Little Ugly Grows Up

Bill Dunster’s Six Conversion Represents What a Little Refinement Can Do For a 914

Republished with permission from the January 2016 issue of Fourteener Motoring Magazine.

Sit back and imagine, if you will, what would the 914-6 have been like had Porsche continued its development? What would the sixes have become had their production continued? More engine? Maybe a 2.4 liter? Side-shift transmission? 911 suspension? A more refined interior? It is fun to speculate.

It is quite likely, however, that the 914-6 would have transformed into something very close to Bill Dunster’s six conversion. Or at least we would hope so.

Bill, who is no stranger to Porsche cars, didn’t go looking for a 914. Rather, he happened onto one that he didn’t really want. As painter by trade, a customer owed him for painting his airplane. When the customer suggested that he give Bill his 914, which was sitting outside in a weed-infested field at the airport near Charlotte, North Carolina, Bill explained that he didn’t really want the car. The customer persisted, and finally, Bill agreed to take it home.

After working to get the 1971 914 running, he nursed it the 10 miles to his house on 2 or 3 cylinders. Although Bill fell in love with the car during that drive, it didn’t stop the car from getting its nick name. “It’s little, and it sure is ugly,” his sister said when she saw it. And it stuck. From that point on, the car was called “Little Ugly.”

That was 21 years ago. Today, “Little Ugly” isn’t so ugly anymore. In fact, it may represent what could have been in the next iteration of the Porsche 914. It is easy to imagine the refinements in this car being the natural progression of the factory 914-6.

But the transformation of this beauty was slow in the making. Bill initially painted the car white because that was the color he had left over from painting one of his customer’s airplanes. That was his first attempt to “cover the ‘ugly’ up,” as he puts it.

Next came the engine. Bill was given the opportunity to install flares on a 911. Since the friend that owned the 911 was installing a Corvette V8, he offered to pay for the bodywork by giving Bill the 2.4 liter MFI 6-cylinder engine, as well as the original 911 oil tank, from the car. With the new powerplant in hand, Bill fabricated an engine mount, and drove the 6-conversion, with its white paint, for about five years.

In 2003, Bill decided that it was time to “refinish the car correctly.” He stripped the entire chassis to bare metal and started over. The 914 had gone “off road” when it was dropped off of a tow dolly by a previous owner. So the whole front end, from the shock towers forward, was replaced. A complete 911 Carrera front suspension was installed. At the same time he converted the rear hubs to 5-bolt.

Next, the 914 received 1986 944 turbo front calipers, a 19 mm master cylinder, and stainless steel brake lines. When it came time to choose a color for the car, Bill knew exactly what he wanted: Viper yellow. He used PPG 2021 clear over the base coat. As you might expect, the paint is stunning.

Once the body and suspension was done, Bill returned to the engine for more improvements. In 2013, the 6-cylinder was so worn that the valves could hardly be adjusted. It was time for a rebuild. Bill went all out, while maintaining the drivability of the 2.4 liter. It received 911 E cams, JE pistons with 9.5:1 compression, and 911 S heads. He also traded the MFI for Zenith carbs, and replaced the engine mount with a factory unit. He now has a factory 914-6 oil tank, and external oil cooler and fan. Finally, the car has been converted to a side-shift transmission, which makes it a joy to drive.

The only thing left to finish was the interior. This past summer, Bill had the seats reupholstered with all new leather, and yellow threading. He also recovered all of the other interior pieces in the same material except for the rear firewall pad, and door panels, which he left stock. The interior of the car now looks as new as the body.

These days the car gets a lot of action at autocrosses, driver education classes, and simply driving whenever Bill finds the time to put it through its paces. He also recently started another teener project. This time a black on black 1973, with a 2056cc engine. If “Little Ugly” is any indication, his new car may very well turn into “Black Beauty.”

Even though Bill obviously likes to tinker, it is driving “Little Ugly” that gives him the most pleasure. And why not? Bill imagined what the factory 914-6 might have become, and built it himself. As you cruise down the road in this yellow gem, you are instantly transported back to the mid-70s, with some modern refinements.