How much power can a stock 914 handle? Options

[seafarer]

Time to get back on my 914 project. I have a '73 model with the 1.7 liter engine. Thinking of an engine transplant with somewhere between 120 to 200 HP. Probably add the BMW front brake upgrade. Will the stock suspension hands this?

[Rand]

Sounds like a great match, and that's about perfect threshold before other upgrades are needed with the chassis and brakes. How much torque?

[seafarer]

Sounds like a great match, and that's about perfect threshold before other upgrades are needed with the chassis and brakes. How much torque?

140 ft lbs give or take. Looking at a Suby or maybe one of the gm v6's.

[Randal]

Time to get back on my 914 project. I have a '73 model with the 1.7 liter engine. Thinking of an engine transplant with somewhere between 120 to 200 HP. Probably add the BMW front brake upgrade. Will the stock suspension hands this?

You know you could probably run 120hp, out on a Sunday drive, with just really good shocks and tires. But for doing anything competitive, the answer to your question is NO.

[Rand]

I'd choose Suby in a heartbeat given those choices, the weight is lower and it's more true to the car. That would be a sweet upgrade, but not so extreme you couldn't still upgrade the rest as you continue to build the car.

[914forme]

Way I recommend people build cars, and I follow these rules myself.

Chassis repair - nothing will work if the damn thing is a rusty piece that looks like it wintered in Ohio, and summered in the dead sea.

Tires
Brakes
Suspension
Then MORE POWER

A truly stock car can handle 120HP but it all depends on condition of the chassis I have had a lot of them that barely handled one human power, let alone thinking about horse power.

[seafarer]

You know you could probably run 120hp, out on a Sunday drive, with just really good shocks and tires. But for doing anything competitive, the answer to your question is NO.

This is strictly a street car. I have a Birkin S3 (lotus 7 clone) for those times that I need real performance.I'm trying to get my grandsons interested in sports cars and they are just old enough to start "wrenching" on one.

[A&P Mech]

I am running an EJ253 in my car. If Wikipedia is correct then my car has about 170 HP and 166 lb.ft of torque. I live in Denver so I do pay a density altitude penalty. From what I can tell that would reduce the horsepower to about 140. The car sure feels like it could handle a whole lot more. I commute in it daily and have had zero problems with it.

With stock wheels and narrow tires it is pretty hard to break the rear tires loose. To be honest, I am thinking of swapping my 4 cylinder out for a six.

[seafarer]

Way I recommend people build cars, and I follow these rules myself.

Chassis repair - nothing will work if the damn thing is a rusty piece that looks like it wintered in Ohio, and summered in the dead sea.

Tires
Brakes
Suspension
Then MORE POWER

A truly stock car can handle 120HP but it all depends on condition of the chassis I have had a lot of them that barely handled one human power, let alone thinking about horse power.

Upgrades that I have made:

205/60/15 tires on 4 lug Fuchs
All new nylon & brass bushings in shifter linkage
Front & rear floor pans purchased & ready to weld in car

Rust seems to be confined to floorboard area but will replace whatever it needs as I go. The BMW 320i front brake upgrade is a definite go. The 1.7 runs fine so it will be mobile as I sort things out. Not sure at this point how far I want to go on modifications.

[flmont]

Then of course there is drivetrain,..901 tranny up to 300 ft lbs of torque,and possibly more, if driven nicely...rear springs get updated depending on engine installed,...and then the axle's can only handle so much also,....

[porschetub]

Way I recommend people build cars, and I follow these rules myself.

Chassis repair - nothing will work if the damn thing is a rusty piece that looks like it wintered in Ohio, and summered in the dead sea.

Tires
Brakes
Suspension
Then MORE POWER

A truly stock car can handle 120HP but it all depends on condition of the chassis I have had a lot of them that barely handled one human power, let alone thinking about horse power.

Upgrades that I have made:

205/60/15 tires on 4 lug Fuchs
All new nylon & brass bushings in shifter linkage
Front & rear floor pans purchased & ready to weld in car

Rust seems to be confined to floorboard area but will replace whatever it needs as I go. The BMW 320i front brake upgrade is a definite go. The 1.7 runs fine so it will be mobile as I sort things out. Not sure at this point how far I want to go on modifications.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png) ,get your brakes and suspension sorted/rebuilt and get the car stopping and handling the best you can,fix your rust issues and drive the car and then decide which way you are going,there are a lot of options.

[struckn]

It's your car but concider this as mentioned in Panarama about Big Lens stock 914 that was an 8 page story.

"Would you rather drive a fast car slow, or a slow car fast..........Porsche owners all have tons of experience driving a fast car slow. But driving a slow car fast, say, a 914-4 on an empty country road......is not to be sniffed at. Speed relative to pleasure..... you don't have to be going 148MPH to have a good time

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Randal]

You know you could probably run 120hp, out on a Sunday drive, with just really good shocks and tires. But for doing anything competitive, the answer to your question is NO.

This is strictly a street car. I have a Birkin S3 (lotus 7 clone) for those times that I need real performance.I'm trying to get my grandsons interested in sports cars and they are just old enough to start "wrenching" on one.

The issue you'll find is that as soon as you begin to add power everything else will be at risk or overstressed. Also the advice given on this posting is absolutely true. Do everything else first, then add power.

[Rand]

Don't get stuck by the idea that you can't add power first. Just scale everything forward.

[Drums66]

It's your car but concider this as mentioned in Panarama about Big Lens stock 914 that was an 8 page story.

"Would you rather drive a fast car slow, or a slow car fast..........Porsche owners all have tons of experience driving a fast car slow. But driving a slow car fast, say, a 914-4 on an empty country road......is not to be sniffed at. Speed relative to pleasure..... you don't have to be going 148MPH to have a good time

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

...I agree with your point!...But that 1 time 1/4 mile streak,is such a cool "experience" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif) (maybe Sean V-8 will weigh in on this subject....1 of his 914's has a V-8.) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bye1.gif)

[Dave_Darling]

I've seen some 914s that couldn't handle a worn-out 1.8 running on two cylinders... Make sure the rest of the car is in at least decent shape before you start!

I am not a big fan of the BMW brake "upgrade". It just adds some unsprung weight and some pad area, and doesn't do much else. And the brake pads that hang off the edge of the rotor just seem like a very bad idea.

If you want good brakes, first get grippy tires. (Brakes stop the wheels; TIRES stop the car!!) Then either rebuild the whole stock brake system so it is in perfect working order, or just bolt on the 911 front end and get big ventilated brakes and the five-bolt wheels. (Yes, you'll have to do more work to get the five-lug wheels on the back.)

Those brakes may be heavier, but they shed heat much more effectively.

They're also not really needed IMHO for a stockish street-driven 914.

--DD

[GeorgeRud]

My conversion car has 200hp at the rear wheels, and that feels wonderful in a 914. I have, however, upgraded brakes, wheels/tires, etc. to let the car remained balanced.

[Cracker]

I haven't read the responses but my original car had 150 crank hp and it was a great fit for the chassis and stock brakes. Good luck.

Tony