Porsche 911 engine swap - ideas?

[JohnnyGrey]

Please don't ruin your car! My 928 averages 15mpg, but the only thing I'd swap that 4.5L for is an LS1 If you like the car see if you can find one with a blown engine, or maybe a 912 would be a better MPG project. If you're that serious about MPG, just sell it and get something designed for efficiency.

[getnpsi]

Oh don't do that to a Porsche. Please make it keep up with a stock 1978, no matter what engine you decide on. I'd love to see the tdi with power mods.

[beatr911]

Originally Posted by JohnnyGrey

Please don't ruin your car! My 928 averages 15mpg, but the only thing I'd swap that 4.5L for is an LS1 If you like the car see if you can find one with a blown engine, or maybe a 912 would be a better MPG project. If you're that serious about MPG, just sell it and get something designed for efficiency.

Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear. The current state of the car is completely stripped down for restoration/rusty metal repair. It was purchased as a non-running car with several nice chassis performance parts but an engine that was only 3/4 complete, missing one cylinder and piston, CIS distributor, misc other parts and needed valvetrain parts. It was a stock 180hp 3.0. I sold the original motor parts in entirety for $2000 to an ex VW mechanic who has since put it in a 914 (fun).

So I have no engine now and I'm not afraid to cut metal. It's a lightweight base model with absolutely no fancy weight gaining options. It is by no means a concours winning candidate - it's previous life was in the hands of autocross and track day users as a Drivers Ed car. This car has had a thoroughly enjoyed life. Now it's time for a rebirth of sorts.

[beatr911]

Originally Posted by getnpsi

Oh don't do that to a Porsche. Please make it keep up with a stock 1978, no matter what engine you decide on. I'd love to see the tdi with power mods.

That is what it's looking like now, thanks to the folks here. This could be fun!

[whokilledthejams]

Originally Posted by JohnnyGrey

Please don't ruin your car! My 928 averages 15mpg, but the only thing I'd swap that 4.5L for is an LS1 If you like the car see if you can find one with a blown engine, or maybe a 912 would be a better MPG project. If you're that serious about MPG, just sell it and get something designed for efficiency.

The last year of the 912 was 1976, but Porsche started galvanizing their bodies in 1977, so a later one won't disintegrate as fast. That, and it's not that hard to find a 911 with no engine, for better or worse. It seems like the few that weren't obsessively babied were hooned to death, so there are project-worthy cars out there. The 78-83 911SC is arguably the best-built model they made, anyway.

I actually looked into buying a 911SC as a daily driver (funny how that ended with me buying the xB), but I'm not in a position to pay cash, and financing a 30 year old car isn't impossible, but it's not the best idea, either.

Either way, water-cooling isn't going to be an issue, because there are kits for that.

A diesel would be fun, and REALLY tick off the purists. Just make sure it doesn't make the weight balance worse!

[bhazard]

Originally Posted by beatr911

So far the ideas I have are:
Metro 1.0 3cyl - been done, like the cheapness, not the power.

So why dont you deal with the latter part of that statement and get a 1.0 turbo motor?

[IndyIan]

If you used a TDI engine could you not just use the tranny and suspension too? I have seen a SHOgun (Ford Fiesta with a Taurus SHO drivetrain put in the back) go on the autocross course a decade ago. I think if you had bad front shocks it would go over backwards with a little effort. The short wheelbase made it very tricky though if it got sideways!

Maybe thats more chopping than you want to do but I think it might be the only way a TDI would fit in a 911 profile. Maybe a whale tail would hide the TDI in the normal spot?
Keep us updated with what you decide,
Ian

[roflwaffle]

Shoot, just keep the 3.6L in there and make sure the carb's on the lean side. W/ the appropriate gearing/P&G ya should get great mileage (~40-50mpg) and have something on the fast side. Maybe pull off the carb stuff a convert to TBI for easier clutch starts?