I'd like to race my streetable 914 when I am done building it. I'd also like to be competitive, and decisions that I make now will affect my classification later.

What classes should I be building for? Where is the 914 most competitive? I don't have an engine yet, so anything goes.

Looks like these are all of the possibilities for SCCA Solo:

CS
STS2
DSP
SM2
XP
DP
DM
EM

CS is not going to happen. Obviously, DM and EM will not be realistic for a streetable car.

I'd like to road race as well as AX, but AX is more of a priority for the time being. Actually, I'd like to build a dedicated track car in the future if things work out...

I am in SM2. It's a tough class, but I think a properly set up 914 can be competitive in it. In my region it's Vettes and Miaters.

First, you need to ask yourself the question:"Do I want to be competitive locally, or nationally?"

If the answer is nationally, then you need to ask the next question to yourself:"How much do I hate my bank account???".

For local competition, so long as you don't have a national hot shoe in your region, you might be able to have a good go at many of the classes, and can tailor your development to suit your financial reality. For National competition? Well... read on...

CS - Locally? Maybe, if the local class is thin. Nationally? Not a prayer. At least not now. C Stock is the domain of the miata. No way a 2.0L can compete in stock form.

STS2 - A 1.6L miata is an extremely competent platform for the class because it gets to use the viscous limited slip. The 2.0L motor for the 914 is too large for the class rules, and you're at a noticeable disadvantage compared to the miata in almost every way.

DSP - Locally, a fun car. possible podium contender. Nationally? The class right now is home to the big bad bimmers. They handle great, and have gobs of power (especially compared to the teener). But I believe that on the right course, a fully prepped (and well driven) 914 in DSP might be able to hold its own against the bimmers, but that's a tough one. Building a national level SP car entails cost. And it's not cheap where the big dogs play.

All of the below will be non-streetable. That doesn't mean you can't take 'em on the street, but you likely won't want it as a daily driver.

SM2 - I think the 914 has lots of potential here. But this is a cubic dollars class. Don't think of competing in the National scene without a SERIOUS financial commitment. My personal thought of an SM2 914 involves a built/supercharged 3.6 with a hewland gearbox...

XP - Pretty much the same boat as SM2, but with more flexibility, it may allow you to save a little money in places that SM2 would cost more. Not that XP is a cheap class, it ain't. But the rules allow A LOT. A creative person might be able to come up with some ways around things. Still, it's a VERY expensive class to compete at the National level.

Both XP and SM2 are great possible classes for local competition, but you still gotta build the car...

DP - Probably not the way the class is structured (unless it changed recently, I don't know). The 914 is overweight for the class, and I don't think that the engine can overcome that disadvantage.

FP - A little cheaper than XP to build a national level car, but not much. The most recent National Championship for a 914 was won in FP in 2002 (three back to back wins). That car was a work or art, and the motor in that car cost more than all four of my cars put together.

DM - Very Expensive, and a close personal relationship with your swazall and welder.

EM - Same as DM with more motor.

Both EM and DM are great playgrounds for local competition, because the rules are SO loose. Go nuts, build a cool car, and have fun. But don't be deluded that your $7k investment in a locally competitive D/EM car will garner a podium at Nationals. These guys have scary amounts of money, and experience, invested in some of these machines. A great example is Steve Tamandli's E-Mod "Fiero". I used quotes because it only resembles a fiero from a distance. It's a single piece fiero shaped shell that sits on, what is for all intents and purposes, a V8 powered formula Atlantic chassis.



Road race? Or just track the car? BIG, BIG, BIG difference. There are folks better able to answer the RR question. But suffice it to say, any class that will allow a streetable car, will not likley have a place where the 914 can be competitive, or possibly even allowed.

Just tracking it? Whatever you got!!! I'm a big fan of taking sports cars on the track, it's what they're SUPPOSED to do! But go into it with eyes open. Not to sound negative (cause I'm not, I LOVE Time Trials and DE's), but I always tell people who are thinking of tracking their cars the same thing. "Don't take your car on the track unless you're prepared to walk away from it". Stuff happens, and if/when it does, it can sometimes handily rearrange sheet metal.

-Josh2

I'll add this...

Before you build, or even THINK of building for a class. READ THE RULES. Knowing ahead of time what is and (more importantly) what isn't allowed, will make your decision process a lot easier.

Know also what you WANT out of the car. Do you want a wicked cone carver, but don't really have that burning need for pavement peeling power? Or is the feeling of massive mind-numbing acceleration something you simply can't do without? These things will shape what kind of class you decide to play in...

-Josh2

Youz pays your money & you takes your chances.

Generally, a lighter car performs better at AX. How light? I'd estimate something below 1800 lbs (W/O driver) for a 914. This leaves out all but the Prepared & Mod classes. A very well set up car, a real good driver, & around a 10:1 weight/HP ratio or better is better .....will get you in the running locally and at Tour events.
As Josh says, this is not cheep, but it is time consuming. XP, FP, E mod depending on engine size & weight. SM2 is a maybe and on the heavy side. More competition locally & competition improves the breed. Just don't let a 650HP Vette/Viper intimidate you.

