The 914 program was initially intended to be a joint venture between Volkswagen and Porsche. Unfortunately, VW pulled out and Porsche took over the project. Ferry Porsche intended for the 914 to attract younger drivers. The 914-6 models were very limited and exclusive. Only 3,300 cars were built worldwide. Regrettably, most of these examples were damaged severely or simply rotted away. Because the original 2.0L motors were one of the lowest horsepower 911 motors that Porsche ever built, many were lost and replaced with later 2.7L motors. Fortunately, this example retained its original engine.
The first owner of this 914-6 was Mr. Richard Shaner, of Line Lexington, Pennsylvania. He bought it new from Al Holbert Porsche and used it primarily while attending college at Colorado State in Ft. Collins. On October 25th, 1975, he traded the 914-6 in for a 1976 911 S at Scott-Penske Porsche +Audi of Allentown, PA. Mr. Paul Baldarelli of Sacramento, California bought the car from the dealer shortly thereafter and brought the car out to the west coast. In 1979, he passed the car down to his sons. The family owned the car from the mid 1970’s to the early 1990’s. The majority of the service work was done by Autosport Technology of Sacramento (now IPB Autosport). Autosport has been around since 1977. During their care the Baldarelli brothers had Autosport rebuild the motor:
- Engine rebuild to factory 2.0L 911 S Specifications-170hp (1989 @ 32k-miles)
- Balanced and blueprinted
- Factory S pistons and cylinders
- Chain ramps and hydraulic chain tensions with guards
- Head ports widened and polished
- Valves and rocker arms
- Clutch
- Starter
They sold the car a few years later to a Mr. Don Zimmermann of Sunset Beach, California. During Zimmermann’s short time with this Porsche, he used Werner’s Garage in Sunset Beach for services. Besides routine maintenance, he had the Weber carbs rebuilt and tuned. Zimmermann was not around to drive it much, so he stored it for 18 months and then decided to sell it. He sold the car to a Mr. John Kenson of Trabuco Canyon, California on November 13th, 1994.
Almost immediately after purchase, Kenson took the car to Greg Brown at Precision Motorwerks in Anaheim, California. He had the car completely stripped down to the bare metal, drivetrain removed, and began preparing it to be a competition car for SCCA racing. Besides preparing the body for a roll cage, he also upgraded the whole suspension system and reinforced the chassis and suspension pickup points. Finally, factory steel GT flares from Porsche were sourced, fitted and butt welded in place. The rear quarter panels were replaced with factory steel panels for better fitment of the rear flares. Every suspension component was replaced and upgraded. This included control arms, upgraded torsion bars, upgraded rear springs, upgraded brakes, all bushings, etc. The total invoice to Precision was nearly $20k in 1994.
Shortly after Brown finished with his work (early 1995), the car was delivered to Tom’s Custom Autobody in Anaheim, California. Tom’s had a big reputation for custom paint jobs on mostly Panteras and Ferrari show cars. They had countless show wins with their paint jobs. They were hired to remove the existing paint down to the metal, make the gaps correct, and repaint it in its original factory finish of Canary Yellow. The bill at that time was nearly $8,000. Unfortunately, Kenson’s health took a turn for the worse and the project was never completed. By the end of 1995, he loaded the half complete car on an enclosed trailer, towed it to his new home in Colorado where it stayed untouched for the next decade. He still continued to purchase parts in the hopes he would one day drive this 914 at an SCCA race. Sadly, that day never came and he passed away in 2005. His brother sold the car on May 10th, 2006 to the current Orange County enthusiast whose wife was the cousin of Kenson.
For the last 14+ years, the current owner has added nearly 10k miles to this 914-6. Initially, he removed the cage that was not yet mounted into the car and reassembled the car with a majority of the original parts that Kenson had stockpiled. He reinstalled the stock brakes and much of the stock suspension as he wanted to use it as a street toy. He also hired Scott’s Independent in Anaheim, CA for the majority of service needs. Scott’s is a highly respected air-cooled specialist that has been in business for nearly 5 decades.
