Some of you who know me, know that I've been on the hunt for a long time, sometimes aggressively, sometimes not at all. I recently missed a chance to pick up a extremely loved -6 conversion that was driving but needed love. I now do canyon runs with that car as my friend picked it up. This has lit a fire under me again, and theres a good chance I might be able to make a straight trade for my current fun car.

Heres the stalled project.
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=320529

Just needs the cooling system, the fuel system and a million other little things done... lol

The question is I currently have a finished, running and driving car. Its a blast, but I also live in CA where its a headache to have a car that doesnt contain the OEM motor. I just finished getting this headache done, and I am basically clear for about a year. However, Im not sure I will get a chance to make a swap for a car I want.

I also have a few questions regarding some of the high level needs that the car is going to need.

#1 The Cooling system. I dont want hard lines running underneath the car, I dont really want them running down the center tunnel inside the car. I recall the longs being an option, can both lines be run in the pass side long?

#2 Fuel System. Its a 74 so it should have a fuel injected setup, is the OEM tank easily able to convert for a high pressure pump, or is the pump running external from the tank?

...and finally... is it worth getting rid of the car now, just a few months after finishing it to jump at this opportunity, or do I wait?... I've got a baby coming in February (1st one!) and I think I would have to be nuts to get rid of my fun car for a project that likely will take me well into the summer before I can finish it.

So... how stupid am I for considering this?

Pics for your enjoyment

1- Both lines can be run in the passenger's side, but it will be tougher to get two lines to bend correctly. You can run lines in the upward indentations under the car where the sides of the center tunnel are. That at least gets the lines up a little higher off the ground. Hard lines are stronger, but soft lines can take a hit and then go back to shape--if they survive the hit.

2- The stock FI fuel pump is external to the tank, under the right-front corner of the engine bay. The stock system puts out 2 bar (29 PSI) but is capable of more. Probably best to replace it with a modern pump that you know provides enough pressure and volume for your new motor.

--DD

Living in a county/State w/ few rules regarding vehicles w/ engine swaps, I can't really speak to that, but I have owned multiple 914's and a 2000 MR2 Spyder. This would be a difficult choice.

I found the MR2 to be purposefully spartan on the inside for a modern day car, with everything exactly where it should be. I personally like the styling, and never had to do anything but change the oil and air filter. It was my favorite car after my 914 2.0's and my '04 Civic SI Hatch. My only complaints were it was underpowered, and even though underpowered, it was STILL begging for a 6-speed.

That said, it seems you've already addressed both of those issues. I would do everything to try to keep the MR2 & buy the 914...especially given the work you've already done to it.

I still feel that I never got the "driving experience" from the MR2 that I get from the 914... you know....that smile that you can't suppress as you move through the gears and the twisties.....

....just my 2 cents....

If you have to ask the question then the answer is don't do it.

Every time I have bought something after I had to convince myself to buy it, I have regretted it.

Buying a stalled project is always risky and for me personally the Subaru dash is a deal killer. Not much of a 914 without the dash and really kills resale value, IMO

I'm just going to state my personal opinion. Agree or disagree, it's my opinion.

If the price of the proposed project hasn't come down to 1/10th of the original asking price you're insane to even consider it, especially with a baby on the way. There is no way I'd consider trading a running, driving MR2 for that stalled project.

The amount of time, effort, and money invested on the linked project car has absolutely no bearing on the value of the car. It's a stalled project with only God knows what Gremlins lurking that still need to be sorted. Unless you're a master at fabrication and have an abundace of tools, knowlege, and time on your hands (remember -- kid on the way) that project won't see the light of day anytime soon.

A 914 with a chopped up body to fit a waterpumper and some sort of modifed WRX dash installed in a 914 is not likely to ever net you a return on the time and money invested into it by it's creator, or any subsequent work you do to finish it. I say this by noting that I recognize that I'll never get a return on "investment" that I have in my own 1/2 baked current project!

I'm sure I will have offended the creator of the project in question. That really isnt my intent. If I can help keep you from getting in over your head with sorting out someone else's stalled project in trade for a driveable MR2, while you have a kid on the way, I'm game to speak the truth as I see it.

Signed -- a cranky old realist.

I had a 2003 MR2 - commuted through the canyons until a jerk in an Excursion +6000 lbs. rear-ended me at a 101 offramp stoplight at 5 am . . .great steering/balance (with sticky, pokey-lookin' 205's all around) . . .with the 2ZZ and the hardtop (I had to wear earplugs in mine with stock exhaust for a 4 hour commute), just enjoy the heck out of it for 6 months and then unload it (if you don't have a place in a CA-smog exempt county, Nevada, Montana, etc.) - with 4 kids under 15yrs. old, I can tell you that 6 months from now, you won't have any time to debug that project. If you have kids already, then you know you'll need that turn-key MR2 to blow of some steam. . .before your head blows off . . .you don't need another "albatross."

