Aircooled VW South Africa

Hey you all!

I was wondering if any of you guys know anyone who has done a midmont conversion in a Beach Buggy ; Bay or a T3?

I would like to attempt this "dream" in the not too distant future, but the Gearbox issue is somewhat of a headache as I don't know what will be strong enough for a V8....

Any input welcome...

Know a gentleman in Brakpan who did a mid-mount conversion on a Porche replica. Used a passat gearbox with a 4age toyota engine.

If you need a strong gbox, speak to Bugger.

Quite a few of the GT40 replicas that were built here used an Audi gearbox with the Ford/Chevy engine

In the mid seventies there was a company called Kelmark Engineering in the USA. They sold a mid engine V8 conversion kit for the VW Beetle.

The kit comprised of a complete perimiter frame in rectangular tubing to which the Beetle body just bolted. The seat position for the front seats remained standard. If I remember right, it used the transmission from an Oldsmobile Toronado (front wheel drive V8).There was an article in the VWTrend magazine of the era.

A couple of years ago I met a gentleman who had fitted a Rover V8 into a microbus. The engine was mid mounted (the last row of seats was sacrificed) He used an Audi 5E gearbox if I remember correctly.

I also met another gent who fitted a small block chev into a microbus using a Cadilac Eldorado auto box to place the engine in the standard position in the rear slightly offset to the right. He had an aluminium flange welded to the gearbox to accept the chevy mouse motor. His advice was to use the later microbusses the originally had the 5 cylinder engines as the engine bay in the boxer motor versions were about 150mm too short. In 2006 the cost of the conversion was about R80K all included.

Cullums conversions (Shane and his father in Springs) used a pulsar box on a V6 enjin, he had to mod the enjin to turn the other way though,, turned out quite major