1.8 Rebuild and Modification... Options

[MikeM]

Hi all...I've searched the archives but didn't find enough specific info so I'll ask some questions to the general membership.
I have the chance to buy a 1.8 motor really,really cheap. I'll assume it will need a full rebuild, but I have a couple of questions.

Is a 1.8 a good candidate for a rebuild with mods? Larger pistons and cylinders?
Camshaft? Head work? Case work?

Or should I just hold out for another 2.0 liter?

Thoughts??

Thanks in advance.
Mike

[McMark]

The 1.8 is not the greatest starting point. 1.8 head are known for having head cracks inside the exhaust port which can be REALLY hard to weld up. If you're gonna spend $ on heads, it's usually smarter to start with 2.0 heads. The basic/cheap upgrade for a 1.8 is to build a 1911 by using that stock crank and installing a set of 96mm pistons. You can build a 2056, but you'll need to find and purchase 2.0 crank and rods. Not too expensive, but still an additional expense.

So it depends on how much $ your planning on spending. But, even with all that, a cheap enough core motor is worth picking up, simply to have spare parts and a motor to learn from.