Has anyone ever heard of the ludicrous idea of putting a VW type I engine in a 914?

I have been pondering about this for years and never saw anything about it, I think it would cheap cost effective way to get HP w/o sacrificing weight of a v8/wrx motor.

I am torn 8k for v8/wrx/or a six, I want 200 hp but i dont want to tear the car up to do and i dont want to spoil the handling.....

I am So torn......any ideas.....

A 200 hp Type I VW engine that's reliable, runs cool, is NA, and cheap to build is kind of an impossibility. You can mount it using a '68/'71 Bus rear cross member mount and a universal case drilled and tapped for the third bolt hole. This won't require chopping anything up. You'll need to fabricate some sealing tin. The gearing might be a little off for the engine's rev characteristics, you can help this with the correct cam choice. It's probably going to run a little hot, which is going to rob you of horse power. Really, something like this will take a ton of research for it to work for you, but reaching 200 HP is gonna be tough.


Best solution is to work with what you have, second best is a water cooled trans plant.


If you do the research and pull it off, I sure would like to hear about it.

Luck!

thanks that does help, i was looking to do a turbo 1915 or 2332, im not sure. The logistics was killing me....thank you again i will definately post on this again.

There is probably a reason why so many type I owners are opting for type IV power.
And yeah, this question pops up every year. Still don't know anyone that has done it, but there has been a ton of other conversions.

True very true. Im glad im not the only person thinking up these crazy a$$ ideas.....

are you saying that your budget is 8k?
Your target goal is 200hp?
You dont want to "tear up the car" of modify the body if you can help it?

there are two ways to go.
A six, air cooled. (used)
Or a big four kit that you build (for that budget)

Rich

<throws gas on the fire>

The other option for power would be a NA suby engine with the radiator venting out the engine grill. It has been done by a member here, and a dressed EJ2.5 does not weigh much more (if any more) then a TIV.

Not 200 hp, but you will get 165 and ~30mpg.

It keeps the car from being cut up, too.

Zach

You can buy a type4 engine kit from jake.....build it yourself...make around 185 hp, and keep $2000 in your pocket.

Mike

I'm waiting for someone to put a T1 in their car. I think it would be really interesting. I know, not a great long term option, but it would still be interesting to see it done. If you've got a 914 with no motor and a T1 sitting nearby, give it a shot!

I read an article recently in VolksWorld magazine where someone had taken a wasserboxer engine from a T25 and cut off the water jackets. He then used the cases and added some pistons and barrels from an airplane application to build a pretty powerful type 1-esque motor (the WBX motor is based on the type 1).

I'm away from home at the moment so can't lay my hands on the article (if I still have it at all), but I just did a search and found a Danish site where they are doing the same thing, however instead of using airplane parts they are adapting the case to use type 1 performance parts.

The site is http://www.gearheads.dk/oxyboxer.htm and it's in English, so don't worry if your Dansk isn't up to scratch!

It lists the advantages (and disadvantages) that the WBX case has over the type 1 original, and makes interesting reading.

You said you wanted ideas!

Thank you, let me know what you see. Thank you again....

Wait new stupid idea, anyone turbo'd there typeIV?

Thank you all for the feed back....

There is a reason why the Type 4>Type 1 conversion is a big hit and its not due to the Type 1 engine's superiority at being anything other than generic junk..

The conversion has been done, but considering that a 914 is 3-600 pounds heavier than a beetle and has a 20% taller final drive that poor little engine that lacks cooling capability and surface area really gets punished.