Faults:

Vapor lock - When hot, fuel will bubble through the fuel pump/injection hoses/lines. Even with the fuel pump relocated to a cool area on the car, it can still vapor lock through the lines, which results in the engine stumbling and shutting off.

Rust - Very rust prone, particularly in the rockers and right lower engine compartment. Structural rust is difficult, time-consuming, and expensive to fix.

Starter solenoid - When heat-soaked, the starter won't work. Once it cools down, the engine will start.

Clutch cable often stretches out of adjustment, and can snap without warning.

Ignition switch in steering column failed, leaving me stranded.

Tail light sealing is barely adequate to keep out water.

Oil leaks and oil consumption were always a problem for me, even after an engine rebuild.

General Comments:

Extremely enjoyable to drive the 914 on an open road. The car can be driven hard, especially in corners. Cockpit is very comfortable and roomy for a sports car of its era. With two trunks, the car can carry a lot of stuff. Gas mileage is good, about 24 city, 30 highway. Best gas mileage is achieved at 80 mph steady on the highway.

Great pleasure driving with the top stowed in the trunk on a warm day, or even a cold day with the heater on.

I have lots of great memories of driving this car.

Faults:

I need new paint.

New dash.

New weatherstripping around window.

Usual stuff for 33 year old cars, it had an engine and transmission rebuild.

Not too much out of ordinary, just requires tune ups ever so often.

Runs hot during the summer.

General Comments:

I have had the 914 my whole life, my mother is the original owner, and ordered it in August 73 in Jimmy Natista Porsche dealership. It has been well taken care of.

This car is amazing. I love it. It turns heads, and can turn corners with amazing speed. It is a Porsche in the every way, but if one insists in calling it a VW, it's still awesome.

My interior is all original, the engine block (has been bored to a 2.0) is original, no body damage, little rust, good engine performance, it's just a good solid car.

The 914 is not quite as reliable or precise as a new car, but every time one drives it, it's like heaven. The trunks have good space, interior has enough room for someone 6'4, and its handling makes up for any lack in the engine area.

It's a bit slow, but fast enough to be zipping through the mountain roads, where you have to back off cause the car doesn't.

The 914, it's a Porsche, it's a sports car, it's fun, and it's my love... Porsche, there is NO substitute.

Good tip though, Porsche 914 mechanics are kinda hard to find, at least good ones, so ask PCA members, etc, in your area, because 914s are reliable if they are taken care of the RIGHT way.

Faults:

Purchased the car used in 1976 at 3years old with 45,000 miles., after looking at several other 70-74's - each/all with mechanical checks by Hans at Hans Imports in Huntington Beach, CA. They have worked on it and my other cars since then +/-30 years - `85 BMW 325e & `88 VW Westfalia, and all work below was by them. I'm 53, and these 3 are my 3rd, 4th & 5th cars EVER since 16 - respectively, so I like to hang onto, care for and continue to really drive my cars!

Rebuilt the engine and transaxle in 1983 at about 120,000 - & then again shortly thereafter - after a crankshaft retainer clip let loose and tore up the inside of the engine (2nd rebuild covered by shop warranty - Hans Imports) - no transaxle damage. That ran strong up to 180,000 miles., when garaged/stored (see below).

Relocated the fuel pump into the front trunk by the fuel tank - ala 1974-76 models, to prevent fuel line cavatating (fuel vapor bubbles). FYI - on older 914's, heat causes vapor bubbles in the fuel lines when mounted in the hot engine compartment, making restart difficult - esp. when driving in the SoCal desert areas.

Also replaced the fuel lines per the factory recall, due to the exposed rubber type originals' nasty habit of their cracking with ozone (airborne) damage, and leaking fuel on the hot engine - causing many VW & Porsche fires during the `70's & `80's. Fortunately I never had a fire, but check your fuel lines regularly for cracking and replace.

Replaced the typical tires (about ever 60-75,000 - relatively "easy" on tires - being so light - but the soft-rubber Coopers, etc. would wear faster at 30-50,000), struts (about 80-100,000), CV joints (about 110,000), and other regular tune-ups, fan belts (ALWAYS carry a spare - you won't need coolant in this aircooled hummer, but your sunk without a spare belt!), and wear-n-tear parts - as would be expected.

Living near the beach and in salt air - it had a habit of having some computer/electrical contacts in the ignition system corroding up - but nothing that couldn't be cleaned easily with sandpaper or steel wool or baking soda/water & toothbrush (remove from car for latter).

There is also an adjustment on the front struts to drop the front end about 1-1/2" (watch the front-end on driveways & bumps though!). this changes the standard strut setting's weight balance for the car from the 48:52 (% front-to-rear) - to a PERFECT 50:50!

