially anything metal

[quicksix]

I used my six for a daily driver in Sacramento traffic for about 4 years, no problems.
If I were going to do it again,I would find a 4 cylinder with fuel injection,bone stock.I would do a complete maintenance service,get some spare parts to go with me and then go enjoy

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

A good 914 can be used as a daily driver for a while. But at some point it will break. More often than not you will either be at home when it happens, or you will still be able to make your way home. But it will still be less functional, and it will require work to get it back to more functional.

If it's your only driver, that really sucks. If you have another occasional car, that's a lot easier to deal with.

Can your SC or your 924S be pressed into daily service at need, without a couple of days worth of work? If not, I would not use the 914 as a daily driver. If so, then the 914 should make a fun daily driver.

It works less well in actual weather than many cars do. For instance, there is no ABS, it is low enough to get high-centered fairly easily on packed snow, the top weatherstripping seals are notoriously leaky, and the heat is often marginal and/or stinks of oil.

At one point, a 914 was my only car. I commuted by bike about half the time, usually because I wanted to, but sometimes because the 914 was dead.

Things got much easier when I picked up an old Honda Civic. (Actually a CRX. And it wasn't that old at the time.) That car and its successor served me well for almost 20 years, only stranding me twice. I would suggest something similar if you don't want to deal with the constraints a 914 can place on you.

--DD

[Magic1062]

I've used my '74 914w/9014 kit as a daily off and on for years. Two webers, so it's loud and you get a wiff of gas sometimes. Awesome! Nothing like it and most of the time, no one has seen one before.

[Clay Perrine]

My wife uses her 74 1.8 as a daily driver, and has for years. 335,000 miles, and 27 years both her and the 914 are still going strong.

It has working AC, but the heat is disconnected (her choice).

[SKUC]

Mine is DD for the past 2.5 years. I don't drive when snow or ice is present. Only left me stranded once when the clutch cable popped. Mine is garaged both at work and home otherwise I would not do it. The no a/c is not fun in Oklahoma.
Oh yea......commuting with crazy people and driving a small car makes you hyper aware of your surroundings.

[RSBob]

If it doesn't rain much where you live or snow, then it might be viable. 914s are notorius at letting rain into the cabin unless well sealed and rusting if you live in a snowy climate. Carry spare fuses, relays, cables, and a full set of tools for the inevitable - unless you keep your car maintianed to the max. I would recommend having a PPI done where all the evils are revealed and get them solved before putting it into duty.

[campbellcj]

I had a 73 2.0 daily-driver for several years, granted my daily commute was barely 3 miles each way at that time. As Dave says above, it would be best to have another daily-driver capable vehicle for bad weather or when the 914 needs work.

I did lose a CV joint once which stranded me a couple miles from home, but other than that, my car was extremely reliable and a lot of fun.

[John Rogers]

Our daughter learned to drive in a 914 back in 1997 and it was her daily driver for about 10 years and the original engine lasted probably 130,000 miles or so. That included 2 to 3 auto-x events a month for 5 or 6 years, driving from San Diego to Sacramento for the 2000 Porsche Parade, winning her class and then driving home waiving her large plate at every car that went by! We were very proactive in maintenance and did things such as replace all cables every 2 years, shift bushings every 2 years, dumping in a can of Marvel Mystery Oil every month, running synthetic oil and changing it and the filter every 3000 miles. Oh yeah, it was a D-Jet with a Web hydraulic lifter cam that did have a lifter stick and we just stuck a replacement in and it ran for 3 more years. It had BMW calipers with a tee replacing the prop valve and she went through a set of front brake pads every 18 months or so.

Bottom line is that you have to be a "car guy" and be very proactive with maintenance or it will not work.

[Dave Colangelo]

To answer some of the questions above. The SC can be a daily driver if need be. That car is in great shape the issue with that is that I am down at school in PA and the car is back home in NY. I am trying to get a garage for it down here, and if I can then I will have no issue using that as my DD if need be. As for the pit falls of the 914 I am aware of most of them, thanks to this forum and some related articles. Basically I am now driving a 2005 Chrysler T&C minivan. It has 81K on it and I hate it. There is nothing fun about it, and although its practical it is just the worst to drive. From what I gather the 914's are good if well kept and thats what I plan to do if I get one. The seller has a spare engine and trans that he may be willing to throw in to the deal, if that is the case I will rebuild the spare engine and then swap them at some point. My plan will be,

Oil and oil filter, every 2.5K
Distributor and rotor, plugs, fuel filter, and air filter every 5K.
I am still reading about the valves but it seems every 5K would also be appropriate for that job.
Other fixes as they are needed of course, I will not know most of this until i go look at the car next week.

Regards
Dave