Ah…the classic problem of the “city car”. Most people’s daily driving could be handled with a compact 2-seater with a range of about 50-100 miles. This is a concept we here at Hooniverse support. After all, it leaves more money and gas for the 427 powered Sunbeam or Cummins-swapped International crew cab weekend project. Alas, transportation designer-types seem committed to equating “city car” with “dorkmobile”. Lucky for us, we’ve got a clever option that’s (currently) a mere fraction the price of a Smart: an electric Porsche 914…
This setup will run either 6 or 12 batteries that’ll give you a range of 50 or 100 miles, respectively. Add “per hour” for the top speed in each configuration. According to the seller, it takes between 4 and 12 hours to fully recharge.
The 914 in question is a ’72, which makes it pre-smog for us California residents…ironic that getting smog tested would be an issue on an electric car, but nonetheless it’s better to avoid the paperwork hassle. Back on-topic: the body’s got no rust and just a few dings. Otherwise, it’s typical minimalist 914.
Find it on eBay Motors with a starting bid of $3100.
Electric 914 Has Potential
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Whoa.
Although the 14k reserve not met takes it out of the "too cheap to pass up" category. -
Yeah, certainly not a bargain but … wow. If I hit the Mega tomorrow it will be mine.
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The thing I always laugh at is how we're like "wow…$14k…that's a lot", when the list of new cars you can get for that price is pretty pathetic.
This is why I have low sympathy for people who complain incessantly about wanting today's manufacturers to make a car straight out of the 70s. If that's what you want, STFU and buy a classic, already. -
New cars? For 14 large I could have 6 or 7 of my favorite 1980's wedgemobiles in good condition!
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May be pre-smog but I'm guessing Johnny Law might have something to say about the lack of front turn signals, wipers or instrumentation
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I'll stick with crazy gas powered 914s like this one with a Lexus V-8:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25283142@N06/2382406…
Better get a crew cut before you take a seat, notice cam belt placement:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25283142@N06/2382407… -
I hear you. It's not that difficult, but old things scare the hell out of most people. I mean, everybody is fine with software and electronics, but a set of points and a vacuum advance will make them cry. Old cars are hands-on, and that's not cool anymore.
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If you debadge it, I'd like to see how many people you could convince that it's a prototype for the Tesla.
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In fairness, if you didn't grow up around old-fangled technology, it's hard to get good sources of info on old stuff.
I can get whatever info I need on most EFI systems, but when it comes to tuning the carb, setting the timing or aforementioned vacuum advance on my '67 Ford (my first old car) it was hell trying to figure it out. It's like there's no beginners' section for old cars…everyone assumes you know all the basics and what you really need to know are the subtleties of drilling out jets or something. -
Wipers aren't required in CA unless it's raining, and it rains all of 6 days/year in El Lay.
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Oh, man what you need is something like the Chilton's manual I have from 1971. It's the thickness of a phone book, and I swear it covers everything from Cadillacs to Jeeps to AMC in minute detail. I mean everything from distributors (including vacuum advance units and their centrifugal sisters) to universal joints to complete engine rebuilds and torque values for everything. But, yeah, growing up around meatball technology and taking it for granted is the way I learned. I've never had anything newer than 1974, and probably never will. I'm not a great mechanic, I know my limits. But, believe me, the old stuff is intuitive and not that hard to comprehend, once you understand how basic it really is.
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got one of those for a 1950 Ford F-2?
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Yeah, I think my biggest problem was never having that "what does this do?" session when I was like 8. Seriously, I had no idea which screws did which on the carb until I bought a book on Carter Carburetors (now applicable to Edelbrock).
I'm the type that, given a book on the subject and something to play with while I learn, will know it inside and out in weekend. I need principles, not "yeah…just back it off a little…those seem to like 8-10 degrees BTDC".
Although on the flipside, I think multiport fuel injection is really more intuitive than a carb. The computer measures how much air's coming in, decides how long the injectors should squirt, then checks its work with the O2 sensor. Basically what a carb does, but without floats and vacuum actuated doohickeys. -
I can look at a simple device like a carb and figure that out by taking it apart and staring at it. I can't really trust a black box to do that, intuitively, because I can't see it happening. I know intellectually that that should be ocurring, but I don't trust the Stupid Computer to get it right. I suppose I should get over my superstitions someday and get something newer than 1974, but not right now.
Hell, I've got an Edelbrock carb in my pictured motorhome, and it works great. Simple technology. Try digging into a Garbajet, that's complex. Still, I've done it, and it's not that bad. Once again, there are resources like old Hot Rod magazines out there that will guide you through the process. Hell, I rebuilt the 240 six in my F100 by myself having never attempted something like that before. Just get started on the project, and see it through. It's not that difficult. -
I understand the difficulty with a mysterious black box containing mysterious black chips, but I won't let you get away with calling a carb a "simple device".
Maybe a 1-barrel from the 50s is simple, but there's nothing simple about a 4 barrel….especially compared to an injector. Direct or tangible, yes…once you wrap your head around the concept of vacuum.
I've just gotten a kick out of my reverse automotive learning curve over the last few years. The '67 Ford was my first old car. Before that, I had no problem screwing with the EFI in my 4Runners or my Wranglers (those were my hands-on). When I got the Ford, I looked at the carb and distributor and there was nothing intuitive there.
I will cede that older cars have much prettier engine bays. Obviously late 70s/early 80s vacuum tube/EGR hell were the worst, but there are so many great modern power plants hidden under plastic shrouds. Whatever happened to "Power By Ford"
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3466/3961930990_80719fe098.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="390 FE (2)" /> -
Oh yeah, now we're speaking the same language. That's a very clean and lovely engine, and I'll just bet it sounds like music. Nice thing about a Ford V8 is the distributor is right up front where you can work on it when needed, unlike a SBC. Cadillacs have the distributor up front as well.
I had an Edelbrock air cleaner like that one once, and before I realized that I needed to change the timing chain on the SBC in the motorhome the backfiring sonofabitch melted the foam element under that pretty wire mesh. It now wears a chrome air cleaner that I think I traded for a case of PBR.
Nice looking engine. Just be careful about those plug wires melting onto the exhaust manifold. Talk about causing a backfire. Yeah, I've had that happen to me, too.-
Both of you in this sidethread get thumbuped because for a good read and I dove into the magic of a Carter YF this weekend trying to get a CJ-5 mobile again. Best Turkey Weekend ever.
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I like this, but the calculations needed to compute my carbon footprint with it are too complex. I mean, I'd have to take into account how much of the electricity is from coal, nuke, natural gas, and whatever else we have here in Michigan. Screw that. Give me a gas-burner any day. The calculations are simpler.
/engineer mode-
It's all hydro power where I come from. I have NO idea how to calculate my carbon footprint when my power comes from a dam.
No, not a beaver dam. I don't think…
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I actually used to. It was an all-purpose manual from the fifties that covered pretty much everything, just like my '71 Chilton's manual. I think an old roommate who had a '59 Rambler keifed it from me. That book got into flatheads extensively, and that Rambler had a flathead six.
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I agree. Excellent conversation!
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I've read that again, and it doesn't make sense. Oh well.
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Could burn Oil also or that propane crap.
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Actually, a nuke powered flying car would be the bee's knees.
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Good posting, I bookmarked your blog so I can visit again in the near future, All the Best, Marissa Berka
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great website 🙂 I’m glad I wandered onto it through google, Gonna need to add another one to the list 🙂
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