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Moog
January 22nd 2013, 18:24
It's a little while since I've been on here, but I thought it might be of interest to show my current project. But first, a little history...

Some may recall my injected WBX GT Beetle which has been my main toy for the last 10 years, slowly evolving from a "Street Sleeper" to something less subtle...

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/GT%20Beetle/IMG_1264.jpg~original

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/GT%20Beetle/E23A2438-1AB0-426F-879C-A851A75DFF96-11197-000013BE6AB098FE.jpg~original

Well, there's been another toy tucked away slowly waiting its time - my Jeans Beetle. Purchased by me in 1986 when I was an eager young 16year old (To save you the mental arithmetic, I'm 43...). I am the second owner. It's first rebuild was done in 1992, and by '94 it was running a 1679cc unit with Engle120, 9.5 compression, and K-jet injection.

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/3F795CCF-80E3-4FCB-89EE-44FFB31BABCC-11197-000013BFCC008CCD.jpg~original

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/4791B382-4736-44FF-A544-5A0CDC671E47-11197-000013C095093F57.jpg~original

I took it off the road in '95 for "a few small jobs", and by '98 it was looking like this:

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/31EE83A5-F216-4E96-B28A-08367FE043D1-11197-000013BFD6141CC5.jpg~original

So, 3 house moves, a wife, 2 children, the WBX Bug, and 16 years later, i was beginning to wonder whether to scrap it. But it's my first car - the one that got me in to all this! So I just couldn't...

Then I had a go in this round Castle Coombe...

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/B92CBE79-9BDD-454C-9B03-9C981944253B-11197-000013C1852BC71C.jpg~original

And then began THE PLAN...

So here goes with the build thread :-)

Moog
January 22nd 2013, 18:50
So, having owned the car for 27 years, and being the right age for a mid-life crisis, I decided it was time to thrash it round the track. I've never been turned on by straight-line stuff - corners are far more interesting to me. I have some previous history with track racing having been involved as crew in the UK's "Beetle Cup" in '93 & '94. The Beetle Cup died some time in the late '90s I think, and there's been nothing similar since then. However in the last few years the "Beetle Challenge" has been trying to resurrect the spirit of the series, with slightly relaxed rules. It was Simon Sergides's Orange Bug I had a go in around Castle Coombe - 2165cc, IRS, Quaife - it got me hooked. Sadly the recession bit and the Beetle Challenge is struggling to get decent numbers on the grids, but the regs are there. So I have decided to build to the regs, and enter in maybe the MSV Trackday Trophy and mix it up with Golf Gti's & Porsche 944's.

So, first step was to haul the car out of long-term storage and tear it down completely.

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/F8653392-6105-4F08-B431-F02199E55E5A-11197-000013C18EA73D2D.jpg~original

Once it was a bare shell it was sent off to the bodyshop:

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/73BA5A6F-721F-4E20-BC85-618790C69FE6-11197-000013C19A4F11A0.jpg~original

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/ACD3365E-D3F0-4EEF-B41B-B90205A1A712-11197-000013C1A778CDBA.jpg~original

A promising start, but sadly it was not to continue... Basically i was not happy with the work being done, and after a few months hauled it out of there :-( Cue 8 months of depression before I found someone else to pick up on it. There's obviously a big gap between above and below, but this is how the shell is today:

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/1C0557C7-6527-4741-977D-318C8AB1CFE2-11197-000013C1B1BF708C.jpg~original

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/AAEF5F19-7E9E-4F19-8F22-596960C05ED2-11197-000013C1BC768BF8.jpg~original

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/6BB87712-F301-46A9-9EE3-ADEC82240505-11197-000013C1C7EB66B3.jpg~original

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/9DD3F891-DFC0-4724-A357-04A19665506E-11197-000013C1D2344A30.jpg~original

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/84D91AC1-8A13-4030-8B40-718B8D706241-11197-000013C1DC94B52A.jpg~original

Last few mods to the shell to do, and then next week should be in paint!

cookvw
January 22nd 2013, 21:54
nice. im liking where this is going already! just a question.....why dont you just use your other beetle as a track car? just asking is all. i love the WBX in your other car as thats what i have in my car as well. i love the WBX motors. keep the updates coming.

70Turbobug
January 23rd 2013, 06:18
Great story! Hmmmmmm wonder what those holes in the firewall are for? Turbo and intercooler?.....