SM2 as soon as the rules mature and become stabil. the Car would be 1900 pounds with Raby 2316-210 275/35-15 Hoosier A6 Advance design shocks roll bar big wings and splitter

XP should have a bigger motor as well and be 1700 pounds more stiffening. even more tire.


I have been building a locally competative car and just want FTD.
Maybe raise an eyebrow at a National tour.

Thanks guys... good info. I asked before I started because I realize that one decision in prep could inadvertently bump me to a different class, so I need to know which class I intend to build for.

I notice you're from Booring, OR.....same as Boooring Bruce.
The Oregon PCA region has an active AX group...once a month, now till Oct. at PIR. Next is on April 20.
Come on out & play.

Smart thinking. I always try to tell people to READ THE RULES at least three or four times when considering building a car for competition. Especially when it involves a street car. Sometimes a seemingly innocuous modification can bump a car into a class with trailer-riding-fire-breathing-monsters. Since you have been talking about SCCA autox classes, I will say this right up front. If the rules don't specifically say you CAN, then you CAN'T. That is how they are written. This doesn't mean that it's all you can do, but once you get past the things that are easy bolt-on, you have to interpret the rules carefully. Whenever I encounter a novel interpretation (or come up with one myself), I try to figure out how I can protest it. If I can't come up with a good protest justification for it, or if I feel I can justifiably defend a protest against it, I'll consider doing it.

-Josh2

I ran very well in DSP in my 70 with a 74 2.0 and bigger sway bar up front, adjustable koni's shocks, and Kuhmos V710 tires. I even won the class in 06 for my region. Last year I bumped myself to SM2 because, well by SCCA rules I was cheating in DSP because I have the Mayuer lonigtude kit installed. With that being said I was always out gunned by a 70 911 and a turbo miata. Usually by about 2 -3 secs by the 911 and under 1 sec by the Miata.

This year I will be XP with a new 914 racecar and WAY over my head, but it will be fun.

My brother in law runs his completely stock 72 1.7 in CS and actually does pretty good against the Miata horad.

If was building a street car I would follow the rules for DSP, I think a 914 can actullay do very well there. YMMV

Good luck!

I would like to run DSP if it weren't for the anemic stock motor. My need for speed seems to be insatiable.

Joe,

The way that I read the rules, a 914 in SM2 with a 2316 must weigh 2121 lbs... 1600 lbs + 225 lbs/liter for a mid engine car... am I missing something? 2121 lbs is awfully fat for a 914.

Looks to me like DSP means engine internals must be stock, but induction, exhaust and ignition are pretty open. No bigger than a 2.0 though... and a stock cam.

Running a 2316 in DP means the 914 must weight 2450 lbs?

Reading the rules is frustrating.

At this point, I'm tempted to just build the car the way that I want it, show up resigned to the fact that I will be classed in E Mod, and run for the hell of it.

Welcome to my world.

There is a change in the works for SM2 so stay tuned to the ever evolving rules "flippity flop" of the SCCA.

SCCA hates 914s....

It's not that they directly hate 914's Probably more accurately that don't much give a hoot about them as they really aren't on the radar scope for Nationally competative cars. With the exception of mybe the Fordahl car. and that car is WAY more money that I could scrape together.

So maybe the common demoniator is we mostly are CSOB's that won't spend the money on a 914.
the car I outlined above with certainly dominate the field if someone would build it

I heard that car or its clone is up for sale... in the 50k range.

So where does a 914 belong classwise in Road Racing? Can it be competive? Seems like there are a lot of 944s with lots of developement knowlege out there for the taking.
Right now I am going thru my novice licening in an RX7 for ICSCC racing and don't know if I will campain a 914 or ??? Just as long as it is not a Miata!!

In SCCA road racing? The 914 can still be competitive in the Production classes. But it's not cheap. Production cars may -look- like stripped out shells, but they are expensive critters to campaign nationally.

There's a few Nationally competitive 914 drivers on the forums, so you might hear from some of them too...

-Josh2

I am too old and too poor to try to compete nationally. Regional confrence racing is what I am aiming at. Maybe some Endros later as a driver, not car owner...
Even at the grassroots level, it still takes cubic dollars to prep, develope and campain a 914 or a 944 for that matter.
Hell, even Khumos have doubled in price it seems!

That is what I have found out also. I bought an older FP 914 that is now going to be in GT2 for SCCA. I will be the slow car on the track, but I am ok with that. The more I think about road racing, the more I like the vintage racing.

If you plan to just go regional (SCCA) racing I think EP/FP 914 would be good. There is a lot of grassroots type racers in the IT classes also.