Discussion
Looking good. Been watching your stuff for a while, great cause and great product. I may be tempted in the future if I can get management approval. A slight change for me as I would use it for road use and with no roof/lights, that would be to replace the bent strut at the top of the "windscreen" with a straight bar a bit further back (if regs allow) making it look a little more classic sandrail.
Also,just a thought, is there room to put a Mazda KL 2.5 v6 in the back end (I have one I am converting to bike carbs, mad but could be interesting) with an upside down Audi A4 1.8T transaxle unless the VW will handle 150-200Hp. I think this wpould make for an exciting car fast road/track car.
Keep up the good work.
Also,just a thought, is there room to put a Mazda KL 2.5 v6 in the back end (I have one I am converting to bike carbs, mad but could be interesting) with an upside down Audi A4 1.8T transaxle unless the VW will handle 150-200Hp. I think this wpould make for an exciting car fast road/track car.
Keep up the good work.
once you have it road legal and registered there is room for almost anything in the back! Beetle boxes can be strengthened considerably, but a modern box will always be better in the long run.
These things are built one at a time by hand, all the bending and fabrication is donr here by us, so changing details like the front bar would be simple!
These things are built one at a time by hand, all the bending and fabrication is donr here by us, so changing details like the front bar would be simple!
Thanks for the reply, sounds interesting, once I have sorted out the KL engine I will have a decision to make, carry on sorting out the MX6 it is in (needs new wiring and will probably then get other updates/deletes) or stick with the engine and build a car around it, I was thinking of a 7even but this is more interesting and gets around the IVA issues. Like the idea of built to order (within reason)and having a look on the website really intrigued by the picture at the bottom of the main page.
Picture of engine with parts mocked up (not welded up yet), KL is an iteresting engine as it runs a Dizzy for spark so getting rid of the injection system for bike carbs would make this a very basic engine to install.
Picture of engine with parts mocked up (not welded up yet), KL is an iteresting engine as it runs a Dizzy for spark so getting rid of the injection system for bike carbs would make this a very basic engine to install.
Looking good and like the idea of a 1303 car with the struts and IRS. Looking at the pictures the floor looks parallel to the ground with the large rear wheels, how much adjustment is there in the back end if you were to put 17" wheels with 45 section road tyres on all round to get back to a sensible chassis/floor position ? Also could you run gaz adjustable ciolvers to get over this problem (sorry for the numpty Q's, I'm a Ford boy, built a Fisher Fury Zetec and Mk1 escort for first car). As you have probably guessed, my idea is a sandrail type/style car but more road/track focussed like an Atom/MEV/Deronda (sorry to swear in this thread :-))
The rear end is on torsion bars, you just turn the splines to raise or lower. We still have to raise the rear, it was just right without the engine, but sagged once it was put in!
Yes there are panel options, both internal so you can see the tubes, and external. We also have a laser cut clear polycarbonate set in development!
This is the most modern "proper" beetle, so you have independent rear suspension, struts up front, disc brakes etc, so it will drive well. Scooby engines are VERY easy to bolt into the back too if you want the extra horses while keeping the flat four look.
Yes there are panel options, both internal so you can see the tubes, and external. We also have a laser cut clear polycarbonate set in development!
This is the most modern "proper" beetle, so you have independent rear suspension, struts up front, disc brakes etc, so it will drive well. Scooby engines are VERY easy to bolt into the back too if you want the extra horses while keeping the flat four look.
Looking good, nice addition. Had another look at the pics and must admit the old style front end (non macpherson strut) is much neater, do you have any idea what the difference in performance would be between the two on the road ? I also think that the 1303 front end could be tidied up (i.e. top mounts lowered) if coilovers were fitted although this may not be so flexible offroad, but for a road car that would be better.
I've started warming up SHMBO about the idea of me getting another "second car", this may take a bit of time though. Still working on the Mazda V6 engine, inlet manifolds now "welded", well durafixed (pretty good stuff for small items you might want to invest in a few rods for the boys to play with), just need to re-make a few bits for the linkages and the fuel connectors and I'll soon be ready to fit it to the engine.
Also been trying to find a bit out about running the Audi transaxle upside down, which does not seem to be a problem (need to block up the breather and drill out a new drain plug). The gear change may be a bit tricky though, looking into whether they made a cable change manual A4/A6 version. I'll let you know if I find anything. I guess the alternative is to see if the Mazda could be mounted transverse but I guess it may be pretty tight as the majority of it would be in front of the axle line, width should be OK.
Keep up the good work.
I've started warming up SHMBO about the idea of me getting another "second car", this may take a bit of time though. Still working on the Mazda V6 engine, inlet manifolds now "welded", well durafixed (pretty good stuff for small items you might want to invest in a few rods for the boys to play with), just need to re-make a few bits for the linkages and the fuel connectors and I'll soon be ready to fit it to the engine.
