V-8 engine Transplant

In general...

First off let me begin by saying that your car is a Porsche. It was not made by Chevy or Ford so trying to justify installing a “cast iron clunker” should be considered the ultimate “bastardization” of your vehicle. Once this conversion is complete, or even just began it is irreversible and your car will be looked upon by some, and frowned upon by others. If you are like me, you could care less what some opinionated jerk thinks about your car, just like I can care less what someone thinks about these writings and my opinions.

The V-8 engine conversion is actually the only one that I would consider doing myself given the right vehicle. I say this because most of the time a really solid car should not be sacrificed for the chop saw and V8 conversion in my opinion. If you have a vehicle that is rusty, or has been beat hard over the last 30 years the V8 conversion may be your way of going to get the power you need. From what I have noted the enthusiasts that fancy the V8 conversion are different than the normal 914 owner, they are more of a “power breed” that doesn’t want the 914 for its handling capabilities, they want it just because it’s a lightweight car that can house a huge V8 engine somewhat easily.

Cost

This is one area of the V8 conversion that may seem appealing at first, and actually may still be for some people even after the job is done. For the extreme do it yourselfer with welding equipment, saws and basically a full shop the job is not as hard. For the normal guy that has a garage at his apartment, or in the backyard the conversion will start simple and end up a nightmare as you have to source the kit and then start all the conversion follies, one may find himself the owner of many more tools than he had before the conversion began and that’s okay as long as you plan on doing the job again, or can use those tools for something else.

The Chevy V-8 is probably the cheapest engine that anyone can rebuild to get power. Chevy parts are cheap compared to Porsche parts, but then again they are as generic as a burger from Mc Donalds! The V8 engine makes big HP in stock form and a ton of torque and that results in a lot more stiffening needing to be done to both hold this power as well as the huge chunk of Detroit iron that’s producing that power. Don’t forget that the stock 901 transaxle is not going to hold this amount of power for very long if the car is driven hard at all. Make sure you add into your budget some transaxle upgrades and don’t use first gear!

Extra work is cost, especially if you are forced to pay someone else to do the work!

Conversion headaches

Since I have never completed one of these conversions I am speaking from speculation on the topic. One does not have to be a rocket scientist to see that fitting an engine that was designed for a Corvette would be a tight fit into a 914. Sure it will fit but how much room is left over when you are finished? How hard is it to work on and even change the spark plugs in? For guys that work in their garage with little equipment, just how are you going to rustle that engine under and into the car?? There are several “kits” made to make this job easier, but it’s still a conversion, its still going to be a pain and you still don’t have a vehicle that’s appealing to the general Porsche enthusiast that might want to buy your car one day! I’ll keep this portion of this writing short and just generally say that the job won’t be easy and be prepared for some migraine headaches!

Added weight

Toto, we are definitely not in Kansas any more!!

When you add weight to the 914, it really is noted! Since the stock engine is so well balanced for the vehicle when any weight is added handling will be affected. The V8 conversion is definitely the heaviest of all conversions because it  requires a radiator and incidentals that come with water cooling. It does add a noted double the weight of one of our Type IV engines and the handling changes can be felt big time. Adding 100 pounds to any car, especially right in the middle of a mid engine car can make drastic differences in the entire vehicle. Adding 2-300 pounds to the car changes everything about the vehicle. Sure you can tune some of that out with some measures and better parts but you still won’t have the “slot car” that Porsche gave us with the 914. You will do damn good drag racing, but not at the road course!

The added weight can be felt as well when you hit the brakes! Extra weight requires more brake to stop in the same distance so it definitely increases the chances for needing updated stopping power as well. Our engine does make more power and can use some extra brakes, but at least our engine is equal to the stock weight, or can be lighter due to stronger, lighter materials that comprise it. With the big hulk of a cast iron V8 you better have damn good brakes, or that car just isn’t going to stop!

Overview

Even with all the downfalls of the V8 conversion I would still do this conversion before a Six cylinder Porsche engine swap. The parts to build the engine are cheaper than a six and since I’m a fabricator with a full shop I can make every part that I need, if I decided to make it happen. The V8 is a very durable engine, but what happens when it needs any work? Heaven help if the engine ever does need to be removed and replaced. In short, keep the engine that Porsche outfitted your car with, have the job done right, as we can double your power output and not make you car even 5 pounds heavier!