Skip to main content

Closed14 replies

1776...

FM Former Member
hey folks..

I've done research on the 1776 motor by VS. I've read some horror stories and not so horror as well. How do most 1776 motors hold up after 10k. Is the end just around the corner or will it last for another 60k or so with proper tune-ups etc.

Not really interested in drag racing (I say that now). Just city/freeway driving and durability which the 1776 sounds like a choice over the stock 1600.

BTW, I had a chance to check out a CMC with a Bernie Berg 2300 motor with a lot of works put into it recently. I don't know what to compare it to since it was my first speedster to drive. It drove nicely and pick-up was brisk. I believe it's running a little lean as it did some minor backfire during the down shift and the motor would literally shake/rock during idle. Is this normal for such a big motor? Also, checked out underneath and around the motor and it looked REALLY clean without a single drop of oil as what I understand BB motors are reputable for.

Any opinion/feedback is appreciated as this may help me with motor size choices. Thanks as always.
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

FM Former Member
hey folks..

I've done research on the 1776 motor by VS. I've read some horror stories and not so horror as well. How do most 1776 motors hold up after 10k. Is the end just around the corner or will it last for another 60k or so with proper tune-ups etc.

Not really interested in drag racing (I say that now). Just city/freeway driving and durability which the 1776 sounds like a choice over the stock 1600.

BTW, I had a chance to check out a CMC with a Bernie Berg 2300 motor with a lot of works put into it recently. I don't know what to compare it to since it was my first speedster to drive. It drove nicely and pick-up was brisk. I believe it's running a little lean as it did some minor backfire during the down shift and the motor would literally shake/rock during idle. Is this normal for such a big motor? Also, checked out underneath and around the motor and it looked REALLY clean without a single drop of oil as what I understand BB motors are reputable for.

Any opinion/feedback is appreciated as this may help me with motor size choices. Thanks as always.
V VSPDSTR
Nothing special as far as maintenance. Change the oil, adjust the valves and don't beat the s*#t out of it. I have small Webers 34ICT so nothing big in the HP or Torque areas but I'm happy. I didn't buy a race car so 1776 fits the bill for me. It took me up and over the grapevine on the way to Knotts and the speed kept right at 70 - 75 with no heating problems. I have taken the little jewel to 100 mph once just to see if I could. What else could I really expect.
Troy
FM Former Member
First things first.......... Regardless of the CC size, you should use good parts (or builder) to put together a reliable non-stock engine.

There is a massive difference between a 1776 that has a used case, cast crank, valvetrain, and heads... vs. one with, a new AS41 case, a good balanced crank, all good valve train parts, cam, and heads such as 044s. The exhausts should be 1 1/2" too. Add external cooling. ICTs or Kadrons work just fine.

In any size of air cooled engine you get what you pay for. Insist on a new case and a balanced crank...

Owner of 2 1776 engines. One was crap out of the mexican crate, the other has 35,000 miles on it and still is running great in my old VS that Justin bought.
FM Former Member
Rudy, just do a search of the forum for "1776" and you will get all of our opinions in a thread from this Spring. I'm not trying to cut off your search for 'the truth' on 1776s.. but we have posted ad nauseum on this subject and it's there for you read without us chunking up the same stuff.

If you are not familiar with VW engines I would suggest you seek out owners near you to get a feel for the power. There are 70-110hp 1776s... depending on the build(er). You may be satisfied with a 1776 that is basic or one that is built up, or you may seek something with more HP. Take your time and drive a few cars before closing on a deal.

Anyway, the 1776 argument will go on forever and YOU will never get that consensus or even a majority vote you may be seeking. Use the search, find some owners, go try them out for yourself.

J JustinFro
The 1776 is a great cruising engine. I find that it rides in a nice RPM range when cruising the hwy between 70-78 mph.

BTW, thanks Jim for hooking me up with the 1776 motor you had built. It is running like a champ. I need to track you down sometime to show me how to do some little things like cleaning and adjusting the carbs.

I also have a nice bottle of wine for you and the wife.
O ollieskins
I have a vintage speedsters stock 1600cc engine & couldn't be happier with it. It is a great engine with very low maintenance & I don't have to worry about overheating. It also has plenty of power. I have driven it for hours on end through the California desert & mountains & it performs like a champ. I am thouroughly satisfied with the 1600cc.
Nolan-TennesseeNolan-Tennessee
Five years ago I bought pistons and jugs from JCWhitney that increased my 1600 to 1680 and put dual 40mm Webers on it. After putting a 911 shround/fan assembly on it and adding two small oil radiators, the engine never ran hotter than 180 degrees but would lay rubber from here to there. That engine was very reliable and idled as smooth as glass unlike the the 2180 beast I bought and then sold because of the extremely loud exhaust and rough idle.
Post Content
Remove This Ad

Membership Required

We're sorry. You must be signed in to continue. Sign In or Register
×
Are you sure you want to remove from your Block List?
×
Loading...
×
When you block a person, they can no longer invite you to a private message or post to your profile wall. Replies and comments they make will be collapsed/hidden by default. Finally, you'll never receive email notifications about content they create or likes they designate for your content.
Note: if you proceed, you will no longer be following .
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×

Access to this requires a premium membership.

Supporting Member

Please help keep us running!

Supporting members have donated about $4.00 a month ($49.00 US per year) paid annually.

  • Priority support
  • Removal of inter-page (between thread) advertisements.
  • Access to Build Manuals
  • Access to Knowledge Base
  • Access to Supporting Members events.
  • Access to Leveraged Group Buying from site Merchants.

AUTO RENEW: You membership will auto-renew after 12 months. If you prefer not to auto-renew, you can cancel your premium membership at any time and it will remain in effect until the end of the 12 months. To cancel, sign in at SpeedsterOwners.com and navigate to: (Your User Name)  > Premium Membership.

PLEASE NOTE: Your credit card will receive a charge from CROWDSTACK PAY, the payment processor, not SpeedsterOwners.com.

$49.00 per 12 Months (plus tax if applicable)
×