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Finished my latest (non-Stude) project today

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  • Finished my latest (non-Stude) project today

    Actually, they are never REALLY finished, but I installed the last part and started the shakedown today.

    Gen II SBC in a Porsche 914. 3X the stock HP.



    https://www.flickr.com/photos/996911...h/48095016682/

    It's a '76, but I backdated it to look like an earlier chrome bumper model.

    This was a 2 year project. A long time for me, but I'm getting slow in my old age.

    It was a good challenge. I had to learn every step of the way. Part of the fun for me.

    Next?
    Dick Steinkamp
    Bellingham, WA

  • #2
    Ohhhhhh-Awwwwwww, I am green all over! Always wanted one of those (had a '78' 928 5 speed for 13 years), the 28 did not satisfy desire for the 914. The closest I got was a 1965 Corvair Corsa 180 hp turbo 4 speed with 3.55:1 posi (and just a few shades darker red than your 14). A college buddy had a nice yellow 914, several decades ago, he drove it under a 180,000 lb fully loaded Michigan 'centipede' logging truck.....not a good outcome for anyone. There is a 'Renegade Porsche' (out of Las Vegas) small block C-bee powered conversion here in Green Bay. It is one fully packed four wheeled roller skate, but sounds and looks sweet. At my age I do not see a 914 in my future.....so enjoy the auto for the both of us! Sherm / Green Bay 63R1089

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    • #3
      Sherm,
      The 914s were special. Mid engine, built in roll bar, targa top, 4 wheel discs. The only thing they lacked was HP. Even the 914-6s only had the 2 liter 6 from the 911T. 110 HP. I fixed that.

      I've always lusted after the 65-66 Corsas. Maybe next?
      Dick Steinkamp
      Bellingham, WA

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      • #4
        Yup, you go for the Corsa and I am holding a steady course for a 2 tonner Stude.......youth IS wasted on the young!! Sherm / Green Bay 63R1089

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        • #5
          Very nicely done Dick, as usual. It's always a pleasure to see your projects, keep 'em comin', Bill.

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          • #6
            It looks very nice Dick! I'm jealous too.
            Diesel loving, autocrossing, Coupe express loving, Grandpa Architect.

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            • #7
              Nicely done as always. I've never been in a Porsche, how much room does the 914 have inside compared to an Avanti. Bob

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              • #8
                Is that the original Porsche transaxle and can it handle the increase in hp and torque?
                The 914-8 badge is really sharp. Did you make that?

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Dick Steinkamp View Post
                  Sherm,
                  The 914s were special. Mid engine, built in roll bar, targa top, 4 wheel discs. The only thing they lacked was HP. Even the 914-6s only had the 2 liter 6 from the 911T. 110 HP. I fixed that.

                  I've always lusted after the 65-66 Corsas. Maybe next?
                  I owned a '65. It was a nice car in most ways, but the rear weigh bias plus enough HP made it truly evil, even on dry roads. Previously I'd owned a VW Beetle, so I knew something about rear heavy cars, but the Corvair was a step beyond, maybe two steps. A tad too fast into a corner, or a bit of throttle, and the Corvair would swap ends faster you can say "Oh Sxxx!". There was nothing you, or at least I, could do but lock the brakes and hang on.

                  However if you're really brave, there were, and may still be, kits to put a SBC in them.

                  On another thought, one of the coolest cars I remember seeing was a Bugeye Sprite with an inline 6 cyl Mercury outboard. It was a race car, and when the Merc wound up down the straights, it howled like a banshee, and would blow past some pretty fast stuff.

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                  • #10
                    Thanks for the comments. It was a fun project. Very different from any other I've done. There is a very good parts network (new and used) and an active forum. Pretty surprising consider less than 120,000 were made between 1969 and 1976.


                    Originally posted by sweetolbob View Post
                    Nicely done as always. I've never been in a Porsche, how much room does the 914 have inside compared to an Avanti. Bob
                    I've owned several German cars...mostly BMW and Mercedes. Only one other Porsche (a 1967 912). I'm 6'2". All had room for taller drivers. I drove all of them with the seat forward a few notches. The 914...not so. Tighter cockpit. It works fine for me, but I have to have the seat all the way back. Other than that it feels pretty spacious inside even though it's a small car. I only owned the one Avanti, but I remember it and all other Studes I owned as having limited seat travel and I sat too close to the wheel. I solved that in my 54 Starliner hot rod by installing the bucket further back and shortening the steering column.

                    Originally posted by Champ51 View Post
                    Is that the original Porsche transaxle and can it handle the increase in hp and torque?
                    The 914-8 badge is really sharp. Did you make that?
                    Porsche used essentially the same transaxle that was introduced with the 911 in lots of their cars. Designed for relatively high HP. ZF manufactured. Magnesium case. The 914 used this transmission. The later cars (like mine) were converted to a "side shifter" which made for more direct and positive shifting. Renegade (which does V8 conversions on all kinds of Porsches) says the trany is good for 300 ft lbs of torque IF you don't use first gear (they lock out first gear on their conversions). I did not lock out 1st, but I'm careful not to climb on it in low. My engine is an LB9 305. It made 220 HP and 275 ft lbs stock. I have a Comp Cams "Thumpr" cam in it so maybe a few more. BTW, 1st gear is out of the pattern on these transmissions. Porsche felt that when road racing low would never be used so the put the 4 gears that would be used in the H pattern.

                    The guys that build high HP 914s use a Boxster transmission. I've also seen a Panterra trans used.



