Anyone been keeping tabs on 914-6 swaps?

Matt Monson · 09-05-2014, 04:13 PM

I'm seriously considering dropping a 911 engine into my Bumble Bee. I've got a decent grasp on the '73-74 2.0l market and an idea of what real sixes are selling for.

But what about swaps? Do they sell for about the same as regular 2.0s and all that money spent is just a write off? Or are the selling for somewhere between a 2.0 and a real six?

Please don't send me to Samba or World. I'm familiar with both sites. I want to know what Pelicans think about this. Consider the car a condition 3 driver.

COLB · COLB's Garage

The 3.2 swap on Bringatrailer is asking $29,500.

The car looks better than a 3 driver, and that is probably all the money for a conversion, but it tells you where the top of the market is.

I think there is room to turn a profit on a conversion if you DIY and are not paying retail for the parts. $15-20k maybe?

It seems wrong to mod a bumblebee, though -- which brings a premium, doesn't it?

Matt Monson · 08:46 AM

Yes, if its all correct a Bumble Bee brings a premium. Problem is my car has a handful of molestations. It's been repainted in the wrong black. The front spoiler is missing, though I have one. The grey head light relay covers are cracked and need replacing. They added sail vinyl when they painted it. And it has a 5 bolt conversion. All restorable but we are really looking at $10k to make it right.

However, it is my nicest condition 914. My '73 needs $5-6k in just rust work before paint. And then it needs a full interior restoration. The '70 is in primer but still needs some dents and dings massaged and would need to be reprimed at this point. The trim and interior on it are decent but it hasn't been driven in 10 years. I would need to go through brakes and suspension and then I'd be driving a rat rod in primer. Not my style.

So that brings me back to the Bumble Bee. It's a solid good looking car. Brakes and suspension were gone through before I bought it because it was auto-Xed. It is numbers matching.

So I could do the swap, drive it while I slowly correct its non-Bumble Bee flaws and then some day go through the original engine and reinstall it.

Not looking to turn a buck here. Looking to enjoy my car more. I don't drive it much because the injection is finicky and I've had issues with it. Threw $500 at it with a professional and it didn't get much better. So if I want to drive a 914 right now I take out my rusty '73 with a Euro 2.0,Web cam, Weber 44's and Mallory optical dizzy. Runs great, but its not a pretty car. I've considered just throwing that motor in the Bumble Bee but then this 3.0l came along.

The other thing I should mention is if I do this I'm going to a Cayman cable shift 6spd gearbox. I think that gearbox is the future of 914 hot rods and want to have one of the first ones out there given what my business does.

Sorry. Long post. Thinking out loud mostly.

BK911 · BK911's Garage

Ditch the fi. $500 empi carb conversion and vroom vroom. That's what I did when the original fi kept acting up.

Matt Monson · 09-06-2014, 09:54 AM

I've got a set of Dellortos and matching dizzy sitting in a box. But I'm itching for a project. Been a long time since I did something major. For a couple years I wanted to do the Subaru thing in a 914. But I've always wanted a 6 for as long as I've been into teeners.

Matt Monson · 09-06-2014, 10:19 AM

Speaking of 2.0s. I can't believe this car hasn't sold. I personally know the car. He's giving it away at his new low price.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-cars-sale/778217-1975-porsche-914-2-0-malaga-red.html
It needs cosmetics and eventually paint, but you couldn't build his engine fir his asking price.

pors1968 · pors1968's Garage

One thing i can tell you.You will be hook.I had friend he had 914 2.2S engine very fast car .To bad l am to tall i would have to own one with a 3L.

Patrick3000 · 09-06-2014, 10:36 AM

Matt,

Four years ago this conversion with a fresh 3.2 was high 20's

In today's market I would expect it to bring about 50% of the cost of an original six in similar condition about 35-40.

Your Bumble Bee is a unique car and will always be more valuable in original condition (i.e. fix the FI correctly, repaint the car in the correct color and reinstall the four lug) that in and of itself is probably a six month project to source and test all of the components but well worth the effort IMHO.

If you want another project drop that 3.0 into one of your other cars, whichever one has the least amount of rust. As you know the engine swap is only the start of the project. Swap the engine, beef up the axles, then rebuild the transmission, next up better suspension and brakes......Enjoy

Matt Monson · 09-06-2014, 10:50 AM

Patrick,
My long term dream has always been to make my '73 look like that. It's originally that color. I have the flares and wheels. I just don't have rust repair and welding skills, yet. It's been my back burner project for 5 years now.
Last year right before we moved, I removed the bumpers and lights and trim and got really depressed about the hidden rust. Gonna need a lot of sheet metal. So I parked it and started driving my 912.

