1600 cc Engine

I'm looking to purchase a speedster and I notice a lot of them have 1600 cc motors - does that offer enough hp?

Depends a lot on how it's built. The original was 300 lbs heavier than my replica (mine is 1600) and started off at 60 hp. The Carerras got up to 135. I personally wanted to stick close to the original type I, but with more hp. I ended up with a CB performance 1915 stroked to 2054 making 145hp. I'm very happy with it. One thing I did was compare various weight to hp ratios of various production vehicles for a comparison. A 1600 is a little lite based on what we're used to these days IMHO.

Oh yeah, welcome to the madness, btw :)

Add lightened flywheel, 110 cam, counterweighted crank shaft, 87mm pistons, dual Kadrons, non-restrictive exhaust and you have a 1641cc putting out 75-80 HP and still getting 30 MPG. Plus long engine life. p.s. they all started life as a 1500 or 1600.

I have had an IM Roadster with A/C and a 1600 cc engine for many years and have not felt that I had a power problem on mountainous roads or the Interstate. I have occasionally reached up and switched off the A/C for a moment but mostly downshifted as necessary to accelerate. The engine has held up well without major maintenance costs.

How do those 'upward' changes affect emissions?

EU has a strict law when it comes to emissions, and older (4+) cars are mandatory to be periodically checked, including emissions at idle and at +-3000rpm.

Remember George the originals had a smaller HP motor and a metal frame to haul. Our toys here are using fiberglass, that being said 60 to 90 HP with a freeway flyer tranny is all you need to power these tubs through the curves of any good looking mountain road. enough said!

Pedro, For the most part, the engines as described probably won't pass smog

In US it seems most states exempt cars from emissions test requirements after 25 years. Of course this oftem means how its registered is critical - registered as the year VW it actually is based on appears easiest.

Wolfgang is correct and every State is a bit different with regard to how a replica can be registered and whether it must undergo a smog test. If it registers as an old car, it is probably exempt.

I've never had to smog my car... titled as 64 bug. period..

Unfortunately, in the European Union, since 1996 there is a directive on car inspections, and - as far as I am aware - most EU countries have mandatory emissions tests for classic cars as well.

I would contact the local air cooled VW club and see how their members pass inspections.

I have a Chesil based on a VW pan. I'm exempt from emmision as the car , although registered as a 2007, uses a 1970 engine so only complies with rules from 1970.

Bill:


Most of them fiddle with the engines (almost to the point of failing on idle)...

Is there any table with the emission values on the different sized engines?



:)