Hey Guys, just picking your brains for simple ideas on things I can do to get a bit more power out of my 73 bug. The 1916 engine is looking way off at the moment, so I'm trying to get a little bit more "normalness" into the Colonel (which is my cars name).


Basic stuff! - Stage 1

New clutch cable, that is the correct length, and clutch return spring.
Set up of pedals (you should see how far my brake pedal goes down


gear shift bushes
Steering dampener.


Momo (ferrari) steering wheel


Any suggestions for other stuff that will just make my 73 feel more like a car than a poorly driving go-cart, its just feeling a bit off at the moment. I think it may even need new ball joints, the rubber is pretty bad on them.

Stage 2!


Kadrons
Getting these once i get some cash from K-rudd! Im thinking they will give me a fair bit more go, off the line that is, thats what annoys me most about the car right now, the fact that i have the rev it heaps and slip the clutch real slowly. The 34pict just has no responce. A friend of mine has kadrons on his 1776, and dont expect that power, but I do expect that responce.


Alternator style fuel pump (this is more for my piece of mind, I really dislike that the gen style pump is rubbing on my new alternator. MY mechanic is silly for not advising me that I needed to change it... especially since he did the work)

(buying this from http://www.classicveedub.com.au/  )

Mini Sump
I will be cheatinf and not putting the extension on the oil pickup untill I get an external filter. Otherwise you have to remove the strainer, and you can;t run an engine without any filterage.



Plus magnetic drain plug.
Does anyone use one of these, i think it would work well to pick up metal filings and such. they work well on lsd's so i think the same concet works well on an engine.

(gotta buy this off ebay me thinks!!)

Stage 3!

Swivel foot value adjusters

($50 the set from my mechanic)

Valve Covers
I really love the flat four valve covers cause they have like mini fins on the top side, which would probs cool the heads a tiny wee bit more, and they are taller than the stock tappet covers, more surface area = more heat dispersion.

($220 from micks, anyone know if I can get them cheaper?? Classic has them, but im not sure how much...)

Stage 4

Since i Got hit by a police car ( It was a D car) at a shopping centre, I have to have a new rear apron/beaver panel (whatever you want to call it) welded in before i change the exhaust.


Damn commodores! They reinforce the front of the police cars, or so I have been told by a lady I picked up from the city one day when I was still an apprentice (she was some head of police something something).

This is the new exhaust that I have to put in there!




I figure they will also want to pull the engine out to do this. The whole car really needs a strip down and repaint, But as a student i just dont have $4000 lying around. One day i hope that it will look a little like this...

I also have a clutch to go into the car if they have to pull out the engine to do the rear apron!


Stage 5.......
is body work, which i won't bore you with plans for here.

Stage 6...
is wheels!! Dragway performance wheels.

hoping to go 14Inch .... possibly 4inch wide up from 6 up the rear.
(sorry to kroozzn63, this was the only picture i could find that i could put in here...)

So tell me what you think, dont bag on the kadrons cause they are going on this motor.. hahah. Give me some suggestions. what works, what doesnt.

You can buy a electronice ignition system and a decent exhaust these will also fit yr new 1916 when the time comes and give yr present 1600 a little more

Iv got a 009 with compufire.... It works well. Just need an ignition switch because its not always clicking over the starter, the lights come on, but it doesn't crank. The ignition system is working well. Is the exhaust on the no so good side? My mechanic ordered it and raves about them and runs them on lots of cars. I have the empi full merged system and hate it. its bent on the right hand rear exhaust port so, its basically useless when it comes off unless you have it strightened and painted and fit it up to a car. the flange sticks out way too far and burns you if you work on it when its hot. I like the way the new exhaust sits, you cant really see the muffler, only the chrome bit which sticks out. And they dont sound like a truck. the full merged systems with the fatboy do. I may keep the fatboy and have it modified to fit the new extractors.

Have you ever changed a clutch arm spring with the gear box in place??
Good luck

Good idea the steering stuff
Maybe add a short shift kit

Dont waste your money on fancy rocker covers
Put the $$$ towards something that produces HP
They will only leak

Why go J pipes.
Heater boxes wont restrict what you are doing so why get rid of them??

Personally i would keep the other exhaust
REckon you will loose noticeable power with the new one

Swivel feet?
Why? what benefit you going to get in a 1600??

