“A few things to know before stealing my 914“.
Especially this line:
(Sometimes I think about a 914 as one of those fun cars to knock around in. Even though I have no mechanical talent, the 914 seems like a simple enough car to learn on. Then I come to my senses. A man will think a lot of stupid things when he can’t sleep at night. Also, there aren’t any on Craigslist locally right now.)
Ah, that takes me back. I briefly had a 914 in 1979-80. Had almost none of those problems. Of course it was a 10 year old car then, not a 50 year old one. They are a bit quirky but extremely fun to drive. Very stable–because very low. Also a surprising amount of cargo space because of the mid-engine.
The smaller engine is basically a Volkswagen engine, so it’s not hard to work on but the engine compartment is very cramped. I’ve heard the 6 cylinder ones are almost impossible to get to.
A fried of mine had a 914 for a while, around the time when it would have been 20 years old instead of 50.
It felt like riding in a go-kart, which I actually kind of enjoyed.
I also have a passing familiarity with the air-cooled VW engine, my family having owned a few when I was younger. I get the impression that doing much of anything in the 914 requires dropping the engine…and that dropping the 914 is nowhere near as difficult as, for example, dropping a Subaru engine.
(Quote I remember from a John Muir Subaru repair guide, on removing the engine: “Condition: The engine needs to be removed. Or, you want to impress Jodie Foster.”)