Hello everyone....
I am a former Type I owner who ended up moving to larger and more modern cars for reasons of practicality. However, my situation has changed, and now I again have the flexibility to have a 'fun' car again - and I am seriusly considering getting a Ghia as a daily driver...
BUT (there is always a but) it still has to be *practical* (or close anyways)... and the things I need for practicality seem elusive:
1) Reliable! Don;t care about performance, but has to work well.2) HEAT! I need heat. Real heat! Where I live, it is often -30 in the winter, and if I buy a Ghia, as sacreligious as it may be, I'm using it
365 days a year.3) A/C. Not a absolute, esp. if I snag a vert', but I'd really like it. Where I spend my summers it is often +35 or warmer! Humid to boot!
Anyhow, getting #1 doesn't seem TOO hard, but #2 seems very tricky and #3 neigh impossible... Looking around, however, I do see some poeple have done water cooled conversions on Beetles & busses, with apparent success. Mind you, most ofthese people are using Subaru 1.6's and going for performance. Not what I am looking for really. Dream scenario, for me, would be to take the engine, heating, and A/C system from a 97~2001 Geo/Chevey Metro or Pontiac Firefly and dump it into the back of a Ghia. The engine is a 1.0 litre 55hp 3 Cylinder in-line engine, with electronic throttle body fuel injection. The stock radiator looks like a big alcohol flask - the whole setup would have room to spare in the back of an air-cooled VW, and the engine weighs well under 80kg dry. I could see that it would actually probably be a performance increase, and prolly approach the 40mpg it got in a Metro.
The question is, is this practicle, and if it is, where would I get the know-how or labour to do this. Money is, of course, a consideration, but if I can get a nice Ghia, and spend 2 or 3k to make it quiet, quick, and with real heat & A/C, I would do it in a heartbeat.
Any suggestions about the possibility / practibility of this, and how I could make it happen? I ahve heard of people using Mazda rotaries in Type 1's - is this another good option. Also, can these water cooled engines be mated well with stock transmissions? I would like to keep my car as stock as possible, save for the engine, heat, ac and perhaps some seatbelts.
Thanks in advance for any info or advice.
Regards, Anthony