So how about the interior?
 

This might not be the best section to talk about this, but I have got a different view towards the term "Germanlook".

what if i am more interested in the interior than the motor?

i know a big motor, more powerful brakes are exciting, but how about making a better interior?

or, a more modern beetle, such as ABS? cruise control? has anything done anything like these before?

i must admit that i do not know much about the "how-to" on these......

looking at a new audi or even a volkswagen, those are really ingenious pieces of engineering put together... :rolleyes:

Ahhh... Luxury beetle :)

Its sorta what I aimed for. Nice modern feel to the insides.

http://members.lycos.co.uk/vdubhub/a_temp/interior.jpg

Full leater, jag seats with electric everything (heated too), eberspacher heater, electric windows, central locking. Whole interior is heavily sound deadened, sounds expensive when you shut the door. :D

Cya,
Sam C

I think a modern interior would be great!

Start looking for some seats you could adapt out of a European car.
You could also look at some different dashboards too. I have seen some
VW's that adapt dashers out of other cars by cutting them to fit and then
having them recovered.
The rest of the interior could be redone to match the seats & the dash by
a interior shop.

yeah i was thinking about this to. i was looking to measure up a corrado dash to see if it would fit. one of the smallest vw dashes that i know of. and i think it would look killer. just a matter if mounting and wiring up the cluster.

looks like this
http://www.sickdimension.com/corrado/images/dash1.jpg

that corrado dash looks awesome.......aww......

yeah.... something in that direction.....i am looking towards that.......

i kinda wanna stick with fabric seats though.....cheaper to get....and they actually would hold you better in the car....... leather is slippery.... :p

better lights too...... how do they make the lights dim slowly after the door is closed?

yea samcat you are the one who inspired me the whole thing.... :laugh:

what i wanna put in the car: central lock (that locks everything including the motor hood and the front trunk), power windows, heated glass, electric mirrors...

hey samcat how do you sound deaden your car? like everywhere you can't see the bare metal? did you use dynamat?

anyway, needa start saving dough for this whole thing...

Not if the seats are slightly bucketed, my ones hold me in place REALLY well.

Something I am working on. Very simple circuit that when switched on gradually raises the voltage, and when switched off gradually fades (using capacitors). I will knock together a simple circuit diagram/parts list and a simple howto when its done and submit it as an article.

Dont forget to upgrade your headlights to a more modern spec too... And LED brake/tail/indicators too.... (I have done all the above... all very worthwhile)

:D Sweet!

Central Locking - easy. There are kits for it.
Power windows - easy. Again, there are kits for it.
Heated glass. You can get heated rear windows (I have one - well worthwhile), and for FLATSCREEN bugs you can get heated fronts (again, very worthwhile). Havent been able to find a heated 1303 (superbeetle) windscreen though....
Electric mirrors is a case of finding mirrors that look nice, are easy to fit and are electric. Need to find somewhere to mount the control too.....

Oh, and dont forget an alarm that can integrate with the central locking/power windows.... Mine does and its sooo cool. Set the alarm and doors lock themselves and windows wind up. Oh, and the interior light comes on for 30 seconds when disarmed.

Dynamat extreme. Costs more, weighs less and deadens the sound better. I have literally covered anything inside with enough to deaden the panel properly. including the floorpan! I then used carpet underfelt then a normal carpet kit.... makes the car soo much quieter.
Cut the dynamat into strips about 2-3 inches wide. Makes it MUCH easier to work with. Pick a panel, rap it with your knuckles and listed to the noise. Apply a single strip to the centre of the panel. rap it again and listen... apply another strip about 1-2inches from the first. rap and listen. Repeat until your happy with how dead the panel is.
Do the dynamat on a nice hot day, leave the dynamat UNROLLED on a table inside in a warm room for a few days before applying (be careful, the edges are sticky and can make a mess of tableclothes/wooden tables. Put it on newspaper). Get a small wooden roller and a heatgun/hairdryer for when you are applying the dynamat... makes it much easier to get it stuck down. The better is stuck down the better it works.

Take it a bit at a time. Write a list of what you want to do, and what you need to buy to do it... That way you can buy the bits you can afford to start with, and get those jobs out of the way... it gradually all comes together.

Well worthwhile for the end result. Feels/sounds like a modern car :)

Cya,
Sam C

How did you do the seats? Are the controls on the seats themselves?

:D

The wiring diagram was SCARY. more complex than the whole cars wiring diagram! :eek:
In the end only needed three wires, One earth, and TWO lives (one for motors etc and one for switchgear).

Control are on the front corner nearest the door in that picture... Just out of sight!

Cya,
Sam C

Sam,

How did you do the LED taillights ? Pictures ?

Rob.

I think sam is talking about led-bulbs.. that are bulbs that you just can chance for the original ones.

Wiebrand :laugh:

LED bulbs available from E-pay
They cost a little more than normal bulbs, but are brighter & last up to 200 times as long :eek:

Rob.

Yup, replacement bulbs for now. I have plans to make a flat panel of wide angel LED's, roughly 50 for the brake/tail lights and 50 for the indicators.

http://www.ur-motoring.co.uk/acatalog/b710.jpg

And they light up MUCH faster too.
Initially when I had both the lenses off the rear of my car we did just the left hand bulb... Put foot on the brake pedal and the LED one lit up noticibly faster!

Could make the difference between someone rearending you or not!

Cya,
Sam C

Led Bulbs
 

Does this mean that your a bit of a http://www.euronet.nl/users/softrack/images/wizzard.gif with electronics, you'll have to do another infamous Samcat tech article if you decide to make them :agree:



Rob.

:D
I am ok with electronics. My Dad is fully trained in electronics, and lil bro did it at college....

It WILL be happening, complete with circuit diagrams etc which will be submitted as an article.
I am also thinking about an interior light fader (open doors it fades on, shut doors it waits 5 secs then fades out).... This will also be an article :)

Cya,
SaM C

http://www.3sgtemr2.com/scage/beetle/IMG_0308.JPG
911 seats, very comfortable

Hey Samcat,

it would be sooooo cool to be able to dim the interior light(s) :laugh:

anxiously waiting for your schematic to build the thing....

cheers,
Thomas

Shadowbug,
sweet looking interior, but I think you should post some more pics of your car so we can realy appreciate it :agree:


Rob.