after a long discussion about different engines in 914s (Fiid is working on a watercoold 4-cyl twin-turbo) and the recent threads about 1.7 and 1.8 engines being worthless POS and all,
i took Fiid for a ride in my car.

i have a bone stock 1.8 with a 1.7 D-Jet injection.
all un-needed stuff removed (no AAR, no decel valves etc.),
SSI heat exchangers and a Manta muffler.
i'm guesstimating a optimistic, whoooping 85HP max. (probably less) ...

soooo, i took him for a ride and showed him what you can do with "just" a 1.8 in your car.

the car is understeering in tight corners ever since i put in the new shocks & springs in the back, which makes for interesting drifting (nose first ) ...

hope i didn't scare ya too much,
Andy

Horsepower and all is great, but there is a limit to useful horsepower, especially in daily drivers.

I saw a kit trike on a trailer over the weekend and as I approached it from the rear, preparing to pass, I saw that it had "corvette" lettering on the back. As I came along side, sure enough, it had a great big ole v-8 with other Corvette badges. (I'm not very good at determining the year by the badge, so I don't know what year it was.)

I can't see how the guy can steer that thing with a single front wheel maybe 4 inches thick at most and all that horsepower feeding the rear with two monster tires about 10 inches wide or more.

To me, the "fun-to-drive" factor is more important than the red-light to red-light times. Just my humble opinion though.

That said, I have never been in a 300hp 914. Maybe a trip will change my mind? Any offers?

300hp in a 914 would be killer, like "Oh SH*T" fast.. Especially if your not gaining any weight.

I am dying to drive my dads car, we just got done with the turbo and when all is said and done and its driving good, 400+hp should be easy.

I have 225's front and back, and (once I get some 140's in the back) It will handle like a beast, but with a bigger hp engine It wont take me much to go to 245/55's on the back..

Now Fiid needs to give you a ride when he gets done.. (and me, so I can justify putting the EJ20tt engine in my car)

Fiid, any update on the conversion?

Andrew

With a motor making just under 300 HP, and a healthy slug of torque, and a 914 riding on 215-width tires... You will soil yourself.

The tail of the car car will not stay behind you, unless you drive it like a Mustang. (Tippy-toe around the corners, get the car pointed dead-straight, then feed in the throttle.)

And it's a boatload of fun.

--DD

It's exhilarating to be in a 914 thats pushing 300+hp. My friend Scott (renegade hybrids) has one that gets faster every time I go for a ride in it. I think it's pushing 400hp now, but don't quote me. It's a push you back into your seat feeling. You almost feel like you're going warp speed. The lights just go zipping past you. It is, at the same time, a scary feeling being in such a small car going so fast. Definitely cage it. I will willingly admit it's too fast a car for me. I wouldn't know what to do with that kind of power/speed. I don't need to be anywhere THAT fast.

Jen

i know all about it. driven 914-8's with lotsa power, /6's too ...
brad took me around thunder hill in scotts /6 racer.
narrow body with 230 HP ...

HP is nice, don't get me wrong.

what i was trying to say, i guess, is that you can have just as much fun with a low HP car if you drive it right.

you won't win any drag-races but i sure can drive a 85HP car FAST!

Andy

Im dieing here.. I have stock suspension on the back, and my front end is lifting around moderate corners.. Im afraid to take it around corners at serious speed for fear of understeer.. And I have some serious tire under the car as well..

Anyone have 140's or so for sale

I would be happy with my engine if it was running right. I have problems with it every day.. Right now im waiting for my dad to get his wideband o2 sensor so we can check the mixture of my car to get it set right for full throttle.. as I have backfiring and detonating at full throttle.. But at 70% throttle I have my max power.

Ehh not the place to talk about this.

Andrew

my next motor after my 2056 will be a v8...at dunkels I rode in a v8 teener...and as has been said...I nearly soiled myself...high 11second car when abusing the tranny...it was scary the momentum...everything the driver shifted I was launched forward from the loss of momentum briefly...have never seen each gear come so fast....Kind of depressed me when I got out and realized how much money I could have put toward an 8 swap with the cost of my 2056...oh well...a few years....when I get back from Iraq...will have around 25Gs to blow...

I actually expected you to scare me more than you did! Your can runs really nicely and sounds great.

I hope mine makes it there. I think I know what 99% of the problems with my car are though - so I will tackle them one by one :-)

No groundbreaking news on the conversion - just trying to keep the budget balanced while making progress on the project!

Jenny, I still remember Scott doing all those donuts during Bell's fun run back in '01... I think he was claiming a little under 400 back then too...

-Kevin