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horizontally-opposed |
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#61
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Advanced Member ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 3,433 Joined: 12-May 04 From: San Francisco Member No.: 2,058 Region Association: None ![]() ![]() |
So I can't (and won't) argue with Jake's policies or pricing. Hell, I helped publicize his acheivements and remain very impressed by them. So let's NOT DEBATE THEM here -- please take that to another thread.
In the meantime, though, I think $5,000 (carbs and ignition included?) seems a far more approachable number for a lot of people. I wouldn't expect to get anything but short-lived junk for $1,300 to $2,600 -- unless I was building it myself. So what are the possibilities at $5,000 to maybe $6,000? What kind of power, what kind of longevity? Could 120 or 130 hp be so hard to get with decent longevity? I ask it more as theory and as a business opportunity/service someone could provide the community with -- someone who is well-known as a good engine builder. The 2.0-liter (based on a 1.7) in my 1973 914 has not left the chassis since at least 1986 -- it ain't got much power, but it was obviously built right. Rather than specific answers, I am hoping to open up a direction of travel for Type IV owners on a real-world budget and (hopefully) a resource to fit that niche. Or am I alone? (running for cover) pete |
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lapuwali |
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#62
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Not another one! ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Benefactors Posts: 4,526 Joined: 1-March 04 From: San Mateo, CA Member No.: 1,743 ![]() ![]() |
Since the el cheapo engine builders will sell you a "pile of junk" Type IV for under $2K, and the retail prices of the parts involved add up to under $3K, seems to me there's a lot of room there for someone to start building decent $5000 2056 longblocks.
Jake clearly isn't going to do it, but I see no problem with that. There has to be a supplier of "the best" in any market. Most people can't afford the best, but they can afford to not buy junk. The gap between ImportMotors and Jake is awfully large. There seems to be no "mid-market" supplier here. I've emailed Jake privately several times suggesting that he basically turn his shop into an R&D operation. It's clearly what he enjoys doing, and there's obviously enough money to be made in making ultra-quality 20 engines per year that he can finance this. He could make a good deal more money by licensing his "basic" engine designs (like the "standard" engines he's talked about) to some other shops that simply buy up lots of parts and assemble the engines. He's never responded, but I suspect he's simply not interested, and he has too much ego tied up in his work to farm anything out. Up to the late 1980s, the import laws in Italy made it nearly impossible to economically import any parts from outside the EU (or even Italy). The Italian parts manufacturers made either cheap junk, or the very best stuff available. Nothing in between. So, you ended up with things like Ducatis with marvelous engines that had cheap switchgear that fell apart in 10 minutes, and shoddy fiberglass work that looked like a10 year old made it after he'd had his first beer. Or Bimotas that had tool-room quality everything, but cost 10 times as much as a Japanese bike. Sales were low. In the early 1990s, the import rules changed, and suddenly Ducati could afford to buy from Japan. The Japanese were and are wizards and producing a wide range of products from the top to the bottom of the cost and quality scales. Overnight, Ducatis sprouted Japanese carbs, suspension, and electrics. Quality zoomed up, but the prices didn't. Ducati sales went through the roof, because for the first time, Italian engineers could build to a cost without sacrificing quality completely. Bimota still exists, and for those who want and can afford top-quality, they can still get it. |
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