Beware of the deathcab

[wulfensteinster]

Here is my project. Being newly wed and having no money, i have to resort to a bug to satisfy my speed needs. This is a 1972 VW bug in which i have installed a 1.8L subaru engine with a WRX turbo.



Deciding on the project





This project has been so much fun! I had the goal of making something "fast" with $3000.00. I have an old Pontiac Fiero GT which i was going to stick a V8 in, or supercharge... this project would have blown my budjet so i decided to go with an older car.. something light weight. so I did some research.



Bugs are cheap and light weight. when i heard about some of the conversions that have been done, i was sold on the idea. I bought an ugly '72 bug with a crack in the crankcase. i brought it home and decided to paint it up like a taxi. i sanded it down with 80 grit for a rough finish and painted it with a semi gloss black. with "Taxi" on the side and a taxi light from Ebay this car was well on its way to origionality. for the swap, i wanted to try something new. something that nobody does. instead of the common 2.2L subaru or th wankel rotary, i put a 1.8L subaru motor in my bug with a turbocharger from a WRX. which spools up quickly and produces a lot of horsepower. For carburetion, i put a 40 DCOE sidedraft. with all this and the custom, steightpiped 3" exhaust this bug is now a beast!



I cant go anywhere withough attracting the attention of 90% of the people on the road..

The major benefits to the 1.8L conversion.

Benefits of 1.8L conversion VS 2.2L and 2.5L





The major benefits to the 1.8L conversion.

It involves no cutting to the the engine bay, it bolts in with room to spare
The engine swap, taking the VW engine out and getting the bare Subaru engine in took about 45 minutes. Getting it running took just a few hours over a couple days
The 1.8L has approximately 90 HP stock (non-turbo). With the carb and turbo that i have, I expect i have about 120-130 HP at 7 lbs. of boost. This is plenty of HP for an otherwise unaltered bug. much more power and you will need a roll cage, more powerful brakes and upgraded suspension. I also expect to be running about 14 sec 1/4 mile at 4500 ft above sea level... thats a 13 at sea level... this is as fast as the evolution 8, 9 and 10, the subaru STI and the Mazda speed 3. I will post my times when i can get up to the strip!
The conversion requires limited wiring and you don't need to worry about the computers for the fuel injection
the conversion is relatively cheap
you have a reliable, water-cooled vehicle with cleaner emissions, more space than even a VW engine and its just about as simple! i expect 24-26 miles per gallon. really, this conversion fits the needs of just about anyone. its FAST, CHEAP, FUN, and really SIMPLE.
Total expenses for conversion




3.00 - Exhaust flanges
35.00 - Turbo gaskets
50.00 - Turbo flanges, up and down + intake flange
100.00 - Subaru WRX turbo w/ oil cooler (not necessary)
480.00 - New 40 DCOE weber side draft carb
483.00 - Kennedy adaptor plate
520.00 - Custom turbo eshaust with a 3" straight pipe
153.00 - Used, low mile subaru 1.8L engine
250.00-300.00 - Random remaining expenses include: radiator, hoses, hose clamps pipes, heat wrap, spark plugs, RPM guage
the total for these items is $2124.00 and the bug its self cost me $1200.00 for a total cost to me of $3324.00 ...


http://bp3.blogger.com/_18iKeFSX3CM/R8L ... GP0436.JPG
excuse the paint.. thats not my worry right now
http://bp3.blogger.com/_18iKeFSX3CM/R8L ... re+086.jpg

[doc]

Well, it's not 100% vw, but I really like it. Great post! Shows what can be done with a little money and a lot of ingenuity. Paint is ok with me.

Welcome to STF! Sure hope you can post some pics here in the future. For sure, keep the info coming. A lot of folks will be interested in a really fun ride for CHEAP!

doc