Kevin,
This is the first time I've visited the site in a long while as I've been totally consumed starting a new business.
I have a 2013 VS with a 1915cc Type 1 and I'm located in Emeryville so you be welcome to stop by and drive it round the block. I also have a great aircooled engine specialist close by as I have zero wrenching capabilities!
Best
Chris
ALB (Yoda) has given a very cogent progression analysis of the engine thing. He did not take it as far as it can go wrt displacement and totally badassedness, but that was not his point. i believe his point was that there's a range or reasonable stuff one can do to a Type 1 to make it a lot more fun. Or said another way, you really can't have too much torque. You should try for as much as you can afford.
Excellent assessment, Kelly; you called it. I was just trying to show the range, or state of tune one could go when looking at power output as it applies to just about any VW aircooled engine. The 1915 is a great example because, being the most displacement a stock stroke engine can go, it's the biggest bang for the buck and is easy to see the power increase as you improve components (and spend more money). You can do any of the stages with a 1600, 1776, or more displacement (stroked crankshaft- which again costs more $$). Power will appropriate for engine size.
With anything 2 liters or over you get the added benefit of increased bottom end/lower midrange torque, which makes the car just that much more fun to drive. You're spending more money, but "you've gotta pay to play". And yeah, any more "badass" than the W125 (with any displacement), and now it's so high strung and you are so far out of the "jump in and drive any where, any time" category that now the car is strictly a boulevard cruiser (it will be fast enough through the gears that most of the ricers and a good chunk of the V8 crowd will fear you), and that's not what these cars (for most of us) are about.
Example- a 1915 with properly ported 40x35 heads, W125/1.25's, 9 3/4:1, 1 1/2" (or 1 5/8" if you're maximizing upper end power) merged header and IDF's or Dellortos will make somewhere in the neighborhood of 145- 150 or so horsepower, and with a short geared trans (4.375 or 4.125 ring and pinion) be deadly to drive on the street. Below 3,000rpm you may notice power's a "bit soggy" in traffic. Use the same heads on 2100-23something cc's, go with a W120 (and the 1.25's), lower the compression to just over 9:1 and it will make the same hp (give or take) at 6,000rpm but have way more useable power in the lower rpm's (where we spend 95%? of our time driving). The bigger engine will require less tinkering and last longer since you're not revving it as high. Geared longer (3.88) it will still be almost as quick in town and you'll cruise at higher speeds on the highway. Bigger is just so much better!
Hope this helps. Al
PS- Sorry, somewhat new-guy (and apparently jailbird) Gerd- I'm just not good at keeping it to 2 paragraphs...
