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Thu Apr 23, 2015 9:33 am

My son bought a 71 squareback that has no engine and seem to find one. Has anybody tried putting a suburu engine in a squareback? If so how hard is it?thanks

Thu Apr 23, 2015 9:51 am

Harder than finding a squareback engine.

Thu Apr 23, 2015 10:15 am

Lots of Subaru conversions out there. Australia seems to be the 'hot bed'. There are issues to over come with the conversion that some find worthwhile and others don't. It kinda comes down to what you want out of the car and how 'hacked up' you are willing to go (I don't mean this in an unkind way just a fact that it will require fabrication).

Doug

Thu Apr 23, 2015 11:11 am

Subaru will stick up higher than the engine lid I believe? Ruins the station wagon load floor. I'd build a 1776cc pancake engine with dual carburetors for a squareback.

Thu Apr 23, 2015 11:18 am

if you can't find a T3 engine you are either:

A . not trying very hard

B. never heard of the internet

C. never heard of the samba classifieds

:wink:

Thu Apr 23, 2015 12:00 pm

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=625124

Mon Apr 27, 2015 10:51 am

no.. if you cant find a type 3 engine that has nothing to do with not knowing the internet or the Samba classifieds for the simple fact that in some areas you can't find a type 3 engine for less than a thousand bucks and then you have to have it shipped to you
when you can go on Craigslist and some place closer and end up finding a Subaru engine for the same amount of money

I'm dealing with a very same thing
right now I have a thousand bucks sitting here waiting for it 1700 and an automatic transmission that's coming from Tennessee..found off of the Samba classifieds but it won't be here for probably another month it would have cost me at least six or seven hundred dollars to ship it..but I'm hoping because the guy knows somebody down in Mississippi that fairly soon he can just bring it down and it won't cost me the shipping charge

I have my squareback and it's turning into a Volksrod do I want to lose the cargo area of the square back no but then again there's always the roof rack

I would love to have a Subaru engine in that thing and because it's not going to have any front fenders mounting the radiators would not be an issue

the problem I'm dealing with now and I kind of see in either case is
when you find an engine it has to be complete with the typ three engines you have to make sure that all the tins and nuts and bolts and everything is there..shims and washers and such
most of the time when you buy a Subaru motor or you can find a Subaru motor that has virtually has almost everything you need except for the stand-alone computer

also when you buy a used type 3 motor one can only expect the most maybe 40 or 50,000 miles on it not knowing its previous history
parts are not necessarily hard to find but they are getting a little bit more expensive

yes I have a type 4 motor coming but it would virtually cost me the same amount of time to find all the little tidbits from the type 3 motor that I need for my type 3 motor

as always find the most complete thing that you can

Kennedy makes adapters for regular motors and Subarus you can put a type 3 motor in it or fashion a type 1 motor into a type 3

Mines going to be a Volksrod so I'm not necessarily concerned about the cargo area but also I would not like to suffocate from the exhaust

Mon Apr 27, 2015 11:27 am

Quote: no.. if you cant find a type 3 engine that has nothing to do with not knowing the internet or the Samba classifieds for the simple fact that in some areas you can't find a type 3 engine for less than a thousand bucks and then you have to have it shipped to you

You can buy the carbs, oil cooler, and tin off the classifieds or swap meets, and any universal longblock will get you a working power plant.
It helps to have type 3 hoarder friends too :wink:

I have a friend who picked up a rusty suby for $400 for the engine, they are plentiful. It's not a drop-in, but it a damn nice upgrade when done right.

Mon Apr 27, 2015 11:54 am

is your picture a puppy of a bull terrier I have a 10 year old one

Mon Apr 27, 2015 1:07 pm

Quote: is your picture a puppy of a bull terrier I have a 10 year old one

That was Wilbur as a puppy, we lost him to bladder cancer just shy of his 10th birthday in 2013, we've have a 5 year old white female (Maya) From the BT rescue for the last 1.5 years, she is our 3rd bully.

