QUOTE(sww914 @ Jul 17 2006, 02:27 PM)
Does anyone regret putting a 6 in their car? The POC class I run is a really fun, fairly low cost, 4 cyl, 2 valves/cyl only class. I'm tired of my finicky highly modified 4 cyl giving me problems, and I really want a 6. My father participates in most of my racing activites, and he really wants me to keep the 4 because he loves watching me destroy expensive 911's with a 4 cyl. I'm 41 blinking years old, and I don't think that I need to do what my dad wants anymore, but he does have a point.
What do you think?
This didn't happen to me so I am simply relaying some history. I just bought the Bumble Bee Racer. The car has a history that is somewhat interesting and relevent to what you are asking here. A previous owner, not Jim Chambers, had a number of larger displacement 4 cylinders built. Each one grenaded. The number I have heard thrown around is $50K in four cylinders. All professionally built. Then he decided to put in a six and he went with MotorMeister. Twice... I would not be shocked to hear that he was found dangling from an extension cord in his garage after that experience.
I have both a six now, and a four. The four is well set up for autocross and feels like a scalpel compared to the six which is more along the lines of a hammer. The six is fun and has a lot of torque. Not monsterous HP, in fact I hear Jake throwing the same numbers around about his 4 cylinders. I would not be afraid to either track or autocross the car. Yes, it would probably be more expensive to rebuild but I think if you treat it right, you will rebuild an autocross/track 4 cylinder 5 times in the same time period.
I bought the closeout Up-Fixen volumes a month or so ago. If you are familiar with these they are the combined questions and answers from Panorama over the years. I read everything that had 914 involved in it. The consensus was that you could only slightly modify the two liter four and have
reliable power. There have been some technology changes since these were written but the most telling thing was a statement that any displacement change exceeds the design capacity of the case. So now, I am going to insert a disclaimer. I think a fairly stock 4 cylinder can autocross for years and do well and have a ball without grenading.
Obviously, you are having fun if you are tearing up the taildraggers. We have our own 4 cylinder hero around these parts. Although I have to laugh when I hear some of the guys he beats talking about Steve's engine or his suspension, or the fact that the car is extremely light. DUDE! It's STEVE who is beating your ass! He has 25 years of autocrossing experience! He will beat you in YOUR own car! I have heard the recipe for Steve's engine. Although many of the people Steve beats are sure that a nuclear reactor is residing inside the engine, it is frankly fairly stock. Very purpose built to get every fraction of a second out of the engine and chassis. You could not drive it more than say, 10 minutes without harming it. But it is those less than two minute blasts that are amazing to watch.
I think the question is really do you want to have to build engines as often as once a year, or do you want a six. You will have to learn to drive it. It is a different animal.
Hell! What am I talking about? I still haven't figured out how to drive either of mine. But I am having fun!