Matt Monson · 09-06-2014, 10:52 AM

Quote:

One thing i can tell you.You will be hook.I had friend he had 914 2.2S engine very fast car .To bad l am to tall i would have to own one with a 3L.

Ok. That's funny.

biosurfer1 · 09-06-2014, 12:11 PM

I think 6 conversions do better than 2.0's as long as they are done well. The problem with doing a Bumble Bee is if you decide to sell in the future, you might lose any Bumble Bee buyers since they usually seem to be looking for stock cars. Seems like you can get a premium for a Bumble Bee or a 6 conversion...not both.

Just imagine if the factory would have made some of the original 6's in Bumble Bee attire...$$$$

Matt Monson · 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by biosurfer1

I think 6 conversions do better than 2.0's as long as they are done well. The problem with doing a Bumble Bee is if you decide to sell in the future, you might lose any Bumble Bee buyers since they usually seem to be looking for stock cars. Seems like you can get a premium for a Bumble Bee or a 6 conversion...not both.

Just imagine if the factory would have made some of the original 6's in Bumble Bee attire...$$$$

If they had half a brain back then that's exactly what they would have done. The car was supposed to commemorate their Can-Am wins in the 917, which was subsequently banned, which is the model quietly disappeared from product at fewer than 1000 units. A proper 914 Can-Am tribute car would have been a 1974 914-6 with a 2.4l CIS engine in it. Can you imagine that car?

BTW, I've been busy this afternoon. Back shortly...

Matt Monson · 09-06-2014, 01:42 PM

I blame Patrick.

So who in their right mind paints an original yellow Bumble Bee bumper black and bolts on a fiberglass 916 spoiler?

Right Christian?

And I'll be ordering new rotors and wheel bearings on Monday.

No matter what I do with it, I'm not looking forward to draining and disposing of the fuel. I did NOT add Stabil a year ago when we moved here. The car has not moved out of it's parking spot or been started for exactly 372 days.

BK911 · BK911's Garage

I paid $14k for this one:

914World.com - The fastest growing online 914 community!

Supposed to be here in a couple hours.

I drive a '72 1.7 about 150 miles each week. Very curious if the -6 will just blow me away.

urseppos · urseppos's Garage

Quote:

I paid $14k for this one:

914World.com - The fastest growing online 914 community!

Supposed to be here in a couple hours.

I'd be very interested to hear what you think of her as I've been contemplating purchasing a 914-6 conversion.

Congrats on your new toy !

Matt Monson · 09-06-2014, 03:09 PM

Yes congrats on the new toy. I've driven stock 110hp factory sixes and 2.7 and 3.2l swaps. They are all fun cars, but the twice the power of stock thing will really make you smile.

And sorry about the upside down pictures. I edited and saved them before I uploaded. I even previewed them before posting and they were fine. Now there are borked. I don't get this interwebs thing sometimes.

Patrick3000 · 09-06-2014, 03:25 PM

Matt,

Keep us posted on your progress, I love it when a project gets back on the road.

Patrick3000 · 09-06-2014, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BK911

I paid $14k for this one:

914World.com - The fastest growing online 914 community!

Supposed to be here in a couple hours.

I drive a '72 1.7 about 150 miles each week. Very curious if the -6 will just blow me away.

Congratulations on the new toy, I think you got a nice car at a very good price.

Matt Monson · 09-06-2014, 04:04 PM

Patrick, I'll put a build thread in the 914 Forum. It's been stillborn for so long other than an intro thread when I bought I've not posted about it too much other than to mention occasionally that I would sell it. If someone gave me $5-6k for it I would put all the proceeds right into the '73. That's the car I am emotionally attached to.

Patrick3000 · 09-06-2014, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Monson

Patrick, I'll put a build thread in the 914 Forum. It's been stillborn for so long other than an intro thread when I bought I've not posted about it too much other than to mention occasionally that I would sell it. If someone gave me $5-6k for it I would put all the proceeds right into the '73. That's the car I am emotionally attached to.

I think you are on to something here, I would put the time into getting the Bumble Bee running and as close to stock as possible then list it for sale here. I bet it would head back to the fatherland at 10k in less than a month.

Use the coin to fund your 73 with the 3.0 swap and you are

I did a couple of projects a 914 2.4 hot rod and a 912E and both took way to much time and money. The hard and fast rule now is if it doesn't run well it's not coming home! I enjoy getting my hands dirty but just don't have the time with three kids and a full time job these days....