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

[Bill's Racing 914]

Spence,

VARA is the only place to run a 914 in SOCAL. You will be outgunned by the newer water cooled cars in SCCA. Very few people run the pre 80's cars in SCCA any more. I was at a regional race last weekend at Buttonwillow and it was mostly Miatas spread across several classes.

Several people race the 1.8L 914's up in the SCCA San Francisco region, but the tracks are too far away for you in LA.

I have a 91 Miata 1.6L that I currently race in both VARA and SCCA in SOCAL at Willow Springs and Buttonwillow. I also have a Lola Formula Ford and a Reynard Formula Continental that I will race with VARA and SCCA next year.

Since I am transitioning back to formula car racing, I will let my 914 go for $9K. It is newly built and never raced. Has all the bells and whistles. All it needs is a fire system to be VARA legal. I could use the money to feed tires to the Lola and the Reynard.

Here's some pics: http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=273023

It currently has a stock 1.7L in it. You can race it in VARA in E Production with that motor. I strongly suggest you start there and work your way up. You have a lot of driving to learn and that motor is a good first year starter. You can add a racing cam and forged pistons to go faster when you get used to the car.

The 914's that have been racing VARA a lot longer have 2.0L engines and are in D Production. I already have the side shift tranny in it, so you can pick up a 2.0 L engine after you have learned the car with the 1.7L.

PM me with a phone number if you want to talk. If you are not interested in the car, I can at least steer you in the right direction.

Bill

[Spence]

Since I am transitioning back to formula car racing, I will let my 914 go for $9K. It is newly built and never raced. Has all the bells and whistles. All it needs is a fire system to be VARA legal. I could use the money to feed tires to the Lola and the Reynard.

That is a beautiful car. Almost identical to the 914 1.7 I had as a kid, right down to the yellow Porsche decal. Bill, did you find your 1.7 to be pretty competitive?

It's interesting that the 2L is in a different class. There's got to a pretty big leap between E and D Prod.

[Bill's Racing 914]

Since I am transitioning back to formula car racing, I will let my 914 go for $9K. It is newly built and never raced. Has all the bells and whistles. All it needs is a fire system to be VARA legal. I could use the money to feed tires to the Lola and the Reynard.

That is a beautiful car. Almost identical to the 914 1.7 I had as a kid, right down to the yellow Porsche decal. Bill, did you find your 1.7 to be pretty competitive?

It's interesting that the 2L is in a different class. There's got to a pretty big leap between E and D Prod.

As I mentioned before, I have not raced the 914. I made it too pretty and worry about getting hit during a race. Plus I have the three other water cooled cars to work on. I am spending all my time learning the 1.6L Miata motor. And that is the main point to fully understand...when you buy a car, you will have to become an expert on that specific motor. So if you buy a 914, you will definitely have to focus on the nuances of air cooled. ...So the reason why i put that huge RX-7 aluminum oil cooler up front. I use the oil, instead of water to cool the engine. I learned this trick from a friend who owns the Elliot Forbes Robinson 914 up in San Jose.

If you buy my car, you will be the only 1.7 E Prod running in VARA. I did that on purpose. I wanted to learn the air cooled engines on the 1.7 before moving up to the more expensive 2.0's. Everyone else is running the 2.0L. No one is running 1.8L's in VARA. You will only find them in NORCAL SCCA F Prod cars. I suggest you make the move to 2.0's after you learn the car and the tracks.

When I say "learn the car"...I am talking suspension settings, proper tires, etc. If you focus all your money on the engine, you won't be able to focus on the chassis and will be slow. This is not drag racing. It is road racing where taking the turns at high speed is as important as going fast down the straights. Ask anyone who drives a Minicooper. I also have learned this in the Miata. I make up all my speed in the turns. I am faster in the turns than some of the cars with the bigger engine due to tires and the Bilstein coil overs.

I always have a three year plan when I buy a new car.....the first year is to start out slow learning the car and the tracks. year two is to then start making incremental horsepower improvements..this is the most important year. Year three is the year of the big expensive engines and trying to win races.

They run E and D prod in group 1 anyway so you will be able to drive with them. When you say "compete", most likely you will be "competing" with the smaller bore British cars in H and F production they also run in group 1.

If you want to run front of the pack, you will have to go 914-6 in the GT class. They do not run in Group 1. There are several that run VARA. They are fast as hell and are 911 killers. Expect to spend $30,000...just to start.

There is a VARA race at Buttonwillow AUG 27-28. I strongly encourage you to come out and talk to all the 914 owners. They will all be there since this is VARA Octoberfest/Rennsport and I am debating bringing the 914 instead of the Miata to run.