914 conversion options...

[brian_cummings]

First, off, I know that this question has been asked and debated endlessly before. So, I hope everyone can be patient with me and not roll their eyes too much...I know that there are several conversion options out there to improve the 914's performance... The conversions that I know of are: converting to a porsche flat-6, converting to a chevy small block, converting to a chevy V6, converting to an ally buick V6, converting to a subaru flat four, installing a porsche V8,or just hoppping up the VW IV engine....who has done what? or, who has driven these conversions? I am just wanting to hear people's experiences.... making it into a waterpumper sounds like a lot of work...is it worth it? is the best bet to just hop up the the existing engine?

[tryan]

not what you want to hear, but i like factory original cars.

get a 911, 944 or build a beck 550 if you want to go faster.

save a 914 from another conversion.

[Kevin Powers]

would you go through all the hassle to install a 6,928,350, a subaru (god forbid) and put in a used engine of unknown condition? ok rebuild the 6 or the 928 for some princely sum. perhaps someone who has done it will chime in and honestly fess up to how much money the whole conversion has cost them. a n fittings,oil tanks, triple throat carb rebuilds, oil coolers/ radiators, stiffening kits, lets not forget resolving every rust issue first, factor in down time (how long has your conversion taken?). seems like a pita to me. my thought is you could put a nice paint job, new rubber seals, the rest of the bits and ends you might need (from pelican of course), and have a nice clean driver with a bit less power. please feel free to tell me how wrong i am. i forgot all the killer tickets you are going to get when you unleash all that horsepower on public roads.

kevin

[DuckRyder]

OH NO................

IMHO either a P6 or a "Big4". There are some really nice Chevy V8 cars here as well, but that wouln't be my choice. Now if someone had a pretty much bolt in kit for a 5.0 mustang motor?

[mike mueller]

Dont' forget the six cylinder subaru motor.....this has been done and the conversion is pretty nice. I know of one 914 that is currently being converted to a twin-turbo Subaru flat 4...this motor is from the Japanese version of the WRX..should be a lot of fun.

I'd stay away from the rotary conversions....

Personally, I want to see a Boxster or 996 engine swapped into a 914. A fellow 914 owner picked up a Boxster motor and tranny for almost 4k complete....I took dimensions off the motor and the only area that I "think" might be a problem is that the COP (coil on plug) on one side of the motor might be too close the the inner trailing arm mounting tab.

As for Tryans advice:

save a 914 from another conversion

Good idea and you could save a bundle of cash, a lot of people start these conversions (using 911 motor or V8's) and give up more than half way.

get a 911, 944 or build a beck 550 if you want to go faster.

Yes and no....I have a 3.6 powered 911...brutally fast (within reason) and it a fun car, but I'd rather have that motor in a 914..
lighter and the steering response is so much better....

Mike Mueller
'74 2.0...megasquirted

[Bleyseng]

Mike, How come you would stay away from rotary conversions? Sure a 12a is cheap but low hp only 110. But the later turbos are high hp (250) in a small package. Gotta love the high revs (7500) too.

Geoff

[mike mueller]

Lot's of heat, no torque at lower rpms (where you drive the car the most)

Nothing wrong with the rotary's, I just think for our cars there are better motors, but maybe driving a rotary conversion will change my mind

[azkiwi]

Question to those who have done the Porsche 6 conversion. Are you able to do your own valve adjustments? Is it just as tight as the Type 4, tighter or easier?

For me, I would only go with a conversion that I could still do the work on. Because of PPs site, I have not had to take my car to a mechanic as I have learned how to diagnose and repair each problem I've ever encountered. If I convert I want to keep it that way. I can always learn about the conversion motor I put in...as long as the information and support is as easy to access as it is here.

[Jim Smolka]

azkiwi,

To do a valve adj in a flat 6 cyl, I would not say it is easier. T IV motors have 8 adj and they are all on the bottom. A 6 cyl motor has 12, 6 on top, 6 on bottom. It is aslo much harder to determine when each cyl is on TDC. However, since the motor is overhead cam, the number of adj is less. Typically, I pull the motor and inspect everything and then adj the valves, much easier in the long run, IMHO.

Also, IMHO, if one is going to do a coversion, a flat 6 is a great way to go However, a big 6 will run about $10K to do correctly

914-6 3.2

[brian_cummings]

about how many horses does a stock 2 liter type IV put out? 90? if it has been modified, then what's the max streetable/reliable amount for a normally aspirated one? turbo'ed? and how much does that cost? I don't particularly WANT to do a conversion, I was just curious, and I was really hoping to avoid the 'purity' discussion...

