I have a bus 2.0 nearby, but I want to get some info on whether it's worth getting, and if so, how much I should pay for it.

He says it ran when removed.

Boat anchor ...
The torque curve is set up to haul a 4000lbs vehicle around at low speeds.

It'll be a dog in a 914 ...
Andy

I thought that was what I had heard said before, but wasn't sure.

Is it worth getting for parts even? The guy seems to just want it gone.

for a bus guy about $1000 for a decent 2.0L with good compression.
for a 914 guy maybe $100 as the valves are very small so you get low end torque but they top out at 4500rpms.....especially if its got hydro lifters. Crank and rods are useable but the case, tin, flywheel etc damn near everything else isn't.

Gotcha.

OK, thanks guys.

My bus 2.0 with hydraulics beet a 1.8 914 ! You will need to do work to make it work. Oil fill is in the wrong spot, you will probably need to drill the case. I don't know how "stock" my bus 2.0 is since i didn't put it in. Mine pulls to 5K, but with hydros, they REALLY die off after that. In any case, I would think NO MORE than 200 bucks if it is fresh enough to run. If uncertain, 100 bucks. Mine runs and as soon as i build my GA, it's going for 150.

I bought a bus 2.0 complete including fuel injection and catalytic converters for $65. My reasoning is that there is a perfectly compatible 2.0 crank and rods inside it, and the rest of the parts are worthless to me.

Bus crank and rods + 1.8 914 block and heads + 96mm pistons = fun for the whole family (actually just 2 of us...) and very little money out-of-pocket.