WTB v8 or wrx 911

[pjku79]

Originally Posted by Matt Monson

That's my thinking on the subject. When I went and looked more closely at the ad it sounds to me like this guy built his own longblock off of stuff he had around. Maybe he's a good home mechanic. Maybe he's a hack.

I would take a car Renegade built in house with a GM crate engine over someone's home install and build any day of the week. I think that swapped SC is a $15k car, on a good day.

I am in complete agreement with you on it being a 15k car, but I would be fine with that as a starting point. Obviously I would want to look at how it was installed to make sure things are safe, but it really doesn't take much to put a 350 in if you buy a kit from renegade.

[pjku79]

Let's get back to the subject at hand. If you know of one for sale let me know. I am not interested in everyone's debate on if it's a good idea or not.

[LvSteveH]

The value of converted cars depends on a lot of factors. When selling conversion kits to customers all over the world there's no guarantee of the outcome.

The one thing you can be sure of is a "bell curve" of build quality. Some will be built to a higher standard than Porsche itself would aspire to, most will fall in the middle range, and some will be absolute abominations.

A car that improves on the performance, reliability, and cost of ownership over the original engine package will often times be worth more in the marketplace than a very nice original car. All of those qualities can be met with the traditional SBC, but the newer LS engines are easier to accomplish that with.

The two big motivating factors in doing an engine conversion for most people are either lower cost than the original engine or better performance than is reasonably possible from Porsche engines. The level of performance we can extract from a converted early Porsche is mind blowing.

You can combine classic style with state of the art performance. We recently out ran a brand new Mclaren with a 914.... three times in a row. Not a 914 race car mind you, but a very clean street car. My personal dual purpose, narrow body 914 recently passed a track prep'd 996TT driven by an instructor at Spring Mountain on a 3.4 mile configuration running very respectable lap times. Then two months later it drove round trip to LA and back, around 600 miles for TRE's New Year's day run without any major changes or service.

I see it from both sides. I still have several Porsche powered cars, but I have a lot of appreciation for converted cars. For most practical reasons a converted car can be superior in most measurable ways. However, I don't discount the joy of driving a vintage performance car complete with the mechanical eccentricities that come with a 30, 40, or 50 year old platform.

At the end of the day, it's all about what you like; and most importantly to me, what you'll drive the most. Life's too short to have nice cars hiding in garages.

[COLB]

Let's get back to the subject at hand. If you know of one for sale let me know. I am not interested in everyone's debate on if it's a good idea or not.

Most of the folks here are trying help you given your admitted lack of experience with these cars.

That being said, this is the Market Discussion Board, not the "find me a car" board.

You might PM LvSteveH because he sounds like he has lots of practical experience with these cars, and might have a line on what you think you are looking for.

Again, good luck with your search.

[Matt Monson]

Originally Posted by pjku79

Let's get back to the subject at hand. If you know of one for sale let me know. I am not interested in everyone's debate on if it's a good idea or not.

Yeah, that's why the Cars for Sale forum doesn't allow responses. If you just want to be contacted with cars for sale, your thread there is the place. Put your thread here and we're going to discuss the marketplace.

[Matt Monson]

Originally Posted by COLB

You might PM LvSteveH because he sounds like he has lots of practical experience with these cars, and might have a line on what you think you are looking for.

He's kind of the backbone of Renegade.

[christiandk]

My magic 8 ball says you will be driving this when you win the lottery.

Porsche 959 Tribute Speedster - SOUTH EAST USA WHEELS EVENTS-Car and Motorcycle Show Calendar

Win again and you can swap the VW engine for a v8.

[johnvan8]

To the OP: I guess you should have kept the posting in the "for sale" section. Over there, anyone who wants to help you can PM you. They cannot post idiotic replies such as #27 above (I guess they could still PM you idiotic comments but probably not because then they wouldn't be showboating their expertise in public). I'd like to be able to say that here at PP, not everyone is close-minded as some of the replies you've seen. Many of us are just car guys who are very tolerant of what you drive, even if it's not a "pristine, original, survivor, untouched, matching numbers, original paint, unopened tool kit, stamped manuals, provenance Porsche 911". Welcome and I hope you find what you want.
Cheers. :-)

[pjku79]

Thanks for all the kind advice. I was told this would be a better section to post because people are more likely to respond here. I guess I will stick to the for sale section.

[Matt Monson]

Pjku, my post was not meant to run you off. I just wanted you to understand that this forum is somewhat unique and getting territorial about your thread willjust drive off your potential helpers.

