What would we pay for a new 914 ??

[Brad Roberts]

What would the average 914 "Joe" expect to pay for a brand new 914 ??

I mean hot off the presses built with modern equipment and stuffed with a modern engine and tranny ??


B

[rfoulds]

Isn't that a boxster? Especially since you say average Joe.

[bowlsby]

One way to look at it from consumer point of view is what is the competition? So 914s have no equal, I know, I know.

Compare a custom built new 914 to the new Minis, S-2000s and Miatas, add a bit for the custom and perfomance features and you should get a price the market will bear. Prolly not 15 or 20G, but less than 30 would be about right.

What I've wondered is why a simplified tube frame like a dune buggy can't be fabbed and existing fiberglass body parts just bolted on. Add suspension and drive train of choice. Dune buggies are basic cars and can be street legal.

[Hi_Fi_Guy]

Most people will simply say, the Boxster, and maybe they are right.

I guess the Audi TT represents the market segment & price that a "modern" 914-4 would fit into and the Boxster S would be the 914-6. The 2.7 Boxster would be somewhat of an anomoly... it has better performance than any stock 914-4 did but seems less thouroughbred than an original 914-6.

I own a 914-4 & a Boxster 2.7 and that is my take on it.

I am sure there are a few Subaru Turbo H-4 owners that feel like they own a "modern" 914-4. Personally, I am ready to tru a 3.2 DME in the 914... then I think I would drive the 914 more than the Boxster.

[Paul_Heery]

It all depends what you are giving me with the car. If you can provide a 36 month/50,000 mile warranty with local service and support, I would pay $19K to $23K. Start deducting for things you can't provide.

[Dan Koch]

I think it should be handled just like the Mini that recently went out of production. They were selling for about 25grand. They were beautiful. WAY better looking than the new Mini IMHO. I kind of think the 914 looks much better than the Boxter too, but I'm looking through the clouded vision of my obsession. The boxters are nice, but I want a car that..... What's the word I'm looking for. I guess it goes back to a time when cars were more pure. Not totally refigned. Completly refigned has its place and thank god for cars like these to get me back and forth to work every day. But I want a car that is "basic"(Ahhh the word I was looking for)so I can refign it to fit my likes, needs, desires and what ever else. I suppose these cars fit in to the self expression class. They are also very technical so they appeal to me in that way too. I guess just subtle updates(i.e. John Kelly flairs)but nothing too drastic. I love these cars and want them to go on as long as I live.

DANO

[Paul_Heery]

.

[kellzey]

About 4 years ago I was out our local Porsche dealer, talking with a long-time Porsche salesman.

He had just returned from Germany to visit the Porsche factory and the Porsche design facility.

He told me that Porshce (at the time) was thinking of reintroducing the 914 in some fashion. They had purchased the rights to the Honda del Sol platform from the Honda Corporation. The plan was to tweek the design and add Porsche suspension, and new engine.

Not sure how much of that was B.S., but it would have worked. The del Sol reminded me in many ways of the 914.

Regards,

[mike mueller]

I would guess in the low 20k range for a "new" 914.

to me, the Boxster is not a modern version of the 914.
Even if you took out all the extra weight and fluff from the Boxster, it's still a Boxster, just a more sport version of itself.


What makes the 914 a 914 is it's simplicity and size. More modern build techniques and an updated drivetrain would be nice, but don't go too far and try to make it something it is not. Keep the same formula. Look how popular the MR2 spiders and Miata are, simple and modern without too much fluff and size.


I'm not knocking the Boxster, I've driven a few of them and like them, but they lack the character and connectivity to the road like that of the 914.

As to the rumor of the DelSol, bad idea, it might save Porsche some money, but it will not be treated fairly once it's heritage is unmasked.

[3D914]

Brad,

THis is an interesting question. A form of which I was just considering, except there is one flaw in the question - average. I don't think most average people even give, or ever gave, the 914 a second look. I may be the only one (highly doubt it), but I think 914 owners are far from average in a variety of ways.

Anyhow, I was just thinking today that when I have 20-25K to spend on another vehicle, I would love to buy a 914 with very low miles, or a 914/6 in very good used condition. To get a new 914 for that same kind of money would be great!

Any chance Porsche would sell the production rights along with some of the sheet-metal dies? Hhmmm, if Delorian could do it with drugs, how hard would it be to do without drugs?

Put me on the buyers list!

[cshogen]

Hmmm.... first he wants production numbers, then this.... I hope the 2 are related.

I'd probably pay low-to-mid $20K's for a fully modernized "new" teener. Hopefully treated with rust inhibitor or chemically galvanized to prevent rot.

If so add me to the list of interested people!

[BlueMax]

Brad,

It is my understanding that Porsche has gotten rid of any 914 related tooling/dies many years ago. The last 914 complete bodies were reputed to have been bought by the german dealer Freisinger in Karlruhe, and that too was many years ago.
But like everyone else, if I could buy a "new" or even good used 914/6 I'd do so in a second.

Paul

[Jeroen]

This could be interesting... maybe a bit far off, but still
I think there would be quite a bit of interest if the built quality was good.