Moog
January 23rd 2013, 07:33
just a question.....why dont you just use your other beetle as a track car?

Good question, and one i had considered myself. There are a couple of reasons:

1) I needed to do something with this car otherwise it would end up being scrapped, and after 27years i have too much attachment to it to do that (sad i know...)

2) Build regulations for a race series - The Beetle Challenge regs are for T1 aircooled, Carburettor/distributor, all Steel body. With fuel injection & mapped ignition of the WBX engine, plus Fibreglass wings it falls well outside those regs. Looking around at other series such as the MSV Trackday Trophy, Engine mods are allowed but engine swaps seem excluded. Also again many series preclude fibreglass panels.

3) The WBX Bug has evolved its own pathway as a road car, and i like driving it on the road. To change it into a race car would compromise the ability to use it on the road - things like an approved roll cage would require my very nice interior to bite the dust, while changing shocks, tyres etc would all make it even harsher on the road. I also have a part-built Turbo WBX and Porsche 915 gearbox which i want to use, which would also add further complication to finding a race series that will allow it. I can still use it on informal track-days without a cage.


Great story! Hmmmmmm wonder what those holes in the firewall are for? Turbo and intercooler?.....

Sadly no turbo/intercoolers allowed - Beetle Challenge regs state "non-turbo", MSV Trackday Trophy rules state "if turbo fitted then must be correct type for engine" so ruled out there as well. Other series seem to have similar restrictions. :-( Still, i'm targetting somewhere around 180bhp so it won't be short of power. The holes in the bulkhead are for cold air ducting straight to the back of the fan (from NACA duct in right rear window) and to oil cooler under boot floor (from NACA duct in left rear window). There is still another hole to be drilled in the boot floor for the oil cooler air-feed.

volkdent
January 23rd 2013, 12:21
Looking smart, thanks for letting us follow the build!

Jason

dub_crazee
January 23rd 2013, 14:40
Very cool car and story! I'l definately be keeping an eye on this one! :D

Humble
January 23rd 2013, 15:12
Glad to see another track car coming together, lots of detail too. I'd be wincing in my helmet every time I heard a rock hit the front of the bug while on track after all that body work! :eek: My paint was more or less ruined after a couple of events but it's still pretty from 20 feet.

owdlvr
January 23rd 2013, 15:50
...I will be closely watching this build. Already stoked on it.

-Dave

Moog
January 23rd 2013, 19:54
Ta for the good vibes guys. Dave - if mine turns out half as good as yours I'll be pleased - I've been following your build thread with interest. My cousin is a Paramedic in Vancouver - next time I pay her a visit i'm blanking out a day to come and see your car for real :-)

So, the build... All this body prep is no good without some motorvation, so the plan & rationale behind the engine is to start from a new-ish Mag case to keep the weight down out back. That means in reality best to keep it 90.5 bore to keep as much strength in the case as possible. A used CB 78mm crank makes it 2007cc. In order to get the max out of it then we need it to rev to 8500rpm (yikes!) so Mahle Forged pistons & CB 5.4" H-beam rods needed to link them. I think the cam settled on was an FK87, but can't be sure at the mo.

Case and crank may be used, but i did score a good deal on some new CB CNC 044's which are great as a starting point but are being worked on further, particularly to up the CR to 10.5.

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/713F2A44-CDF5-4C6E-BA66-AB65FF60657A-11197-000013C33540BA2D.jpg~original

Having built a few circuit engines before, and also watching some other circuit racers have oil pressure issues, I set my heart on a decent Dry Sump system. I had a friend badger Rick at Bugpack for ages to get one of their pumps, but it never showed - something about them only being made in batches and then some bloke in Vancouver wanted one for a rally bug... Anyway I gave up on that idea, then out of the blue this popped up on The Samba:

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/D48990E4-03E7-4911-A232-64A894F3CBA0-11197-000013C34076725C.jpg~original

A used but excellent condition ARPM 2-stage pump and for a few hundred bucks is was flying its way across the Atlantic :-) Then a Pace Products tank came up on eBay for less than £100... The tank fits perfectly in the spare wheel well, slid down next to the battery. That way I have as much weight up front as possible.

Carbs is currently my next target - at present I have a set of 44IDF's I bought about 10 years back and have never used. Ideally I'd like some 48 DRLA's, but until they come up on eBay for peanuts then I'll have to stick with the 44's.

