engine conversion for 89clipper's orange cabby

Right then, the time has come to do an engine conversion in the wifes (89clipper) cabby, and we are looking for guidance as to what route to take. Ideally we would be looking at buying engine and painting/polishing/dressing it ourselves and having it installed and set up by a pro who will do it properly. Any advice as to what engine would work well and who could install (midlands/staffs) would be much appreciated and an idea of potential costs and what would be needed

Thanks in advance, steve.

Bump^^

1.8 16v kr or 2ltr 16v 9a or abf can be had for little money just got to keep em peeled, my abf was £150 and chucked no rebuild or owt  and it runs fine. There's the manifold conversion which can be had 2nd hand £100 or less or brand new around £250 and upwards. You have to also think about other bits you may need too which start to mount up. Think of brakes again 2nd hand or new i went new with calibra calipers that were reconditioned and were £60 each new pads and drilled and grooved discs were arond £60 and new flexi hoses £20.

Plus you will want all shiny bits too lol which aren't cheap, it can cost as little or as much as you want really depends how far you want to go with it by stripping your new engine and rebuilding it or just buying u/g bits fot it.

Plus do you go carbs or injection if injection you will need gti lift pump and sender (£20 - £50 2nd hand) and gti fuel pump (£80 new) if you are not already injection.

Hi, thanks for the reply mate. We are running 1.8 carb engine at present. So idealy a donor car would be required for most of the bits? What cars do the 9a and the abf engines come in?

Thanks, steve.

9a is corrado 16v and abf is mk3 golf 16v. Running carb it's a lot easier to do carbs but expensive to get em, if you had a donor then would be cheaper to get lift pump and pump and run injection. 9a is less wiring than abf. And use your gearbox on it so easy.

Thanks for that brad, the car is currently auto, could the auto box be used?

As far as I know it can be auto yeah.

Carbed engine would be the easiest and could be the cheapist as you could pick up a cheap 16v engine thats already running carbs then refurb the carbs and as you say installed by a pro (take it a garage) they could then set it all up on rolling road for you as thats the dear bit by going carb is getting them set up right. The money you spend on the setting up bit or even rebuilding carbs you could end up paying the same for wireing and all fuel bits.

problem with automatic 16v is finding the throttle components to make it work. as you can imagine not many automatic 16vs were made! passat is the most common source but passats aint common either!