1966 engine upgrade?

[setho]

Hi all:

My first post here. I recently purchased a '66 911 and had it shipped here to the east coast from California. It's a nice rust free car, but a much more of a project than I expected. I'm a bit frustrated that the people I had do the PPI weren't totally up front about the issues the car has, but it's mine now. (Never fall in love with a pretty face!)

The engine in it is a 2.7L from a 1977. The main case stud is pulled and epoxied in place. Two cylinder heads are leaking pretty bad and causing low compression. In general, it runs like crap, backfiring, etc.

When discussing with my local shop, we talked about what it would take to do a rebuild, and it seems more economical (haha) to put in a 3.2 Carrera engine than to rebuild the 2.7....

Have any of you done such an upgrade with your SWB cars? What have been the pluses and minuses? Any ideas on cost would be appreciated, since I really don't know what to expect, or what would be fair for this type of job.

Thanks for any feedback you can provide. I look forward to learning from all of you.

Seth

[Jim Breazeale]

My opinion. Yup, they are like a**holes, everybody has one.
The cheapest and most expeditious way to get you car back on the road would be to put in a 3.0 or 3.2 complete engine. You will have to deal with the flywheel issue but that can be easily overcome (with money). You didn't buy this car from a guy in the Bay Area, did you? Who did the PPI?

Regards

Jim

[AlexJ]

On a SWB, I would never go further than a 2.2 or 2.4... With carbs, off course!
For many reasons...

[setho]

I don't want to make it seem like it's a junker, because it's not. It's actually a solid little car with a lot of little niggling issues.

I'd prefer not to name names just yet. I don't think it's fair, since we haven't gotten too far into the car. But what was a long paragraph from those who performed the PPI, was a 3 page list from my local shop.

I feel that I probably overspent on the car overall. But, try finding a car in similar condition here in New York or in Connecticut is near impossible without spending significantly more than I did.

I could drive the 2.7 as is, knowing that it's got issues, and knowing work is going to have to be done down the line.

I was just looking at a 3.2 installed in an early '70s 911 which was done a few years ago, and the owner loves it. He gets in and DRIVES it, which is exactly what I want to do.

Seth

[dporsche74]

why not find a 66 solex engine to put back in

[AlexJ]

why not find a 66 solex engine to put back in

Best off all, in case it is affordable!

[Jim Breazeale]

Best off all, in case it is affordable!

You can buy a complete 3.2 engine for the cost of a set of Solex Carbs, manifolds and aircleaners sold in some circles, not including the the cost of the engine.
Affordable? Not!

[50/50]

Post some WTB's for a running and complete 2.2 with documentation and bills. I picked up a very nice MFI 2.2S motor and put my 2L on the shelf. Very cost effective. I suppose it's
what you want the car to be. The 3.2 is the 350 SBC of the Hot Rod Long Hood world. Sturdy, bullet proof and ordinary.

[304065]

Heh, another traveler on the '66 path. Here's my trail of bread crumbs. . . .http://forums.pelicanparts.com/911-e...-901-05-a.html Good luck!

[Flunder]

It would be way better just to sell the car and buy another running car already done with a 3.2 if that's what you want.