The future of rust free 914's?????

[Menmojo]

What does the pelican population think about the future values of clean rust free 914's going forward?
It looks to me that most of the clean original 2.0 liters with original fuel injection are becoming harder to find. Most seem to have rusted away......
A couple of years ago no one seemed to want one. Now the clean ones seem to be moving up in price and are few and far between.
I'm considering buying one as another toy in the stable that my wife can drive to get her more into the vintage Porsche passion I have.
Am I going nuts??????
I appreciate any and all opinions here........

[WyattEarp]

Don't know but I sure wish I had my '73 1.7 back. It was just a 1.7 but a rust free AZ car its entire life and still had original fuel injection along with other original bits that mattered. Was due for a repaint but besides that was an awesome driver. Sold it in '99 for $3500

[bpu699]

I have a 73 1.7, amazingly rust free. Had it on a lift, and the bottom looked immaculate. Odo reads 17,000... which I used to assume was 117k... but now wonder if its really 17,000.

One of my favorite cars. I wouldnt' sell it for less than 15k$... If for that.

Most every 914 I have ever seen was a rust bucket.

Oddly, Hagerty shows these things trending down in value...

Bo

[Matt Monson]

In not sure what to make of the Hagerty numbers. 2 years ago I could buy a decent condition 3 driver with mostly trim or minor rust issues all day long for $5-7500. Now I look at my local CL and nothing but junk. There's one decent car that has restoration work and another rough survivor for $4500. Used to be I could pick from a dozen cars in state.

I think long term they will go up. They won't go up like 911s. They will go up more like ghias and beetles. No reason they shouldn't be $10-20k as nice clean drivers.

[Cevan]

I bought my backdated '75 for $5000 in 2006 and sold it six years later for $14,000. I'm pretty sure it's been sold again this year for $17,000. It was an original paint, rust free car.

[Menmojo]

Looks like Magnus might be next up in acquiring a 914? He posted this on his facebook page Sunday.
This could be interesting..........

[2cam]

Originally Posted by Menmojo

Looks like Magnus might be next up in acquiring a 914? He posted this on his facebook page Sunday.
This could be interesting..........

Get 'em while you can boys! The 914 future is now so bright, you're gonna have to wear shades...

2cam

[Matt Monson]

There goes the neighborhood...j/k I like Magnus and most of what he does.

Usually by the time Magnus puts it on FB he has already pulled the trigger. That was the case with both his 964 and his 924 buys. It wouldn't surprise me if the car is already a tub out for media blasting.

[gearby]

914's will always be a tough sell. Too much Volkswagen. The 914's to own are of course the '73/'74 2.0 cars (excluding 914/6's). The '70-'72 tailshifters were a joke to drive, and the '75/'76 bumpers were ugly and heavy. I've owned them all and wouldn't even consider any 1.7 or 1.8 car as they're gutless. Even my '73 2.0 was fairly gutless by modern standards. Now, a '73/'74 with a 911 engine is another story. Though it may never look as good as a 911, what a riot to drive.

[biosurfer1]

I sold my 72' a little more than a year ago for $8500. Bought it for $3000 in 2006, put a 2.0 in it and did a bunch of other things. The guy that bought it from me just sold it for $9500 and I just saw it's being flipped on a used car lot down in Thousand Oaks for $16k!!!!

I don't buy the "Volkswagen" argument either...same thing went on with the Ferrari Dino's for a long time and look where they are now.

[matt930s]

Somewhat agree...but that Dino body....wow....

MattR

Originally Posted by biosurfer1

I sold my 72' a little more than a year ago for $8500. Bought it for $3000 in 2006, put a 2.0 in it and did a bunch of other things. The guy that bought it from me just sold it for $9500 and I just saw it's being flipped on a used car lot down in Thousand Oaks for $16k!!!!

I don't buy the "Volkswagen" argument either...same thing went on with the Ferrari Dino's for a long time and look where they are now.

[CountD]

The 914 was my first Porsche. Yellow '73. Bought it for $100 in 1985. Needed a lot of work. Had a ton of rust for a 12-year-old car.


With more than 118,000 made it was a success on many fronts. Heck they made more than 65,000 1.7s. VW parts or not they are a blast to drive, handle better than a 911 and you see very few.

If you have a rust-free example it will always be worth money. I rarely ever see a rust-free one as they say "Karmann invented rust."

