I have a background in the offroad industry and offroad fabrication so I've seen first hand how Surabu has become one of the top ticks for sandrail engines. All the things that make them great in sandrails are the exact things that would make them great in a 911. Light weight, low center of gravity, great power stock, and even more power potential modified, great reliability, GREAT affordability, and great sound.

mounted the headers and fabbed the rest of the exhaust. The connection between the headers and the muffler section is a 304 stainless V-band flange. No gaskets to leak or replace. The entire muffler section is 2 1/2 inch TIG welded 304 stainless with a Magnaflow muffler. I was thinking of running the tips through bumper on either side of the license plate but decided against it because I didn't want this car to look like it didn't have a Porsche engine from the outside.

I didn't put any catalytic converters in the system because I'm hoping this engine with it's modern fuel injection will burn clean enough to pass smog regulations set up for the factory CIS. I know it will pass visual inspection because the people at the stations won't even know what to look for. If it fails, I will probably fab up an "emissions legal" rear section with 2 cats that can easily be removed. We'll see. :)

ooops, forgot to include pictures.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1185058919.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1185058952.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1185058995.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1185059020.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1185059046.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1185059076.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1185059097.jpg

Here a few shots of the headers installed on the car...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1185060548.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1185060577.jpg

NICE!

Any special pump to get the water to the front? Did you fab your radiator? Very clean work by the way !!

Karb

shouldn't need any special water pump. If I do, I will probably switch to an electric pump, or electric booster pump. I made the radiator myself. I'm running -20 and -16 stainless braided hose up to the radiator. As soon as I get the cooling fans, I can finish the sheet metal duct work and start in the fuel tank.

I just got done removing a horizontally rear mounted radiator from a Replica 550 powered by a Subaru. Moved a brand new Griffith aluminum radiator up front in the trunk and ran 24 feet of -20 braided stainless steel hose from the mid mounted engine to the radiator and back. The stock Subaru water pump is more than sufficient to handle this chore.

that's bad ass!!!!

i agree.....
what a badass car
and kick ass solution to hp and reliability and low cost
and those engine clips sound incredible
most Porsches would be lucky to sound so good

keep it up
and keep the pics coming
you have more than a couple people interested in your project

i like it!!!

I'd be worried about ground clearance with that oilpan. Can you convert to dry sump?

Very cool project.

Hey, you can always change it back, right? Maybe not, but 400 is a good price for an engine. Everything else required looks darn expensive. Some of the 914 people have put WRX engines in their cars with wild results. Seems like a clever way to gain hp. Toyota is the power plant for Lotus Right?

ground clearance?
 

It would seem, from the pictures, that you've cut your ground clearance down even more, due to the depth of that oil pan. Any truth to this?

Also, if you don't mind me asking, where did you find that engine?

KC - what stops exhaust leak at the metal to metal contact points between the headers and the new magnaflow set up , from the pics it looks like just two flat flanges meeting with a heavy duty clamp holding them from seperating, wont the heating and cooling of the system cause enough flex to create a gap and give you a leak/sound ?

Todd SmileWavy

PS... Keep posting , I always see rollers cheap but the cost to repower them keeps me from buying the cars.

WHERE DID YOU FIND THE RADITOR CORE RESONABLE?

V BANDS slide into eachother by 1/8-1/4 inch in most cases or thats how we produce those things for our customers

mb911,
I couldn't find a radiator reasonably priced that was efficient.

I used a Griffith radiator that I purchased from Summit racing. Small, compact, aluminum, efficient etc but expensive.
see: http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=GRI%2D2%2D58185%2 DXC&N=700+115&autoview=sku

Keep your photos and records;Any reasonable magazine would pay much$ for publication. Do a book and I will buy. Outstanding fabrication.

not that I would ever do this conversion as I wouldn't but I like the quality of the work done. I also am looking for an inexpensive source for IC cores so thats why I asked about the rad! that he built

I measured the stock ground clearance on a stock 3.0 with early style exhaust and heat exchangers and the oil pan does sit a bit lower, but it's not that bad at all. I'm also going to be shortening the oil pan by 1 1/2 inch and plating the bottom with slightly thicker material. After that, I dont think there will be any issues. Dry sump really isn't an option because of the $$$$$ factor. At stock ride height I don't think there is any reason to be worried about oil pan height, even at stock depth. However, I'm planning on lowering the car a bit when I do the suspension build so thats why I decided to shorten the pan.


The radiator cores were a big deal back when I ordered them. I had to search for a LONG time before I could find a company that would sell me aluminum cores. They made me sign a contract stating that I wouldn't resell the cores in any other form than a completed radiator assembly. The cores themselves aren't really that expensive (I got a "good guy" discount because I bought 25 at one time) but all of the fab work and pressure testing can get time consuming. I completely understand why high performance, custom aluminum radiators like Ron Davis can be so expensive.

The engine was an Ebay find. You can go on Ebay right now and find these engines ranging from $750, on up to $1200 depending on mileage and condition. Look long enough and you might find one in the $450-$550 range like mine.


The initial RETAIL cost of a conversion like this might be close to the cost of a good used 3.0, but for the same money, you get 50HP more, insane reliability, better fuel econemy, and if the engine ever craps out on you, $800 for a replacement and you are back in the game.

Sure it's not for everybody, but atleast it's another option.