Anyone Ever Put a 911 Engine into a VW Bug?

fastbacker · 08-01-2006, 01:51 AM

I've got a 69 Bug and am alway looking at it wondering what it would take to put a 911 engine it. Anyone ever do it? Rear engine or mid?

Thanks-
Craig Backer

GothingNC · 08-01-2006, 02:24 AM

It's been done with a lot of work.
Usually the rear seat is sacrificed for the space.
Better off building up a Type IV motor, less weight.

There is more room in a VW bus or the Ghia to stuff a flat-6 inside

rdrr · 08-01-2006, 02:36 AM

I remember an article in 911 & Porsche World a few years back where someone did it. From memory it was a lot of work and was very expensive - but the end result was very nice. I might still have the magazine and could scan the article for you if you are interested. I'd have to dig through some boxes, so I'd probably need a few days to find it. Let me know.

atlporsche · 08-01-2006, 03:45 AM

nope. never. never heard of that.

kidding...

there was a 3.2 carrera Bus, though...I saw THAT...

sjd

rfn026 · 08-01-2006, 04:48 AM

Paul Newman used to have one up in Connecticut. This was decades ago though.

Richard Newton

charleskieffner · 08-01-2006, 04:53 AM

saw a corvair with chevy 350 hillborn fuel injection and a bug with a 350 shoehorned inside. BOTH WERE FIREBREATHERS!

pickupguy · 08-01-2006, 05:45 AM

It fits here...

Kerry

Netspeed · 08-01-2006, 06:31 AM

There used to be a guy running around Burbank back in the early 80's with a white VW Bus with a built 3.0 and IMSA flares. Sounds corny but I saw it in person when I worked across the street from Victory Porsche/Audi and it actually looked cool. There was also a magazine right-up on it.

boxster03 · 08-01-2006, 07:05 AM

Anyone Ever Put a 911 Engine into a VW Bug?

Yea his name was Dr. Porsche

LakeCleElum · 08-01-2006, 07:05 AM

Back in the '70's, I knew a guy that put a 455 Olds Tornordo drive train in the back of a bug....Can be done...........

john walker's workshop · 08-01-2006, 07:07 AM

my old '63 doublecab. 3.2, webers, 915, complete '73 rear suspension including torsion bar tube. discs all around, 7 and 8 fuchs. surprised a few folks. i dummied up a 911 engine in a bug and it stuck out so far it was ugly. you would need a big bump back there to cover it.

pieterk · 08-01-2006, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by john walker's workshop
i dummied up a 911 engine in a bug and it stuck out so far it was ugly. you would need a big bump back there to cover it.

I'm not sure if there's any commonality between bug chassis and some of the buggy class racers in SCORE/desert racing (I know the higher class buggies run tube frames), but I do know I've seen air cooled 911 flat 6s hanging way off the back of several race vehicles in Baja, contained only in a cage of sorts. For once, you can actually see the motor in all its glory running wide open, valve covers and all, usually with little to no mufflers. They take such a beating in the desert, and they keep on going. It's an awesome spectacle.

I've been told too by one of our team's race engineers that this used to be not only common, but almost standard for some of the buggy classes, and a fair amount of built 915 trannies were mated to them. Less so now, but I saw a few in June. I'll try to shoot some video of some at the 1000 in November.

KillerDynoSoar · 08-01-2006, 07:56 AM

I guess a 911 in a buggy would look ok. Steve Mcqueen drove a Covair powered 6 cylnder buggy in The thomas Crown Affair' I guess a Porsche 6 would fit just aswell in a Manx Buggy too.

cerberus1 · 08-01-2006, 08:24 AM

I recall an article in Christophorus magazine (probably in '74 or '75) where this was professionally done in Germany. It was a mid engine configuration so it basically looked like any other bug. If you can access the old Christophorus magazines I'm sure you can find it.

fastbacker · 08-01-2006, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by cerberus1
I recall an article in Christophorus magazine (probably in '74 or '75) where this was professionally done in Germany. It was a mid engine configuration so it basically looked like any other bug. If you can access the old Christophorus magazines I'm sure you can find it.

That sounds interesting!

defcon65 · 08-01-2006, 08:30 AM

Yes, I've seen it done. No, it is not a good project. You are better off with a flat-six hooked up to a 911 for many different reasons.
BTW, I once saw a 429-powered trike at a swap meet. That was also not a good idea. It looked very unrideable, probably flipped over if you gunned the engine, but people with hands and tools will do just about anything, brain or no.

Wil Ferch · 08-01-2006, 08:35 AM

Ahhh.....did everyone forget "Herbie" ( the Love Bug ) ?

...there were many stand-in Herbies for the making of the movie....but at least one of them had 911 power........

- Wil

930yyc · 08-01-2006, 08:58 AM

-off topic aside- John, neat bus! seeing your old bus is just more inspiration to get my '59 Panel up and running as a parts runner. When summer ends up here, I'll have to get to work!

TRE Cup · TRE Cup's Garage

www.bader-racing.de Ghias Rule!

nigel911 · nigel911's Garage

Whoa! One cool Karmann.