You either get the 914 or you don't. You either are attracted to the 914 or you aren't. It's not a poor man's Porsche by any means. With the last example made almost 40 years ago the supply of good ones will never meet demand.

They are cool. They are unique. I always wanted a -6 but most people who have been into the hobby know they have always been rare and desirable.

[Manny Alban]

One of my decisions in 1996 was to buy, overpay at the time, a completely original 73 914 2.0 with all the records, books, etc. Still has the original rubber seals, paint, etc.

It was a good decision not because the value is going up but because it's a blast to drive. It's stock (ok, I do put on Nitto's when I autocross) which means every time I drive it I feel like I'm in a time machine. Lots to be said about driving a double digit horsepower car on the street. Momentum is the word of the day.

[BK911]

Couldn't disagree more.
I drive a '72 1.7 150 miles a week and LOVE it!!
Would buy another in a heart beat.
Just because it isn't the "best" 914 doesn't mean it isn't an awesome car.
Kinda like dating the ugliest Victoria secrets swimsuit model.

Originally Posted by gearby

914's will always be a tough sell. Too much Volkswagen. The 914's to own are of course the '73/'74 2.0 cars (excluding 914/6's). The '70-'72 tailshifters were a joke to drive, and the '75/'76 bumpers were ugly and heavy. I've owned them all and wouldn't even consider any 1.7 or 1.8 car as they're gutless. Even my '73 2.0 was fairly gutless by modern standards. Now, a '73/'74 with a 911 engine is another story. Though it may never look as good as a 911, what a riot to drive.

[Matt Monson]

914s drive like go karts. It may have a VW heart but it has a Porsche soul. I would like to always have one in the garage. They drive very differently than my other cars, in a good way.

I do like the time machine reference. About 2 weeks after I got my first 914 I was driving home from work one day. It had been sunny when I left work. The top was in the trunk. One of our freak Colorado localized summer thunderheads opened up on me on the highway. I turned on the crappy old wiper and the sorry excuse for a defroster. And the rain mostly flew over the top of me and didn't drench me. For about 5 miles of road I had this "flashback" moment where I envisioned myself driving this little car in the rain down the Mulsanne. And then the sun came back out and I saw a rainbow off in the distance. It was borderline mystical. It set the hook deep on 914 love.

[gearby]

Somebody has to love em or they wouldn't be around anymore. I probably should have added that I've driven all years, and owned 5 of them in my past. And I worked on and drove several more. Why did I own five of them over the years? because they were the only Porsche I could afford pure and simple. Are they the poor mans Porsche nowadays? No. Were they the poor man's Porsche years ago? Definitely. Once I purchased a 911, I never looked back. I always had to work on my 914's. My car ate tranny's breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

[jlex]

I was glad to get rid of my "flexible flyer" in the late '70's. The only thing keeping it from acting like an accordion was the removable sunroof. Wasn't rust... just metal fatigue. Had to pay a welder to keep the trailing arms from ripping away from the body. I understand they have a special reinforcing plate to keep the thing together now. The engine was good, but IMO the body was a crackerbox.... I'll stick to a 911.

[NYNick]

So the consensus is what? Besides the 914-6, which is the best 914? The 73-74 with the 2.0?
Any 914 with a hot rodded 911 6 cyl? An original 1.8L?

I get the no rust thing, but I'm not sure i understand "the best" comments.

[CountD]

Any 914 from anytime with any displacement with little to no rust (no rust in longitudinals, floors) is great in my book. Years honestly would not matter to me if it is a rust-free example. I would take any year with any engine if it wasn't rusted and I would consider it a smart buy.

[gearby]

Count and Nick you are both correct. No rust will be the hardest thing to find. Believe me, the '73/'74 2.0 is by far the best models within the 914 range. Go find yourself a '72 tailshifter and a '73 sideshifter and drive them both. You'll see exactly what I mean. There's a reason they went away from the tailshifters after '72. To call the shifter vague is being polite.
Nick it kind of depends on what you're after as far as engines. If you're not after originality, no 914 engine will top a 911 engine. The sound, the power, the driveability is all better with the 911 engine. The 914's did handle like a go cart. Couple that to a 911 engine and you're going to have a lot of fun for sure. The 4 cylinder can be made fast also but it just doesn't have that sound.