Good DIY project? Needs new engine

[jerm1027]

I'm looking to buy a '71 Beetle, but the engine died. owner is asking $800.

First off, is this a fair price?
Apparently the rest of the internals are working fine, according to the owner, but the engine broke down and a re-build isn't possible. I want a project car, but is the fact that a rebuild is impossible a red-flag, even for a project car? Is it worth the price, assuming everything else is in working condition?

If so, can I install my old car's engine? Will it work?
My old car is a basic 1997 Toyota Corolla, with a Toyota A4-FE 1.6 Liter inline 4 cylinder engine. Now, on top of engine specs, my corolla was totaled. I rear ended another car small car (newer Camry), and my airbags deployed (other car's didn't). After the impact, the engine was still running (didn't stall), and I was able to drive over to the side of the freeway. After the car was towed to my garage, my radiator was completely demolished as well as the passenger-side front quarter-panel. Now the car will not start at all. Not even buzzing (my starter was going out), nor will the radio work. However, the lights still work, both inside and out.

So, at the end of the day, what I'm asking is do you think my engine still works, and would be compatible with a '71 Beetle?

If my old engine does not/will not work, how much would a replacement engine cost?
Pretty self-explanatory here, but would like ball-park numbers for both new and used engines. Doesn't have to be a VW engine, but has to be compatible with minor, if any, modifications. Fuel-economy is top priority. My 1.6L I4 got 32MPG combined, with highway speed ~55-60MPH. I'm aiming for >35MPG.

Would this project be appropriate for my skill level?
I've never had any automotive training, but I do have exceptional general mechanical skills (build computers, and I'd probably put the Geek Squad to shame) and am a quick learner. I was able to learn maintenance quickly, without any guidance from mechanics/friends. Do you think this would be an appropriate DIY project for someone without formal training/experience, but quick to learn?

Any feed back is much appreciated. Thanks.

[denisond3]

First of all, I will assume you are serious, not making a joke, and that the 71 VW is a stock one, and that it has the usual air cooled engine in it.
I am not able to imagine a VW engine that cant be easily rebuilt or easily replaced with another identical engine, by a person having the skill levels of an amateur and limited experience and tools, and at low cost as well. The availability of VW parts (used and new, stock and modified) is probably 100 times greater than for any specific Toyota engine.
As for fuel economy - the tamer the engine the better it would be, BUT air cooled engines Do Not (and never will) do as well on MPG as do water cooled engines of the same power and displacement. My 1962 beetle with a stock 40 hp 1200 cc engine got 32 mpg on the highway, if I was being very careful, and driving at speeds below 60 mph. I could get 36 mpg by going at 50 mph, though its hard to find places where you can drive that slowly these days.
I cant believe the Toyota motor would fit into a VW, even with the engine lid open. Doing such a mod would require an extremely high skill level; turning a carbureted car into one with fuel injection, a computer, and the wiring to support the sensors. Electric fuel pump too of course.
The only engines I -know of- that will fit into the back of a VW beetle would be the 'pancake' flat-4 engines used in Subaru GL's and DL's in the mid to later 80's. And the folks who made those modifications were mostly going for a little more horsepower and the ability to have a heater that gave off real heat. (I knew a guy who did these kinds of modifications, for customers in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine).

As for the VW being worth $800 - if its not obviously rusted out at the rocker panels, and the belly pan under the battery hasnt already been replaced with a piece of sheet metal, and the car hasnt been rolled over or wrecked - then I think its very much worth that amount; with or without the motor in it. If its a rust-bucket it might still be worth that, since all of the body panels that rust out are available as replacements (to be welded in).

If its only the best miles per gallon you are after, then repairing the body damage to your Toyota (doing most of the work yourself) and rebuilding the engine and other repairs as needed, would give you better results than anything you are likely to achieve with any air cooled VW beetle. If the damage hasnt bent the passenger side frame in front of the firewall, then most of the damaged items unbolt. You may have to do some rewiring though, as well as possibly an engine or transmission rebuild. This would also be much much easier than trying to mod the VW to have the fuel injected computer controlled Toyota engine in it.

However, fixing up the beetle to have the stock engine type would give you a car that I would describe as being a lot more fun. It would also be one you would be able to sell easily. I dont see folks getting good results trying to sell a modified car where the engine is a different type than the body came with.

[MagicRat]

Good post, above.

Jerm, do you actually have a hobbyist's interest in old Beetles? Sure, they look cute but they are not practical transportation for the average person. If you are used to modern cars, you would be stunned and disappointed with the very modest (some would say dangerous) level of performance from a stock Beetle.

Compared with even a modest car like your Toyota, a Beetle is slow, uncomfortable, poor handling, noisy, poor brakes and has poor ventilation. This was the case even when the cars were new, but is especially relevant now. They cannot keep up with todays speedy traffic, and the vastly superior braking and handling of the modern cars around you can easily put you at greater risk of collision. Furthermore, old Beetles completely crumple in collisions. Modern cars are far safer.

Beetle enthusiasts love their cars despite the shortcomings. But unless you share the Beetle obsession, you will absolutely hate driving the car.

Finally, as noted above it is utterly impractical to swap your Toyota engine into the Beetle. (It's like trying to solder a Pentium processor into a Commodore 64 and expecting it work).

It would make far more sense to sell your Toyota for parts or repair, and put the money into a Beetle engine.

[denisond3]

Its true that VW beetles are not for everyone. I guess Im one of those ebsessed (or formerly obsessed) with the beetles; the real beetles, not the front engined 'retros'. I enjoyed driving my 6volt beetle enormously, was sad when the belly pan got so rusty that I could see the ground passing beneath me in more than one location. I would happily get another one - but an unrusted one costs much more than my 94 Ford Escort did - which is about as much fun, a lot quieter, & has a real heater as well as a.c. I also had a 1971 VW bus, which was great fun as long as there were not crosswinds. I sold it because we got emissions testing in N.VA, and the air cooled VWs were almost impossible to get to pass the tests. Now that they are old enough to be emissions exempt, If I saw a bargain on a beetle (1962-1965) or a bus (1968-1972) or a vanagon with a manual trans, I would be glad to have it.
If I lived in a place with hilly streets like Seattle or San Francisco, I probably would not want one.
My sister and her hubby live in Long Beach. They have a 1970 bus and a 1968 type III squareback. They plan to keep them till they are too old to drive. They enjoy being exempt from the smog tests.

The secret to the car being comfy for me, was to make the seat bottom less tilted, and to alter the seat back so I could recline it more than normal. I also bent the shift lever so I could reach it into 3rd without moving my shoulder. Plus I got the seats re-upholstered in fabric (in exchange for a new clutch in a Karman Ghia).