# New project build.



## thebornotaku (Jun 21, 2008)

*'74 Beetle Project*

Hey all, I'm new to the Vortex.
My name's Mike and I'm the proud owner of a 1974 Volkswagen Beetle named Diego.
Currently, Diego has no motor, no transmission, his wiring harness is in bad shape (we're going to replace it), the clearcoat is peeling, he has no headlights and no right fender, and the dash and stereo and whatnot needs work.
So obviously I'm looking at pretty much a full restoration project. There's going to be quite a bit on the car that won't be stock, such as the engine (hoping to have one with dual carbs and a bit more oomph), the interior (The dash that we have for it is black with aircraft aluminium accents, white faced dials with black accents and international orange needles, the seats are black and silver, and the door panels are black with aluminium accents, custom handles, knobs and everything), and the stereo (I'd like to have one that's got real good sound quality, I'm an audiophile after all).

The plan so far is when we get the car here into my garage we're going to strip it of it's panels, strip the paint and get everything ready for paint, then send it out. When we get it back, run a new electrical harness, wire everything up nicely, drop in a new drivetrain, then work on the interior and do the stereo last.

I come to you all asking for suggestions or tips on how to go about this. 
What a good engine would be for it? It's a 1303 platform and lets face it, 54hp in a car that weighs 1800lb or so isn't exactly nippy. I don't want anything too insane, just something with a good bit of power and torques. thinking about 100hp or so would be an achievable goal that will provide me with pretty good acceleration (like that of the Porsche 914...) and a better top speed.

Any other suggestions or notes for things I may have overlooked will be greatly appreciated
Thanks.
-TBO


_Modified by thebornotaku at 10:33 PM 6-20-2008_


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## thebornotaku (Jun 21, 2008)

*Re: '74 Beetle Project (thebornotaku)*

Done a little reading:
Turns out that my bug apparently has the Type 1 1600 engine. How feasible do you guys think it'd be to use a Type 4 engine in the '74? How about the 1.7L modified Type 4 from the Porsche 914/4? I know I said I want to push about 100hp in the post just before this (what, fifteen minutes ago), but looking at the 75-80hp of a Type 4 is something I can settle for.
So, would this be feasible?


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## alpinweiss (Aug 10, 2007)

*Re: '74 Beetle Project (thebornotaku)*


_Quote, originally posted by *thebornotaku* »_Done a little reading:
Turns out that my bug apparently has the Type 1 1600 engine. How feasible do you guys think it'd be to use a Type 4 engine in the '74? How about the 1.7L modified Type 4 from the Porsche 914/4? I know I said I want to push about 100hp in the post just before this (what, fifteen minutes ago), but looking at the 75-80hp of a Type 4 is something I can settle for.
So, would this be feasible?

Anything is possible given enough time and money. This will not be an easy swap, and will require cutting and major modifications on your car.
I would strongly recommend getting an uprated Type 1 engine. There are a lot of engine rebuilders that can increase the displacement and power from the Type 1 engine. Also, parts are more plentiful on the Type 1 than the Type 4. 75 or 80 reliable horsepower is easily achieveable with modern technology and parts.


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