The Porsche 914 is one of those cars where it’s hard to tell exactly where it will go. For a while now, some pundits have been predicting that the 914 is the next Porsche to explode in value after the long-hood 911 market went to the moon and never came back. While there have been some high-dollar sales of pristine examples, the 914 by and large is still an attainable classic. This ’73 was originally a fuel-injected car that has been converted to carbs and comes with the optional auxiliary gauge package. Find it here on eBay with bids approaching $17,000.
The colors are awesome on this vintage 914, but the seller calls the paint “old” which makes me wonder if it’s a repaint. The black section on either side of the rear quarters is an interesting detail which I don’t believe is factory, and the luggage rack is also a non-standard accessory. Even if it’s a respray, the seller is quick to point out that it is a rust-free example, even in the typically troublesome “hell hole” location. The chrome bumpers look good and potentially help to validate the relatively low mileage claims of 87,654.
The center stack of gauges is one of the few factory accessories available when the 914 was new and is a desirable find today. The camel-colored bucket seats stand out and make me question whether any 914 left the factory with bucket seats that didn’t match the carpeting. However, looking more closely, it does appear that the carpeting is a dark brown or cocoa, and the back rests of the buckets match the floors and door panels. Regardless, a more seasoned 914 expert may be able to determine if this is 100 percent factory. The 914 retains its original radio and what looks like a crack-free dash.
The 914 is extremely dry underneath and appears to be leak- and rust-free. The seller doesn’t detail specifics around its maintenance history but does say the 914 is “..mechanically sound.” Still, it’d be helpful to get more details on any previous tear-downs or re-seals a former owner undertook, as well as the carburetor conversion. The original fuel injection equipment is included with the sale, and I would return it back to factory specs if the 914 turns out to be as rust-free and straight as it’s presented as being here. Do you think 914 prices will continue to rise?
Do I think prices on the 914 will continue to rise. Yes, there seems to be no limits on Porsche cars these days. I never should have thought a 914 2.0 would be bringing 16K and still going. I also agree install the D-jetronic back on the engine. When set up correctly they offer good performance. I don’t think I have ever seen a dry 914 underneath! Not the easiest cars to work on from a access standpoint. The access up top is narrow. Kind of like building a ship inside the bottle. This looks to really be a nice car. Yellow works good on this car.
Agree. One point on the fuel injection vs. carbs: We put a modified 2.0 ltr injection system on our modified 1.8 engine in our ’74 130 hp powered car. All the numbers pointed to the fact that a pair of the Webber 40s, a common replacement for the fuel injection, wouldn’t give us more power in the upper rpm ranges of 6 to 8K. As for access to the engine, the valve adjustment task was eliminated on our engine by using the hydraulic lifters out of the later VW water cooled engines, which also let us run the rpm much higher than stock. Really nice example here. Like the color, obviously. Don’t understand why you would put a luggage rack on a car with two trunks.
“with bucket seats that didn’t match the carpeting”
Wasn’t that always James Bond’s concern as well?
It was in “Diamonds are Forever ” ! LOL
Those cars have never appealed to me. I have two friends who had them, one was orange and the other the same as this car. They loved them while they had them but that was a long time ago. I never told my friends, but I think Porches like that are some of the ugliest car ever. It surprises me that the bid on this one is now over $15K.
Did you drive your friends’ cars at all? Very fun to drive, as I recall – somewhat like a go-kart. I haven’t been in one in 40 years, but i remember the experience well, and wish I had one to buzz around in now.
I didn’t want to drive either one of them. I had a Sting Ray at the time, 365 HP, close ratio 4-spd, 370 Posi, and to tell the truth I was so turned off on them because of their looks that I never hinted to either one of them that I wanted to drive one. The one that I could have driven most anytime I wished had the smaller engine that everyone called a VW engine. (Was it actually a VW engine)? I probably should not have said I thought they were ugly and just left it that they didn’t appeal to me, so I apologize if I made anyone mad and/or hurt your feelings.
For many years those of us who followed them would always say “some day these will be hard to find like 356’s!.” Well, that may never happen, but I do think enough time has gone by and enough of the rough cars pulled out of circulation that they are finally reaching that “I haven’t seen one of those in a long time” status. As you might guess by my member name, I do like them!
After viewing the Ebay ad I would say the interior definitely has had a couple of non-matching seat cushions dropped in… definitely the color should all be the same. That interior color is not that common, but does look really nice. As for the black paint on the rear: I have never seen that application. It’s definitely NOT original, but surprisingly does not detract all that much from the overall appearance, IMO.
They made about 120,000 of them, then there was 40 years of “not a Porsche” talk followed by many suffering from neglect and rusting out of existence. Now they have found a new audience in the last 6 years. Restoring one is almost as much as restoring a 911. Mint original examples don’t barely top out at $10k anymore. It’s $30k+. Don’t know why people are surprised why prices are so high now for these cars. It just is regardless of what you think they’re worth. I have a ’75 and they are a blast to drive when you’re 6 inches off the ground.
When these were first introduced, I spotted one parked on a Paris street and looked it over. I didn’t much care for the styling at the time, but I ended up buying one several years later. With that neutral, mid-engine handling, I saw that – from behind the wheel, at least – it was a true thing of beauty! I wouldn’t mind having this one, but I predict it’s going to go for a lot more than $17k and I’ve got six cars/SUVs/trucks already.
Name another 2 seat sports car from the early seventies that combines fuel injection, a five speed manual, independent front and rear suspension, and 4 wheel disc brakes in a mid engine design. I can’t think of one.