I got my beetles exactly 2 months and 5 days ago. When purchased the original purchase included 2 bugs and a motor (36hp with the 57 oval) The PO had purchased the two bugs with the plans of using the 63 for parts to fix the 57. They had sat in his yard for 1 year and when he purchased them the engine had already been seperated from the bug.

He also offered me some junk while I was their that he didn't think was worth 1 cent.

A 1600 DP with 1 head missing and the other head off, cylinders floating around and the whole engine generally rusting in the wheather.

I talked to my uncle Bob who did his mechanic apprentiship on bugs and his advice was that the rusty engine is better than no engine. Maybe it could be used as parts, because it didn't have a carby, exhasut, manifold, tinware, distributor. There was a seperat fan shroud and generator but at this stage I didn't know much about bugs. (You can learn alot about bug in a short space of time if your a tenacious bastard)

Anyway, I dragged all this stuff back to the house and loaded the crapped out 1600dp into the back of the Barina and took if to my Uncle's house in Toowoomba.
Upon closer inspection, it appears that this motor had been rebuilt but never run. And in not running the engine had seized. Then the PO, cracked a head on his daily so stole the head from the seized engine. So the valves on the good head were new and the bottom end was solid.

Over the next 2 months I would give Bobby a call each week and ask if he needed more money or what issues he had encountered.
He met a couple of really helpfull bug people along the way who gave us good deals on bits and bobs, especially a guy from Favourite Auto.

Some issues resolved:

1600
Found a head to replace the missing one.
Distributer drive gear had been installed incorrectly.
Bought a new muffler, rockers, tinware, distributor, carby.

36hp
Bobby rekons it was pretty hard to track down the Gasket set for this but found one.
Fan shroud, generator and everything you can imagine was filled with wasps nests. The generator was stuffed, so two second hand ones were sourced.
Replaced the fuel pump and distributor.

So there is a lot more there that I haven't covered because I wasn't there when it was happening. But this weekend I'm going back to Toowoomba to watch 'em start for the first time and bring them back!!!!

All up it has cost me about $900 to rebuild both motors.
Is that good or what?


36hp Before

When I get back I will post a video of the startup

Link - Video of engine running for the first time


Can anyone tell me what this Carby is? My uncle tells me its some kind of dual throat solex.
The problem we are having with it is that when the engine starts it just starts reving to the max without even touching the accelerator arm.

What can cause this? Vaccum leak?

Anyway we were able to start this engine once but then the bushing in the bell housing crapped out and the starter motor now binds to the bell housing so the engine won't turn.

I'm happy we got it going once though

Nice job. A lucky find and with some hard work a good score. I would love to see your barina with a 1600tp in the back!

900 bucks for 2 engines is pretty good as far as i know.

ive got receipts for over a grand for my 1600sp.

dpends what was done though.

On Sunday morning Uncle Bobby gave me a call because he found a bushing that fit the bell housing. I came over and we hooked up the little 36hp.

Link - Here is a video of it

This little thing purrs like a kitten. Not bad for a 50year old motor.

[ Edited on 20-8-2006 by doc5avage ]

Update:

My uncle called again and the motor's are finished and ready to be picked up!!!
The 1600dp is puring like a kitten, and the 36hp pump I got from Karmen is working like a champ.

If I get a chance to pick them up this weekend, I will definately be putting a motor into the 63 to test the gearbox.