[Loan Dog]

Age old question - age old answer is just another question.
How much power can I get? How much money have you got?
Spend it - you can get it.

[Kevin Powers]

thanks jim, i think 10 grand is just a little too round but in the ball park. so, initial car ( how ever badly you get stuck)+ $10,000 (!!) for the conversion+brake upgrades+suspention ugrades+ paint and finnish items. well, you do the math. and it's still a 914 not a real 6. an enron deal if i've ever heard one.

kevin

[ss6]

You can do your own valve adjust on a 6 conversion, though you'll have to grind down some of the ribs on the lower "turbo" valve covers to get them to slide past the inboard rear suspension pivots. Just think of it as a more productive version of calisthenics. Level of PITA is directly related to how cleanly you lay out hoses, filters, and wires in the engine bay.

Mike, there's an interesting thread on the 911 board claiming the 996's are not track oriented motors, so maybe you won't see too many 996 conversions. Allegedly, Porsche's current GT's are built on the 993 platform(!), not the 996. Not a resounding endorsement of the latest flagship.

Doing a conversion is just a slightly more advanced version of the "I wanna work on my own car" disease. Some people prefer wrenches to checkbooks, those of us who own 914's usually wind up being very good at wielding both. Just do it.

[Bleyseng]

Jim was talking about a "big six" which I think means a 3.0 or bigger. That motor is going to cost atleast $3k more like $5k for a good one. The rest is spent on the conversion parts which cost about $5k for all the parts and pieces.
If you do the conversion in a $2k car sure you won't get your money back ever. Start with a car worth $5k and you will get "some" return on your money, maybe 50 cents on the dollar. Hey, who's counting anyway!
Kevin, I don't think orginal sixes are all that anyway! They are nice because of their orginality not hp. A 914 or a 914/6 with a 3.0l is worth the money due to the conversion plus the condition of the rest of the car.
Geoff

[Kevin Powers]

geoff, i agree with you on the original 6 issue( let the flamming begin). but, starting with a $2000 car, we both know that at least another 4 will run down the drain (when all the dust settles) then move on to the conv. i guess my point is if you have 12 grand to spend on a 914 do so, instead of having a car thats in a partial state of completion for who knows how many years. now that is really a poor return on your investment. did i use porsche and investment in the same paragraph? what was i thinking about. i ment to write expenditure

kevin

[Bleyseng]

Well, I my case my car was up on jacks (in storage) for over 2 years while I was rebuilding the motor AND going thru a divorce. I barely was able to keep the car, let alone proceed on the motor.
I think that if I get all the pieces together for a six conversion it would take 3 months of time to do it. OR just take it to Brad to do. I am not one of these guys that like to go out to the garage to look at a pile of parts and dream of driving!
Right now there are 2 914/6 for sale in the $6500-7500 range that need work. Figure $5000 atleast to get them in shape. (engine work, paint, interior, tires, supension) That is not including rust repairs.
Yeah, you will have a $12k+ car but still not a 3.0L six.
So if you take a $5K nice 914(already upgraded with 5 bolts/brakes, sways,paint ) and install a 3.0L six you still have a $8-10k car.
Thats my take on it.

[cshogen]

There was a GREAT conversion doner car on e-bay this week. It was a black mid-'80's Carrera bumped in the front and rear. Still ran fine and the suspension was in good shape. It looks like it's off the auction block today. Did anyone we know happen to pick it up?

[propricer]

I've done most everything you are interested in except for the 928 into a 914 which is pretty darn close to absurd and, all things considered, I would go with the Chevy V8. I currently have a pretty much stock, original 914-6, a full race 914 with almost 300 Porsche ponies and a 72 914 with a 300HP 327. While I LOVE the Porsche 6, it's just too expensive ... more than 10x the Chevy. Either keep what you have as stock or buy a 914-6 or put a 283/327 into a 73 or earlier 914. That's my 2 cents ... good luck !!!

[SteveStromberg]

I like the Mazda 2.5 V-6 Standard Mazda engine. Six cylinders, V6, belt and gear driven DOHC per bank, all alloy, cross-flow cylinder heads with cast-iron cylinder liners. Variable Resonance Intake System. Then maybe a turbo or two.Steve

[SteveStromberg]

Opps.