I'm starting a new project and it got me to thinking. What is the true cost of converting a 911 or 930 or Boxster to V8 power. The answer is that it all depends on what vehicle that you start with.
The ideal vehicle, of course, is the 930. It's got the tranny, brakes, suspension, the look, fussy high performance turbo. That engine is practically begging to be swapped. Trouble is, as you're dropping that flat six, you're dropping the value of the car about $1,000 per inch.
About 10 years ago, you could get a pretty nice 930 for around $20,000. Now they start at upwards of $40,000. And they're not getting any cheaper! For some reason, the 1976-1978 are asking insane prices. 930's were produced from 1975 through 1989. Porsche made around 21,000. That's it! 930's will appreciate in value from now on.
So the ideal 930 swap would be to find a 1979 or later, numbers matching, clean specimen. Drop the engine and put it in a pressure vessel with a nitrogen purge. Make the swap - LS3, LS7, whatever. Drive it for 20 years like you stole it. When you're done having fun, restore the Porsche engine and put it back to stock. By then the car will probably be worth $200,000.
So you actually make money on what we call the TCO - total cost of ownership. But you need a lot of money to get that program up and running - $40k for the donor, $8k for the engine, $6-8k to Renegade for the bits and pieces. But in the long run you get a real machine and a great investment!
The middle of the road swap is the 911. You start with an SC or non-collectible 911. Rollers can be had for $2k - $6k. Put in a mild, 300-350 hp SBC ($4k) add $6k in Renegade gear and other swap parts, and pray the 915 doesn't grenade. So you're in for $12k - $20k, but you've got a real machine that's fun to drive. That car will never be worth more than you have into it. But hey, if you walk into a Toyota dealer and drive away in a Camry, you're worse off as far as depreciation.
The other end of the spectrum is the Boxster swap. Boxsters were made from 1996 through the present. I believe the total production number is around 160,000. So there are many Boxsters out there. The prices for these models are dropping to 928 levels. They over-produced them. They probably will never be collectible.
So they can be had for cheap, they already have a radiator, strong 6 speed tranny, really nice interior, AC, nice seats etc. Plus they are about the best handling Porsche ever produced.
The drawbacks are firewall surgery, and the stigma that Boxsters are typically associated with chicks, Dot-com nerds, and a-hole hedge fund managers. But maybe some fiberglass pieces could be added to wipe those stains away.
You start with a Boxster S because it has the good brakes, 6 speed trans, suspension etc. You can pick those up for around $10k. Sell the engine for say $2,000. Buy an LS3 ($7k), Renegade conversion parts ($6k) and you're rolling in a really nice, fast car! So you're $20k in, but you're smoking 99% of the cars on the road, both in a straight line and around corners.
Just my thoughts on the whole V8 conversion idea (I'm a fan btw).
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