74 bug wants a new heart please advise...

[dubster]

im going suby just waiting for funds to come through...we only get the doch motors in sa...will be getting the ej20d motor 110kw,175nm motor should push the bug around well,along with disks and 17inch bbs rims and adjustable suspension shoupd make a for a neat bug so just watch this space...

[Dark Cloud]

LOl.. funny enough, I had the same plans for my bug. 17 inch BBS rims, Ej20 engine, A/C, disks all round and adjustable beam, spray paint it white with a red leather interior..

If I don't get the BBS rims, then, I'll go for 15" Snowflake rims. If, I can find them in SA.

[Tony Z]

Good luck boys.... say goodbye to your gearboxes for me

[Tony Z]

Sorry guys for the short comment above.
I always get amazed by people trying to do things cheaply and not actually taking the entire picture into account.
Yes, for 15 grand you might be able to install a suby engine. For 15 grand you can build a pretty good aircooled engine. But alas, I divert....

So you now put on your new improved engine.... it works.... yay. You take it for a test drive, everything is wonderful. You get a GTI next to you at the lights and try to waste him..... clutch smoke. hmmm, out with the engine, in with a HP pressure plate and clutch (R2000 or more that you didnt budget for).
Then you stand back and look at it. Wow, the ass is sagging, gee that engine is heavy, especially once filled with water. Raise suspension or coilovers?
Right, now we go for it again. 110kW and a clutch that will hold it. Another GTI - rev, release clutch, bang diff breaks. Out with engine. New gearbox, this time with a few mods to keep it all together because of the new found power (R10k). While you are at it, you might as well throw in a few HD gearbox mounts another grand....
Right now we can go for it.
Wheel hop - because you didnt do anything to your suspension to keep it all rigid. Another gearbox down. Swear at the idiot who built you a strong box for stealing you money, when it wasnt his fault, but you didnt prep the car properly.
Rear suspension get sorted for a few grand extra, plus the repair to the box.

Guys seriously, do it right the first time and you wont cry.
It might be cheap to put a suby engine in, but if you really want to do the conversion PROPERLY I wouldnt go in with a budget less than 30K. And thats without disc brakes.
For the original 15K you could build yourself a rock solid 1600 with 60kW or a T4 upright conversion and smile for years. Yes, "only" 60kW, but if you ever drove a 60kW beetle you would realise that mated to a 1300 gearbox it is pretty damn snappy. And you wont go breaking gearboxes.

Think about it.
My opinion only, I am not trying to tell you what to do....

[dubster]

tony i understand what your saying and have done my homework...i have spoken to bugger about all relevant mounts and squat bars ect. and he says this motor wont break the box if you dont holigan...im not intending to do anything cheap on the car i am getting quite a big loan to put into my bug...at the end of the day it will come down to how i treat the car...if i dice everything with wheels then it will break but intend not as this will be my dd...

[dubster]

also my budget is about 40k atm for now if i cant do everything for that money properly then i wont drive it till it is done proper....