Value of 914's - Will they ever be collectible?

[vesnyder]

Wanted to get some thoughts on the value and potential appreciation of 914's. A little history - I bought a salvage, beat up, mostly rust free 914 a couple years ago to give me something to restore. Having a 911, and having worked on VW as a kid, the 914 was a natural fit! Now that I am done the car came out pretty good and runs OK. Still has the power of a VW, but handles well. These cars are becoming very rare on the street with a very distinctive look. I am at the point now where the car is worth about what I have into it - at least according to my math - and I am trying to assess do I sell it or hold onto it? I've read comparisons to the 356 - that these cars will be appreciating drmatically over the next couple years. These cars are dying fast - my car took three donor cars to put it together!

Take a look!

[nota]

if it has a 6 yes VW NOT REALY
BUT they are near double new 1970s price allready
to bad karman was so good at rust

[racer]

Yes.. some of them will. In order (assuming all are ORIGINAL and unmolested. once you start pulling 3-4 cars together to build 1, then, we know the market has become absurd )

1) 914-6. only a couple thousand produced. Rare and exclusive. Most "100pt concours" examples can command $25-30K in the US. Suprisingly, this value is still less than the dollar adjusted 1970 sales price (They were $6k new)

2) '73-'74 2.0L. The more options the better. They were the next best "performing" 914 model

3) All others(1.7 or 1.8). These will come down to condition only. Some prefer the early 1.7 with its fixed seats, footrest and lighter weight vs the slightly less powerful and heavier 1.8l cars.

Now, can these be $50k-100K cars? yeesh. not for another 20 years is my guess. The 914's in the US never had the allure the 356's did. They were "bastard" Porsches. Unloved by all those who never owned one. Unliked by 911 and 356 owners who were "beaten" by them. Recall that they are not "fast" cars (same as the 356) but handled incredibly well.

Similar to 356 in that first - Speedsters are most desired, then cabs/convertibles, then coupes. Early cars, then later cars with the "b"s lagging behind.

Also, there are a lot of modded 914s. I call them the "r-group" equivalent. Customized. Bigger (911) motors, brakes etc. They don't derive price by actual value but by a buyers desire for a particular car.

[anthony]

914s already are collectible. As with any collectible, condition and originality have a huge impact on price. I think we are seeing that now with 914s. Original cars in nice shape are going up and crap cars are still priced where they were 3-4 years ago. My '74 2.0L has appreciated nicely since I bought it. Still, I sincerely doubt that we will see "dramatic" appreciation like 356es.

[914]

914-6's are sure to go up in value,Look at the numbers made in the early years,maybe 3200+- cars, I think in the years to come the orginal ones will command the best price,I think the orginal six's are investment sleeper cars,Only time will tell......
914

[t6dpilot]

Hey guys, I am going to hijack your thread... Well not really, but am going to pose a related question. I have the opportunity to buy a rust free, matching numbers 1970 914-6 with 112,000 miles on it. I am an early 911 guy and do not know much about the 914's values other than what I have read, so I will ask your opinion here. I also posted the same question and pictures here http://www.914club.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=62998

I could probably secure this car for mid to high teens. It is in really nice shape and is 100% original except for the following mods: oil cooler, Momo wheel, moveable passenger seat, and 7" Fuchs on all corners. Do you think the price is a smokin' deal or right about market? I have heard that nice examples of these cars are going in the mid 20's. Should I snap it up and add it to the collection, excersizing it while its value continues to rise?

[914]

Scott,
As for a "orginal" six,The cut out for the oil cooler would bother me,Is the color orginal? Also the six has a up dated interior.
I just bought a six two mo. ago.It was posted on this site and the 914.com site. The seller had 20+ people interested in the car,Well I contacted the seller over the phone,He gave first crack on the six,Well to make the story short,The six was really orginal,paper work,tool kit,color, ect. I been looking for the six like this for 15+ years. There's one on Ebay right now. 914

[t6dpilot]

914, to the best of my knowledge, this is a matching numbers, original color (one respray) car. I will see the car in a week or so - it is on its way north. So, maybe I am hearing that it might be worth it to jump on the car if it is in the mid teens?

[914]

Scott,
Wish you luck,Let us know the outcome. Can you post a picture of your plane? I used to fly years ago Cessna 150- 172's
914

[t6dpilot]

Oh, I can do that. I thought one of you Pelicans would never ask.



Flew this last summer...



Sorry for highjacking the tread once again.

[racer]

What I saw that is "not original" just going by the pictures:

1) 7" wheels (should have 5.5x14 or 6x15)
2) Rear Camber Truss
3) Can't see the jack in the trunk pics
4) Steering wheel
5) Radio delete dash panel, yet car has speakers in it
6) Wierd silver know near thottle.. not sure what it is
7) Passenger seat update (and likely the loss/misplacement of the original footrest. If the seats were updated, perhaps the interior color is not original?)
8) Front oil cooler (and the subsequent hole underneath to vent the air)
9) Tailights are "euro" - ie amber turn signals instead of red
10) Can't tell for 100% sure, but the temp guage left of the tach looks modified - like it has been converted to the "904 style" one.

What would bother me:

1) no motor pics
2) No hell hole (battery tray area and below)
3) No pics of the rockers/longitudinals
4) Hows the top of the dash? They usually crack

Documentation of mileage would be nice. These cars only had a 5 digit odometer so.. 112K, 212K etc. Support would be nice.

Depending on what you want to do with it, it could be fine. The oil cooler, and rear truss, along with larger wheels makes me wonder how the car was most recently used. Certainly not Orginal, or concours but a good driver. Maybe mid to high teens.

[914]

Wow this thread starts with a 914-4's,Then 914-6's,Then Cool military warbirds,Ok who owns a jet on this board.......
914

[t6dpilot]

Thanks for all your opinions guys. Racer, thank you for the detailed analysis. I am aware of all those things and that they are not original. The car is on its way to a local shop and I will take a more detailed look then. I will let you know how it looks after I am able to crawl all over it.