Ideas for a project car motor

[papatedroach]

Im looking for ideas on a small but fairly powerful and inepxensive motor for my project car. I would prefer a carburated motor for the ease of installation. The goal is 200hp+. I can get an adapter made to fit my current trans so thats no prob. The rest is a custom install. The project car is my 79 Bradley GT2

It was already suggested to get a subaru 2.5L out of an impreza rated at 165hp.

I dont know the dimensions off hand of the motor compartment but a v6 should fit without cutting and possibly a v8. I say this becasue the block of boxter 4 that is in there now has about another 12" till it hits the end of the compartment.

Anyone else have any ideas?

[ducttapepro03]

Are you looking for something to keep stock or something with some aftermarket parts to build it up?

[sonza68]

What engine is currently in it? VW flat 4?

[Jorgen]

You want rare and exotic or what? I would personally for ease of the work just get the parts together and build up a stout VW boxer that the car is made for. Maybe turbo it if you felt like it. My friend has a Baja bug and if he has the parts to build up a brand new beef ass well powered motor for it.

[MaverickFlyer]

Put a 3L in it!

A flat Six 3.0L that is. The Turbo Version put down 260bhp. Or go for the 3.3L version and get over 300bhp. The flat six has a low center of gravity, and a very short engine length. Not sure what your Budget is But I'd stay with something air cooled.

[papatedroach]

it currently has a 1.6L VW flat 4 which is modded. The extent of the mods are so far unknown. The more we work on it the more we find. The owner passed away and his wife sold it to a dealer which is where i got it from. So I have no-one to ask about what was done to it.

So far I have the following mods:

Installed by me: High performance headers/exhaust, heater box removed and replaced with J-tubes, performance ingnition system with electronic conversion, removal of airconditon

Found on the motor: After market dbl carb and intake manifold, adjustable valvles, modern oil filter conversion

Suspected mods that have not been confirmed yet: Performance cams and heads

For the new motor, Stock or modded doesnt matter, the main idea is the best bang for the buck.

An aircooled motor would be best seeing as thats what in there now. But this being a bradly and not a beetle theres some room under the front end for a radiator and/or there is a scoop on the engine cover. So water cooled is nto out of the question.

Any ideas on a price range or where I would even find a flat 3L? What car where they used in?

I have considered putting a turbo on the current motor but it seems like would be in the price range of $2500-$3000 due to the need of the special carburator along with the turbo goodies and would also need to be custom fabbed, unless someone can point me in the right direction of a pre-made kit for my engine.

I can get most common motors for $50 from the junk yard near by my moms where the car is currently stored. Thus the idea of a motor swap vs spending big bucks building up the current one.

[B3NN3TT]

13b.

Or maybe a Ford 2.3T...

[MaverickFlyer]

The flat Six came in Porches from the mid 60's to late 70's.

Workhorse Engine of the Day: Porsche Flat Six

[fordrule]

oooooooooooooo mav is onto something.... old beetles with the Porsche motors are little rockets

[bensenvill]

I dunno, doesnt look like alot of room to work with at all.

whats wrong with keeping with the aircooled bug engine? if its already setup for it, should be trivial to drop in a hopped up one.