Attn all Aircooled Guru's, I've come to the place in my restoration where I'm considering buying an engine for my 59 kombi. Just for interest sake, does anyone know if a 911 flat 6 will fit into the first generation buses? I believe Kennedy Engineering does an adapter plate for the engine to tranny mount. Does the engine fit within the confines of the engine bay, or will it stick out the back of the bus? Any help would be much appreciated.
...................I've read that it's possible but that you have to hack out part of the engine bay. I'd think that it would also be impossible to get enough air in there to ever get enough cooling. Talk to Thom Fitzpatrick at
Not exactly on topic but did you see the August issue of Hot VWs? There's a dude in there that stuffed a 993 engine and transaxle into a '67... yikes!!
G
width wise you will need to cut some metal out from the engine bay. 911 engine is wider. Lenghtwise it should fit.
My 66 bus had one in it at some point.
Jan
Gazza wrote: > "Tim Rogers" news:be8hf9$28oh0$ snipped-for-privacy@ID-46866.news.dfncis.de... >
Funny thing...when Excellence (a Porsche specific magazine) ran an article on that project, they described it as a VW Bus body on a Porsche.
However you want to look at it that project was far more extensive than just putting a 993 engine in a microbus. The suspension and braking either came from a Porsche 996 or were custom fabricated.
It's probably much safer than a microbus would be if you simply stuffed in a 300+ hp engine and hung a couple extra hundred pounds off the back end. On the other hand, the three donor cars alone probably approach $200,000. I can't even guess at the high-priced labor.
Back to the original question: I know some people have put Porsche 911 engines in VW Buses, and I think that includes the split windshiled Type
2s. But! A GOOD 911 engine alone will cost several thousand dollars, and add something like 150 lbs where the VW Bus needs it least. Do you really want to spend that kind of money to make the handling worse while increasing the speed?
..................I've never owned an air-cooled bus but I think that I'd really enjoy having a split-window camper (SO-45) someday. My question is: To have a good cross-country driver.............Would it be practical to go with a type4/upright cooling fan engine & IRS tranny conversion along with dropped spindles up front........disc brakes.......heavy sway bars front & back, etc. in lets say in a 66 or 67? What I'm thinking is that I'd want only upgrades that are easily reversed so as to not totally ruin the vintage value. I'm trying to learn about these questions before I plunge into an expensive project someday.
True enough. To clarify, only the outer shell of the '67 was used and at that only the top of it. The bottom was all re-fabricated to accept the Porsche suspension and driveline etc. I guess I oversimplified it when I stated he "stuffed a 993 engine and transaxle into a '67". I didn't want to go into too much detail as the reply was off topic, just give the OP a place to look at something that might've been of interest if he wanted more details.
G
Cool. I'm somewhere between devoted to originality and anal retentive about it...
Frankly, if I'm knowledgable about anything, it's historical restoration--not performance conversions. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there have been too many Type 4 engine into split windshield bus conversions.
Obviously, the Type 4 engine went into the similar bay window bus, so ther must be room. Could there be a rear engine mount problem?
You might want to think about just getting a more powerful Type 1 engine built up and mating it to a transmission with higher gears. It would be cheaper and easier. The reduction boxes do get a trifle noisy at 60 mph or so, but keeping the ground clearance in a Westfalia could be a plus.
The drum brakes really will stop a bus fairly well. But! They will fade if you stand on them long anough. Don't count on using the brakes to check your speed on a long downhill (I was once very lucky that no cars were coming on Pacific Coast Highway).
.....................I've thought about that but I'm afraid that a type1 engine would run too hot in a bus the way that I drive. Others have used SP heads and machine in 88 cylinders for a more durable bus engine but Joe Cali's experience has convinced me that an upright fan on a mostly stock type4 is a terrific set-up for power and durability. If I had an air-cooled bus and also had a big pile of cash on hand, I'd try to talk Jake Raby into building it for me.
..............???...........I guess I've lost touch with what's going on with you Gary. Did you buy Joe Locicero's DTM fan shroud molds?
...that would be correct =-) ...damn I was VERY suprised at how long it took to find a buyer for that engine....
...Gareth
I've got a 66 in my garage with a upright T4 (1700) w dual Dell 40's hooked up to a Bug Tranny with welded 3rd and 4th, 4:12 ring and a super diff, and with 69 Bus IRS arms. Front dropped with spindles and will be getting 78 Bay window disc brakes up front.
"Gareth" wrote
Same here ... but if only I'd had some spare $$$ and a car to put it in that could've handled it ... ::sigh:: All it took was that wicked video ... it sold pretty dang quick after that ... lol.
..............Far out!
.........Have you been driving it? Where do you live Dave? I'd love to go for a ride in a bus like yours.
Got any recent pics, even if it is just in primer? I love those DC's!!!
-- Terry B AKA VDUBBS Buggin in Bama
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------
But of course! Fairly recent.
I am sorry I asked........that just makes me want one even more. If you ever want to part with it and give it to a good home, I volunteer now.
Nice DC.
-- Terry B AKA VDUBBS Buggin in Bama
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------
.................That makes sense. I started reading and lurking here sometime in '98. I don't think that I actually posted anything until at least a year later. '98 was when I got back into acvws after going almost six years without one unless the four waterboxers that I've had during the past eleven or twelve years counts for anything. I'm determined to not get anymore of those (I've still got two of them) and someday get a real bus. Unfortunately, even baywindows are getting really scarce here in the northeast and the few splitties around here are only in the hands of enthusiasts who think that they're sitting on a gold mine even though they might be trying to sell a rotted out POS. When the time comes, in a few more years, I'm sure that I'll have to travel out west to your region to find what I want. My last kid will be leaving for college in three more years and I'd like to get started before he makes a pauper out of me!
No welcome needed Jan, A note from Jan is welcome enough.
Hope you've been well,
Scott '60 DC
Well, Scott... the past year (two!?) has been less than perfect but I'm picking up speed again.
Jan
Scott Fraser wrote:
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.