5 ms·

This was my first car, back in the 1990s! The synchros in the transmission were worn down to almost nothing, shifting truly was a dark art, like closing one’s

This was my first car, back in the 1990s! The synchros in the transmission were worn down to almost nothing, shifting truly was a dark art, like closing one’s eyes and feeling their way through a drawer of silverware. Otherwise in better condition but I guess I had twenty years less wear on it! (my current car dream is to find another 914 and do an electric conversion… not a car where it behooves one to keep the original anything)

ant6n 3y ago
[flagged]
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- KptMarchewa 3y ago
  Porsche sells fully electric Taycan.
  - _ea1k 3y ago
    It is a great EV too.
  - inconceivable 3y ago
    they're also innovating on synthetic fuel.
    - ant6n 3y ago
      That’s the story the FDP is trying to sell - we should be „open“ on technology, because synthetic fuels will supposedly be just as environmentally friendly as EV cars. Never mind that well-to-wheel, they’d use 5x the energy of EVs and still have most of the other issues of ICE cars, like noise and local pollution (e.g. nox). In reality, it’s about keeping fossil fuels and ICE cars around as long as possible.
      - inconceivable 3y ago
        > it’s about keeping fossil fuels and ICE cars around as long as possible yeah, what tipped you off, the fact that they're trying to keep them fueled at great cost? i'm glad a real sherlock holmes like you is on the case.
- sspiff 3y ago
  While I myself am partial to noisy vibration generators, it should be noted that vintage Porsches are the most common form of classic car EV conversions.
- clsec 3y ago
  As someone who lives along a very busy thoroughfare in San Francisco (where there are a lot of Porches & other supercars) I can say that they are the quietest of all the gas powered supercars.
- oceanplexian 3y ago
  The calls for an ICE ban don’t sound reasonable at all. It’s not the 1% of the population that are car enthusiasts that are causing climate change.
  - phone8675309 3y ago
    Let's talk about limits on private jet aviation before we even begin to talk about banning ICE vehicles for normal people.
  - ant6n 3y ago
    No, it’s the whole automotive industry that needs to get out of fossil fuels, and is not able to maintain and evolve multiple drive technologies at once. But also, the e-fuel debate is a Backdoor to keep fossil fuels around much longer. Getting rid of ICE cars isn’t a matter of reasonableness, it’s a necessity.
- constantly 3y ago
  I seriously considered the all electric Porsche Taycan as my next car before eventually relenting got a Tesla Model S Plaid. The Taycan was arguably higher quality and a funner drive though and I would have been very happy with it.
- inconceivable 3y ago
  > Porsche seems to be the only vehicle manufacturer who doesnt believe in the electric car i think you just completely made this up out of thin air because you hate sports cars. they're one of the first manufacturers to sell an electric sports car, and their work on performance hybrid drivetrains is probably the best in the industry. they also race in formula E and are working on synthetic fuel replacements for their classic cars.
  - ant6n 3y ago
    https://www.carscoops.com/2023/03/porsche-ferrari-behind-e-fuel-debate-that-could-derail-2035-eu-ice-ban/amp/ https://www.carscoops.com/2023/03/porsche-ferrari-behind-e-f...
    - inconceivable 3y ago
      good. banning ICE by 2035 is insanely stupid.
angst_ridden 3y ago
I had a 1973 2.0 for much of the 90s. It was definitely the most fun car I've owned. I foolishly let it go and "upgraded" to a Boxster, which may have been faster and more comfortable (stuff like A/C was a cool innovation for me then), but was a lot less fun. The 914 cornered like it had talons with which to grip the road. You could be going up curvy roads like Las Flores Canyon in Malibu, cornering at a speed where any other car would let go, crank the wheel over, and the 914 would just happily go exactly where you pointed it. It wasn't nearly as fast as the Boxster that replaced it, but it felt faster. That rattling acceleration off the line, especially being so low to the ground, that smell of hot oil, the sound of the engine right behind you ... I miss that car. Yeah, it was in the shop a lot. So was the Boxster. The difference was, of course, that you'd buy your replacement parts from the VW parts catalog rather than the Porsche parts catalog and save yourself 600-800%. I still remember getting a replacement VW window crank for $2 when the Porsche dealer quoted me $75. I got old and "responsible." I eventually ditched the Boxster for a reliable, truck-like Subaru. And I now live in a city where transit and bike infrastructure is great - I don't even own a car. I don't miss it much. But there's one day a year, when the weather reminds me of that first springtime ride up Angeles Crest Highway in the 914 with the top down, and then I'll admit to some small regret.
- aeroevan 3y ago
  I went '67 MGB to boxster and while air conditioning and having a working radio is nice (and it was just a much more practical car all around... which isn't saying much), there's something about classic cars that is just fun
- Eric_WVGG 3y ago
  "talons" yes! That's exactly what it felt like! My curvy roads were the canyons from Salt Lake City to Park City and up Wasatch mountains to the ski resorts.
rbanffy 3y ago
> (my current car dream is to find another 914 and do an electric conversion… not a car where it behooves one to keep the original anything) Same here, but ones with the wheel on the right side are even harder to find. :-( Well... I guess that, for a conversion job, I won't need a working engine, or transmission.
- samtho 3y ago
  I did an electric conversion with an old Vespa, it was literally just a shell I got for about $300, packed it with a beefy BLDC motor and a driver (from a standup electric scooter) that let me change the speed based on the thumb throttle. I wanted to use the original throttle on the Vespa but that got kind of messy at the time. The LiFePO4 batteries were the most expensive thing here and I regret not getting larger capacity ones. The neat thing about an electric motor vs an ICE, that you pointed out, is the torque curve is linear so no need for a transmission. For 4-wheelers, I really want to see electric conversion kits get more popular, specifically ones where the electric motor mounts to the transmission spot - either transverse and have attachment points for two half shafts or conventional where it points to the rear. Then we can use the engine bay as a additional storage, assuming we put the batteries where the gas tank is. I really want to do this conversion with a older, rear-engine VW bug. I hate ripping out original parts but I can find so many shells now where they’ve taken the engine out.
  - jacquesm 3y ago
    Did you do a write-up on that project? I'd love to read about it!
michaelcampbell 3y ago
Did double clutching not help, or were you not aware of the technique? My dad drove over the road semi tractors for a few years and taught it to me, and it's just habit now.

