I took my car to a car show in Destin FL last weekend. I think I had the least expensive car there (others included a Carrera GT, McLaren SLR, AMG SL 65 black,
Ferrari 458, etc.) but dollar for dollar I’m pretty sure my little 914 got the most attention (or maybe that’s just the beauty of car shows ) One guy that said he owned several 914 told me that the 1.7 engine is the one to have if you want to build out the motor, something about it having a stronger bottom end I think. I just wanted to see what the “World” had to say about this

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Very nice car!

I should never have started "Frankensteining" my car - LOL!

Cheers!

I can't answer your question, but that is a nice looking 914, even with the steel wheels! My first 914 was a 70 with the 1.7 and it was a blast. Ended up with fiberglass flares and 215's on the front and 225's on the rear.( Parelli CN-36's), mid 1970's. Think slot car! Not much on the straights, but wicked in the curves. Kicked my buddies 914-6 in the curves every time.
Tom

That's a really nice Zambezi 914! Why mess it up with mod's? Enjoy it as it came from the Factory & preserve your investment.
Leave it alone!
Pat

Hey Tom,
Check your PMs.

Thanks! I like them stock but they do beg to be breathed on a little. I've only had this one for about a year so who knows what will happen.
I guess thats why its best to owe a couple of them (I wish i did).

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I couldn't resist a photo op at the local dealership on the way home.

I love steelies... Nice car!

The 1.7 and 1.8 have the same bottom end. The rod bearings are larger, as are the journals. They can take more, but the 2.0's 71mm crank is generally plenty strong.

--DD

Thanks Pat! I probably won't mess with this one too much, but you never know. If the engine ever has to be rebuilt. ???? Things happen

Really nice car. Is the rust condition the same as the outside (excellent?).

Having owned a 2L and owning a 1.7L, the 2L is a lot more funner (more grunt, HP) than the 1.7L. I'm not advocating you do something with your car, I'm just saying.

Jake often tells he like 1.7 cases better for building stronger engines.
And for the gearbox, the post 73 with side shifting is much user friendly...

That is a beautiful car. I almost agree with Pat on this one. CW's wouldn't mess with that fine example. Unfortunately, I can't hang with a stock 1.7. If it were my car I'd keep it a narrow body, go 5 lug with 911 struts, M calipers, front sway bar and a big 4. Keep the stock bits so guys like Pat don't have a coronary.

All the engines are the same, except for wear. Some people find that 1.7 engines led an easier life and are therefore less likely to be messed up. But the bottom line is that if you have a good case/crank/rods it doesn't matter what it started life as. From a CORE perspective, there is no functional reason to pick one over another.

Thanks, Its staying stock for now due purely to financial reasons but I do like the mods your suggesting. I'll add those to the wish list. I really like the way the car looks but it would be nice if it appeared a little blurrier in photos

I’ve wanted one of these cars since I was 13 or so. Around about the same age, I remember hearing what can only be described as a vw engine possessed by a banshee coming from the high school parking lot as I boarded the school bus. I was always a good student and a hard worker so I figured someday I would have my 914 but I never would have imagined that the sound of that engine would have reached all across the world by now. Maybe Jake will give me a hometown discount if I ever decide to RAT it out.

Its in pretty good shape. To the best of my knowledge it was stored from 1985 to 2006 . The PO did some rust repair on the battery tray and added a stainless steal battery box with a shut off switch. The longs look good. Jack hole on the passengers side is solid, the jack hole of the drivers side should probably be replaced or at least not used. The car is not perfect but compared to some of the stuff I've seen the maniacs on this forum turn into amazing cars, I'm pretty happy with it as a starting point and maybe even a finish point. I built a insulated air conditioned humidity controlled garage for it so hopefully it will stay that way.

If you want a little more power, try a 1911cc build. I did that to my previous '70. It's a great engine. A lot of fun for not a lot of money. Then again, I come from the mindset where "It's better to drive a slow car fast, than a fast car slow".

I really would like to rebuild an engine someday. Thanks for the link. I'll check it out and see what I'm in for.

I'm partial to Zambezi 1.7's. I have one mid conversion.

Nice. It looks kind of Italian in the top picture.

cool thread. I'll be checking in on it. Are you going to finish it in Zambezi?