I have a friend who came up with a good question and I was wondering if
someone may have done it?
He asked me if I had ever heard of someone taking a 914 and stripping it down to the pan and mounting a Beetle body on it?
Asking a question for a friend?
- Dave_Darling
- Posts: 2534
- Joined: Thu Apr 27, 2000 12:01 am
Nope. I've heard of plenty of people talking about it, but never anyone doing the job.
Note that the 914 has unit-body construction, so you can't very easily just "take it down to the pan". And if you did, you'd find that the bodies are different sizes and shapes, so you can't really bolt a Bug body onto it.
You can, if you are motivated, turn your 914 into a tube-frame or semi-tube-frame car, and hang Bug body panels off of that. But it's quite a bit of work...
--DD
Note that the 914 has unit-body construction, so you can't very easily just "take it down to the pan". And if you did, you'd find that the bodies are different sizes and shapes, so you can't really bolt a Bug body onto it.
You can, if you are motivated, turn your 914 into a tube-frame or semi-tube-frame car, and hang Bug body panels off of that. But it's quite a bit of work...
--DD
- Class 11 streeter
- Posts: 4083
- Joined: Sun Nov 11, 2001 12:01 am
914 = wide body
Beetle = narrow body
The 914 does not just unbolt from it's 'pan' (ala beetle) either as the engine is right in the middle of everything.
Now, I am not trying to discourage someone's creative vision, but if your friend wanted a beetle that could hang with a 914 in corners, a Super beetle would be a much better platform for such an effort.
By now the 914 guys are no doubt snickering at the idea any beetle could hang with a 914, but I say it can be done...........if the beetle is given the right dose of Porsche parts and the owner has skills.........or a fat wallet.
Beetle = narrow body
The 914 does not just unbolt from it's 'pan' (ala beetle) either as the engine is right in the middle of everything.
Now, I am not trying to discourage someone's creative vision, but if your friend wanted a beetle that could hang with a 914 in corners, a Super beetle would be a much better platform for such an effort.
By now the 914 guys are no doubt snickering at the idea any beetle could hang with a 914, but I say it can be done...........if the beetle is given the right dose of Porsche parts and the owner has skills.........or a fat wallet.

So you think your project is taking forever eh? Well you've got nothing on me.....
-
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2008 1:18 pm
Question for a friend?
Thanks,
I sent the infomation to my friend he was left a 76 914 by his uncle and he has a 66 bug! He didn't want to do his swap like I did so I asked the question for him?
I sent the infomation to my friend he was left a 76 914 by his uncle and he has a 66 bug! He didn't want to do his swap like I did so I asked the question for him?
- Class 11 streeter
- Posts: 4083
- Joined: Sun Nov 11, 2001 12:01 am
Your friend sounds like he has 2 fine aircooled cars to wrench on. Each has it's own personality and they will look good in the driveway together.
Tell him we wish him good luck and feel free to join STF like you did!
Tell him we wish him good luck and feel free to join STF like you did!

So you think your project is taking forever eh? Well you've got nothing on me.....
-
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2008 1:18 pm
Check out this pic?
Check this pic out I was sent? It's a 914 stripped!


- Dave_Darling
- Posts: 2534
- Joined: Thu Apr 27, 2000 12:01 am
Looks like "URY914"s car. It's an autoX specialist, ultra light weight with good suspension and sticky tires. Not even remotely streetable, but boy I bet it's fun between the cones! He has a big snorkel on it now for engine intake air.
The body is all fiberglass, and there's just enough 914 sheet metal for it to qualify as a "914" in the outfits he runs with.
You could probably find a way to use Bug panels on that, but they would likely require a whooooole lot of stretching, maybe some shrinking, and other customization to work. Interesting project, but not one I'd ever tackle. (Then again, I don't weld or do body work. And I'm lazy.
)
--DD
The body is all fiberglass, and there's just enough 914 sheet metal for it to qualify as a "914" in the outfits he runs with.
You could probably find a way to use Bug panels on that, but they would likely require a whooooole lot of stretching, maybe some shrinking, and other customization to work. Interesting project, but not one I'd ever tackle. (Then again, I don't weld or do body work. And I'm lazy.

--DD