Ahh the good old Air cooled Volkswagen engine, it may have been the engine of choice back in the early days of buggy building but what about now?
When you are looking into building a dune buggy or even buying one for that matter, engine choice is high on the priority list for most people and some would agree that it is the most important aspect of a dune buggy.
The choice really is endless these days with the development of high horsepower, next generation motorcycle engines such as the 1300cc Hayabusa engine with 194Hp right out of the factory. Older examples of this engine can be picked up second hand for about $1000 - $2000, an absolute bargain if you ask me especially when you look at some of the modified versions capable of 500+ Hp (i will be writing another article about these engines soon!)
You can also choose from other light weight Japanese engines that fit perfectly into off road buggy frames such as Nissans SR20 turbo 4 cylinder, a readily available import engine that can be found for under $2000!
But it’s not just about hi tech Jap engines, what about the good old v8? You get serious power and even more serious torque from these ‘old school’ engines which are also getting more and more powerful as time goes on. I don’t have to tell you how readily available these engines are around town and if you have some spare cash to add either a turbo or supercharger, look out i say! you’ll be in for some staggering power figures.
What is your engine of choice?
