73 Karmann Ghia Project

Specs: 76×94 (2109)

Alum. high roof case, full flowed, shuffle pinned
CB 76mm forged, cw crank
Mahle 94A pistons
CB 5.4 Unitec rods
Web 86B cam with Magnum straight cuts, straight up
CB 1.4:1 rockers, solid shafts
DRD 043 level 5 ported heads 40×35, manley ss valves, dual springs
Aircooled.net 3/8 inch super-hd alum. push rods in JayCee pushrod tubes
CB light wt. lifters
Schadek 26mm blue printed oil pump
Mallory Uni-Lite grey/grey springs, Bosch blue coil, Taylor Spiro Pro wire
dual 45 Dellortos, match ported intakes:
36 vents, 155 main jets, 70 idle jets, 180 air correction jets, 55 pump jets
1 5/8 ceramic coated merged header, single hide away muffler
BMD serpentine belt kit
Berg welded and balanced fan
CB 12.5 lb. forged flywheel
Kennedy stage 1 pressure plate
Daiken disc
3.5 qt. sump
9.3:1 comp. ratio

If you’re going to build your own and feel that you’re ready to dive into a stroker, let me suggest a 76mm stroke and 5.5″ rods with “B” compression-height pistons. With a 92 or 94mm bore, that’ll yield “only” 2021 or 2110cc but will have the advantage of being a standard-width package – that eliminates some of the headaches of a stroker. Clearancing will still be needed but it won’t be drastic, and the rod ratio will be a reasonable 1.84 (stock is 1.99).
It’s true that larger stroke crankshafts don’t cost much more, but there are hidden expenses and hassles that you don’t need on your first build. If this was to be a “thumper” for a Bus I’d go with at least a 78 stroke and deal with the packaging issues but you shouldn’t go over 78/78.4 stroke with stock-length rods – and you’ll still need to either shorten the barrels for “B” pistons, or add cylinder spacers for “A”s.

With 5.6″ rods an 82 stroke has a 1.75 rod ratio which’ll still have a reasonable life expectancy and won’t need ginormous intake ports to have any good top-end…but it’ll be more than ½” wider than stock unless you use some spendy custom pistons.

Also consider the effect that displacement has on C.R. – a really big motor needs some cavernous chambers, or perhaps custom dished pistons, if you want a C.R. that’s street-friendly on pump gas without excessive piston deck height.

I know you’ll get lots of other advice, some of it conflicting, but that’s my 2¢ ….and I reserve the right to say “I told you so”.