Do you guys think a 72 914 1.7 dual carbs low mileage engine can hold up in the phoenix heat? most days over 100 degrees doing 60 miles a day freeway miles if well maintained?

Tom

Carbs are not ideal on a stock engine, but...

If things are tuned well, then heck yeah, it can handle it.

I would recommend a head temp gauge. Then go for it!!! Just watch the head temp and oil temp gauges. Make sure timing is on. If temps run high, then something needs attention. Cross that brige if you get there.

in phoenix no haha.. if the motor lasts the other drivers around there will crash into you and the road gators willl get yah j/k

Hell back in 1970 someone in your area must have driven one to work. Figure it will still get a person to work today.

Now I don't know how safe it is with those dam SUVs. I think it's the heat but the drivers have gotten really bad the last couple of weeks.

I don't care for the loud muffler on my car but I think it lets people know I am there. Sometimes if a drivers seems really unaware I let in the clutch and rev the motor just to let him know there is a little tiny car next to him.

Loud horn and Very bright lights are probably a good idea. Large oil cooler would be a good idea also.

A well tuned teener in good shape will survive as a daily driver. Mine was a daily driver for 2+ years on non-regulat maintainance (FI'd though) before I got my 944 and use it as a DD. If you're making long highway trips in scorching heat, look at installing a small or medium front cooler. Cruising on the freeway at 3200-3600 RPMs will pump enough air over the heads to keep them cool, but at that RPM range you want an external oil cooler.

I drive my 912E 83 miles a day round trip most of the time... Not so much as a broken alternator belt!

I logged 100K miles on that engine in less than 4 years and its not stock.

I have customers that drive 914s with my engines 25K miles/year, actually quite a few guys still drive teeners this often, which really amazes me.

I could and should drive the 914 everyday. Better gas milage WAY more fun and never have much trouble with it.
Carbed car that I run 200 miles one way to Autocross events and this weekend and next it will be 300 and 450 one way. Hotter than the hammers of hell around here too.

So how tough a guy are you?

Make sure the valve adjustment is correct and the timing not real high. What kind of diz are you using? It would not hurt to dial out a couple of degrees of advance if it is a 009. Be certain all the cooling tin is in place and well attached. Also, it would not hurt to check the torque on the spark plugs. On one really long trip (after several hundred hot Georgia miles), my #2 plug spit out going up a hill. Stripped the threads and everything. At the time my valve adjustment was off and timing was too high. If I had a cyl head temp guage, I'm sure I would have seen scary temps and quit before that happened.

If you drive it everyday a Mallory Dizzy will save you enough gas in one year to pay for it's self!

I drive mine during the hottest parts of the year. It's not my daily driver but it didn't have any problems. The question is, can you take the heat!

Where in Phx are you?

Great to have that in writing.

Now I need a claim that a new set of your LE190 heads will save me gas too. Might have to have that one notarized for the chief of finances ya know.

Can't make that one... The combo is unknown :-)

They would damn sure increase the grin on your face!

I'm driving my (fuel injected) piece of crap every day that we don't have rain. My first teener was a 1.8, injected, and was my daily driver for over a year rain or shine.

Like any car, stay on maintenance and oil changes and you'll do fine.

I drive mine everyday without problems although its not as hot as Phoenix


The freeway traffic is crazy sometimes as people still can't see my Nepal Orange car for Pete's sake. Oil temps are fine

I drove mine daily for 18months. put about 60,000 miles on it before the rear main started leaking and the hydro lifters started to colapse. I say drive it and see.

1.8 with 40IDFs. Never needed much service minus the stupid things that the PO screwed up

Mine has been a daily driver since 1998, no issues. Clutchin' in stopNgo traffic is a pain tho...

South Flagstaff....



John

Been driving mine about 50 miles a day for the last 12 yrs plus. Don't know how many miles are on it since the odometer broke, but the bone stock 2.0 must have had 200k miles on it before I replaced it last year. Biggest problem was a broken FI harness wire that took a while to debug. Don't try to go cheap on the maintanence...when something wears out replace it right...it'll still be cheaper than buying a new car and a lot more fun...

My 72 1.7/FI was my daily/only driver for the past year in Phoenix. My commutes were around 60 miles round trip per day.

'72 1.7 carb'd with 34ict's. Daily driver gets 30 MPG, 84 miles round trip. Crazy I know and not the heat of PHX. Change the oil regularly and adjust the valves while your down there.

T