The future looks bright...

tuna · Post by **tuna** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 12:25 am

This evening I got a phone from Jake. While he and I were talking, I was reflecting on the Type 4 scene currently and in the upcoming year. I thought I'd share some of the things that Jake shared with me that he was working or will be working on.

First off, I thought about where we are right now in terms of parts for the Type 4 and for conversion. We now have many choices. Think about cooling systems and exhausts. For your upright conversion, you can have the Cali style conversion, the basic fiberglass T1 shroud, the DTM, and the 911 shroud. Select your weapon!

This year brought us a lot of exhaust choices. The systems from Turbo Thomas(UK) look really promising and the A-1 header (US) is going to finally give us an American option that should flow quite well. No longer will we have to find the heater boxes from a 411/412 (which are rare here in the US) and use a mediocre Bus header. Of course those with ultimate Type 4s, the Tangerine SuperHeader is still the king.

Cylinder heads is another area that development is on-going. Besides Jake/Len's new head, EnginePlus of Germany is offering their own head for the Type 4. Although these, or any of other the aftermarket heads, are cheap, they do bring a new level of performance to those that take racing seriously. I'd like to see a NHRA or PRA Bug with a Type 4 instead of the boring Type 1.

Jake is working on a couple of new engine combinations that will be available in kit form. The first is a 1911cc. I can't say the price he quoted, but let me tell you, it's very affordable for a COMPLETE kit, which includes intake, exhaust, DTM, etc. All you need is a stock longblock for the core. He can sell you that too. Jake claims that this engine will do 100hp. This is going to be a popular kit, as someone new to the Type 4 scene will easily and affordably be able to build a Type 4 for their Bug.

The other kit will be a 1904cc, 74mm stroker with 90.5mm pistons. The pistons are Type 1, the crank features T1 journals with 311B rods. This kit will be ready for a turbo system. Jake claims this engine is an "drop-together" kit, with no clearancing, not even a reduced base circle camshaft. You assemble the longblock, develop your own turbo header and intake, and you've got a reliable turbo'd Type 4.

Next year I think we'll see more aftermarket EFI kits being installed, as they are becoming more attainable and as carbs become sparse. The supply of Weber carbs fluctuates from one year to the next, and I've heard the new Webers aren't as good as the original Italian ones. We have first class performance in the Type 4, so why shouldn't we have first class fuel management.

Hopefully this year we'll discover why camshafts and lifters fail at such a horrible rate. This is unbelievable! The V8 guys don't have this problem, so why are we?! Maybe this year a solution, beyond $400 set of lifters, will present itself.

Where do we still need some work? I think the next area will be the Type 3. Things like the exhaust, the cooling duct that bolts to the shroud (w/bellows), short intake manifolds, etc. Since the stock T4 cooling system is used in this conversion, there is not much cost involved.

Well, what does everyone think? Is there something that we are still missing? I'd like to hear what you all think.

Tuna

blankmange · Post by **blankmange** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 3:00 am

Please - let the next area of development be the Type 4 motor being stuffed into the Type 3!

There is currently a ton of options for the Beetle, but not much in the T3 arena. Lots of hacks and piecemeal jobs, but nothing like what Jake is doing for the Beetles....

Beyond that, everything you brought up looks promising.

raygreenwood · Post by **raygreenwood** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 6:25 am

Thank God people will quit sacrificing the 411/412 heater boxes. There are few enough left to get and keep the 411/412's on the road. That is a fast growing scene. The # of owners has trippled in the last 1.5 years.
I hope to have the manufacture of front suspension kits and lots of rubber goods under way by early 05. This could be a good year all around. Ray

rustbucket · Post by **rustbucket** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 8:19 am

The cost is a great focus. I know alot of people who'd love to put a T4 in, but the cost of parts prevents it. The goal should be to get the cost of a T4 comparable to that of a T1. Looks like its going that way.

Quality of parts is another issue. Part of the problem with the T1 is the multitude of crap parts. Hopefully, that will never happen with the T4 community, but the cam/lifter problem is likely to give that reputation to it.

Other than that, it's education. The more people who run T4's, the cheaper it'll be for all of us. And easier to get parts.

Plastermaster · Post by **Plastermaster** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 3:24 pm

I ofyten wonder how much longer the supply of cores will last. Sooner or later we are going to need cases. I am sure there would be some welcome improvements made on the case design that would make 82+ stroke an easy matter. Then there is crank shafts. If someone made OEM quality cranks that would be good too. Sooner or later our cores wil run out. Some day if I have the time and money, I would like to make a car from the ground up. If I were to do that, I would want a T4 engine in there even though I could easily build it around ANY engine. Teh T4 isn't just for cars that have trouble with where to put a radiator. Torque and HP and longevity per lb of engine weight is hard to beat with anything else. LOL, Jake hasn't even started my engine and I'm already thinking about the next one!

