74 bug wants a new heart please advise...

dubster · Post by **dubster** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 9:09 am

HI all

I am at a cross roads, I love driving my bug but i have just seized the 1300 motor through a stupid mistake,anyway i hated murdering the motor doing 120-130 in the car...so i was inbetween looking for a "normal" car at 60k odd...but then might have to sell the bug which i wont get much for and it would break my heart to sell it...or i take a similar loan say 30k-40k and put a subaru into it or maybe a golf motor as plan b...when i say subaru i mean the ej20 N/a motor i dont want to build a race car just something reliable for the same maybe less than i would have spent on some plastic car...

now my question is what needs to be done and what does i cost...

here is what i think i need

radiator+fan (not sure which one work well and fit nicely in front of the car?)
water piping (what type would work well stainless tubing?)
fuel pump and FI filter (would a golf 1 FI pump and filter work?)
management (gotech,spittronics,dictator???)
adapterplate and flywheel ect....(bugger?gilo engineering?)
starter???
cant think of anything else now

like i said just want a normal DD with a enough punch to do 120 without sounding like it being killed...everyone says golf motors works the best for that but the suby motor is 450 bucks more and then i can close the deck (yes i know you have to cut a bit with the suby),and i would like a motor that wont kill gearboxes i plan on driving it discretly will take out the beating on my buggy...and the ej20 sits at 94-110kw FWKw so maybe wont break boxes??anyway please advise if you have something good to contribute,dont want the whole "stay aircooled thing again",i have and always will love my aircooled motors,i have a nice one in my buggy which i will play with ,but i dont need a toy from my bug i need a car....

o and PS. i intend on doing disk brakes and all the safety things ect,to the car...

Blitzkrieg · Post by **Blitzkrieg** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 9:26 am

How much mileage do you do daily?

didi · Post by **didi** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 9:45 am

Read this. The guy's in Auz are quite jacked up with scoobie engines:
http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/view ... ?tid=88099
http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic ... 19&t=33199
Some serious cutting required

Also a gearbox to handle all that torqe. Why not build a reliable 1600 or speak to IMPI for a upright type 4? much cheaper and no need for radiators and cutting

Just my 2c

dubster · Post by **dubster** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 9:59 am

just to work and back everyday...100km...Didi i have been reading al those blogs for a while,the motor shown there seems to be the turbo motor,i hear they break boxes. i want to go N/A they are not much stronger than a golf motor so i think it should not break boxes if driven carefully...the stock 1600 is viable depending wich route i choose a recon motor sit at 8000 already just for the the longblock...then i stilll have to drive it hard to do 120-130....on type 4's im not clued up but have heard there spares are expensive...the suby or golf sould give the most bang for buck...and like said before if the subi is more of a headache the i will do the run of the mill golf motor thing...i just HATE the open/cut/stand off decklid thing.

Blitzkrieg · Post by **Blitzkrieg** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 10:47 am

Buy yourself a non-aircooled daily driver and keep the bug as a weekend toy.

if you shop around very carefully, you can still find yourself a runabout in reasonable condition for under R30k....

dubster · Post by **dubster** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 10:58 am

that is the thing i have my buggy as toy,i want to take the money that i would use to buy a non-aircooled DD and make my bug one as i enjoy driving it.the thing is space i can get a nice bantam for 20000 but it has problems to and then i have to get rid of the bug.as i have the buggy,the beetle,my SC's toyota and then the new DD if a buy one....isnt the golf powerd beetle reliable?i would like the subi but i kinda need to make decisions quickly and the golf motor is a easy well documented swap....

splitfan · Post by **splitfan** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 12:45 pm

Now i dont know allot about the scubby motors but this i do know , you have to make sure you get the version that runs the metal timming pulleys and know that i timming belt kit , tensioners ect is gonna make your wallet cry , i also do not like the open decklid option with running a golf motor but they are cheap easy to maintain and bullet proof , the conversion has been tried and tested and if you dont hooligan it it should be light on fuel , reliable and not destroy the gearbox its a personal choice and in my book not a bad option everything is reversable if you decide to go back to the a/c route and even if you have a waterpumper in the back it still beats driving a plastic car everyday !

dubster · Post by **dubster** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 1:01 pm

ja i think i ight need to go golf. can play with the subis later when i have done my homework beter...

dubster · Post by **dubster** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 1:07 pm

just phoned around now... timing belt 1134 rand...idler and tensioners about 290 and 360 respectively...

splitfan · Post by **splitfan** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 1:29 pm

dubster wrote:just phoned around now... timing belt 1134 rand...idler and tensioners about 290 and 360 respectively...

Timing belt golf motor R60-00
Tensioner R85-00

Post by **Bugger** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 9:05 pm

Yip as I also sugested over the phone to you that if you hunt around for a Carb Golf motor and chuck that in the back you cant go wrong

I should get my new Golf decklids soon then will post some Pics as they fit over the std decklid all you do is cut the inner out and plak hom vas

Klaus · Post by **Klaus** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 9:47 am

Just get a nice worked 1641 mil in there and off you go. Simple

Even my daily car doesnt get to hit over 130 in any given month with the traffic and my bug with a little bit of a worked mil just trundles along at that speed. My 2c

RICKY-R69 · Post by **RICKY-R69** » Sun Apr 01, 2012 7:10 am

Go with the golf conversion. I have done it and it did not cost me an arm and a leg. PM me if you have any queries. Will gladly give advice.

krazed_69 · Post by **krazed_69** » Tue Apr 03, 2012 10:03 am

RICKY-R69 wrote:Go with the golf conversion. I have done it and it did not cost me an arm and a leg. PM me if you have any queries. Will gladly give advice.

Thank you!!! I've had a thread on - "need to change" with the whole issue of Golf motor due to my Beetle motor (I think) bearings issue...

Can you please send me all details for the conversion - was thinking 1600, but will consider 1800 as well... Details such as price and who to have it done for me etc... Kinda desperate

Dark Cloud · Post by **Dark Cloud** » Sat Apr 14, 2012 4:26 pm

In all honesty Dubster

Stay with the Subaru idea, yes, it costs more money for the parts, yes, it's complicated to install in a bug but with the Subi conversion you don't have that ugly looking decklid that makes it look as if you've got a fridge in the back of your car.

I plan on getting a Subi motor in the back of my ride as soon as I've resprayed it and fixed up my interior, the golf engine is cheaper to install but it robs your car of that beautiful vintage shape. I'd rather have a weak well maintained 1600cc engine in the back rather than a powerful fridge. From what I've heard, the Subaru SOHC engine doesn't require any cutting in the engine bay and the DOHC and Turbo derivatives are the ones which require a lot of cutting.

The ball is in your court but I'd recommend the heart of a Scoobie.

Aircooled VW South Africa