Need some advice, mod or sell...
 

I have a beautiful 1982 911 widebody with a 3.2 from an '86. The car is immaculate, both inside and out.

The engine has about 5,000 miles on a complete rebuild (done before I bought the car). The rest of the car has about 47k Here's a photo:

http://darklotus.dyndns.org/users/fa.../Images/13.jpg
http://darklotus.dyndns.org/users/fa.../Images/25.jpg

The problem is, I want about 50 - 100% more power. Tire roasting gut wrenching show off power, if you know what I mean :)

In my estimation, its making about 210 - 230 crank horsepower with the brunt of the power in the 5 - 6,000 RPM range. I have access to a dyno this spring so I'll find out for sure then.

What are my options with the NA Motronic 3.2? Is the power I'm after attainable (I know anything is possible if you throw enough money at it, but I'm talking within reason, say < $10k).

Should I just sell and buy a turbo? My fear there is that I won't find one I can afford that will be any where near as nice as this car...

What would you do?

easy...3.6 transplant. There is no way to tweak the 3.2 and get what you are looking for.

and some wider wheels.

just go for a ride in a 3.6 with a 915, you will find this:) Kevin

roger that ;)

I'll have to start looking for motors, prices etc. Any suggestions on where to start? (I'm in upstate NY if that helps)

anybody here from either Rochester NY or Albany NY?

the good news is that if your 3.2 rebuild is well documented, you can likely get a good price for it. As for getting a 3.6, do a search on engine transplant or something along those lines. Quite a few people here have done them or had them done. They can chime in on the details.

There are a few 3.6s on the parts board. They go for about $6k to $10k depending on the year and what comes w/ it. You will need some conversion parts, upgraded oil cooling, and exhaust.

If your 3.2 is well documented you could get $5-6k for it, if you are patient. That would give you enough for the new wheels w/ your $10k mark.

Edit: Nostatic beat me to it. :p

Sell it. Buy a real turbo.

3.6 and some wheel spacers and you're there!

I disagree Victor. He has what appears to be a very clean low miles car. Devil you know...

That widebody with a 3.6 would be sweet. And no turbo lag.

Nostatic, a 3.6 will not give him 50-100% more HP. Only an insanely modified turbo will do that.

If you try to do that with a 3.2, the devil you know will quickly turn in to the devil you wish you didn't. Or something.

A 3.6 can give him 50% more hp & lbs/ft, probably costs less, and no lag

no, but it will give 25-30%. And the 3.2 would be sold, not modded.

I agree if he needs 400hp then forced induction is the way to go. I guess it depends on how well sorted his car is, what he could sell it for, and what an "equivalent" turbo would cost. I assumed the 50-100% figured was somewhat tongue in cheek.

I certainly hope 50-100% was toungue in cheek. As much as I hope the expectation of "Tire roasting gut wrenching show off power" from a 3.6 is toungue in cheek also.

Put a turbo motor in it. Its well worth the lag, just concider it a friendly head start for the competion before you go flying by them. :)

luckily I don't like to roast my tires, and just keep my lowly 3.0 between 5-6K as much as possible. Gives me plenty of giggles...

Call me old fashion, but I think it would be a sin to rip that awsome car apart to put a 3.6 in it. Sell it and get a turbo. It would look just like what you have and give you those extra horses. A lot more horses with a few bolt on mods plus the addition of all of the upgraded parts the turbo comes with. My guess, and only a guess, is that a 3.6 is only the tip of the ice berg. To do it right, with all that new 3.6 power won't you be needing new brakes, suspension, wheels and tires... Don't worry, you can find a turbo every bit as nice as the car you have. It is also a lot easier and less expensive to add more power down the road to a turbo than to a 3.6. And don't listen to that turbo lag talk. It's the greatest exaggeration in Porsche history. I mean it beats the 3.2 to 30 mph, 60 mph, 1/4 mile and almost everything else under the sun. But the standard come back is "but, your car has turbo lag". Well what does your 3.2 car have then if the turbo is blowing it off the road? Maybe a trailer hooked up to it? And another name for turbo lag is a 1/3 second pause before one heck of a kick in the pants. Also, a few bolt on mods and what little lag there is all but gone. Buy the car that was made to be a rocket ship in the first place instead of trying to make your car into something it wasn't intended to be.

Lets get serious, why do you need new brakes to drive this car on the street, why does he need new suspension? I just dont get why all you guys say you have to do this on a street car just because you put a 3.6 in, I am really lost when you say this, when I hit my 1982 wide body sc's breaks they will put you through the windshield and they are stock, plenty for the street, and as far as the 3.6 i can hit the pedal and roast them if i wanted to and my car has 18x10's with s02 tires, , no lag at all, any one that has ridden in a 3.6 conversion with a 915 will tell you it snaps your head back, these guys on this bbs are seeing 0-60 in 4.6 seconds, i truely think that is pretty fast, if this is the case then you guys with turbos that have added 50-100hp need to scrap your calipers and rotors for ceramic ones, and lets not forget you need adjustable shocks with out board resavoirs, fuchs? throu them away just not good enough, actually I believe you must have a full six point cage with three door bars on each side with a fully auto matic fire system and lets not forget air jacks, you guys push it to far, his brakes will work fine for the street, if he starts racing he will have to replace them anyway, Kevin

Sounds to me like you need a turbo. I think a 3.6 would be great, but going from your description at the top of the page a turbo or a small block chevy are the only things that will cure what ails you.

i agree. you've got the base of the turbo car there anyway? why not stick on the one part thats missing. then the sky's the limit.

If it's a street car, why not supercharge the 3.2?