Un-enable me: 1970 917 1.7 as DD.

I want a 914. I wanted one as a first car in the 1990s. I want one now. The difference now is that I think I've found a solid one owned by a legit 914 nerd that I can afford to buy and drive outright.

I have no covered parking, at home or at work. I live in the south, a reasonable distance from salt water and a significant distance from salted roads, but where it rains. A lot. I can turn a wrench. I can afford to pay someone to work on it. I live close to work, and it's a rare day I exceed 35mph, or an hour's walk from the house.

Somebody please tell me this car is guaranteed to kill me, dissolve into rust, or just give my Netflix password to wierdos. Tell me the world has changed in the last 44 years, and somehow this car can't manage daily driver duties.

I was about to commend you for being a a truly amazing person and DD'ing a 917. I was hoping you were looking into buying Steve McQueen's 917 from Le Mans (1971)… But hey 1914's are cool too...

mr2peak wrote: I was about to commend you for being a a truly amazing person and DD'ing a 917. I was hoping you were looking into buying Steve McQueen's 917 from Le Mans (1971)… But hey 1914's are cool too...

Aww hell. Proofreading.

I for one will not talk you out of this. I drove a freshly restored green and tan 914 way back in 1997 and have wanted one ever since. Do it for the children.

Im weird, you can cut out the middleman by giving me your Netflix password

ryanty22 wrote: Im weird, you can cut out the middleman by giving me your Netflix password

I would, but a worrisome Netflix queue and no Porsche is what I'd call a less than ideal outcome.

The roof seals leak. Period. No matter what. I spent about $400 in 1990s money to replace all of them, and it still leaked. And within two years the new seals starting falling apart and it leaked worse. When it lived outside it lived with a shower curtain over it to keep the water out. Of course, that abraded the paint. Fortunately, it is easy to pull the carpets to dry the interior, if ambient humidity is reasonable. Because it will get wet if it rains.

You will smell like burned oil. No, I didn't say you will smell burned oil, but YOU will smell of burned oil. I think it's just the way air-cooled Porsches and VWs are. Like it, live it, celebrate it, but learn to deal with the smell. It will permeate your clothes.

Do not rev past 5600 RPM, period. Ever. No, not even once. The bottom end can't handle higher revs.

They don't have the power to exploit the chassis.

Some people are confused by the heater controls.

There are no cupholders.

In fact, other than the glovebox there aren't many places to stash your stuff. So while you are compensating for your lack of power by pitching it hard into corners your stuff while be flying all over the interior.

They never came with 911 seats, which are my favoritist seats on the planet. Most 914s had vinyl seats, with all the stickiness and sweatiness that implies.

They run hot.

All engine work is done through the little engine lid or from underneath. If you try to adjust the valves, which is done from underneath, while recovering from whiplash you can throw your neck out bad enough that you can't climb into or ride in a car. Any car.

Most of them have a bouncy tach and it's >$100 to fix it. But you have plenty of time to interpolate your revs because, well, see above.

You have to open the front deck lid to fill the gas tank.

It's expensive to upgrade to five-lug hubs so you can run Fuchs. Because, well, you want to run Fuchs, right?

You like body lean, right? Lots of body lean?

Now, if you think I'm hating on 914s, I'm not. I loved mine for many reasons. But you asked to be un-enabled. :-)

David

Oh, and I left out all the weaknesses you have to overcome or work around to make a race car out of a 914. And how difficult it is to fix some of them on a shoestring budget.

David

I would HATE to leave it uncovered. They just aren't good at sitting in the wet. I used to haunt Automobile Atlanta in Marrietta. They had a 904 body kit that I wanted so badly. Still have the post card of the red one they sold there on my dresser. But I would settle for a 914-6 kit and a six transplant.

A friend of mine DDs a 914. He transplanted a 3.2 6cylinder into it, to stop it from leaking he welded a steel roof panel on it. To fit tires big enough to handle the power he found a set of steel flairs from a 914/6GT. Great little car but I can't drive it, as I am 6'2",

Good luck!

They are low enough that they are below the height where people are responsible for looking when they back up, so it will very likely get a trailer hitch punched through the side of it or the hood and front fenders squished at some point.

That has to be the post of the week right there...

DWNSHFT wrote: The roof seals leak. Period. No matter what. I spent about $400 in 1990s money to replace all of them, and it still leaked. And within two years the new seals starting falling apart and it leaked worse. When it lived outside it lived with a shower curtain over it to keep the water out. Of course, that abraded the paint. Fortunately, it is easy to pull the carpets to dry the interior, if ambient humidity is reasonable. Because it will get wet if it rains. You will smell like burned oil. No, I didn't say you will smell burned oil, but YOU will smell of burned oil. I think it's just the way air-cooled Porsches and VWs are. Like it, live it, celebrate it, but learn to deal with the smell. It will permeate your clothes. Do not rev past 5600 RPM, period. Ever. No, not even once. The bottom end can't handle higher revs. They don't have the power to exploit the chassis. Some people are confused by the heater controls. There are no cupholders. In fact, other than the glovebox there aren't many places to stash your stuff. So while you are compensating for your lack of power by pitching it hard into corners your stuff while be flying all over the interior. They never came with 911 seats, which are my favoritist seats on the planet. Most 914s had vinyl seats, with all the stickiness and sweatiness that implies. They run hot. All engine work is done through the little engine lid or from underneath. If you try to adjust the valves, which is done from underneath, while recovering from whiplash you can throw your neck out bad enough that you can't climb into or ride in a car. Any car. Most of them have a bouncy tach and it's >$100 to fix it. But you have plenty of time to interpolate your revs because, well, see above. You have to open the front deck lid to fill the gas tank. It's expensive to upgrade to five-lug hubs so you can run Fuchs. Because, well, you want to run Fuchs, right? You like body lean, right? Lots of body lean? Now, if you think I'm hating on 914s, I'm not. I loved mine for many reasons. But you asked to be un-enabled. :-) David

BUY IT! But get a car cover if the roof leaks, have Eibach make you custom springs so you can have stiffer springs at stock height, and drive it 3 or 4 days a week.

