TheSamba.com :: View topic - 1985 Cabriolet engine into a kit car? Am I a fool?

Mon Oct 21, 2013 4:09 pm

Team Samba,

I have the opportunity to buy a running 85 VW Cabriolet golf for almost nothing, but as I have learned cheap parts are often the most expensive purchase.

What would be the pain level for installation?

KEP sells an adapter and there are no ECU issues.

I searched and did not find anyone.

Thanks, Jeff

Mon Oct 21, 2013 5:41 pm

Jeff: Watercooled VW engine swaps have been done on buggies & rails before. But a few questions first...

What is your intended use for this buggy - Street? Offroad?
What Kennedy adapter are you looking to use - the Straight up, 15-degree slant, or Vanagon ~50-degree slant version? This will influence the oil pan & pick you use...
Where will radiator be installed?
Carbs or fuel injection?
Standard Bug T1 transmission? Will you need to beef up the trans based on your intended usage?

Look on the Forum here for some possible insight:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=321791&highlight=diesel

bnc

Tue Oct 22, 2013 2:31 pm

I went and looked at it and realized it is a fuel injection set up and it looked like there would be a lot of parts replacement.

Thanks for the input. Looks like a 1600 again.

Tue Oct 22, 2013 3:27 pm

Check the www.tdreplica.com forum. A member is putting a 2.0 or 2.4 liter Subaru engine in a td replica kit car. Look in the forum for Soob into a VW.

Tue Oct 22, 2013 5:41 pm

The H2O-cooled VW swap could potentially be cheaper than building up an Aircooled engine, but there are a number of 'if's involved... a nice 1.6/1.7 water cooled engine with carb or mechanical CIS could be sweet, or a 16/20 valve head setup - It all depends on how well you do in sourcing the bits needed to do the swap, but the basic swap bits required (Kennedy adapter, etc) would give option of gas or diesel install. I've often considered building a nice VW turbo diesel engine setup, like a 1.6TD with boosted turbo & pump running twin tanks for diesel & biofuel/veggie diesel.

bnc