Creative ways to do a six conversion...

[anthony]

Like everybody else, except of course those that have already done it, the thought of a big 911 six behind the firewall is a huge expensive fantasy.

I've seen a few 911SCs for sale lately for less than $9K. One was actually listed as $7.5K firm. Both are nice running cars. They have cosmetic defects - like one has peeling paint because of bra that I presume got wet. One had an interior that needed refreshing - rips in seats, cracked dash, etc. The $7.5K car was listed as having 140K miles with 40K on a upper end. The $9K car is said to have low miles.

Similarly I see older 911s as low as $6K that could be potential candidates.

Anyway, I was crunching some numbers and thought that either of these cars could be bought and then parted out resulting in an engine and front suspension that is almost free. It seems like this would put one far ahead of the conversion game.

How come I never hear of anyone doing this? Another option obviously would be to find a car like this that has been hit or rolled for substantially less. Of course that also means less parts to sell. Where can one find such cars?

[tat2dphreak]

I think it would be a question of economics... if you can afford to drop 7500 in one day and have the time to sit on the parts until you can sell the extra pieces... great.. personally... I would look at a $7500 SC as a project car... too much money invested for just the motor and front end to be used.... if the car is solid... just needing body work... do the body work and sell it for a profit, and use the profit to do your conversion from junked cars...

buying a rolled car seems more feasible... and if you are creative, you may be able to use some more of a junked car for conversion parts...

[anthony]

>>if you can afford to drop 7500 in one day and have the
>>time to sit on the parts

Your right, it's a question of economics but I'd think that if you can afford to even attempt a 3L conversion you can afford a $7500 parts car, no?

I guess it just seems like a slam dunk deal on a $7500 SC. If you go out and just buy a good running SC motor, suspension and wheels you going to spend around $6K. You can sell the transmission to recoup almost $1500 and then your are even with the $6K would have spent anyway. Anything else you get from parting out the car is gravy and I think you could get quite a bit out of the remains of a 911.

I'm curious what other parts can you specifically use from a 911 for a conversion? I mean I know the front suspension is compatible, wheels depending on the size, the engine of course, the transmission with the velios kit if you want to go that route. What about the oil tank and lines? Anything else?

[Jim Smolka]

To convert a 914 to a 914-6 (3.0 or 3.2) will take about $10K, not counting labor. Also, suspension, brakes, rims, etc. is extra

Sure, half of that is the motor. The other parts can be bought used or MFR to save some money. But 10K is a good base.

Yes, you can buy a wrecked 911 and do some horse trading. Not a bad way to convert a 914 and reduce cost. However, one must have the up front capital. And, parting out a car is never easy.

[tat2dphreak]

I think Jim hit the nail on the head...
parting out a car is not "quick" cash... it may take a year or more to get any profit out it also depends on the Car... I thought the SC had a 2.7L engine, not a 3.0 or 3.2? was it the 2.7 or the 2.4 that had all of the trouble I have heard about... bad cylinders etc.. (I think that was the 2.4 but not sure...) also... how well is it running... if you have to rebuild the engine anyway... a 3.0 or 3.2 might be a better option, just to get more power out of your rebuild.

I wasn't saying buying the parts car would be a bad option... but it is a signifigant portion of a budget... all at once.... as opposed to buying piece by piece over time, as personal finaces allow...

I know how my luck would be... I'd buy the parts car and then need the money somewhere else... like a hospital!

a prime example happened today: I got my parking brake fixed ($150) on the 914 last week, paid the T,T,&L and Registration this week... (another 100) and then today my other car(primary vehicle) decided to throw a speed sensor which isn't covered in the extended warranty(is covered, but has a deductible so I have to pay for it anyway since the ded. is higher!) so now I have to pay 200 on that car! .... the only good part of the luck is that the teener is legal now.. so I'll drive it for a few days!

[boxstr]

I recently had a perfect opportunity to pull an 83 911cab apart and use the parts for a conversion on my 914. After looking at the cab it was an easy descion to make. Fix and clean up the cab.
The cost of the cab was $6500, new carpet and a leather seat cover and other misc. odds and ends, I am into this car a total of $8500. I have a great looking and super fun to drive 83 911 convertible. Plus my 75 1.8 914 with the 5 lug conversion,early bumpers , 16x7 fuchs, fun car.
Okay I have the bug to do a 6 conversion also. But it has to be a 3.0 or 3.2, excellent torque and response. Since I have my 911 I am going to gather the parts when they become available. I like the idea of using as many new parts as posibble, erxpensive,yes. But I will know what is in this car and it is not something that I need to sell in the near future.
To all of us that have a desire for something that you can';t just go out and buy off the showroom floor, stay with it and good motoring.
Craig C. Laughlin CAMP 914