I'm new here so forgive me if this has been covered before.

I am looking into the purchase of a 914. I would prefer a 70 or 71 because they weigh the least. I am 6' 4" and would require some modifications to the seat & shifter to drive one comfortably, but I think this is doable.

The question I can not seem to find answered (I used search) is if the 1.7 engine in the 70/71 can be built up to 2.0 liters or more to make a reliable 100 or more HP/torque number? If not is it easy to retrofit a later model 2.0 into the early chassis? I am not really interested in a 914/6 conversion as I would like to keep to the original design as much as possible, just a little bump in power (torque mostly).

In here you can have just about any size engine combo you could possible want!!

So, YES! It is doable!

Welcome again!

J.

Neglected to mention -because of your location a member / engine guru here named McMark is a good one to really chew the fat with --

The stock 1.7 can be rebuilt to just about size you want (sub 3.0) with enough money...that being said, you can swap in a 2.0 from any other year, but you'll want the 2.0 fuel injection unless you go to modern FI or carbs

you can install a 2.0 crank and rods and use 2.0 pistons and cylinders also to change the motor into a 2.0, a little head work will be needed....

many options that range from less than a grand to a few months wages


check out Air cooled technology, Type IV specific forum

My 70 car now has 2.0L and is soon to be 2.1 (2098)
it is side shift converted also.

and hell of a fast car.

What do you call big 4??

I agree that you should chat with mcmark, he knos my engine kit and complete engine program well so he can help you make some good decisions on a more local level. If you want up to 125HP Mark can help you, if you want MassIVe power then check out my "Big 4" specific forums listed above..

180 reliable HP is "normal" here.. :-)

Hi Jake, thanks for chiming in. Yes, I am talking about your products, and the one Mark builds seems like it would meet or exceed my needs. My concern is how much more than the stock 1.7 is required to build and install the $5k engine. Will I need a donor 2.0 as well for heads, crank, tin, etc? Will the 1.7 fuel injection be sufficient to feed 2056 cc?

Tracking down additional parts takes time and can add significantly to the overall cost. I want to get a good idea of where I am going with the project before start to look for the car. And let's face it any 30-year old car is a project.

You can do almost anything with a 914 TIV engine. I've been doing a lot of reading about the rebuilds, but for now I beat newer Porsche's in autocross races with a 1.7! I am 6' and fit fine in mine, with room to spare. The Jake Raby radio show #2 or #3 was about rebuilds on a budget - if you plan to buy his new TIV stuff bring a big budget - and was VERY informative and maybe the best 1.5 hr of research I did. There is an entire thread about all that is needed for McMark's 2056 in the Resources forum.

Here is my thread on the 2056 engines. You'll need a set of 2.0 crank and rods as cores, but everything else can come directly from your 1.7 engine.

You can do anything with a 1.7 that you can with a 2.0- my entire program has been based on this.

My favorite foundations are 1.7 cases.

Listen to ALL the Radio shows.....

I'm close to 6'4". Only modifications I made were to change steering wheel to smaller diameter and remove backpad to allow the seat to recline a bit more. Probably a good idea to get a spacer to push the wheel a little closer to you.

Jake does have very cost effective kits for stock to 2056cc rebuilds. That would bring you much better performance. I had a 1.7 in my family for 12 years and learned to appreciate that little engine, but my 2.0 was definitely more fun! Jake has some posts on 1.7 on his forum too. Worth checking out.

http://forums.aircooledtechnology.com/