Also been trying to find a bit out about running the Audi transaxle upside down, which does not seem to be a problem (need to block up the breather and drill out a new drain plug). The gear change may be a bit tricky though, looking into whether they made a cable change manual A4/A6 version. I'll let you know if I find anything. I guess the alternative is to see if the Mazda could be mounted transverse but I guess it may be pretty tight as the majority of it would be in front of the axle line, width should be OK.
Keep up the good work.
beleive it or not that macpherson strut front is already lowered several inches!!! I dont think we are going to build many of that version as I am still not certain on the legalities, we have had no problems, but it is subjective as it could be said the front of the shell is part of the chassis because it carries the struts. What one inspector thinks is Ok another may not. I would hate for a customer to go to the trouble of building only to have to IVA when the whole point of these is a cheap fast non IVA build.
As for performance, they are being compared next month by Kit Car magazine, and the discovery based 4wd version will be tested too, so we shall see then.
As for performance, they are being compared next month by Kit Car magazine, and the discovery based 4wd version will be tested too, so we shall see then.
We have sold quite a few now, they are a good car for the money, and you really cant beat the "elemental" Kart-like feel of driving around in a rollcage!
We built the 1303 versions to look like the old tamiya sand scorcher style cars. It does not really work for me, but they are VERY popular. main advantage is they have proper IRS
I think an IVA version with wishbones and long travel coilovers would be really cool.
Our IVA testing station is about 800 yards from my house, and they are very helpful chaps as they know about the charity and have always been there for informal advice. I might take the 1303 down and have a chat about the front end... A definitive answer would allow us to possibly go foward with a wishbone front option.
We built the 1303 versions to look like the old tamiya sand scorcher style cars. It does not really work for me, but they are VERY popular. main advantage is they have proper IRS
I think an IVA version with wishbones and long travel coilovers would be really cool.
Our IVA testing station is about 800 yards from my house, and they are very helpful chaps as they know about the charity and have always been there for informal advice. I might take the 1303 down and have a chat about the front end... A definitive answer would allow us to possibly go foward with a wishbone front option.
Looking really good, but still prefer the non Macpherson strut version. Personally I'd go for the chassis in black and the frame in olive drab, classic military style. I also think it would look better with some of those Venom 5 function integrated head/indicator/driving lights (see europaspares) or the small projectors from the Toniq. Probably add to the cost but would really finish off the front end. Keep up the good work.
Mini gun and a couple of grenade launchers please :-)
I'm probably going to make a right fool of myself due to a lack of knowledge of Beetle anatomy but -
Would it be possible to detatch (i.e. chop off) the ends of the torsion bars (with suspension links attached), ream them out smooth, weld in a matching diametre bar (with space for a nylon bush) to the remaining torsion bar, slot the cut off ends over the added bar and screw on a big retaining nut (look at pipe threads or scafolding ??). This would then make all of the suspension links independent and freely movable. You can then replace the dampers with coilovers to regain the suspension performance. I've seen something similar for the rear suspension but not for the front. This would possible make on road performance better and I guess if you used long throw coilovers you could aide off road performance.
Just a few ramblings of a mad man but you never know where these things end up.
I'm probably going to make a right fool of myself due to a lack of knowledge of Beetle anatomy but -
Would it be possible to detatch (i.e. chop off) the ends of the torsion bars (with suspension links attached), ream them out smooth, weld in a matching diametre bar (with space for a nylon bush) to the remaining torsion bar, slot the cut off ends over the added bar and screw on a big retaining nut (look at pipe threads or scafolding ??). This would then make all of the suspension links independent and freely movable. You can then replace the dampers with coilovers to regain the suspension performance. I've seen something similar for the rear suspension but not for the front. This would possible make on road performance better and I guess if you used long throw coilovers you could aide off road performance.
Just a few ramblings of a mad man but you never know where these things end up.
the front is already independent, even though they share torsion bars, as the bars are held still at the beam centres so they effectively act independently. The front of a bug beam is also adjustable for caster and camber as standard, so you can do a lot of fiddling with them.
To be frank its not the front end that needs help in the handling stakes, the rears, non IRS can suffer if not set up right from some wheel tuck under hard cornering like the old Triumph heralds did. It is not really a problem with the rails as they stiffen up so much due to weight loss they really do handle like karts!
It is possible to add coilovers to the existing setup, and also possible to lop off the top mounts of the dampers and add a coilover that meets the spaceframe instead.
To be frank its not the front end that needs help in the handling stakes, the rears, non IRS can suffer if not set up right from some wheel tuck under hard cornering like the old Triumph heralds did. It is not really a problem with the rails as they stiffen up so much due to weight loss they really do handle like karts!
It is possible to add coilovers to the existing setup, and also possible to lop off the top mounts of the dampers and add a coilover that meets the spaceframe instead.
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