Other Applications
During the 1970s, in Brazil, Volkswagen made available the 1700 cc engine for its regular production car SP-2. The 1700 cc engine was identical to the 1600 cc version, but with enlarged cylinder bores.
Up until 2001, Beetle engines were also used to run several of the ski lifts at the Thredbo ski resort in New South Wales, Australia, and were maintained to a high standard by Volkswagen mechanics.
Also in Australia, in remote opal mines, Volkswagen motors were modified to air compressors for jack hammers, etc. They used two cylinders on one side as a motor, and modified the head on the other side to produce a flow of compressed air. The opal fields are very dry and hot, so an air-cooled compressor has an advantage over liquid-cooled.
Read more about this topic: Volkswagen Air-cooled Engine