EMPI Super Kooler + Super Shroud Kit | Doghouse | VW Type 1 1971–1979 | Cerakote
Couldn't load pickup availability
Super Kooler + Super Shroud — the Doghouse Kit
For doghouse engines — 1971 and later. Open your engine lid: if there's a rectangular oil cooler box hanging off the outside of the fan shroud on the driver's side, you have a doghouse and this is your kit. If the cooler stands upright inside the shroud, you want the upright kit instead. Can't tell? Send us a photo of your engine bay and we'll tell you.
What's in the kit
- EMPI Super Kooler oil cooler (98-1189-B) — bar-and-plate CSF core, Cerakote coated, 120 psi tested, with the Hoover bit air tin and Elring seals in the box
- EMPI Super Shroud (00-8755-0) — doghouse, no heater ducts, CFD-balanced airflow, takes a 28–30mm or 37mm fan
Bought separately that's $643.95. Together, $614.95 — you save $29.
New to doghouse cooling? Read The oil is the coolant on our Tech Bench — how to tell a doghouse from an upright, what the Hoover bit does, and what an oil cooler won't fix.
Why they work better as a pair
A cooler can only reject the heat that air actually carries through it. The shroud is what puts the air there. EMPI's published figures: the Super Kooler alone runs 47% colder at the outlet than the OE cooler; paired with the Super Shroud, 86% colder. Those are EMPI's test numbers, not ours — and they describe the oil leaving the cooler, not the temperature in your sump. Your sump temp still depends on your tin, your timing and your jetting.
- Directed airflow: the Super Shroud's CFD-tuned internal fins correct the OE imbalance that over-cools cylinders 1 and 2 and starves 3 and 4, and force air through the cooler's core rather than around it.
- Cerakote efficiency: the ceramic coating rejects heat faster than raw aluminum or paint.
- No pressure drops: both parts are built for high RPM and high oil pressure and stay sealed.
Vehicle Fitment
Fits 1300cc–1600cc Type 1 engines with doghouse cooling, stock through built:
- VW Beetle & Super Beetle: 1971–1979
- VW Bus (Type 2): 1971 only — the last year the US Bus came with the Type 1 doghouse engine
- VW Karmann Ghia: 1971–1974
- VW Thing (Type 181): 1973–1974
- Dune buggy / sand rail: any doghouse Type 1 build
What this kit will not fit. An upright (pre-1971) engine, a Type 3 pancake, or a Type 4. The cooler on its own is more flexible than that — EMPI lists it for Type 3 and Type 4 motors, and for pre-1971 cars with the right shroud, tin and adapter — but the shroud in this box is a Type 1 doghouse part and nothing else. If you have a Type 3 or an upright engine, buy the cooler by itself and call us about the rest. From 1972 the US Bus uses a Type 4 engine with its own fan housing, so a 1972-and-later Bus is out.
Note on heater ducts: this kit ships with the no-heater shroud. If you run heater boxes and want to keep your defrost, call the shop before you order — the heater version of the shroud (00-8678-0) is out of stock at the moment and we'll tell you honestly where it stands with EMPI.
Best for
- High-performance street engines
- Heavy-duty 1971 Bus applications
- Track-driven doghouse Type 1 builds
- Anything running hot in traffic in summer
Before you buy it
An oil cooler doesn't fix ignition timing that's too far advanced, or a lean carb, or a tired engine pumping combustion heat into the oil, or missing tin. If you're running hot, check the free stuff first — timing, jetting, tin, and whether the fan belt is tight. Then, if you're still hot, this is the right upgrade. Call the shop if you want a second opinion before you spend the money.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I know I need the doghouse kit? Open the engine lid. If there is a rectangular oil cooler box hanging off the outside of the fan shroud on the driver's side, you have a doghouse engine and this is the right kit. If the cooler stands upright inside the shroud, you want the upright kit.
- What is in the kit? An EMPI Super Kooler oil cooler (98-1189-B) with the Hoover bit air tin and Elring seals, plus an EMPI Super Shroud (00-8755-0), doghouse with no heater ducts.
- How much colder does it run? EMPI's published figures: the Super Kooler alone runs 47% colder at the outlet than the OE cooler, and 86% colder paired with the Super Shroud. Those are EMPI's numbers and they describe the oil leaving the cooler, not your sump temperature.
- Can I get it with heater ducts? Not right now. The heater version of the shroud (00-8678-0) is out of stock. Call the shop and we'll tell you where it stands before you order.
- Which engines does it fit? 1300cc-1600cc Type 1 engines with doghouse cooling: Beetle and Super Beetle 1971-1979, Bus 1971 only, Karmann Ghia 1971-1974, Thing 1973-1974, and any doghouse Type 1 buggy or sand rail build.
- Will it fit my Type 3? Not as a kit. The cooler will — EMPI lists 98-1189-B for Type 3 from 1961 to 1973 — but a Type 3 pancake engine mounts its fan on the crankshaft and uses a completely different shroud, so the shroud in this box is no good to you. Buy the cooler on its own.
- Will it fix an engine that runs hot on its own? No. Check ignition timing, jetting, engine tin and fan belt tension first. If the engine is still hot after that, this is the right upgrade.
- Is the kit cheaper than buying the two parts separately? Yes. Bought separately the pair is $643.95; together the kit is $614.95, so you save $29.
