Let's talk about "being stock" vs "having the car you want" Options

[ScoopLV]

When I was a kid I had a 914. I wanted 5-lug Fuchs, the Porsche rear reflector, the front badge. And quite frankly, if I could have done one of those ridiculous Beach Boys body kits (the kind that makes a 914 look like a Ferrari) I probably would have.

I was on a parts website, buying some side lenses, when I saw a sale on the rear reflector and put one in my cart. Then I took it out of the cart.

Why? I have a basically unmodified teener -- 99% stock. It's almost like I feel I have a responsibility to keep it stock. I'm going to upgrade the fuel lines, and the shift linkage. One's a safety issue and the other is an invisible upgrade. But I'm going to keep all the old parts so that I could "put it back to stock" if I ever wanted.

I never really liked the look of the vinyl sail. I prefer the B column to be the same color as the rest of the body. My car doesn't have sails. Obviously a previous owner agreed with me on that point. But I'm seriously thinking about putting sails back on, because, hey, that's the only thing that isn't stock on the car.

I always liked the look of having a front badge. To me, the car looks nude without a badge on the front. But that would require drilling two holes into a perfectly good hood. Sure, I could fill the holes if I ever wanted. But that's one less hood out there that's never been mucked with.

I don't really know where I'm going with this post, or even if there's a point to it. But I'd like to hear from people about the validity of "turning your car into YOUR car" vs. "there aren't many unmodified cars out there anymore, so keep it stock."

Where do you fall in that spectrum?

[bembry]

I like the stock look. Mine started out thrashed with a bunch of non-stock parts (worn out rivieras, cut door panels, hole in the dash, homemade carpet, destroyed center console, cheapie aftermarket steering wheel, antenna, and mirror, and cracked fiberglass from air dam) and a horrible oxidized maroon respray.

I took it back to stock light ivory with a cheap paint job, got stock fuchs alloys, a stock steering wheel, period Becker radio, and better back pad and door panels, and center console out of the junkyard. The departure from stock right now is the 2056 with dual carbs. I did save the stock FI and associated parts though.

I'm slowly going back to what I think my car should be, which in my case is mainly stock. Interior, rubber weather seals, and better paint job are down the road. Mikey's fiberglass bumper tops are on order. I also found a stock front valence, and put a dash cap on. I don't mind using things like the dash cap and fiberglass bumper tops. This car will never be concours.
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i269.photobucket.com-4499-1350519731.1.jpg)
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i269.photobucket.com-4499-1350519731.2.jpg)
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i269.photobucket.com-4499-1350519732.3.jpg)

[JawjaPorsche]

Wow! Looks like Cujo got a hold of the driver's seat! My teener seats were fried too but I was very fortunate to find newly upholstered seats on Craiglist! I was very lucky. Putting it back to stock is neat! It takes time and a lot of green!

I like the stock look. Mine started out thrashed with a bunch of non-stock parts (worn out rivieras, cut door panels, hole in the dash, homemade carpet, destroyed center console, cheapie aftermarket steering wheel, antenna, and mirror, and cracked fiberglass from air dam) and a horrible oxidized maroon respray.

I took it back to stock light ivory with a cheap paint job, got stock fuchs alloys, a stock steering wheel, period Becker radio, and better back pad and door panels, and center console out of the junkyard. The departure from stock right now is the 2056 with dual carbs. I did save the stock FI and associated parts though.

I'm slowly going back to what I think my car should be, which in my case is mainly stock. Interior, rubber weather seals, and better paint job are down the road. Mikey's fiberglass bumper tops are on order. I also found a stock front valence, and put a dash cap on. I don't mind using things like the dash cap and fiberglass bumper tops. This car will never be concours.
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i269.photobucket.com-4499-1350519731.1.jpg)
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i269.photobucket.com-4499-1350519731.2.jpg)
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i269.photobucket.com-4499-1350519732.3.jpg)