What are some good porsche brand engine options to put in a 914. Im kind of on a tight budget so i want one that wouldnt be to expensive.

porsche

engine

914

tight budget

wouldn't be too expensive




major contradiction of terms....

"tight budget" and "Porsche"?

Any six will cost $3000-$10,000 to swap, depending on what you choose, how much work you do yourself, and how lucky you are in finding an engine that isn't a complete pile of poo and requires a rebuild. I don't know if anyone has successfully swapped in a 944 engine, but being the first is always more expensive. The 928 engine has been done, and I'll bet it cost a pretty penny. Nice result, though.

If you want a cheap, more powerful engine, and can live with something that didn't come with a Porsche badge on it orginally, the Subaru fours are quite inexpensive and even the non-turbo models are in the 150hp range. Many of the turbos are over 200hp. This swap is more in the $1000-$3000 range.

Define tight budget. $ 5,000? $10,000? $15,000? Pretty much the cheapest engine you can go with is the stock engine that is in your 914. I believe Grassroots Motorsports rebuilt their 2.0 and it was in the $3000 to $5000 range. Unfortunately anything that starts with the letter "P" and ends with letters "orshe" isn't going to be cheap. Hate to break it to you.....

thnks for the help i think im gunna look into the subaru motor. Is it a tough conversion?

EJ20T probably $1k on the JDM

+ another $2-3K to make it all work. bring your fabrication skills.

Ummmm, buy one that is running....put it away until you can afford it.....

So a non Porsche brand engine is an option? Many different combinations have been done. There is a member here named Fiid who is in the middle of a subaru engine conversion. He has a thread detailing his progress somewhere here. Chevy V8's are another common swap.

I'm doing a three rotor twin turbo rotary engine swap into my 914. So far I have put the following into the conversion:

Mazda 20B Engine: $2600
Adapter Plate: $ 500
Clutch Kit & Pressure Plate: $700
Haltech E11 Engine Management: $ 1500
Renegade Hybrids Radiator: $ 1000

Total: $6300 US

And I still have to get drive axles, a fuel system, intercooler, oil cooler, engine mounts and gauges before the car is ready to run. I'm sure my conversion is not the cheapest out there but I also know that it is not the most expensive either.

Andrew is doing a 350 swap on a budget. Even with his project and skills at getting items cheaply (plus doing his own work) I would not be surprised to hear that he ends up in the $2000 to $3000 ballpark. I can't imagine anyone doing it for less.

even if it was to expensive what is a good way to get some extra hp out my 2.0 ive got about 2500 to spend

You need to double that $2500 to get an engine that makes real power. If you have a good running 2.0 right now, invest that money into the suspension. you'll go faster with the same power.

Turbo? Oh wait......I forgot.....you can't turbo a 914.

the po and my father have already put about 2 grand in suspension i want more power now. And since im new to upgrades on a 914 why cant you turbo one

There just funnin ya about the Turbo. It's an inside joke. People say it all the time. Kind of a contest to see who can say it first after the turbo word comes up. You'll get used to it. No conversion is cheap. Once you get a budget let us know and we'll help you spend your money... BTW, Welcome to the club

well right now i have about 2450 and its all goin into the 914 and id really like more power but id consider other things to do to the car. any suggestions??

what, EXACTLY, is it you are trying to accomplish ? i get the feeling you know what you want to hear in this thread and you're just waiting for someone else to say it ...

specifically - what is the fixation with power ? a 914 will never be a really successful dragstrip car. if you're looking to win the stoplight Grand Prix on your town's Main Street, you need to go buy a Camaro or something..

if you REALLY wanted to go fast, you would not be asking about power. or suspension mods, for that matter. if you REALLY wanted to be fast, you'd be asking what's the best track driving school, and you'd be spending the $2500 at Skip Barber or Bob Bondurant or Derek Daly.

$2500 is a decent budget for a really good cornerweight and competition alignment, a set of durable performance tires like Toyo RA-1 or Michelin Pilot Sport Cup, and an entry fee and travel budget to every track event in your area -- and a bit left over for maintenance items like regular oil and filter changes and valve adjustments.

make your car consistent and reliable and learn how to drive it. i promise you'll pick up FAR more time learning to drive what you've got than just adding another 50 HP.

or trade in your 914 on a HemiCuda and use the $2500 to buy a couple of tankfulls of 100LL Avgas.

Start taking dead weight off of your car.
If you get rid of 300 lbs. it will feel like you added 50+ hp.

Like Rich says, the best investment is in the driver, and next is in road contact. A $2500 budget would not really cover a stock engine rebuild. For a type 4 engine talk to Jake Raby. You also have to consider any rules you may have to play by. For example, look at the thread for the "newest PCA member". Using a Porsche engine of some type allows you to play with PCA. In other venues, there may be some limitations you will have to abide by so do some research on your playground of choice. FWIW, a relatively original 914 will be a bit of a rarity in the future, so I would consider long term value of the finished car as well.

