the sawtooth build thread Options

[sawtooth]

Wanted to start a build thread for my na suby conversion. The car is my newly acquired '73 2.0L fi. It is very clean, appearance group, 2nd owner, 88K. I currently use it as my daily driver.



I want to do a suby conversion because I believe the overall package will have the performance, drivability, and dependability I'm looking for.

EDIT: I've changed motor selection slightly and am also taking a bigger plunge by going with a suby trans, see Post #49.

[tronporsche]

Good points made here. Not to keep things going , but just to throw in my point of view, I think Sawtooth should consider the point of selling the car and getting one that does not have as good mileage (cheaper), but the body is good, or frame 914 , and consider a couple of other things, as well. I have done a conversion on my car, and really enjoy it. It is definately worth NOT being a "contour" car, and all this value stuff.......well, maybe in another 30 years, because the only car collector enthusiasts that I have EVER heard about trying to find these 914s is ......us, 914 guys.( I wonder if Jay Leno has a 914 in his car collection....) But his (Sawtooth) car is immaculate stock from the start. Do you plan on modifying the body ? How about the interior ? Suspension, for sure, like said up above. If you are going to do these things, If it were me, after the experience I have had, (a good one) I would sell, the stock car, make a profit, (you already have a nice offer to put you ahead without having to wait for a buyer) and find a nice custom framed car, plan your COMPLETED project, and build off of the frame. You see, if you are going to change everything anyway, there simply is no need to keep this car, when you can make money off of it, buy one that is already stripped, and ready for modifications, for less money, or already done custom caged and all, and you will spend the same money anyways, but swapped a stock car for a custom chassis, without having to go throught the headache of having to sale all your individual pieces and parts !!! You might even want a tinted windshield. My point is , consider the overall project , not just the engine swap, to see if keeping this car is going to really benefit you in the long run, or are you really going to lose out on making some nice cash, finding another car you can take advantage of because you are doing a conversion, and be done with it. If you do a conversion, You are going to be adding torque to this car, that will twist the frame, you will need to add strength to the car, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) as well as time and money. Why not get a car that already is pretty much where you want to be, just needing your engine, and your custom touch, this will save lots of time and headaches ( with that being said, this is why I brought my conversion already done in another 914, and just swapped everything over to my 914, trust me , this made life so much easier !!!)....... This is just what I would do. Wish you the best. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[sawtooth]

tron, that is an amazing looking car. And from one newby to another (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)

I appreciate all the input. If I could get $8-9K as brant suggested I would have to consider it. But I don't think its a reality. The car is very clean but to get that kind of money it really needs minor rust work and paint. If I were paying that much for a 914 I'd expect it to have new paint.

The beauty of the NA suby conversion is that I'm not cutting up the car, if I ever wanted to take it back to stock it would be easy. Without the IC there's no need to cut the trunk. And I'm committed to making an engine bay radiator work, others have done it successfully. The only body change I would like to do is steel flares at some point, but that has nothing to do with the conversion and the six guys do it all the time.

The other factor is that it's important for me to start and end with a very clean car. That way I can be finished, and enjoying the car in months, not years. Clean stock interiors are also rare and fairly expensive to build. And this one has a great interior.

What should I be able to get if I sold the complete 2.0L plug-n-play setup, (engine, djet, wiring, exhaust, etc.)? From what I've been seeing $1K wouldn't be unreasonable. That reduces the difference in using a 2.0 car vs 1.8/1.7.