The Project Pad

So as the title states, i'm picking up a b4 90, and i'm talking engine swaps. I'm curious what ideas you might have. here are my thoughts:

I want turbo. I enjoy turbos and want to have a turbo on whatever swap i go with. This is being done on a budget so i want to keep this cheap for the initial swap, but upgradeable in the future. so something with potential. When i do builds I like to keep down-time to a minimum. i like to buy and stock pile everything i need before i take the car off the road, and i want it back on the road in a very short time frame. This won't be a year off the road type project. i want 2-3 months max of down time.

V8 - not my style, lots of work, not a lot of payoff, and no turbo, and if i wanted to add a turbo, it would take big bucks.
2.7t - I think it'd be a cool swap, keeping a v6 car a v6, there is even one local to me for little money, BUT the problem is all the custom fab to make it work, I don't have fabrication skills or tools
07k - this is the one that I'd LOVE to do, but the major obstacle with this is MONEY, it would be the most expensive option, and somewhat experamental.
1.8t - this is the one i'm mainly leaning towards. Simple to pull off, reasonable cost, limitless potential, easy fitment.
vr6t - meh. again way to many conversion parts and custom fab needed to get it done. not my cup of tea
aan/aby - I love this idea. I LOVE technoquatt's car, i think it is a proper engine for the car, the wiring is easily delt with. but again. the cost for a long block is about the same as a 1.8t, but then there are a lot of other things that need to be sorted, engine mounts being welded on, side mount radiator stuff, the list just goes on and on. it would be lots of down time and lots of scouring europe for parts(i like to think i'm a pro at that, but still.. time and money)


Any other thoughts? tips or pointers?


Now lets throw another difficulty factor to this question:

Same B4, assume it has euro bumpers front and rear, bbk, 5 lug, kw suspension...
Now what would that cars "resell" value be with a 1.8t (clean swap, 300whp+) VS that car with an ABY 20vt (clean with about the same 300whp)?

I feel like the classic I5 would have a more of an appeal to people as an "S2 Sedan"
and that the car with a 1.8t would feel more like a wannabe "A4"

Save for the 07k!

I have an AAN block you can have for the cost of shipping if you decide to go the 5cyl route

I just can't believe that with a b4 project car and a 400$ 20v parts car that you could not make a 300hp car cheaper with the 5 cylinder. Once you pay somebody to weld in the engine mounts and radiator standoff, it is just plug and play.

damn ed, that is a very tempting offer... I have a 7a head still and i could put it together pretty cheap... Makes me wonder if i could shoehorn it in with all AAN accessories...

another tempting part about this idea of keeping it "AAN" would be it keeps the A/C compressor on the correct side of the engine bay to match up with the original compressor in the b4... Call me old, but AC is something i'd like to keep if converting.

Only problem with a 1.8t is the lack of power band.

AAN for sure.

I like where this is going.

it's only a block/crank. oil pickup, rods, pistons are gone

If you don't take it it's going to scrap soon

Dave wrote:damn ed, that is a very tempting offer... I have a 7a head still and i could put it together pretty cheap... Makes me wonder if i could shoehorn it in with all AAN accessories...

7AT! I'll give you an intake for the cost of shipping

We know somebody who can enable the AAN intake to work with a side rad Since you want it to be clean some of the other options are meh.