Now armed with many months of viewing helpfull websites, I would like to get feed back on my future project.
I am keen to build a EJ22 powered Beetle, that handles and stops. The car is for daily street use (maybe the odd hill climb).
To keep this project simple as possible I want your opinions which beetle to use and with which componants?
I had in mind a 1302S (discs, struts etc) lowered and upgraded with standard gearbox with adapter.
I own EJ82 but will upgrade to EJ22.
Any usefull advise is much appreciated
take a look at Jak's conversion on here. hes got one that will stop and go, and race, and its a super.
good luck
jack uses an ej20t however.
maybe it will be easier with ej22. not to worry about turbo placement and intercooling.
Anthony
Turbo placement & intercooling are all as factory, it's not a problem. I think that if u are going to put a subie engine in your car, just go the
ej20T, the same effort yeilds a greater result. & there won't be much on the road that will stay with u.
regards
Jak
Thanks for feed back.
By installing EJ20T with more BHP over the EJ22, does it require more work on gearbox and brakes ?
I'm running a standard L-Bug box & standard cv's & axles. I've owned my car for 14 years & I have never changed the axles & cv's
so they more than likely are the original ones. The L-bug box has quite a name for itself as being tough standard, so I'd prefer to break an axle or
cv, I can change that in about 20minutes, rather than change the gearbox. It also depends on what u want to do with the car. have u seen the way the
hillclimb boys drive their cars? they are absolutely brutal on them. Add sticky rubber & u will probably end up with a case full of shavings.
I tend not to do hard starts, & with the power that the ej20T puts out in stock form u can afford to take it easy off the line.
As for brakes, I have type 3 rotors with type 4 calipers up front & EA Ford falcon on the rear, the brakes are awesome. I had them done long
before my conversion. U will need 4 wheels disks for engineering, but even if u didn't , I would not suggest running drums.
regards
Jak
[Edited on 3/5/2005 by Jak Rizzo]
The car would not not be brutally driven, 99% road car. (to old for that stuff!)
Ok standard gearbox
Would standard 1302S front discs be ok and up grade to falcon discs on rear to do the job or go straight to your racing set up?
I am just keeping things simple but safe.
Regards Jeff
Standard new disks on the front, cross drilled, type 3 calipers with some EBC green pads, Ford on the rear with cheap Ferrero pads sorts out the brake
bias for u. U won't get your car engineered with a brake bias valve.
Glenn Torrens has been developing a brake package using Ford components for the front, huge calipers, ventilated disks etc, but he has only made it
for ball joint front end beetles so far. Hopefully he will make something for the supers as well. Would be unbeatable package with the ford rear disk
setup.
Keeping things simple yet safe is exactly my thoughts as well.
regards
Jak
Some pics to give u ideas
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/184074.jpg
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/184105.jpg
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/184106.jpg
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/184467.jpg
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/184468.jpg
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/197891.jpg
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/170569.jpg
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/173896.jpg
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/175848.jpg
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/175847.jpg
yep, I have been working on a ventilated front disc brake upgrade for ball-joint Beetles so that MAY influence your decision about body shells/donor
car bases. I am collecting my rear discs today (yay!) so I can install and properly test the front AND rear brakes as a package (Falcon AU/Commodore
VP front/Falcon EA rear) and determine what design changes need to be made/revised to get it all working properly. You may wish to read the
thread/discussion on here where I described what I have done. (search for Big Brakes and VWCOOL)
Next car to get big brakes will be Type 3 as I am helping a good mate put a WRX into a Fasty. It will need bigger brakes for legal NSW
registration/engineering. I would like to cater for Super owners eventually - but prority is BJ beetles and T3 for now.
There is a little more room in the bulbous nose of a Super for fitting radiators etc for a water-cooled engine but having said that, there are plenty
of 'normal' beetles with rads in the spare wheel well and it is possible to 'open' the base of the spare wheel well to create a scoop for more
airflow etc. Handling? Although the Super is a theoretically better handler with its strut geometry etc, I have know people who have raced Supers in
hillclimb etc and they simply cannot come near a well-setup BJ car... odd but true
Driveline - the standard gearbox will cop plenty of shit if it is in good condition. Driveshafts etc will also soak up borderline crazy abuse... if it
ain't broke don't fix it. The hillclimb boys clutch-dump at 5000rpm plus (ouch!) with standard rebuilt CVs so build the car and see what breaks.
Then spend the $ to fix it.
Keep in mind, you will have a class 'orphan' for hillclimb events - ie you will NOT be racing in the same class as other Beetles. I think you would
be Sports Sedan against mid-mount V8 Hondas etc etc but of you are doing it purely for fun, who cares!
[Edited on 4/5/2005 by VWCOOL]
if you dont want to hassle with turbos, isnt there a NA ej20 over there?
what hassle? It's almost the same effort to install so why not use a turbo?!:thumb
Most of our 'transplant' engines are imported from crash-damaged cars (or as 'half-cuts' or 'front clips') from Japan, so we can get almost any
engine even if it isn't on sale in new cars in Australia
[Edited on 4/5/2005 by VWCOOL]
Thats right, if u are not going turbo just stay with a vw engine, it can be made to go harder.
If u are going to convert your car, make it worth while.
regards
Jak
That is an interesting thought Jak.
I've measured our Subis EJ22 on many occasions and being the SOHC variety it looks like it would fit in a Beetle engine bay with absolutely minimal
cutting. In fact it appears to be a better shape than the the earlier EA82 motors!
I figured 130hp would be lots to play with in a Beetle and I assumed the conversion would be easier as there is less intake / exhaust plumbing- and
perhaps simpler electricals (especially on our early EJ22).
BUT I don't know for sure as I've not actually fitted one- which is were Jaks knowledge is so valuable!
Cheers
Jeremy
Thanks for the information,
Looks like there might be a Jak Rizzo copy on the quiet streets of South Island NZ (but with a more street sleeper look!).
Think of it this way Jez, 130hp out of a subie engine or 130hp out a beetle engine, I'd go the beetle engine. My car weighed 920kg before the
conversion, it now weighs 1000kg, without the added weight the vw powered beetle would be quicker I would have thought? for the extra cutting &
turning the standard gearbox cradle around moving the gearbox forward 2 inches just to get the quad cam covers in, I'm glad I made the effort! I
assure u, u will be too.
regards
Jak
Since when does a beetle engine produce 130bhp?
the price of the conversion he could maybe build a 130hp vw motor? 1916 or something?
Anthony
What do u mean exactly by saying" a EJ22 powered Beetle, that handles and stops."
Are you refering that u want the new engine with tougher running gear to get better handling with the new engine (such as steering and braking)? I
know what the ej22 is, but just the phrase "That handles and stops" is what im having trouble comprehending. Does it mean u need more heavy duty
running gear due to the mass increase in bhp? [I'm just learnin', thats all]
To all u other guys, good news. this is the 1st post in 2 days. So ive cut down the crap cause my purpose on being here isn't to piss u guys off.
Hopefully, we can get along now.:thumb
I'm with Jak. If I had my time again I'd have got a turbo motor. I don't regret the atmo one, but the EJ20T is where all the most fun is to be had in terms of bang for buck, and you'll get used to 130hp quickly, trust me. I've got 165hp and I wouldn mind a bit more. :thumb