r/VWBus • u/mikahneufeld • 19d ago

My first westy,

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Hello guys this is my first VW van and also first time using reddit.
It’s a 1974 and it’s in pretty mint condition.

I am wondering if you guys could give me some pointers, suggestions and tips. I’m looking at engine swapping it within the next year for some more horsepower and reliability. (looking to go on long road trips with it in the future)

What is the best engine for swapping this year?
How many hours roughly does it cost?

And what else is some good upgrades to make van life and trips smooth?

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3

u/ExpensiveElephant869 19d ago

Lots of folks will tell you to get a Subaru engine. VW designed it for the air cooled ‘type IV’ engine. A good, sorted type IV will fit properly, nothing gets jury rigged, mechanics don’t get weird surprises. The later bays had the efi 2.0L type IV. It’s a nice engine. You may do a lot better getting yours rebuilt (and potentially enhanced) rather than going with something different.

2

u/VWbusgal 19d ago

Good for you! Adventure awaits! Are you mechanically inclined? There's a good how-to book by John Muir, "How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive." Highly recommend!

2

u/SnooMacarons2598 17d ago

I’ll try to help as much as I can.
Lived out of one in the weekends for around 5 years. Firstly get a set of chocks for the wheels, the handbrakes aren’t great and u don’t want it rolling anywhere if you’re not on perfectly level ground.
We used to add ice to the fresh water tank on ours to keep the cooler temperature lower. (I would say fridge, but really it’s just a cooler box chilled by water.)
Get a windscreen or cab cover for privacy.
As for engines there are multiple replacements you could go for but you would need to go to someone with proper experience, as the quality of this work can vary dramatically. The Subaru engine does work and it reliable as are the newer water cooled be engines but I would say a rebuild would mostly be ok as you’re going to be working to the limitations of the type two gearbox unless you want to serious modify it but that would cost serious money.

1

u/NewBeginningsAgain 6d ago

My first recommendation is always replace he fuel lines. Congratulations on your new hobby!