[VW@heart]

It's one thing to stick a SBC into a 911, it another to do it right like you did. Your build is very very similar to what I have drawn up for my 911. Even the odd detail like the cooling pump. Unlike everyone else I had heard from, and similar to you, I have planned on an electric cooling pump to be mounted up front. Your research is excellent, and thats why the results were so good. I'm soooo very glad you did NOT build some monster, you actually defeated 98% of the snipers before they actually created their postings!

Butcher? Chopped up? Lose its value? etc? I missed where that happened, including the loss of value. What was chopped up? Odd looking? They would not even notice your car a V8 driving down the road. Not able to run at high RPMs? They obviously don't know much about HiPo chevy small blocks. Lost $ at resale? The only loss you incurred was the same loss anyone would incur if they spent the same money on new HiPo parts for their car. I'm always seeing 911s with thousands of dollars spent and sold for 25% of what was in it. How much money would you loose if you put the F6 back in and sold it? After a gas tank change and the two small air holes wire welded in, I would like some sniper tell me specifically what part of your car would be butchered anymore than a F6 built for the track?

Most of the snipers appear to be confusing their past experiences with actual facts. Without current research and apple to apple comparisons, the only true statements they have left to use are personal preferences (which is everyone's right to have). I tried to find a sniper who posted any technical facts or apple to apple specific points against your conversion but could not find one.

Me personally I love the Flat 4s and 6s, and if I could get one to run like an over 5.0 liter HiPo Chevy I would never have planned on doing a swap. One poster mentioned having the money to build a 700 hp motor, I wonder if he has driven a well designed and reliably smooth V8 at 700 hp? There's a saying older than me quoted by the big boys "There's no substitute for cubic inches", that includes money. You get your CCs or Cubes and work with them, if you get more cubes you go faster or run the same power more reliably, its math. In the case of a 700hp 911, my limited experience tells me no matter how much you spend it is still going to be a handful, less reliable, not as easy to drive on the street or even race as the SBC. I maybe wrong on that specific point, but its not a factor for my engine swap, as I don't want to spend $10,000 on 350 low maint/reliable hp. If money was not a factor, I would buy a couple of the new all alum LS1 engines and use them. With almost 400hp stock, very reliable, and excellent fuel economy the LS1 is asking to be bumped up to 500hp in a grocery getting Porsche that might get throttled on the weekends.

For some weight is a major concern for track use, just a note here, the short stroke all alum Rover engine is only 310 lbs. Thats hundreds of pounds lighter than the 930 engine, and still much lighter the 911. Keeping the stroke under 3" for revving will limit the builder to 4 liters. 5 liters is available, but with over 3.4" in the stroke, maybe more of a street engine. A 4 liter Rover engine, with a mild super charger (about $2,500) would probably be the easy way to a reliable low maint high mileage 350hp 325lb engine at the track.

Rover engine had several design weaknesses that they have corrected in the past few years. It is actually an engine better suited for a small car than a large truck.

On another note, I have a friend that works at a dealership, they have a 450hp 930 that is driving them nuts. They get it running good, even though its a finicky beast to drive (they rev the snut out of it to go fast) they are happy until something else goes wrong. To bad their money and time can't seem to keep the car happy, I think they should de-tune it to 350hp. I would love to have a reliable 350 hp F6 in one of my old 914s and race them on the weekends.

MORE TO THE POINT: I am putting together my newly restored rust free 1970 911T and a SBC.

I have been looking at this and buying parts for 5 - 8 yrs, I actually started with three 914s, then sold all of them because my eventual plans were to drive it on the street more than anything else. I like the 911s style body more (also 2+2 is a bonus), and I require it to have a reliable 300 - 325+hp. If the SBC breaks I can fix it almost anywhere at a reasonable cost, and plan on driving it for 100,000 miles. Occasionally spending a few hundred dollars to fix a HiPo car is ok. I would go nuts if the car was finicky, hard to drive (in comparison to the SBC) AND cost a lot to maintain (time is money).

--->>>When it comes to a daily driver, finicky and expensive should not go hand in hand.

