TheSamba.com :: View topic

Thu Aug 25, 2005 12:44 am

Three twin carb engines,
1500 single port
1600 single port
1600 twinport.

The 66 i'm getting has the OG 1600 single as far as I know anybody driven these differant engines for comparison, thoughts?

I know single ports can have better low end tourqe due to faster inlet gas speeds. I will have to trawl through some owners manuels and try to find the comparitive figures. :wink:

Thu Aug 25, 2005 9:30 am

I've driven all 3 versions.

From memory, the 1600 single port might be a little bit faster on acceleration than the 1600 dual port but I don't think the top speed was much different. I don't recall any difference in highway/passing acceleration.

I think one of the problems would be that the overall condition of the engine could vary quite a bit from car to car.

Unfortunately the 1500 single ports I drove were not the high compression versions so the 1600 engines were noticeably faster. I think the true 1500 "S" engines are comparable to the 1600 engines in speed and torque since the horsepower ratings are so close.

My stock '66 Type 34 seems faster than my '67 Squareback but the Type 34 is my race car so everything seems faster.

Thu Aug 25, 2005 9:41 am

I have driven about every VW engine ever built up through about 1980. Including a diesel Vanagon. :cry:
As for the T-3, when I bought my '66, I rebuilt the engine using dual port heads and manifolds. Mainly, because I had them. Dual ports give a little more top end, and maybe slightly better gas milage. They don't require quite as much throttle to maintain the speed.
when we go to the T-3 Invasion next year, I will be driving the '66 with a single port engine, because I want to put some miles on the '64 Ghia engine that is also freshly rebuilt.
for the 02 Invasion, we had 3 T-3's running together. A '66 single port, a '69 automatic FI, and a '72 FI manual trans. At most times, the '66 was the leader of the pack. It pulled the hills, and ran on the flats just as good as the newer ones.