1600cc 85horsepower

[greg press]

When i got my car and joined this forum i posted that my car was a 1600cc 85 hp. most people who responded said that they didn’t think that a 1600cc 85 hp vw engine was likely, it would more likely be 40 to 60 hp.Today because of the weather i started doing some research 1 London Roadster that had been sold on ebay awhile back said it had a 1600cc 85 hp engine.I also found a copy of a

brochure on the internet that said 1600cc 85hp. By the way no numbers on generator stand or anywhere else that i can find .I will continue research untill nice weather

[Royal]

Greg, I will have to be convinced that a stock T1 1600cc VW is capable of producing 85hp.  Even with dual carbs, and a hot cam and a real extractor exhaust, I thing you would fall way short of 85 hp if it is a 1600.  Could be that it is not a 1600 or that it was 55 which someone misread as 85.  I would have to say: “don’t believe everything you read”.  It seems that you really care.  If so, put it on a dyno and you will know what the HP really is.  But if it runs good, why bother?  My guess is it is in the 55-60hp range.  Bring it to Carlisle, 85 or not – I’d love to see your TD. 

[edward ericson]

I was the doubter, or one of them. No offense meant.

These cars only need 50 hp to move along smartly. I think I have less than that in mine and I’ve topped 75 mph on a two lane with plenty of room under my foot.

Might put her on the dyno this year at Carlisle to see though.

[Paul Mossberg]

I truly doubt any stock 1600cc VW type ! engine has 85 horsepower. 

 

http://www.vw-resource.com/more_power.html

Horsepower Through the Years

Year	Displacement	Horsepower – BHP*
1940	985cc	22
1943	1100cc	25
1954	1200cc	36
1961	1200cc	34
1966	1300cc	40
1967	1500cc	44
1970	1600cc	47
1971	1600cc DP	50
1973	1600cc DP	50

 

Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica Roadster

If you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)

[edward ericson]

Typo, maybe? I got 10 more listed HP on the wiki:

1967 Volkswagen Beetle

Engine	1,500 cc OHV H4, 40 kilowatts (54 hp) @ 4,200 rpm, 105 N·m (77 lb·ft) @ 2,600 rpm bore 83 mm, stroke 69 mm, comp ratio 7.5:1
Transmission	4-speed manual
Wheelbase	2,400 mm (94.5 in)
Length	4,079 mm (160.6 in)
Width	1,539 mm (60.6 in)
Curb weight	840 kg (1,900 lb)

Still, 80 from a 1600 would be a special build. Very doable, I hear, but nobody does it because for all the work it takes to get 80 hp from a 1600 you could go with bigger jugs and get a 110-120 hp 1915.

[Richard Shear]

The London Roadster has an 1835cc engine. 85 HP

Motor started out as a stock 1600cc.

Built at factory.

Got this from the spec sheet for the London Roadster.

 

Dick

[greg press]

Dick, I find this very interesting because mine is the same as yours only 1985 .I have seen that spec sheet somewhere on  the computer .But i can’t find it.It says85 hp. If you type in british green london roadster  there will be another one 85 hp

[greg press]

Well today i found it.I would send you the link but i don’.t know how to. It was an original dealer showroom album that sold on ebay. The album says it comes with a 1.8 liter 85 hp. The reason i have been hunting for this is i am trying to create a history of my car in a scrapbook               

[Royal]

Greg, None of us ever questioned that your engine was 80-85+/- hp.  What was doubted was that it was a stock 1600cc 80-85 hp.  Since 1.8 liter is 1800 cc which is not a stock VW Type I displacement, you are telling us that your engine is not stock and also not 1600cc.   

[john barry]

interesting ..I have a London  roadster also .. and I dont have any numbers  under the generator stand either as Mark MgLondon roadster pointed out earlier….I am happy with the way my factory  London roadater was assembled ..

[john barry]

greg and mark   here our info on the London roadster

jebarry2012-05-10 18:16:19

[greg press]

Well as usual i’m a little confused.If my car has a 1.8 liter 85 hp. Are you guys saying that it came from the factory that way ,was it modified in the factory,or was it modified after the factory built it.John,i found the above paper that you posted plus a couple of others,and they both say 85 hp. now did all london roadsters come with 1.8 liter 85 hp or just some of them.I have found nothing that suggests any thing but 1.8 liter  85 hp  

 

[Paul Mossberg]

Yes. London Roadsters installed a 1.8L, 85 h.p. engine.

 

In the left side bar, hover over “TD History”, then click on Replicas. Scroll down to the bottom of that page to see London Roadsters’ brochure.

Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica Roadster

If you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)

[Royal]

Greg, your TD has a VW engine.  VW never made an 85 hp 1600cc engine.  VW also never made a Type I 1800cc engine.  London Roadsters “souped up” or modified the standard VW 1600cc engine by increasing it’s displacement to 1800cc (probably actualy 1775 or an 1835cc).  LR may have done some other mods also, but a complete engine teardown would be necessary to tell.  Since London Roadsters modified the VW engine, it is no longer considered a factory stock VW engine although it may have been the engine that London Roadsters put in all of their TDs.  In an attempt to eliminate confusion about this, telling the owner that the engine has been modified, apparently LR ground out the VW engine code numbers found on the stand under the generator/alternator.  (Among other things, the engine code would tell an owner what the factory cc’s, approximate year of build, and the hp as it was as built by VW.)  

[greg press]

Thank you all you helpful people out there in td land.I will now ad it to the history of my car.I hope i haven’t been a pain in the

---

.About this .I guess i didn’t ask the right questions in my research                             

[edward ericson]

I, for one, think the extra cubes and the 30 extra ponies would be a very desirable upgrade.

Good research, greg.

[russ]

I have a 84 london roadster. Looking at the motor, it looks like a universal case. Has a cover over the type 3 dip stick port. Don’t think that case had a serial number under the alt stand. I think they may have built there own engines. Mine has a weber 2 stage carb with there own air cleaner set up. Pulls pretty strong if its a stocker.

[john barry]

[Paul Mossberg]

Hey…this is a little ironic, but please allow me to make an off-topic point here?

 

I know I’m always on the soapbox about keeping threads on topic, and on making your subject line clear as to what that topic is. And the primary reason is my belief that we are continually building up a knowledge base that will have value long after we are gone.

 

That desire may annoy people sometimes. But look what just happened here!

 

irzetor just joined the TDreplica family September 14 2015. He/she (not sure which) has apparently been wandering through the entire forum…and found a thread that was last active May 12 2012. I’m guessing that the topic caught his attention. And the posts within the thread are all pretty much on topic.

 

That’s awesome (to me anyway).

 

Do you think the thread woudl have caught a new members atention if the topic was something inocuous like “I have a question” or “Looking at my engine” or … well you probably get the point.

 

Thanks for listening. I’m done now. Back to the horsepower wars.

PMOSSBERG2015-11-18 10:25:06

Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica Roadster

If you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)

[Author]

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