LS1 or smokin hot type 4 ?, Driveability ? Options

[got914?]

Hey everyone, just considering the above.

An LS1 is 350 hp and with the factory injection will both start and run like a dream.

A real done up type 4 will sound much nicer but obviolsuy about a bit more than half the power.

[Bruce Hinds]

Wow . . .

Interesting that nobody actually mentioned that the V8 doesn't weigh that much more. I don't know how much lighter the LS is than the SBC, but the iron head and block SBC with all associated hardware only adds 250 lbs to the total car weight and the weight distribution is still 49/51%. It's no more than noticeable than taking a big friend for a ride.

The purist will bark all day long about how you ruin the handling, and the need to go bigger wheels and brakes. I agree to some extent, but the modification don't have to be extreme.

Drive one before you decide . . .

[CptTripps]

Wow . . .

Interesting that nobody actually mentioned that the V8 doesn't weigh that much more. I don't know how much lighter the LS is than the SBC, but the iron head and block SBC with all associated hardware only adds 250 lbs to the total car weight and the weight distribution is still 49/51%. It's no more than noticeable than taking a big friend for a ride.

The purist will bark all day long about how you ruin the handling, and the need to go bigger wheels and brakes. I agree to some extent, but the modification don't have to be extreme.

The weight may not change all that much, but WHERE the weight is does effect the car. I bought my car with a SB350 and am changing to a Subie for this exact reason. (And the trans...and the turbo...and the other upgrades possible.)

Drive one before you decide . . .

Best advice so far.

[mgp4591]

Wow . . .

Interesting that nobody actually mentioned that the V8 doesn't weigh that much more. I don't know how much lighter the LS is than the SBC, but the iron head and block SBC with all associated hardware only adds 250 lbs to the total car weight and the weight distribution is still 49/51%. It's no more than noticeable than taking a big friend for a ride.

The purist will bark all day long about how you ruin the handling, and the need to go bigger wheels and brakes. I agree to some extent, but the modification don't have to be extreme.

The weight may not change all that much, but WHERE the weight is does effect the car. I bought my car with a SB350 and am changing to a Subie for this exact reason. (And the trans...and the turbo...and the other upgrades possible.)

Drive one before you decide . . .

Best advice so far.

Doug, SOT but I've never seen what they're using for the cradle on a V8... is it round or square tubing and approx. what size? I'll be making my own and I'd like a comparison. Thanks!

[CptTripps]

The weight may not change all that much, but WHERE the weight is does effect the car. I bought my car with a SB350 and am changing to a Subie for this exact reason. (And the trans...and the turbo...and the other upgrades possible.)

Doug, SOT but I've never seen what they're using for the cradle on a V8... is it round or square tubing and approx. what size? I'll be making my own and I'd like a comparison. Thanks!

Mine was a Renegade kit that was a square-tube cradle. The oil pan does go pretty low and close to the ground. The other issue is that the pan is quite tall, so the bulk of the block goes up quite a bit higher than the flat-4 motor.

I can't stress this enough. DRIVE one before you make a decision. I've had a "hot 4" 914 before, and when I bought my latest car, it had a renegade V8 in it, along with the 4-speed modified 901. The handling is a bit different, and I'd hate for you to put a bunch of time/work into something, only to realize later it's not what you were hoping for. It WAS a lot of fun to drive, but sounded like an 80's Camaro. I just never really liked driving it as much as I did the 2.0 flat-4 I had in my 73.

To get ahead of the haters: I went for the Subie conversion without driving one, but looking at the weight numbers was only part of my decision. The Subie trans and the turbo were my major points. Coupled with a large number of "upgrade" options, I was sold on the Subie. I'm VERY happy that I did the conversion, and I can't wait to have it completed in the coming months.

If I had to do it over again, I'd got with a Subaru H6. Less expensive than a Porsche 6....by a lot. Lots of upgrade parts available. Plenty of support here to get you up and rolling quickly. Plenty of HP. Seems like the best of both worlds. My next 914 build (yes, I'm already planning another) will be a Subie H6.