My very first time...

[j-f]

I will tell you my first test of an hot engine in my bug.

Some weeks ago, I bought a 1835cc engine from a friend. It has been built in 2001 and put less than 10.000km on it without abuse.
Technically, it's a basic engine. 69 mm counterweighted crank, good old 92mm barrels, w120 cam, street eliminator heads, 40mm idf with 32 choke and a Porsche fan schroud.

After some works (new paint and a good servicing) , I finally put it in the car and was able to make a first run this morning.

Whaaaaaaaat a blast I had guy's. Now I understand why everybody say that happiness is a hot VW. It's a real turn-on!

I still have lot's of work and things to fix. This fu....g linkage gives me trouble, there is a big leak on the front radiator and still don't have connect the alternator...

I make some quick start, tires spin, carbs make a nice growl and I've never seen my speedo and tacho move like that...
It has a good power from 2500 to 5000 rpm.

Lot's of you will understand how you feel after your first time. I was a little bit shaking and impossible to remove the huge smile that cover my face. 

Haaaaa,it is so simple to be happy...

Maybe have you some good stories of your beginning with hot flat4 engine? 

[lowfastbus]

Good looking JF! Gonna race next week? 
My first hot engine was a 1835 also, in a 69 pickup.  Loved that engine very much!

Have fun with it and maybe see you at Bitburg...

Jelle

[j-f]

Good looking JF! Gonna race next week? 
My first hot engine was a 1835 also, in a 69 pickup.  Loved that engine very much!

Have fun with it and maybe see you at Bitburg...

Jelle

I will be at Bitburg. But I don't know if I will able to go with the bug. The major problem is the radiator that leaks. I have to order a new one.

[nicolas]

i can give you my radiator with fan if you want, but you'll be better off with a new one as all is fitted like that.

and make it happen, i want to see that car consume some fuel 

[Sarge]

Good for you, JF!  In the old days, I'd had a number of single two barrel motors that seemed to run pretty good.  Then I built my first 1835 with IDA's and a close ratio gear box.  HOLY SHIT!   Power will put a smile on your face quicker then anything!

[j-f]

i can give you my radiator with fan if you want, but you'll be better off with a new one as all is fitted like that.

and make it happen, i want to see that car consume some fuel 

Thanks buddy. 
I have to find a Mercedes 300 (w124 I think)  oil radiator. I put it in the front, beside the spare tire panel. So I need a similar one.
And don't worry, I will make it burn some fuel. 

Good for you, JF!  In the old days, I'd had a number of single two barrel motors that seemed to run pretty good.  Then I built my first 1835 with IDA's and a close ratio gear box.  HOLY SHIT! Grin Grin Grin  Power will put a smile on your face quicker then anything!

That's the next step grandmaster 
Leave some times to grow to novices. (And I have a pair of Ida that wait on a shelf...) 
As this car is my first VW, I learn on it. Then, I will start something more serious. Lot's of parts are scatter everywhere in my garage and just wait to go together to make a nice 58 fast looker. 

[Bewitched666]

My very first hot engine was a low budget 1700cc engine with:
88mm slip ins cofaps
stock crank
weber progressive
1.25 rockers
stock cam

Boy what a rush after driving a stock 1200cc engine,had smiles all week long

[Sam K]

Congratulations! I remember the first time I put a "big" engine in my bug. It was a 1776 with a C/W crank, a 110 cam stock heads with heavy duty springs and 40mm dellorto's. I thought it was the fastest thing on wheels!

[Dave Rosique]

OK, first off, remember that I was only fifteen 1/2 at the time!

I'll have to mention two engines.
Lets go back to 1973...
My first "hot" engine sounded meaner than it ran and shortly after I built it, I rebuilt it in to the second engine. The engine was a 1500 "S" variant engine that a guy gave me. I tore it down, installed a freebie mystery cam  that I got from an older guy in the neighborhood who was in to VW's (it was a mystery what the heck it was), had the heads milled so deep we lost the first fin, lightened the flywheel to the extreme THEN drilled holes in it, reassembled it with the same bearings, stepped up to "new" rings and gaskets, installed a Holley Bug Spray with a chrome single port intake manifold (Woo-Hoo!) I already had the Bosch 6V blue coil with blue 019 distributor. I picked up a used S&S header w/ glasspack from Jim Dutcher. With some help from the guy who gave me the cam (still can't remember his name) we got it running. It actually ran decent, but not very fast and it loved to ping when it got hot. The best part though was the idle! If you like a quick revving, loud engine that has a mean lope at idle, you would have loved this thing! I drove it around for a few months before it developed a slight rod knock... suprise. I put my old 1200 back in and ran it around for a while.