Ron

wilsonwebb · Post by **wilsonwebb** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 4:44 pm

Tuna -

You are correct, it is a good time to be involved in the Type 4 world. It could perhaps be coming close to the height of the innovation, thanks to Jake. We might as well take advantage of it before gas costs more than we can all afford! I am a BIG supporter of more T3 freindly products! It wasn't easy to fit my RAT engine in my Square! I was just lucky to have the help of people like you and this web-site!

Thanks for your contributions!
-Wilson

blankmange · Post by **blankmange** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 6:52 pm

hey wilsonwebb, any pictures of your square?

somordha · Post by **somordha** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 6:02 am

I am eagerly awaiting information on Jakes 1911 Type 4 kit. This will be about the only way I can afford to get into the type 4 world for the forseeable future.

MASSIVE TYPE IV · Post by **MASSIVE TYPE IV** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 6:46 am

Yes, I have been working like crazy for the last two weeks on the new shop and a ton of networking has been going on between my suppliers and etc trying to get costs down on a lot of areas for certain engines combinations.

Next year some engines that we previously built 100% will only be available in kit form, these will include the 1911, 1904 and a couple of others maybe even the 2056. The assembly side of the shop is getting more defined for larger, and even better street and race engines. This is where our assembly techniques are really needed and appreciated. The smaller engines with my conmbinations will go together effortlessly!

2005 is gonna be VERY interesting! Look for more power, and cheaper prices!

samcat · Post by **samcat** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 7:13 am

Cant wait!

Expect an order sometime 2005

Cya,
Sam C

speedy57tub · Post by **speedy57tub** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 7:19 am

Tuna/Jake,
Looks like "stock" 1.7 jugs are going to be put to some good use with the 90.5-mm Type I pistons for the 1904-cc, that is good!

I bet you have a surplus of those!

NextGen · Post by **NextGen** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 8:19 am

Real bright future. When I was writing the manual in 1990. I searched the planet for T-4 information. NO INTERNET. What I did was copy all the VW Clubs in HVW and Trends Magazines. There were hundreds. Photo copied the pages on label paper then cut them out and mailed my book info all over the world. It cost a lot in stamps. Then HVW and VWT did the first review of my manual. I was selling like crazy. First wave was the U.S. Second wave came about a month later from the guys in Europe that got the magazines later. That was when I found Ken Green a Tech Writer in the UK, he fowarded me copies of Bugpower and VW Motoring. They had articles on T-4 conversions, Porsche and Corvair style shrouds.

Later Volkswagen Australia Mag did an article on me and I found Mike Sharp.

Joe of OP, FAT and Mark Stephens was all we had.

Stock engines were good enough to blow away any T-1 on the road .

There was so much misinformation. I had a million Dan's to deal with.

We have come a long way.

Joe

hotbug1776 · Post by **hotbug1776** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 8:51 am

I am a diehard Type1 guy, born and bred, literally. I was brought home from the hospital in a 68 sedan, Red. My first playset was a sand rail project that my dad was working on. My first car that I owned free and clear was a 76. I now have a 72 and another 76 (lost the first one in a garage fire).My dad cringes everytime I make a mod to my Type1 motor or car.

Since meeting Jake and seeing his car at CYW I am a changed man, never again will I settle for being passed by Escorts. I have three T4 motors, and every VW I drive will have a "big block" in it.

I thank Jake, Tuna, Nextgen, and the countless others for making me a "MassIVe" VW driver. Now, Keep up th great work guys!

MASSIVE TYPE IV · Post by **MASSIVE TYPE IV** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 8:56 am

Cool!Glad to have made a lasting impression on you!

NextGen · Post by **NextGen** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 11:40 am

In 65 I got my first car an MGA. Got my parts from Compertition Car Parts in the Bronx NY. Believe it or not it was the Home of the East Coast Inch Pincher. EMPI East Coast headquarters. I became friends with Richie the owner and he taught me about vw engine. After seeing the Inch Pincher blow away a Vette at a Long Island Drag Strip I was turned on to Bugs. My first was a new 1969, got married and had two kids by the time a drunk driver hit us on Xmas night 10 years later. We survived . Sqbacks, fastbacks. Rabbits 914's to present. We are in the Next Generation-- Sounds like a Resume.
Joe