An $8,000 Question

[NO_H2O]

The Type 4 will last far longer than the Type 1.

[Eurolook71]

Wow, I guess I just had my own reality check that came with this post. I've always dreamed of a T4 motor, 1911 or 2056, yet with EFI. 13K for a 2270? !@#$%! DUDE! I think everything that goes on over there in GA is awesome, and the R&D dept is far more than anyone could expect when the subject of air-cooled flat-four motors comes up. But too spend 8K on a N/A 2L and still have only 4 gears just makes me wanna put the whole idea of "massive" far behind me, leaving tear drop stain on the ground all along the way. Unless I'm just being typical. I mean honestly, I've only really seen one "built" T4 in action, and it was for 12+ seconds. If 8K makes my bug go for 10+ years w/ regular maintence and still gets the tuner crowd to say "holy crap it's air-cooled..." then I guess I'll just shut my trap, that is until I can experience for myself this T4 revolution.....damnit here comes that $$$ thing again....grrrrr

[Massive Type IV]

do the math on building a TF-1 cased engine, using a flanged TI crank (Not chinese made) and all the things needed to create a TI even similarly comparative to the TIV. You will see that it'll take all aftermarket parts to make it happen and the cost will be within 10% of the cost of a TIV. In fact that TIV may be cheaper.

[oicdn]

Then, how are all these companies offering a 2L+ for $5K WITH trannies, etc...if all you get with a TIV is a small 2L, and no tranny?

Not knocking the TIV, but like stated, that cost factor seems to be pretty deterring. My buddy spent $5K on his 1914 set-up including Pro-Street tranny and 2500lb clutch. He was saying he coulda done a 2332 for the same price, but he bought the 1914 before he really knew anything and thought 1914 was the "largest streetable/reliable" motor you could get. He never adjusted his valves, and just done regular oil changes...it was his daily grind too....

$13K for a 2L TIV or $5K and get a tranny that has been abused, raced, in traffic and has around 45K+ miles thus far of just oil changes...that route, seems like the obvious logical choice.

[Massive Type IV]

Thats easy..

The 2L TI has a Chinese crankshaft, sand cast aluminum case made also in a 3rd world country and about every other part of the same quality (or lack thereof)

Comparing that 2L TI engine to a sL TIV engine isn't even in the same spectrum- I said that building the two engines EQUALLY would cost the same and I wasn't talking about HP wise....

Crappy TI parts that were only getting worse (and of course cheaper AND worse) were the main reason why I stepped away from the TI foundation.

[R2.0]

I think we ought to compare apples and apples here. IIRC, the $10k-$12k figure thrown around for a 2270 T4 was for a custom engine assembled with a lot of hands on involvement by a leader in T4 engine development and the owner of the company. Ask yourself what an engine hand assembled by Gene Berg would have cost?

Go to the Type 4 store and price out a 2056 kit. Soup to nuts, including exhaust, ignition, etc, comes to $6k. Pay a good assembler $2k and you are in budget.

Still expensive? Maybe, but I think it's important to make sure the numbers represent what they really are.

R2.0

[Massive Type IV]

R2.0 thats an excellent post!

More and more people are buying my kit and having a local builder assemble it.. Thats been a big benefit of the store and it alows me to work on super cool projects in the engine side of the house at the same time because the simple jobs can be bought in kit form and assembled so easily with my preparation and design..