VR6 powered Fridolin

Express Mail We're all familiar with tales about how someone has removed their old air-cooled putt-along motor before surgically inserting an alternate engine into their VW, be it from a Subaru, Porsche, Ford, Audi (or a VW Turbo Diesel, as Graham College did, putting one in his Split Screen Camper - see VolksWorld July 2005) and it is something that has been going on for quite a while now. Naturally, there are some who oppose the action of ditching the old air-cooled motor in favour of a more modern water-pumping unit - it gets right under the purists' skin! Some go as far as saying that the car can no longer be classed as a VW. It's a shame, really, as some of these conversions deserve recognition, especially as most require a lot of skill to carry out. Yes, we personally favour the air-cooled engine ourselves (why wouldn't we?), but we certainly appreciate a well-executed conversion. Besides, if it's power you seek, a conversion to an alternative engine can be the cheapest way to go - cheaper than building a high-spec Type 1 engine in order to get some decent bhp figures, that is! One of your first focal points will of course be which motor you choose. You could always go down the tried and tested route with the Scooby Doo Impreza engine and be happy knowing that there will be someone who knows what to do when things go wrong. On the other hand, you could always brave the unknown and try to bolt in something new and exciting! Now, anyone can stand up and say, 'I know, I'm going to plonk a big motor in the back of my VW', but it takes a special person with a lot of dexterity and a big pair of kahunas to take up the mission and see it through to the end, because it is never as easy as it sounds. First, you need to source an adaptor plate for you to bolt the engine to your gearbox. Then you have to work out where and how to mount the radiator, find the best place for the water pipes to go, sort out the wiring, consider where to plonk the ECU, decide if the brakes and suspension need upgrading, make sure the fuel tank is adequate, work out which body mods will be required for the engine to fit and, the biggest hurdle, how it is going to mount. Lorenz Baumann, 37, from Switzerland knows all too well how much work is needed to use an alternative engine in a VW. He wanted his Type 147 Fridolin to have a bit of grunt, but didn't want to forfeit thousands of euros for the pleasure. Instead, he tracked down a much cheaper engine bearing the insignia of 'VR6' on its rocker cover. With 190 ponies saddled up, the VR6 is a great choice of engine to whack in the back of your car. It is still, after all, VW, it has got loads and loads of torque, it has six cylinders, it is possibly one of the best-sounding engines VW has produced and, boy, is it fast! For the full story check out the March 2008 issue of VolksWorld magazine. On sale on 28th December and then available through back issues. SUBSCRIBE Never miss an issue again by setting up a subscription to VolksWorld magazine!