Boxster Engine in a earlier 911...?

Question

Has anyone heard of a Boxster engine being placed in a older 911>

I know it's water cooled versus air-cooled, and it can be done. I am curious to see if it has been done. Like a 2.5L or 2.7L

Thanks!

Answer 1

there is a great article in a magazine called grassroots motorsports about someone who put a modern 3.2 911 engine is a old school 70's 911. it was anything but a direct swap. custom motor mounts insane driveline issues. i dont know how old of a 911 you are thinking but a 70's style with a modern boxter engine would be a perfect balance. cooling system is pretty low on the concern level.

Answer 2

A little bit of misinformation here - first, the Boxster engine is basically the same block as you'd find in the same year 911, so fitting the Boxster engine into an older 911 would be no more difficult than fitting a similar aged 911 engine into the older car... however, while I have heard such a swap discussed, I've never seen one done. Engine swaps with newer air cooled engines (from the 993 or 964) into the older cars are fairly common, but the water cooled era?

I suppose at some point we may see it happen, and the fact that the 2.5L Boxster engine is common, and the one most likely to be removed from a Boxster for an upgrade could make it cost effective enough (and would probably make for a nice match in an older R Gruppe style 911). The big problem is the fact that it hasn't been done. With the swap of a 3.6L engine from a 993 to an older 911, there are many kits available that contain all of the special parts that need to be used to fit the newer engine into the older chasis. To do this with the Boxster engine, there is no such item available and all parts would have to be fabricated.

You'd also have to have someone work out a design and fabricate all the needed items for the radiator. I am not sure how the newer watercooled engines would run with carbs or other common FI changes common on such swaps, but you would have at least some minor added expense getting this set up and working. Or a more major expense dropping in an aftermarket management system. A custom made exhaust would most likely be needed as well.

All of which means that you are looking at a cost of somewhere in the $15-25k range, plus the cost of the engine. Compare with the many many options of older air cooled engines (and the fact that Boxster engine is not a true dry sump), and it seems like a lot of trouble for little gain.

The main plus to this route would be that once done, you could potentially put together and sell a kit based on what you had fabricated. But that would only work out as a plus if enough other people wanted to go a similar route and were willing to pay as much for that as they would be to go with a 3.6L or 3.2L 911 engine.

Answer 3

technically, its possible, but overall a stupid idea, and ive never heard of it being done. The watercooled 911 engines would be a much better and easier fit. If youre going to sink that much into the car, might as well put a better motor in.

its like spending 20 grand to put a 944 engine into a boxster, but then not opting for the turbo version.


edit: The 911 motors will pretty much all direct swap into the older body (+some radiator routing and such). Porsche designed pretty much all of their motors to be very very compatible with eachother (pretty much everything on the air cooled cars was swappable between motors, and many things on the WC can be used on the AC).

I know the boxster is a 911 based engine, but the transmission on it makes it a more dificult beast, and the routing of all the radiators and such is very different.

Answer 4

Most engine upgrades in older 911s involve newer, turbocharged engines. I can think of little reason to put the Boxster's engine in a 911, although it would certainly be possible.

Answer 5

your car might get worse if you change the engine i suggest no.