FWD transaxle/engine swap, or Best Threads for SBC Transaxle Option Options

[funcrew]

If this has been beat to death already on the forum, please post a link to the thread(s).

I would like to convert a 914 to SBC power, but Renegade and others claim that I will end up spending $10K for a modified 930 trans to handle the torque.

It sure seems like plunking in a front-wheel-drive engine/trans such as a 265HP Maxima 3.5L would be a cheap way to build a medium-power 914, without spending a fortune on beefing or upgrading the Porsche trans. Obviously, axles, shift linkage, etc. would be some work.

Neo's list of engine swaps did not list many front-wheel-drive engine/transaxle combos adapted to the 914:

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act=...f=2&t=20374&hl=

I'm sure I'm overlooking the difficulties involved here, please educate me.

[lapuwali]

By the time you start getting into levels that require a 930 transaxle, there's LOTS of other things you need to do, too. You'll need bigger axles, bigger CVs, bigger tires, bigger wheels to hold those tires, bodywork to clear those tires, vented brakes, anti-flex modifications (long supports or a cage), etc. So, don't get so upset about the transaxle, as it's only a part of a big expensive puzzle.

To do a transverse setup, you'd need to remove much of the rear trunk. You're also shoving the weight back in the car, which is not going to help your weight distribution much. It HAS been done, however.

A Subaru swap retains near stock weight distribution, and you can get anything from 100-300hp out of a bone-stock engine, depending on what you buy. Just using an NA EJ25 more than doubles the power over a stock 1.7, yet you're still well within the envelope of the stock transaxle.