914 components in the Thunder Ranch kit

I am doing a bit of research on the Thunder Ranch 550 kit and using a 914 Porshe donor for some of the components (a very rusted out 914). Will engine/transmission components (and maybe others) fit the Thunder Ranch kit without a lot of modification. Or do I just can the thing and start from scratch. Jeff Givens Lansing, Kansas

When you are ordering the thunder ranch kit, you should be able to specify that it will be type 4, 914 donor. At that point, depends on whether the car is spec'd with VW beam front or some modification of the porsche front. If it is Porsche front, grab the following:

All front and rear suspension, brakes, brake master cylinder, fuse panel, instruments (have them refaced), shift linkage, complete pedal assembly, engine/transmission, drive axles, wheels and steering rack. If it is VW front, forget the rack and check for suspension needs per Tom McBurnie. angela

Thank you for the reply. Now of course the next question is, is this a smart thing to do? Or am I just adding cost to what would otherwise be a farily simple machine. The 914 is pretty rare, but VW parts are everywhere. I like the fact that I would have a five speed option and the rack and pinion steering. A lot fewer things to buy with my donor 914. Jeff

Depends on how you spec the car. If it is VW front suspension, then the VW beam, steering etc., go with it. Other than brakes, maybe axles, part of the steering column, turn signal switch, gas tank and the engine itself, a VW bug is not a very useful donor for a spyder replica due to the mid engine setup. You can use the transaxle with the ring/pinion flipped, but it will be a 4 speed. A 914, especially if the car is so spec'd is actually a more useful donor.

It would also move you from T1 to T4 powerplant. I don't know much about either one, but I can tell you in STOCK configuration, the T4 is considerably more powerful.

Give Thunder Ranch a shout and run your ideas past them. See what the cost of the kit would be to use your 914 as a donor versus a VW donor. angela

A 914 engine (Type IV) originally came in at least 3 sizes, 1.7, 1.8, and 2.0 ltr. Obviously some are better performers than others,some are FI, and all are more expensive to upgrade than are type I engines.

However, it is a better starting point than is a Type I....see Jake Raby RAT site for a lot of excellent details....plan to spend at least 30-50% $ more per HP on a Type IV than on a Type I, but the Type IV should deliver more HP much longer, all other things being equal.

If you plan to use a torsion bar car such as standard Beck or Thunder Ranch 550 the additional length of the type IV block will make for a very tight fit at the front of the engine.

There are also a couple of different 914 5 speeds, one is a side shift. I don't remember which is which...which one is more desireable....but one is.....also, some who have done the 5 speed 914 transmission conversion have suggested that first gear is hard to use, hard to shift to second, and geared too low for a light weight car to be useful. I don't know that to be true, just passing some things I have heard.

Like the type 4 engine, the 914 tranny is likely to cost much more to modify than a type I tranny....

Also, be aware that the type IV 5 speed is IRS, to use it in a swing arm car requires extensive modification, not for the faint of heart...yes it can be done, but it is not easy. I have evaluated these changes for my car and have avoided them because of all the work required and problems to be overcome. If I were to build a new car and could order it built accordingly then I might do it...otherwise, no, not for me.....just my opinion....

Thank you all for your replies. I will talk with the Thunder Ranch folks before I do anything rash. I am still about 12 months out on my project, but I am really looking forward to it. Jeff

My Type IV tranny was only about $900 and it had optimized gearing for my engine. That's a bargain if you sdo some shopping.

Jake does give great value for $$$ spent. Engines OR trannys.

Jack got his tranny as part of an engine/ transaxle combination anmd saved money due to that.. The retail cost of the tranny alone is 1595.00

TIV power is the absolute best way to retain the aircooled heritage that gives these cars their distinguished character... When you slap a radiator in it, its just another car.

Jake--interesting thing you posted about "air cooled heritage".
Not that I am a rich guy, but when I ordered my engine I could have
had any engine that is being put into Speedsters these days. Subaru, VW Rabbit, The Type I that the Ims use, and even a 6 cylinder Porsche, but I felt it important to get an air cooled engine since original Speedster came with that power, but I did insist on the BEST air cooled engine I could find. I did want the power and sound of the Porsche Speedster, as experienced in the 50's. That's the reason I went for the Type IV created using the Porsche 914 case.

Just my opinion and personal feeling. I admire the SAS stuff and the IMs with the 6 cylinder Porsche engines and Beck's Rabbit power plants. Hell, anything "Speedster" or "Spyder" is great by me. To each his own--right?

Thanks for what you created for me. It fills the bill for me perfectly.