Be careful what you lust for.....
You don't see a lot of 914-6's because they only made about 3000 of 'em,
however, they're still around.
I don't know if the Renegades kit is still available, but there's several
people on the 914 list running various engines including Chevy V-8's.
There's an electric-powered 914 here in the Seattle area.
The nice thing about the 914 is that it's like a 4-wheeled motorcycle. The
mid-engine and almost perfect weight split makes 'em run like they're on
rails. I love diving the thing into a sharp corner. I'm told they still do
pretty well in autocross events. 30+ mpg is nice, especially these days.
The downsides are you have a narrow opening to work on the engine, valves
need adjustment every 3000 miles, roof seals that rarely do, poor heat
(remember, this is an air-cooled engine), and a host of bad design gotchas
on the '70-'72-1/2 models.
Every make has its own special warts, hehehehehe.
Pete
-----Original Message-----
From: John F Sandhoff [mailto:sandhoff@csus.edu]
Sent: Monday, June 28, 2004 5:40 PM
To: Pete Peters
Subject: RE: Newbie to list with questions
> I'm struck by the similarities in the Fair Lady 1500/1600/2000 and
> Porsche 914's.
Ahh, I always lusted after a 914 when I was a kid.
Especially the -6 model, which is almost never seen any more...
> I have no set budget, but thinking of $5k or less, which means I can
> probably forget about a running 2000.
Perhaps not a decent condition low screen 2000, but if you opt for a 68-70 I
think you can turn up a decent driver. The flat dash is kinda unique, but
the hi screen adds some subtle improvements.
1) More headroom
2) Safer - dual master cylinders and collapsable steering column,
plus seat backs that lock (though the 67.5's have these too). Also
padded dash.
3) Sun visors (ok, the 67.5 also added sunvisors).
4) All the wondrous smog stuff you can (depending on local laws) undo.
5) Did I mention more headroom?
I have late model cars, 68 and 69. The '70 did some minor body style changes
that I don't care for as much, plus adds more smog stuff (evaporative
controls). I like the higher windscreen. Though to appease my son, we're
tinkering with putting a flat dash in a '68 :-)
Engine size: I actually like the 1600 for around-town driving. It has better
low end (because the 2000 is designed to crank power at speed and not at the
bottom end, and the 1600 gearing is lower). The 2000, with its overdrive, is
the choice for the freeway. Note that the 1600 is a way simpler engine (the
2000 is simply a bastardized 1600 with a new head and a frightening second
chain that needs to be properly cared for. $$$ to replace the chain but
$$$$$ if you don't and it breaks).
If you're into major mechanicals, you can swap engines on any of them. The
KA24 and SR20 (Nissan 240sx and 200sx) are swaps of choice. Certainly some
work is involved, but from what I hear not all that bad (but will bust your
$5k budget, I expect).
There a fair number of the cars out there, especially if you wait 'til fall
when the summertime fun starts wrapping up and people would rather move on
to another project (early summer is probably the worst time to find a deal).
All in all, it would be a treat to find a match for the 'lost' 67.5 2L. But
I think you'd be happy with a 'beginner' 68 or 69 1600, swap the distributor
for a proper 'early curve' (big performance difference; the late cars run at
0 BTDC while the earlies are at 16), and if you want a different ride later
on you can sell the first one and move up. Take your time choosing a nice
solid car (bad brakes will cost more to redo than redoing the upholstery)
and see if it's as you remember.
-- John
John F Sandhoff sandhoff@csus.edu Sacramento, CA
p.s. Is it true you can buy a kit to put a V8 into a 914?
|