newbie suffering from google fatigue, considering a purchase and conversion Options

[jkhinch]

Hi,
I've tried hard to do my due diligence before posting a simply clearly newbie question like this - but giving up the ghost.

Here's the deal. I've located a 914 that I think is in decent shape. By decent shape, I mean my wife doesn't think its in decent shape (i/e - its not ready to roll). It only has one rust hole. The interior is stripped out and ready to be painted. It has a 1.8 ready to be carbed. The interior has bee displayed so I can see that its in acceptable shape.
Priced in the neighborhood of $1500.

i've also located a low mileage turn key 97 Subaru 2.2. For in the neighborhood of $500. I thought nearly doubling the hp sounded good.. but I'm suffering from forum fatigue and now can't tell if I'm getting way over my head ..... only to later wish I'd dropped more hp in.

Furthermore, since my M.O. is to get bored of a vehicle after 4 or 5 years, what is the reasonable value for a non-v8 non-stock 914? If I pick this up for roughly $2k, paint thoroughly for $2.5k, add any conversion needs I can't have fabricated myself... do I have a prayer of recuperating the cost or close to it at some point in the future? I clearly do not have the budget for a complete kit.

Thanks! Josh

[JRust]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png) . You have gotten sound advice. By all means get your body work done & the rust fixed. Then get that 1.8 running & drive it as stated above. There are plenty of different Engine conversions out there. Enjoy your car a little & work your conversion over time. The projects that are to big tend to not get finished. When your car is going to not run for years. It most likely never will. There are way to many projects you'll find for sale. It's because after a few years in they stop making any progress. Finally going by the wayside. There are the rare few that have kept their cars & 10 years later finished them. It is so much nicer to be driving a 914 than have one sitting on jack stands (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) .

I think the best of both worlds is. Have your running driving 914 with your project 914 on the side. You enjoy driving a nice stock car. While you build the 914 you really want to drive. The inspiration stays there as you are driving a 914. While still fun in stock form you get to see what you want to improve on. It's also nice having a second 914 as a quick reference for how it goes together & what went where (IMG:style_emoticons/default/evilgrin.gif)