Dragged another basketcase home

clinehall · **Posted:** Wed Apr 16, 2014 9:30 am

this crap always finds me on Craigslist.

What about this:

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/4423145867.html

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Wed Apr 16, 2014 9:42 am

clinehall wrote:

this crap always finds me on Craigslist.

What about this:

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/4423145867.html

Quote:

currently does not run; would take very little work to get on the road

If it would take very little work to get it to run, he would have done it already!

Roger McDaniels · **Posted:** Wed Apr 16, 2014 9:45 am

I want that Spirit, but that seems like a lot of money for that car.

Andrew Jonell · **Joined:** Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:43 pm **Posts:** 1350

Roger McDaniels wrote:

I want that Spirit, but that seems like a lot of money for that car.

When you think about it, you really can't put a price on American Iron.

Jordan Normark · **Posted:** Wed Apr 16, 2014 9:52 am

clinehall wrote:

this crap always finds me on Craigslist.

What about this:

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/4423145867.html

Wow, That has Dennis Shaw written all over it.

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Wed Apr 16, 2014 9:52 am

Andrew Jonell wrote:

How are the Subaru 2.5L swaps in the 914? I've only seen them online a few times and it seems like a decent idea.

I haven't driven or ridden in one, but they apparently work great.

The entire Subaru engine/power train work great as a mid-engine drop in. You just seal off the output for shaft that would have driven the rear wheels in the Subaru. You get both a modern engine and transmission (cable shift I believe). There is a number of Porsche specific (915, G50, etc.) transmission swap options for the 914, but they can be expensive. And there are not many options for generic and inexpensive "longitudinal mid-engine" configuration if you go outside of the Porsche line. But the Subaru configuration works great. On top of that, if you are into boxer engine configurations of the original Porsche, then you also get that with the Subaru, so there is a bit of continuation of the design concept. You still have the issue of moving from air to water cooled, so you have to work out a radiator setup. I think there are people making engine mounts and selling them as kits. Lots of "how to" knowledge online as well.

As great of an idea as the Subaru swap is, I however am a Porsche fan, so I am going the more expensive, but true to my faith Porsche solution. Which is likely to be a later 915 transmission and 3.2 911 engine (from a mid to late 1980's 911 Carrera). This is the same engine that I think Patrice has in his 911 (if you have ever seen him autocross it). I also don't have to deal with water cooling solution issues.

Richard

Roger McDaniels · **Posted:** Wed Apr 16, 2014 10:16 am

Andrew Jonell wrote:

Roger McDaniels wrote:

I want that Spirit, but that seems like a lot of money for that car.

When you think about it, you really can't put a price on American Iron.

Raleigh Recycling can; it's a little over ten cents per pound.

Chuck Branscomb · **Posted:** Wed Apr 16, 2014 10:45 am

clinehall wrote:

this crap always finds me on Craigslist.

What about this:

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/4423145867.html

Cline,

If you would simply STOP searching on keywords AMC, Gremlin, Javelin, Pacer, Matador and even Eagle, you do realize all these problems would not find you, right?

Keith Quistorff · **Posted:** Wed Apr 16, 2014 11:18 am

clinehall wrote:

this crap always finds me on Craigslist.

What about this:

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/4423145867.html

Is that a Gremlin parked in the seller's driveway? No wonder he's selling the Spirit - two AMC's is two too many!

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Wed Apr 16, 2014 11:23 am

Keith Quistorff wrote:

clinehall wrote:

this crap always finds me on Craigslist.

What about this:

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/4423145867.html

Is that a Gremlin parked in the seller's driveway? No wonder he's selling the Spirit - two AMC's is two too many!

Cline has been known to buy an ugly car more than once. Afterall he owned a Renault LeCar for heavens sake and now he's looking at AMC products!

Patrice Bousquet · **Posted:** Wed Apr 16, 2014 11:55 am

Richard Casto wrote:

I however am a Porsche fan, so I am going the more expensive, but true to my faith Porsche solution. Which is likely to be a later 915 transmission and 3.2 911 engine (from a mid to late 1980's 911 Carrera). This is the same engine that I think Patrice has in his 911 (if you have ever seen him autocross it). I also don't have to deal with water cooling solution issues.

Richard

Yes, mine is late 80, a 3.2 with Motronic should be fun in a 914….

Donnie Barnes · **Posted:** Wed Apr 16, 2014 9:54 pm

MikeWhitney wrote:

I'm in the same boat. There are a bunch of old cars I'd love to own but I recognize that I've become a torque addict, and I'm sure I'd get tired of anything underpowered quickly. All the more reason to just keep buying old V8 swap candidates

I dunno. I have the Cayman with 400HP. And I have my DD e90 328iT with 230HP. Now, I think I might do that intake mod to get it closer to 260HP, but it's really already "more than enough" for the street. When I drive something like the 914 I can't help but feel the inherent lightness combined with the pure *feel* you get from having no power steering yet still very GOOD steering. It can make pretty good noises, it can carve country roads plenty fast "enough", and it's got soul.

Plop something water cooled in it? No way, you're basically removing much of the soul. I'm not knocking water cooled cars...there are plenty of them with their own soul. I just think it takes away from THIS car's soul to do that kind of thing.

I've got HP when I want it. But I guess I'm over wanting it all the time. Sometimes less really is more.

--Donnie

Chuck Branscomb · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2014 8:20 am

Donnie Barnes wrote:

I've got HP when I want it. But I guess I'm over wanting it all the time. Sometimes less really is more.

--Donnie

The above quote I think pretty much encapsulates the current customer environment for cars, or at least the evolving environment automakers will soon find themselves immersed within. A discontinuity in the marketplace seems more and more likely at this point, similar to what happened in the early 70s in its impact.

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Thu Apr 17, 2014 8:38 am

I understand what Donnie has posted. Sure, I could have 450hp C7, but what does that buy me when the speed limits only allow me to really rip through 2nd gear at best? Not to say that will keep me from buying one, but I am becoming less impressed with raw speed vs. feel. It's some of the reason why I think the FRS-BRZ has sold so well. Certainly it's not a "fast" car, but the balance and feel make up for that. - AB

Les Davis · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 2:04 pm **Posts:** 2059

Aaron Buckley wrote:

I understand what Donnie has posted. Sure, I could have 450hp C7, but what does that buy me when the speed limits only allow me to really rip through 2nd gear at best? Not to say that will keep me from buying one, but I am becoming less impressed with raw speed vs. feel. It's some of the reason why I think the FRS-BRZ has sold so well. Certainly it's not a "fast" car, but the balance and feel make up for that. - AB

You sound exactly like my mom. ;-)

I'll say to you what I always said to her when she would make the "speed limit" comment, even if the speed limit only technically allows me to go 65 going from 0-65 in 3 seconds is a helluva lot more fun than 0-65 in 15 seconds. If you don't get that, I'm sorry, have you considered taking up knitting? I do get what you guys are saying, I daily drove mostly stock Miata for many years, I did regularly wish they had a lot more power though. My current daily driver only has 140 hp, of course it weighs 500 lbs so 140 is pretty freaking awesome, and the "feel" you refer to is in another dimension.

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