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Posted by: newto914s May 16 2004, 09:03 PM

I’ve read a number of old postings on estimating the cost in converting a 4 to a 6. Minus the brakes and suspension, anywhere from 5k to 15k or more.
My question is what if you use a 911 parts car.
I figure you can get a 911 project/parts car between $2000 and $4000.
I would think suspension wise you could lift just about all of it off the 911 and throw it onto your 914.
Engine wise I would have thought the same thing until reading all those old posting(engine mounts, Five piece, OE style, steel reproduction engine sheet metal sets, oil cooler modification, OE oil tanks, oil tank hardware and metric oil lines, Rear sift modification for side shifter transmissions, Accelerator linkage kits for carbs)

How much could you use from a 911(69-73) to make the conversion?

Obviously, there is a flaw in this thinking. Putting old parts from a run down 911 isn’t really upgrading compared to putting “new” parts on. Where is the savings if you have to rehab all the parts before installing them, and if the parts are in such good shape why not just rehab the 911 instead? For conversation sake we’ll just assume the parts are roadworthy and I would prefer to drive a 914 over a 911.

Thanks
Sam

Posted by: ! May 16 2004, 09:07 PM

The front and brakes, wheels....6s and 7s will fit a stock 914 once converted to five lug.....engine and muffler (if two inlets), most of the rear brakes.....the rest sell to the tail draggers.....

You will NEED headers/HEs, oil tank, engine mount, oil lines, etc....depending on the engine a conversion flywheel...

Posted by: anthony May 16 2004, 10:18 PM

$2000-4000 sounds pretty low for a 911 "project" car. Anything that cheap would be a total piece of crap and probably not have a worthy part on it.

I've thought that it would be better to find one of those $7500 911SCs that could be used/parted out. After parting it out you might have a free engine. Would it be worth the work?

Posted by: newto914s May 16 2004, 11:46 PM

You have a point.
The car could also just be really really ugly and be missing parts that are improtant to 911 folk.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=10156&item=2479094559&rd=1
Case in point, but it's got all the suspention and fuches to boot

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2476895909
This one had a lot of good parts and the engine was run not to long ago. The seller would have let it go for 2k

Posted by: JOHNMAN May 16 2004, 11:59 PM

I have to agree with the others about price for the "project 911", but if the parts were ok, then you could get:

the front end (brakes struts, a-arms (for larger torsion bars), 5-lug hubs, wheels.

the rear end (brakes, outer 5-lug hubs, wheels) {still would need inner 914-6 stub axles}

a 915 trans (if it was a 1973)

a 911 engine (up to 2.4L through 1973)

You would also get 6-cyl tachometer
Starter
911 shifter (for 915 trans)
911 shift rod
Fuel pump, lines/fittings/fuel filter fittings.

I can't think of what else I would strip from the 911 to transplant to a 914.

You would still need:

Oil tank
Oil lines
Engine tin (for 914-6)
Engine mount method
Throttle linkage
Wiring
Exhaust

And above all else, you would need the time to strip the 911 and install it in your 914.

Trust me, I have thought the exact same thing on several occasions. (I would opt for a 1973 or later)

When I have converted before, I bought the engine package from a salvage yard and made them supply all the stuff I wanted (listed above) and none of the stuff I didn't need.

Posted by: Dr Evil May 17 2004, 12:18 AM

John,
How did you use the 915 trans and 911 shifter bits? I have a 74 911 parts car that I can get conversion parts from and I am interested in what to covet, and what to sell.

newto914s,
I will have a full suspention available for you soon if you are interested as well as other parts as al I am using is the engine and maybe the drive train.

Posted by: anthony May 17 2004, 12:53 AM

I don't think buying either of those ebay beaters would be smart for some beat up Fuchs and a tired suspension. A set of Fuchs and 911 struts/brakes aren't that expensive.

Posted by: 736conver May 17 2004, 01:29 AM

It's all about finding the deals and having the patience to wait for them. I bought a 1970 911 for $2000. Interior was crap. But it had the gauges. Floors were gone. Body was so-so. Engine 2.2 was in running condition with tensioner upgrade. Also had early deep six wheels. The guy just got into something he wasnt ready for so he needed to sell.
I took the engine,gauges, front suspension and wheels off.
Sold the car on ebay for $1500.
Got the deep six wheels polished -400 and sold them for $1200.

So that netted me an engine, front suspension, gauges and still made $300. And with the $300 I bought my engine sheet metal for the 6 conversion.

Pretty good deal if you ask me. When you think about it all I lost was my time and I got all that stuff for free with money to boot.

Posted by: ss6 May 17 2004, 09:23 AM

I found a wrecked 911 on eBay, snagged the engine, harness, DME, brakes, and front suspension, and sold the rest (including the 914 take-offs) at Hershey. Wound up paying about $2K net for a nice condition 3.2 and the other goodies.

Insurance auctions are a good place to look as well. By the time the wrecks make it to the recycling yards, you can count on major mark-ups.