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Hi, The post was written by an old guy, me. I got my Porches confused. he has a 70, 912, modified 4, with a 5 speed that he offered me. Said it was a straight swap. Any ideas, opinions? Thanks, Dennis P
I’d repeat everything in my post except the “have to swap the ring & pinion.”
Again, it’s a dream rig. The five speed alone would make yours an elite runner. But I would caution anyone to learn more about the ins and outs before attempting it.I have to ask:1. What does he mean by “modified” Type 4? What are the modifications, who did them, and what is the quality of the motor as it sits? The early 912 engines came stock with 90 horsepower, which is plenty for our cars. The 914 and later 912E engines were even stronger, with more displacement, but also heavier. Generally speaking, Type 4 engines are very much better than Type 1s for hot-rodding, and good for an easy 150 hp with plenty more than that available depending on the depth of one’s wallet, but parts are more expensive and making them fit together is a job for a skilled air-cooled mechanic. They’re not like an old 350 Chevy that any monkey can slap together and have 300 horsepower forever. The key is to know which engine you have, so correct parts can be ordered when needed.a. The 912 has a proper upright fan shroud that will (probably) work well in our cars. If by “modified” your guy means it has one of those 911-looking super wowie shrouds, you’ll do better to get rid of it. It may or may not fit under your decl lid, but they are generally considered, by knowledgable VW modders, to be junk anyway, so budget for a fan shroud and do not take no for an answer. By reputation, the best aftermarket one of these is Jake Raby’s “Down the Middle” shroud. This is a rare and expensive item, but said to be worth it to get a quality conversion.b. Do you want heat? The 912 shroud is what you need then. DTMs don’t have the “warm up” thermostat and aren’t made for heat systems. Heat is good and more necessary in these cars than you might suspect.2. Why is this guy interested in giving such a good deal on these (somewhat) rare and expensive parts? We’re driving $5,000 cars. Porsche 356 replicas, by contrast, start at about $15,000 for a rough one. Now, as much as I would rather be seen in and drive a TD replica than some common tub-shaped thing, it is also true that the drivers of said tub-shaped replicas (to say nothing of any actual Porsche drivers/restorers) would almost certainly be willing to shell out Porsche money for these Porsche parts.All that said, if I were you, I would give this deal serious consideration. Key is learning your biker pal’s motivation. Best case: he’s just a wildman and wants to do this job because there isn’t already one like it anywhere he’s ever seen. I love guys like that!Good luck & keep us posted.The Porsche and VW Bus trannies are physically much bigger (and stronger) than the Type I. You might run into space issues under the rear “luggage area” behind the seat, so fiberglass work MAY be required. Perhaps more significant, the shift rod sits higher in the tranny than on a Type I, and most people who convert use some king of off-set custom shift rod mechanism.
Suggest you research theSamba to see the mechanical issues involved, then decide if you’re up to it. It certainly can and is done, but it is not a “bolt-in” mod at all…The guys who run Baja bugs off-road do this conversion fairly often… If money is no object, Jake Raby is considered a “guru” on the Ype IV engines and transmissions.http://www.aircooledtechnology.com/Early FF TDr on 69 VW pan
Slowly coming back from the ashes...Wow, as always, thanks for the input. This is why we post questions. The feed back is invaluable. First thought is I own my tdr because I could never afford a TD and always wanted a replica, also, now that I have my MiGI I enjoy driving it more than a MGTD for many reasons. It only cost me a thousand to rebuild and upgrade the engine and I and one friend took it out in less than an hour. The more I think and the more I read from my fellow TDr people, the more inclined I am to leave a good thing alone. Thanks, as always….Dennis P PS, As a VW based car I can afford to keep it running, even on Soc Sec.
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