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

[ClayPerrine]

After two separate wrecks, my 914.. the big six, started out with the concept "What could Porsche done with the 914 in 1973 by raiding the parts bin for all the good, go fast parts?" So I started off with a 2.4S MFI motor, a 71 911 transmission for the pull clutch, 911 S front and rear brakes, with a 911 park brake conversion, and 15 by 7 front fuchs, and 15 x8 rears, factory Porsche GT flares, and a 911 style dash.

Well, the real world, and my horsepower obsession interfered. I found the 951 Fuchs on Ebay with all of 12 miles on them and bought them. Then I found 944 turbo calipers for the brakes. So the suspension was already changed. Later I changed to Boxster calipers and a 23mm master cylinder.

I have since changed the 2.4 for a 4.0 monster with a Cayman 6 speed behind it. And I am working on the flat fan/MS3Pro setup for the engine.


On the other hand, the factory six is going exactly the opposite way. I have removed the Rennshifter and put a stock shifter back on it. I have put a stock steering wheel with the correct date code back on it. We have redone the door pads back to stock. I have repaired the carbs and put the stock air cleaner back on. I took the 16x6 Fuchs off and put on the 5 lug Mahle Gas burners. The only thing left is to have the body work done and get it repainted in the original blue (which sucks because we really like the Boxster blue that's on it) and remove the rear trunk gas strut kit and put the torsion bars back on. The only non stock parts on it are the LED lights, and those are reversible, and they make the car much safer on the road.

One is a highly modified monster, and one is a bone stock 914-6. Both are going to be very nice cars when they are completed. The bottom line to all of this is what you do to your 914 depends on what you think should be done. It is your car. If you want to put a Gnome Type N air cooled radial engine in it, then more power to you. And I want to see it when it's done. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Van B]

Having been a guest of Clay’s, I am confident the man knows the left and right limits of where to take a 914. And after seeing his beauties, there is definitely a lot you can do with a 914 and still retain the unique 914 look and feel.

[emerygt350]

I was looking up slantnose 911s for my son yesterday. I had no clue they were so rare and kind of a special order deal. I guess my slantnose 914 is probably even rarer than the 911s though. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Van B]

I was looking up slantnose 911s for my son yesterday. I had no clue they were so rare and kind of a special order deal. I guess my slantnose 914 is probably even rarer than the 911s though. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Hell yeah it is!

[Cairo94507]

It is super-duper rare. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[Olympic 914]

I guess my slantnose 914 is probably even rarer than the 911s though. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

But they are out there.

[cali914]

The Journey is more important than final product.

[targa72e]

I also had trouble doing big mods to a nice original car. I was looking for another car to do my second -6 conversion and found a nice 914 that turned out to be a really cool survivor. Instead of modifying it I cleaned it up, repaired it and sold it to someone that appreciated its "stockness".

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...p;hl=white++car

Luckily for me they are local and I still get to see the car, they have added some factory upgrades that have only made the car nicer.
I found another car that was a roller and mostly rust free to become my next -6 conversion. In the end much happier to be modifying a car that I am also saving vs cutting up a survivor.

john

[r_towle]

never drive stock.

[mepstein]

I was looking up slantnose 911s for my son yesterday. I had no clue they were so rare and kind of a special order deal. I guess my slantnose 914 is probably even rarer than the 911s though. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

We just put 3 non factory slantnose 911's back to stock. One was an early turbo. It's a value killer unless it's factory. Still, if it makes you happy, go for it.

[tpines]

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?

Just was looking at this post. If you want a hood badge put a decal on that you can always take off later. Happy New Year!

[technicalninja]

I hadn't seen this thread before today.

I have two cars I'm building.

A stupid nice, low mileage, 75 1.8 with the least rust I've ever seen in a 50-year-old car.
Never been hit, horrible repaint (silver), completely virgin, unmolested example.
I'm experienced in import car restoration and can tell if others have taken stuff apart in the past. On most of my tear down I'm sure I'm the first and all of the hardware is in its proper place!!!

It's the least valuable of the breed (so I think) and it's the heaviest, lowest power version made.
It's not staying stock, but...

It's nice enough that I am limiting myself as to HOW it is modified.

I'm NOT allowed to make a single new hole in the body. No sheet metal mods at all.
Anything is allowed as long as it "bolts in" and the original is kept in storage.

As this car did not come with factory sway bars this is a point of contention for me.
I already own a complete 914 factory sway bar set up, both front and rear.
I have the weld in kits.
I also have most of a 911 underbody front bar.
Leaning "make holes" on this one.
Devil on one side, angel on the other...

No changes to the wiring loom. If a circuit has to be modified it has to be done with removable wiring "taps" at an original wiring connector. No cutting any wires!

I'll end up with a large displacement T4 at some point, this will be serious.

The 1.8 has a brand new 2bl on it, all the original FI in a box.
I've already sourced a complete 1.8L-jet system with new wiring harness/injectors taken off a running car at the installation of an aftermarket system.

