By Colin Wood
Aug 25, 2020
Although engine swaps can be a fun (albeit challenging) way to add more power to a car, is dropping in a modern Japanese engine into a classic Porsche considered blasphemy?
Perhaps, but trading one flat-four engine with another has to count for something, right?
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8/25/20 3:32 p.m.
I'm sure the purists are wailing and gnashing teeth, others are saying cool go for it. At the end of the day it doesn't matter what other people say or think. Your car your choice. If you are happy that's all that counts.
8/25/20 3:36 p.m.
It's not like he is cutting up a perfect low mileage 914. Putting a Subaru motor in a ratty 914 is better than letting it rust away. That's a bunch of horsepower with very little weight in one of the best handling cars ever.
8/25/20 6:26 p.m.
No, putting a 426 Hemi in a '55 Chevy is Blasphemi.
8/25/20 6:59 p.m.
In reply to earlybroncoguy1 :
*sarcastic laugh*
8/25/20 7:12 p.m.
Is there a lot of potential from a Subuaru flat 4?
Not that I'll ever persue it, but that powertrain choice looks to be a good one for a mid-engined, short wheelbase DM car. I was thinking of something else- given the project that is going on with a 2.5l VW flat four- that was one of the dreams- wrap that chassis with a Fiat 850 body, and go DM racing.
8/25/20 7:48 p.m.
are Subaru motors that bulletproof ?
or just better than a 40 year old 914 / VW Type 4 motor ,
As others have said at least its not going to the crusher and he did not by a low mileage cream puff car to do the swap in ......
and a 4cyl or 6 cyl subie ?
8/25/20 8:05 p.m.
In reply to californiamilleghia :
I don’t think they’re reputed to be bulletproof. Lots of bagging on the Subie headgaskets around these parts at least. Just more so than the VW OE motor and a similar size.
I had a friend with a 914 20 years ago. Great chassis, but the motor had a lot of problems. IAnd frankly, it’s not more blasphemous than putting a Subaru motor in a vanagon.
8/25/20 8:10 p.m.
There was a 914 with a similar swap on GRM forsape back in like 2014 or 2015.
8/25/20 8:58 p.m.
He's running an EJ22, those weren't known for head gasket issues and last really, really well. When the bored out EJ25s came out was when the head gasket issues started, although they're not as bad as reputed. My guess is that the car will move out pretty well; it's not an outrageously powerful engine, but the area under the torque curve is going to be much broader than any of the factory Porsche engines and the 914 is light. I like it!
8/25/20 9:03 p.m.
A Saturn engine in a 914 crosses the line to Blasphemy
Disclaimer: I would totally rock that. Probably over an NA Subaru motor :P
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