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Doing up a Beetle

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Father and Son Team Learner Dubber

1 post · joined Dec 2009 ·

#753107
Hey guys, Newbies here 🙂 Dad and i want a project beetle to play with... What is the best year model to drop in a kombi motor (1.8 - 2.0? ) or alternatively a WRX EJ20 Turbo or Non-Turbo. Any advice is really appreciated. Dad had a 67, which was ther first car i ever drove.

DylanTheDubber Custom Title Time!

1,252 posts · joined Jun 2009 ·

#753111
Hi man, Get yourself a superbug. either a 71 or 72 superbug or 73 , 74 , or 75 superbug with the curved windreen and padded dash. These beetles are the most modern desgined suspention with strut front and IRS rear end. And those bugs will handle a Subi motor nicely but go subi EJ22 so theres no cutting and so on cause its easyer and cheaper. But dont go kombi motor. From Dylan

ian.mezz I never said, I could write or spell

3,913 posts · joined Sep 2004 ·

#753119
Father and Son Team wrote:Hey guys, Newbies here 🙂 Dad and i want a project beetle to play with... What is the best year model to drop in a kombi motor (1.8 - 2.0? ) or alternatively a WRX EJ20 Turbo or Non-Turbo. Any advice is really appreciated. Dad had a 67, which was ther first car i ever drove.
Make sure of the rules and regs.
If you want to be able to drive it on the streets.
Have lots of time and money.
If your dad doesn't even do the services on your family car, don't do it.If your both good with cars and repairs go for it.
you need to know something about how cars work or
Your better off paying to get the job done.

It took Mick58 ,years and ship loads of money, link below

http://aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=67295
😂🤪😂🤪😂
car forums. where a lot of peoples good intentions end up taking a good old car off the road forever never ever to see the road again. 🥲

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·

#753121
the type4 kombi engines are a bloody good robust engine, very strong and last forever in a bug, theyre just infinately more costly to build than a bug motor and need converting to upright which is why you dont see to many of them


if your even considering the turbo subi route you'll need an IRS car
the only way to get a quad cam motor to fit a bug neatly is to move the gearbox forward which can only be done with IRS trannys,

an IRS conversion isnt something i'd recommend for newbies on a first time build so that limits to superbugs which isnt a bad thing, they're far more common and have alot more handling potential than torsion bar bugs

colonel mustard Son of Jim - Creator of Good

2,829 posts · joined Feb 2009 ·

#753129
why these engines mate? whats wrong with a bit of 1916 power....

I think there is great potential in the jake raby style type 4 engines.... (search massive type 4)

i think you would want to be well mechanically minded or... have heaps pf cash to go the subaru option.

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#753183
Father and Son Team wrote:Hey guys,
Newbies here 🙂
Dad and i want a project beetle to play with...
What is the best year model to drop in a kombi motor (1.8 - 2.0? ) or alternatively a WRX EJ20 Turbo or Non-Turbo. Any advice is really appreciated. Dad had a 67, which was ther first car i ever drove.

type 4 Kombi engines are VERY expensive to overhaul or repair ..
and need to be changed to an upright engine [tinware etc]

the subaru engines are also VERY expensive if You ever needed to overhaul one...
remember that installing a non VW engine into a VW isn't going to be easy.. or direct... lots of ?? questions...

the electrics are a nightmare for the ordinary person..

LEE

- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

colonel mustard Son of Jim - Creator of Good

2,829 posts · joined Feb 2009 ·

#753186
Father and Son Team wrote:What is the best year model to drop in a kombi motor (1.8 - 2.0? ) or alternatively a WRX EJ20 Turbo or Non-Turbo.

want to define what you mean (effort wise) by drop in?

BeetleJuice Officially Full-On Dubber

350 posts · joined Sep 2006 ·

#753290
colonel mustard wrote:why these engines mate? whats wrong with a bit of 1916 power....
I agree! ❗

Easy to get parts, no engineering requirements!

And you can get one built with warranty with 100+ HP😎

No need for a Bus Box etc. Dangerous could build you a bullit proof T1 box too!👍



CP
FringeDweller

barls Administrator Causer of Chaos and Mayhem

9,473 posts · joined Jun 2004 ·

#753314
BeetleJuice wrote:
colonel mustard wrote:why these engines mate? whats wrong with a bit of 1916 power....
I agree! ❗

Easy to get parts, no engineering requirements!

