MKI Golf Solid lifter cams

Hi.
First post, be gentle, lube me up!
A little unusual, I have a 1981 VW Iltis. www.iltis.co.uk
Okay, what am I doing here?
I want to perk it up a little.
I am told that a cam from a early Golf will fit.
Just had a look at ETKA and I think I found the cam I'm looking for.
049 109 101 N [fitted to EG,DZ,GZ from what I can gather]
The Iltis engine is basically a Golf engine, solid lifters but it's 24v [Military stuff always seems to be 24v]
Excuse my ignorance of intricate details, my knowledge lies with VW T3 and T4, my first car was a MKI Golf with a GF engine, however I've slept since then!

Having a look around, I can buy a new genuine cam but it's well over £100, which I would gladly buy if I knew it fitted 100%.
Then I've been looking at others, Kent etc but I don't want anything too wild as I still want it to idle and I need low down power for off road use.
Anyone got any wise words about solid lifter cams?
Any experience of them.
The Iltis won't be the same as a GTI, it's running a 1B1 carb but I'm told the Paris Dakar winning Iltis of 1981 used these cams and a bigger carb to go from 75hp to 90hp.
The Iltis already sports an oil cooler and I'm currently looking at a stainless exhaust of slightly larger bore to perk it up.

Just checking you say is 24v
Is that 24 volts?
I hear a GTi cam would help with performance on a standard engine and still run normal on tickover etc but not done it as I've already got a GTi.

Yes, volts not valves!

if it has the coolant flange between cylinders 1 & 2 then most likely the 1.6 gti cam will fit, if between 3 & 4 then you'll probably want a 1.8 cam.

whats the engine code on it? might be able to find parts that match this and gti engines for a clue on whats needed

This is what a iltis engine bay looks like, flange is indeed between 1&2.


Original cam is 049 109 101 E, engine code is YX.

alrighty, basic head casting and valves same as mk1 golf 1.5, so 99.9999% the 1.6 gti cam will fit

Yep, after a bit of ETKA bashing I've come to the same conclusion.
II've ordered a new genuine one on our stock order so all is good, looks like a simple bolt on upgrade.
Hopefully ill be able to get up the hills a bit better around here, dragging 4x 205R16's up a hill with a low compression small capacity engine can be a bit tiresome!
Hopefully the little extra will help me keep up with modern traffic.
Many thanks for your help, much appreciated.
Once it's on and shimmed up I'll Bob back and tell you how I went on.
:-)

worst case if it blows up, put the rest of the 1.6 gti engine in

Well…Im also considering changing the ignition system too as it is a system all of its own with no parts common to any other vehicle. The spark plugs are usually about £100 a set, a HT lead is £30 or so each.
There is an ignition module similar to that of a 70s Audi 100 or Porsche 924, they retail new for about £700!
I have normal HT lead Parts on the shelf at work as well as normal ignition modules and I'm considering fitting the distributor from a MKI Golf but I need to cross refer the advance curves so I don't end up with a rattley pinking mess! I'll then just use a 24v to 12v dropper.

the curve should be nicely suited once the 1.6 cam goes in