ShopTalk Forums | Aircooled VW Tech & Restoration Help

So I guess I am going to start an actual build thread here. Here is a link to my never-made-much-progress-on suspension thread.
http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic ... highlight=

So to catch everybody up, the car now has an a-arm.com front end set up, Eagle 3x3 tubular trailing arms, FOA coilovers, a full cage thats is still a work in progress, a 6 rib trans and a 2110 engine with dual webbers. There are pics on page 10 of that thread that show the current status.

Things are still in the fabrication stage and have been stalled since last spring with the move and divorce and all. So even though I am deployed right now and due to get back to the real world about the end of May, I am planning to get this thing back on the road by Christmas and take it to Ocotillo this winter
So I am buying a set of these from motochris

Buying new parts always makes me happy

It looks like I will be going with CNC disk brakes front and rear. Which means I need to cut off the caliper brackets I welded on the arms and spindles, but the plasma cutter should make a quick job of that
So I have been planning out what I need/want to get this thing done and its quite a chunk 'o change
I will have the wheels and brakes waiting for me when i get home to get it rolling, then I need to install a 10* nose down trans mount and then set the rear CV angle, and figure out where to mount the Bilstein air bumps, then order limit straps, etc. Once i have the rear end all braced, then I will measure for the fuel cell. I had planned on a 22 gallon Jazz, but if I have enough room, would a 32 gallon be worth it, or would it just be too much weight in the rear?

I bought a set of Willwood reverse hung pedals from a guy that was just too good of a deal to pass up. I forgot to ask him what the bore sizes were though. When I got them (brand new) I saw they were all 7/8" bore Will those work with CNC 4 piston brakes and their clutch slave cylinder?

So now for the go fast goodies, LOL. I have bugeted for a new set of CNC heads for my engine since the ones that are on it are crap. I am also tired of the IDF carbs plugging idle jets and blubbering when bounced around, so I am going FI. So I was planning to just order the CB FI/turbo kit to get the power I am after. I have bugeted about 4-5 grand for this. I know its not very cost effective, but it sure is cool. Now I see Tuff Puff selling a 2.2 subi in the classifieds and baja5's comments on my origional plan really have me thinking about the subi conversion.
If I do the subi though, I am going to go whole hog and do a turbo as well.
So can I do this on my origional budget of $4-5K? I figure I can mount up a radiator and do some fab work, but I don't want to screw around with making my own FI harness and exhaust sytem though. I think I saw where outback has turnkey engines for about 7 grand, but if I have to locate a good turbo motor and just buy the pieces to put it together, that would be cool if it saves a couple thousand duckets.


Opinions?

It looks to me like the best way to do this conversion is find a 2.5T subie from a junkyard and get the adapter, flywheel, ECM, harness, and exhaust manifold from Outfront. Then piece it all together, fab up a radiator and fans and go play. Is that about the jist of it? What else am I forgetting?
I have to admit that i kinda glazed over reading about other people's subie conversions when they did them, thinking that is was cool, but not really thinking I would ever consider it, let alone have the opportunity to do it.
Now I need to go back and look at everyone else's conversion threads again.

minimum $$$ / HP = subaru

the 2.5 is safe for 400hp with a set of good pistons and a big turbo.

just watch the sump.

I don't remember what my old advice was so please disreguarde .The new advice is, don't start too many projects on the car at the same time or you will never have a running car again.You already have the 091.I'd get the car back to running status, thrash it for a few trips, look for the weak links.Fix those, thrash it a bit more, then decide whether or not you need the power.Or just put in a Subaru.

I think the 22 gal capacity is more than enough. Mine will get me through every wekend run with some left over. I bring the car out with a full tank, and never worry about refilling. This last run in Anza Borrego I came out with a little under 3/4 tank, and after 90 miles off road I still had 5-6 gallons left. I get around 13 mpg off road, and 28 on road. The added weight of carrying more fuel than that just isn't worth it IMHO.

There are a bunch of hidden expenses that crop up that are hard to plan out. I had no idea that plumbing the fuel system for the fuel injection would end up running over $300 in fittings for example. When you end up going this route it gets hard to go cheap on safety related stuff. Just ask Baja5 about fuel injection leaks! No I don't mean he cheaped out (he didn't), but high pressure fuel systems can be more dangerous than carburetion. I will never go back to that though... I love my fuel injection!

I totally agree with Baja5. Get it running first with the power plant you have. Get all of the suspension changes ironed out and dialed in before you drop the coin for an H2O conversion.

Geeze, I thought there would be no lack of advice on how to spend my money

My thought process on the new engine is that since I need to make an entire rear cage and skidplate setup, I might as well build it around the engine I want to end up with. I am tired of redoing stuff. I think if I am going to remount the trans and build a cage anyway, I might as well put a subie in it and incorporate the radiator mounts into the cage.

My engine needs a teardown anyway to fix a bad lifter and I'm pretty sure one of the heads is cracked. Not to mention the carbs need rebuilt
I think my time any money would be better spent putting it toward the subie.

Okay - you sold me. Not that I am biased in any way. That orange 4 seater manx that came out to Anza sounded sweet with the 2.5l turbo Suby.

Oh yeah... hurry up! Next winter is almost here!!!

Skidmark wrote:Okay - you sold me. Not that I am biased in any way. That orange 4 seater manx that came out to Anza sounded sweet with the 2.5l turbo Suby.

Oh yeah... hurry up! Next winter is almost here!!!

Steve layed out ~$5K to do that 2.5T conversion after the dust settled. This was his second time around too. He used the wiring harness and computer from Outfront, and did all the work himself. I'd say you could shave off $1K if you didn't use braided hoses, used a stock turbo, built your own harness and tuned it yourself as well as a few other shortcuts. Not worth saving the $1k IMHO.

If I do this, it will be a 2.5 with a stock turbo. Geeze, thats good for like 250-290 HP--more than I need, but it should be fun

I know that since I can break an anvil in a sandbox, my VW engine didn't have long to live LOL. A subie would be the most reliable thing on my car

Subie or Honda. both reliable horsepower. Sitting here in Bahrain, waiting to get my CAC card. Haha what a place. And yes this makes 10 frickin K

Leatherneck wrote:Subie or Honda. both reliable horsepower. Sitting here in Bahrain, waiting to get my CAC card. Haha what a place. And yes this makes 10 frickin K

Your caught.

I'm honored

Welcome back Leather!

Good to see you getting serious about your project to start a thread I will have plenty of time to plan mine now. But as far as the engines, both are good, I really like the Subie but started looking into the Honda, both can kick out some serious HP. And besides Skid has the subie all locked up so for myself might have to try something different, for that added edge I will need to dust his ass.

Now I get it! Skid and baja5 are scared