914-6 regrets? Options

[sww914]

Does anyone regret putting a 6 in their car? The POC class I run is a really fun, fairly low cost, 4 cyl, 2 valves/cyl only class. I'm tired of my finicky highly modified 4 cyl giving me problems, and I really want a 6. My father participates in most of my racing activites, and he really wants me to keep the 4 because he loves watching me destroy expensive 911's with a 4 cyl. I'm 41 blinking years old, and I don't think that I need to do what my dad wants anymore, but he does have a point.
What do you think?

[drew365]

What class are you running in? My friend Bob Taylor runs a white 914-4 in V5. He has the track record in both directions at Streets of Willow. I can't even begin to remember how many times he has rebuilt the engine in the last four years. It's constantly ripping up the heads. It doesn't seem to bother him, and he has the money to play with.

[J P Stein]

Does anyone regret putting a 6 in their car?

You gotta be shittin' me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)
A well build 911 engine is as reliable as a brick and makes power that a t-4 can only wish for.

[nine14cats]

Since you're racing and already have experienced the "costs" of tracking a car, my opinion is that you will love a -6. I stuffed a hot rod 2.8 into my car based on a 7R case and if I hadn't missed a shift and blown it up, I would still be running it today. They are just too much fun!

Try it....you'll it!

Bill P.

[Series9]

I have never, EVER met ANYONE who regreted converting a 914 to a /6. Any /6. Even the 2.0 /6 is vastly superior to the grenades.

[kdfoust]

Are you kidding? I'm still kicking myself for not IMMEDIATELY swapping a 3.2 into my car.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif)

Later,
Kevin

Does anyone regret putting a 6 in their car? The POC class I run is a really fun, fairly low cost, 4 cyl, 2 valves/cyl only class. I'm tired of my finicky highly modified 4 cyl giving me problems, and I really want a 6. My father participates in most of my racing activites, and he really wants me to keep the 4 because he loves watching me destroy expensive 911's with a 4 cyl. I'm 41 blinking years old, and I don't think that I need to do what my dad wants anymore, but he does have a point.
What do you think?

[nine14cats]

Seems like the comments your are getting back have the same trend..... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Bill P.

[sww914]

Drew, I run V-5, and Bob was there the day my car burned up. He's a super nice guy, and he's fast.

I think it's unanimous, a 6 is the way to go. I already have an oil tank for the conversion, so who am I kidding? I've even been saving an old 4 cyl front motor mount crossbar to butcher up to make a 6 cyl mount, so obviously I've been lying to myself thinking I'll end up doing anything else.
Anyone want to buy a fast 4 cyl that's still pretty fresh?

[SandyI]

You can count me in the rare minority that the only 914 I've ever driven is the one I bought last November with a 3.2 in it. After running with the POC at Streets of Willow in the Short Track series driving a stock 911E with a 2.0 at the bottom of the time sheet, I now enjoy passing a few cars and my times are getting faster as I get more seat time.

But prepare to jump to V3 class at the minimum if you put in a 3.2 because the rules on engine switches into 914's are killer. Instead of starting with the 914 class then adding modification points, you instead start with the car class from which your engine came from. So I'm running a street legal canyon carver with a full car stereo system in V2 class against lighter 911 race cars with more HP and full race suspensions. And having a great time! I LOVE MY CAR! I just never have to worry about taking home a fastest in class plaque.

This summer's project -- new shorter gear box, Quaife unit, pressure plate, 904 main shaft, and handing my checking account to Otto when he's done.

[race914]

Steve,

You'll regret it whenever you get beat by a four! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

My favorite part of any event is when the back of the pack comes up and asks "what size six are you running".... Totally ruins their day (I shouldn't enjoy that so much, but I do)

I agree with your Dad. It's fun to excel as the underdog

But I also agree that a six is pretty much bullet proof and requires alot less tinkering. I've got a 2.4 sitting in the garage but haven't finished having fun with the four yet. Maybe someday I'll move up too. But not yet.

Greg

[Trekkor]

Most fun I've ever had with any car project...EVER.

I'll only put my FOUR back in if I blow up my SIX and can't afford another one right away.

So fun at 7300 rpms on Webers...YOW!!


KT

[sww914]

Greg, can I borrow your 2.4?
Just to check it out for you, we can just call it testing.
I'd like to make sure all of the bugs are worked out of it for you.

[grantsfo]

Did I mention that I miss having the excuse of not having enough power due to a wimpy 4 cyl at AX events? LOL! ....Yeah I want my 1.8 back!

