1300cc engine

Hi all,

I am looking at a speedster on e bay that has a 1300cc engine and was built by vintage. Does anyone know anything about these engines? Are these stock vw engines with no modifications?

It's a stock VW engine, all right - the VW engine from hell. It was the so-called 40 HP engine that had chronic overheating and burnt valve problems.

If you contemplate quickly going to a larger engine and the rest of the car looks OK and the price is OK, then go for it. Otherwise, that (typically) hot engine in a car that traditionally has a hot engine bay don't mix.

IMHO......gn

I have one in my (Jos

Its not a big job to replace the oil cooler with the later doghouse oil cooler along with the cooling shroud and larger fan. Ya might as well swap the generator out with an alternator at same time. Of course the '70 up engines with dual port intake and upgraded dual relief oil system give far more potential for performance --- then there is the TIV engine for even more performance potential (and longevity).

Unless you drive like a little, old granny you will not be happy with the 1300 motor. When I bought my IM it had a stock 1600 in it and it was slow. Passing, when I was brave enough, was a scary experience. I usually planned my passes way in advance, to build up speed. If the car is in very good condtion and is well priced, it may be worth it. Otherwise, look for one with a 1776, 1914, or even better a 2110cc.
Ron

Thought about it later, but if I remember right, the 1300 had narrow oil passages throughout the engine, too, which limited the amount of oil to the bearings to both lubricate them and cool them.

That, combined with the other posts above, might convince me to go the larger (and more reliable) engine route.

Maybe you can sell the stock 1300 to someone needing it for a restoration.

Or to an old granny.
Ron

Anybody ever drive a SuperVee class open wheeled racer with a slightly modified 1300cc motor! This class required a nearly stock engine with minimal engine mods .... fast @ 110 mph on a track but I would assume that the engine would not hold up for the long term road uaeage in a speedster. Some years ago, a friend of mine was one of the top SV class drivers in the East until... he did and olympic style double end over end at Pocono Raceway.
Alan M

I've started to see these old Super Vs restored and for for sale. Great for vintage racing.
Ron

Hitchcock's Machine Shop In Massachusetts always had a bunch of 1300 cranks being machined for the East Coast formula VEE guys back in the 70's. They would enlarge the oil passages for them and also do some machining on the cases, too, to improve oil flow. This was OK with the SCCA types as they didn't change the displacement characteristics of the engine, but they lasted a lot longer.