Best engine for around 3000 turnkey

[veedubfreak59]

I'm currently in the process of building up a 58 ragtop all numbers matching car. The 36hp engine is back home in Texas getting rebuilt and will make its way back into the car for the time being, but I'm trying to research what sort of engine I can get for the car that will scoot it around at 65-70 on the freeway while still being able to last a good while.

Currently I have no parts other than the stock 36, so everything would ideally be brand new. I have been out of the air cooled scene for probably 20 years at this point, but back in the old days a 2110 was considered huge but also not exactly a long life engine.

So I come to the gurus to see what the best price : performance engine there are these days. If 3000 only gets me a 1641, but it's bulletproof and reliable so be it. But I've searched around the forums and the opinions are all over the place.

If you were to build an engine from scratch for your car, with a soft budget of 3000, what would you build.

TIA.

Here she sits in all of her rusty glory.

[Aircooled67Beetle]

I don't see why you couldn't put a 82x94 (2276cc). Everything I read says when done properly they are reliable and more so if you keep the RPM's around the stock limit. With just some minor head work you can keep it looking factory correct and get a LOT of extra torque down low. Add a small cam upgrade to compliment the extra displacement.

If your very worried about it being original and no boring of the case, just do a 82mm stroke crank with the biggest bores you can go without cutting the case (85.5?).

I don't know if the engine is already being built or is built. The good thing about VW's are you can build a second engine and keep the original on the side. a simply swap to put it back to original.

If thats the goal, The cheapest route to a power increase would be a simply 1915 (69x94) with dual port heads, mild cam, and a nice twin carb setup.

Im still learning myself.. Im just brain storming with you.

[veedubfreak59]

[jfats808]

It's tight but doable to do a longblock if you build it for 3k.
Used Ff case , decked , linebored and bored out 600-700
AA pc set 160
Carcraft bottom half kit ( crank, lifters, bearings, gasket set, cam, rods) 600
Pr, tubes, oil pump, Gn, misc hardware and seals 300
Balancing 80
Flywheel 120
That leaves approx 700 for heads and the rest is shipping. You may need to squeeze out another 150 for clutch and disc. Gotta shop smart or look for someone selling a kit.
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2276 IDA's 86C 11-1 DD !
2017 48 Trijet DRLA's W125

[krusher]

Simple answer is you can't get a stock 1600 TURNKEY build well by anyone for 3000.
Unless you maybe supply them with a complete 1600 and they do a non cosmetic bare bones linebore rebuild.
_________________
(06:31:07) RoachGhia: "i drink dick way too fast"

[AlteWagen]

[veedubfreak59]

Oh goodie, just what I wanted to hear. I'll have to take out a car loan just to buy an engine, hot damn. Guess I'll be puttering around with the 36hp for a while. As it is, I'm already 5000 deep into this car and it doesn't even have an interior.

[AlteWagen]

Average quality restoration of a beetle is $40K and over $50K for a bus (non deluxe).

Paint $10K
Engine $10K
Trans $3K
Suspension $3K
Interior $3K
Rims/tires $2K
Body work/rust repair $5K
Rubber $2K
Misc $2K

And thats putting it together yourself!

Why do you think the hood ride/patina thing is so popular right now

[veedubfreak59]

So why are there so many advertisers with 3-4000 turnkey engines and 600 dollar transmissions floating around on the site? That list seems awfully overcooked. Hell, full on restored cars are only going for 10k if you look hard enough. I find it hard to believe that a decent engine can't be put together for 3000 bucks. I'm not trying to make a 10 second car here. I just want something that will get me moving fast enough to not get run down by every ahole in an SUV.

Also, hoodride/patina is crap. It's not that hard to sand a car down and at least do flat black.

So is something like this http://scatvw.com/master/engine_kits/ going to get me in trouble? The full long block kit.

[mark tucker]

yes you can if you shop around, but the kicker is the turn key part thats where the $$$ amount starts climbing real fast, just a 82x90.5 or thick wall 92's basic motor isant all that bad if you dont have to ship everything around the world or even across the country.a used case is doable, but I like new stuff throught.and a case is $700 easy,heads another$5-700., rotating assy another 6-700,then there is all toe other stuff like pistons&cylinders,cam lifters,head studs,deep sump,pushrods,rockerarms,flywheel,gasket&seals,pushrod tubes,shims,nuts,bolts,valve covers.pully, gears,spacer,oil pumkin& cover then all the machinework,clearancing,balancing,FF,etc you might just want to bring your car to me and I will do it for my self and you can go buy a new tiodie with a boxer motor in it and be money ahead and have AC & haull ass in style&comfart. come on down the weather is fine!!!