                    The badge was made by a member of the 914 World Forum...

                    http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=313857

                    Jerry chromed it (along with the bumpers)
                    Last edited by Dick Steinkamp; 06-20-2019, 07:09 AM.
                    Dick Steinkamp
                    Bellingham, WA

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                    • #11
                      Geee, sorry you had a poor experience with your Corvair. I won several local gymkana's (spelling?) with mine and placed generally in the top 20 in amateure road rally's. I did have Delco HD shocks and 14 x 6 Pontiac GTO rally wheels with Goodyear E-70 white letter bias belt tires.The 'var was also a blast to drive in the snow (rear rims plain old black GM's with Goodyear E-70 -14 white stripe (one side) or flip it red stripe on the other side) studded snow tires. Many times coming home from college in the dead of winter on Michigan's I-75 (with the 'var loaded with four college kids and all the dirty laundry we could push, shove, cram,etc.,) the front bumper would be pushing snow as we buzzed along at 45, then 55, 65 and 70 mph. I would work her up to the speed she felt comfortable going with the load and road conditions. This was of course with Sunco Blue 260 super premium gas (which I could NOT get in Michigan's U.P., so I would down grade to Shell) and the turbo charged flat six did not eat that much fuel either.....but it was stingy on giving off heat for the passengers and defroster. As I have read many times on this forum 'your results may vary' and I have NO experience with VW's or early Corvair's with the VW type swing arm rear suspension. Sherm / Green Bay 63R1089

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                      • #12
                        On the corvair if you move the spare to the front and a 50# tool box just behind the front bumper you'll find it beautifully balanced in my observation. I used to take my dad's 65 down to the local cul de sac and go around in a perfect four wheel drift.

                        An employee of my dad lived there and he reported me to dad. Another anonymous person reported me on another corner.

                        Bastards!
                        Diesel loving, autocrossing, Coupe express loving, Grandpa Architect.

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by firestoper 25 View Post
                          Geee, sorry you had a poor experience with your Corvair. I won several local gymkana's (spelling?) with mine and placed generally in the top 20 in amateure road rally's. I did have Delco HD shocks and 14 x 6 Pontiac GTO rally wheels with Goodyear E-70 white letter bias belt tires.The 'var was also a blast to drive in the snow (rear rims plain old black GM's with Goodyear E-70 -14 white stripe (one side) or flip it red stripe on the other side) studded snow tires. Many times coming home from college in the dead of winter on Michigan's I-75 (with the 'var loaded with four college kids and all the dirty laundry we could push, shove, cram,etc.,) the front bumper would be pushing snow as we buzzed along at 45, then 55, 65 and 70 mph. I would work her up to the speed she felt comfortable going with the load and road conditions. This was of course with Sunco Blue 260 super premium gas (which I could NOT get in Michigan's U.P., so I would down grade to Shell) and the turbo charged flat six did not eat that much fuel either.....but it was stingy on giving off heat for the passengers and defroster. As I have read many times on this forum 'your results may vary' and I have NO experience with VW's or early Corvair's with the VW type swing arm rear suspension. Sherm / Green Bay 63R1089
                          Well, maybe if I'd put big enough tires on it, and moved some weight to the front, I'd have liked it better. However, I did drive it through a NH winter, and it was good in snow. But it was no Porsche.

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                          • #14
                            Nice work (as always) on this project! Just wondering if you still have the MGB and how the acceleration/braking/handling of the two cars compare. Generally speaking, which one is the most balanced package? Which one puts the biggest grin on your face? Cheers, Junior
                            sigpic
                            1954 C5 Hamilton car.

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                            • #15
                              Junior,
                              I still have the MGB.





                              It's probably not fair to fully compare them at this point. I have thousands of miles on the B (maybe 10,000) and very few on the 914 (5-600). But in general...

                              They weigh about the same (2200 pounds or so). The B has 3.5 liters and maybe 170 HP. The 914 has 5 liters and maybe 230 HP. The 914 feels A LOT quicker/faster. Some of that could be that I am not as "comfortable" in the 914 yet as I am in the B because of the few miles I have in the 914. I also have a louder exhaust system on the 914 and the motor is right behind my head so some of the experience may be somewhat related to the difference in sounds.

                              I have not really pushed either one in the twisties or race track. Both have similar size tires (185 70 14 on the B, 195 65 15 on the 914). Neither is going to be a "G Machine". Both love to go around corners, however. The 914 feels a little more firmly planted. Maybe the 4 wheel independent suspension on the 914 vs the solid axle B. Both feel balanced. The extra weight in the 914 was added to the middle of the car and the front (radiator). The aluminum V8 in the B is 40 pounds lighter than the iron 4 that came out.

                              The B has front discs, rear drums. The 914 has 4 wheel discs. The brakes on the 914 are more confidence inspiring and have a better "feel".

                              The fit and finish on the 914 is superior to the B. The B is a 1977 and the 914 is a 1976 but the B was introduced in 1962 and the 914 in 1970. Both are unibodys. Neither rattle or shake but the 914 feels tighter (think VW bug). I'm sure the targa top helps in this regard.

                              On cruise on a sunny day, I like the full top down experience in the B compared to the targa 914 with the roof panel removed.

                              Different cars. I like them both. Both make me smile driving them or just looking at them. If I do another project, however, one will have to go. Not enough room or money to keep them all.



                              And I do have this aluminum 215 Buick engine in inventory with its very light, air cooled automatic that would be just about perfect in some sort of Track T

                              Dick Steinkamp
                              Bellingham, WA

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