I'm sure the Porsche pursists would frown upon this.

But aside from that and in reality, once you get nickel and dimed for all the extra parts along with having to endure some amount of headaches in getting it to run perfectly/fitment/modifications/etc. one of Jake's motor rebuilds then begins to look like a good alternative.

The other thing to consider is maintenance items and whether they will require the entire engine to be dropped to perform certain maintenance items or not.

You have to consider also if this is a lifetime car or something that's more temporary as it will affect resale value.

As a reference, there was/is a '99 996 with a v8 conversion on ebay having a really hard time selling and even meeting a low reserve. It's been relisted a few times already and the last time, it didn't even hit 11k if that says anything.

IMO, IMS is a reality and something all 996 Porsche owners should know and accept in owning a 996. It's part of the "package".

Just like BMW owners that know that the waterpump WILL fail at some point but they still like it and enjoy driving it.

 

These numbers are far off from what I was told by Renegade when I spoke with them about 2-3 weeks ago. I was quoted a price of $30,000 to have this done by them. $10,000 for labor, $10,000 for the engine and about $10,000 for all the other custom items supplied by Renegade That is too much for me. The new numbers seem much better so I wonder what the difference is?!?!

And I mean no disrespect directed to Scott or anyone else at Renegade, and I'm sure they'll read this at some point, but WTF! I'm not sure why they high balled me and then gave out these new numbers when I expressed how expensive the conversion was. Now I am going to be really curious to see how low the price can really go. By the way, I visited their shop in Las Vegas and was all set to do this conversion until the "30k" quote. Something is fishy here.

If the difference cannot be explained, I seriously question their reputation and integrity!

 

This was a great alternative many years ago when both mid 70' 911's had all sort of 2.6L engine cooling issues (due to Porsche refusal to use cats until 1978) and a well built small block Chevy was cheap. A friend of mine did a 75 911 (a low point in 911 history). No CPU and other electronics to worry about. No smog issues. The biggest issue was running coolant lines to the front and getting a radiator to cool it enough. He used a RSR front bumper cover which left room for radiator (5 core) down low. No room for A/C though. Numbers I seen today make no economic sense. If your motor is still good, just off the car and pick up a used 997S or even a 996TT. Cheaper, more reliable, and easier to sell later.

 

Hinson Supercars may develop something like this. We should start sending them emails. They put the LS series into just about everything and then sell a kit for it

 

This mod has nothing to do with worry and all to do with more power and reliability. The question now is just cost. Frankly, as soon as you start modding anything on the Porsche, it deviates from an original Porsche to something else. The question comes down to what we all are individually comfortable with. I don't ever plan on selling my P car so modding it are my real options.

But I respect the opinions of those who would rather leave their cars in original mint condition. To each his own. And this thread has to do with those who would rather investigate the option to mod the engine. That's it.

 

Agreed. If you want a Chevrolet, go buy one.



Putting a v8 in the 911 is sacrilegious. Having the flat6 is one reason I never turn on the radio.

 

Speaking of costs...

That v8 modded Porsche I previously mentioned finally sold for $10.5k...

Someone either got the car for free or the conversion for free.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...%3AMEWAX%3AVRI

 

Wow! Here is where it gets interesting. Scott over at Renegade told me he sold that car for more than $30k to some guy in Maryland. The more I think about this,the more suspicious I become about Renegade's claims of everything - ie mechanical reliability, performance stats, etc. I remember I asked him what the 0-60 times were and he just totally side stepped the question by saying that that time was not a proper metric on performance. hmmmm - Really!?! Road and Track, Car and Driver, Automobile to name a few cite that number in all their stats.

I think I have come to the realization that I would rather leave my car the way it is than to take a chance on the conversion from Renegade. Too much uncertainty for now and I am risk averse when it comes to either things I don't understand or when I suspect someone is not telling me the complete and truthful story. I believe there is a little of both going on with this conversion from Renegade.

Last comment to cover my butt: The opinions expressed here are just my opinions from my experience on this forum, my visit to Renegade in Las Vegas, and my discussion with Scott (I think it was him) from Renegade.

 

I'm doing a 911 Slantnose conversion to a SBC 350 with 915 tranny. Rod Simpson conversion parts, etc. I went to Renegade last month. Great guys and I'm glad they are doing this sort of business. They are having a LS kit for the Boxster, too. That will be killer. However, on the 996...I'm not so sure. By the time you add up all these parts, it's the cost of a used 996 all over again. The argument is always made though to get 400+ HP out of a Porsche engine will cost you BIG bucks...rather than a junkyard pull LS motor and some upgrades. Plus, maintenance costs are lower for a Chevy motor. On a 911 I say it's a good swap, 996 I don't know and a Boxster is insane (but definitely worth it).

As for 911's with a V8 being sacriligious...that's horse****. Porsche's been making 8 cylinder engines and RUF's new Porsche 997 is a V8. Honestly, once the Cayenne came into being I don't think there is such a thing as a pure Porsche anymore.

Resell value? You're spot on. You will NOT GET YOUR MONEY BACK...EVER. I've been following these conversion cars for a decade. Nobody is getting their money back out of them. Most get rid of them right after they get them done, too. Also, for some reason, they spends gobs of money on the motor/conversion and the car itself (body, interior, paint) ends up looking like s***. I've never understood that one. There just isn't a market for them used.

I think the kind of person that drifts towards doing this are the ones who enjoy working on P-cars more than driving them. Although, there's the exception. For me it was expenses with the dog leg 2.7L, it just wasn't worth dropping $8-10K for a rebuild (although, I think I could do it myself for less) and still have 160Hp in the end. I might as well get a Honda Civic...a Civic not a Civic SI. That just ain't right to have a sports car with 160Hp. Anyway, that's my story.

Project ongoing....

 

here's a guy who did one himself

http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/14756799-post625.html

 

So much electronics to modify in these cars for this to work. I see it but I don't believe it yet.

 

The LS1/LS6 swap is a getting to be fairly popular in the 944 crowd as well. Is it cheap? Don't fool yourself, you will still dump in 15k minimum to get the motor in and on the street. Renegade has a questionable reputation among the 944 guys, and a couple of companies have popped up in that group offering better parts and support at cheaper prices.

 

Dont worry.....I did this in a 240sx....the first couple of years it was expensive...it will get cheaper....

 

LOL, there's a BIG difference between the Porsche market and the Nissan market(Japanese cars for that matter).

There's always going to be Porsche owners willing to spend big bucks on things like this and as long as there is that type of demand, pricing will not be going down. Nissan owners on the other hand...cry at rims costing more than $600 for a set(no offense)... So that market is forced to adjust to get sales.

 

dammit..... i have a 350z......but i agree.....