Hi folks,

I've been digging around the site looking at the engine swaps FAQs etc, but I'm not a lot further forward on where to go with a potential engine swap.

I've just swapped myself into my wife's 2001 6n2 1.0 E Polo. It's more than a little slow. It's a good wee car though, so I'd prefer to do something about making it quicker, rather than just chopping it in against something else. So, I reckon an engine swap might be the quickest, cheapest route.

I'm aware 1.8T / VR6 lumps etc have been put in there but this'd be a daily driver so would need to be a bit more frugal and day-to-day friendly than your out and out fire-breathing conversion.

The shortlist I have in my head is:

1.9 TDi

Polo GTi 1.6

Maybe a 1.4 16V

One alpha-VAG-head I'd spoken to reckons the easiest thing is just to drop the front subframe out complete with engine / box etc and replace it with your desired alternative. This sounds good to me, and I'm aware that there is meant to be some interchangability of them between various cars. But, being new to VW tuning, I don't know anything more than that.

Do later model Polos swap into 6n2s?

Budget would be small, and ideally it should be doable within a week / long weekend.

Any ideas / advice?

Thanks!

Edited 13 April, 201016 yr by Ewen

personally,unless you have a genuine reason to keep your shell i wouldn't bother building something you can buy. For a small budget you're not really going to get any amazing performance increase.

personally,unless you have a genuine reason to keep your shell i wouldn't bother building something you can buy. For a small budget you're not really going to get any amazing performance increase.

Greater words have never been spoken..

Yeah, makes sense. It's just I'm quite attached to it, plus I reckoned I could shove a bigger engine in for less than what it'd cost me to trade up to something different but potentially not as good.

A 6n2 GTi is gonna feel pretty similar (yours converted wont feel the same),it does make more sense to sell yours and buy one of those.

Especially considering it'll come complete with the necessary uprated brakes/suspension as well as a nicer interior.

A 1.9TDi would be nice,if you like that sort of thing,but it'd actually be a lot of work.

A 6n2 GTi is gonna feel pretty similar (yours converted wont feel the same),it does make more sense to sell yours and buy one of those.

Especially considering it'll come complete with the necessary uprated brakes/suspension as well as a nicer interior.

A 1.9TDi would be nice,if you like that sort of thing,but it'd actually be a lot of work.

Thanks MikeyMK. I guess it does make more sense. I'll do some digging into what a Polo GTI's going to cost. The next thing though is getting a good one. That was the other advantage of keeping the current Polo - no dodgy previous owners' antics to have to fix!