Gearbox-wise a friend is building me an IRS box as a Christmas present. He's 68 and has been building VW & Porsche boxes for 40 years, so I trust his skills. He also donated the (again used) welded 1.04 4th gear. With a 4.375 R&P it will make good use of the 8000rpm of the engine.

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/2A5E8E30-748D-45A9-95CD-0D5C0214CB55-11197-000013C37C7125F9.jpg~original

So, hopefully with that little lot i'll have some "oomph" out back :-)

Jadewombat
January 23rd 2013, 21:07
A promising start, but sadly it was not to continue... Basically i was not happy with the work being done, and after a few months hauled it out of there :-( Cue 8 months of depression before I found someone else to pick up on it.

Yeah, my '66 bus spent a long, painful year and a half in the bodyshop and he still didn't quite finish some of the loose parts. I found in that last nine months that things would actually get done each week if I showed up unannounced to put the fear of Jesus into him.

Looking good though.

Wally
January 24th 2013, 16:33
Cool build! Love the green GT bug a lot too!

owdlvr
January 24th 2013, 19:01
Awesome so far, even if I did steal your oil-pump ;). You may want to consider an Accusump with the oil tank mounted so far forward. Mine is mounted low enough that oil-pressure takes 2-3 full seconds to build after the engine has started. With the Accusump, I can pressurize the system before starting and there is no oil light.

Would love to meet you in Vancouver, can also provide you with some activity options if you wanted to head to Whistler.

-Dave

al_kaholik
January 25th 2013, 04:51
Subscribed. Looking forward to this build thread :)

Moog
January 28th 2013, 17:38
You may want to consider an Accusump with the oil tank mounted so far forward. Mine is mounted low enough that oil-pressure takes 2-3 full seconds to build after the engine has started. With the Accusump, I can pressurize the system before starting and there is no oil light.
-Dave

I have to say I'm not fully sold on the idea of an Accusump. I completely understand their benefits when it comes to sudden oil loss on a wet-sump system such as under heavy cornering or braking for example when the oil surges away from the pickup pipe, however this shouldn't be an issue with a dry sump. This then leaves it solely as a pre-lube system for startup, and while this gives clear benefits, the added complexity of the valves and joints makes me wonder if it is worth it - all those joints and valves are restrictions and potential leak points. On my WBX I have the oil cooler right at the front and used to have issues with leaks at joints at various points in the hoses - nothing major, just wetness, but enough to annoy. In the end I made 2 hoses that go all the way from engine to cooler and solved all those problems. Of course this is the first time I have used a dry-sump system so don't know how long the pressure will take to build up - if it is too long then I can always retrofit one.

Am getting excited now at the prospect of the shell finally being in paint. In all my 27 years of Bug ownership I have never paid anyone to work on my car - on the GT the only time anyone else touched it was when I needed a lift with the shell. I did everything from paint to engine mapping and interior trim and wiring. Now though I have less time due to two small daughters, which is why I decided to outsource the shell prep - you would be right in assuming that I am a nervous and demanding customer, and all credit to Sam at VWorks for his patience with me and my text messages at odd hours pointing out another miniscule bracket I've seen that offends me and needs removing, or another hole that needs welding or a rivnut fitting before paint. He has great patience!

So, before I sign off for tonight, i had a rummage in the garage to see what brake options i could find...

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/25E70062-6DB1-48C1-B778-FB831F916C64-11197-000013C31BD905F6.jpg~original

Now I just have to work out how to fit them inside a set of these...

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/16835EDA-1EB6-41B5-A36C-DD4EFE77DBD4-11197-000013C30D0DBC97.jpg~original

Regs state a maximum of a 6x15" wheel, so will be fun getting big calipers & discs inside them :confused:

Moog
January 28th 2013, 19:32
Alright - I couldn't leave it for the evening, but since it's cold in the garage, and I dislocated my thumb at the weekend (don't ask...!) so can't wield a spanner, what better way to spend the evening than in the kitchen with some Carbon Wrap...

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/D20ACCAF-24F3-473C-BF77-0DC66EA7DC98-14381-00001A88DFE5B58A.jpg~original

cookvw
January 29th 2013, 00:45
looks good. hey, even with a non-working thumb your getting something done still. may not be a lot, but progress IS progress.

Bogara_ZO
January 29th 2013, 04:57
Regs state a maximum of a 6x15" wheel, so will be fun getting big calipers & discs inside them :confused:

Hi,
Nice build, keep up the good work!