ant6n 3y ago

[flagged]

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
KptMarchewa 3y ago
Porsche sells fully electric Taycan.
- _ea1k 3y ago
  It is a great EV too.
- inconceivable 3y ago
  they're also innovating on synthetic fuel.
  - ant6n 3y ago
    That’s the story the FDP is trying to sell - we should be „open“ on technology, because synthetic fuels will supposedly be just as environmentally friendly as EV cars. Never mind that well-to-wheel, they’d use 5x the energy of EVs and still have most of the other issues of ICE cars, like noise and local pollution (e.g. nox). In reality, it’s about keeping fossil fuels and ICE cars around as long as possible.
    - inconceivable 3y ago
      > it’s about keeping fossil fuels and ICE cars around as long as possible yeah, what tipped you off, the fact that they're trying to keep them fueled at great cost? i'm glad a real sherlock holmes like you is on the case.
sspiff 3y ago
While I myself am partial to noisy vibration generators, it should be noted that vintage Porsches are the most common form of classic car EV conversions.
clsec 3y ago
As someone who lives along a very busy thoroughfare in San Francisco (where there are a lot of Porches & other supercars) I can say that they are the quietest of all the gas powered supercars.
oceanplexian 3y ago
The calls for an ICE ban don’t sound reasonable at all. It’s not the 1% of the population that are car enthusiasts that are causing climate change.
- phone8675309 3y ago
  Let's talk about limits on private jet aviation before we even begin to talk about banning ICE vehicles for normal people.
- ant6n 3y ago
  No, it’s the whole automotive industry that needs to get out of fossil fuels, and is not able to maintain and evolve multiple drive technologies at once. But also, the e-fuel debate is a Backdoor to keep fossil fuels around much longer. Getting rid of ICE cars isn’t a matter of reasonableness, it’s a necessity.
constantly 3y ago
I seriously considered the all electric Porsche Taycan as my next car before eventually relenting got a Tesla Model S Plaid. The Taycan was arguably higher quality and a funner drive though and I would have been very happy with it.
inconceivable 3y ago
> Porsche seems to be the only vehicle manufacturer who doesnt believe in the electric car i think you just completely made this up out of thin air because you hate sports cars. they're one of the first manufacturers to sell an electric sports car, and their work on performance hybrid drivetrains is probably the best in the industry. they also race in formula E and are working on synthetic fuel replacements for their classic cars.
- ant6n 3y ago
  https://www.carscoops.com/2023/03/porsche-ferrari-behind-e-fuel-debate-that-could-derail-2035-eu-ice-ban/amp/ https://www.carscoops.com/2023/03/porsche-ferrari-behind-e-f...
  - inconceivable 3y ago
    good. banning ICE by 2035 is insanely stupid.

