This Forgotten Porsche Is Cheap—and Even Better With a 911 Engine

The Boxster Before the Boxster

It may not have the same reverence as the 911, but the 914 has its place in Porsche history. Built as a spiritual successor to the 912 and Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Type 34, the 914 was actually a contractual obligation of Porsche from Volkswagen as part of an agreement that dated back to the prior's founding.

The result was the company's first mass-market mid-engined car, predating the Boxster by about 25 years before Porsche revisited the idea. It proved a decent seller, with over 100,000 made from 1969 to 1976. And while there isn't much fanfare surrounding it, we wouldn't call it an unloved model. That said, it didn't help that it barely wheezed out 100 horsepower from its flat-four and flat-six engines.

A Fun Platform

But its underrated status helps keep values relatively sane. Neatly restored and well-loved survivors fetch for about $30,000, but one can find tidy examples for under $10,000. With prices starting that low, it could be said that anyone looking for a reasonably-priced project car won't feel too bad about hacking one up for, say, an engine swap.

The idea of swapping a punchier engine in the 914 has been around since, well, the 914 began. We've seen flat-sixes from the 911 being bolted on, as well as LS V8s, and Subaru EJ swaps. There's no shortage of aftermarket support, either, and you won't be hounded by purists for modifying it. See? Getting a classic Porsche that isn't a 911 has its perks.

Check This One Out

One can go mild or wild in restomodding a 914. Take this particular example from Bring a Trailer. Its targa roof has been deleted and turned into a proper roadster. It also benefits from disc brakes on all four corners, along with a healthy dose of suspension upgrades. On top of that is a modern but period-looking audio unit, and the fenders have been fattened up because, well, why not?

But the meat of this restomod is a 2.2-liter flat-six from a 911 from about the same era. Okay, it's not mentioned if it came from a 911T, 911E, or 911S, but it surely made more power than the 2.0-liter mill from the original 914/6. For reference, the most powerful trim (914/6 SC) made 109 hp on a good day. The 2.2-liter flat-six from a 911T put out 125hp, a decent 16 hp more than the 2.0-liter.

Mind you, the engine wasn't left untouched. It was fully rebuilt with dual Weber carburetors and a Perma-Tune electronic ignition system. A custom exhaust is also part of the package, although the five-speed manual transmission appears stock.

Worth More Modded?

Unless it's a one-owner, low-mile example, 914 prices have been largely attainable. That said, we saw cars in the $40,000 to $60,000 mark that have had their engines swapped and extensively modified. Does this mean 914s are worth more modded than stock? It appears to be the case, especially if it's neatly done.

This 2.2-swapped example is a relative bargain by all means, then. At the time of writing, it stands at just $10,914 with three days of bidding remaining.. So, if there's anyone in the market for a quirky and offbeat project, this might be right up your alley.

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