I have a very nice clean 914 with straight body, new suspension, new trans axle
last week something bad happened to the engine and I got an estimate from a shop
here for repair of about $2000. I have located a decent 911 engine.
With the six it's obviously a much superior car and much greater value.

What should I expect to pay for a swap to the 911 motor?

John

QUOTE (tributary @ Jul 11 2005, 08:53 AM)

What should I expect to pay for a swap to the 911 motor?

usual estimate (if done right) is about $10k - $12k, but that does include the engine.
so, deduct the engine value from that and i'd say probably in the $5k range.

now if you do all the work yourself and don't count that as an expense, you'll be able to cut that down further.

do a search here, a exact parts list with prices has been posted a couple of times ...
Andy

QUOTE

With the six it's obviously a much superior car and much greater value.

The re-sale value will not recoup the conversion cost. Engine sounds cool on a short jaunt, but can be excessive otherwise. If you're talking about a carb'd 6, realize that driving characteristics, warm-up, and gas mileage suck compared to injected /4. Bang for buck on a small 6 questionable. Big 6 = big bucks and is really for gear heads - I'm one, but if performance is really what you're after, this is not the easiest route.

As an owner of a factory six and a conversion six I agree with brp914. For a basic street use car the fuel injected four is much more pleasant to drive. It is quiet by comparison and FI is superior to carbs in general driveability (if it is working right).
I really enjoy my stock six for a Sunday drive on a rural road.
My conversion car will be AX and Track only. In my opinion the only reason to do a conversion is to create a race/track car.
And you will spend far more than you will get when you sell. If money is a concern, buy a car that someone else has converted.

I love my converted six, but I do miss my little FI 1.7. It was quieter, more drivable, got better mileage and cheaper and easier to maintain. The six is WAY more fun though....the power, the sound, the look under the hood. It really depends on what you want in a sportscar and what you're willing to pay for it. I think the ultimate solution is to have 3 of them....4, 6, and 8. None of them will probably ever be sellable for what you spend, but the 4 will come closest.

QUOTE

What should I expect to pay for a swap to the 911 motor?

Just to break it down for you, the costs are:

motor
conversion parts $4000k
labor

To do the whole conversion, my guess is that a pro wrench whos done it before could do it in 20 hours or so.

Yes, the six conversion is pricey, but if done correctly you will never regret it!

Six's get a bad rap from; guys that have never drove one, guys that will never spend the $ to convert one, worn out carbs, cobbled together conversion parts that don't work like they should, rusted over priced cars (I guess that applies to all vintage cars).

Personally I prefer a stock Motronic injected 3.2 or one of the small displacement MFI engines like a 2.2S. This gives you the "turn the key and rock" performance that is hard to beat. The 3.2's are less complicated to convert to 914 (compared to a later 3.6 engine), and the 2.2's have the best output to weight ratio of almost any of the Porsche flat sixes.

Do not do a six conversion with the hopes of recouping any of the expense. Yes, the car will be worth more with a quality conversion, but only do it because it is what you want and intend to keep for long term use. Key word being USE, as Porsches are best when used on a regular basis, driven in a manner that suggests you have stolen the car

QUOTE (Porsche Rescue @ Jul 11 2005, 01:33 PM)

As an owner of a factory six and a conversion six I agree with brp914. For a basic street use car the fuel injected four is much more pleasant to drive. It is quiet by comparison and FI is superior to carbs in general driveability (if it is working right). I really enjoy my stock six for a Sunday drive on a rural road. My conversion car will be AX and Track only. In my opinion the only reason to do a conversion is to create a race/track car. And you will spend far more than you will get when you sell. If money is a concern, buy a car that someone else has converted.

wow, this is the first thread where I've heard anyone like a /4 for street more than the /6... interesting.


I'll do my 6 conversion the old fashined way in a few years: buy a completed one. best way to spend the money IMHO.

QUOTE

buy a completed one. best way to spend the money IMHO

Absolutely....I was in the process of collecting parts to do a conversion when I found an almost completed car. I'll spend some dough on upgrades and re-doing a few things, but in the long run I won't have any more money in it than if I'd done it myself (probably less)...and I have something I can drive in the meantime. And MUCH less of my own labor.