Some cars you go looking for. Others find you. Pete was after a 912 when he walked into a garage in Billericay and came face to face with a bright orange 914/6 GT, finished in the colours of the Jägermeister race cars of the early 70s.

Six months later, it’s his. We caught up with him to talk about how the car came together, the period details that make it special, and why he reckons he’ll never leave the Porsche world.

A car with a few chapters behind it

The car came over to the UK around 2007, but it looked nothing like it does today. The conversion was started by a Danish owner Pete has never actually met. He’s the one who had the flares added, the colour changed and the wheels fitted, so pretty much everything you see on the outside is down to him.

From there it passed to Lee, who Pete bought it from. Lee lived in Billericay, and Pete went to see the car at his house. “Once I walked into his garage and saw the quality of the build, I knew I was going to buy the car,” Pete says.

It wasn’t the plan. On his budget, Pete was probably looking at a slightly scruffy 912, “which would have been fine.” But seeing how well the 914 had been put together, he knew he had to give it a go.

Jägermeister orange and the details that matter

The exterior is a homage to the Jägermeister race cars of the early 70s. There were three cars in the team, and Pete’s is a replica of one of them.

Inside, it’s a different story, and that’s deliberate. There’s no cage and it isn’t stripped out. It’s more of a GT tourer, which suits the way Pete uses it: cars and coffee, weekend drives and the odd show.

What really makes the build is how closely it follows the way the originals were done.

• Minilite wheels, not Fuchs. People often ask why it isn’t on Fuchs. Back in 1970, before the 911 ST, Fuchs didn’t make wheels in the widths needed. The car runs 8-inch wheels up front and 9-inch at the rear, so the team went to British company Minilite instead.
• Steel flares. Plenty of 914/6 GT conversions use fibreglass arches, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But the originals were steel, so Pete loves that his are too.
• Balsa-backed panels. The bonnet and boot lid are fibreglass, reinforced with balsa wood, just like the factory did it.
• Manual pop-up lights. The electric motors have been removed, so the headlights simply pop up. To put them down again, you get out and push them. It’s how the race cars ran, and it’s a guaranteed talking point.

Making it his own

Pete hasn’t changed much yet, but like any owner, he can’t resist a tinker.

The glovebox lid has just come off, with a small Bluetooth speaker tucked in its place. Plenty of the race cars ran without one to save a bit of weight, so it fits the theme. He’s also been through three steering wheels in six months. It’s wearing a Momo Prototipo right now, but an original period Momo Jackie Stewart wheel might be going back on. “That’s all part of the fun of ownership really, swapping bits around.”

The biggest change has been the gear shift. The car has a 901 dogleg gearbox, which is known for feeling a bit vague. Pete has had an upgraded gear shifter fitted, and he rates it highly. “It’s a really good quality piece of engineering,” he says, and it’s made a big difference to how the car drives.

Other than that? “It just needs to put some miles on it really.”

From Cayman R to air-cooled

Before the 914, Pete had a Cayman R, one of the best driver’s cars Porsche has made for British B-roads. The trouble was he wasn’t using it as much as he’d hoped, and he wanted to get back into something air-cooled.

The 914 made perfect sense. “If you look at this, it’s basically a forerunner of the Cayman,” he says. Mid-engined, flat-six, and right at home on the kind of roads he actually drives.

That’s where the car comes alive for him. A sweeping bend, the flat-six right behind your ears with barely any sound deadening, and that oil-and-petrol smell anyone who’s driven an old air-cooled Porsche will know.

Custodians, not owners

Pete likes the idea that owners of cars like this are only ever custodians. Someone built this car, it’s still here decades later, and one day he’ll pass it on, whether that’s to a new owner or one of his grandkids.

For him, the people are as big a part of it as the cars. There’s something on almost every weekend, and nobody cares what you drive or what you do for a living. “You can be drinking a cup of coffee with a multi-millionaire,” he says. “I’m a working class guy. You’ll both be there talking about your cars.”

Whether it’s a three-grand Boxster or a 300-grand 911, everyone gets it. “I can’t see me ever leaving the brand, to be honest. It’s become part of my DNA now.”

Keeping a classic on the road

Owning something like a 914/6 GT means having people you can trust around you, both garages and parts suppliers. For parts, Pete always starts with Design911.

“If I’m looking for a part, I’ll go to their website first,” he says. The exploded parts diagrams are a big reason why. When he was sorting the gear shift, he could see the whole linkage laid out, including every bush that needed renewing, and upgraded shifters were right there alongside the original parts.

He also likes having the choice. Alongside genuine Porsche parts, Design911 usually offers a selection of upgrades, so you can decide whether to keep things original or improve on them. And being local in Essex, he can even pop in and collect.

What’s next?

Will the 914 still be in the garage in five years? Pete honestly doesn’t know. He’s had plenty of 911s, including several air-cooled ones, but never a 912, so the four-cylinder itch might need scratching one day.

For now, though, the plan is simple. “It’s a lovely car, and at the moment I’m just going to enjoy driving it.”

Running a classic of your own? Browse our 914 parts and exploded diagrams to find exactly what you need, or get in touch with the team for help tracking down the right part.