Second engine- same engine but much better.
I'm sixteen by now and my brother needed my help selling some of his stuff at the La Mirada, CA. swapmeet. While at the meet I stumbled across the find of a lifetime! Well, at least for a kid. Another seller at the meet had a bunch of car stuff, and off in a little pile in the corner was a complete set of Berg 42's (these were super old-school, the linkage, air filters & manifolds were hammer tone blue), some EMPI 88's, a Howard H-4 camshaft and some DP heads, everything was gently used. I wish I could remember what I paid... I think it was only $200.00 (still a lot of money then to a kid). My brother loaned me the cash and I proceeded to rebuild the old 1500 "S". I installed everything above, tried to do it right this time (machine work, new bearings, etc.) and this time that engine ran good! So good, that I challenged the local hot-shot at my high school who had a 1969 Z-28 Camaro to a drag race, and handed him his butt twice in front of dozens of schoolmates!
Beating this guy in a drag race who really needed to be beat was priceless...
That was my first real "time".

It's been about thirty years since I sold my last Cal-Looker, and now with my "new" project, I'm really looking forward to my second "first" time
~DR.

[John Rayburn]

Dave, that was in the '64? Did that engine make it into the Ghia? I remember the Ghia heads missing the first fin as well.

[Dave Rosique]

Dave, that was in the '64? Did that engine make it into the Ghia? I remember the Ghia heads missing the first fin as well.

Yes John, the blue '64.
That engine never made it in to the Ghia. The Ghia was several years later, it was a 69X90, W-120, 48 IDA's, and I ported the heads myself with a drill (don't worry Jeff, your job is still secure). Same thought process as above, milled heads, super light flywheel, etc.
Ran a 14.16 in the quarter at 96 mph on race gas.

~DR.

[Jim Ratto]

my first hot motor was self built in '88 or '89. It was the 1641 everybody told me not to build because it wouldn't work
I remember when it fired up I literally jumped about 1 meter in the air and laughed. I was 17.
First time I drove it I sure noticed why everybody said it was overcammed.... but oh boy was it a blast. My first big motor was even more of a thrill 74 stroke x 94 bore, the day I fired it up and drove it first time I just couldn't park it. I drove around until about 5am the next morning.

Good job jf!

[Rennsurfer]

Great stories.

I can't honestly claim that "first time" for a big engine in my cars. I've always been fascinated with smaller air-cooled engines. Never built or owned anything bigger than 1700cc, Engle 110 cam, various Porsche distributors, very mild head work, and nothing bigger than 40mm single throat carbs. Yes... my engines are rated G compared to most peoples' on this forum. HAHA!! But I've had a ton of fun with 'em over the years, embarrassing many Japanese and U.S. cars, along the way.

I remember sitting around at Santa Fe Ave. (ancient race spot in Long Beach) after cruising Whittier Blvd. on many nights. I'd go to watch all of my high school friends (they all, 'cept for me, drove U.S. muscle cars) race. People were very aggressive and always wanting to race for pink slips. Which I thought was absurd. So, I'd wait all night till it got pretty late... then, a few people would roll up to me and my car and say, "Okay, let's run 'em. No pinks." COOL! One night, I raced a mini truck who's owner claimed that he had the fastest one around. All of his ball-hanger friends all praising him. He walks up to me, with his entourage in tow and asks the same thing. Earlier, I turned him down because he wanted to race for money or pinks. Like I told everyone... it was my only car and daily driver. We volunteered a person to act as starter. We raced. I beat him. No biggie. Done it many times. I rolled back up to my usual parking spot with a big grin on my mug with my engine off. My V8 friends and I were planning our next party. The Fabio mini-truck dude comes up and demands to see my engine and interior. So, we all walk over to my car and I show him everything. He's looking under the car and everywhere. I ask what he's looking for and he swore that I was "squeezing" or running "N.O.S." HAHAHA!!! He asked how I beat him. I told him (in front of his ball-hangers) that I'd been driving since I was 13, I had German engineering on my side, and power-to-weight is a beautiful thing. Besides, who the hell actually believes that a lowered skateboard with no weight on the rear axle is gonna get a holeshot on a built Bug? He walked away, puzzled. I didn't call his ride a lowered skateboard in fear of getting my arse kicked. But I was sure thinkin' it.

