Hi all,

Just a quick question - What's the average Km/h for 1200, 1300, 1500 and 1600 VW engine on a freeway? My current car doesn't go over 100km/h on the freeway and i just want to get an idea of what to expect in my VW and how much of a difference the size of the engine makes .

Thanks so much !
DEB

well my baja with its 1600 single port does 100 easily though i wouldnt take it much further than that....ive had it to 75MP/H but it didnt feel too safe.......my super bug with its 1600 twin port engine does 110KM/h fairly easily.....as for the rest i couldnt tell you

[Edited on 16-6-2004 by Anthiron]

i dunno about beetles, but if u want scarey, try a Ford Laser (80s model) with 3 people, luggage and surfboards @ 100kph with storm-force sidewinds! (the darn thing is bad enough at 100 without the winds or extra weight)

My 1300 Beetle will get up to 70 miles an hour eventually (actually it doesn't take all that long on level ground). At this speed though it takes on a very different feel. All of a sudden the steering is much lighter for example and I get the feeling that it wasn't meant to go that fast.

It really feels like you're straining the engine at this speed too. and it sucks going up hills. I take my car out on the F3 every so often just for kicks and when you hit the hill just before the Mt Colah exit, it really kills your speed.

Yeah i can easily get over 100kmh in my stock bug, it just is scary if your suspension is 40 years old like mine

I once found the formula for top speed of a car, the factors are

- engine power
- wind resistance

I had my stock 1600 dyno'd @ 39RWHP, with a 0.44 drag coefficient (found on the net). The formula gave approx 130KMH

I've never taken it that fast because even at about 120kmh i'm gripping the steering wheel really tightly!

festy(1600tp) will cruise hapily on 65/70 mph, 75 gets a wee bit too hairy (namely fear of not stopping!)! I stick to 65ish caus I hate fixing things. Hills suck too!

out of curiosity wen one has bigger wheels (like the mad buggie peeps?) how does that affect the reading? (i know it sounds like a dumb q. but hey!).

mmmm.....volkswagen!

with a worked 1776 mine likes 130km/h, and will top out +170km/h which is very scary:puke:puke

my '60 bug with completely stock engine (36hp) can make it over 110km on downhill parts of the freeway or if there is some wind lol so I can take it up to 110km but I don't....just doesn't feel safe, very hard to control...

Cool - that's what i thought - I'm not really into speeding at more than 110 km/h ! (my current car shakes like it's having a fit if i take it over 100km/h !!)

its not jsut about the size of the engine. you have to consider the gearbox and tire dimensions. i got a 1200 beetle that can achieve a higher top speed than my old 66 did with a 1641. reason was the 66 had 195/50/15 tires, which were jsut too small. you can bet i changed the tires pretty smart, once realised.

I drove my 1600tp stocker(apart from extractors and different jets) in my 68' beetle to 85mph (about 135 km/h) once for about 20 secs. The car is a touch lighter at the moment because I got rid of the rear seats but it was actually pretty stable at that speed. I didnt really have to push it that hard to get there, but as I was doing 4600rpm and didnt want to push it further. A fifth gear would possibly send me up to 150kmh. I was in a pretty excited mood at the time and I intend on not doing that again tho..

Cheers,
Josh

I've taken my 1600 beetle to 87 mph with extractors and single webber carby . After I built my 1916 and ran it in I managed 80mph in third and somewhere between the oil pressure and generator light . I found that if you go for longer periods at high speed the carby develops a whole in the body . Its hard to explain but I'm sure its happened to a couple of you guys/girls . I've found that to make sure the car is more stable at speed the wheel bearings should have adequate freeplay and the steering dampaner is working . I also like to have a tighter steering box . But thats a personal preference

my old twinport 1600 was weird........ extractors and 34 pict carb and it use to rev freely to 6 grand......... mybaja use to get to about 150...... with 235 75/s on thew bak and 185/75 14's on the front......... very strange coz te motor was vstock and had no bearings........ it would eat superbugs for lunch

i used to cruise the m2 in my 1500 beetle at around 75mph

[Edited on 22-6-2004 by cray]

when i was taking the splitty down for the new motor. i decided what the hell and jsut put the foot into it, like always bit this time for the whole trip. my mate on his bike behind, come along side and pointed at his speedo and then shouted why are we doing this ( refering to the new motor). i responded cause the motor was sad and needed a fresh start, and said why. he said i was doing a 140 to 145, then jsut shrugged his shoulders and proceeded to follow at a distance that he thought he could safely avoid any engine bits that might head his way.

now i have the 1176 which i gotta say runs a treat. i can tell you now, i get a bit more than that.

the new twin port 1600 in andreas roadster has done 120 on the eastern freeway with threeup and and an eighty kilo crate of recoerds on the way to the jamboree. reguarly sits on 110 but abit floaty.

I think my 1600 TP in my 64 had seen 80MPH a couple times, the car was stable coz of my fat tyres, but I didn't do this speed for long as I didn't want to throw a rod!

I think my 1600 TP in my 64 had seen 80MPH a couple times, the car was stable coz of my fat tyres, but I didn't do this speed for long as I didn't want to throw a rod!

comfortabe cruising in my superbug (when I had it and was in 1 piece) was about 60mph...much faster and it had cooling problems.

I did reguarly get it to 95mph on the big dipper (mooney-mooney) on the F3 though. Never could get it to crack 100mph....LOL

was a wild ride at that speed. I had to drive every day from nth ryde to newcastle for 6 months until I bought a V8 VQ statesman. The beetle never let me down once though the motor was almost totally fried by the end, needing new heads, pistons and barrels. The statesman however broke down on a daily basis.

my old 72 sbug with its 1700cc and twin barrel webber would cruise at 110-115km easily, but with a stock t4 2 litre it does the same but is less thisty.

I owned a '72 super with a 1776 and took it to 140kph before backing off as I was running retreads. I currently have a '59 (completly stock with a 36hp) that I run at 70mph vutually everyday on the way to work.

It once took the '59 to Sydney and once past Goulburn I was able to hold 70mph easily even going up slight hills, big hills were a different story though!

I've never had my 73 superbug with 1835 and kadrons wound out properly (run out of courage on the free way !) but have hit 150 frequently and it cruises happily between 110 and 120. Will have to run it out one day just to see......

I get the feeling there might be more power hiding in my motor somewhere.....

My old 71 super with a stock sp1600 could be taken up to 85mph for short bursts..........but the amazing thing is my girlfriends old 72 super with a 1600sp would have done at least 50 trips to sydney from canberra and back without breaking down once, except for one tire blow out. HOWS THAT!!! and it use to cruise between 110 and 120 the whole way.
Man that was an awesome car.

I had a 67bug with a 1200g/box and a 1640 in it. It got up to 140km/h and felt like it had a bit more as well. But, I didn't feel real safe at that speed. It started to get real floaty in the rear. :o