[krusher]

[Multi69s]

Your not going to find a turn key mutch lower then this http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1267907. However, who know the quality of the build. In a turn key its all the little stuff that can eat you alive (alt, tin, FP, etc)

You could build one cheaper your self if you had a good complete core to start with, but the core is going to cost you too.

The cheap days are gone. I remeber driving home bugs that I bought for 100-$200
_________________
69 road Bug 2110
73 Squareback - 2L, T4, Automatic W/ AC
Gone, but many fond memories 69 Baja Bug 2010 - 5 Rib Bus Transaxle
Gone but not forgotten 72 Baja Bug 2010
My builds
T4 into Squareback http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=458944&highlight=
Auto Trans Rebuild http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=516066&highlight=
AC in Squareback https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=

[veedubfreak59]

Ya, this is where I'm having the problems. I keep seeing all of these advertisements for turnkeys, but I have no clue who has a decent rep and makes a good engine. Right now I'm leaning towards just ordering the scat longblock kit and building my own. Last time I built a bug was in the early 90s and I think I spent 200 bucks on the 1600 I put in it. More and more I'm wishing I had just bought the 69 all original 'cuda that the guy had where I bought my rag.

[AlteWagen]

[bugnut68]

To the OP, I suggest you contact the professionals directly rather than rely on the opinions of armchair quarterbacks. You can't get a 1600 turn key for $3K? Are you shitting me? I have my doubts.

Paradise Motorsports is a good place to start, they're in San Marcos, Calif. Top notch customer service.

$10K for a good drivetrain? Maybe if a guy's going balls out with a Mendeola transmission and balls-to-the-wall stroker engine...

[AlteWagen]

[bugguy1967]

You should look around on the Samba for a good used stroker. Check the seller's feedback to make sure they're honest and go for it. 10K for an engine? I have a machinist who got all of my 1915 parts for under $900 and another 300 for all of the necessary machining. The engine was nothing special, 110 cam, stock reworked heads, balance job.

I'm currently building a 1776 longblock for a customer who gave me a $900 budget:

Used 1776 in pieces, about 1000 miles, 040 heads 40x35.5, 110 cam, c/w dms, 10 lb flywheel, mahle 90.5s, stock rods - $450

Sold the heads. Got $80 toward the engine

Sold the cam. Got $50 toward the engine

Sold the fly. Got $45 toward the engine

Sent his stock heads from his old motor, crank, stock flywheel, and rods to the machine shop. Paid $375 for turning, reconditioning rods, rebuilding heads, 8 doweling and re-surfacing F/W.

Hone job @ Old Speed $40, Shadek 26 $27, and stock cam w/no gear $40

New grant rings $25 Roger's European and resurfaced lifters $14

Case checked out good all over. Still under budget and only need main bearings and rod brgs.
_________________
"A petrol engine can start readily, run smoothly and give every appearance of being in good order, without necessarily being in good tune." - Colin Campbell, "The Sportscar Engine"

[gt1953]

It is possible to do...Just find the correct engine builder. HP cost dollars.
My 1745cc mileage motor was 3200...keep in mind that I supplied case heads cam all engine sheet metal to the engine builder.
Interestingly enough the case was given to me and had never been apart from the factory.
_________________
Volkswagen: We tune what we drive.
Numbers Matching VW's are getting harder to find. Source out the most Stock vehicle and keep that way. You will be glad you did.

72 type 1
72 Squareback
({59 Euro bug, 62, 63, 67, 68, 69, 73 type ones 68 & 69 type two, 68 Ghia all sold})

[veedubfreak59]

Thanks for all the replies. The family friend who is building my 36hp motor offered to bore it out and make it stronger, but I didn't want to chance killing an OG 36hp motor by over building it. I'm going to have him just bore it 10 over and keep it basically stock since it is the numbers matching 36hp. He is going to build his shop in the next few months so and has tons of parts laying around. He is going to build me either a 1776 or 1835 for a reasonable price. That is unless I can convince my mom to just give me her 1641 he built for her 10 years ago that has done maybe 1000 miles since he built it. She never uses the damn car, so i'm going to steal the engine.

[NCdad]