Hey looking in the up state NY or OHIO, PA lake erie area.
.
.

Not sure who all has a big four around ?

I have the biggest T4 around here, but it's in a bug and it's put away for the winter.
Are you in the US or Canada? About 3 hours from the falls.

Just take a ride in a 6 and then lower your expectations

Don't cave to that. What six? The original was a 2.0 and while it sounds sweet it gets spanked by a good 4 all the way. A good 4 puts out more power and weighs less. You lose.

I love me a good six though. 3.2 or 3.6, I'm happy guy. Less, go get spanked.

If you can make it a little further south I've got a 2270 built by Original Customs.

Define "good" /4 .... at what HP or mod level is a "good" /4?

I'm wondering if the OP has driven in a decent running 914 at all?

If his 1st 914 he might have thought his 1.7 was okay when it could have not properly tuned and been a turd. I used to think my original 1.8 was okay and then I went for ride in a great running freshened up 2.0 that was just slightly modified over stock....it was a blast and huge difference.

Is the OP going to do all the mods and or have to outsource the Big /4 build or send his car to a shop for the V8 conversion?

Take up Era on his offer. A 2270 will tell you a lot. And to Mueller's point, what's your budget? (good to see you back here, old timer.)

I'm happy to see you're driving a few things before you make a decision. This part could take a few months...and I know what it's like to get excited and want to start building SOMETHING.

While you're 1.7 is out of the car, get everything else in order. The engine can be the last thing you do. Drive a V8 and Subie too.

A 914 with a 1.7L is pretty weak...unless its very fresh. A stock 2.0L is better with more torque. A 2056 with a Raby cam is much more fun with even more torque & Hp but is very streetable. A 2270 depends on what configuration but has lots more torque & Hp.

A stock six 2.0l is decent, not that fast but rev nicely. My 2056 has more torque & Hp and revs to 6000rpms easy but doesn't have the six sound.

A 3.2 or 3.6 is another animal with tons of torque and Hp so you need more tire (think flares) to really enjoy it.

I don't like the V8s or subie conversions with all that water in a 914.

PM Mike Hyde (MrHyde) he's only an hour or so from you 80mmX 96mm, tangerine headers, WEB cam, set of my 914 42X38mm heads, 44 webers, etc....

And check out my 2316 ......close to Norfolk, Va.....it'll put a grin on your face that you can't wipe away with a handful of 100 dollar bills....

And make sure you get a good estimated dollar amount invested into the motor from the car you get a ride in...I see some high dollar builds listed above

I had a big four (103x71). It lasted 15k miles between overhauls. For the cost of those two overhauls, I could of had a reliable six, that goes 150-200k between overhauls. So do your homework on total cost and reliability for each option. For me I wanted 200 reliable horsepower. You won't get that from a big four. My current 3.2 stock six has been in my car for over 15 years and has over 150k miles on it. Subie is a cheaper option as well as others. I am not a fan of big fours unless it's a 2270 or smaller.

There are many ways to create engine combinations based on the /4 platform. Most are not created equally. Blanket statements cannot be accurately made.

My 2.4 big four was a European Racing kit with stock 2.0 heads. This was also back in the early 80's. The kit was based on an article in the VW&Porsche magazine called Type 4 power play. The first failure was a ring failure. The second failure was a sucked valve. Could of been lots of reasons for the failures. My main point was due your homework. Like you said "many ways to create engine combinations based on the /4 platform." Some good, some bad. My mechanic blamed abuse for the motors early demise. (drag racing on the avenue). However I abused the six the same way and besides blown cv joints, I never had a problem. (thank god for rev limiters).