Just an idea: if you sell half of those brakes, you can easily buy a 6 pot tarox caliper that is plug and play for beetle spindles and fits under 15" as uses 278mm vented or solid rotors, your choice. In extra it works with the stock m/c, a caliper weights less than 1,5 kg (less unsprung weight) and huge variety of brake pads can be used.

I haven't driven mines yet, but there are track guys here who are happy with them.

Wally
January 29th 2013, 04:57
Nice collection of calipers! From what I've seen, the very early Boxster 2.5ltr rear calipers use 20mm thick and 282(?)mm diameter disks with the monoblock calipers and those have been used in 15" Fuchs (as the only solution for that size/shape wheel).
Maybe the Teledial is a little wider inside?

Bug@5speed(US)
January 29th 2013, 13:34
Very nice, reminds me of the interior on my old E46 ZHP package 330..

Very cool :)
Alex

Moog
January 29th 2013, 15:09
Just an idea: if you sell half of those brakes, you can easily buy a 6 pot tarox caliper that is plug and play for beetle spindles and fits under 15" as uses 278mm vented or solid rotors, your choice. In extra it works with the stock m/c, a caliper weights less than 1,5 kg (less unsprung weight) and huge variety of brake pads can be used.

TarOx is an option. I have the TarOx 6-pots on vented discs on the front of the WBX GT and agree they stop well and bolt-on. On that I have mk3 Golf GTi calipers on the back on Porsche 914 discs. I used an Audi 90 master cylinder which I think was 20.64mm bore, so up from the standard 19.05mm.

On this car the rear arms & discs are early 944 and since I've got this nice collection of Porsche calipers it would be a shame not to at least try them. Having done a quick mock up I think I can get the 996 / BoxsterS calipers in there - they clear the 6x16" Boxster rims I had them planned for originally before I decided to go racing with it.

1303C2/3
January 29th 2013, 16:33
Beautifull cars. I always wanted to own, build a Jeans Bug in semi street racer look. But coudnt find a good one. İnstead I found a 72 bug ex. semiauto. And since 5 years I'm toying around with it. Here my 72 next to my Squareback http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/369370.jpg
But when I saw yours I know I still want a Jeans. İn my opinion Jeans are already half way there to the GL look theme. Germanlook from the factory Emden. ;)
I see you ve been running on K-jet injection for a while. I always wondered how the golf gti Kjet unit would perform on an 1.7 to 1.8 L aircooled engine. Would you mind sharing details of your K-jet setup.
Keep up the good work with the Jeans.
Cheers

flat
January 29th 2013, 20:03
Nice collection of calipers! From what I've seen, the very early Boxster 2.5ltr rear calipers use 20mm thick and 282(?)mm diameter disks with the monoblock calipers and those have been used in 15" Fuchs (as the only solution for that size/shape wheel).
Maybe the Teledial is a little wider inside?

Correct Wally, the Boxster (non-s, aka blacks) are the hot setup.
I've done few setups under 15" wheels:
Front: Boxster black fronts calipers with 944 hubs and 911 carrera rotor
Rear: Boxster blacks rear calipers with 944 rear rotors with radial adapters

The problem with the Boxster S is that there isn't a small enough rotor in diameter that matches the caliper (intended for 28mm rotor) that will fit 15s

Lanner

Moog
January 30th 2013, 13:14
I'm a little confused about the rear calipers. The red ones (a pair) i know to be off a 996 (same as a BoxsterS?), while the Grey one (i have just one) is a 2.5 Boxster. They are exactly the same casting, just with the pad pins in different positions to accomodate either a 20mm disc or the fatter 24mm disc. I had heard from elsewhere about the early Boxster calipers being a much smaller caliper, so assumed my grey one was a late one and so bought another set from a '97 Boxster, only to find they were exactly as the grey one i have here. (Thankfully the Porsche breakers were very nice and took them back :)) So I have been unable to identify an early Boxster caliper.

I had originally made up a mounting block for them as fitted to the stock 944 20mm rear disc, but then purchased some BoxsterS 24mm discs - these moved the caliper inboard about 3mm and also they are a larger diameter so a spacer there was needed as well. Even though the diameter is larger (282 -->299), moving them inboard slightly means they look like they will fit better inside the wheel due to the inner profile of the wheel. We shall see. I need to mock it up with the A-arm and wheel/tyre on the chassis with a wing on the body to see if i can run any spacers.