angst_ridden 3y ago

I had a 1973 2.0 for much of the 90s. It was definitely the most fun car I've owned. I foolishly let it go and "upgraded" to a Boxster, which may have been faster and more comfortable (stuff like A/C was a cool innovation for me then), but was a lot less fun. The 914 cornered like it had talons with which to grip the road. You could be going up curvy roads like Las Flores Canyon in Malibu, cornering at a speed where any other car would let go, crank the wheel over, and the 914 would just happily go exactly where you pointed it. It wasn't nearly as fast as the Boxster that replaced it, but it felt faster. That rattling acceleration off the line, especially being so low to the ground, that smell of hot oil, the sound of the engine right behind you ... I miss that car. Yeah, it was in the shop a lot. So was the Boxster. The difference was, of course, that you'd buy your replacement parts from the VW parts catalog rather than the Porsche parts catalog and save yourself 600-800%. I still remember getting a replacement VW window crank for $2 when the Porsche dealer quoted me $75. I got old and "responsible." I eventually ditched the Boxster for a reliable, truck-like Subaru. And I now live in a city where transit and bike infrastructure is great - I don't even own a car. I don't miss it much. But there's one day a year, when the weather reminds me of that first springtime ride up Angeles Crest Highway in the 914 with the top down, and then I'll admit to some small regret.

aeroevan 3y ago
I went '67 MGB to boxster and while air conditioning and having a working radio is nice (and it was just a much more practical car all around... which isn't saying much), there's something about classic cars that is just fun
Eric_WVGG 3y ago
"talons" yes! That's exactly what it felt like! My curvy roads were the canyons from Salt Lake City to Park City and up Wasatch mountains to the ski resorts.

rbanffy 3y ago

> (my current car dream is to find another 914 and do an electric conversion… not a car where it behooves one to keep the original anything) Same here, but ones with the wheel on the right side are even harder to find. :-( Well... I guess that, for a conversion job, I won't need a working engine, or transmission.

samtho 3y ago
I did an electric conversion with an old Vespa, it was literally just a shell I got for about $300, packed it with a beefy BLDC motor and a driver (from a standup electric scooter) that let me change the speed based on the thumb throttle. I wanted to use the original throttle on the Vespa but that got kind of messy at the time. The LiFePO4 batteries were the most expensive thing here and I regret not getting larger capacity ones. The neat thing about an electric motor vs an ICE, that you pointed out, is the torque curve is linear so no need for a transmission. For 4-wheelers, I really want to see electric conversion kits get more popular, specifically ones where the electric motor mounts to the transmission spot - either transverse and have attachment points for two half shafts or conventional where it points to the rear. Then we can use the engine bay as a additional storage, assuming we put the batteries where the gas tank is. I really want to do this conversion with a older, rear-engine VW bug. I hate ripping out original parts but I can find so many shells now where they’ve taken the engine out.
- jacquesm 3y ago
  Did you do a write-up on that project? I'd love to read about it!

michaelcampbell 3y ago

Did double clutching not help, or were you not aware of the technique? My dad drove over the road semi tractors for a few years and taught it to me, and it's just habit now.