 

So I shall resign myself to the fact that at 46 years old, I might finally get that "first time" when I build my 1915cc in the (hopefully) near future.

[Dave Rosique]

Love that story!

You know, for a few extra bucks, you could really viagra-up that first time with a stroker!

~DR.

[lawrence]

The first engine I had in my beetle was a "stock" 1641, which was a lot of fun. I deceided that I needed to go faster so I built a 1914 with ported heads, race cam, IDAs, etc. The first time I cranked the engine over I noticed that it shook the car more violently than the worn out 1641. My dad and I took the car out on its first drive and I punched it on the first long straight away. The IDAs sang and my dad looked for something to brace himself with . Then he said that he should have never let me build the thing. haha

[ian c]

My dad and I took the car out on its first drive and I punched it on the first long straight away. The IDAs sang and my dad looked for something to brace himself with .

hence the "cabrio" grab handles became known as the "oh shit !! " handle

[j-f]

I can tell you the whole story of my first test. 

So, I worked on my bug last Sunday morning. Without intention of make a test drive this day.
After some work as find a good place and fasten the oil radiator and lots of little things that take you lots of time, the car was almost ready to run.
I say almost because alternator is still not connected, linkage not correctly set and tune (don't want to go back correctly) etc.   

I put the wheels on, remove the jack, back up and go for a calm road test... well, calm, just for 20meters I think 

I hammer the pedal, the car go quickly without hesitation or bad carbs noise. I was quite happy of me "ear" tune.

1 gear, tires spin, 2 gear RoooOOOoaAARRRr, 3 gear RoooaaaAa... blolbobblbolbob shiiiiiiittttt. I thought that I broke something. Start to injure myself to make such idiocy with a "new" engine.
Stop the car and the engine don't want go back at idle and rev at ~2000rpm  with a worrying noise. Linkage was dismantle, forget to bolt it correctly. 
I start again, gently, then accelerate ands all was ok. I slow down and start to ear something. Mhh I forget AGAIN to tighten the wheels. 
I take off again. Make some Acceleration and... bloblbolbob again... Linkage again. Re bolt it again. Then, as I become a little be irritate by all those stupid things, I hammer again the pedal, My good old 68, that only know until this day his trusty and economic but lymphatic 1300 single port, move of like never, making even a little roll on burnout  She's born to be a Cal look  . 2nd gear ROOOOOAAAA... BRAAAAAAAAAAAAA . My Tbird fall on the road, hanging on a strap.  A poor guy that was walking on the street jumped in the gap and look at me as I was an UFO

I finally back home. All this things happened on 5km 

I was a little bit hurry to test the car. If I spend one work hour more on it, lot's of this things won't happen. You say novice? 

[Nico86]

Your story sounds nice,  with some little set-up everything will run good. Can't wait to do that on mine !

[Dave Rosique]

Great story J-F!
I remember one time road testing a new engine, I was exited to test the power and when I got on it in first gear, tried to speed shift in to second, blew the shift and over revved the engine, throwing the fan belt off, taking the fuel line with it and it caught fire! 
I got the fire out pretty quick...
Good times!

[Tony M]

My first motor was a stock 1300 - We took that out for a log spliter - Then it was my first Big Engine - 1688cc - 88mm KS, Roller crank, 110 cam, Ported big valve heads, and a single 48ida - manifold was for a single 44 idf with an adapter - That was a little power house motor - spin to no end - and it was in my first baja - raced a lot of guys in h/s - pissed off a lot of V8's  

[Neil Davies]

Love that story!

You know, for a few extra bucks, you could really viagra-up that first time with a stroker!

~DR.

I was going to say that... 78mm makes a nice 2165 Mark...