Porscheru Engine Choices, 2.2, 2.5, or 3.0 ?? Options

[R_u_dd]

Added a poll Here

Building a Porsche 914 with Subaru power and transmission Porscheru. Looking for a donor car with a 5mt transmission. I've considered many engine combos. The 2.0 wrx turbo is very popular for this build at 227 hp but I want NA power without the turbo lag. I've narrowed it down to these combos:

EJ22 99-2001 142 horsepower. Less power than I would like, but easy to find a car with a stick shift and fewer head gasket problems. Good potential for additional power. Strong motor.

SOHC 2.5 1990-2004 165 HP. This is a good power range for the lightweight 914 (2,400lbs). Easy electronics. The negative is frequent HG problems. The donor car is hard to find with a stick shift. If I buy a donor car with an automatic tranny, which 5mt will fit, just match the year?

EZ30D 2000-2003 212 HP. The donor car will need a tranny. Which should I buy?

So the big question is which donor would you buy and why? I don't want to buy individual parts if I can avoid it because it's much more expensive and the combinations might not work well together. Individual parts are about $2,000 but I think I can get a donor for around $1500.

[Chris H.]

It's very easy to use a manual trans with an EZ30 engine. Take a look at 76-914 and rnellums build threads. They both used the stock ECUs. You really can't do an auto trans unless you use an older 2WD box, which is not recommended unless the driver must have an auto.

What you need to decide is what level of power you want. A 6 cylinder makes the car VERY quick and fast compared to stock. Lots of fun as long as you are ready for the car to become a completely different animal. If you want the feel of an enhanced version of a stock 914 go with a 2.5.

OU8AVW - Please post pics of your project in my Vanagon thread - even if it gets moved that's OK!