Thinking about building a very low budget rotary drag bug

[krazy4]

I have always wanted to build a drag bug so I started looking around for deals in my area.
It seems I can get a decent roller for right around $300.

I want to make the car itself very light, but use all steel body panels to keep the cost down. Going to use lexan for the windows.

Here are two pictures of what I would like to do to cut some weight:



Power is going to come from a street ported 13B that I'll rebuild and port. I want to bridge port the motor, but don't know if I can build a cheap type 1 trans to take that power. You guys think I can build a cheap trans to take 200hp? What about 240hp?

Thanks!

[1969dragbug]

In a word, NO!!!!

[superdrag]

Depends on what you call cheap.  Spool or heavy duty diff will be between $300 and $700 probably, $400 for a heavy duty mainshaft, $200 for 3rd gear, $200 for 4th gear, $350 for axles, etc.  It's been awhile since I have bought trans parts, so my numbers may be outdated, but you get the idea.

[Dougzilla]

All that and.....I don't want to be anywhere near you in the pits or the
staging lanes while you rev the crap out of that "hybrid" rotary piece of
crap! Why would you want to slow a VW down like that? If you absolutely
feel you have to do a motor swap, put a V8 or a twin turbo V6 in it. But
seriously, a rotary? Makes us all look bad. Just my .02.

[vwracer]

Rotary's are cool but they are extremely loud and obnoxious. Not only that they are terribly inconsistent.  I've been around enough of those things to form my opinion. BUT, if you are set on doing it there is a racer that runs a rotary Bug and has been through all the trials and tribulations of what you are thinking.  If I can remember who he is I'll post back. I know the car just not the driver.

[bugnut]

If an engine swap must be done, I say make it a Subaru swap and be done with it.  I hate seeing a V8 in a VW, or virtually any other type of conversions, but the Subaru is probably the best bet.  I also hate the sound of rotaries.

[David Ward]

Seems to me that you could find a used longblock or complete IDA engine for the same cost or less than you'd have to spend to acquire a good rotary, do the work you mention, and set it up to go racing.  Just saying....

[madoski]

There's a great deal on the samba right now, a 2332 with turbo EFI for $4k.  I'd be all over it if I had the cash.  With this setup and a light car, you should be able to launch it somewhat easy and then put the mustard to it and run some pretty low ETs.  Get the EFI dialed in to make a lot of torque at low RPM so you don't have to wind it out and bang gears.

[superdrag]

I think we scared him off!  Sounds like he wanted a 12 second car for $1000.

[vwracer]

I think we scared him off!  Sounds like he wanted a 12 second car for $1000.

And I wanna be Hugh Heffner, not gonna happen!