I have this 65 that I am working on and I think I need to start considering my engine options.

what are any reasons to keep the 1200 (which will not turn), or to upgrade 1600, I am not sure what I want out of it for performance other than saying I want something fun to drive and to able to take it on the highway (I don't have to speed my ass off yet)

I guess I am looking for something more reliable that I do not have to blow a wad of cash on, that way I can focus on the suspension, metal work, and the interior.

sorry that this is vague, I don't really know where to start with this one


dan

I would build a 1600 or 1641. If you can afford it, buy a 74mm stroker crank, you don't need to machine the case. I would start looking for a rebuildable case, and buy a complete rebuild kit. Just my 2 cents.

this is something I have been contemplating as well my 1200 runs but is knocking so I am more than likely going to build a 1600 for mine as well as go 12v after talking to billy and some of the guys at the nac show it will be getting a performance engine

Do you have an engine at all? (<-- never mind, just re-read your post)

I drove my 55 with a 40 horse for about 2 years. It always ran pretty good, until towards the end, but I think the motor had been assembled by a chimpanzee, it came with the car when we bought it. But I drove the piss out of that thing. You could cruise all day at 60-65. It could go faster than that if you needed to pass someone, but it was pushing it and the temp would start to rise. The good thing about 40 horses is that they are pretty cheap, the bad thing is if you have a need for a power upgrade later the 40 horse is a terrible platform. There is some pretty cool "old speed" stuff available for 40 horses though, but they will never make much power. Another good thing about 40 horses is that they are "correct" for your car. Some people like that, others don't care, its kind of a personal choice.

On the other hand, its pretty cheap also to build a stock 1600. And parts are a bit more available than 40 horse parts. A 1600 will have a lot easier time keeping up in traffic if you are going to see a lot of freeway miles with it. The other good thing about a 1600 is upgrade-ability. You can add a nice header and some dual carbs to an otherwise stock 1600 and have a pretty big increase in power. Ask Kostya about his 1600, he put a little header on it and a set of Kadrons and it made a big difference, and his motor was already tired (we're rebuilding it right now). If you decide to go bigger some day you can re-use much of the stock 1600 parts. And depending on your budget, you could build a 1776 or a 1915 for just a 6-700 more than a stock 1600. Basically all you need is bigger pistons and cylinders (~$180), a counterweighted crank (~$160), and some machine work to your case and heads (~$150). You could also upgrade the cam and lifters (another ~150 or so). Or you can do like we are doing for Kostya: build a stock 1600 to drive for a while, then upgrade later after saving some money.

Anyway, I hope that helps a little. There is a lot of things to think about, but the most important is your budget. If you let me know a figure we can nail down your options a little better. Let me know if you need any help.

BTW, if you are interested in a 1200, I will have a rebuilt one, turn-key, available for sale if I ever get around to rebuilding it

MK,

I think you hit on everything I wanted to know (when I was typing up the question I did not know how to ask everything with out getting wordsy or sounding retarded), The real thing I wanted to hit on was the performance value of the 1200 and if there was anything that could be done to make it a kick ass driver and have some advantages over the 1600.
I plan on driving this car (everyday driver if I can) so I think going 12v and 1600 (maybe a 1915) would be cool, I also have the set of carbs to go on it, I cannot remember for sure if they are 34 or 36 Dell's, I bought them almost 3 years ago for a beetle I had and never got to use them, The car was stolen, we ended up moving, and I never had a chance to get back into a VW until now.
I guess I will start looking for a rebuildable 1600 with the tins and everything.


Just as an extra question, Has anyone had the chance to ride in or drive a type IV conversion, I know they have the site and forum but the forum seems a bit biased (obviously) to the type IV, if you have had the chance what are your opinions/comments on it.


dan

Our tired 1600 with Kadrons ran pretty good. I had no trouble getting up to 60-65 on the freeway, and no trouble accelerating from a light. Especially being on a budget, a 1600 with dual carbs should do fine, and in your case would be a nice reliable engine for a daily driver.

That's just my .02. I'm still pretty new to this whole VW thing.

Yeah, Kostya and Andre's wore-out 1600 with the dual Kads and the exhaust was a hoot to drive. Not neck breaking torque, but definitely fun. It should really scoot once we rebuild it, I found that the valves had all been leaking pretty bad, and the compression was pretty poor, so it will be a lot quicker when it's all fresh.

As for yours, the dual baby Dells or Webers will be great for a 1600-1776 or a mild 1915, should make for a nice motor!

So I guess I just need to keep a look out for a decent 1600 that has never been overhauled or beaten, that way I can get the tins and anything else I might need.

Or would it be better to go with a CB, Empi, or who ever else is making them these day (maybe I can get a GEX)

what about the tranny, will the unit I have hold up or should I keep a look out for a new one,

no matter what I get would it be possible to get some help from someone on here, I know I am not DLK, it's just that I have never torn into an engine for a rebuild or even a build with a new case and it would be cool to have someone that could show me instead of trying to do it from a book, or printed website. If not that is cool also, I would take the internet help as well.

damn, I am sure there are things I am forgetting but I am too damn tired, I'm heading to bed


dan

You should never need a new trany as long as you don't dump the clutch. It can hold up to lots of power! As far as the T4......It is a really great platform for power! It is also really expensive! I think complete turn keys go for about 6K++. The first time you build a motor can be really intimidating. My advise is to be as organized and clean as possible. Im sure you will be able to have someone help you out and give you advise. But have the confidence to know you can do it your self! I think the most difficult part of rebuilding a motor is "reading it" Looking at the bearing surfaces, case halfs, the stuff you need to know if its rebuildable or not. So basically, your not gonna know if the case is gonna be good for a rebuild until you tear it down into a million pieces. Once its apart and really clean, have someone take a look at it. Then once its been decided the case is good for rebuild you can have it machined if need be, or in the case of Kostya, just put new bearings and rings in and call it a day. My first motor rebuild all I did was tear it all apart, replace bearings and rings, and put it all back together with a gasket kit. I couldn't kill that motor, and I tried!