Alright - so I had this idea...... how about we take a Vanagon Diesel engine (which is basically a type IV at heart right??) and we rebuild it with a lower compression ratio as a turbo gas motor for a 914. It should be pretty bullet proof because it will be designed for diesel compression.

What do you think? Could it be done to be PCA legal?

Fiid.

I don't think Vanagon diesels are type 4 engines. I think they are basically Golf engines.

Yup. They're Golf engines tilted over by about 20 degrees (I think!).

The gasoline Vanagon engines are either Type IV engines like ours (but with weird exhaust ports in the heads), or the "Wasserboxer". Which is much more like a Bug engine than ours--but has water-cooled heads and cylinders.

None of them ever came in any Porsches from the factory, so none of them would be legal for PCA. (Except in the "anyone can run" types of category, when those are allowed.)

--DD

For info on the waterboxer 1.9 and 2.1 vanagon engine check out www.shoptalkforums.com They have a water/oxy boxer forum over there. Some guys have been converting the waterboxer to aircooled.

John

using the wasserboxer case would be a no-no, but the heads and cylinders would be "okay" AFAIK if grafted onto a 914 /4 motor.

adding new watercooled heads or subaru "based" heads is still okay....until that is you start spanking too many other cars, then you'll be banned or stuck in a "special" class

I thought I had read that they might be adding a class for air-cooled cars converted to water (still gotta be P-car based)

My new philosophy is "just build the fastest car" then who cares what class they dump you in - you still win. Saddly I do not believe this new strategy will be fully embraced by the Minister of Finance.

-Ben M.

I've been trying to work out what it would take to do a TDI 914 conversion. I figured that if you can do a TDI Vanagon (actually a pretty common swap) you can do a 914 swap. I "think" a Passat TDI and and trans may spin the right way and may fit if I can lay it over and get the cable shifter (Boxter?) mounted. I really just need find an engine to measure.

Then there's the 1.8T swap too. Take a FWD Audi A4 and pull the motor and trans, should be the same as the passat, and drop that in with same shifter config. Easy big power there, maybe a viable alternative to the Suby swap. Possibly have to pay more for the motor but the trans cost might be less due to no KEP adapter plate and better shifting.

Anyone have any insight into this?

I've been hoping someone would check into these things.
Mainly the TDI conversion- seen the price of gas lately? Or Even a 16 Valve conversion- same thing with the GTI engine. I'm not sure how I'd feel putting deisel into a 914 . But, as far as the GTI /Rabbit engines go Parts are CHEAP those engines are maintenance FREE, they take a beating, They rev nicely and the conversion cant be too tough.
The KEP kit, the deisel vanagon flywheel, and the 'leaning engine' kit are all you'd need.
inquiring minds wanna Know!!
-Bob O

914ghost,

Don't forget you can also use BioDiesel and WVO as options too, with a Diesel Conversion. For those Econuts out there.


Sang

The way things are going,
my old buddy Ho Chi Mihn is gonna start posting bout his J-79/914 conversion any day now.

Could anyone reccommend a good source for TDI or 1.8T motors? I wonder if any of the JDM engine suppliers have access to the TDI or 1.8T from the Japan market?

I'd try eBay...even if they don't have one listed, there are plenty of wreckers that advertise and would sure to have one.