Engine Build

The truck came with a Feb 1961 Beetle motor that was fitted in Missouri so it could be driven onto the transport. However, I was able to find an engine block date-stamped 10 Oct 1962, one week off the VIN number. So the 1961 motor was disassembled & the bits were used to build our Oct 1962 motor. Friend Ron Smith took the long block in early-Oct 2018.

NOS intake manifold, air cleaner, carb spacer, 1.25 ratio rockers, and the Bus tin pieces were on theSamba. Heater boxes were disassembled, cleaned, & painted Black.

40hp case was line-bored with case savers & built with the original 64mm crank. Big Bore 83mm kit & 1.25 ratio rockers produce 1385cc power, more than the original 1200cc engine.

By Thanksgiving Ron had built the long block with the freshly-worked case. Compression was 8.0 and the stock intake manifold fit perfectly on the long block.

Pedro used his trusted shop Quality Powder Coating for the tin powdercoating in semi-gloss black. The parts returned in mid-December.

Original air cleaner was stripped & repainted, using a 1964-65 Type 3 decal. Original oil cooler was repainted. Original oil pressure switch was cleaned & installed.

On 30 Dec 2018 Pedro volunteered to assemble the engine with me. Laid-out all the parts, cleaned & painted everything, and got it mostly done in about five hours.

After the New Year Wolfsburg West delivered a couple boxes of parts to help me complete the engine. I changed-out the starter bushing & added copper nuts to the exhaust posts. And I spent a dirty day stripping the rear apron to bare metal, priming, & painting it Light Gray.

Buddy Dave Whittick graciously provided a restored 6V coil. And I was able to get a restored 4R2 distributor (date coded 4T April 1962) from Tim Barany. Original metal fuel & vacuum lines were cleaned-up & fitted with fresh braided hoses.