First off I would like to appoligize to the thread starter, Oasis, because I will be taking my post on a tangent. About a year and half ago there was a kid on here by the name mystical, who had a opportunity to purchase a mullholland look super for cheap(I wonder why
). I guess he was in the tuner scene and wanted to get the most out of the car for autocross or something. He had never owned a older VW before so this was his first project. Needless to say lots and lots of questions, and i think he thought you could take a cheap bug and make it badass very easily. To make a short story long, he didn't live far from me so I showed my old '72 Super that at the time was under construction.
What we're, the GL community,doing can only be described as insane. A GLed VW is a economy car turned into a super car, you can't just bolt some parts on it and be done with it. This is accomplished after many months, I dare say years in my case, and the only way one continues on this hurdle course is to have a incredable love for this car. Who else would spend so much time researching, running down the "right" parts for his vision, the countless long hours of fabricating, and the money that is required for this project of projects. Now a car like Alex's old split, which in my mind is the ultimate GL, would you just spend a few thousand on a cheaply built T1, hell no you don't. You put the biggest baddest muther fukker that will fit in it, and that my friend is going to cost some serious cheddar.
I'm working on a budget, I'm cutting as many corners as I can and still have a quality GL. With all the help of my VW friends I'm still looking at least $7K in the car total, thats the car, lil pussy disc brakes, a stock 2L T4, 901, paint, cage, and tuner rims. Who the hell would buy a '71 Super Beetle in California for $7000? Only somenone who is insane would, if you want to look at it on paper. There is a feeling that get when you drive around in something that should be, but is because you built it. I want that feeling, I will keep at this through hell and high water. I sleep, live, and breathe this stuff.
As far as the cost of powerplants go why don't you ask some of the guys on here who have spent big bucks on a engine ask if they were to do it again would they go that route. Also ask the guys running the EJ's or the ecotec's if they are glad they did it. Me I'll run the 2.0L for a while and put a EJ in my 914 and see how I like it before I start to cut up my 1302. The good thing about GL is you can run whatever engine you want in your car, run whatever brakes, tranny choice it doesn't matter as long as you are getting the most gains. Me personally I see zero advantages in a swing axle, but there are a couple of guys wanting to go there, whatever I won't knockem.
Sorry bout the length,
Nick