I've been trying for the last 3 weeks to get hold of a decent 1.3 for my Mk1 driver, either from a salvage yard or in a complete car, but it is impossible. I could of had around 50 1.1 engines by now. I've only found one place in Manchester, and I'm in Cornwall, and the engine was 80 which I don't mind paying, but the delivery is that price again. Do you think 160 is too much for a decent 1.3, I was looking for one around 100 tops.
are you asking for specifically a 1.3 for a mk1 golf? if so thats why, there aint many of them - far more 1.1's its a bit of work but just get one from a mk3 polo or mk2 golf - mk3 polo ones have single point injection or most mk2 golf ones have carbs i think, fit it with all its parts to your car - they are later, less miles, more choice and more refined than the old mk1 engine - you should find you have quite a bit of choice if you go this route mike
I have been asking for 1.3s from Mk2 polos and 1.3 Mk2s. The polo engine is supposed to fit straight in. I honestly cannot find anywhere with one. I have phoned every salvage yard in the yellow pages in Cornwall and the back of the autotrader and not one has an engine.
TBH why the feck bother with a 1.3?? Why not get a 1.6 or 1.8 carb engine from a MK2, move the one engine mount and away you go.
Well it needs to stay a 1.3 for insurance reasons and running costs as it will be my daily drive, doing over 200 miles a week. I changed my 1.3 Mk2 to a 1.8 and there is more involved then just the engine mounts needing to be change, the gear linkages are different as is every thing else in the front of the car. If I want to have a bit of fun, i'll just take the Mk2 out. Plus its a driver which are 1.3s so I want to keep it that way.
i threw a perfectly good one out the other day, even had a brand new cam belt on it, it was a mk2 one though. with the twin choke carb, still got that if you need it when the time comes. Edited by: AxlFoley
i may know of a 1.3 mkI engine, its being removed from a mkI to make way for a 1.8 16v, but i don't know if it works, or the condition of it. oakgreen88 may know more, drop him a PM, its not his but a mates and he's been working on the car so will know more.
just done a whole mk2 polo 5spd 1300 engine conversion into my brothers mk1 golf, using the whole wiring loom as well for extra reliability. you have to weld up a new gearbox mount tho if you wanna go 5 spd! if you need a hand just pm me! i am the polo to mk1 golf swap master! trd
There are piles of those engines around here - most breakers probably just scrap them. I could grab about 10 just from one yard. Look around.
I've got one you can have mate. It's in Hull though.......and it will be 3 weeks till i'm home from New Zealand. I can wack it on a pallett etc if needed for a courier.
I chucked away a good'un recently. (well it was in a couple of bits but would have been ok) but I'm not in Cornwall anymore so no good to you. How bad is the 1.3 in the driver? If you dont fancy re-building it your self there are some decent engine buiders around if you look, forget the names of them now, but Cambourne rings a bell (kernow Engine sevices IIRC) I guess you've checked the yards at United Downs, you can phone them but they dont know shit from pudding so its always best to check by walking around them. Last I was at Drew's there was a 1.3 mk1 with split rims that I should have picked up (damn...)
Cheers for the advice fellas. The block in the Mk1 at the moment has corroded away slightly at the top where the head joins, by the inlet manifold. Firstly my brother thought the head gasket had gone, but when we took the head off part of the block had corroded away, too much to skim the top of the block unfortunately. All the scrap yards around here are crap anyway, they talk to you as though your thick as poo. When they ask for the engine code and I say it doesn't matter as I just need a 1.3 to convert into the Mk1, they lecture me about how it won't fit and start talking about crap they don't even know. Websnowbo, do you know the miles and general condition of the engine. I don't mind waiting a couple of weeks if it means I know I'm definately getting an engine.
re. breakers - just tell them some engine codes if thats what they want, HH MH etc... any old number plucked from the haynes or ETKA. or go and look, they mostly dont know what they have anyway and getting a code from you is just them covering thier backs if you get the wrong thing. They'll just get the number and go check a pile of old blocks. What yards have you tried, just out of interest. I guess Tommy May in Penryn doent have my old '76 polo in his yard anymore
I've tried Mac Salvage, Duckworths, Combalack, how ever you spell it, around bodmin way, V.W spares in Penzance, to think of a few. A couple have been helpful, mainly because they know my brother who deals with them alot. Tommy May is right by me, occasionally pop in to see what he has got in, not had anything 1.3 VWs in for a couple of months though, because they are so reliable he says. Why did you scrap a 76 polo?
it was the early '90s, and as such just an old-ish car with a blown motor. it was as rusty as it could have been without becoming summat else. We gave Drew's a couple of very early sciroccos and a nice early Audi 80 too.... By way of warning, dont get caught nicking from Tommy May. He explained the way it is to a mate of mine once after dragin him out of the car by his throat I think there were some decent breakers up Plymouth way, and theres Whitehorse in exeter (or am I imagining this now...) Have a look in the papers, old squareback polos go for no money in there (still the Leader isntit?)
I've tried Whitehorse, plus a few in devon without any luck. I've also been looking for complete cars as I'll have a chance to try the engine out, but the only ones I can find are 1100's or have over 150k miles, which is a lot for the 1300 engines.
