New mk1 1.1 owner

Hello all,

My younger brother has just bought a mk1 3door 1.1 for his first car, and it needs some love, but i've decided to sort it out for him

I have driven it and at first i thought the clutch was slipping, but it seems fine and I think it is just very very slow.

Does this seem right,? as I know its only a 33kw engine

The main question is, what is the easiest engine upgrade?


Any help will be greatly appreciated

Tom

Hi there

Should be 37kw or 50 bhp, but yes the 1093cc isn't that quick (0-60 in 17 sec and 87mph). The engine isn't really worth modifying other than a webber carb and maybe a K&N filter, which won't make a lot of difference. For a peformance increase the easiest root is a 'small block' 1272cc engine, which externally are the same so require no modification to the car.

This will give you 60bhp, but more importantly (if you get the a late 80's 1272cc with a hydrualic head) it will allow a lot more tuning potential. VW did make 1.4 and 1.6 versions of the engine in the 90's so you could also try theses, although I'd imgaine there's a lot of electric gubbins with theses. Other than that you'll need to start moving engine mounting posistions if you waan to fit 'big block' 1.5 upwards VW engines.

Have a search through the posts in this section as there should be plenty of info around.

Cheers

g40 will also fit with no mods to the mountings

Hi there,  the polo gt engine fits straight in,  it bolts to the origional gearbox and mounts and if you run it on a carb u dont hve to mess about with much electronics,  the only thing major u will need to do is fit a electronic fuel pump.  

Phil

Thanks for the help guys, that will certainly give me something to work with!  

By the polo gt engine, which model years are you referring to?

Polo GT will be a mk3 (or mk2 facelift) 1990 to 1994

Thanks, i'll keep my eye out then.

Gives me a summer job to lok forward too!

im looking to upgrade but not for speed cuz i could simply by a GTI if speed was the issue - just wanna be able to drive my mk1 in another 25 years and also make it abit unique - so looking to drop in a seat 1.2 multi point injection engine and get a stand alone management system and throttle bodies on it. it will be quickish reliable, easier to get parts in another 5 years and look good under bonnet to…..

good luck with which ever way u go

i'd go for a low mileage 1.3 mk3 Polo engine

the engines in these Polo's will be fuel injected…..be it single point injection (SPI) on the lower models or multipoint (MPI) on the GT

these engines can be converted to carb…….but either way you need to fit an electric fuel pump

a 1.3 SPI will give around 65 bhp
a 1.3 MPI out of a GT will give you at least 75 bhp…….possibly 90 bhp with some mods

you may gain a little power by converting these engines to carb….but you will get less miles to the gallon

Also if you fit a 5 speed gearbox that these engines usually come with….you will have to fabricate a gearbox mount

Excellent, thanks for all the info