I think there's enough people out there that would like to have a "real" sportscar, that can deliver a real driving sensation.
You know, the stuff that Porsches were made of back when...

Not one of those ******* cars like the new MR2, S2000 or Miata's, which are IMHO a poor excuse for a sportscar

I'm thinking more in the lines of a Lotus Elise
Except with German build quality 8^)
Combine that with a serious Porsche drive train and I think you'd have a winner.

Tube frame, "plastic" body work, independent double-wishbone suspension
4 available "luxury" options: Leather seats, leather dash, radio, sigarette lighter.

914 looks with updated bumpers, flared fenders and 17"or 18" wheels

If the car could be kept seriously light and would have good power (about 250bhp, but more wouldn't hurt ofcoarse) you'd have something that would whoop a GT3 easily

If you'd be able to keep the price at or below Boxster level, I'd think you'd definatly have a market

Shoot, I could go on for hours and hours...
If you need more stoopid ideas or a european dealer, gimme a call 8^)

Cheers,

Jeroen

[Brad Roberts]

I asked the question, because people ask me all the time if I would build a "new" 914 if I had the oppurtunity.

Paul Heery nailed it all on the head by raising the question:

Support/Warranty. It's already semi tough to find anybody to work on these cars.

BlueMax (havent heard from you in awhile) do you think we could possibly locate any of those dies ??

This actually has nothing to do with my production numbers question.. I'm finishing a business plan for something else.

B

[Rouser]

Let's see ... a "newish" 914. Well, nobody (not even Porsche) is going to run out and start punching out "That 70's Show" 914's on-the-cheap, so let's see what Porsche could do today to satisfy our minimalist (read: cheaper) urges:

• * A scaled-back, smaller-Boxster/MR2-sized coupe (OK, maybe with an optional rag model with decently priced bolt-on top).
  * A 2.2L version of the VW/Audi 1.8T (to one-up the TT/Turbo S, and be able to participate in the aftermarket arena).
  * 6-speed or Tiptronic.
  * Typical amenities available (A/C, P/S, P/B, ABS, C/C, etc.), with "option delete" capability (if you wanna go Club Sport/Speedster).
  * Designed utilizing off-the-shelf parts, creating CROSS MODEL COMPATIBILITY (if you decide later you just GOTTA install that 996 PCCB brake system!).
  * NO Fly-By-Wire, NO moving-map GPS, NO IR, NO Infinity/Bose/Harmon Kardon/Bang-This Olfson.
  * Items I'm flexible on: electric speedo, windows, top, mirrors ...
  * Items I'm FIRM on: FULL, LEGIBLE instrumentation (Art Deco designers, take a HIKE!), AM/FM/CD (maybe XM too), steering wheel to die for, and I Can Service It Myself-ability (for us dyed-in-the-wool shadetree types).

So, how much? Low to mid 20K (thinly optioned Club Sport model), creaping up as you check off the option list (Sport Super). Porsche can do it, once the SUVster and Carrera GT start heading down the assembly line.

Who's to say they aren't penning a mini-Boxster as we speak?

[anthony]

It seems like the closest you could get to a "new" 914 right now would be a fully restored 914 with maybe a 3.0L 911 six installed or at least a hot 125HP four banger.

It seems that you could do a really nice restoration on a rust free chassis for about $15-17K with the hot four or $22-25K for the six. The thing is that I don't see many people doing this.

I think that psychologically it's hard to put $15-25K into a 914 when you can go out and buy an extremely nice example four for say $7K or a super clean low mileage 911SC for $15K.

[BlueMax]

Brad,

Regarding the "Freisinger" 914 dies, I got that information from Rolo when he and I worked together in Germany. Could try to email him and ask if those are still available - I doubt it though.
I think tube frame like Beck 550 spyder could be the ticket. Another idea Rolo and I discussed at the time was to basically disassemble a 914 and rebuild it after making every piece out of aluminum. Aluminum unit body with some tube frame or other stiffening and a nice AIRCOOLED 6!

I still dream of that.

Paul

[Brad Roberts]

Anybody out there head honcho with a bank ?

Would people buy a 25k dollar 914/6 basically brand new if you could finance it ? say 5k down ??

I know I would. Why cant we rebuild tubs and finance the sale ?

We are doing this anyway by using credit cards to make purchases for the car.

I met a person in NorTex that was duplicating a really rare racing Ferrari that was used in the 60's. He made wooden bucks from scale pictures of the car. He then hand fabbed aluminum panels over the bucks to shape this car. Bob Norwood was selling them for 50k apiece and had people lining up for them. He used modern Ferrari engines and modern suspension techniques to produce a car that was identical in shape and size, but "modernized".

B

[BlueMax]

Wasn't there a company a few years ago that remanufactured BMW 2002. These too are cult cars. It seems the method has been tried but who knows whether it was economical or not. A local shop here in Houston does a bare-tub body and paint at the rate of about one/month. He claims demand is higher but that is all he can handle. The owner's, all from the local BMW club, do their own reassembly. It would seem a 914 tub should be rebuildable the same way.

[kellzey]

Brad..

Sorta like this guy did with the 917

http://project917.itgo.com/

Not for the budget minded!

But I'd love to have one!

Regards,