25hp - what would you guys do?

[NovocaineKarma]

im finally.. FINALLY.. picking my 53 up in a couple of weeks..
it still has its original 25hp engine.. which is great so far as completeness and not being messed with etc goes..

but.. !
its going to be a daily driven car.. and i have reservations about the whole lack of anything over 60mph thing.. and also i live right on top of a steep hill..

what would you guys do.. keep the 25.. or try and get hold of an og 30/36 ?

im not wanting an aftermarket engine set up.. at ALL..

[Wiggy]

Keep the 25. Its not that bad once you get used to it, and if its a good engine, you can get it up to 65...
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[NovocaineKarma]

yay.. okay..
i had visions of rolling back down hills and shite..
<grins>

thanks

[79SuperVert]

I've never owned a 25hp but I've always admired their simplicity.

[lemke]

I think what I'd do is try the 25 first, and see if I could deal with it. I definatly would rebuild it to total stock if it needs rebuilding. Then if I found that it wasn't stong enough, I would put a later engine in for daily driving and keep the 25 for shows and stuff.

[EvilBus]

The 25 is great, but I'd take it out and put in a later 36, ala Judson...



No fair, that's whay I'm planning to do.
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[Glenn]

For a daily driver nothing beats a nice 1600DP.

I'd also rebuild the 25hp and swap them as you like. It's only an hour to do the swap.
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[EvilBus]

[53 0val]

It's just a different way of driving------try it for awhile and then if you don't like it; you can always step up.
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[EvilBus]

[EverettB]

Stay 25hp.

My good condition 36er did 70 so a good 25 should be fine
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[radrob]

If it runs good leave it alone
Like glenn said a 1600 is a good daily driver
and its an easy swap
just have to take off the heater boxes to put it in or out
and trim up the tin to make it fit right
A little more power is nice if your driving it everyday!!!

[coolairX2]

The 25 would crawl over the hills around here in New England. Still drivable if you don't mind crawling over the top in 2nd gear. Hell even the 36 requires 2nd on some of the bigger hills. For around town and secondary roads you won't miss the hp. Highways are ok if you have long on ramps you just have to stick to the slow lane like glue. If you learn how to draft larger trucks and busses you can crank along pretty good.

-Craig

[NovocaineKarma]

the engine has just been rebuilt.. it *was* a vile pink colour.. but its now been put back to the black that i knew and loved.. heh
its running like a train apparently..

i think im gonna continue using the works car for commuting and leave the 53 for when im not having to fly about by the seat of my pants..

that being said.. if i dont like it i WILL change it.. purists be damned..

[John Moxon]

Well I might just be biased but the simple solution is the good old bolt on power of a Judson.

Don't listen to people who will tell you it will destroy your engine...it won't. If your 25hp is in good shape and you buy a GOOD Judson (and believe me there is plenty of crap going around) it's a simple 3 hour bolt on job.

Judson's main benefit is in incresed torque which is great for hill climbing...OK it'll add to the top end too but who wants to flog a 25hp at high speed.

Forget pulse racing speed with a Judson...the real secret that nobody talks about is relaxed driving. Climbing hills with a 25hp in a constant up and down the box, with a Judson on board you leave the stick where it is. You can keep up a good average speed on journeys as you don't slow so much on the hills.

It's the period solution...it looks cool, simple technology and still relatively unusual.

At the end of the day if you don't like it...just unbolt it and sell it on.
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[mbugz60]

I pulled the 25 out of my 52 bug and put in a 36, only because I could take the pulley nut in my hand and turn the engine over. Top speed with the 25 was 51 mph. I kept the 25 because it is original to the car.
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[Dave]

NovocaineKarma, these are all good suggestions. The 25 horse is a bit of a wimp, especially if you live near a major metropolitan area and have to drive the freeways with all the Ford Exploders, Lincoln Navigators, Mercedes whatevertheyares, etc. that seem to not have any speed below 75 or 80. As John Moxon said, a properly built 36 horsepower engine, with a correctly rebuilt and installed Judson Supercharger, will make your car think it has a single-port 1600 engine in it. They are a period piece, I am sure John can tell you the exact year that Judson started producing superchargers for the VW. And he's right; the Judsons got a reputation as being "engine killers" that was undeserved. It was only when people failed to maintain them, or ran them out of the Marvel Mystery Oil that is an integral part of a Judson install, or lugged the engine down to such a low rpm that the fan could not properly cool the engine, that the Judson-equipped engine can turn into shrapnel.
Take a look at his website, listed under his name. If you are interested in Judson Superchargers, it's THE one to look at.
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[vwkurt]

"just have to take off the heater boxes to put it in or out
and trim up the tin to make it fit right "

I have a 1600cc in my '52 and it goes in and out without having to take off the heater boxes or mess around with the tin.
Kurt

[79SuperVert]

[NovocaineKarma]

actually.. and this is on the freaky side i must say..
ive written to john before asking about judsons for 25hps.. id looked on the site and a lot of them were for 36's.. so i was (at the time) wondering if judsons were about in the 25hp days..

i DO like the idea of one for an extra hill push.. i think what ill do is bolt a judson onto the 25.. see how it goes.. if its still too weedy then ill see what i can do about exchanging for an og 36.. i cant afford to keep the 25 if i switch.. which is an annoyance..

the other annoyance is that i just price checked for a rebuilt 36 and got 3500 e's quoted.. i think possibly not..