I'm brand new to the world of 914s. I'm so new that I'm getting my car this weekend. I'd love some help/ideas on getting a little more power out of my 1975 1.8. I've heard that they're the weakest of the power options. I'm a total beginner when it comes to working on cars, but would love to try and learn.

Thanks,

Kyle

Unfortunately there's no magic bullet for a 1.8. You can get a few more HP if you convert it to carbs and headers, but at the expense of gas mileage, easy starting, and some say reliability.
The way to get some real performance out of a 1.8 is to do a complete rebuild. The low compression and low performance cam are the bottleneck that keeps it from building more power. The cam is in the center of the engine, it's not like a Small Block Chevy or a Honda where the cam's relatively easy to get to and the low compression pistons must be replaced to raise compression. If you go very much higher on the compression or you put a much larger cam in there, the FI goes out the window. You just can't adjust the FI enough to run with anything too radical.

BTW,

get 2 jobs, open wallet, take out huge sums of cash, call Raby...

Dont let these guys scare ya.
& the PNW group.
Go 1911!!
If the Motor is in good shape and not already worn to
frags a simple P&C swap, slight tweasing of your FI
(it was still Fuel Injected?) and good exhaust will deliver
solid SOTP gains.

Start taking unneeded things off the car to lower the weight of the car. Not adding horsepower to the engine like you want to, but creates a better power to weight ratio!

Drive it, enjoy it and get used to it for a while before you decide you have to spend big $$$ to get a little more power. Spend your initial money on suspension, brake and tire upgrades. If you learn to drive it well in it's current condition it will be that much more fun when you up the performance. JMHO

Welcome to the site. and..


Come join us for a teener tuesday and the auto x that is coming up at the end of the month. Always happy to meet new memebers.

I have a 75 1.8. I've had it for about 2 years now. I started with a 73 1.7 with dual webers. I can honestly say that I bought this car not for performance but for the sheer joy of driving. I like the FI much better than the carbed 1.7. When it's well tuned this car is very reliable and has enough power to move you. I say spend some time getting to know the car and enjoy it for what it is. A mid seventies classic sportscar.
The temptation to dump money into more performance is pretty strong with so many 914 owners opting to change their cars. The more time you spend on this blog you will find all types of opinions about what makes a 914 better but the thing about opinons is everyone's got one.
If the motor is strong and runs well I say DRIVE, DRIVE, DRIVE.
Have Fun and we look forward to seeing you at the next West Coast Ramble. Nothing better than going for a long drive with 20-30 914's. Good people, Good cars, Good times!!!

What they said...these cars are so great if you will enjoy the way it drives...power is enough to scare most people...but...if you learn how to drive the car, it will shut down allot of rides out there.....I am working on putting a 2.0 in my 71 right now...but even the old 1.7 wastoo much fun when you started to hit corners...LOLOL

Welcome! Oh, and I had the EXACT same problem with my 75 1.8. This is what I did.

if the car runs well with the L-jet powerplant LEAVE IT ALONE! there are plenty of other items to spend your money on to improve the overall performance. which car did you buy?

k

Kevin's right...just leave it alone and enjoy the car. You can spend a ton of money on a 1.8 and not make that much difference... sorry guys. The best way to pickup a significant power to weight ratio is to loose the 75 bumpers and backdate the bumpers to 74 or earlier. Warning: If you decide to take them off, do not have any body parts, small children or animals that you love underneath them when you remove the final bolts

Thank you all for the warm welcome to the community, and the suggestions. It so cool that people are so willing to help. Unfortunately, I won't be getting my 914... My mom was simply to scared of the car. (she didn't realize it had no airbags; not sure how...) The size of the car and the added insurance cost for an 18 year old boy were just to much. The 914s will always a have a special place in my heart. Hopefully I'll get another chance to join you guys...

Thanks again for all the kindness and help,

Kyle

Put Momz in the car...instant airbag....