I'll return the car to FI, verify the 1.8L is decent, get a dyno run to test power/torque.
We'll use it stock while I build the bigger engine.
I'll replace the entire set up at once. Pickle the original engine and box it up.
If I get it right, I'll be able to simply "plug it in" to the original points.

I'm keeping the option of "return to stock easily" open.

The 76 916 clone in fiberglass is WIDE OPEN. No rules at all!
I can't screw it up worse than it is now. I'll be restoring a mutilated corpse to life.
I won't be the mutilator myself.

But if things go as I'd like, I'll be hunting you at some point @clayperrine

[flat4guy]

My first 2 were 4 cylinder totally stock cars - loved them. My 3rd is a great tribute - flared fenders, 3.2L, 915 trans, Boxster brakes, etc..... A lot of fun and there is no right or wrong way to do it.

[peteinjp]

I think I’m striking a good balance with the car I choose. It was a super rusty 1.7 that was fully restored body wise and had all kinds or trick mods but all within period stuff more or less. No flares so switch out the seats, steering wheel, put on the gas burners and stock shifter and it sits looks like a stock car. Throw back in the GTS Watkins Glens seats, 370mm ST steering wheel, Ats classic wheels with 205 sticky rubber, and rennshift and with the 2.7mfi and close ratio transaxle its ready to fly down the mountain roads.

I feel a 3.0 would have crossed a certain line…… The 7r case somehow seems to fit the spirit of the early 914 body.

I think the thing is about how you want to use the car- or if you want to use it for driving. or just have it and drive it. I choose the 914 because I wanted to experience the mid engine handling/layout in a light weight car. I already have an 964 and so the 914 meant less of a learning curve in terms of maintenance and workshop tools/nomenclature than, say a lotus (which i could never fit into anyway.) And I’m just can’t stand modern interiors and wanted to stay simple so the heavier Cayman/boxster were out.

Anyhooo yeah- drivers should make the car do what they want. Builders should build the car the think represent the spirit of the car. Collectors should keep it stock. Those of us inbetween have to find our own individual balance and it’s not always easy.

Pete

[fasthonda]

2 is 1. Best case scenario is to have 2. Leave one totally original and a second to modify. For me building and developing the car is where I find all the joy. A stock car is like having sex with Grandma, while the type R is like a pornstar.

[Root_Werks]

I bought an already converted six and made it my own. Wouldn't modify a nice stock 914 anymore.

15+ years ago, certainly modified my fair share of 914's.

[Shivers]

I’ve had mine for 41 years. It was fun stock. But the more work I did on the engine and suspension, the more serious the fun became. It is now getting more suspension work, better brakes and 5 lug. Shifter is stock with a bit of internal work and a short shift kit and shift rod and shift console work. Flares for bigger tires was a must to me. Adding bolstering to the seats to keep my butt where it belongs. Nothing needs to be done to make them fun, I guess it depends on how much fun you want to have.

[windforfun]

2 is 1. Best case scenario is to have 2. Leave one totally original and a second to modify. For me building and developing the car is where I find all the joy. A stock car is like having sex with Grandma, while the type R is like a pornstar.

I suppose you're referring to your Hondas?

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif)

[thomasotten]

I often recall the words of Ferdinand Porsche:

Change is easy, improvement, that's more difficult.

Those words can be applied to business practices, phone upgrades, vehicle facelifts, politics, relationships, and, and, and... Because, in many ways, there is nothing new under the sun.

Whenever I look at a car that has been modified, I always ask, is this an improvement? Certain cars, like the Mk1 Audi TT, there is no body kit that can be added to it, that will not degrade its beautiful appearance. With the 914, and 911's there are certain things that can be done to improve it, after all some were budget builds from the factory, and the factory went cheap in the later years on the 914. My Porsches are modified. But I actively seek out dilapidated candidates for my projects.

[worn]

Funny you should post this. I also have one of those "numbers" relatively speaking and I have a slightly rusty body (car, not me). My intent was, and still is to leave one well enough alone and chop, cut, rebuild the spare body into the powerhouse toy each of us thinks about.

I also look at the time left to do this....

Some say we are only caretakers of our cars until the next owner. I think this is true to a point as the next owner will take care of whatever you pass on to them that is worth caring for.

BTW, here in central Canada, there are actually quite a few running, driving 914s especially considering our salt laden, car killer winters we have here. Probably not many (if any) are original purchases but...

Back to topic, the debate rages on. Personally I will probably just leave the one as a survivor and build up the other one.

Im actually amazed there are any in Winnipeg.Its hostile there weather wise.Last time I was there it was salty,dirty and Fu%$*ng COLD.
Again,almost nothing is irreversible.Do watcha like. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (Ya Humpty dance reference)
Doot rrrr doot rrrr!

Or maybe I’m just getting old,
But fuch I hate the cold.