Rebuilt bug motor
 

Where is the best place to get a crate motor for a '64 bug. Not looking for anything fancy or high HP. Just looking for a good value and reliability.

Motor that is in the car had a carb stick open and had a little runaway and now knocks.... We've got my aunt talked in to a crate motor.

I think she needs to sell the car and buy a better one but she won't hear it....

If you don't mind swapping tin, try Testbud on the aircoolers.org website. He's in San Antonio. There are a few shops in DFW and one in Longview, TX with good reps too.

Just stay away from GEX

I'm a little stupid on bugs. What would be involved in swapping tins?

I'm not doing the work, just sourcing the parts...

May get the old motor though... :D

A crate motor is a bare "long block". Valve cover to valve cover and the flywheel.
You have to swap out (doesn't include) carb, manifold, shroud and tinwork, thermostat, alt/gen and fan, pulleys, fuel pump, clutch, dizzy, wires, heater boxes and exhaust.

A "turn-key" includes those bits and costs more.

Try Scat you can pay less but you won't get better.
Scat VW -

+1 on the GEX advice. They must be the MM of the vw world. I installed two that were provided by customers, both were junk in short order

She just needs to send the car tot me, I'll take care of it and return it to her after an extended test drive...............................like a few dozen year test drive

We are going to have a long talk about it. In my opinion the car needs to be totally rebuilt. It wouldn't be too expensive to DIY, but they aren't that type so it will be $$$. Its a 64 with bad paint. For 5k she could be in a decent bug ready to go. I'm thinking by the time you get the motor swapped you will have thrown at least 2k at a car that still needs a tranny rebuilt, needs the brakes and suspension gone through... etc, etc....

The problem is they didn't do research and they paid like 3k for this car about 10yrs ago and they are convinced its a decent car. Combine that with the fact that my aunt is convinced macpherson struts are the devils work and there is no way to talk her into buying a decent newer bug.

i thought bug repairs were cheap?

they look super easy to work on..if you lived closer sid..i would give it a go. with pelican's help, and a digital camera..i bet there are 6-10 guys here that could walk me thru it with digital pics.

send it to Art..he sounds bored..and winter is coming. :) might save him some TV time..heheh.

Vash, there is no doubt that I could do it, and my dad could too. He's messed with a few bugs back when he was flipping cars in the '80s.

But neither of us have the time. I've got a list of things that need done on the 944, and the M3 that I just don't have the time for.

Yeah, they are super simple until you split the case. See what it really needs. A lot of the Type I's only need the heads done and they run like champs. Can you do a leak down?

There is a guy selling a 912 motor and a 901 5 speed transmission in hte Used 356 parts forum here...

:)

$2k for a rebuilt VW motor? Wow, things sure have changed.

The first bug motor I rebuilt cost me a total of around $250 including all bearings, pistons and bbls, and it ran great for many years. That was back when I was 12 y/o tho .......

Bet that's not cheap.

Rimco in Santa Ana, right? It's a shame they are gone.

Milt, it was a tired sad engine that had a runaway. Doubt it needs just heads, and even if that would do it, I think it would be wise to do the hole thing anyways. The car has been sad for years.


I fear that a better motor will make it obvious just how sad the rest of the car is though.

Sid, VW's are tough little cars. Most stuff bolts on and there are repops for everything. Lot of VW trade going on in SoCal. In fact, I got all my stuff from a VW shop when I built the 914 race car including a dog tooth ring for the tranny.

Don't tell Wayne. He got plenty of my money when I built the Ragamuffin anyway.

They're gone? Didn't know that. They installed some valve guides in some 914 heads for me about 10 years ago, haven't had any contact with them since.

+1 to stay away from GEX.

thesamba

If you're going for a 1600, you might consider one with a 1776 kit. More power & it drops right in. I did that with the last bug I owned, along with a decent balance job & it ran like a top with plenty of power for freeway driving.

Not a drop in, you have the machine the case and heads for oversize 90.5 P&C's.
The 1641cc kit is a drop-in that's somewhat OK and there is one slightly larger but it is pure china junk.

Rimco is still there, but they have changed hands.

Volkwagen Parts & Machining - RIMCO VW

Why not just remove the engine ( a fifteen minute job) and take it to a local machine shop? If the car is in or near Weatherford, go to
Precision Engine Services
1413 East Main Street, Weatherford, OK 73096-5722
(580) 772-6255 ‎

Go on theSamba.com and find the parts. This way you keep the original engine with the car. It is a 64 and other than converting it to a 12V they are getting very hard to find with the original 1300 engines intact. If for reasons that I don't understand you find a way to talk your Aunt into getting rid of her car send me a PM, I am certainly a buyer of a complete 64 with the original engine in it, no matter what shape it's in.

How much $$$ are we talking to rebuild this motor, vs drop in a crate motor? Parts wise anyways?

Good to know. The shop was closed for awhile, that I know. I wonder if the machine shop manager is still the same guy. Knew his shc!t.

Was it Brad?

Mark, Pm your thoughts on the car if you are really interested in buying... Make an offer ;)

Honestly, the car is a great start for a resto, but my aunt and uncle aren't willing to pay for a resto, aren't going to do it themselves, and I don't have the time to work on my own projects. It's been converted to 12v at some point in the past, and my dad and I replaced the starter last winter. A few weeks ago the carb stuck open and it had a bit of a runaway, hence the knock. The body is straight, albeit shoddily painted, and I've not seen rest in my dealings with the car.

Here are a few pics, if you will ignore the people... I had the car for prom a few years back, it matched my dates dress... :rolleyes:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1318830676.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1318830695.jpg

Hey, I think those pop-out rear windows are a very desirable option. Haven't had anything to do with VWs iin decades though, so I might be wrong.

wanna killa engine? FAT RACING!


umpteen gazzillion SCORE 1/2-1600's and class 5's can attest to their Q.C.

Same as FAT performance? Last time I talked to them they wuz slowly getting out of the air-cooled bidness and focusing more on water pumpers.
They sure was proud of their work though, as evidenced on the bottom of the invoice.

I know they're good but not sure if ANYONE can be that good :rolleyes:

yes FAT PERFORMANCE. ya get what ya pay for.

Don't think a tricked out motor is the answer for this bug. Like I said, it's a pretty tired car.

It's sweet. Very classic. I think a hot rod motor would ruin the whole vibe.

The FAT shop is about three miles from da house, been there many times over the decades.
So was the Berg's shop, dan know iffn it's still there or not after Gene passed.
I got what I paid for from the Berg's.

When I was in high school my DD was a primer gray 67 bug with centerlines and surf racks.
My dial in at the bug-ins was 14.4 and I was bagging at least 1/2 second.
Dem wuz the good ole days, I miss OCIR.