Cross roads between a big /4 and a big/6, Share your experience Options

[Montreal914]

I am at a cross road in my narrow body restoration project. This is not an original build, but rather a sleeper 914 with nice elements. The chassis will be reinforced with an inner kit and outer RD clamshell.

The car will be converted to 5 lugs using the right 3" 911 struts/hubs and drilled rear hubs. The braking system is Alfa Brembo calipers in the front and 914-6 reproduction rears with appropriate 19mm MC. Sport Bilstein all around and 140 rear springs. Front 19mm and std rear sway bar.

Wheels will either be Fuchs 15" x 6" or 16" x 6". I have no intentions of shoehorning 7" wide wheels in the back, no fender stretching.

My engine options are as follow:

I have all the nice bits to build a 2.3 4 cylinder (HAM heads, Nickies, rods, crank, block with large studs, Tangerine headers, yadi yada...). I would setup a modern EFI to it and should conservatively get 150-160 HP out of it.

I have an opportunity to get a 3.2 Motronic 6 cylinder, 200+ HP.

I plan on using a 901 gearbox and I already have the Tarett heavy duty CV/shafts kit.


Although it may seem obvious that the desired option would be to go with the six, again, this is a narrow body with 6" wide wheels. My concern is the drastic amount of power and the additional mass on this car's configuration.

A while back I remember reading a comment from Pete Stout @horizontally-opposed , where I recall him saying somethnig like he felt the 914 has a better balance with a 4 cylinder engine, but he was willing to make that tradeoff to have the sound, smoothness and pleasure of a 6 cylinder. That being said, his beautiful car (reference narrow body in my book (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif) ) is equipped with a small 2.2 six.

I have some engine weight data that looks like this:

4 cylinder: ~321lbs
2.4 six cylinder: ~400
3.2 six cylinder: ~485lbs

I have never riden let alone driven a 6 cylinder powered 914, but I do have 10 years of daily California canyon driving mine (4 cylinder 2056). I know how the 4 cylinder car feels and I can probably picture how it would drive with a large /4.

I would like to hear what people have experience with their narrow bodied 3.2 conversion (I am sure there must be some), and what they prefer, their old 4 or their new six.

I appreciate and value all of your comments! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

Thank you,

Eric

[Montreal914]

@Chris914n6 thank you for the info on the fuel line, that unknown (at my end) is now solved. No, I haven't decided yet to make the jump, but so far there are many pros in this option. No world is perfect though and both options have compromises. Although the big four basically doesn't add any weight, it becomes a "blown up" engine with all of what that entails, vs the stock reliable 911 engine, which is heavier. It obviously doesn't only boils down to this, it's just one of the pros/cons example.

Without having driven any 6 powerred 914 it is difficult for me to evaluate but my initial thought would be that 160-180 hp in a narrow body would be enough, especially with a lighter /4 engine. I don't think I would need more than that. @mb911 , yes over the years, even if I never though of converting my car to a six, I was always thinking the 3.0 would be the very top limit I would consider and that option would have been based on its known reliability.

Today, I have this oportunity of a 3.2, not neceesarily my first /6 size choice, but it is there. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

@mepstein are you saying the cable travel produced by the pedal movement is less that the required movement to completely open up the TB? Is there actually a multiplying factor done by all of this elaborate 914-6 linkage? If so, that is a very different situation that requires some engineering consideration. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

@gereed75 , comment noted, as with all of the shared ones.

Spent my entire day off yesterday reading on this. Again, loving all of the inputs provided (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)