[ChopStix]

I've already seen some old air-cooleds converted to water-cooled EA827 engines, with many different fender-mounted scoop arrangements to improve the air flow. Some had small holes or additional grilles around the license plate to get the hot air expelled.

I don't think going water cooled is the right way. But adding scoops is definitely the right thing to do. I just have to figure it all out once I get the car. I'm thinking initially to connect the rear fenders to the engine compartments air supply for cooling the engine. But I'm not sure which direction the air will have to go. I think I need to find a graphic showing the stock air flow cooling for the type 1 and type 3 engines. Because that will help visualize how the fender mods will play out. Meantime I will have some extra cash in the coming weeks. So there might be a surprise car purchase in my future....

ChopStix — Nice motor. I was down to the shop yesterday and the mechanic, Jerry, was beating on a chrome tin because the hole for the spark plug didn't align with the spark plug so he could get a wrench on it. I've seen chrome aftermarket generator pulley saw into the pedestal.
Get OEM engine tin and have it powder coated with "chrome" if you must.

I hear you. I've had the same problems on American cars with Chinese aftermarket parts. They are all crap...

Wikipedia identifies this as a "horizontal stabilizer" So long as it is installed at the point of separation on the curved trailing edge it shouldn't add to the overall frontal area. It would be in the form of an inverted U-shape. A better suggestion might be what aerohead calls 'Fashenfeld tearing edges'.

I'm not completely sure I understand this. But I will look into it again when I get that far. I was hoping you had a more specific picture showing "build one of these".

The rear engine complicates things, but the ideal diffuser would run at 4° from the rear torsion bar housing. The heat exchanger boxes might have to go. OTOH you have 1500 cubic feet per minute of hot cooling air that could be used for Coanda nozzles.

I need a better solution because where I live I have to have a heater. No heater would be a complete deal breaker on buying the car.

One thing others have done for cooling is to notch the luggage compartment floor so air can flow over the transaxle and up to the fan intake. IDK how well that works.

I saw something like this on Samba. I'll explore this once I find the right car. But I'm leaning towards the concept of drawing air up from under the car to cool the engine. Then ducting the hot air out into the rear fenders. I believe if I pressurized the rear fenders with the hot air blowing into them, that the scooping effect might not happen. Or if I draw air in from the rear fenders, and use it to cool the engine, etc. Either way the rear fenders will be a critical part in making this shell work in the real world.


Here's a service manual download in pdf.