Calling all 914/6 owners past & present, Need advice Options

[GaroldShaffer]

It's been 3 1/2 LONG years since I sold my beloved 73 914 2.0 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) to help with a down payment on our new house. In two years I will turn 40 and plan to be a 914 owner once again (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif) .

So starts my quest for knowledge on 914/6's. I have driven many a 914 and plent 911s and feel that a 914/6 is what I want to get. I know two years is long way a way, but I just started my 914 fund, my wife agrees with my two year plan to save and purchase my NEW 914/6.

This car will be my sunny day driver / weekend car with maybe a driver eds event twice a year (never done one before). My questions are what type of issues are seen with a six? I know all about the 914 rust, been there, done that! Is there any reason a conversion car (done right ) is better of worse than and orginal six? What should I look for to make sure a conversion to a six is done correctly. Of course, any 914 that I think I am interested in enough to purchase I will have PPI done. Please help a fellow 914 addict. Thanks - Garold

One more thing, to any six owners (914 owners in general) in the Chicagoland / South Bend IN area I would love to check out your car and talk shop. I live in Portage Indiana, about 40 miles East of Chicago. Thanks! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

[silver six]

The following lists the various ways to go in buying an original or converted 6:

1. The Concourse 6: You could buy an original 6, with all original components. Pros: Some people like the idea that they are driving an original factory car. Cons: Really not all that fast. Not a car people feel comfortable driving hard or often. Cost: A concourse 6 can be expensive. Expect to pay about $25,000 for a decent example. If you plan on restoring a 6 to concourse state yourself, expect to pay $30,000 to $50,000.

2. The 6 to 6 Conversion: This is an original 6 that's been upgraded to a fatter 2.2, 2.7, 3.0, 3.2, 3.6 (or larger) flat 6 engine. Some people drop-in non-Porsche engines, although that is not my personal preference. Typically it will also need suspension, brake, and often transmission upgrades. Pros: It can be devastatingly fast. When converted correctly, the 6 to 6 conversions also tend to keep their value better than comparable 914s. Cons: Not all 6 to 6 conversions have been done correctly. There is tremendous variability between different conversion cars. Typically the conversion will not have been done exactly as you want it and you will have to "complete" the upgrade.

There are always a hundred variables involved in the state of a particular car. For example, very few 6 to 6 conversions have had proper transmission upgrades. Some people have argued that the 901 tranny is strong enough for a 6 to 6 conversion. Others disagree. My feeling is that a 901 tranny is geared too low for daily street driving in a 6 to 6. Your cruising gear is non-existent. Also you never use first. So the options are (1) regear the 901 at a total cost of around $3000 to $4000 (done right) or (2) step up to the more reliable, stronger, and properly geared 915. I tend to think the 915 is the way to go, not only because it was designed to handle 100 hp more than the 901 (approximately 300 hp max v. the 901's 200 hp max), but it's already pre-geared. In any event, a tranny upgrade, like many auxiliary upgrades in the 6 to 6 conversion makes the total cost creep slowly upward. (Notice that many 6 owners on this board are in denial about how much their car "really" costs and prefer to ignore the receipts than to ever add them all up. I'm one of them.)

Cost: These cars, when done correctly are also not cheap. Expect to pay $13,000 at minimum for a decent 2.7 conversion. Expect around $15,000 for a decent 3.0 conversion. Expect about $16,000 for a decent 3.2 conversion. If you want to convert a 914-6 yourself, estimates range from about $18,000 to $25,000. Of course there is no "real" top end to the costs you can incur in restoring a classic car. Ask Andy, or Ginter about this. If you want a quality paint job, add about $5000 to the above figures.

3. The 4 to 6 Conversion: Some people have begun with a 914-4 and dropped in a flat 6. Pros: Like the 6 to 6 conversion discussed above the 4 to 6 conversion is equally fast. This car is less expensive to buy. It is probably the least expensive 6 conversion available. It's very hard for others (except for 914 fanatics like those on this BBS) to tell that you are driving a 4 to 6 conversion and not a factory 6 (or a 6 to 6), especially if you've rebadged your car. Most people don't care. Cons: The 4 to 6 conversion does not hold its value as well as the 6 to 6. Also Porsche snobs will give you a hard time for driving a 4 regardless of which 911, flat 6 engine you've dropped into it. If you decide to convert the car yourself you will have to spend time and money upgrading to components, like the 5 stud wheel conversion, and oil tank, that already come stock on an original 914-6. Cost: Costs for this car typically track the 6 to 6 conversion costs, minus $6000 to $8000. Costs for converting a 4 to 6 car yourself are similar to a 6 to 6. Expect to pay $7000 to $10000 less for your 914-4 body (than the 914-6). But also expect to pay maybe $1000 to $2000 more in parts upgrading your 4 to get it like the 6. Total cost savings of converting a 4 to 6 over converting a 6 to 6 is likely somewhere in the neighborhood of $5000 to $70000.

Hope this helps,

Douglas