The Porsche 914 is one of those cars that we see in project form quite often, but rarely in well-preserved, survivor condition. In fact, right now, there’s a listing on Facebook Marketplace for a property in Washington State loaded with project-grade 914s being sold for anywhere from $500 to $1,500 each, depending on whether it has an engine. A 914 like the one shown here on craigslist is a breath of fresh air since it appears to be a wonderfully well-preserved car that is priced fairly for the condition – and one you likely won’t lose money on in the long run. The seller is asking $20,500 and is located near Oregon City.
I have a feeling the reason these cars tend to be found in rough or near-wrecked condition so often is because they spent too many years as a cheap, throwaway sports car. It suffers the same fate as the 924. If you wanted to own a Porsche solely for the badge, it wasn’t particularly hard to find a 914 or a 924 in the 80s for $3,000 or less. What’s proven far more difficult to find is a car someone has looked after and upgraded tastefully, such as the one shown here. The rubber rear spoiler is a period-correct accessory, as are the optional alloy wheels. I could do without the luggage rack on the trunk lid, however.
The 914’s interior was always one of its best selling points, in my opinion, with wonderful ergonomics and sport bucket seats that looked like they came out of a 911. The position is low and you sit close to everything; it’s definitely one of those vehicles that feels fast even if you’re sitting still. And on that note, the 914 is like a modern-day Miata which proves you don’t need a ton of power to have an absolute blast in a car. The seller’s example shows further signs of being a well-preserved survivor with a lovely crack-free dash. The aftermarket steering wheel is one of the few custom touches I’ll allow, as it likely improves the driving experience significantly.
And, of course, it has the much-preferred 2.0L engine. The difference between the 1.7 and the later 2.0 mills may not seem dramatic, but around 100 horsepower and 118 lb.-ft. of torque in a car this light is meaningful. Some other details you rarely see in a 914 is a rust-free “hell hole” and a seller who has gone through the trouble of tracking down a certificate of authenticity, both of which this example has. The price tag is far higher than your normal basketcase 914, but I suspect it’s still worth every penny compared to one of those battered examples. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Curvette for the tip.
I think I know the previous owner of this car, and he spent endless hours attending to every detail of this car, including rebuilding many items and replacing anything that showed signs of wear. I think you can’t go wrong on this one….
Since you have the handle “914 shifter” I have a,question. The 2 914s that I have driven have had a very vague shifter. As in, not a joy to shift.. Is this an inherent issue and can it be corrected? I have driven older 911s and although not crisp, were not vague. I understand a long shift rod and the weight of such a proposition. But I have driven other cars that traditionally have poor shifters where they were replaced with a cable setup though not “inspiring” transformed a poor feel into an acceptable feel.
Answer?
Wayne-
I don’t have “914Shifter” as a username but, having owned two 914’s, I’ll say that the later side shifters were a huge improvement over the early tail shifters. Never had and complaints about my ’75 or ’76 shifting.
Nice car but a picture of the whole car and the engine would be nice.
With two trunks,it’s a shame that someone put that
luggage rack on it.I really like these.
These are fun drivers, like having a go kart for the street. Buy this one and just enjoy it without having to worry about it.
“Won’t entertain shipping it.”
That’s going to really limit their potential purchasers.
Tom: I believe what the seller is saying is that he or she won’t pay for shipping, not they they won’t ship it.
If that’s what they meant,then they should explain it,
otherwise most potential buyers think “Local pickup only”.
I sold my low-mileage ’76 2.0 a couple of years ago for about the same. It wasn’t nearly this clean but was very original. This is a great deal for someone who’s looking for car that needs nothing. White interiior is pretty uncommon, and the aftermarket adds are tasteful, though I agree with most on the luggage rack. And when you say you sit close to everything, that includes the pavement!
Porsche actually built two 914s with eight cylinders. This one, with the Porsche 911 six cylinder engine, is a real find. GLWTS.👍
I believe you’re thinking of the 2.0L 914/6 which had a flat four six cylinder, built from 1969-1972. Those are much more valuable.
This is a 2.0L flat four, built (US versions) from 1975-1976.
Oops! In the first sentence, I meant to say, “the 2.0L 914/6 which had a flat six cylinder”
The 2.0 four was introduced in 1973 as a replacement for the 2.0 liter flat 6 that was used from 70 to 72. The base engine from 70 to 73 was a 1.7 liter. That was increased to 1.8 in 74 and 75. In 76 the 2.0 four was the only engine offered. I owned 3, 1973 914s from 1978 to 2015, building the last one into a car I won back to back PCA Regional autocross championships with in ’09 and ’10. There’s much more 911 DNA in the 914 than most are aware of, but they are finally getting the respect they always deserved.
You are correct Kurt. They were called the 914/8 or sometimes 914S. They had the 3.0 liter 8 cylinder engines from the 908/03 race cars. One was given to Ferry Porsche as a 60th birthday present, the other was built specifically for Dr. Ferdinand Piech. They were 300 hp cars with very subtle differences from production 914s. Piech’s car was red, Dr. Porsche’s car was silver.
In the ’70s the factory museum had a car made for Dr. Porsche that was green that had the race car engine in it. Bet they were a blast to drive.
Since you have the handle “914 shifter” I have a,question. The 2 914s that I have driven have had a very vague shifter. As in itveas not a joy to shift.. Is this an inherent issue and can it be corrected? I have driven older 911s and although not crisp, were not vague. I understand a long shift rod, the weight of such a proposition. But I have driven other cars that traditionally have poor shivers where they were replaced with a cable setup though not “inspiring” transformed a poor feel into an acceptable feel.
Answer?
In my VW Super the problem was solved by replacing the bushing in the shift rod support directly under the stick shift.
I don’t see anything in the listing that says it has a six cylinder engine. I assume either it has the original 4, or someone swapped a 6 into it. If it’s a 6, it wouldn’t sell for only $20K.
I once saw one of these with a Corvair engine. The exhaust was tuned to perfection that made music when on the cam. The owner said that the swap was virtually a bolt in and the gearing was just a little tight for the ‘vair engine. But he was enjoying the heck out of the car since the install. I saw that car the same week that I was at an autocross that had a small block Chevy in a 914. I would really like to have one of these that had a solid body/chassis that I could play engine swap with. This car in this write up is so nice, I would never do anything like that to this car.
Last one of these that I had I used to change the oil on my jacked up mud bog truck. Still had to use my long rachet extension.
Nice, well kept 914.
I’d buy it but I sold my bogger.
Lovely looking car! Although I was way too young at the time to drive a car, I’ve seen a few Porsche 914s, and I find them the best looking car with the Porsche name
The 4 cylinder OHV boxer in this ’76 is rated at 84 HP/ 97 lb torque.
The 6 cylinder SOHC with EFI boxer in a ’71 Porsche 914 was rated at 109 HP/ 116 lb torque.
Buyer beware!