It now has about 180,000 and sits in the garage awaiting time, parts & cash to restore body damage from May 1985, and 20+ years of sitting for the mechanical systems. I was in Grad School at UCLA at the time (the car was my everyday car until then - `76 -`83), when a ditzy sorority chick ran into it while parked at the end of one of the cross-aisles of the parking structure. I still don't understand how/why she went straight into my car, when the drive aisle turned left!? Unfortunately she not only damaged the exposed back end, but her Honda pushed it 2' forward into the concrete column/wall, and also damaged the left front. The 1985 bodyshop estimate was $6500 - $500 in new OEM parts (which were still available back then, but at a high mark-up), which insurance settlement I used as a downpayment on the BMW (needing a car right away to commute between UCLA & Orange County plus for my business). I was awaiting the ever elusive "parts car" to scavenge for my repairs at less cost than the $4,500.

So it now awaits my retirement time to find the parts car &/or parts, and to work on it!

General Comments:

After 9 years and 135,000 miles of FULL TIME driving my 1973 914-2.0 in just about all types of conditions & locations - I can be a pretty good judge of this fun, reliable and affordable sportscar. I wish VW had done as well on reliability 15 years later with my `88 Westfalia Camper Van GL!

The idiots who put down the 914 and try to negate it as "not a true Porsche" are full of hooey, & do NOT know what they're talking about - nor do they know about or refuse to recognize the true Porsche history.

For the latter point, the original 356 "Bathtub" Porsches and later 912's were Porsche crafted bodies, with souped-up VW engines & transaxles - EXACTLY THE SAME AS WAS THE 914 DESIGN!

Unfortunately, this unfounded poo-pooing has artificially depressed the 914s' values, as happened initially with the 356s - when they too were first negated as not being "true sportcars" by the "supposed experts", because of their lowly VW roots!

As a matter of fact - the 914 handles FAR SUPERIOR to either the 356, 912 or 911 (and derivatives therefrom), being mid-engined with about a perfectly balanced 50:50 weight ratio front-to-rear (see above for how to get the original 48:52 to 50:50). The mid-engine layout was a small price to pay, for the loss of the dinky & useless rear seats of the 911/912. Also note that the bathtub 356 didn't have much of a rear seat - but more of a package shelf!

All things being equal (load, engine size/output) - a 914 will turn corners around the equal 912 or 356, and usually will beat its contemporaries of 911's with more powerful 6's - e.g.: the `67 -`76 911's, 911-E, 911-L, etc.! Even a more powerful 911-S & 930's will often lose out in cornering to a strong 914, due to the 911/930's notorious & problematic understeer caused by its rear engined layout! Which is probably why those self-proclaimed officianados are so ticked and try to run down 914s! Wouldn't you, if you had paid a huge wad for the top end Porsche, only to find it beat by the entry level 914!?

If Porsche had instead elected to refine the 914 - as it did with other models, then it would have out-sold the 924/944 series. The proof is that the 924/944 series is gone, but even it had been refined for a while. And now Porsche has brought back the mid-engined Boxsters - NOT some new front-engined & rear transaxle/rear wheel drive 944++ version! Like the 914 - the Boxster was originally conceived with a 4 cyl engine, then later with a 6, then a bigger/more hp 6-S! I contend that the Boxster is the reborn 914!

For 914's - all the difference is in the 95 hp 2.0 engine, as the 1.7 & 1.8's are just too low powered at 75 & 85 hp respectively (stock, and they can all be "juiced up" some more). Most reviews rate the smaller engined 914's as underpowered, whereas the 2.0's are peppy - if not screamers. The few 914-6 2.0 L were screamers, but hard to come by, very pricey, and were much harder and more costly to maintain its 6 cyl. Porsche engine - the same engine as 911-E of the day. 914-6's easily beat even the top end 911-S in a twisting road course, because of the superior handling and balance of the mid-engine design!

The 914 also had the groundbreaking fuel injection system which most new cars have today (along with it's VW contemporaries - 411 & 412). This gave it good power on demand - regardless of elevation and atmospheric conditions (den.alt. for those of you pilots out there), and without the too rich fuel mixture of carbureted engines in cold weather &/or high alt. It also gave it exceptional gas mileage - over 30 mpg flat out on the highway, and 35+ mpg when cruising, or 25-30 mpg around town.

I also agree with others, that the stowable removable hardtop - leaving the roll bar and rear window - was great. First, the aerodynamics of the top-off & windows-up car were such, that you could drive in a pouring rain and not get wet in the cockpit - until you stop! They also had a split cockpit heater vent system, so you could put cooler air in your face (important to prevent drowsiness while driving - especially on long trips), with warm/hot air at your feet - for full comfort in cool/cold weather with the top off - even in the snow!

