Porsche 914 --> the original Porsche Boxster

[matt2000]

Originally Posted by Dr_Grip

On the game. Computer games != real world.

So you missed the posts on the first page about a game?

And shit the bed, never realised it was a bump.

[The_Finn]

wow damn near 3 year bump...

Porsche 914 + USDM STi 2.5L = win... though a small part of me would rather have the 3.0L H6 from the outback

[public]

I have a Michel Vaillant comic somewhere, and a Porsche-Chevrolet 914 is mentioned there. Small block, perhaps?

[MOTORLOON1993]

ORANGE

[Dr_Grip]

Originally Posted by matt2000

So you missed the posts on the first page about a game?

Yep. But was too lazy to go back and "multi" everyone saying he drove one in a game.

[_HighVoltage_]

I guess the thread is back from the dead.

I have nothing against the 914 mechanics, but in terms of looks...ugh. The front looks higher than the back - what's up with that?

[Spectre]

Originally Posted by Electric-Mayhem

I got to drive one of these and almost bought it about 5 years ago. I agree that its more in the class of the Lotus cars of its time, rather then other Porsche's. Most of them had the same engine that the VW Beetle has, with a few having the Porsche engined ones.

Its a great little chassis that has a lot of potential, especially with a few upgrades. There are always the Porsche snobs out there that will scoff at this, but these cars respond well to modern engines. There are lots of examples of V8's being shoved in there, but for my money I would go with a Subaru engine. Adapter kits are available to put a current WRX or STI engine in one, which nearly tripples the power output without increasing the weight too much. You do have to add a radiator in, and probably get a different transmission since the VW sourced one probably couldn't handle the power for long reliably. Definitely changes the car from a fun runabout to a full on fire breathing sports car.

It is a fun car to drive stock though, you just can't go into it expecting to a full high power sports car. Its more like a Miata where its just fun to cruise around in and tear around corners. Finding one in good shape but still cheap is really hard these days. You could probably find a nicer car for the price that you'd pay for one with no rust and good paint.

JH

[Electric-Mayhem]

Originally Posted by Spectre

hey no fair, I didn't resurrect it, I just responded after someone else did.

JH

[Spectre]

Originally Posted by Electric-Mayhem

hey no fair, I didn't resurrect it, I just responded after someone else did.

JH

So you did. My mistake.

Originally Posted by BUHS914

here's my car

[prizrak]

Originally Posted by bone

^ever seen a 356 in real life?

Actually yes, totally forgot about it. Not that I knew the model anyways I think there is something cool about it.

Porsche 914 + USDM STi 2.5L = win... though a small part of me would rather have the 3.0L H6 from the outback

I heard of people putting the SVX engine into 911's with very good results.

[Rowdie]

Lots of 914s show up at the autocross. I just don't get the appeal of the 914s. There's always a ton of trashed ones in varying states of disrepair at your local porsche garage.

[Bubs360]

My dad had one with the Porsche engine back in the eighties. He said it was an incredibly fun car to drive. Totaled it in a rainstorm during a mountain run. Really surprised me to hear him say that.

[914 2.0]

My Y chromosome forces me to speak up for my own car, despite my username which makes me "that guy" in this thread. I always grew up hearing that the 914 was the ugly stepchild of the family, but when a '73 2 liter 4 showed up, it really stuck in my head. Once I asked the seller about it, he took me for a ride, I bought it, and I still haven't scared myself with it the way he did to me on the mountain roads around here.
The looks are entirely a matter of taste, but the handling can't be faulted, the transmission isn't as bad as you've heard (from 1973 on), the 4-cylinder cars feel much faster than they are, and a 914 actually has more in common with the original Porsche (356 #1) than any 911. I'm even told that these days, the Porsche clubs will gladly accept 914s, preferring instead to vent their snobbiness on anything water-cooled...

[JohnK]

Originally Posted by Lonegunman

And wasn't it called VW-Porsche 914 at some point? I'm not sure, but I think the engine and gearbox came from VW, while Porsche designed the chassis and body.

The 4 cylinder was to be a Volkwagen but that never happened

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_914

Originally intending to sell the vehicle with a flat four-cylinder engine as a Volkswagen and with a flat six-cylinder engine as a Porsche, Porsche decided during development that having Volkswagen and Porsche models sharing the same body would be risky for business in the American market, and convinced Volkswagen to allow them to sell both versions as Porsches in North America.

It appeared to be a perfect win-win situation. On March 1, 1968 the first 914 prototype was presented. However, development became complicated after the death of Volkswagen's chairman, Heinz Nordhoff, on April 12, 1968. His successor, Kurt Lotz, was not connected with the Porsche dynasty and the verbal agreement between Volkswagen and Porsche fell apart.

In Lotz's opinion, Volkswagen had all rights to the model, and no incentive to share it with Porsche if they would not share in tooling expenses. With this decision, the price and marketing concept for the 914 had failed before series production had even begun. As a result, the price of the chassis went up considerably, and the 914/6 ended up costing only a bit less than the 911T, Porsche's next lowest price car. This had a serious effect on sales, and the 914/6 sold quite poorly. In contrast, the much less expensive 914-4 became Porsche's top seller during its model run, outselling the 911 by a wide margin, with over 118,000 units sold worldwide.

[LeVeL]

Originally Posted by 914 2.0

the handling can't be faulted

What good is the handling if the driver is no match for it

Originally Posted by 914 2.0

the 4-cylinder cars feel much faster than they are

That just means its slow

[Steve Levin]

914's sold in Europe (or maybe just in Germany?) were badged as VW-Porsches. I believe they were sold through VW dealerships as well.

Steve

[Shentar]

How many 914-6's were there. I didn't think there were too many out there. One went for like $200k in the San Francisco Bay Area recently. I'll have to look this up in the morning at work... instead of working

I do love the 914. That said, I'd rather have a 911, but the 914 would be a great project car.

[efoolution]

... the 914 ... or more commonly known as "the donor" ...

It´s the Car that has been plunderd and raped for decades ... to extract the engine or build a kit-car on it´s chassis.

Remember this kids?


And 914 Engines were put into old VW Busses (T1 or T2) or old VW Beetles to give them more power.

Today few 914 remain because of all this ... and personally ... if I´d get my hands on one ... I´d play frankenstein too and rip out the engine to put it into an T1

Originally Posted by Shentar

How many 914-6's were there.[...]

In germany alone there are still 1300 914 on the road today (140 of them are 914-6). They build about 120000 in total of wich 3300 had the 6cylinder engine.

[matt2000]

It's a quirkly looking little thing, hadn't seen one until I played Forza 2. The styling seems to grow on you. I wouldn't call it the original Boxster though, because blokes can actually drive this one without looking like a complete tool.

[argatoga]

914s aren't as rare here. The Fiero is the car of choice of rapage in the US.

They tend to rust into nothingness though.

Oh yeah and no 914 discussion can be complete without a link to an SBC conversion
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2083344