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Mon Sep 29, 2014 3:49 am

New here, I've been all over this site it's great. OK I have a 72 super beetle with a 1600 and it's going to be a daily driver but I would like to build it up a little. What do yall recommend. Keep in mind please keep it in layman's terms please. Thanks so much Jay

Mon Sep 29, 2014 4:48 am

Nobody can help you until we know a realistic budget on what you can spend and how you actually want to drive the vehicle.

Mon Sep 29, 2014 4:53 am

How much money do you have to spend? Are you going to rebuild the engine? A 1776 with dual kadrons, some porting work, W100 or W110 cam and 1 3/8" header would be a great first engine and totally transform the car. If the engine is solid, the kadrons, header and 1.4 rockers would be fun-
http://kaddieshack.com/1600dynoresults.html

As usual, just my 2 1/2 cents (I'm Canadian, eh). Al

Mon Sep 29, 2014 5:57 am

It's gonna be a daily driver and I want to keep the 1600 dual port. Budget is open I'm looking for ideas. I just want a little more pep in my step with it.

Tue Sep 30, 2014 10:57 am

go to scats site and get one of thier 2276 or 2332 engines and use the power you need to use. kit or built it's your choice.

Tue Sep 30, 2014 11:06 am

I give up, no one is listening to what I am saying. I want to keep the 1600 dual port. And it is a daily driver.

Tue Sep 30, 2014 11:13 am

Read John's bolt on article...ratio rockers, header, dual carbs...

http://www.aircooled.net/vw-performance-easy-mods-bolt-on/

Tue Sep 30, 2014 11:17 am

Thanks that's what I was looking for. Going to go read up. Thanks again :D

Tue Sep 30, 2014 11:41 am

Get a built 1600, something that someone would be using for SCORE class 5-1600. If you have an open budget, $6,000 could get you a good one.

Tue Sep 30, 2014 1:08 pm

O'Rourke wrote: I give up, no one is listening to what I am saying. I want to keep the 1600 dual port. And it is a daily driver.

Guess you didn't bother reading my post above....

Tue Sep 30, 2014 1:13 pm

ALB wrote: O'Rourke wrote: I give up, no one is listening to what I am saying. I want to keep the 1600 dual port. And it is a daily driver.

Guess you didn't bother reading my post above....

Hard to figure out what he is adverse to, exceeding 1600 cc's or spending a lot of money?

Tue Sep 30, 2014 1:30 pm

More CC's More pep in your step with it.
A stock dual port single barrel center mount carb on a good day 60 hp at the flywheel. If the dual port is allow to breath a lil more, larger valves, porting a few more HP.
The biggest thing is the size of your budget. About 6 yrs ago a 1776cc got me 67.4HP to the ground. Still have high 20's low 30's MPG too.
Keep doing your homework.

Tue Sep 30, 2014 1:36 pm

I think about it sometimes just for fun! It's a really good question. The stock dual port 1600 in a beetle is a really nice power plant as it is for it.
If you doing your own work and money is a concern then consider:
Keeping it stock but balance the engine and run the 88mm thickwall pistons and cylinders.
If your a little more adventuresome consider some stroke!
I think the 90.5 Piston and cylinders would be nice with a 74 mm stroke and short rods so it stays stock as far as push-rod's etc.
If your considering more HP then consider getting a set of DRLA or IDF carbs.
I got some Dell 36's for around $350 used that worked out nicely for my 74 stroke 88 bore engine. Using the short rods and having a shop open up the heads for the 88mm thickwall cylinders made it pretty much just a bolt together engine. You can use a 74mm or a 76mm stroke without much case work but the 76 stroke needs B pistons. The nice thing about opening the case up is it helps the rods to clear the case and the piston skirts when building a stroker. Otherwise your doing some modifications to the piston skirts and likely running H Beam rods which cost about $289 more or less.

Tue Sep 30, 2014 1:43 pm

If you want to tear it open then you can:

1) drop in a cheater cam or w100 with new lifters.
2)Increase compression.
3)Slap on some Tims super stocker 37 x 32 heads. (Still 1600cc.)
4) Capability goes up so a CW crank is suggested.
5) Lighten flywheel to 12lbs
6) Cam upgrade, suggested to upgrade to HD bolt together rocker assy's
Bolt on's:
A) Better flowing exhaust and muffler
B) Dual carbs 36 dells or 40 IDFs ( screw Kadrons)

If you do not want to tear into it, then add on 1.4s and CTF pushrods. And you can select options A and or B. Option 3 can also be considered and gain option 2.
Many choices to select from. Maybe if you specify that you dont want to tear the engine down, then clearer options can be suggested. Thats all I can think of.

Tue Sep 30, 2014 1:47 pm

its also good to tell us what you starting out with, i.e: empty engine compartment or a tired original 1600cc air pumper, or a scattered all over the road wonder bomb.

O'Rourke wrote: New here, I've been all over this site it's great. OK I have a 72 super beetle with a 1600 and it's going to be a daily driver but I would like to build it up a little. What do yall recommend. Keep in mind please keep it in layman's terms please. Thanks so much Jay

build it up a little is very non committal

Tue Sep 30, 2014 5:40 pm

Thanks yall, I appreciate it. I'm am getting some ideas. That are more bolt on's. It's a strong 1600. I was looking at carburetors and heads and if its possible pistons and jugs it has after market exhaust now. But that's about it. Again thanks yall.

Tue Sep 30, 2014 5:46 pm

O'Rourke wrote: That are more bolt on's.

I think that phrase should be taboo. You want a motor that is designed with parts that word with each other, not a motor with Hello Kitty stickers slapped on it.

Tue Sep 30, 2014 7:23 pm

Once you pull off the heads, you might as well go all the way in. If you want to keep it on the outside AND it's a strong, low mileage engine, then find some Weber 40s with 28mm venturies or Dellorto 36s with 30mm vents at the largest. Then, buy a known quality header and tune the crap out of it. If you want even more, then buy some 1.25 rockers, set up side play and geometry and you'll have a decent little powerplant.

Wed Oct 01, 2014 4:16 am

Do you have access to another car so that you could sideline your SB a few days/week until you do the upgrades all at once? Or if you do not have an alternate car, it seems you must limit your time for each upgrade to maybe a half to a full (weekend) day?

If you are considering different cylinders and heads but don't want to open up the engine case, you still have a possibility for an upgrade. You can buy replacement cylinders and pistons which fit into the engine case without modification, but have a thicker end at the head so you'll need new heads/have your old ones machined. Those cylinders are 88mm diameter, giving you 1679cc, almost 100 more than your stock 1584cc. If you buy a new set of heads (for a quick replacement time), you can get a set already bored for those thicker cylinders, and have some mild porting done. Stock-valve cylinder heads will also enable you to keep your heater boxes in case you plan to use those again too. If you go with heads that have larger valve sizes such as 40xx intake and 35mm exhaust, you need to go with larger heater boxes so that the new boxes' larger internal pipes do not hinder the exhaust flow during highway driving.

But going for the 88's as well as different heads also requires some tools for checking your deck height, a torque wrench, etc. It might be more complicated than what you want to do overall. That said, keeping your engine together and going for "external" bolt-ons could still result in a much livelier engine (1.4 rockers with shortened pushrods, and dual-throat carbs such as Weber 40IDF with 28mm venturies).