High output Type IV or Subaru Options

[TonyAKAVW]

There has been a lot of talk recently about affordable engine upgrades for the 914, namely larger displacement Type IV engines and Subaru conversions.

It looks as though a Type IV with 125 HP will cost about $5000 to do. It also looks like a Subaru conversion, using the Renegade kit (or a DIY conversion) will run somewhere around the same price for 165-180 HP (or more with a turbo engine).

So the poll question is if you had $5000 to spend on an upgrade for your 914, would you rather have a Type IV or a Subaru conversion?

As far as I know, no one yet offers a complete drop-in solution for the Subaru conversion, whereas a Type IV can be purchased and dropped in with little effort.

-Tony

[jhadler]

The competition aspect...

Yes, there are a lot of clubs that host open track events, and allow the run-what-ya-brung cars. But that's just hot lapping, that's not competition. As soon as times and trophies come in to play, the rules get a little more picky. PCA will just say "go home" to a conversion car that's running anything other than a P-Car motor (yes, even a 928 motor is still legal in PCA).

But other clubs that have to contend with more than just one marque, like the SCCA will not kick you out, but you will be classed where such modifications are legal. At a regional level, a scooby powered 914 -might- be comepetitive in E-Mod. Especially if it's the only car in the class. But a full blown E-Mod car is not a street car. It's beyond a production race car, it's beyond a GT car. Picture a "fiero" with an Aluminum block V8 mated to a formula atlantic chassis and suspension, big wide slick tires, then plop a one piece fiberglass shell that -Looks- like a fiero on top, and you have the makings of E-Modified. The only requirements in that class really are that they maintain the profile of the original car, retain the floor pan from bulkhead to firewall, and have to weigh a minimum of I think 1700 lbs. Ooh, or a three-rotor powered bugye sprite that's been cut and widened to fit the motor... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

That's the only class in the SCCA rules set that would allow non-porsche engines in a P-car. Or D-Mod if the motor is under 2.0L..

Depending on where you live, you might be the only one in the class, but that's no fun, who are you competitnig with? Or, you might wind up in a region where someone has built, or is building, a full blown E-Mod car. And then you'd most likley be trophy foder...

Other clubs have different rules as well. But for the most part, when you open up the rules to allow learly unlimited engine swaps, you've already opened the flood gates for cubic dollar cars....

I don't mean to paint a bleak picture here, and I know that I have a particular bent on this. I feel the 914 should be driven as it was bred to do, in competition. They're wonderful road cars too, but I personally might not be as enthusiastic if I couldn't race it. I know others will feel differently than I do about this. And lord knows, we all love having more power!! But if I couldn't legally stretch the legs, what good is 300 hp in a sub 2,000 lb car? Getting from stoplight to stoplight faster than anyone else?.... Bleh!. Gimme a track!! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif) Or at least a whole bunch of cones!!! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

Then ol' smokey can't do a thing, and I can have fun without worring about some drunk moron in a F350 running a stop sign or crossing the double yellow on a canyon road and taking me out... (no offense to the big pick-em-up drivers out there, just using it as an example...) I worry about that enough going to and from work every day.

-Josh2