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No 911 here, I'm restoring a 914 'cuz I like the idea of a light car with the engine in the middle and the thought of a Lotus scared my wife.
I confess that I've butchered the car. SC brakes and front suspension, konis, stiffened chassis etc I'm looking at converting the VW/Porsche 2.0 4-banger to a 2.2 Porsche six. (Butchery or ethnic cleansing?) If I do, I will spend at least quadruple the amount for parts (my labour) to build an engine of equivalent HP to a similarly modified four. Worse still, the six would be 100lbs heavier! I love the idea and the sound of the six but the cost of that sound is beyond sensible. I may do it anyway, just because it turns my crank.
When the rhapsodizing, hand wringing, and name calling is over, the fact is that Porsche (like others) uses the strength of their brand, its attendant mystique and yes, the snobbery and need for exclusivity of part of its clientele to charge a huge price premium for parts. More power to them and and hooray for their shareholders. As a (cynical) consumer, irrespective of what I can or can't afford, that bugs me. As much as I admire the engineering and appreciate the quality, the underlying positioning/pricing strategy involved is quite transparent. To me, it makes the 'mystique' suspect and a even bit distasteful. Perhaps others find it distasteful enough to install an engine made by a different corporation, with different pricing stratgies when they want big HP.
All that said, it's just stuff, so who cares. To each his own.
Anyway, here's a twist on conversions. An industry colleague runs a beautifully engineered Saab Sonnet ice racer (repeat champion) with Porsche drivetrain - front wheel drive with the engine mounted ahead of the driving wheels. Seemingly no expense spared. Butchery? Cost? Fun!
Regards,
(Rambling) Dave.
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