Engine Reliability

Considering buying a replica speedster - used. Of course, there are many manufacturers out there....IM, Vintage, etc. Have seen many threads citing that you can "expect to put new engines" in your car after a few years. Is that true? Are the engines that junky? Are they reliable enough for road trips, say a 1500 mile round trip on a nice weekend? Since I plan to buy used, anything I should look out for? Just curious...

1500 miles over a weekend is going to be harder on your butt than on the engine :-)
When you buy any used car you have no idea how the previous owner(s) abused the car, jury-rigged fixes, etc. I think most of the problems get attended to by a new owner as they show up and in a couple of years the new owner is aware of his cars shortcomings; I mean these are really pretty basic cars that in their former life as a bug could be expected to run for a long time with a lilttle maintainance. I think alot of us might start thinking about replacing the engine for more power rather than because its not working well.
ed

Really depends on the engine selected, way driven/cared for, state of tune, parts used and the engine builder's attention and expertise. The VW 1600cc engine is 30+ years old - design is even older (what 60 years old?). Even back in 1968 the #3 cylinder valve would often break or burn after 40k miles plus the normal air cooled oil leakage issues and requirement for frequent valve adjustments. Tweak that same engine and run it hard and who knows how long it would go ---15k, 60k? Depends on quality of parts, whether blue printed/balanced and care in assembly. The VW/Porsche type IV engine (1.7/1.8/2.0L used in Porsche 914, 72-78 VW Vans and the rare VW 411/412) is a better platform for high HP aircooled engines - they easily go 80-120k miles. Conversion to upright can be costly (or cheap using the Joe Cali DIY method). It has robust aluminium case and a real oil filter. Some replicas also use a modern Subaru water cooled engines (4 & 6 cylinder with FI and some even with turbo) - expect 100k+ miles from those. The Mazda RX7 engine is (was?) another used - and good for maybe 60k miles before the apex seals go. I doubt any will go as far/long with as little care as a modern Toyota or Honda motor. I currently use a 177cc T1 VW engine and am building a 2L TIV engine (perhaps with a Porsche 901 5 speed trans).

don't be afraid, jump in.

Eric,

Gregory's comments are right on the mark. I will add that with proper care, a good oiling/cooling sysytem and proper build, you can have an engine that will last a long time. The important thing is to get a quality built engine in the first place... there are no cheap shortcuts. My engine is not all that special in terms of power or looks. It does meet my goal of have adequate power with reasonable reliability. For the particulars look under 'dubudeee' in photos. The important thing is quality parts that mesh with the overall goal and that work in harmony.... meaning right cam, carbs, exhaust, heads, etc.

Most owners put less than 2-4,000 miles a year on their Speedster Replica. Me? I've put on around 8,000 miles a year. Point is... with care, at 4,000 miles a year, you can run 6-8 years with no major breaks. That's an eon in our little Speedster Replica world.

I have approx. 20,000 miles on my VS. I purchased it in August 2001. It has a non-factory 1776cc engine. You can purchse something similar from CB Performance through either JPS or VS.

Next week at this time I will be 300 miles into a 3500 mile round trip to our Site Club (Speedster Owners. Com - SOC) rally in SoCal. I feel confident that my engine will carry me both ways.

Hope this helps. Write if you have Qs.

Jim

Thanks for the input. I'll be in the market this fall for one. Just taking the time between now and then to research a best buy with a budget of 15K. Just want to ensure I have a nice Speedster...so far, it looks like VS is the way to go. IM may get on the more expensive side, and I'm not too crazy about the roll up windows; in terms of functionality - great (less leakage). In terms of keeping with the classic design - no.

Eric,

In case you're a new member on this site, we've been telling everyone if they are interested in buying a Speedster now or in the future there are two major replica shows coming up with big Speedster Meets within them - one in Pennsylvania and one in California. Both will have alot of Speedsters and you will be able to compare various Speedsters and see some for sale. Click back to the "Newest" page of this site and you'll see the two links. Maybe you can join us.

Thanks Bruce, that helps out a lot. I am new to this site; been a Porsche fanatic for years though. Any info/advice on buying a Speedster would be greatly appreciated from anyone!

Another thing which often influences owners is the relative low cost to work on, rebuild, repair or hot rod (to a degree George, to a degree!) the Type1 VW engine. I am envious of those who have the mechanical where-with-all to tackle such projects!

I had a 1970 beetle while going to university. I bought the car with 50,000 miles on it and sold it with 115,000 miles. It was stock, with the exception of Kads, header/QP exhaust and power pulley. I had the valves replaced at 60,000 miles and that's it. The motor went the full 115,000 miles with NO FAILURES. It was burning some oil when I sold it. The point is, that these motors are near indestructable when kept stock....but hi-pro them and bad things can happen. Notice I used the work 'can'. I think that a fairly high-pro motor can go the distance IF (and it's a big if) you use the best parts money can buy. You really do get what you pay for.
Ron