Mon Apr 27, 2015 8:54 pm

W1K1 wrote: if you can't find a T3 engine you are either:

A . not trying very hard

B. never heard of the internet

C. never heard of the samba classifieds

:wink:

I disagree, I've had a want ad for a running type 3 engine for over a year and not one hit. Paperweights, I have three.

Mon Apr 27, 2015 9:16 pm

a good used complete running engine? no, I don't expect that anymore from a 50 year old type3

but you can build a power plant easy enough, just takes some parts collecting. just like anything else on our T3's

Mon Apr 27, 2015 9:33 pm

W1K1 wrote: a good used complete running engine? no, I don't expect that anymore from a 50 year old type3

but you can build a power plant easy enough, just takes some parts collecting. just like anything else on our T3's

Agreed, unfortunately, I am not mechanically inclined, but can take a car apart and put it back together easily. I have enough NOS parts to build two NOS engines, but the runner I want is for the type 34.

Mon Apr 27, 2015 10:31 pm

ALLWAGONS wrote: W1K1 wrote: if you can't find a T3 engine you are either:

A . not trying very hard

B. never heard of the internet

C. never heard of the samba classifieds

:wink:

I disagree, I've had a want ad for a running type 3 engine for over a year and not one hit. Paperweights, I have three.

Go on craigslist and start looking at all the crappy hack job dune buggies, bug trucks, and other home-made VW kit cars. Tons of them have Type 3 engines. ;)

Tue Apr 28, 2015 5:49 am

A lot of dreamers out there wanting fresh complete engines for 1/2 price,no labor & free delivery! :lol:

Tue Apr 28, 2015 9:15 pm

Mike Fisher wrote: A lot of dreamers out there wanting fresh complete engines for 1/2 price,no labor & free delivery! :lol:

Yeah Those cheap b*st*rds! I always pay top dollar when I need something and still no engine!

Wed Apr 29, 2015 5:14 am

sharkskinman wrote: also when you buy a used type 3 motor one can only expect the most maybe 40 or 50,000 miles on it not knowing its previous history
That seems hilariously optimistic.

Max

Wed Apr 29, 2015 7:12 am

ALLWAGONS wrote: W1K1 wrote: if you can't find a T3 engine you are either:

A . not trying very hard

B. never heard of the internet

C. never heard of the samba classifieds

:wink:

I disagree, I've had a want ad for a running type 3 engine for over a year and not one hit. Paperweights, I have three.

Dag,
Where were you when I was selling mine?
It was a super-low-mile factory rebuild with NOS carbs.. Ran like a Swiss watch.
Complete from the OG air filer to the tip of the exhaust.

It sat on here for like six months at $700 with nothing but strokes wasting my time.
People want a great running motor for $300 not $700... :roll:

Finding parts to buy if you have money is far easier than the other way around.
Everybody thinks they are a motor rebuilder/expert.

To the OP:
IMHO, a Subaru conversion will end up being far more work than finding an original powerplant.

The end result could easily justify the means,
But it's definitely not a shortcut.

Wed Apr 29, 2015 8:16 am

ALLWAGONS wrote: W1K1 wrote: if you can't find a T3 engine you are either:

A . not trying very hard

B. never heard of the internet

C. never heard of the samba classifieds

:wink:

I disagree, I've had a want ad for a running type 3 engine for over a year and not one hit. Paperweights, I have three.

So, you want to buy a $1000 complete running engine cheaper/easier/faster than you could rebuild one from your 3 paperweights. 1 year on that startegy hasn't worked. :wink:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1667647

Wed Apr 29, 2015 5:18 pm

Mike Fisher wrote: ALLWAGONS wrote: W1K1 wrote: if you can't find a T3 engine you are either:

A . not trying very hard

B. never heard of the internet

C. never heard of the samba classifieds

:wink:

I disagree, I've had a want ad for a running type 3 engine for over a year and not one hit. Paperweights, I have three.

So, you want to buy a $1000 complete running engine cheaper/easier/faster than you could rebuild one from your 3 paperweights. 1 year on that startegy hasn't worked. :wink:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1667647

YUP!

The type 34 is just sitting Idle, heck I even had time to drive MY dream car (my squareback)! so YES! I will wait another year.