Does the engine need all those shrouds?, and other engine questions Options

[521401]

I am new to air cooled Porsche, as I currently run with the Porsche water coolers. My 1.7 needs rebuilding, and where is a good place to find a complete overhaul kit for it? I need cylinders, heads, pistons, and gaskets. I would stick in a Lycoming I built, but I don't think it would perform very well on the street. I just want a running motor, not some hot 2.0 liter. I have other Porsche's for my speed needs. Also, I know all the metal around the motor routes air, but is it really that effective? And is it structural, as in it is part of the mounting for the engine? I have heard three stories about air cooled engines- it will overheat without shrouds, it runs same without shroud, and it runs cooler without shroud. I was thinking about mounting electric fans on the under side of the engine cover to extract hot air as well. Anybody try that out yet?