I will of course be using Lanner's "Swan" cable adapters and tubes that i purchased last year all very efficiently - Emailed from UK in the morning, paid for by lunchtime, received from across the Atlantic in 2 days - Top service :D

Bogara_ZO
January 30th 2013, 13:33
TarOx is an option. I have the TarOx 6-pots on vented discs on the front of the WBX GT and agree they stop well and bolt-on. On that I have mk3 Golf GTi calipers on the back on Porsche 914 discs. I used an Audi 90 master cylinder which I think was 20.64mm bore, so up from the standard 19.05mm.

That is a nice setup. Are you happy with the balance? I'm planning to go with 944 NA rotors + sliding calipers on the back, not sure if it will work ok. Will keep the discs (20mm thick) so if any upgrade is reuired I have limited possibilites.

Good luck with this project.

Moog
January 30th 2013, 17:12
That is a nice setup. Are you happy with the balance? I'm planning to go with 944 NA rotors + sliding calipers on the back, not sure if it will work ok. Will keep the discs (20mm thick) so if any upgrade is reuired I have limited possibilites.

The TarOx/GTi/914 setup works well - pulls it up sharp when old folks pull out from side turnings while I have i'm giving it a bootful...

I see you ve been running on K-jet injection for a while. I always wondered how the golf gti Kjet unit would perform on an 1.7 to 1.8 L aircooled engine. Would you mind sharing details of your K-jet setup.


The K-jet engine was my first foray into injection. If i recall correctly i bought a complete setup off a 1600 Mk1 GTi. Manifold was from a '78 injection Beetle. I machined the top off the plenum, welded on a plate, and fitted the throttle body off an 1800 GTi, so twin progressive and big rather than the stock Beetle small throttle body. I had to weld a new linkage on the other side of the throttle body, and mounted the cold start injector between the throttle body and the alternator. K-Jet injectors went in where the original electronic injectors went, clamped in place with some modified valve spring retainers. Metering head bolted to the fanhousing and some home-made ducting linked it to the throttle body. Cold start injector was controlled manually from a dash switch.

Engine was 1679cc (thick wall), stock sized valves but a gentle porting job, 9.5:1 compression, Engle 120, counterweighted crank, 9-pound flywheel.

The injection system worked brilliantly from day1. Loads of power, but good fuel consumption on the daily trek to work. I never measured the power but I took it to the GTi festival at Avon Park Raceway in '94 and whooped the standard GTi's on the 1/4mile. It would top out at an easy 110mph on the 4.375 gearbox.

There were only a couple of problems: The standard Beetle injection manifold ends flowed well to a point then hit a wall, so the power was good until it maxed out on the flow and then just wouldn't go any further; Also the Engle 120 had perhaps too much overlap so the pulses back up the inlet tract upset the K-jet flap at idle making the idle a little bit rough. I managed to play a bit with some damping in the plenum and improved it a bit, but then decided that actually the idle wasn't that bad really.

I put it together in late '93, installed it New-years eve, and took it out for its first test drive in the Snow. I immediatly got pulled by the Police wondering why i was out going fast and sideways in the snow on new-years eve, so they assumed i had been drinking. I was let off when i showed them the engine and promised to slow down. I ran it for a while in the Jeans before it moved onto another engine, then I sold it in 2001, and it turned up last October on a 1776 with Engle120 on eBay. The guy selling it had been running it for 4 years having purchased the whole engine from the guy I sold it to. It was still working well exactly as I built it.

flat
January 30th 2013, 22:12
...So I have been unable to identify an early Boxster caliper.


The regular Boxster (non-s) caliper will have part number starting with '986'.

Lanner

Moog
January 31st 2013, 04:09
The regular Boxster (non-s) caliper will have part number starting with '986'.

Lanner

That is the problem - I spent months last year trying to find that caliper. None of the Porsche breakers I spoke to can find a rear caliper like that. I trawled eBay and Porsche swapmeets as well. Every early 2.5 (non-S) caliper I have seen that is set up for the 20mm disc is exactly the same casting as the S, and the only difference is in the pin setup for different thickness discs. This includes grey/black rear calipers removed from a '97 base model Boxster, which I thought should have been the 986 caliper. I heard from several people that there is an early base model 986 casting but just couldn't find any - were there different ones for different markets? Have you got a picture of the 986 caliper so I know what I am looking for?