Highlights of significant services performed during the current owner’s care includes:
- Regular oil services, valve adjustments, and carb tuning
- Bilstein shocks and struts (11/08 @ 38k-miles)
- Reseal the oil return tubes (7/09 @ 39,729 miles)
- Major service (9/17 @ 45,001 miles)
- Spark plugs
- Points, distributor cap, rotor
- Valve adjustment
- Valve cover and strainer gaskets
- Adjust carbs/set timing
- Vehicle inspection/road test
- Oil service (Swepco)
- Replace muffler and ceramic coat
- Front brake pads, rotors, flex/solid hoses, and bleed system
- Replace all wheel bearings
- Alternator belt
- Spark plug wires, clean idle jets and oil service (10/19 @ 46,008 miles)
- Oil service and install of Rothsport early S hose check valve (10/20 @ 46,675 miles)
This 914-6 is in very nice condition with a considerable amount of time and money invested. The paint work was a high quality bare metal restoration and although done 25-years ago, it hasn’t seen much road time. It’s always been garaged. There are some minor signs of use like a few tiny dents and some slight paint nicks, but very few blemishes. The body fitment is excellent and the steel flare installation was done correctly. The body is very dry with no signs of rust in the usual places. The battery tray was replaced during the restoration and the “hell-hole” (below the battery tray) has no signs of rot. The rockers and jack points were addressed during the restoration as well. The glass is in good shape and appears to be original to the car and wearing the correct factory stampings. Even the windshield is original and further confirmation to the low miles. This 914-6 was sold new with steel wheels. The 14” Fuchs were an option at the time. Early on, a set of factory 7×15 and 8×15 Fuchs were purchased new from Porsche. They are in decent shape with some fading of the original black paint. The lips have been lightly polished over the years, which was the look at the time. They are wearing new front tires (205/60-15) and 3-year old rear tires (215/60-15) with near full tread. They are all season tires. The current owner attempted to source Pirelli CN36 tires at the time, but they were back ordered for 6-months. The rear engine cover panel that is metal and body colored was removed and replaced with similar mesh material to help with engine cooling. The vinyl targa top is also in very good original condition and the seals are in decent shape. The pop up headlight motors work properly and still have their correct and original white plastic surrounds in good shape.
The engine bay as well as the front and rear trunks are in very good shape with no signs of damage or rust. The original Karmann stamp in the rear trunk is visible and the VIN stampings/VIN plate in the front trunk are also correct and original. Although the engine was completely rebuilt only 15k-miles ago and runs properly, a few small oil leaks have developed over the last 30-years. The engine case is dry. The transmission is original to the car and we believe was also rebuilt at the time of the motor. It was converted to a side shifter for easier operation.
The interior is largely original and in nice survivor condition. The original leatherette seats have a tear on the driver seat bottom cushion with some small tears on the center seat section that pivots to reveal storage. Originally, these first-year cars had no headliner and just the raw fiberglass, but the current owner installed some felt headliner material to help with sound deadening. The original door panels are in very good original condition with no warping or other major blemishes. The original dash is also exceptionally nice with no major cracks or warping. When the current owner bought the car nearly 15-years ago, the carpet had been removed and thrown out. He installed a non-factory carpet kit that has faded over time to a green hue. Also, floor mats were added. The gauges all work although the speedometer needle bounces when accelerating. The hand brake works great, but the indicator light on the dash does not light up. The Alpine radio seems to work. The interior light does not work. The original visors are in excellent condition.
This 914-6 is a fun and raw Porsche experience. Compared to other 2.0L 911s I’ve driven, this is particularly quick. It’s a bit cold blooded, but once it catches, it will hold an even idle with the help of the hand throttle. It very much has the personality of an early S motor. All the action happens at the higher end of the RPM range. It howls as it builds revs and makes some great sounds. The brakes have ample stopping power and are a good match for the car’s power. They don’t fade or pull. The steering is light and intuitive despite running wider wheels. The grip is excellent and the chassis is quite stiff thanks to the improvements made by Brown. On uneven roads, there are some squeaks from the upgraded suspension bushings and additional chassis stiffening. This would make a great weekend twisty backroad car or ideal for a vintage rally.
California registration is current through November of 2021.
This 914-6 comes with 1-key, tool kit, original owner’s manual, Fuchs wheel with tire, and over records going back to 1975.
**Note: VIN and other numbers withheld to protect against fraud. All numbers including VIN, Engine, and color will be provided to serious buyers.
The specified gallery is trashed.