Golf engines (except the 1.3, which is very similar to the Polo 1.3 anyway) are tall block. Polos can only accomodate short block engines.

It can be done, but you will need to rebuild the complete front end of your car (Salzmann make/made a subframe for this, budget £1000+ for one, if you can get one). Factor in about £1000 just for the subframe. Then you will need to be (or pay) a top drawer welder/fabricator to do it (my mate's got a mig welder and he can get cars through an MOT doesn't generally mean top drawer).

Also consider the handling and braking implications of putting a heavy tall block engine in the front of your light, nimble, Polo.

As far as fabricating somthing that's not been done before, anything's possible, with 2 or more of the following:

• Lots of money
• Lots of skills
• Lots of time

Good luck to you if you want to do it, but it's not going to be remotely easy.

This thread shows how to build a short block 1.4 or 1.6 using a VW ABD or Skoda AEE unit.

So what tends to be the fitting problems with sticking a tall block in?

So what tends to be the fitting problems with sticking a tall block in?

you cant shut the bonnet!!!!

And your sump is on the ground!

And the engine mounts don't line up

The gearbox doesn't fit

Need custom driveshafts and the chassis legs modified to suit

And a few other things no doubt.

Lol! Thanks for the replys guys.

Here's one the German's made earlier

http://cgi.ebay.de/VW-Polo-2-Coupe-1-8-16v...emZ330238454459

anyone no whether the mk4 1.6 polo lump goes in a mk3 coupe, regardin drive shafts, I'm told engine mounts are do able, and someone also said the spi engine can run on mk3 ecu and wiring any knowledge appreciated...cheers guys...

hi all, i'm new to the forum and i've already started such a beast. it'll be a 2ltr 16v though .. in my home town its almost impossible to have fun in a car nowadays. speedbumps, traffic lights and camera vans everywhere have encouraged most of my friends to buy or build track cars for playtime at the weekend, and run a little economic diesel for the trip to work or whatever. Isn't as easy to have a little burst on the throttle round a corner and find some retired traffic warden in his wee van saying "thats another 3 points and sixty quid fine, hahahaha" if your in a 50mpg cheap derv burner. Then go mental at the weekend in something truly rapid :-D

we've built the usual 2lrt novas and a whole host of other stuff from a mk1 golf with 2ltr corrado 16v running yamaha r1 carbs, to a lambo countach replica with a corvette 5.7 v8 in the back for a customer (very disapointing!). so i've finally decided to bulid one for myself atlast. but i wanted something vw you dont see, and a polo coop seemed a good option at the time. very light.

found a very clean L reg polo coupe 1 lirtre with a blown engine and a tin worm infested mk3 golf gti 16v with a good engine. simple i say, stick all that in there and hey presto, rocket!

well take it from me it's not simple at all. i only started a few weeks ago but i have the engine in the hole roughly where its gonna be. however most of the lower inner wing and a fair bit of the chassis rail/box section is cutaway on the passengers side, and the engine mount/antiroll bar chassis point has been completely removed to accomodate the large gear box. the o/s doesn't need much cuting, only for the crank pulley but requires some serious strengthening. i'm not exactly flush at the minute so i'm pretty much fabricating everything myself using lots from the golf modified and shortened to suit. including the bumpers eventually. i'm at the engine mount stage now. I've made the golf front crossmember fit which has the front mount on and the rear g/box mount isn't too far away using a highly modified polo mount. The mount on the drivers side however is going to have to be made from scratch. probly start that sunday.

Got alot of good info from around the forum for the suspension and brakes so i'll answer a few tech questions when i can and i'll post some pics once i've got the engine mounted.

Does anyone know where there's any pics of the one in germany mentioned above? german ebay has obviously chucked the ad and i would like a look at that!

sorry for ranting on, Brian.

So what tends to be the fitting problems with sticking a tall block in?

you cant shut the bonnet!!!!

Cut hole in bonnet?

mechanix, I'm hoping to see a thread full of pictures asap!

So what tends to be the fitting problems with sticking a tall block in?

you cant shut the bonnet!!!!

Cut hole in bonnet?

wrong

and this one is legendary

the later having the most extensive chassis leg mods iv ever seen - a lot of work to be done!

REMEMBER THAT THE NUTTY GERMANS HAVE THE BRAKE SERVO ON THE LEFT!

I understand that the 1.6 16v from a lupo gti, and the 1.4 16v from later polos are lean-forward small-blocks... has anybody seen these fitted into mk2 polos? How is the fit/how do the mounts line up?

By the way, the injector holes would of course be blocked up to allow some bike carbs to sit on there, so no problem with getting the GT injection to run it... :-)

look for a guy called dogwood or something like that on clubgti, fooking immense tbh!!

