all right then. this may be largely a half assed idea. i have an '85 2.8Lw/auto. I have had it for close to a year and the idiot before me ****ed it up half way, and sad to say i ****ed it up a quarter more. but everthing i have is ****ed up so what did i expect. for the most part the enginge is good. i belive the tranny is shot for the most part and i need to replace the oil pan and gasket for the engine. to do thatthough, i must lift the engine a little to remove it.. according to the manual.

i want to start a prject:
i want to do something else with the whole thing if i am going to unbolt even one mount. I want to remove the engine and dump it intoa 63 bug or close. think of a ratrod with a 6 instead of an 8.

I think this may work cause a 6 is lighter than an 8 (obviously)unless the 8 is aluminum.

I want to tear down the engine and rebuild my self so i know exactly what is up with it. I am of the belief that they used the same block for a 3.8 as the 2.8. I want to bore it and put on a turbo and other perfomance equipment. and i know the compression has to be low.

My questions are as follows: Does anybody know if I bore the enigne to a 4.0L, will the side walls be too thin? I would be content with 3.8 liters but 4 is just something extra that you dont see everyday. the mustang 8 was a 4.3 so i was thinking with a turbo and the weight of a bug and not a camaro i would do far better than said mustang. i belive it would be a sleeper. I wouldnt plan on changing the exterior of the bug except tires and a grill up front for air (radiator). I would hookup the A/C put in a manual tranny and a kick as exhaust.

I Have someone who offered to do the boring for REAL cheap through a friend and A complete bug that was a project that has no time for extra cheap.

that money for that is a good price so its not a factor to me. i told the guy 3.8L but for got to ask him about 4L. As for mounting the engine i would take it somewhere for fabrication that i read about in a vdub mag on ratrods. I used to have a 67 bug the was stolen and that i really miss.

Anyway please voice any concerns cause i want any problems anyone sees with this, beisdes money issues, in front of my face.

and my second question is about pistions... anything out there for a v6 4.0 litre low compression or high w/out turbo

sorry the post is long... thanks guys

 

Also i wqas wondering about how people get these crrate engines into older cars. what about the computers that run the little extras of todays technologies. I dont want to use a computer so would i have to make it a carborated engine. i am up to the challenge if it is POSSIBLE. i dont want to start with a new engine cause i dont want to spend the money and its like a project for like 5 years or 10 years. just something to work in the garage for 2 hours a day t oget away from the wife and do something for my self to be proud of kinda thing .

 

My 85 S15 Jimmy had a 2.8 carbed. You can search fora similar intake manifoldalong with the vac. controlled distributor to run your non-ecm engine. I know you insist on using the 2.8 because you have it on hand but you may want to start off with a 3.8 from your local wrecking yards. This may be cheaper in a long run and yield more performance potential.

 

First off the 2.8 is not the same a 3.8. The 3.8 is based off the old 231 Buick V6. It’s a 90 deg V6. The 2.8 is a 60 deg V6 designed for fuel mileage in the late 70s early 80’s It has morphed into the 3.1 and later the 3.4. 3.4 is about as big as the design will handle. You really do not want to put any money in a 2.8. New, these engines had weak bottom ends. Of all the engines I worked on as a Mr Goodwrench I saw more 2.8 bottom ends then any other engine. On the other hand 3.8 is a good solid engine that can push 300 HP all day long. I do not know a ton about the old VW motors but I know what I saw at the track. A built Bug engine can get into the 13’s pretty easy even with a newbie putting it together. It would be an impressive task to get a 2.8 pushing a 2400 lb car down in the 13’s.

Have you priced the bugs? Those things are bring serious money these days. Of all the cars you could cut up surely you could find something of less value.

Skill level: You have to understand that converting a rear engine car to a front engine car is a huge task. Even seasoned fabricator would shy away from this one. Since there is no structure in the car to keep it from twisting you would have to build the chassis from the ground up. Front and rear suspension all the supports. If you want the car to sit right you would have to build a frame. I know guys in the business for 20 years that will not even repair a frame no less build one. You could set it on a S10 frame but I think it would look lame cause of the height of the frame itself.

Most of the bugs you see with the V8 are complete stand alone cars wrapped in bug sheet metal.

 

well i did not know that the cylinders were on differnt degrees thank you for sharing that with me. so i guess that if i would get a 3.8 and bore it i might as well get an 8 cylinder.


On that note:

Crate enginges. really i need a definition.
and do you need a computer to run them if they are carbed?