Greg at VM is building me a Speedster, soon I will have to decide between the 1915cc engine and the 2332cc engine. Which one do I get? from what I can see from the specs Greg has provided the only difference is the stroke of the crank. Also I think I want taller 1st and 2nd gears is that upgrade worth it? Thanks.
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You need to decide how you're going to use the car. Are you driving around city streets cruising between stop lights? Are you ripping it up through the hills and curves pretending you're one of the world's top drivers? Are you driving through the countryside looking at all of God's creations causing traffic to back u behind you?
If you're in a position to get either I would tell you to get the bigger motor. You can drive it any way you want it and if you need the hp or the torque it'll be there if/when you need it. The 1915 is a great motor but it may not pull up a hill the way you want. With the 2332 you can pull the hill without having to shift between 3rd and 4th so much.
I totally agree with Robert. I've got a 1776 that is great 95% of the time. When I go up into the mountains, I have to do a lot of shifting. I'm not going to change it, but the larger engine would be more versatile.
Assuming this is a type 1 case (not a type4) - there are several displacement choices between the 1915 and the 2332. Why not consider one of them? (2054, 2110?). I personally would opt for a less strung out displacement if you're going to want to drive it regularly. 2332 puts out some heat. You're going to need adequate oil cooling to back that sucker up. Going to a new 1st and 2nd would mean a new main shaft (from Wedel or similar), new gears, and a complete trans rebuild.
A 1915 will need minor case work compared to the clearance work necessary for the 2332. All the little stuff adds up. Maybe times have changed and building a 2332 on a type1 platform is easier now? Historically this is more involved than just a stroke of the crank. I would assume that along with the crank you'd need new rods and the right pistons (with the proper wrist pin location to match the crank/rod combo). Then you're going to want the right heads and the proper carburetors. All of those bits are from the expensive parts catalog. I would expect the 2332 to cost quite a bit more than the 1915, maybe 1.75 - 2X more. If it doesn't then it's not being built properly.
Ted
I always liked the tech aspects of the 2110 cc - 82mm throw crank and 90.5 P&C. The 2332 is 84 mm crank and 94 mm P&C. The 2210 just seems more depenbable with less chance of over heating.
A 1915 often is an economy "performance" build with just the larger 94 mm P&C and all else stock. I'm sure on the 2332 there is a performance cam, better heads with bigger valves, bigger carbs and a performance (larger diameter) exhaust. Perhaps even extended sump and remote filter and oil cooler.
2110, the sweet spot.
@Panhandle Bob posted:2110, the sweet spot.
Maybe. Maybe not.
It all depends on how R Thorpe is going to use said power.
I'm a big fan of 94 Mahle cylinders. Also 78 or 82 cranks, so that would be a 2165 or a 2276.
Shorter cranks like to rev, more stroke=more torque or less rev.
I wish the whole "overheating" babble would go away. It came from the old thin-wall 92s and guys refusing to full-flow and add an external cooler to remove the heat. Like what, 1980s? That was almost 40 years ago, folks.
94 cylinders are fine. They'll just wear out and get a little out-of-round in 40-50,000 miles. At the rate most guys drive their Speedsters, it will be needing a rebuild long after they're dead. Especially if their car still isn't built yet......
The one thing to ABSOLUTELY do is to get the rotating parts dynamically balanced as a unit. It makes for a smoother and longer-lasting, cooler-running motor. Flywheel, pressure-plate, crank, pulley all together. Rods balanced end-for-end. Pistons balanced within a gram. Totally worth the money to do this, folks.
@R Thorpe posted:Also I think I want taller 1st and 2nd gears is that upgrade worth it? Thanks.
Slippery slope, and down the rabbit-hole he goes. There is not a cheap or easy way to do this. The cheapest way is to go 3.44 R&P(aftermarket), and stock gears with a 0.93 or 0.89 4th(which are both stock ratios).
Thank you for all the advice my choices from Vintage Motocars of California are 1915 or 2332 with a difference in price of $2500.00.
A stroker crank versus stock stroke is nowhere near $2500, so you're getting a lot more changes with that choice.
As I have said before, I've never known any speedster owner to replace their existing engine with a smaller one.
Lots, though, have done the opposite. 
Something to think about.
@Robert M posted:Then I'd go with the 2332.
Without question. If the difference is only $2500 and you can afford it (which I assume you can since you're considering it), then spend the money now and you'll never look back and wish you had.
get the 2332 ifn u got the $....get a smaller one and youll have dreams of +40 more hp..it nags at you and never goes away...
Thank you for all the good advice it is much appreciated. I guess what I'm looking for is a Speedster experience, long throw shifting, the whir of the cooling fan, a tall 2nd gear, nimble light steering. What I'm finding is dune buggies with powerfull sledghammer engines with speedster bodies. Yikes. Some guy near San Diego took me for a test drive in a "Speedster" with a Korean watercooled engine, he said 230 HP what an abomination, but each to his own, after a block I walked back to the shop, not what F Porsche was thinking. I've driven several Porsche Speedsters and wanted to try to get close to the experience for 50K not 500K its more elusive than I imagined.
That’s an interesting and understandable viewpoint. I was quite happy with my somewhat breathed-upon 1915 (125-ish hp). There were only a few times when I wanted more.
I have one of the first 2332 engines in my late 2019 Vintage built by Greg. It has plenty of power on the road, and lots of torque around town. Only 300+ miles so far. I did not test drive the 1914 engine. I have the 3.88/.89 transmission.