Not to worry really - I had a play last night - I got the 996/BoxsterS caliper on an S disc fitted inside the 6x15 Teledial with just a 5mm wheel spacer. It's tight but it's in there and the tyre/wing clearance with the 5mm spacer should hopefully be fine.

Jadewombat
February 3rd 2013, 10:10
K-jet is one of the easiest systems to convert with. It just adapts to airflow, you set the mixture on the control meter (by turning it with an allen wrench) and idle adjustment on the throttle body--that's it. I used it on a T-4 engine and on a 1600 dual-port, both with early Golf systems ('75-79, not even a computer used--just pressure based) using Weber progressive manifolds (the throttle body base and bolt pattern are identical to late Mk1/Mk2 VWs). Smooth, easy to work with, set it once and forget about it.

http://shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=65&t=114309

spannermanager
February 6th 2013, 17:30
Hi moog, glad to see you getting on with things, the easiest way to set up front to rear balance is with bias pedals, or at least, the more forgiving way, otherwise, for a serious circuit car at least, its probably best to overbrake the rear, then you can add i bias valve to tune the set up for dry running with a setting around the mid point of the valves range, that then leaves you scope for optimum wet/rain bias with more to the rear, some like a rotary valve, i prefer a lever type for quicker more positive selection on the fly, down side is they can be knocked out of desired position unnoticed, put the valve where it can be seen, not behind the seat,,, dont ask,,,. its also important not to overbrake a track car because brake temperature controls Tyre temperature, bugs need all the help they can get with that aspect, especially with the front, its a big problem on long tracks, tho' not many are left thanks to nanny state ways,:angry: thank heaven for thruxton..:) good luck with it, Johnny.

Moog
February 6th 2013, 19:00
Good to here from you Johnny, and good to get tips from a seasoned pro. I was thinking of a Rotary bias valve in one of the centre dash holes, or would you suggest down on the centre tunnel near the gearstick / handbrake? Dash would be easier to reach but mounting & plumbing would be simpler on the tunnel. I take your point about a lever type being easier to select and adjust and also easier to reset repeatedly to the same settings, in which case on the tunnel is probably best.

Question for you: When i looked over your car at Apex last year i saw you were running 944 spring plates. Do you use the 944 torsion bars as well? And what torsion bushes do you use? I think you had trimmed down 944 end caps as well to retain everything - yes? I have a set of 944 plates/bars/caps i could use but at the moment I have my own adjustable spring-plates in place that take the short torsion bars and (at the moment) 24mm bars. Any reccomendations?

spannermanager
February 7th 2013, 12:14
Hi Moog, Good to have another build for the circuits, as to bias valves, a rotary has more range and is more secure i spose, but then i like the quick 'repeatable' settings the lever type offers, mines just ahead of the shifter base plate, i fitted it so pull back is for more rear, forward for more front, fitting it there is good for visual reference and is easy to plumb too, remember kiss mate,,,,
your 24 mm 944 bars are fine with the Porsche s/plates, the grommets are red urethane T1, i just had some existing oversize bug smooth type outer grommets turned down to go in the housing with a collar left on the outer face to space the s/plate out a fraction to stop travel interference on the shock tower frame, the inners are just bug knobby ones . ive run what you suggested, short 1200 type 22mm bars with T1 adjustable s/plates? worked really well, felt just a bit stiffer than the long 24mm ones as regards balance, understeer being anathema to me. one slight thing was inside rear lift, i went to drop spindles with stock length front shocks and a stiffer rear bar and its mostly cured, but it will spin up (free diff) if i get clumsy on the gas pedal, it need limslip i spose in reality, i cant just boot it, and it has scary throttle response even with just the little DJ wasser 2.1 up it... :)good man, hope this helps you get some ideas for it all, get to it now... regards Johnny.:) Just re read, you meant short 24mm bars, i tried 26mm short bars, and it was like a drift car, but im a late and trail braker, so not my style, i would try them moog, it wont understeer, which is good, and they may suit your style, for me they were to stiff... J.

Moog
February 23rd 2013, 05:19
Just got a pic from the paint shop :-)

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/AA3442F8-0BE0-4C47-BF76-76E9A9FEF56F-29610-0000342A8AC13DE4.jpg~original

dub_crazee
February 23rd 2013, 05:23
Looking good :) now the fun begins!!

