Engine swap

Hello

I'm currently trying to sell a GTI cabby but not getting anywhere fast so considering keeping the car for a year until my boy turns 17, he has just started a motor engineering apprenticeship and loves the cabby and dreams of one day owning one. My question is, if I swap the engine in the cabby for something smaller i.e. 1.1/1.3 is this going to bring the insurance costs down to a reasonable level or does the fact that it's a cabby outweigh the engine? Will be an excellent learning project for him as well.

Has anyone on here done this and did it cause any problems?

Also, what sort of engine should I be aiming for i.e. a Mk1 or MK2 engine or something a little more modern?

The fact that its modified, will outweigh the fact that its now a smaller engine. So you'll have the same insurance, less performance, and the £££ costs the engine conversion took to do. Can't see any positives in downgrading the engine at all.

Pointless then.

Unless I just let him do it to learn on and absorb the cost, the car doesn't have great value anyway.

So if I do what do I need to know and what should I be looking for?

Basically, the same as putting a big block in a small block…..but in reverse!

If he's 16 and learning, why not do a 16V engine conversion then sell the car? It will add a bit of value to it, and if you're cost concious when buying parts etc might be into a little profit.

I have no idea about young pups insurance but I'd have thought a 1.1 polo or something like that for a couple of years, don't modify it, keep your nose clean and then get something nicer.

Or how about an older sports car - probably cheaper on insurance - for example Austin Healey Sprite?

if he likes the mk1 floppy top try and get a mk1 1.1 tintop  :dontknow:

Dubwanabe said

if he likes the mk1 floppy top try and get a mk1 1.1 tintop  :dontknow:

Exactly the original idea but proving difficult to shift the cabby to create the funds for the smaller engine tintop

MarcB said

Dubwanabe said

if he likes the mk1 floppy top try and get a mk1 1.1 tintop  :dontknow:

Exactly the original idea but proving difficult to shift the cabby to create the funds for the smaller engine tintop

Priced too high then!

I don't think so…

http://www.vwgolfmk1.org.uk/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=87864&highlight=

MarcB said

I don't think so…

http://www.vwgolfmk1.org.uk/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=87864&highlight=

If its not selling, the price must be too high. I agree £850 is a low price for a cabby but there must be a reason why there's nobody snapping it up. For example, if you priced it at £400, would it sell easier?

I'd just keep it, rather then selling it off for nowt. Get your nipper a mk2 to play with as cheaper to source

x2, just keep it, enjoy it for what it is and don't modify it. Modifying a car, especially the engine, and especially trying to get it insured for a young person after, is the easiest way to get rid of a lot of money quickly, that you'll never see again!

It seems that cars just don't sell for high values these days. On this site you'll see loads of overpriced cars and I really doubt if they get any interest at all. Its still a recession, etc….