please let me know what you guys think of a 110hp GTI engine in my beetle.
Am i going the right way, keeping in mind this car is mainly used for motorsport?

Uh oh! seeds of doubt!

Wrong palce to ask THIS question dude!

Go to STF on "conversion perversion" if ya want the warm fuzzy answer.

PERSONAL OPINION - buy Matras 45 Del - what ever the price.
Talk to V Force and build that air cooled into a Jak beater!

Hey - "nothing" really wrong with what ya doing. Just too much bloody work. I prefer the "other" road

Go for it :thumb breath some life into the old girl


What class would it run in?

imho. any fast vw is good. But u have to say something about a fast VW powered aircooled VW motor, just something about it.

i feel your presence, dak vader...

my 2c: play with your flat four, make it boogie, keep it real
(no mention of engine numbers this time)

I suppose you are talking about a Golf type engine.?
Cast iron block, very high centre of gravity....
Seems nice that it is a VW engine but if you are going to that much trouble then there are probably a lot better options of engine swaps. even though they annoy the old schoolers.......

Why wreck a good Beetle, every one that gets the chop from an engine swap is one more that is lost, or needs a lot of work to get it back to original spec's.
If you want to race with a GTI engine, why don't you use the vehical that it was intended for, a Golf. It's still a VW!

Rob........

do some serious mods on a t4 motor. flat 4, aircooled and BIG, also, maybe a corvair flat6?

the golf motor from the info i can find weighs only 16lbs more than a complete type 1 engine!
im not really chopping my beetle up too much as this is something i had to seriously think about, but the body isnt the greatest either.
i have had a 1916 which was nice, but i was not impressed with it, and i dont think it would have made the 110 hp the GTI motor does.
just wanted opinions between using the golf motor as compared to a subi or rotary conversion.
and its too late to go back now as i have already run the water pipes and have the adaptor plate with the engine coming very soon

hell ya :thumb

Go for it VWRC, theres plenty of good VW beetles around still. So chopping one up for low cost extra power for motorsport is no big deal IMHO.
There was a T3 fastie around Melb with a Gold motor fitted. Thats got a V6 commode motor in it now. Fully street legal and a fast beast too.
I can remember years ago in NZ seeing a beetle with a mid mounted Valiant Hemi slant 6 motor. Was chain driven to the VW gear box.
What ever works for U. Its your car.

Also gotta say that after watching the Mazda rotarys at the drags on friday, I would fully consider shoving one of these motors into a VW if I was after speed. :thumb

On Bris31 (the local community tv station) this week here in brissie they had a beetle with a GTI golf motor in it on the auto motor sport show.

was a really nice job especially the way the air vents were molded into the bonnet, it had a one piece front which tilted forward. Also one of those changy colour pain jobs

Go for it, if it doesn't turn out dump a wrx motor in or a porsche flat6

I've got nothing against jamming a water pumper in it, but I would wonder is 110HP is worth the effort. At least with a suby motor you can get some decent HP figures.

have you already bought the golf motor? what about a VR6 motor - it's probably not much bigger than the 4 cyl version, and you're starting with 128kW with plenty of room for improvement...

Just to throw a cat in amongst the pidgeons - ever thought about any of the Toyota 4AG family of engines ?

All 1600cc alloy block (I think ?) twin cam EFI, went from 77kw, 100kw, 123kw (5 valve per cylinder, 9000rpm redline) and also two supercharged versions that put out about 120kw or so.

Very cheap engines, several versions were australia delivered (ie not Jap import) so spares like oil filters are available through Repco. Small, light, revvy and pretty powerful.

But the GTI engine is a cool idea. I reckon if you have the engine and the adaptor plate / clutch already, do it now. If it doesnt have enough power, get a golf supercharger kit. It is still doesnt have enough power, drop an EJ20T in it

Be unique and individual and enjoy your car.

a VW EJ20 music to the ears of any speed freak VW owner that is right after the big PPSSHHHHHHH sound coming from the turbo :bounce

the weight of the motor should be your biggest consideration, with power being second, on any VW that you want to go around a corner.

you can get some good power out of an air cooled dub, but it's very very expensive compared to a jap import motor, and they dont seem to be that reliable when running on the razors edge, such as in competition. (compared to late model stuff)

My suggestions are suzuki 1300cc and turbo (all alloy motor), the subaru offerings (though they are pretty heavy for an alloy motor) or a honda (or similar all alloy) V6 motor. If the 4 cyl honda motors rotated in a normal direction they wopuld be ideal, but they dont, so it'd be too much of a pain in the arse to run one.

All only suggestions, and my opinion only.

if it was a mild street car I'd say you'd be daft to not use an air cooled motor, but I'm guessing it'll be a track terror?

i seriously think you are going the wrong way. you can get an air cooled motor to get up and boogy with no worries. as long as it is set up right, and by the right person. the bug is already set up for the original motor going for the golf motor will mean having to find a place to mount radiator and getting sufficent cooling to it as well. running water lines engine mounts. weight!!! it really is up to you, but i would much prefer to stick to the air cooled unit anyday....

if the motor doesnt perform, then a bigger cam and head work will follow, but im sure it will go better than the 1916 i had.
subaru 1800 produces roughly 90 hp from figures i have seen ( EA81),
if that motor still doesnt go too well after some extra work then i will consider turbo charging it!

to me the expense and hassle seems more than it is worth for 110bhp, but it's not me doing it .
can i make a sugestion. if you are fitting the golf motor, why not fit the golf g.box aswell.
mid mounted E/W golf motor, poss 5 speeds, improved weight dist. etc.
just a thought.
yes you loose the space behind the front seats but you gain a boot in the back

GTI motor is 110kw not hp if your talkin about new ones.

Plus.. you should be able to do wheelstands with that long heavy motor hanging back there.
Though that probably wont help on the corners.:thumb