Thanks for providing the spec sheet!!
If you have the time, test drive some. We can all offer advice, but we don't know your expectations. You're in LA, there are plenty of members down there with a variety of engine displacements. I've owned my 1915cc for a number of years now, and never once wanted additional power, as mine is perfect for my needs and expectations. I know people w/ 1600cc engines that feel the same.
Long story over,.....test drive a few before you commit.
Thank you for all the good stuff, as of now I think I’m going with the 1915 , swing axel and the taller 1st and 2nd gears.
'Welcome To The Madness' known as replicar ownership! I'm pretty sure that whatever engine/trans combo you get, you will enjoy the top-down driving experience and viewing the world through a Speedster windshield. 
However, whatever you do, PLEASE, for the love of God....DO NOT ASK WHAT OIL YOU SHOULD USE in your Speedster!!!!!! 
@MusbJim posted:
However, whatever you do, PLEASE, for the love of God....DO NOT ASK WHAT OIL YOU SHOULD USE in your Speedster!!!!!!
Well, you know-- the ZDDP and phosphate count of various oils needs to be expanded upon, as well as the merits of various viscosities, base oils, and additive packs.
We should decide again what is best. It might have changed since last time...
@MusbJim posted:'Welcome To The Madness' known as replicar ownership! I'm pretty sure that whatever engine/trans combo you get, you will enjoy the top-down driving experience and viewing the world through a Speedster windshield.
However, whatever you do, PLEASE, for the love of God....DO NOT ASK WHAT OIL YOU SHOULD USE in your Speedster!!!!!!
Why? What oil do you recommend?
Why? What oil do you recommend?
20 years of ownership and combined total of 150,000 miles (relatively trouble-free) on my two daily driver VS Speedsters (to date), an embarrassingly lax maintenance schedule (tune, oil, filter, valve adjustment, tires), I use whatever 10-40w is on sale at Pep Boys.
Your mileage may vary (I love this line penned by @Stan Galat). 
“We should decide again what is best. It might have changed since last time...“
Or the time before that, or the time before that, or, Wait! What about the time before that? 🙄
Personally, I prefer olive oil. Cooks nicely at high temperatures.
@Stan Galat posted:Well, you know-- the ZDDP and phosphate count of various oils needs to be expanded upon, as well as the merits of various viscosities, base oils, and additive packs.
We should decide again what is best. It might have changed since last time...
@WNGD posted:Why? What oil do you recommend?
Please disregard the above messages. Apparently someone hacked into the mainframe temporarily and hijacked the accounts of Stan and WNGD. This is obvious because neither of the real persons associated with those accounts would have posted such responses.
For what it's worth, so far (after only 50 sorting miles) the Jake Raby-built, 120-hp 1914 in my Spyder feels like a perfect match to the chassis weight and stiffness. And the 3.44 R&P with stock Beetle gears are spaced very nicely—and very close to what original Spyders had.
This setup gets to 60mph in about 6 seconds and should reach 100mph in 3rd gear.
However, my advocacy of this combo puts me very much in the minority of Spyder owners. Most want nothing but more, more, more!
It's kind of like going back to the '50s. Do I want the "Normal"?? A little more, and I can get the "Super"! Do I want to splurge and get the "Carrera"?? To me, the 2332 is the "Carrera", and maybe a little more. 1914=110 HP, 2332=145HP per Greg's latest price list. I am going to do this only once, so bit the bullet and got the "Carrera".No regrets. Also good for resale value!
@edsnova posted:For what it's worth, so far (after only 50 sorting miles) the Jake Raby-built, 120-hp 1914 in my Spyder feels like a perfect match to the chassis weight and stiffness. And the 3.44 R&P with stock Beetle gears are spaced very nicely—and very close to what original Spyders had.
This setup gets to 60mph in about 6 seconds and should reach 100mph in 3rd gear.
However, my advocacy of this combo puts me very much in the minority of Spyder owners. Most want nothing but more, more, more!
That's how I feel about my CB "2.0L". (Probably a 2017. PO wasn't sure and CB doesn't keep records).
The displacement only tells you so much. A 1914cc Type 1 could be 70 horses or twice that. You probably wouldn't like it at either of those extremes. At 100-125 or so, however, it's a nice, reliable engine with plenty of grunt that doesn't ask too much of its owner.
A 2110 could be 75hp or well above twice that. The 150hp combo from CB Performance redlines about 6000 rpm and is very well established and no harder to maintain than the 120 hp 1915. There's a reason a lot of guys love their 2110s.
A 2332 could be a disaster or it could be a revelation. Could be 85hp; could be 200+. A mild, carefully built one with 150 or so hp is going to really pull hard in the low end and midrange. A friend of mine bought a TD replica with one like that; he called it the "stump puller."
In a Speedster it will feel like a V8.
I've driven both of Greg's custom built 1915 and 2332 engines and these are definitely not crate motors. The 1915 felt like a 2110 and the 2332 was a rocket. These motors are professionally built and you'll be getting top notch engineering for your money and I mean TOP NOTCH! I had Greg put the 2332 in the Super Widebody he built for me a couple of months ago, just because of the massive tires it had to spin and I was very happy with it.
Based on our multiple discussions about how you plan to drive your car, you will be just fine with the 1915 but, as Robert said, since money is no object get the 2332.
My 1915cc has plenty of power, but if you have to ask which one to get, than the 1915 is probably enough of engine for you.