Second, the top stowed in the rear trunk at the top rim in 4 metal reinforced rubber clips, leaving almost full baggage capacity there too. That enabled you to lift the aft edge of the stowed top as a sort of 2nd trunk deck lid for access underneath. Then there was the second front trunk to boot! So you had more than enough luggage & gear capacity for 2 on a long cross country trip.

I regularly made 1000-2000 miles round trip jaunts - even CAMPING out of my 914 - with plenty of room for the tent, sleeping bags, folding cots & chairs, campstove, food/small cooler & gear - plus luggage for clothes. The San Diego to San Francisco along Pacific Coast Hwy. SR-1 jaunt was a regular 4+ Day summer trip for 9 years - as well as to the mountains, deserts and other longer trips throughout the Southwest & West.

They also have ski and bike racks which mounted from the rear of the roll bar (3 screw mount holes are on the underside at each side of the roll bar - to the rear of the trunk lid or bumper. With these, I've carried 4 sets of skis - 2 left & 2 right - downhill & crosscountry, or 2 bikes (1 each side). and their clever design still allowed you to remove/stow and replace the top in/out of the trunk!

The cockpit is well laid out, with easy to read instruments (the 2.0 had the benefit of an extra 3 gauge center consol under the dash for engine temp., ammeter and oil pressure), and was extra wide & roomy for 2 passengers - with plenty of legroom & elbowroom for my biggest 6'-7+" 275+ lb. Rugby teammates (I'm only 5'-9").

However, I've done some in-town and short trips with a 3rd person sitting on the center cushion/map compartment cover (another extra on the 914-2.0 vs. 1.7/1.8). However, today you'd need to add a 3rd seatbelt to do that. We also did the 914 version of "stuff the Bug" - getting a dozen people into the cockpit (top off), and gong through the local Wendy's drive-thru for orders - backwards - i.e.: in reverse! I'm still not sure who enjoyed my shifting the 5 spd. stick for that trip more, me or???!!! ;-)

One post said that they had their 914-2.0 up 136 mph, but I only got mine up to 126! Of course, that was at midnight on I-15 winding through the Virgin River Gorge (AZ/NV/UT 3 corners area), on the way up to Park City, UT for a Rugby Tournament - not on the flat straightaway in daylight! ;-)

I'd traveled a lot in the 914, and it was always easy to find parts on the road - if needed (which was NOT often), since the VW 411 & 412 parts fit most engine and running gear of the 914's. That's the advantage of common parts - when you're in Podunk wherever - and that country mechanic "...t'ain't never see'd wonna dem Por-chees, but he has a VW sittin' on that there lift over ta' yonder!

My initial $4500 investment was well worth it - as was another $3000 4-1/2 years later to rebuild the engine & transaxle, and to repaint it to the metallic gunmetal grey (charcoal) of the newer late 1970's to early 1980's Porsche color. Now I need to invest again to bring it out of storage, and back on the road for fun!

In 1976 when I first bought it, I'd compared the value retention of 914s & 912s, with 240 Z's, MGBs, etc. - and the Porsches were far better over the first 3-6 years back then. So if those whiny pseudo-officianados would just stop nay-saying the 914s, hopefully its value will eventually attain the lofty values of the 356s and early 911s/912s.

The 914 - especially the 2 Liter - is a Great car, and very reliable and economical - even on long trips in harsh weather - desert to mountains/snow - always worked well. Can't wait to get it running again - nor can my 17 year old son!

Hope this has been helpful to someone!

Faults:

Nothing had gone wrong with this car before it was wrecked on a slippery road.

General Comments:

A very fun, classic car.

The vehicle was especially fun with the removable top off.

A cool feature about the removable top was that it was easily stored in the trunk, so you always had it with you.

A serious attention-getter.

For such a small car, due to the rear-set engine, had lots of legroom.

Overall a very fun to drive car for the short time I had it.

Faults:

The transmission was grinding going into first gear from a stop.

Valves require yearly adjustment.

Clutch cable broke.

Engine idles high.

General Comments:

This car was purchased with a big bore kit installed. Unfortunately the primitive fuel injection cannot figure out the proper ratio.

The addition of carbs cured this problem.

The car is quick (not fast) in accelerating, and will corner at unbelievable speeds.

It requires proper maintenance including filters and valve adjustments.

The interior has wonderful seats, and is very well laid out, although the heating controls could be labeled more clearly.

The two trunks make the car practical for traveling, and there is nothing like having the wind in your hair to make you feel alive.

The location of the engine helps give the car it's wonderful handling, too bad it makes it a pain to work on.