5.9 Cummins in my 73 bug?

[HeidelbergJohn4.0]

[mackyboy1893]

Suggesting the civic is just stupid. I love this car and have been driving it for 8 months, I can get it up to about 65 mph. I need it to go 90-95 or ill get plowed over by Tue traffic. I live in largo Florida, so I drive on the highway for mist of my driving. What could I do to the 1600 to get it to handle these kinds of speeds? I know ill need different suspension, different braking, different steering maybe. This is why I'm asking, what will I need to do? And I don't have a problem keeping the air cooled engine, its a good lil engine, its just not fast enough. I know you can make them faster, so what would I do to beef up the 1600? I can spend up $8,500. That's including suspension and other things, maybe $10,000 at the most.

[69 Jim]

Why screw around, compared to a Jato rocket engine, Diesels are toads.

http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1995-04.html

[ragtopbaja]

start with this.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1103802

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1112918

Then start on the engine.

[Randy in Maine]

My 71 Super would easily do the 84 mph as a top speed from the factory and would cruise effortlessly all day at 70.

You need a tune up. Do you know how to do that?

[MinamiKotaro]

[rlutterb]

No time, live in an apartment, no money, no fabrication skills, no welding skills, no mechanical skills.......gotta have a good imagination then.
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1973 Super Beetle
1978 Ford F-250
2020 GMC Sierra

[torsionbar]

[ezrydr]

wow.
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just another kid trapped in a 53 year old body

[mackyboy1893]

Why couldn't it be a daily driver? It has been for almost 8 months and been fine. It's just not quick enough. I've given up on the diesel or Tue subaru, just someone please explain where I can get the parts, what parts I would need, as in engine upgrades, suspension, and braking parts. I will stick with the 1600 but want to upgrade it. If I could at least go 85 I'd be happy. I know this is possible, I just don't know exactly how, that is what I'm asking. Not whether it not I van do it. I can do it, would take a little while, but I have a two week break coming up, so I could have a buddy help me with it.

[69 Jim]

Ah never mind.

[cableguy]

http://www.jdmtigerjapanese.com/details.php?id=1753

Here is a motor to get you started.
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1970 Standard

[ezrydr]

For starters just use the forum search function. This is site is FULL of information on engine upgrades, maintenance, tune ups and even vendors who can sell you a whole new bolt-in performance engine and tranny.

Everything you need to know is right here if you have the patience to look.

That said, let me try to give you a dose of reality even tho you don't seem quite ready to accept the advice from those here you are seeking it from.

If you want to do this yourself you will need to study every bit as hard as you do for whatever you are going to college for. You are talking about performing mechanical alterations in a vehicle that is used on public roads. You owe it to yourself and to the public who shares the roads with you to know what you are doing.

I am 53 years old and have worked on all kinds of vehicles. I have mechanical, electrical and fabrication experience and a garage full of tools.

A few months ago I acquired a 1962 VW with a 1969 engine. The first thing I learned about vintage VWs is that I had a lot to learn.
I have literally spent dozens of hours pouring over this web site in an effort to understand how to do things correctly on my old VW.

Before I even laid a wrench on my VW I made sure I understood as much as I possibly could about whatever I was about to do lest I make a bigger mess of what I was trying to fix.

Even something as simple as the clutch cable on these cars reuqires that you understand how and why it was engineered to work the way it does. Or it won't work and you'll be sitting on the edge of the road (or worse)

If you have as much determination as you do imagination I have no doubt that you can do it. But you need to be REAL.

You need to get the proper repair and service manuals for your car first. Then you need to read and understand them.

Whenever you begin work on one of these cars you should always be prepared to have it out of service for days or weeks. Inevitably as you begin work you will discover that you need a part or parts that you did not anticipate. While there are plenty of on-line vendors for vintage VW parts you will find it that sourcing parts locally will be difficult. Auto Parts Stores simply do not stock stuff for these old cars. Many parts are not even available from the online vendors.

There are also many special tools required to repair, upgrade and maintain these cars.

The best advice I saw given to you in this thread was to stop trying to make this your daily driver. If you truly want to honor your uncle then treat this car as something special. Spend some mony on a reliable run-of-the-mill car for a daily driver. Then tear into your VW and do it right without having the pressure of having to get it back together so you have something to drive.

Even better, put it into storage and preserve it until you get out of college and have a place of your own where you can work on it in your liesure.

Maturity and wisdom will teach you that the more you learn, the more there is to learn.

Good Luck
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just another kid trapped in a 53 year old body

[Mooosman]

[Paul Wright]

Two weeks..........you are going to need a lot more time than that!!
Face it....with your financial situation and time, plus you dont know enough about cars its not possible!!!
This is a project for someone who has built many, many cars and has learned how to fab parts.
You cannot really think that you post a few questions on a board and get this done.
The samba is the worlds best resource for good advice on realistic vw problems. This post is quite frankly a waste of time and you are going to get flamed!!!!!!!
Keep it stock or upgrade the motor for a little more power. Get another car for commuting to work.
I can use mine for daily driving if I wanted to but I dont need to go that fast.
Come to think of it.......my Toyota x-runner speedo says 120mph but I have never had it more than 75. Just not needed!!!
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I may not be good.......but I sure am slow!!

[deathroll77]

[Paul Wright]

"for now your Main #1 Priority is School. nothing else. "


Well said!!!
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I may not be good.......but I sure am slow!!

[mackyboy1893]

Thanks to everyone for your answers. As much as I want to say I'm going to still do the swap, I'm going to skip it, and maybe later on do a few acvw performance upgrades, this car was my uncles, and being he died so young its really the only thing I have to remember him by, so I'm going to keep it the way he had it. If any of you are interested, ill put some pics up of it. Also, if I leave it the way it is, could I use it as my daily? Or should I just go buy another cheap subie?

Thanks,
Severely stubborn and confused

P.S. I already have a masters degree in culinary , and a masters degree in baking and pastry and also a associates degree in business. What I'm working on now is a PhD in restaurant management and hospitality. So yes, school is one of my main priorities, my girlfriend of 5 years my main. But anyways, a few of you I believe wondered what I was doing for school. Again, thank you for your help, and straightening me out on the tinkering that I would probably, no most likely fail at. and for saving my uncles pride and joy.

[ezrydr]

I think you are wiser than you're first post led us to believe.

Congratulations on your educational and culinary accomplishments!
very cool!

Hang onto that old VW and treat it like a family heirloom. Who knows? maybe someday you'll be able to pass it on to your nephew or son or even daughter.
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just another kid trapped in a 53 year old body

[Paul Wright]

Would love to see some pics!!
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I may not be good.......but I sure am slow!!