Of course there's the group of members here who have financial interests tied to T4 who could never imagine using anything other than a T4. I'm pretty unbiased both motors have their purposes for 914's. If I had a nice street legal car I'd want a 2056 with FI.

[McMark]

I have never, EVER met ANYONE who regreted converting a 914 to a /6. Any /6. Even the 2.0 /6 is vastly superior to the grenades.

If a six somehow falls into my car, you'll know me. I'll never have a six in my car, but I'm not a great example because I'm not racing. I like the underdog action as well. I have faith in the four. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol2.gif) I've never driven or ridden in a six I'd like to own. No offense to the owners, of course, I whole heartedly respect the fact that I'm in the minority and I don't care to press my opinions on anyone. I love to engage in a friendly debate of four vs six, but at the end of the day, all I care about is that people love their cars, regardless of the motor.

[ConeDodger]

Does anyone regret putting a 6 in their car? The POC class I run is a really fun, fairly low cost, 4 cyl, 2 valves/cyl only class. I'm tired of my finicky highly modified 4 cyl giving me problems, and I really want a 6. My father participates in most of my racing activites, and he really wants me to keep the 4 because he loves watching me destroy expensive 911's with a 4 cyl. I'm 41 blinking years old, and I don't think that I need to do what my dad wants anymore, but he does have a point.
What do you think?

This didn't happen to me so I am simply relaying some history. I just bought the Bumble Bee Racer. The car has a history that is somewhat interesting and relevent to what you are asking here. A previous owner, not Jim Chambers, had a number of larger displacement 4 cylinders built. Each one grenaded. The number I have heard thrown around is $50K in four cylinders. All professionally built. Then he decided to put in a six and he went with MotorMeister. Twice... I would not be shocked to hear that he was found dangling from an extension cord in his garage after that experience.
I have both a six now, and a four. The four is well set up for autocross and feels like a scalpel compared to the six which is more along the lines of a hammer. The six is fun and has a lot of torque. Not monsterous HP, in fact I hear Jake throwing the same numbers around about his 4 cylinders. I would not be afraid to either track or autocross the car. Yes, it would probably be more expensive to rebuild but I think if you treat it right, you will rebuild an autocross/track 4 cylinder 5 times in the same time period.
I bought the closeout Up-Fixen volumes a month or so ago. If you are familiar with these they are the combined questions and answers from Panorama over the years. I read everything that had 914 involved in it. The consensus was that you could only slightly modify the two liter four and have reliable power. There have been some technology changes since these were written but the most telling thing was a statement that any displacement change exceeds the design capacity of the case. So now, I am going to insert a disclaimer. I think a fairly stock 4 cylinder can autocross for years and do well and have a ball without grenading.
Obviously, you are having fun if you are tearing up the taildraggers. We have our own 4 cylinder hero around these parts. Although I have to laugh when I hear some of the guys he beats talking about Steve's engine or his suspension, or the fact that the car is extremely light. DUDE! It's STEVE who is beating your ass! He has 25 years of autocrossing experience! He will beat you in YOUR own car! I have heard the recipe for Steve's engine. Although many of the people Steve beats are sure that a nuclear reactor is residing inside the engine, it is frankly fairly stock. Very purpose built to get every fraction of a second out of the engine and chassis. You could not drive it more than say, 10 minutes without harming it. But it is those less than two minute blasts that are amazing to watch.
I think the question is really do you want to have to build engines as often as once a year, or do you want a six. You will have to learn to drive it. It is a different animal.

Hell! What am I talking about? I still haven't figured out how to drive either of mine. But I am having fun!

[grantsfo]

Oh I forgot to mention I get terrible gas mileage now too! I want my stock 1.8 back ...I miss getting 36 MPG HWY.

[kdfoust]

Oh I forgot to mention I get terrible gas mileage now too! I want my stock 1.8 back ...I miss getting 36 MPG HWY.

Hey, hey what a minute. I drove from SoCal to San Fran in my 3.2 motronic and knocked out 30-32mpg on that trip. It was like 1000 miles 98% on the freeway. I was not driving 55MPH. Around town I get about 20 but it could be my right foot causing that... I never got 30mpg when the car was a 1.7.

Later,
Kevin

[John]

My only regret is not doing it sooner.

The Motronic conversions make for a super toy car. Get in and turn the key.

No finicky carbs, no popping and spitting, no fiddling with timing, just get in and run. Best money ever spent on a car.

I can't imagine any other car being this much fun for the same or twice the price I have in mine.

More smiles to the gallon than with anything else. (besides other drivers have no clue why this VW is so fast).

3.2's ROCK.