914 Engine Choices, Will buy 914, if I can build a monster Options

[GreekDriver]

Hello. I'm a BMW fan, sorry guys. But the 914 has to be one of the funnest cars I've ever driven! Other than its transmission feeling like shifting through oatmeal and damn near impossible to get a smoot shift out of... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) (This is on all 914s I've driven, even one with a rebuilt transmission)

Well, there's a nice 914 for sale, with minimal rust, original motor, great interior and paint, and low miles. It's a 76 2.0l I believe, in Black. A fella in the neighborhood has had it since 1979 and barely driven it. He's not a car guy, he bought it because it looked nice. It drives nicely, but it lacks power, and the brakes don't impress me.

It's going to need an engine and rebuilding the type iv to its horrible stock form would just piss me off. Alot. I've been looking at engine options and I have no clue on what to do. I want lightweight, EXTREMELY high revving, past 10k RPMs, and over 190hp. So the V8s are out of the question. I've thought about a 2.0l Carrea motor, as those should be able to rev like hell when built. But I haven't really seen much info on them anywhere. Another Idea I had was an S14 engine from the E30 M3(1988 BMW M3), but I have no clue what transmission I'd use and how I'd get it to work... My last idea was to build an M10 up. The M10 was THE I-4 out of the BMW 2002s, E21s, and some E30s. It loves boost, the 1.5l block was doing 1500hp for BMW F1 in the 80s. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) I would try to find a way to get it to rev high in N/A form, or boost it. But again, I don't know how I'd get it to work with the 914.

Anyways, just give me some general ideas guys. I'd worry about suspension and brakes later. Oh, and the damn transmission would be going to the yard and I'm going to request to see it crunched, it would make me feel so good.

Thanks! And it's nice to be here! Hopefully I'll get some interesting responses to push me to buy that car.

[tesserra]

I too had BMW 2002's before my 914.
Yes they shift different.
Yes they do not rev as high.
None of that matters. These 914 cars evoke a different kind of one with the car feeling. I have been into turns auto-xing going way too fast, have been severly opposite locked, side ways, and got out of the turn without hitting any cones! These cars are so controlable at the limit that you feel comfortable there. My 2002 never came close. (and I had a very nice TII)
As far as motor sound, there are not many motors that can match an aircooled motor.
Aircooled Porsches sound louder as they rev higher. They have fans, noisy valves etc that combine to make you feel like you are going faster than you are.
This mechanical music, the quick shifts of a seasoned 914 owner and the balance of the car make it a tough car to beat.
I now own a 914 with a SBC. It is extremely fast, yet it does not feel like you are going 100mph. The threshold of feeling fast is so much higher that it is hard to get there. Whereas in the 4cyl 914 you had to do a lot of work to get to that same 100mph and so did the motor and you feel like you accomplished something. So the V8 car in some ways is not as much fun, or more correctly, not the same experience.
BTW I bought my first 914 just for the hell of it, took it auto-xing and never looked back.
One more thing, I think that 914's are only fun for the driver, not the passenger. They are loud, hot, and blow womens hair everywhere. I own my 914s because I love to drive them, no other reason.

Yasou,
Yiorgos