1971 Porsche 914 1.7 from North America
Summary:
A fun, unreliable toy
Faults:
What things haven't is a better question.
The transmission had to be rebuilt (broke while shifting while driving), and it is still leaking from time to time.
The Odometer intermittently works.
The parking break was fixed, but recently has started to go weak again (something with rear break calipers?).
The horn has stopped working, twice.
The starter had to be replaced because it refused to work when the car was hot.
And ALL of this went wrong w/in 4,000 miles!
General Comments:
The car handles like a dream. It's a gas to drive fast on mountain roads, but highway driving is another story. The small engine makes passing a huge pain on uphills, and to go anything over 50 requires you to be in 4th to maintain power on hills.
The targa top is awesome. You can drive with it off in winter here (San Fran bay area) with the heater going, and the heater keeps it warm.
I recommend this as a toy, nothing more. As a daily driver, you will be horribly disapointed with the reliability, and if you want to work on it yourself, remember, the engine is a HUGE pain to get at.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 25th July, 2004
3rd Feb 2005, 23:10
I have owned a 914 for about 6 years now, and would like to partially disagree with the above comments. A 914 in good shape is quite reliable; a 914 in moderate to poor shape is not reliable at all. It is, after all, powered by a very tough (though not overly powerful) VW engine; the problem is that the cars are 40 years old and wearing out. If you can bring a car back to stock condition it will take you anywhere. The car is incredibly well designed, capable of cruising at 85mph all day (the engine can handle the rpms fine, only your ears might get annoyed!) or just cruising at slow speed on back country roads. It is also an automatic smile: it doesn't matter where you are going, the mere action of driving this little go-cart will make you grin.