924Board.org

[Porschephile]

My friend is lookin for a Porsche, and we were lookin at 924's and 914's. any recommendations for a 914? I have never looked at one, but would like to try. anything I should watch out for? both good and bad...

Anyway, my friend wants to re-paint it so paint isn't an issue here...I told her I'd repaint it, but she wants it pink, so I may not desecrate a porsche like that...well, if she pays enough.

but there is one locally for $1,500, it runs, and it's got a restore kit to go with it. sound like a deal? well, thanks. I'll keep in touch.

Also, if she decides she wants a 924, I've been told to keep it at the 924S or the 931, despite that they are more-costly to maintain, because they are more reliable (this I heard from my friend who has owned a martini, and my S). well, thanks much.
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werd B.

[Lizard]

if you go for a 914 watch for rust they are really bad and also the frame becomes weak and sags over time (you can notice this if the doors are hard to close), also look for front end damage
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3 928s,

[Porschephile]

Alright. good call. Thanks Lizard. any more opinions?
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werd B.

[81turbo]

The 914 is an awesome car. Every time I see a nice one I contemplate selling my turbo and getting one. I almost bought a 74 2.0 that was in really nice condition befoer I found the turbo. I really have a soft spot for that car. I would check out the book, "How to modify your Porsche 914 914/6" It is a really good book, and it has a buyers guide. Tells you were to look for rust etc. I would recommend the 73/74 2.0 it is the best model out there. The later 75/76 cars have ugly/heavy crash impact bumpers and the earlier cars have a horrible shifter linkage. I also would try to find a car that still has the fuel injection. If you can't find the book, I could look up the buyers guide for you.

[Lizard]

rip out the origonal engine and stick in a 911 engine or a chevy 350
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3 928s,

[ljd931]

dude, it is your duty as a self proclaimed "porshe-lover" to anything and everything possible to prevent this girl from painting a porsche pink.

as far as vehicle choice goes, i too am a 914 fan. a friend of a friend did the 6 cylinder conversion to his 914 and i was fortunate enough to go for a ride. pure unmedicated bliss. i understand this vehicle was less tame than the typical 4 cylinder 914, but i don't know many women who could appreciate the 914's purity in either version. (that's borderline sexist, i know.)

anyway, if this girl is into pink cars, i would go ahead and steer her away from the porsche family all together. she'd probably have more fun pink VW bug/beetle.
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ljamesdickinson@yahoo.com
parting out - '81 931
looking for - '88 924S w/ m030 & LSD

[Lizard]

[AznDrgn]

the 914 is a fast car but from what I've heard it has its limitations and drawbacks. First as Lizard has pointed out is the problem with rusting, next if your going to drop a 911 engine into it you will probably want to upgrade the tires to handle the extra power but unfortunately you can't really get any bigger tires under the fenders. I vote for going with a late 924NA, once you get past the initial maintnence the car is fine. The problem with most of our cars is that they have been neglected that's why we have so many problems with reliability and whatnot.
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-'87 Jeep Cherokee 4.0L 6" of lift 33" Super Swampers

-'83 Callaway 944 2.5L turbo, 300HP, 1 of 42 ever made

[Lizard]

I voted for a 914, the only reason they are ugly already so it won't be as bad as a pink 924
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3 928s,

[gohim]

I have owned my 73 914 2.0 for 26 years. So I can make some statements that other people are not qualified to make. I still love my car, but it has it's limitations.

#1 914s leak. The engines are air cooled, and they leak oil, so when you rude in one, you come out smeeling like burnt oil.

#2 914s leak. One dry days and nights, whether the roof is on or off, everything is fine. But when it rains, it rains inside the passenger compartment, unless you just replaced all of the many rubber seals attached to the roof panel, windshield and side windows.

#3 Heating and ventilation in a 914 are poor compared to every other car on the road. In moderate climates like CA, 914s are great unless it raining. In the rain, the windows fog up, and cannot be defrosted, even if you wipe the fog off the windows, with the engine warmed up, the windows will fog over. AC was an VW Dealer option, and includes hacking out most of the front trunk floor, and didn't woork well in the cars that I saw with it installed.

On cool or warm nights, you can pop the top off and cruise with the heater set to the floor, and you can stay warm, but that's all it's good for.

#4 Rust is a problem on many 914s, even cars that have been in dry states and CA.

#5 914's do not sag because they're are old. The 914's that are sagging are doing so because rust has gotten deep into the sides and attacked the longs and the rear suspension console.