Moog
March 7th 2013, 15:23
So, today was THE DAY to go and collect the shell from the paintshop - boy was I excited. So dropped the kids off at school and shot into town to pick up the trailer. Off up the motorway in the Passat with a very rumbly wheel bearing (must fix that...) and I pulled in to the yard - there it was, resplendent in its new shiny yellow paint! Outside, inside, and underneath!
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The WRONG Yellow...
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Remember, i am the second owner, having bought it in completely unadulterated condition in 1986. I gave it a exterior respray in original colour myself in 1993 - i consider I am pretty hot on knowing L16M at a glance, and this was wrong. In the boot of the Passat I had one of the original bonnet hinges that had never been re-painted, and it's quite a different colour to what is now on the shell.
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Bugger...

I can see how it happened - since the regulations changed about paint formulation a few years ago, not all the old colours have been re-formulated into the new mixing systems, especially those that were limited usage, and a one-year-only special edition colour falls squarely in the rare camp. Plugging L16M Tunis Yellow into the paint systems draws a blank on both ICI and Sikkens. It seems the paint supplier cross-referenced it against another mix to get the fourmula, and somehow it went wrong - too Yellow, not Mustardy enough.

So that was an expensive day - trailer hire & 150 miles of fuel, and a day off work, all for nothing.

He is totally mortified and embarrassed & unhesitatingly said he will sort it out. We just need to sort the mix. I tried another paint supplier on the way home and they found it on their system but no formula listed - looks like we will end up getting it matched to the inside of the glove-box lid which is original paint and not sun-bleached. I think some places can scan the paint, while another says they have a "Resident Genius of Colour" - time to pay him a visit I think...

Oh well, these things happen...

Steve C
March 8th 2013, 00:56
Hi

What a let down, I feel sorry for you. Hopefully it can be sorted. Is it painted in the new water based paint or the old nasty two pack?

Steve

Moog
March 8th 2013, 18:32
Nasty 2-pack... We have at least found another supplier (Autopaints in Brighton) who use multiple manufacturers systems & checked on different ones - they found it in a MIPA 2-pack formula, mixed up a sample, and it's apparently a dead match for the original glovebox. So hopefully it's all hands on deck next week to give it another blow over - at least the base is all smooth and just needs a good keying back :-)

cookvw
March 9th 2013, 07:16
that is totally a big let down. im a painter and i just checked my paint system and yep...no code. sucks to have the wrong color. like you said tho, a quick scuff of the new paint and she will be all ready for another respray in the "right" color. my green bug is viper green, and when i bought the car, it was also the wrong color. now its the correct color for my car. best of luck man!

dub_crazee
March 9th 2013, 13:58
That really sucks! My colour wasnt on the paint shops system but they phoned up ICI directly who faxed through the formula... just a thought?

Moog
March 9th 2013, 16:20
We have the formula now in MIPA paint, so he is cracking on with it and it shouldn't take to long to blow it over again, but going to be a few weeks before I get it back. So it's 8pm on a Saturday night, Mrs Moog is swotting up for a job interview & doesn't want to be disturbed, & so I have the evening in the garage... With no car... Time to work on those brakes maybe?

Moog
March 9th 2013, 19:38
So with a little bit of work the 996 calipers fit BoxsterS rear discs on Steel 944 rear arms inside the 6x15" Teledial :)

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/28F003D2-9FBD-4D34-88D3-F61778B34207-183-000000072D64824F.jpg~original

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/0397AC99-19C6-46E4-A1AB-A446E4C464E1-183-0000000734E29653.jpg~original

The mounts I made ages ago for standard 944 rear discs have been spaced & flipped - I may make new adapters or just run with these spaced. This is with a 10mm wheels spacer - hopefully that will clear the bodywork. I'll wait until I have tried it all in the chassis/shell before giving it all a good clean and repaint. I need to do something to centre the BoxsterS disc properly as the centre of the Boxster disc is larger than the 944 disc, so at the moment it just locates on the wheel studs so can move a couple of mm each time I have it apart. I think a centring ring between the two should do it and then drill/tap the hub to use the retaining screw hole in the disc

Moog
April 21st 2013, 16:05
It's been a few weeks so time for an update, though there is not a great deal to show at present. I've not seen it, but have been told the shell is now painted again in the right colour. Apparently it was a real pain to flat it back again - with it being so fresh it just clogged the Wet&Dry - but he's finally got there with it. Hopefully I will have it back in the next week or so.

