We can all agree the times we are living in are definitely not what we have seen over the previous parts of our lives. This is a time of great change and advancements that will alter the way we all live and work.

We are finally seeing a migration to the electric vehicle as prices for them are becoming comparable to the ICE vehicles we have grown up with.  If you are wondering what ICE stands for (I just heard this last night) it's an acronym for the term Internal Combustion Engine. My response to this is why bother with the acronym when the word GAS has the same number of letters and is more commonly understood? I guess I’m just getting old and cranky. Either way, it’s a brave new world with both exciting and disappointing changes.

For example, the new Tesla truck, yes it’s looks like a lunar rover, but the stats are impressive.  With a fully optioned drivetrain, the 0-60 time is less than 2.9 seconds which can rival almost any sports car. The range can top 500 miles. This is just the tip of the iceberg as Ford commits 30 Billion to make electric vehicles through 2025. It's almost hard to imagine no longer needing to go to a gas station and waking up to a full tank every morning, and some cars even have the ability to power your house in the event of a blackout - wow.

It seems we have reached the tipping point where GAS engines may become a thing of the past. For those that have been around long enough you might remember the song Red Barchetta by RUSH. Well it could be a realty in our lifetimes. We are beginning to see the prices on our cars move upwards and there are many indicators that this could, and probably will, continue to skyrocket as the stigma of these cars lessens. Unfortunately, this may price out many enthusiasts. It won't help that German bankers are telling investors to buy up old Porsche cars.

I do believe that we are in the cross-hairs since air cooled cars are already a novelty and the sound and feel can't be duplicated. At least Porsche is investing in continuing to be able to get the fuel we will need for our vehicles. My takeaway is that now is the time to repair and drive your 914 before it becomes too valuable to enjoy properly - on the road.

Happy motoring,  

Mark
aka Mikey914

We love seeing what exciting projects our customers are currently working on. Every month we would like to showcase a couple of cars in whatever state they are in - on the road or on the rack.

This months submission comes from Michael Hartmann who is the 3rd owner of a very special 1971 914-6 (0372).

Michael first acquired his 914-6 in February 2010. The car, which had spent its entire life in the Bay Area, was black when he bought it and in need of a full restoration.

After a false start in May of 2012 that resulted in a 61 month delay, the car went down to Auto Art Customs and the talented hands of Kent Simmons.  Kent restored the body to better than original, all metal finished and finished in Glasurit Irish Green. The car was assembled by Jim Geer, Kent Simmons, Andy Thonet and Bob Fullton. 

Michael replaced the existing Weber equipped 3.0 with a 1987 3.2 with Motronic injection, 964 cams, Ben McFarland’s custom SS full exhaust and a custom Steve Wong chip. The original tail shifter was converted to a side shift and the brakes were upgraded to 914-6 GT rears and early 911S aluminum front calipers.He also has installed a GT oil cooler up front with hard lines running behind the driver’s rocker. The Car runs around 190 degrees most of the time.

From left to right: Previous owner, Michael's brother, Michael.

Michael and his brother went back to the second owner of the car after restoration was completed. He was blown away by the completed car and appreciated the chance for him and his wife to see the car which they took their honeymoon in. Last year he was able to participate in West Coast Ramble and had a great time on the road. Since completion, Michael has put about 4,500 miles on the odometer and drives it regularly. The longest trips it has taken so far have been to LA and back, twice. This is a beautiful restoration which had a lot of hard work put into it, thanks for sharing Michael!

Please submit your image and a brief summary to blake@914rubber.com. If we select your photo for the newsletter you will win a $15 914Rubber gift card!

Say hello to our new Bumblebee 914! So first off what the heck is a Can Am or Limited Edition (LE) car?

Karl Schulz's LE Creamsicle from our Customer Car Story in May.