considering 914 race car Options

[Spence]

Hi everyone,
This is my first post on your excellent forum. I've owned 914s in the past, but none at the moment. Have spent my time tangled up in British cars, so I don't know much about the air-cooled world... thought I am now pretty familiar with electrical fires! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

I've been keeping my eye out for a built nearly-there vintage race car and found this:

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/5578045362.html

Apparently it was campaigned in SoCal as a 6, but is now fitted with a 4. Owner says car runs and drives, but it's unclear what's been done inside the engine. Also unclear who raced it and in what class (apparently it was silver with blue wheels). This weekend I'll be able to go over it more fully with the owner, but I did drop by and check it out at the shop where it's stored. The car is in very nice shape: no rust or rot, good rubber, linkage, very quality glass work with no damage, etc. Fuel cell and harness would need replacing and drivetrain would need a rebuild I'm sure.

So, I've got a couple questions I'd love input on:

1) Do any of you know this car?

2) $5500 seems like a pretty good deal, am I wrong?

3) The car's had a 6 before and is ready to take another, but it looks like those engines are prohibitively expensive (for me). Are the 4cyl cars competitive? Assuming the engine that's in there isn't already tuned, how much do these engines need to be competitive? Is it worth keeping the 4 at all? (I've seen a few discussions on this topic but there seems to be some disagreement)

I should mention that I have not done any racing yet but would like to get into it. It does seem like this car would qualify for several of the series considering it's been raced already.

I'll be going to see the car more fully this weekend, but would appreciate your thoughts so I know what to ask and look for.

Spence

[ThePaintedMan]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) with the others. There's oh so very much more to it than just buying a car that was designed to race. There may in fact be a lot done to that car that will need to be redone to be legal in specific series.

In theory, a 914 makes a wonderful race car. Very simple, light and relatively cheap. But these days, they really need to be built very, very specifically for an individual class in an individual series to be even remotely competitive. In SCCA, they have been mostly (but with some exceptions) outclassed by more modern cars. Water cooling, modern electronics, etc really make it hard to be competitive with a 914 without sinking a ton into the motor and drivetrain.

I'm not saying you shouldn't buy this one, but expect to really only be able to run a select number of events with it if you want to go wheel-to-wheel. IMHO, if you really want to get more track time, the best bang for the buck is almost certainly a Miata. They run in multiple classes depending on prep, in a number of series, yet still stay true to the small, light, simple philosophy. Parts are plentiful and ubiquitous. For the reasons Shane stated, this is a huge consideration for someone racing on a grassroots level.

In the meantime, you can get your feet wet without buying a racecar. Find some of your local autocross clubs and go do one. If you don't have a car, you can even rent one for the day, drive it there and drop it back off. Second, I would recommend joining the SCCA - go to a local club race and volunteer. They'll teach you everything from working a corner to grid, pits, tech, etc. This will also give you a better idea of what level you want to race at and what is required. Keep in mind that you almost certainly need a truck/tow rig, fuel jugs, tools, safety equipment, etc. The list is much longer than just the car unfortunately.

Then, as Shane said, you can do a track day or two. Again, most cars will be fine, as long as they're not convertibles. You will need to buy a helmet at that point. Then, if you're still interested, you could try Chumpcar or the 24 Hours of Le Mons series. Both require minimal driving experience and it's simple to rent a ride from another team.

Then, you will have come full circle and may consider getting your competition license in SCCA, NASA, VARA, SVRA, etc. Its *then* you will decide what car you want to buy (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

At least, if I had it all to do over again, this is the path I would have followed.