F1 doesn't exist to perform some public service. Unless you want to use taxpayer dollars to fund it, keep your idealistic mitts off it! :)

Grade: ?. It's either a failed A Modest Proposal or it's missing the point.

That right there is the story of how I spent a decade of my life, buried underneath or inside Mk2 VW's.

@dangertree: Your mom didn't seem to mind.

Definitely my '91 16v GLI. The car had 195K on it and was absolutely flawless. Not a scratch on it (disregard the speckles on the old grainy photo). No body panels or paint had ever been touched, in spite of having spent most of its life as a Boston commuter. It was miraculously perfect.

@beefs2: Totally late to the party on this, but my kids loved the taste of beer from the time they were infants.

There are too many other wildly desirable cars out there for the price. At $9K, I'd be selling my current two playthings and buying it this afternoon.

As other have said, it's all about the rust. They can look fine, but once rust gets into the longitudinals, you're screwed. A rust free 914 for this price is a bargain. A rusty one at any price is a ripoff.

Oh, here's a controversial one that I kinda like for its "fuck you, it's functional brake cooling!" aesthetic. These, my friends, were found on the early E34 M5's. Almost everyone removes the turbine covers.

Wow, a lot of hate for some really nice wheels in this one. BBSes? Alpinas? RPF1's? Compared to these?

@KillerBee: Aside from agricultural work, there are just as many people doing work with trucks in NYC or LA as there are anywhere else. People in cities still build houses and transport firewood and haul junk and tow trailers and so on.

@accipiter: I've had both a very quick 914 2.0 w/ fancy suspension mods, and a stock-ish Miata. There's no comparison between the two. One is cheap to buy/modify, reliable and easy to balance up to, and over, its handling limits.

@gman1023: You can make it work. Google "foamectomy" for an extra couple inches of head and leg room for $2 worth of zip ties. Alternatively, bolt a seat to the floor.

Then you buy her, take her home and lock her up under a tarp. When she's finally used up, you call the guy willing to pay $200 for her body. He drops by with a big truck, loads her up, and you're hunting for another before he's even out of your driveway.

Crack pipe, in spite of its rarity. Why the hell bother with a 2002 with its essential 2002iness stripped away? The '02 is too flexible as it is. This car cannot possibly drive well. Factor in the rust and it's an instafail. If you need a cute convertible, there are better E30 cabriolets out there for way less. …

My dad had a 280SE 4.5, the baby V8 brother to this car, and even it was absolutely glorious. With the big 3-pointed star, it felt more like you were flying low in a German WWII bomber rather than simply driving. Fuel economy was probably about the same, too. :)

They still make some cars I'd drive.

Christ, what an asshole.

"... if it was a male tennis star advertising a phone the emphasis would be on speed, power and accuracy."

@BigHarv: B5, before the chome-y B5.5 revision. Perhaps not the most reliable automobile on the market, but definitely the nicest full-size car you could get for the money. Probably half a dozen different cars have cribbed from the design over the last 10 years. I'm biased, though.