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1344/5163...7/305309780.jpg

http://www.clubgti.com/forum/showthread.php?t=157429

:)

Edited 27 November, 200817 yr by tainmrk3polo

hi all, sorry i didn't have these on earlier but i've had computer problems and i've been busy with the car.

its in! only to wire it up. yes the bonnet closes and yes there are issues with sump ground clearance, but not so low that a good suspension setup and sump guard (just incase) wont solve. both inner wings ended up highly modified and the design/manufacture of the engine mounts/mounting points was very time consuming. lost track of how many hours i've put in. ended up rebuilding the engine and tweeking it a little, seemed stoopid to do all that work then throw an old rusty thing under the bonnet.

http://s734.photobucket.com/albums/ww344/m...mview=slideshow

concentrating on inside for now removal of sound proofing and unwanted metal and weight is pretty much done including the spare wheel well and sunroof including the underpanel which is welded to the roof. bout to prep and paint the inside then its roll cage time.

very difficult conversion and not to be taken on by the feint hearted. as magnus would say "i've started so i'll finish" but there are a whole world of other engines that would go in a mk3 shell one hell of alot easier.

Could anyone comment on the suitability of the 1.6 16v (e.g. from lupo gti) and the 1.4 16v units? Ta!

Dose any one know haw hard it would be to fit a 1.4 16v lump into a mk2 as I really think that it would make my little polo go very well =]

yea same I'm thinking about 1.4 or 1.6 in a mk2. Would like to know if its a realistic conversion or something for a very skilled person!!

presumably they share the same mounts with the 1.4 & 1.6 8v engines so they should in theory fit i dont know what you would do about the fuel injection probably easier to run it on megasquirt with itbs or bike carbs.

presumably they share the same mounts with the 1.4 & 1.6 8v engines so they should in theory fit i dont know what you would do about the fuel injection probably easier to run it on megasquirt with itbs or bike carbs.

AFH (1.4 16v) and AVY (1.6 gti) engine's require an adapter plate to be made up for the driver side mount, as they are different.

I'm undertaking in the near future a 1.6 gti engine conversion into a mk2 polo coupe

It will be run on megasquirt but using the standard inlet manifold

Fly-by-wire throttle will be overcome by the megasquirt ecu, just modifying the throttle pedal.

http://www.clubpolo.co.uk/forum/index.php?...1303&st=150

Check near the bottom of page 7, and you'll see the plate.

(Sorry to rob you are work Mark, but u have inspired me!!!)

Cheers fellas

so i know nothing about engines. i have a 1988 mk2 polo and want it to be faster ;D

so a 1.6 or 1.8 litre engine might do the trick

someone told me a 1.8 gti would be good as the 1.8 hasnt got fast enough accelaration :L

just want to know what i can put in my car?!

Step 1: Pay a measly 5 pounds to become a member

Step 2: Look in the Engine FAQ

Step 3: Read the conversion threads

Step 4: Re-read the conversion threads.

Every bit of info you guys need for any Mk4 engine into a Mk1/2/3 is there already.

I knew nothing about engines either and (fingers crossed) should be just about to finish this conversion.

And your sump is on the ground!

And the engine mounts don't line up

The gearbox doesn't fit

Need custom driveshafts and the chassis legs modified to suit

And a few other things no doubt.

Even in the 1.6 gti outa the mk1

presumably they share the same mounts with the 1.4 & 1.6 8v engines so they should in theory fit i dont know what you would do about the fuel injection probably easier to run it on megasquirt with itbs or bike carbs.

AFH (1.4 16v) and AVY (1.6 gti) engine's require an adapter plate to be made up for the driver side mount, as they are different.

I'm undertaking in the near future a 1.6 gti engine conversion into a mk2 polo coupe

It will be run on megasquirt but using the standard inlet manifold

Fly-by-wire throttle will be overcome by the megasquirt ecu, just modifying the throttle pedal.

http://www.clubpolo.co.uk/forum/index.php?...1303&st=150

Check near the bottom of page 7, and you'll see the plate.

(Sorry to rob you are work Mark, but u have inspired me!!!)

Cheers fellas

no they dont. unless mine is defying gravity.

hi all, sorry i didn't have these on earlier but i've had computer problems and i've been busy with the car.

its in! only to wire it up. yes the bonnet closes and yes there are issues with sump ground clearance, but not so low that a good suspension setup and sump guard (just incase) wont solve. both inner wings ended up highly modified and the design/manufacture of the engine mounts/mounting points was very time consuming. lost track of how many hours i've put in. ended up rebuilding the engine and tweeking it a little, seemed stoopid to do all that work then throw an old rusty thing under the bonnet.

http://s734.photobucket.com/albums/ww344/m...mview=slideshow

concentrating on inside for now removal of sound proofing and unwanted metal and weight is pretty much done including the spare wheel well and sunroof including the underpanel which is welded to the roof. bout to prep and paint the inside then its roll cage time.

very difficult conversion and not to be taken on by the feint hearted. as magnus would say "i've started so i'll finish" but there are a whole world of other engines that would go in a mk3 shell one hell of alot easier.

Hay was gear linkage a problem ?