#6 No vacuum booster to assist the braking system in a 914. If you don't have strong legs, don't expect to stop quickly.

#7 914s require a valve adjustment every 2K miles or they run like crap. At least there isn't any timing belt to break and strand the driver.

#8 The 914s (69-72) have crummy shifters, if you don't know where the gears are, you could row one like a boat, and never hit a single gear. The improved "sideshifter" transmission was introduced in 1973, and is a great improvement. The earliest cars also don't have a adjustable passenger seats (very uncomfortable for the passenger). They may also have an oil-bath engine oil filter, and a cable driven side window mechanism which causes more trouble than the geared mechanism in the 72-73 cars.

#9 The later (75-76) cars have huge ugly heavy bumpers. The 1.8L engined cars have smog pumped and cats, and the HP of the 2.0L 4-cylinder cars fell. The fuel pump was relocated in these cars from the rear to the front of the car to try to help with the vapor lock problem that plauged many of the earlier cars.

914s and 924s are equally reliable when they are in good condition, and properly maintained. The cost of normal maintenance should be comparable. 914 passenger compartment rubber seals are more numerous, and will need replacement more often than those of a 924.

I have never gotten into another car that gives the unfamilar driver the confidence to drive fast like a 914 does. Driving a 914 is fun, but it has a price. At the end of a road trip with the roof off, my face is windburned, and tired from smiling all day. The 924 does not have the character of the 924, but you can get out and party at the end of the road, and won't be headed for the showers as the drivers of 914s are.

If your friend that wants to paint her car pink enjoys driving with the top off (the car's, not hers), and she doesn't mind getting her hair messed up, and likes a good workout from the brakes and clutch, then she should be happy with a 914.

[ZV]

Another 914 owner checking in here.

I mainly agree with gohim though I take exception on a couple of points.

#1) My 1976 2.0 (49-state, non-cat, in the process of backdating to '73 spec engine) does not leave one smelling of oil, unless you are driving with the heat on.

#2) Once the engine was warm, mine had no trouble defogging the windshield, though the side and rear windows tend to for up unless you crack one of the side windows.

#3) The valve adjustment is 6,000 miles by my manual and my car runs fine with 6,000 mile valve adjustments.

#4) Only the California '75-'76 cars had cats and EGR. The 49-state cars only had the air-pumps.

He's right about everything else. 914's rust if you look at them funny. I would not recommend a 914 as a daily driver anywhere that will have salt on the roads. The top and side windows inevitably leak. Mine actually does OK if it's just sitting, but once moving, rain will get blown in. The best the heater on my 914 has ever managed is mild-warmth. The blower fans are very weak too, and the side vents are even less effective than those on the 924. Cockpit wind management, however, is good, you can maintain conversation even with the top off. Despite the two trunks, the 914 really can't hold a lot either.

I love my 914, but it's not a candidate for a daily driver. My 924S is a more live-able companion, but the 914 will always be the sunny day car.

ZV
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Shifting is an art, learn it, love it, live it.

1976 Porsche 914 2.0 - Driving Restoration.
1987 Porsche 924S - Daily Driver

[Porschephile]

She changed her mind on the colour...she saw a repainted red one, and fell in love...she wants red now.
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werd B.

[Paul]

Porsche had a pinkish color available on late 80's 944's. I believe it was rose something or maybe it was wine something.

In the 70's I owned several 914's and drove them in the hills of PA all year round. As long as all the hoses were intact and the heater boxes had no holes, you could get heat as long as you were going uphill. While going downhill, the computer shut off the fuel to the injectors, so no heat!

I never had any oil leaks as long as I replaced the valve cover gaskets at every valve adjustment. I once got 37 mpg on a 300 mile trip at 65 mph.

Don't buy one unless it has the original fuel injection in place and working.

[1982Porsche924]

My friend has a 914-6 GT for sale, a bit over the 1500, in fact, quite a bit, but it's nice none the less. Only 38 made, 906 twin plug engine (2.0L 210 hp) fairly recent restoration done. If anyone has $100,000 to spare, it's a nice buy.
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1979 Porsche 924 "S"
Engine: Euro pistons, Light Flywheel, Weber TB, Bursch Header, Cam Wheel
Suspension: Front coil-overs, adj sways, Solid bush. Thicker tors. bars, 5-bolt, BBS rims
Body: Fiberglass widebody kit, 931 Nose

[Porschephile]

You've gotta be kiddin...a 914 for $100,000.00? no way. sounds like a rip off if ya ask me. but meh.
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werd B.