There I stood in the middle of car heaven. It was a hot, windy March day in Florida. I had never been to Amelia Island, and was awestruck by the spectacle. Porsches, Ferraris, Lamborghinis. For a car guy, it was like being transported through a thousand dreams. All at once.

But the model my mind was affixed to was the 914-6. A row of them graced the green, as the 914 was an honored car at this particular year’s show. The line of brightly-colored mid-engined Porsches looked like pieces of candy neatly placed across the grass.

Among my thoughts on that morning in March 2015, one thing stood out. These classic cars aren’t getting any cheaper. In fact, they are going up in price. A lot. And fast.

In the late 1980s, I had a 1973 914, and was part owner of Mid-Engineering. All we did was eat and sleep 914s. We worked on them, sold parts, and drove. I couldn’t afford a 914-6 and was tickled with the 4-cylinder I had fixed up right after high school.

I had a chance to buy a 914-6, for what I remember to be less than $10,000. The car was in very good condition, but, at the time, having just turned 20, that kind of money was out of my reach. And so I moved on and enjoyed a string of 4-cylinder 914s, and eventually other Porsches through the years.

In 2014, spurred my son’s interest in Porsches, I returned to my first love, the 914. By the time I went to Amelia Island in March of 2015, I was in deep. I had purchased a 1971 model year, as well as a 1972, both needing some level of restoration.

But, they were 4-cylinder cars. Fun, light, easy to work on, and wanting more horsepower. Always wanting for more. The answer? A six. In 1970 and 1971 Porsche offered the 914 with a flat six-cylinder engine. The car, however, was expensive, and Porsche was between a rock and a hard spot. With the 911 being their flagship product, they couldn’t risk having a 914-6 that outperformed the 911. And so they discontinued the six, as it has become known, after just 3,000 vehicles were built.

But, the idea stuck in people’s heads. Everybody that has ever owned a 914 knows that the holly grail is a six. Even by the early 80s, 914 enthusiasts were putting six-cylinder 911 engines in 914s. The car was designed to handle the extra power, the factory did it, and it really made the car more fun. Why not?

Each year, original “sixes” climbed in price. By 2015, the writing was on the wall. Factory-built 914-6s had gone up in value so much that they would soon be out of reach for most enthusiasts. In fact, as I stood there, looking out across the sea of Porsches, at Amelia, a pristine example had sold the day before for $100,000.

I didn’t need a pristine example, I thought. But, even so, it was clear. If I didn’t buy an “original” 914-6 soon, I never would be able to. I left Amelia with a mission.