Once the kids come, you spare time will diminish quickly.

I have 5 ranging from 4-20 and let me tell you there is a reason my project took 5 years to resemble a car.

I also agree with @superhawk996 .

Thanks Everyone for the advice. I had been looking through other Subaru Swap threads and the "easy" tasks left looked to be something that would require a lot of time and as many have mentioned I think that time will be disappearing soon.

Id rather jump in the MR2 and go drive when I have a small window to be away from "daddy duties"

Thanks for helping me avoid a huge anchor... one of these days I will finally get my 914, but this wont be the one

+2 and you did ask. Having five (grown now)kids and three grandchildren....

Sell both you have now and get a GTS Macan with Alcantara baby seats......check back in 15 years.

How is the wife feeling with this level of madness? In my case wife #2 is generally onboard with all my car nonsense, kids are grown and grandkids get into the fun every so often. Time is valuable, how do you wish to use it?

Extremely on point.

Looks like $5-6K worth of project.

Updated pic of mine. Finally got it smogged but it must be sold in the next 12-18 months because of the BAR/ referee situation so again the wheels are turning on this thing...

With the baby being a month old now I’m finding that I have an hour here and an hour there that isn’t enough to take the MR2 on a drive, but would provide some garage time to inch this towards completion.

So I ask again, am I an idiot? I’m probably future-trippin but I don’t see the MR2 selling for the kind of cash that could get me an incomplete subi-project 914. It certainly won’t get me enough cash to buy a 914 and build it myself and I see the work done on this one at the “90% done” phase that would take me a LONG time to get to... I’m seriously considering it now more than before

One new question that popped into my head is in regards to the dash, I had always planned to get my hands on an OEM one to make it more OEM-ish, but I wonder if the dash itself is part of the structure of the car similar to how an early 911 is meaning this one has been hacked up to fit, or is that stuff all removable and it’s just a matter of getting my hands on some stock dash pieces

The metal sub dashes are plentiful and can be had for $75-100

In Socal the metal dash frame is free-$50.

Why won't the MRS pass smog? I'd try to keep that being a better DD than a 914.

Also I would be hard pressed to pay half his asking for a half finished non-driving hacked up mostly stock car.

MR-S was bought with 250k, as a runner/ driver but it was barely doing that. I had already planned to do a 2ZZ swap and got it done but being a JDM motor, 1ZZ cat and a 01 ECU on a 02 car meant it wasnt going to pass smog. Eventually, I got it pa$$ed but the car got flagged meaning the next time I need a smog I have to take it to the referee and basically do the swap all over again... I wont do that, so it has to go. I had a good offer on the car to sell it outright and it was a good offer. Once that deal fell through, I had just reconnected with the seller and I think we're both in a position where we are ready to swap, much moreso than a few months ago.

This car isnt my DD, I have a BMW Wagon for that, though I work from home now and it rarely driven. So I think Im in a good position for a "half-finished" project. I do enjoy that process of saving/ finishing cars. A lot of people say they wouldnt pay half of his asking price, but I dont see a large inventory of half-finished Subi-projects for under $10K and I think if there was, they would sell quickly.

I think Im going for it... at least when I start complaining later you can all say, " We warned ya" haha

When buying projects you pay for parts. You will likely go thru all his labor to make sure it's up to snuff, and in the case of the dash -- he's got a bunch of time into it but you plan to go back to stock -- so it actually hurts resale.
Then there are all the pricey parts it still needs; like harness work, shifter, Speedhut gauges, exhaust.
Then you will want to do a water-to-air intercooler and patch the trunk hole.

Now you are $25k into a $20k car and you did extra work. That's why you pay for parts and not the dream.

Plus that's assuming the chassis needs nothing.

You pay for parts and take a discount because you are buying all the parts together and transporting.

We are doing a big parts purchase in a couple weeks and priced it all out to average sale price and then offered 30%. Labor, transportation and storage all cost money.

Your best bet is to buy a 914 and convert it yourself. Almost everything you need to convert to a Sub drivetrain is now available so you won't need to weld, prefab, etc. Just bolt it on. I'll send you some links where you can get some experienced support if you go this route.

I like the project. Love to see the dash come together. It looks completely doable. I wonder about the AC controls and ducts. Stock ECU can be reflashed to turn off all the smog. Still lots of pruning of Suby wires and relocating components. Just for reference I paid $1,200 for my running roller, I think 1,000 for the WRX motor that came with the dash cluster and harness. My car can be called finished and I hope I don't have $18,000 in to it.

taking on a baby and a 914 project.

you are ambitious.
but i encourage you.

i did that...and my 914 was not a project and still sat around for 16 years.
but you only live once.