Whatever

have fun

That mini sump looks pretty pointless. Only thing it is going to add is less ground clearance.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

i did a cable and got a mate to push the clutch in and while it was down i tied it off with wire than he released the clutch it leaves the spring a bit loose
are you sure the clutch don't just need adjusting

It has the wrong length clutch cable currently, so the pedal sits higher than it should. And yet the whole pedal assembly needs adjusting.
The mini sump will give me less gound clearance, but when installed properly should be a very good thing when going around corners, deeper pickup means no light coming on.
The exhaust I have on now is a real piece of rubbish and sounds like a truck, i like how the one i have purchased sounds, and i like that it isnt so visable and likely to get me into police issues.
Speaking of short shift kits, does anyone run the scat shifters? are they good? that is what i want to run, i think it would be really helpful with reverse also!!!
Swivel feet are just to see how they work and such... and i just think the flat 4 tappet covers look sick! no real HP gain there.
I dont see any reason to keep the heater boxes, they just get in the way, J-pipes are much easier to work with. I have the old boxes still and could change back to them if i really needed too.
Also, i wont be doing the clutch, so no, i have no idea how hard it is.

The kadrons will give you a much better take off, I found when i had the kadrons put onto my stock 1600 in my old manx it was amazing the difference it made, I could almost dump the clutch on the right angle of the road and pop a front wheel off the ground... Apparently its a 30% power increase just by fitting the carbs, Thats just what i've heard. I aint no expert.

i reckon Bizzarre is on the money,sometimes a lot of money and time is spent on stuff that doesn't achieve anything.

Thanks Kevin.
That is a race car though, where ground clearance isn't an issue. Wonder if the positves outweigh the negatives.

the sumps are just good for oil serge so unless u plan on lotsa G force cornering its waste of money

i never get oil serge in mine with a stock sump and most people know what i corner like

best way to get some power from a 1600 is twin carbs, good header and zorst and some 1.4 ratio rockers

that hotdog zorst is same style as im running at the moment
theyre bloody loud but flow real good

Well... since I already have said mini sump, I'm going to use it. I cant see any harm.
Yeah, I really like the sound of the exhaust... mine is already loud and I love it, its just going to be a different tone once i get that one in.
Kadrons are going in first, and taking car of the fuel side of stuff.

With 1.4 rockers, do i need to change anything else??? (like pushrods or anything???) This may be a dumb question but do heads have to be taken off to do rocker assemblys??



Can run those with standard tappet covers though hey...

yes you have to make custom length pushrod with 1.4 or any ratio rockers to get the valve geometry right and also to have adjusting screw the correct length so they dont break all the time and allow oil flow to the rockers

Before you get stuck in to the performance mods what's the engine like?
Is it relatively fresh or has it already done 100,000Ks.

Its definatly not fresh. I know its been rebuilt before, but i have no idea how long ago.

I'd just stick with carbs and exhaust and maybe upgrade ignition at this stage.
That's where you will see the most improvement for your $. Then just enjoy it.

Once its running nicely it will be body work time.
Going for a smooth look. front indicators in the bumpers, rear lights to S-bug lights... 1 piece window kits...... hoodjax

Then wheels time!

hey u can replace the outers of my wheels they are two piece so you can get the steel bits made to measure "and they are still forsale " with the bonus of a scat manifold and weber carb that will give u more punch than a new month ,

Pretty sure i cant afford wheels right now. but they look awesome nonetheless!! Hope you sell them soon, or that you still have them in like 3 years and i buy them. hahah

If thats a thunderbird exhaust you'll have a hole in it within 6 - 12 months anyway. I REALLY dont like the sound of them. By all means use the extractor, but get an exhaust shop to make up a tuck away muffler.

well... one i have a hole in it, I will probably buy a new one. only $75 worth there... a chrome tip can be $40 from supercheap/repco. My mate has one and its been fine for 3 years or more....

Not trying to be rude, sorry if it seemed i was. you may be right, but i like the look of the thunderbird. If it does blow out, I will know that you were right. I like the sound of them, even though they are loud.

COLONAL MUSTARD, if you are trying to save to build a 1916, why are you spending money on the 1600.

or have i read the post wrong .

Can't afford the 1916, so I'm just trying to make the 1600 reliable.

Mate, get some second hand 1600 heads and a die grinder. get these instead of the sump, roller adjusters and valve covers. Then you can DIY gas flow your heads. Even with a basic clean up of the ports and some manifold port matching you should get an easy 5bhp. With the twin carbs and exhaust it should be pretty nippy. Get rid of the 009 and fit a vac advance dizzy. This will make throttle response much better, esp at low revs. TBH i hate the 009. Wasn't great in the Ford Cortina and sure ain't any good in a bug but hey many people like them too.

and why does the photo of your bug remind me of the valley?

oh and big bore exhausts that are too big for the engine reduces the back pressure so much that the engine loses power and not gains. just like all the skyline boys and there 6 inch mufflers. may sound cool but increase your fuel consumption and means a ute can take you.