Here is something interesting - 914 with chevy v8

I kinda like it. Looks like he'd cut some large air holes in the front wheel wells. 

Pete

It kinda hurts my soul when someone does this to a perfectly good 914.         Jus sayin.

There's a few of those running around here in my neck of SoCal.  See them every so often at the various Cars & Coffee gigs. Range from 327 to 350 (Chevy). Clean install, but like Carlos G said... "It kinda hurts my soul when someone does this to a perfectly good 914."  

I like the ones with the 916 flares or the Chalon slant nose kit.  Just seems a Subbie or V6 would be a better handling conversion without killing ones self.

I'd much rather have a monster Type IV!

A monster Type IV or a 2.7 Porsche 6 would be my first choices. I could also see a Subie or a V6 of some sort, but the whole "stick a V8 in it" mentality is over done. As Wolfgang said, It'd probably handle better with the smaller motor.

I love them with the stock fenders or flares. Not a fan of the Chalon though.

This one had a 2.2 in it. Maybe not a screamer, but I like that big butt.

I shoulda bought her when I had a chance. Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

Those are fairly dangerous cars. 2.2 is plenty to have lots of fun. Of course,  the  914/6 is the dream. The orange one above looks great.
That v8 is just nuts. It has to screw up the weight dynamics and talk about over powered. I wonder what the torque is like with that lunk of a v8 pushing what - 2000lbs? ....Even so...  it is tempting. 

My soul is just fine with the Cheby in that car, but then I'm just a hick-town white-boy with grease under my nails.

I'm not a flare, Chalon, or body-kit fan. Flares covering 40 series tires look like appendages to me. I'm a "traditional" fender fan on Speedsters, 914s, and 911s of most vintages. That's a matter of taste, and what another guy might like is cool with me. I just don't care for 'em. 

The emotional side of me would want a 914 with the biggest, baddest Type 4 I could afford in my dream 914. I guess the appeal of a really expensive Porsche 6 with less power and more weight is lost on me. If it were a 2.7 with all the updates, I could see it-- but a 2.2? Nope. A near 3L Type 4 with a Tangerine exhaust- mmmmmm, good.

The practical side of me would want an LS smallblock back there. There's just no better use of money to get a lot of power than a crate LSX. They're surprisingly light as well.

Either way, it's a mid-engined car. The balance and dynamics are unlikely to be screwed up with a heavier engine. 

Someone in my local 356 club had a 914 V8.  To cool it, it took in air below the front bumper, through the radiator and exited through a screen on the hood with the air directed up, over the car, kind-of like some older race cars.

Trouble was, there was a big air curl up over the windshield which then blew down, into the cockpit, all that heated air.  It looked good and was really quick, but on even a luke-warm day it was almost par-boiling the passengers.

Big type 4, Subie, 911-6, V8, stock or flared (I do love the look of the flared 6 cylinder cars)- any way you do it, it would be a fun car!

Had a friend in HS with a 2.0 914. He used to let me drive it until I showed him how well it cornered...He almost $hit himself!

My neighbor just put his V8 Chevy 914 up on Craigslist (south bend).  Needs paint and a few minor things but overall it seems to be a good build.  LOTS of money wrapped up in it (N of $25K) and he moved to Canada and needs to dump it.  I think he has it listed at $5K

A few years back, I went with Warren White, a fellow SOCer, to film him driving his 914 (2.3L) at a Porsche sponsored Auto-X...

Warren Auto-X from Jim Ignacio on Vimeo.

Nicely done. What fun Jim. Thanks

MusbJim posted:

A few years back, I went with Warren White, a fellow SOCer, to film him driving his 914 (2.3L) at a Porsche sponsored Auto-X... 

Jim, I saw a Sunbeam Tiger meet-up recently near Sacramento. They brought about 40 cars to a huge empty parking lot at a decommissioned USAF base. I spoke to the organizer and they said they rented the whole lot for $1200. But they had to bring the cones, timing equipment, and every driver had to wear a helmet. It looked like a blast. Something we should consider.

Did you see the way that guy left the starting line? He wasn't racing; he was out for a drive...

ALB posted:

Did you see the way that guy left the starting line? He wasn't racing; he was out for a drive...

Hahaha. I really wanted to see how the Speedster would do on the same course. I was told I would be crushed (Tigers are beefy V8s with Shelby's DNA), but my lil' speedster is pretty nimble. On that course I think I had a shot to be competitive. At least against Mr. Sunday Driver!

Ryan, if you haven't seen this before, it's a classic:

On a tight course with more corners than straights, never underestimate what a little engine in a light car can do against the 'giants'.

Sacto Mitch posted:

 

Ryan, if you haven't seen this before, it's a classic:

On a tight course with more corners than straights, never underestimate what a little engine in a light car can do against the 'giants'.

 

 

We all love these cars, and the "giant-killer" aspect of the 356 and 550 is what made Herr Doktor famous (and wealthy). We like to envision ourselves in this romantic light- one lone idiot against the assembled might of the Empire, buzzing the Death-Star and hoping to drop a bomb down the garbage chute.

However, I think it's accurate to opine that a 4-banger designed 85 years ago, with the world's strangest front end, and a rear suspension that changes camber as it compresses would have it's head handed to it in any race against a modern "giant". I think the cars are all that and a bag of chips, but we delude ourselves to think they're going to hang with a GT3 at Lime Rock.

Stone me for my blasphemy, but there it is.

Aw c'mon Stan, don't bust my bubble.

You're talking cold, hard reality to someone who has spent Boxster money on some hopeless, plastic contraption. There's a road that goes from my house out to the wine country that becomes the 1960 Targa Florio every time I go down it.

And too, a Sunbeam Tiger in a Sacto parking lot ain't no GT3 at Lime Rock.

If Ryan wants to wind up his Briggs and Stratton and try to save Princess Leah and the Empire, I say may the force be with him!

Thanks Mitch, for that wonderful video. Kath and I are at Avila Beach on a staycation in Whitecloud and that made my morning!

Good to see you're getting to use the car again, Will.

It must be a great hardship having to do those break-in miles running back and forth through the hills to SoCal beaches.

Don't worry, you'll be rewarded for your sacrifice eventually.

Sacto Mitch posted:

If Ryan wants to wind up his Briggs and Stratton and try to save Princess Leah and the Empire, I say may the force be with him! 

hilarious

it's great driving Whitecloud again but we live on the Central Coast...NOT...So Cal

...that's where MusbJim lives...(and used to surf)...

To answer the OP's question, yes, but up front not out back.