Ok, so i bought this car knowing full well it needed a new engine, but i bought it cheap so that the engine cost doesnt exceed buying a complete bug.

anyway, need a new engine, simply easier, may possibly get larger size, the current is a 1200, and personally, its slow. the gearbox and all is 1200 stuff, and its not getting changed, so decency wise and going in a nice price tag to, what engine options do i have, perferably a complete setup, fuel system and all 'basically bolt in, drive away'.

As a 1200 you are sort of limited.

Best bang for buck would be to install a 1600 in there. Single or dual port. What ever you can get.

1200 parts are getting rare - and as you say, they dont exactly go all that fast

Is it 6v at the moment??

Probabally better if you convert to 12 volt while you are at it

What can you do your self??
Have ANY skills??

Can probabally pick up a good 2nd hand motor complete for $500ish and may be that again for parts for the 12 volt conversion.
So letscall it $1k if you do it yourself to $2k if you buy the parts and get some one to do it.

its already 12volt, i can do body work, and electrical, but engine wise, im not greatly confident, ive stripped an engine and rebuilt it. but it doesnt come as naturally as body and elect work.
my dad was a mech, he offered to help, plus hes a bug expert, but not up on costs and all, so hence asking here.

get a 1600 motor and box as the 1200 box you will be reving and not going anywhere as ratios are higher

so, best bet is a 1300, 1500 max?

the 1600's go heaps good with the 1200 gearbox, the short ratios give decent acceleration

Second hand 1300 will be cheaper, but also more likley to be flogged out.

It is difficult to "weber" up single ports.

At best -if you are lucky you can find Kad single port manifold.
May be they sell ICTWeber single port stuff... dunno.


Micks motors are 1600 dual port.
IF there is a down side it is they have cast cranks and "i think" flywheels as well.

Does it matter.. not really.

The increase over the 1200 will be more than enough

I'm mostly going for fuel economy, but abit more power is always nice, i do have the odd hill here and there.

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=48821 

There ya go

And i doubt ule find a better and more knowledgable seller than ^ :thumb

1600 engien has a different flywheel to 1200 engine - so doesn't really fit with a 1200 gearbox

53 Racer. Your profile doesn't tell us what area you are from! It would help if your location was there and maybe some of the forum members could help more.

As for the later flywheels fitting older boxes, we have seen 1500 flywheels in 36 hp boxes........ sorry guys, 1600 engines hadn't been invented then. That was a 1500S engine in a 1960 Beetle and there was very little problems getting that to fit.

As 1600 pots are easier to get, it costs less than some other sizes and who cares about those revs. The difference isn't that noticeable. A 1600 in a 40 hp box gives great pulling power and can be quite eco on fuel.

If you were close to me I'd bore a 1200 case for 1600 pots as long as the case was ok. Later 1200 cases with cam shells were quite often bored for use in 1500 and 1600 Type 3 engines. For general "sane" running they performed great.