OK, I know this sounds waayyyy out there but back in 88 when I first saw the 914 with a v8 I quickly thought of framing it and putting it up front. I even went so far as asking several shops that build drag cars if it was possible. They all say anything is possible with $$$$.

My question is Has anybody done this and what do you think ? I know you can put any suspension you want here but with the weight so far forward now how will it compare to keeping the engine mid-mounted?

Ian in Iraq...not much longer

19 days till Baghdad
31 days stateside
39 days till driving

Everyone has their thing. Personally, I wouldn't do it. Real race cars are mid-engined. Even Top Fuel Dragsters!

keep it mid-engined....thanks for your service brother.
Reddog
2nd batt 3 Marines
Vietnam Class of 69
grunt
welcome home

QUOTE (rick 918-S @ Apr 8 2006, 09:28 PM)

Everyone has their thing. Personally, I wouldn't do it. Real race cars are mid-engined. Even Top Fuel Dragsters!

You know the reason top fuel dragsters are mid engined are ENTIRELY different then why, say, F1 cars are mid engined.


I think it would be a bad idea because you're stressing the tub, suspension, steering, and body of the car in a way they were never meant from the factory. I personally think you'd be better off fitting some 914 body panels on a non 914 chassis if you wanted a front engine 914.

Well, the idea here was to be different and yet able to do some AXin in the future with a sleeper. I have been reading all the upgrades for stiffening the suspension and thought maybe this would be an interesting way to go.

I guess I never got over the bug of drag racing super comp/pro 9.90 index. Now I want to go fast AND handle while turning. What a concept!

reddog I was with 2-5 at Pendelton in 86-87, corpman. Semper Fi Bro!! Thx!

Ian in Iraq

Hey MattR The idea was two fold, 1- frame the car as is or 2 make frame then put body on.

See, I have these voices in my head........

buy an s10 pickup, do a sbc swap with a 434 crate motor and cal trac bars, a 250 shot of spray. now you have a tow rig for your a/x car and a 11- 10 sec 1/4 basher.

btw you could have an auto tranny and 9" rear built for less than it would cost to mod a tranny to handle the power in a v8 conversion on a teener.

Hey messix already have a v8 914, purchased 2 months ago and my tow rig is 92 cheby suburban 2500 4wd w/ 454 30 over,460 ci, and it rides on ceterlines and 33's. It is not over done.

I dont use the spray, Never have.

I had an idea of a 355 high rever,5 speed out of a 96 vet and an Art Morrison rear 3 link w/ panhard set up. I will have rail fi on the engine soon but first I want to commit one way or the other before ALL my money goes into the 914 restoration pit.

Ian in Iraq

front engine in a 914 would just be to cramped up with engine and tranny then drive shaft intruding into an already small drivers compartment.
mild v8 will be more than whats needed. soft spot on getting quick 1/4 mi outta them is the tranny you can't lanch on them for very long if at all.

It would no longer be a 914.....might as well get a 924 and do the same thing I'd say it would handle like crap, I bet a Chevy Vega with a V8 would handle better

#1 reason I wouldn't do is that if installed incorrectly and you have an impact in the front, do you really want 500 pounds of motor trying to find a place on your lap????

Where would the gas tank go? not much room for it in the back

911 front engine on eBay from my archives. Mike wasn't far from the Vega V8 reference...

QUOTE

You will be bidding on a 1971 Porsche 911 Carrera with a high performance V-8 conversion.  As far as we know it is one of 3 in the country.  This is the ultimate "sleeper".  This car was professionaly custom built.  The car has a high performance 350 Chevrolet engine in the front.  It is titled as a 1971 Porsche and was built on a 1978 Monza GT chassis.  The car has a complete Chavy drive train with a 350 four-bolt main, aluminum high rise manifold, Holley 4 barrel and a mild cam.  The car also has a Saginaw four speed and a ten bolt Chevy rear with 4:10 gears.  The gas tank is in the rear as you can see in the pictures.  This car runs extemely strong.  The dash is custom with all the gages in it.

QUOTE (army dude @ Apr 8 2006, 09:23 PM)

OK, I know this sounds waayyyy out there but back in 88 when I first saw the 914 with a v8 I quickly thought of framing it and putting it up front. I even went so far as asking several shops that build drag cars if it was possible. They all say anything is possible with $$$$.

Maybe these nightmares are caused by PTSD?

Seriously though - I think you'd have trouble getting it to fit, and personally I wouldn't want to come out of the deal without AWD.

I think the project would really be:
1. Find a nice tubeframe front engine chassis (Westfield Seight?)
2. Make the 914 body (anyone for fiberglass?) fit on it.

QUOTE (army dude @ Apr 8 2006, 09:41 PM)

Hey MattR The idea was two fold, 1- frame the car as is or 2 make frame then put body on. See, I have these voices in my head........

So, theres a really nice well built tube frame chassis with modern running gear and a nice small block v8 up front in a really small package. Now you have an entirely scratch built suspension with all new geometry because the old stuff wont even work. THEN you put a 914 body on it? With 914 aero on a car with new dynamics? This just doesnt make any sense to me.