That's right. Power doesn't matter. It's all about the driver. That's why all the top drivers have their engines de-tuned for less power - it makes them faster and makes the car much more fun too! (we need a smiley holding a big "BS" sign)

I agree that driving skill and development is critical, and power is NOT a substitute for this, HOWEVER, from a performance standpoint a stock engined 914-4 is underpowered. If the car has moderate to extensive chassis/suspension improvements it's even MORE underpowered. You need the whole package.

A stock 914-4, depending on year and engine, has between a 24:1 and 34:1 power to weight ratio. For comparison, a Miata has an 18:1 power to weight ratio. I'm sorry, but if you are content with a 34:1 power to weight ratio in a sports-car then you and I are not cut from the same cloth.

-Ben M.
34:1 and craving some pow-a

ps - don't forget that he's got a couple grand into chassis improvements that make the engine feel all the more anemic.

sure - i agree.

now - how much power are you going to buy for $2500, and what do you buy, exactly ?

Very good point. A N/A 944, or a sh*tbox 928? I joke, but it might not be a bad idea. A $2,500 928 might be a fun car actually (not a conversion - the car its self). Dang, now I got myslef (not a typo) thinkin again. Gotta shake it off and get back to work... (no offense to your post Rich, I was just feeling contrary)

-Ben M.

At the risk of being flamed to no end, the cheapestand easiest HP can be had by adding a NOS. It can be tuned to add plenty of fuel to avoid lean out, gives you power when you need it/want it, and can be had for the budget you describe. You just need a place for the bottle. I know this is hotrod stuff, but it is an alternative that can be easily adapted and removed if you change your mind. Flame on!!!

Andy

34:1? This new math or are you carrying a few friends with you in the car? An early 1.7 is about 2000lbs with about 80hp. That's 25:1. An early 2.0 would be about 20:1, which is about the same as an early Miata. More recent Miatas are more powerful, but heavier, and would be in the 18:1 range, as you say. Lighten a 2.0 to 2000lbs even and bump it up modestly to get 110hp, and you're in the same ballpark as even recent Miatas. $2500 would probably get you that, with some effort. You'll get more bang for the buck by adding lightness on a budget than adding power on a tight budget, esp on late cars with their heavy bumpers.

you answered a different question, not the one i asked...

here's the setup in this thread: stock-engine 914 2,0 with brake and suspension mods.
you want to add as much power to that car as you can for $2500. what do you buy?

i'm not a big fan of nitrous except in a drag race setting but i agree you get power for the money. it's also flat illegal in any PCA or SCCA track event ...

and if you're trying to offend me, you'll need to work harder at it than that :-) ...

of course power is important. and it's also a fact that most of us are lazy and we'd rather buy the power and feel the kick in the pants than invest the work and the seat time to get really fast.

but it's my opinion that it's easy to learn car control and conservation of momentum in an underpowered handling car than a car that lights the drivewheels every time you touch the throttle, as much fun as that car might be...

and i continue to stress that it's important to know what you want to do with the car.
i'm making a bunch of changes to my car but i knw where i'm headed: i want a reliable street and fun DE car. it is not intended to be competitive in any class.

My 1.7 is 2400lb wet. I weigh 185 pounds. It makes 80hp in my dreams. That's 32:1.

-Ben M.

(Don't ask me why my car weighs so much. It beats me.)

Whoo, I weighed my 73 1.7, and it came up to 2150, 1000 front, 1150 rear. Had a full tank, a spare, extra oil and brake fluid in the front trunk, and it's probably got a few pounds of weld and overlap where the two cars were joined. Still has the sound insulation too. It's really strange that yours is so heavy, maybe it's time to start looking for anything the previous owner may have stashed away in it somewhere... gold bullion from a fort knox raid maybe?

That is very heavy. The early (pre-door-bar) cars weighed a shade under 2000lbs with no gas. I believe the door-bar cars weighed about 2200lbs, and the rubber-bumpered cars about 2400lbs (all dry).

A recent Miata by your measure (full tank and driver) weighs nearly 2700lbs, and makes about 140hp, so the goal post is only 19:1. A full tank in a Miata only wieghs 60lbs. A full tank in a 914 weighs 100lbs, so you have to make sure you're comparing apples to apples.

Knowing how to drive the car is certainly very important, but one area where power to weight really matters is passing that annoying Toyota Camry with the 200hp V6 that's being driven at the limit of THAT driver's ability, meaning they park it in the turns and scoot away on the straights. Said moron can't understand why you're glued to his bumper some of the time, and a quarter of a mile away at other times, and certainly doesn't realize how much slower he's going than you want to, not does he appear to have a clue what turnouts are for. Happens to me all the time, and mostly because I've owned good-handling, but underpowered, cars. Pulling over to let him go never helps, either. There's always another Camry coming along behind them...

Every day man.. Every day. Minivans and SUVs too.