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

[Mueller]

I am wanting to build a race car

that is fine and dandy, but do you know for a fact that you'll have a place to run this bastard of a conversion??
(anything not Porsche powered, just the same as powering an M3 with a chevy V8...wait, that would be cool, LOL)

even with my conversion, the installation of a VW Jetta/Corrado VR6 into my 914, I have no place to "race" it.......the only places for me to play are when some of the private groups rent a track and let me play....

you just want to make sure that once built, you have a place to run it instead of just the street....it should be fun car if built correct...now that you know it can be done, get on it and quit talking about it...we want to see progress (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif)

[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

[SirAndy]

I own my 914s because I love to drive them, no other reason.

amen!

[Kevin@ojai.net]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) I like the way the 914 shifts.

[soloracer]

If you want high revs plus hp, what about a Mazda 3 rotor engine?

Actually the three rotor is the "big block" of rotaries and as such doesn't rev as high. A better choice would be a peripheral port 13B (two rotor) which can be built to rev 10,000 rpm. However even with a rotary you had better build it right for those rpm's. My twin turbo three rotor has a redline of 7000 rpm and probably pull 8000 rpm if you push it in stock form.

A normally aspirated peripheral port 13B will make a over 300 hp at the flywheel. Or you could just bridge port it and get 285 hp. The difference is the life expectancy of the engine. The peripheral port won't last as long as the bridge port. The candle that burns twice as bright burns 1/2 as long right? If you throw in a turbo you could get over 600 hp but you still would have a hard time with the 10,000 rpms. A three rotor can give you over 1000 hp in big turbo format. I'm aiming for 400 rwhp with the stock twin turbos.

[Mueller]

I like the way the 914 shifts.

what is this thing called "shifting"...must your car be running to achieve this so called lever moving operation?? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Kevin@ojai.net]

HAHA! Ok, ok I haven't driven my 914 in a LONG time. I don't think it has seen more than 100miles in the last 2 years...(IMG:http://914.ojai.net/SPlug/kaboom%20021.jpg)

[GreekDriver]

I'm going to look at the 914 again today, be sure it's what I want. Hopefully the guy will be ok with taking it over to my mechanic and letting me jack it up and look at it some more. If the 70-72s are that much lighter... Maybe I should pass this deal over. He's asking 7,000. Pricee, but for minimal rust, good paint, and great interior... It seems ok.

It looks like a forced induced M10 from BMW will be what I need. 8.5k RPM redline, over 300hp, it's gong to be a mutant of an engine though. I'm going to give Kormans a call tomorrow so I can get a quote an a build. Then I'll divide it by 5 and take an M10 to my local engine builder. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Now where do I put the radiator and intercooler? In the front? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Oh man, I crack my self up...

This will take years...

I better start reading every post on the boards...

Thanks! If you guys have more information, please tell me.

[redshift]

Not a very good idea..

You could, for the same money:

A. Buy a Lotus. (easy, with spare change at the end)

B. Get a fully flared car, with a ZF, and a big block. (not easy)

The Lotus will scream, the BB will scream louder, and you can hold down over 1000 horses, without breaking it.

There is no reason. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)


M

[fiid]

I am wanting to build a race car

that is fine and dandy, but do you know for a fact that you'll have a place to run this bastard of a conversion??
(anything not Porsche powered, just the same as powering an M3 with a chevy V8...wait, that would be cool, LOL)

even with my conversion, the installation of a VW Jetta/Corrado VR6 into my 914, I have no place to "race" it.......the only places for me to play are when some of the private groups rent a track and let me play....

you just want to make sure that once built, you have a place to run it instead of just the street....it should be fun car if built correct...now that you know it can be done, get on it and quit talking about it...we want to see progress (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smash.gif)

Just an aside Hijack -
The Aston Martin and Jag 8K8 in the Bond movie "Die another day" were both powered by small block chevy v8s. They were on 5th Gear this week. They also had a lot of fake looking weapons that would pop up on demand. Very cool.

Fiid.

[fiid]

Oh yeah Mueller - we can race with the ARC - which is a spin off from the Northern California Racing Club. Very lightweight rules structure.

I am doing the Subaru conversion. It should be nice - I've talked about it a lot on here - do some searches. I'll the spare the regulars the pain of listening to me go through it again.

