Photo: Hemmings
Without a doubt, the 914 is the most Volkswagen Porsche ever - this is one of the main reasons the car was and still is most controversial. Despite it being quite coveted back when it was made, it’s not that appreciated today as most other Porsches are in the eyes of the car collectors.
That means these cars usually don’t make that much of an impression to justify big sums being paid for them. And that seems to be the case even if you swap the original engine with something more hardcore, and Japanese.
The car in the gallery above is a 914 from 1975, very close to the end of the line for the family (914s stopped being made in 1976). It spent most of its time in service of an Air Force employee, before being sold in non-running condition to the current owner.
For reasons that are not explained, the one now selling the car decided to go for an engine swap. The donor car was a 2001 Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS, and the heart a 165 hp EJ25 2.5-liter OHC flat-four, linked to a Subaru-sourced transmission.
Given how the original 914 had a power output of at most 109 hp (that’s on the flat-six powered 914/6, but most likely this one packed the even less powerful flat-four) the increase in punch is significant.
The rebuild process that ended with the 914 getting an Impreza engine took five years, and also included the reinforcement of the chassis, the upgrading of brakes (using BMW 3 Series parts), and the replacing of the upholstery.
Despite all these, the tally on the auction site where the car is selling is currently at $5,000 - that’s below the reserve the seller is asking for. There are however about 4 days left to go in the process, and you never know how someone comes along and believes this is their dream car.
The car in the gallery above is a 914 from 1975, very close to the end of the line for the family (914s stopped being made in 1976). It spent most of its time in service of an Air Force employee, before being sold in non-running condition to the current owner.
For reasons that are not explained, the one now selling the car decided to go for an engine swap. The donor car was a 2001 Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS, and the heart a 165 hp EJ25 2.5-liter OHC flat-four, linked to a Subaru-sourced transmission.
Given how the original 914 had a power output of at most 109 hp (that’s on the flat-six powered 914/6, but most likely this one packed the even less powerful flat-four) the increase in punch is significant.
The rebuild process that ended with the 914 getting an Impreza engine took five years, and also included the reinforcement of the chassis, the upgrading of brakes (using BMW 3 Series parts), and the replacing of the upholstery.
Despite all these, the tally on the auction site where the car is selling is currently at $5,000 - that’s below the reserve the seller is asking for. There are however about 4 days left to go in the process, and you never know how someone comes along and believes this is their dream car.
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