These oddball swaps aren't a topic we talk about much here. I think you are seeing interest in discussing new material. And in the end you benefit. If your thread is popular and becomes an ongoing conversation the likelihood that it stays on the first page and gets noticed goes up. While we are not 100% on topic in the end our conversation may in fact help you find your car. Two days in andRenegade Hybrids has noticed it and commented directly. That's one person that has a has a lot of exposure to what is trading hands and if they are told about a car for sale they might reach out to you and offer it, for a finder's fee.

[pjku79]

Matt, thanks for the input.

[christiandk]

Seriously, why not just buy a Corvette - the not so popular 80es models are actually beginning to look good, imo!?

Steve Sanders had more fun than Dylan Mckay anyway - and he had a Speedster!

[pjku79]

I prefer the styling on the porsche. I have always wanted one. I have been considering a 996, but would prefer and early 911.

[pjku79]

So far I have found two others. What are your thoughts aesthetically?

first ($20k)




second ($19k)
This one seems a little pimped out. You will notice the doors are shaved.

[COLB]

So far I have found two others. What are your thoughts aesthetically?

Aesthetics are very personal choices, so most people are going to advise you to buy a look that appeals to you -- it is your car, and customize it the way you want.

But you need to be aware of the broader market preferences, because major modifications will substantially reduce value, and make your car a tough resell if you ever want to get rid of it. Both the cars you linked are cases in point.

The overall market has returned back to the simple, "cleaner" look of the narrow-body cars from the 60s & early seventies. Chrome accents are in, and spoilers, wide flares, wide rockers, vents/intakes are out. Many of the "longhood" cars were converted to the "turbo-look" Carrera bodies in the 80s -- and people are paying real money to convert them back -- and even backdate Carreras to look like long-hoods.

"Whale-tail" spoilers used to be mandatory in the 80s -- the market now generally prefers plain decks. Gemballa & Strosek kits, slant-noses, and other non-original body kits crush resale value.

Aesthetically, I think the best V-8 conversion would be the one that is visually undetectable from "stock" -- ie, a "sleeper". A well engineered, stock looking Carrera or SC -- with big league V8 horsepower -- would be a fun car to drive, and have broader appeal.

Again, never let anyone tell you what you like -- it is your car, and your money. Just realize that modifications of all sorts have selective appeal, and a highly modified car may be yours for a long time, and may well only be marketable as a low dollar "parts car" at resell time.

[christiandk]

Originally Posted by pjku79

So far I have found two others. What are your thoughts aesthetically?

first ($20k)




second ($19k)
This one seems a little pimped out. You will notice the doors are shaved.

You are pulling our leg, right!?

[johnvan8]

Aesthetically, I vote for the coupe between the two. That Targa looks really pimped out...

[Matt Monson]

I'm ok with the coupe, but would want to know more about the flares. Steel or glass? How thorough is the paint? What was it built on?

The targa hurts my eyes.

Pjku, do you have any mechanical aptitude and a garage? Have you considered finding a car with a blown engine and doing the swap yourself?

[pjku79]

Originally Posted by Matt Monson

I'm ok with the coupe, but would want to know more about the flares. Steel or glass? How thorough is the paint? What was it built on?

The targa hurts my eyes.

Pjku, do you have any mechanical aptitude and a garage? Have you considered finding a car with a blown engine and doing the swap yourself?

I do have all the skills to do this myself. I've thought about doing it myself and still might, but it seems most people don't like the v8 so it seems les expensive to buy one. Plus I correctly have a 69
Firebird in pieces taking up all my workspace, so I'd prefer something that is already running.

[LvSteveH]

You can definitely have it look very close to stock if you prefer. This 84 targa is setup for street and road racing and with 700hp it can run 10 seconds in the 1/4 and weighs close to stock. It even sounds like european performance car thanks to the custom exhaust. Yes, it was expensive to build, but rest assured this is the type of car a well-heeled buyer would consider dropping $100k for.





As far as costs of buying one vs. building one. It's a tough call. It can be hard to find finished cars that are truly finished to a nice standard. So, plan potentially spending some time and money getting the car up to a standard you'll be happy with.

If you will entertain doing your own conversion there are still deals to be found for nice donor cars. Pre 1990 911's have been jumping up in price recently, but it's really the very original cars that have spiked the most. Cars with upgrades or custom work have been a little more stable. One of my favorite cars to convert is an original 930. There were recently a few in the classifieds with damaged or missing engines for less than $20k. I've seen lots of 911 SC's needing attention for $10k or so. Subtract a few thousand for the porsche motor and you have a nice base to start with.

For my money, at $20k+ I want to see something that impresses me on some level, be it mechanically or the car itself.