Are you seriously talking about anm M3 engine? A straight 6 in a 914 will either hang out the back of the car or you'll be using it as an arm rest. Even the Porsche V8 requires a firewall move. You will probably get away with an inline 4.

if you want a serious racing machine - lighten one a 914 A LOT and put a Hayabusa engine in it. That will rev to 10k, and give you 175hp and a sequential shift box. They can be bored to 1500ccs, and I imagine you could also look at turbocharging the thing if that wasn't enough.

Just a thought

[GreekDriver]

Oh yeah Mueller - we can race with the ARC - which is a spin off from the Northern California Racing Club. Very lightweight rules structure.

I am doing the Subaru conversion. It should be nice - I've talked about it a lot on here - do some searches. I'll the spare the regulars the pain of listening to me go through it again.

Are you seriously talking about anm M3 engine? A straight 6 in a 914 will either hang out the back of the car or you'll be using it as an arm rest. Even the Porsche V8 requires a firewall move. You will probably get away with an inline 4.

if you want a serious racing machine - lighten one a 914 A LOT and put a Hayabusa engine in it. That will rev to 10k, and give you 175hp and a sequential shift box. They can be bored to 1500ccs, and I imagine you could also look at turbocharging the thing if that wasn't enough.

Just a thought

The original M3 engine was an I-4. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) It's really expensive though.

The I-4 I want to use is out of a 2002, E21, or E30. It would have the M3 crank though. Hopefully there will be enough room. I'll have to measure tomorrow...

Now I'm worried about the clutch, where will I find a clutch that can handle over 300hp?

Are there any forced induced 914s I can look at?

[redshift]

http://www.v8914.com/

[GreekDriver]

http://www.v8914.com/

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

Wow...

Too bad it is atrocious looking. Very functional, but atrocious. I think it would have looked better without connecting the flares of the fenders and quarter panels. But looks don't matter in that cars case.

Unbelievable work. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif)

That guy is amazing.

[Jeroen]

Now I'm worried about the clutch, where will I find a clutch that can handle over 300hp?

The clutch won't be the hard part... the tranny will
Start saving (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[tdgray]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) With Rick, you should stick to things you "know" and leave the 30 year old cars to those of us that love and care for them. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)

Go get yourself a rice-mobile and tweek that. That way you won't be hacking up any of our good cars. <_<

Oh and BTW - I can speak from experience having owned a 2800CS, a 3.0 CS and a 635CSi.

[Joe Bob]

We're toast....another Greek wanting to hotrod a 914.....

RUN AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/givemebeer.gif)

Hope we aren't related....

[MarkG]

"I want an extremely rev-happy motor simply because of the sound. I just want it to rev like hell, because driving in open air, with a roaring motor is fun. ".....

Do like I did - get a Ferrari 308, get the rev-happy/raoring motor fix out of your system(plus NOTHING shifts like a gated F-car tranny!)....then come back to reality, get a 914, build a really strong motor, upgrade the suspension (all for about the price of a tuneup on the F-car) and have FUN!

Or just drop a 308 or 246 Dino engine/transmission into your 914.....(you can find rebuildable 308 engine cores for around $6k.......)

[ArtechnikA]

...Perhaps you mean a Carrera, which covers a lot of ground, but as far as I know never came in 2.0L form (at least not in a street car).

sure it did!

Abarth Carrera (about 20 made, a homologation special) and Carrera GTS (904) came with 2,0 liter 4-cam Carrera engines. (real Carreras have 4 cams ...)

and technically, the 906 was called 'Carrera 6' and it had the 2,0 6-cyl engine.

[ this historical aside concludes now ... ]

[d7n7master]

If you have issues with the way the tranny shifts, replace ALL of the shift bushings & install a Weltmeister reverse lock-out shift kit. Make certain that the shift linkage is adjusted correctly. You will notice a HUGE improvement. In fact, it feels AWESOME. Certainly much better than any 2002 mush box.
As for as a hi-rev engine swap - have you considered a Mazda 13b rotary??? They're cheap, there's lots of them, make about 150hp & rev like a SOB. Personally, for the $$$ I'd keep the type IV and send it to Jake to magically turn it into the engine porsche should have put in our teeners in the first place. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)