CP
actually legally you can got to 1800 without an engineers according to the ADRs.
anything above this you are required to have an engineers done by law.
t4 is good but expensive, they do last longer though. its a different sort of power to the t1. ask bizzare as he has the 1916 and i have the stock t4.
“We all pay for life with death, so everything in between should be free.” Bill Hicks
the chaos project - click me

hellbugged 48's and straight cuts

5,080 posts · joined Apr 2003 ·

#753324
go the subaru

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·

#753331
68AutoBug wrote:the electrics are a nightmare for the ordinary person..

LEE
thats where people like AMAuto make it easy, for a small price they do all the hard work with the electrical and send back a nice easy plug and play setup

colonel mustard Son of Jim - Creator of Good

2,829 posts · joined Feb 2009 ·

#753371
barls wrote:actually legally you can got to 1800 without an engineers according to the ADRs.
anything above this you are required to have an engineers done by law.
t4 is good but expensive, they do last longer though. its a different sort of power to the t1. ask bizzare as he has the 1916 and i have the stock t4.
Is this sydney, or all states? because that makes a 1776 sound more attractive to me!

DaveCarter Officially Full-On Dubber

285 posts · joined Aug 2009 ·

#753378
I know for sure (because we researched this before we got my car engineered) that in NSW any capacity increase of over 15% requires an engineers certificate and in NSW P platers can't drive a car with engineer certified engine modifications.

More pics at http://clubvw.org.au/david_carter1.htm
My beast at Warwick drags:
And at Marulan:

trickysimon 100km/h is only 9 seconds away

1,473 posts · joined Dec 2007 ·

#753389
😏

colonel mustard Son of Jim - Creator of Good

2,829 posts · joined Feb 2009 ·

#753394
So you're not on P's anymore Dave?

barls Administrator Causer of Chaos and Mayhem

9,473 posts · joined Jun 2004 ·

#753399
colonel mustard wrote:
barls wrote:actually legally you can got to 1800 without an engineers according to the ADRs.
anything above this you are required to have an engineers done by law.
t4 is good but expensive, they do last longer though. its a different sort of power to the t1. ask bizzare as he has the 1916 and i have the stock t4.
Is this sydney, or all states? because that makes a 1776 sound more attractive to me!
all states run on the ADR (australian design rules) its just some are more strict about it. ie NSW.
“We all pay for life with death, so everything in between should be free.” Bill Hicks
the chaos project - click me

colonel mustard Son of Jim - Creator of Good

2,829 posts · joined Feb 2009 ·

#753401
Cool, thanks for that info Barls 🙂

barls Administrator Causer of Chaos and Mayhem

9,473 posts · joined Jun 2004 ·

#753402
as ive said to a few people now putting the t4 in isnt hard its the other stuff you have to do like brake upgrades and gearbox mounts upgrades. once you change the tinware its a straight bolt in.
“We all pay for life with death, so everything in between should be free.” Bill Hicks
the chaos project - click me

helbus Administrator Mad fabricator, paint and body

7,386 posts · joined Sep 2002 ·

#753444
A friend of mine went to get an EH Holden registered a couple of weeks ago, and he had to have an engineers report because the 202ci engine was 10% larger capacity than the largest offered for that model, being a 179ci. This was in Vic, and there was no negotiation, he had to spend $858 getting the vehicle engineered and having the VASS certification done, and the only thing he had to do was fit rear seat belts and a tail shaft loop. No hearsay, no crap, this was fact, as I had to work the belts and loop for him. The bureaucracy would not allow him to register the vehicle any other way.
EJ22 into Bay Microbus - Finished project build thread- click on this spot here for info

dekkerboy Slammed & Awesome Dubber

96 posts · joined Oct 2009 ·

#753632
I would go with the 1915 because they are reliable and cheap and you get to play with a motor. 😂😂😂

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 ·

#753652
dekkerboy wrote:I would go with the 1915 because they are reliable and cheap and you get to play with a motor. 😂😂😂
cheap 😂😂
ummm wake up call........

barls Administrator Causer of Chaos and Mayhem

9,473 posts · joined Jun 2004 ·

#753654
to quote a wise man
cheap, reliable and fast, you can have two of the three easy. the third is a pain to achieve
“We all pay for life with death, so everything in between should be free.” Bill Hicks
the chaos project - click me