Bodacious

I purchased a 911E with I am going to modify into a weekend warrior. I have a couple of questions about the engine. The car I purchased has a 2.4 MFI with S pistons and cams, but will probably need a topend rebuild. Should I put a different engine in the car? Are there any other MFI options, I am kind of leary of the carbs. I would like some mod suggestions to make this a fun, lightweight canyon carver. Thank you in advance.

RoninLB

only a non-experienced opinion

I believe a 2.7, S cams, and MFI is a higher rpm screaming fun engine. I imagine the heads will need to be worked for this combo at a place that specializes in 911 engines like Competition Engineering ?

party hearty

GrantG

Keep the MFI (and rebuilt it if necessary). An MFI system that is in top shape and well tuned is a joy that is unmatched by any other system IMHO (fantastic throttle response and induction noise).

Volney

Well... That engine would be nice enough when rebuilt.. But if you have to spend money on a rebuild you might as well look for more power.., becuase, well, why not!! And you will never regret it. I don't know why you are leary of the carbs unless you just don't want to fiddle with the fuel management ever. If they are in good shape and matched to the engine they should be great fun and the sound is pretty satisfying.

There are many different opinions and approaches. The most important is: what is your ultimate objective for this car and what budget constraints do you have?

If you want a high RPM screamer and you have budget to play with, a 2.7RS is hard to beat.. If you want a torque monster go with a 3.x ... Of course the more power you add the more implications there are for brakes and suspension, which of course effect your budget...

In any case, you have a light car that will gladly respond to whatever you do and you have a great platform to develop...

Have fun and let us know what your objectives and constraints are!

Vol

JCP911S

Before you start, decide whether this will be a street only, street/track, or track only car... that will definately influence how you set up the whole package.... you will want to do suspension and brakes, and (budget permitting) flares and wheels would be nice.

Read the Bruce Anderson book... lots of good engine options there... there pretty much is a "cookbook" on specific engines that work.... pick one and stick to the formula... don;t do it piecemeal. If new P&Cs are in the plan, you can also bump up the displacement for not alot more money... no substitute for cubic inches...( or litres)

I lke the MFI... IMHO it is the best for throttle response when properly set up... you may need your pump re-build ($800-1000)... but that is cheaper than carbs and money well spent.

You can also do an engine swap, but it will end up costing more than it looks on paper....I'd guess at least $7K plus... you can probably re-do you engine top to bottom for about the same money, and then you will have a brand new engine (not some 20-year old used one) that is period correct for you car...

Bodacious

I am looking to set the car up for street use only. I would like to spend total including the car $25k. Please keep the info and suggestions coming. Thank you in advance.

JCP911S

You are in the ballpark as long as the paint and interior on the car are ok.

Probably want to bump up the torsion bars a few clicks... don't get nuts here. Its a light car and you dont want your fillings hammerd out. I'd stay below 20mm in front and 28mm in rear. The exact combo depends on wherther you plan to flare the fenders or not.... (the more rubber you have on the rear, the more differential you can have on the front and rear springs)... and personal preference on ride quality vs ultimate handling... do a little research here and decide what you want... torsion bars are pretty cheap, but install will be a bit pricey... make sure you tell the guy installing them what ride height you want.... this is the time to do it... you will want the car lowered at least an inch... again, this is a matter of personal preference... see what you like and what looks good. Expect to pay a bit under $1K for the bars and alignment.

Adjustable sway bars are nice... but not absolutely necessary on a street car... Sway bars allow you to dial oversteer onto or out of the car at the handling limit.....but if you ever get into this space on the street, well...I'd advise not getting into this space on the street...at 7/10ths if you get the torsion bars basically right, the factory bars should be adequate. Weltmeisters are ok for the street... budget another $1K or so for them if budget permits.

Once you have this stuff set, probably get your shocks replaced or re-valved. Which you do depends on what kind are on the car now... most Es have had the front suspension converted... then tell the dealer what the rest of your setup is and they can do a recommendation on what to use to match.

If your bushings are shot (and they probably are on a 30-year old car), do them too. Stick with stock bushings if possilbe... IMHO do NOT use poly bushings... they are harsh and squeek and you will hate them... if you cannot go stock (some of the bushings are not available as replacements) try Elephant Racing bushings... they are really a bearing not a "bushing"... and are really quiet... they are expensive, and will add some harshness, but bushings really affect how the car drives... it is worth doing it right.

Think of the suspension as a system... all the parts have to match and work together, and plan accordingly... lay out your end game, and do it once.... changing things around can get awful expensive.

For the street the stock brakes are probably adequate. Just use high performance fluid and pads. The thing with big brakes is not that they stop that much better on a single stop... that is more a function of the tires.... its really about how much heat they can deal with on repeated hard use... important on the track, but frankly, if you are driving hard enough on the street that you NEED Brembo/Turbo brakes, I'd say slow the f**k down!!! But if you can afford them, they are cool.

Wheels and tires are the next step. You can get 6" Fuchs (15" or 16") with 205 section tires on your car front and rear with no body mods. Get good tires and this is perfectly adequate for a light car such as the E.... you should be able to gat a nice set of wheels for $500-600, and you can get them refinished for about $150 a piece if you want....go with flares, and sky's the limit...

Budget $8-10K for a motor rebuild and I would say you are around $15K for the whole deal... and this will be a sweet little street machine.

r911

Personally, I would replace every piece of rubber in the suspension - either use new rubber or the Elephant items -- and/or the Wevo spring plate setup. It's a DIY job, but fairly dirty & sweaty. Most of the cost is for labor. The rubber is old and either hard or cracked or broken down by now -- it will really change the way the car handles and the way it rides.

A newer engine may bump you out of your class. I'd stick with the nice motor you have but yes, a rebuild could easily be in the future.

JCP911S

Yes, good suggestion to use adjustable spring plates this makies it much easier (cheaper) to set the ride height in the back.... probably half pay for themselves.

Also, if you ever do decide to track the car, it will be a nice beginner car... but if you have any plans at all to do club racing, either leave the engine in stock trim, or just plan on buying another car at that point.

r911

PS - the cheap way is to buy used ones from about 1977 & later wrecks

but see the recent Pelican thread re the Wevo ones being cost effective in the long run (IIRC, it related to things you didn't have to buy extra)

Bodacious

Wow!! Thank you for the great information. I have to get shopping ASAP.