My 1970 911 looks great in the wet sanded & buffed gloss black (tan interior), I hope to keep it looking 80% stock. It will stay de-chromed, with a few stock chrome scripts etc. (911T). I want it to look stock, but I am planning on some sort of smooth fiberglass one piece rear bumper. I already have a fiberglass 1970 911S style front bumper, but may have to change to the RSR oil cooler front bumper, I''m not sure which one will look closer to stock 911T after the cooling mods. If I can sort of hide the air intake for the 911S bumper, I will stay with it.

I had the original owner keep the motor and I also skipped on the 915 trans. I bought the 930 trans for $750, I hope the guy who sold it to me was honest when he told me is was in good shape.

I am stumped on the wheels to buy - I am looking at buying 16x6/8" C2s wheels (w/ spacers), or 16x6/7"Boxter take offs (w/ spacers), or my original plans were to run 16x6/7 Fuchs (probably w/ a black center).

I have a friend who started to build a 377 Chevy, but half way through he decided he does not want it. He is going to build his big block instead. So it looks like I will be getting a well built 377 for cheap with light wt pistons, rods and crank. He's using alum AFR heads on it, but will keep them as they were borrowed from another friend of ours. His 377 uses tried and true parts that put it at 450-500 hp and the shift point just over 7,000 rpm (same rpm peak as the 350 he is currently driving) but I'm not running his cam-heads-exhaust, and I'm building a car that may need to drive across the US. I will use the TFS street heads and de-tune it to 350 - 375hp@6,000ish on cheap pump gas. I will have about $2,000 in the new longblock. With the SBC running minimal stock type components, it will be just under 500lbs, not unlike a 930 turbo engine.

I know a guy with two conversion kits, a Rod Simpson kit and a Renegade kit. They are the full $1,500 kits. He has picked out the parts he likes and wants to sell the left over kit for abut $500. I'm wondering if the 915 kits will work on my 1987 930 trans? It would only be a temp clutch, just to get the car into the road, its a restoration so I will have a dozen things to work on, then I will get the HiPo clutch before any major stress is added.

I have the 930 trans on a four wheel furniture dolly and under the car, it looks like it will not fit!

I would appreciate any help provided concerning any part of the 911, data files, pictures, old emails forwarded, anything in any form or fashion would be appreciated.

I will be lowering it about 1 1/2, but not looking for wash board ride performance parts.

-->>>Maybe as years go by I will decide to slow down a bit and put a F6 (3 liter) back into my 911, rewelding the two air ducts and misc parts. Hopefully I can secure a reliable engine that will get me 150,000 miles.

For now I must continue on my quest for a beautiful 2,500lb chassis with a flat 350+ foot pounds of torque working smooth horsepower up to 6,500 rpm on the 930 trans - always prepared for any meeting of the old 911 VS the latest production sports car (yes it will look mostly stock driving down the road).

Again thanks for your (everyone's) excellent positive postings, you did a fantastic job there. Any counter points with specific issues and without emotions would also be appreciated.

I'm amazed the irritated snipers continued with weak postings and could not use research to come up with a solid and credible replies to your specific build. I actually wanted to identify some unknown weakness in the engine swap. Excluding the guys that like to keep their cars 90% original, I think a lot of the sniping is frustration or past prejudices based on other swaps and shop talk.

Honestly if I had a reliable and feasible 5+ liter Porsche engine I would use it instead of the SBC. I have always loved air-cooled engines, in many situations they are the best bet, in some other situations you just have to love the noise and inherent caretaking as part of the enjoyment.

On the other hand, its also quite amazing that someone can chop up a 911 and add any aftermarket Porsche part to make it go faster at the track, but say the word V8 engine swap, and WITHOUT SEEING the actual swap its AUTOMATICALLY a butchered car. I'm still wondering.....is it automatically a butchered 911 if I put a 928 engine in it....or would I have to cut something up? I wonder if everyone realizes the SBC can BOLT IN using the STOCK engine mounts and NOTHING GETS CUT in the engine bay?

R/S, -Andre in Williamsburg, VA.

[This message has been edited by VW@heart (edited 02-24-2001).]

[This message has been edited by VW@heart (edited 02-24-2001).]

[This message has been edited by VW@heart (edited 02-24-2001).]