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Anyone supercharged their 1600?

Rickieh

Member
Trying to look at the cheapest way to reliably add power. (3 things that never mix) looked at a 13b engine, a dual carb 1600, and an amr500 supercharger and it seems the most hp per dollar is the supercharger. Has anyone seen this done in a kit car?would the heat be too much? Is there space?
 

sector

Member
I am proponent of subaru engines. Can buy entire car for under $1000, take out the engine and sell the rest to recoup the entire cost. That is how I got my first engine with 54k miles by purchasing post accident Legacy. Than all you will need is a Kenedy adapter plate for $550. In the end you will end up with reliable 165hp.
A supercharger rout will be much more expensive as you will also need intercooler and other misc parts. And reliability will still be a question.
 

sector

Member
EJ 25 engine
 

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sector

Member
VW 1600 engine weighs 220 lbs. The subaru engine weights 265 lbs with AC compressor and power steering pump. You also need cooling but radiator can be located upfront to even out weight distribution. So the net effects would be negligible between both setups.
 

sector

Member
Not sure if you are aware but subaru engine is all aluminum boxer (flat 4), so it has very low center of gravity. The aftermarket support for this engine is enormous and parts are cheap and readily available. Also this engine is like Lego's, different year parts and even engine types parts are interchangeable.
 

letterman7

Honorary Admin
Cheap : Reliable : Power Pick 2. Supercharging is the worst way to go and the fastest way to kill a VW engine. The AMR charger is a common swap, but limited to cubic inches, so a 1600 is about the max for that unit. But, it adds stress to the lower end components and much added heat. Sector's Subaru swap is also very common for VW's, but a little more complicated for a Sterling since you really have to work the radiator placement correctly. Subaru and "cheap" are relative to one's abilities - if you can't sort the wiring harness, expect to pay a fair amount for one pre-sorted or having one sorted for you. Then there are the added expenses of the radiator, associated plumbing, shortened oil pans... list goes on and on. Dollar for dollar and simplicity, a well built 2110 or 2332 VW engine will outperform any stock Subaru engine. Horsepower ratings are nearly identical as are the torque ratings. You will, however, pay for the pleasure of having someone build one reliably for you.
 

sector

Member
Even well built VW will never match Subaru's reliability. And VW will never outperform Subaru engines as even base WRX 2.0 will deliver 227hp and stock STI is rated at 300hp. Even if you outsource harness it will cost you $550. The VW 2110 is rated at 150hp and cost over $3K to build. The VW 2332 is rated at 185hp and will cost over $4k to build. In my eyes there is no comparison between 50 year old design and modern engine. It made sense in the 70's and 80's to use VW setup but now there are far better options.
 

letterman7

Honorary Admin
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. "Better" options don't necessarily equate to easy options depending on a builder's skill level.
 
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