Things were also delayed as he had a photoshoot for Volksworld magazine on his "Jurgens Autovilla" so that was his main focus for a week or so.
http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/DF9564BA-E47C-4CF5-90F6-1948BBF90082-1947-000002EFE7C8D5DA.jpg~original

Anyway, back to mine - I have at least now got the gearbox sorted - Welded 1.04 4th gear, 4.375 R&P, and T2-size output flanges.
http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/F7D4631B-C993-45F6-865F-02A081F16F46-1947-000002EB4DE98880.jpg~original

I also found time to lay a new garage floor - last seen going round and round under Dave Forders car at the Volksworld show :D

djambrosia
April 24th 2013, 10:44
Might get Sam to repaint mine, when he has some time:lmao:

Moog
May 19th 2013, 18:15
So, still not got the repainted shell back yet, partly due to work commitments, but in the meantime the boss kept me busy with something with slightly less power:

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/VW%20Stuff/null.jpg~original

Only 4800miles from new. All the pushrod seals had deteriorated with age, so I had the heads off and gave it a top-end refresh - all lovely and clean inside, with the VW logo still visible on the piston crowns. It was a delight to work on.

Put it back in its rightful home on Monday evening - a '56 Single-Cab - and it ran beautifully. Having managed to then get it registered Tuesday, and the plates sorted on Thursday, yesterday I took it to the Apex Festival at Lydden Hill. Didn't miss a beat all the way there - with an average of less than 85miles a year over the last 57 years, but not turned a wheel in decades, we thought of just having a few local trips in it first, but in the end we thought what better thing to do than a 200 mile round trip to test it? We even overtook a Bay-Window on the way!

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/VW%20Stuff/null-3.jpg~original

While at the circuit I thought it would rude not to put it around the track - no seat belts, very slippery seat, 30hp, Crash-gearbox... Brilliant fun! Managed to hit 50mph on the main straight before dropping into 3rd and braking to 40mph for the left-hander where the back stepped out :lmao: Myself and my mate sliding around on the passenger seat were in absolute hysterics - he reckons it was almost as much fun as his 911! I wonder if the boss will let me build an Okrasa engine for it?

dub_crazee
May 20th 2013, 13:57
The single cab looked lovely at the show but didnt see you go round the track unfortunately!

It was a great show with some very interesting cars! (not just dubs!)

Steve C
May 20th 2013, 18:22
Hi

Nice single cab, its amazing that these low mileage cars turn up, a few years ago a friend bought a semi auto 1500 Beetle with 55,000 miles on it.

Steve

dub_crazee
May 24th 2013, 11:35
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/981115_576599009029836_868521546_o.jpg

Moog
May 24th 2013, 14:04
Cool photo Dean :) I hadn't seen that one.

Back to the original theme of this thread, Sam has just had a feature on VWorks in this months "Camper & Bus" magazine, and what should be lurking in the background but my Jeans Beetle :D

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/null-5.jpg~original

Hoping to go and pick it up next Saturday.

Moog
July 21st 2013, 17:14
So finally I have it back!

I managed to finally get a day off, up a the crack of dawn, buzzed into town to hire the trailer (lucky to get one with Goodwood Festival of Speed just down the road and virtually no trailers available within 50miles). Off up the motorway again and got to VWorks just before Sam rolled in. The Bug was looking great in the sun, and the RIGHT shade of L16M Tunis Yellow this time.

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/null.jpg~original

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/null-1.jpg~original

No trauma getting it home, but getting it off the trailer and into the drive on my own was a bit of a mission.
http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/null-4.jpg~original

With the glorious weather this weekend I managed to get some time to fit up the doors properly and start fitting up a few trim pieces.
http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/null-7.jpg~original

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/null-2-1.jpg~original

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/null-3-1.jpg~original

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/null-6.jpg~original

Interior looks just as good as the outside :-)
http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/null-5-1.jpg~original

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/k9gti/Jeans%20Beetle/null-1-1.jpg~original

Can't really do much on the chassis at the moment or even bolt the shell down properly yet - weld-in mounts for the Race seat should be here this week, plus a small repair on the battery tray area, before I can get the pan blasted and painted and really charge into it. Looking forward to it :-)

NO_H2O
July 22nd 2013, 07:57
The body looks great. Nice to see it back home and going together.

Oval
July 22nd 2013, 08:49
sensational!