Favorite 914 Beanie Baby?

[Rouser]

Sorry, I got a little punchy.

I figured I'd create a topic for the frequent posters who periodically ask the same old questions OVER 'n OVER 'n OVER again, ad nausea. The kicker is, most of them are expecting a different answer!

I apologize ... I'm actually chuckling as I write this!

OK, let's begin ... I'm dropping a Viper V10 into my 914. Will the Turbo tranny work, or will the headers cause clearance problems? Will the 20W-50 racing oil weigh the car down too much, or should I switch to 5W-30 for this application?

God, forgive me ...

[John Rogers]

Well I'd opt for the lighter oil and also could you please type in all 'lower' case letters as they take less storage on the Pelican Server and transfer across the net faster????

[Jim Smolka]

The real concern is not whether the difference in oil weight, but the real issue is who much heavier your computer is when you fill it up with data. Especially if you take your laptop to the track to measure track performance.



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Smoke Daddy

[Joe Bob]

My company just ordered a new laptop for me....I'm on the road a lot....risk management just sent maintenance in and had them bolt it the desk, 'cause of the high theft rate of laptops.....

[Germain]

I think the biggest concern with putting a Viper V10 in is that is doesn't have as much power as the Ferrai Testarossa V12. You can get a totaled one for around $60,000 and this would come complete with the computer and its super data storage. It stores everything using just 0's instead of 1's and 0's. The results are amazing!

You might want to use the heavier CV joint grease for the oil, the thicker oil will stick to everything and therefor stay in place longer to provide better lubercation.

One other thing I found out on a Jeep fourm. Putting a 4" lift on seams to improve on-road performace! According to these guys, 44" SuperSwamper tires, a 4" lift and a 3" body lift make the best on-road Jeep you can get. I'm thinking of putting a lift on my Porsche now, I can't wait to see improvements!!!

Hope this helps!

[paulhagedorn]

Ok, who was passing out the silly gas today...gosh, you people sometimes amaze me. I was thinking of just putting a jet engine on the trunk of my car...and leaving my current engine in also. That way, i can drive around town like normal...and if a mustang or viper or any other car decided to try and race me....just fire up the jet engine and roar down the street...oh wait, i think i remember that there was a thing about a guy...(this was in the top ten idiots of the world and killing themselves by accident) i think the guy strapped a jet engine to the back of his truck...in the bed. got the truck going so fast...the rubber on the tires melted and i think it lifted off the ground or something..and he ended up slamming into something...killing him instantly...by the way, the rubber melted at around 300mph...

[Germain]

Well, what have we learned from that guy with the jet engine on his truck? He needed better tires!

[Rouser]

I decided to go with the V10 (with a custom-made aluminum block). I want to try to maintain the 50/50 weight bias after installing a 12-speaker, 440W Mega-System with a 16" subwoofer stuffed in the front trunk (the rear trunk will be used mostly for keeping the pizza warm).

Since I drive mostly during the day, I'm installing speakers in the headlamp buckets too since, well ... hell, ain't nowhere's else inside for more.

Any suggestions for where to put the radiator? Both trunks look pretty-much spoken for, and I really didn't want to detract from the vehicle's clean lines and outward appearance.

[Germain]

*trys to stop laughing*

I think you could get a bigger speaker in the front trunk...

But you want to know about the radiator. Well, you could cut the floor boards out from the passanger side and mount the radiator inside. This would dampen the passangers ride a little though, but not enough to really make it matter.

Another option would be to custom design one to replace the rear window. It's not like you can see much out of them in the first place.

[Rouser]

I like the rear-window radiator option, if only because it'll cut down routing all that radiator hose way up to the front bumper.

I could install hinges along the front of the top and then unlatch the back and pop it up whenever I need to take a peek. Mostly for fingering all the Hondas and Toyotas I'll be blasting by!

[Germain]

I have even a better idea!!! Put the radiator in front of the exhaust outlet. That way fored air will travel through it, and the faster you go, the more air! Wonderful idea! yea...

If you going to do the hinge thing, why not work a mecanizim in that automatically does it, and puts the top in the trunk with the push of a button?

[rich]

If you use the V10 you'll lose the heat exhangers. If you install the radiator where the taga top goes you'll will avoid the hot foot you get with the big American iron. The added advantage will be no snow on the targa and you can blame your hair loss on the new feature. I'm not too sure if the little pine scent tree's could cover up the smell of burnig hair and flesh. Anyone had that experience?

[Rouser]

In solving the cooling aspect of the V10 conversion (rear window radiator & hinged targa top), I practically forgot to ask about the brakes. Is it necessary to upgrade?

I've heard all the pros and cons about using the Turbo's "Big Red" brakes, but I'm not planning on racing or anything, just cruising around for chicks and riceburners. I've concluded that popping the targa up to full tilt (with some gas struts and a T-handle, a la BatMobile) will supplement with an "air braking" effect when coming down from warp. But around town driving might task the single-puck binders and solid rotors a tad.

Any suggestions?

[rich]

Put a couple of dump truck rams on the doors and push them out during braking like flaps on a jet. If you live in the rust belt you could do with out repairing the pans and drag your feet. If you live on the water you could add an anchor. If you live in the clouds you could..... I don't know why I posted this...

Why not use one V10 for each wheel? That way, you could make the most efficient use of power by not losing any power through the drivetrain (just like Ferdinand Porsche's 1909 electric car!)

[racejoe]

How about carrying the radiator on a trailer, since you are going to need one to carry the extra gas tank and batteries for that sound system! Better yet, you could mount the V-10 tranverse using one of those slick Chrysler Auto-Stick automatics, and use a hopped up 2.0 Liter in the original location as a generator for the sound system. Biggest question is what color will you paint it, I read that white paint weighs less because it has less pigment, but yellow is more aerodynamic.

[TFI]

if you are going to use such a big engine, traction will be an issue. the stock tires are just too narrow!
forget using that rear trunk for teh pizza, you'll need it for tires.
does anyone make a kit to tub a 914? i think fender flares stick out too far and want to hide my tires under stock fenders.

[Jim Smolka]

You could cut a hole in the targa top and mount the radiator. Instead of an electrical fan, hire a couple of squirrels to run in a squirrel cage that is connected to a fan. This would reduce the electrical demand that is already taxed for the sound system. Also, falling rain increases the cooling capacity and eliminates the need for the rinse cycle when doing laundry.

In winter, the squirrels can run backwards as to draw air into the cabin, thus heat. Be sure to route ducts for the defog / defroster.

Squirrels are great, and they work for peanuts.

Where else can a person get this much advice for free???

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Smoke Daddy

[Germain]

I want to answer the brake question... You might want to upgrade to 19" disks. Make SURE that you only run the brakes to the front tires. You don't want any extra drag on the rear ones (only eats up power). Put on a 20" wheel with a 315/10/20 tire on it. This should give you the traction you need to hook up that V10. I would recomend some type of Mud Terrain, or All-Terrain, in case you are driving in the winter or muddy roads... Also, leave the stock springs in, the result will be a lowered 914. Oh yea, one more thing. You should power the entire car with AAA batteries. They take up less space. Good luck

Black paint is the best because it heats up the air around it, making it less dense and easier to push the car through! High speed, low drag, man!

P.S. No, I'm not taking this seriously, but it is all hilariously fun. You guys rule.