There. I encouraged you to get it and addressed a couple issues at the same time.

I think you want to be un-un-enabled.

Go buy it.

Post lots of pics and horror stories about why you should have never done this.

Sounds like you just need to buy a decent car cover and you're all set. I have several from California Car Cover company and like them, but for the cheaper stuff I just run the $20-$40 walmart covers and they have kept water/moisture out.

Stop thinking about it and just go buy it. Try it out see what it's like to live with. Love it or hate it, you'll have stories and a/c p cars are on the climb in value - so you can probably own it for free if you need to send it on its way.

DWNSHFT wrote: The roof seals leak. Period. No matter what. I spent about $400 in 1990s money to replace all of them, and it still leaked. And within two years the new seals starting falling apart and it leaked worse. When it lived outside it lived with a shower curtain over it to keep the water out. Of course, that abraded the paint. Fortunately, it is easy to pull the carpets to dry the interior, if ambient humidity is reasonable. Because it will get wet if it rains. You will smell like burned oil. No, I didn't say you will smell burned oil, but YOU will smell of burned oil. I think it's just the way air-cooled Porsches and VWs are. Like it, live it, celebrate it, but learn to deal with the smell. It will permeate your clothes. Do not rev past 5600 RPM, period. Ever. No, not even once. The bottom end can't handle higher revs. They don't have the power to exploit the chassis. Some people are confused by the heater controls. There are no cupholders. In fact, other than the glovebox there aren't many places to stash your stuff. So while you are compensating for your lack of power by pitching it hard into corners your stuff while be flying all over the interior. They never came with 911 seats, which are my favoritist seats on the planet. Most 914s had vinyl seats, with all the stickiness and sweatiness that implies. They run hot. All engine work is done through the little engine lid or from underneath. If you try to adjust the valves, which is done from underneath, while recovering from whiplash you can throw your neck out bad enough that you can't climb into or ride in a car. Any car. Most of them have a bouncy tach and it's >$100 to fix it. But you have plenty of time to interpolate your revs because, well, see above. You have to open the front deck lid to fill the gas tank. It's expensive to upgrade to five-lug hubs so you can run Fuchs. Because, well, you want to run Fuchs, right? You like body lean, right? Lots of body lean? Now, if you think I'm hating on 914s, I'm not. I loved mine for many reasons. But you asked to be un-enabled. :-) David

Wow. That's some great un-enabling.

Some of this rolls off for me. Fuchs can go, er... Fuch themselves. I might autocross the car. I'm not going to try a track day.

Weatherproofing scares me a bit. Water scares me. The ambient humidity here is patently unreasonable.

My biggest fear here is that it'll get leaves in some crevice, where it will hold water till it rusts through, then the car folds itself in half going over a railroad crossing, forcing me to Luke Duke my way out of the car. Next thing you know, I'm Craigslisting the thing as "for parts." If I can't keep the inside dry, I won't have time to be afraid of trees.

It is the only Porsche that does not pick up any date.

Cotton wrote: Sounds like you just need to buy a decent car cover and you're all set. I have several from California Car Cover company and like them, but for the cheaper stuff I just run the $20-$40 walmart covers and they have kept water/moisture out.

I thought I'd read that car covers used outdoors contribute to mildew and rot because they hold moisture on the car. I've never owned or used one, so I don't know. Did you have some place to put it when not in use? Did you hang it out somewhere?

I was considering the partial covers that only protect the greenhouse. I figured that'd get me the interior protection without being too onerous.

Travis_K wrote: They are low enough that they are below the height where people are responsible for looking when they back up, so it will very likely get a trailer hitch punched through the side of it or the hood and front fenders squished at some point.

That's a good point. I normally park out in the nosebleed spaces when I go shopping. I abhor circling for a spot. At work, where our lot is compact and consistently filled to capacity, this could be a real problem. I'm going to have to try to snag an end row where trucks won't be backing out toward me.

In reply to Mike:

Modern, quality outdoor covers breath well enough to prevent mildew, etc. I used to winter my E30 in my back yard under a cover. When I'd pull the cover off in the Spring the interior would have the same old German leather smell as when I parked it 4 months earlier.

The inside of the cover is soft to prevent excessive paint rubbing.

IIRC, I bought the cover from California Car Cover. No, it wasn't cheap, but you get what you pay for.

To be honest, as we're experiencing 90 degree days with high humidity here in the Northeast (and it's not really not that bad yet, even for here), I still want A/C in a DD these days. I have this romantic idea of DD'ing a certain brown Spitfire for sale on these forums. But realistically, I'm a whimp.

My 1970 1.7 was slow as molasses in February and did everything DWNSHFT mentioned. It would be a decent DD in a dry cool climate, otherwise it's a fun weekend car.