Burned Giant Killer: 1970 Porsche 914-6
Get out the pitchforks: here comes another post from your favorite wrecked, burned, bashed, and battered vintage project seller on eBay. Personally, I like the fact that this genuine Porsche 914-6 wasn’t relegated to a shredder when it burned, as its rapidly increasing values means it now has a chance at rebirth. Still, for those of you ready to put us on blast for featuring such a car, be sure to get the full details here on eBay and let us know if the $19,000 asking price seems like a bargain to you.
All commentary aside, what a shame it would be if a real-deal 914-6 didn’t find its way into the hands of a Porsche restoration shop that could at least carve up what’s useful and create a painstaking re-creation, or perhaps even bring this one back to life? I doubt highly these wrecks sell for the asking price, as a best offer options is always included and the seller is clearly having some success selling these hulks.
The burn wasn’t a total melt-down either, certainly not as bad as the crispy Lotus Esprit we featured a few days ago. The overall shell of the vehicle is still visible, and the interior isn’t completely melted. Now, I hear you that burn victims always suffer from compromises in structural integrity, likely even more so with a targa body, so I realize resurrection may not be in the cards (or even remotely safe to do.)
The good news is the original engine is still with the charred chassis, along with the Weber 40IDTP carburetors. The seller notes that the 914-6 burned in 1972, so this wreck has been sitting in their salvage yard for many, many years awaiting a day when its value may justify salvation. Mileage is under 22,000, and is likely genuine considering when the fire took place. Can – and should – it be saved?
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Comments
I just about choked on my similarily-smoky Texas BBQ after seeing the asking price. I like their gumption if nothing else. Nice write-up, Jeff!
Gotta agree Scotty. looks like the radio might have survived. My buddy had a regular 914 new back in the day. Great fun to ride with him. How about sharing that Texas BBQ recipe? Any Lone Star Involved? Thanks Jeff. Sweet and to the point.
First of all these 914’s are ugly and I don’t know why there desirable. I’ve often wondered if the seller strips these cars down in order to sell the parts back for extra money after their victim has bought the car. This car is a turd. No thanks.
Let’s think about this! Wrecked in 1972 and back then cost more than the car was worth to repair. Now 2019 and it’s still going to take what the car is worth restored to bring it back. I’m willing to bet all that heat and all those years of exposure has made that engine worthless.
Spent a good portion of my life working on these cars and I wouldn’t touch this one. Just not worth it.
Yep, just junk it.
Uhhhmm-no. Not another palletized Porsche.
You guys should get in touch with this yard and do an interview with them. It’s absolutely amazing the stuff they come up with.
Who has the intuition to stick a scrapped two year old Porsche in a corner for nearly fifty years and rightly figure it will be financially worth it.
And this obviously isn’t the only exotic car they squirreled away.
Alphasud, you’re correct, that motor could be junk. I wouldn’t pay good money for it assuming it’s rebuildable. But once in a while that kind of motor can be saved. I saved a 69 Camaro Z/28 302 that was burned in a garage fire. The motor was out of the car with the heads off when my friend had a fire that burned the garage and the 65,000 mile car. Then he let the mess sit in the rubble for six months.
I hauled it away before the city was going to take it. I literally picked pieces of burned 2 x 4 s off the out of the cylinder bores. Fortunately it was a standard bore block, never apart. It took me a year of soaking everything in PB Blaster to get it to turn over so I could get to the rod bolts to take it apart.
About the time I got the motor apart I found a 69 Z/28 less motor and transmission, so I took the motor to the local racing engine builder and hoped for the best. It cleaned up at .030″ over, so I have a “Not numbers matching” ride, but I know the car that the motor came from from 1973 and I chased the car I bought in 1974 but didn’t find it until 1996, so I like telling the story of what it is.
I have an original low mile car, but I can drive this one and take it places and not care about the miles I put on it.
Good thing it wasn’t a 916…
The foolishness continues,along with the fun, “it’ll buff out”, “easy restoration” comments, which are as much fun as the vehicle featured itself. With as ba-kocked as this hobby has become, maybe the shift knob alone is worth the asking price. See how silly it sounds? It’s sad to see how low this hobby has sunk to even offer something like this, and nowhere else seems to exploit the hobby more than California. I suppose in a state where excess is the norm, this is nothing new.
I wish you would stop featuring or at a minimum cut back the on number of cars from this seller. Sure, they have interesting stuff, but everything you have feature of theirs is thrashed beyond belief and way overpriced. There are plenty of other interesting cars available that are realistically priced and actual candidates for restoration or worthy of preservation.
Steve R
Thank you.
So agreed. At one point long ago, it was entertaining to chuckle at these. Now, its tedious and a big arsed waste of time.
Unreal. A DRIVING version of this, in good shape MIGHT be worth the asking price. Finding a good 914 shell is getting harder but not impossible. The engine, with it’s iron cylinders and all the other “cheap out” parts, makes the engine about the least desirable of the “901” engines. The oil cooler is 914-6 only but how good is that now? These were 110 HP? Howsabout a nice 2.2 Subaru in a 914 body? 130HP. Or, you want a six? How about a 3.3 Subaru at over 230hp? Toss some 911 discs and wheels at a 914-4 and put a GOOD engine in it and it runs away and hides from the likes of what this car WAS.
If this was some HISTORIC one-off car? MAYBE..other than that? run away…
smd
Why would a two year old Porsche be subjected to such a cheap repaint and color change? It’s hard to believe, but not impossible.
Hopefully the seller has some form of documentation that backs up their claimed timeline. It’s not as if sellers asking top dollar would ever embellish their story.
Steve R
Not sure what puzzles me more, the asking price or the fact that there are folks with that much money to burn (no pun intended) on a hunk of burnt metal.
The second part of your statement isn’t true unless someone buys it.
Steve R
Pitchfork Billy here. A 914-6 is only desirable in 914 circles. A perfect 914-6 probably won’t clear more than $30k. This car has down-draft carbs, how many years of rain water do you suppose is in that engine?
The sorry wrecks from this place being posted on this site use to be funny. Not any more. I am sure this place is owned by a bunch of mouth-breathing, bottom-crawler ex-car salesmen.
People with deep pockets don’t care about the condition if the car is rare enough, which this one is! Quick sale coming.
A matching #’s 914-6 can top $100,000, that leaves a lot of room to restore a pretty straightforward car. I own two 914’s and they are a blast to drive.
Adam Wright
Unobtanium-inc
Can’t believe it’s April fools day already.