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Old December 15th 2009, 04:20
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owdlvr owdlvr is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Canada - West Coast
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'69 Identity Crisis. GL/Classic/Rally

I figure I spend enough time on GL.net, that it's time I introduce the '69. The car has a bit of an identity crisis, which we'll get to. Initially I bought it as a return to Air-Cooled VW's and as my "classic" car. My usual cars up to this point was Audi's, included a fully stripped and caged Audi 90 Quattro rally project. Regardless, I opted to buy a '69 Beetle instead of pulling my '75 Beetle out of storage.

As I found it, in June of '08:




Initially the plan was to return the car to 1969 stock and enjoy it just as VW intended. My theory was that since I had my lexan-windowed loud-as-heck "fun car" (the Audi), I should be fine enjoying a nice classic. Well, I just can't leave well enough alone. Today the stock guys look at my car and say its "too rally" or soon "too GL", while you GL guys are more likely to snicker and think "geesh, look at that classic". But I suppose that's kind of the point. My car is modified for my needs, my wants, and what I use it for...screw fitting a mold for "classic", "Cal-Look" or "GL". I just don't care how you label it, as long as it's bringing a smile to my face every time I drive it. Deep down inside I have an appreciation for two 'styles' though; stock or 'classic', and German Look or 'race'. And so, the manifesto for my '69 became simple:

Any and all modifications to my '69 have to be reversible within a weekend to go back to a stock or classic look.

Ideally, on a whim, I can throw the car up on axle stands Friday, and roll out on Sunday with either a 'stock' bug, or a fun machine. Save, I suppose, for the lowering...that just looks good on anything! With that in mind, here's a quick pictoral history...

Bought the car in June of '08, replaced all the chrome and freshened it up for a 'stock', but lightly lowered, look:



Within a couple of weeks I had won peoples choice for late-model at the local VW Show. Apparently, though, I have a hidden need to race every vehicle I own...so an entry was made into the 2008 LA-to-Vegas Beetleball.




We won stock class, and our time of 6hrs and 11min still stands as the stock class record. Not too shabby for a bug which was spitting metal shavings out on the drain plug! The fun of hauling-butt in the bug turned into a need for better performance, and thus begins the steps towards something that just slightly fits here into the German Look community.

First up was the front disc brakes, stock Ghia units since that still met my 'stock'-ish requirements. Next up was the 914 tach in the speedo hole so I could better time my heel-toe driving. The OMP suede steering wheel and rally computer made it over to the bug at some point as well. I saw a photo of a German car with the BugTech shifter, but for over a year didn't realize it was a production unit, and not some shifter made in a home shop. Apologies in advance...but in my defense I was reverse-engineering one from the photo long before I knew it was production.



In the photo above is my test-unit designed strictly for testing multiple pivot locations with minimal change time between them. I can switch out to a new pivot (and thus different reduction in throw) in about 1min time. Great for testing and deciding on what I want my end-unit to feel like.

There was the home-garage paint job, which you can read about here.

Somewhere along the way there was a photoshoot for Thule, this is how my bug spends most of it's summer...


And then this past weekend I opted to slide a little closer to the GL side of the equation. My 225 track tires off the rally car looked far too tempting, and I was planning some suspension upgrades as well...so I figured what the heck.

On went a set of rear discs, a rear sway bar, and 225/50/15's on all four corners. There are some issues to work out, in the front at least. I need to drop down to 205's to gain some steering radius, and may have to consider a different wheel all-together. I'm now drilled for both 4x130 and 4x108 which means I can have my stock wheels, or any of my Audi's wheels at the drop of a hat. Better photos once I get car outside (and it stops snowing!).





My full Flickr Gallery of photos is here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dhdynam...7605562102490/

The plan for this coming spring/summer is more tarmac rallies, a track day or two and another 30,000+ miles (currently averaging 35,000 miles a year!). Can't go to the track without a bigger motor, so a 1776 is in the works. Might have to fit the Carbon seats from the rally car into the Bug as well. Now I find myself thinking about how to ditch the chrome for a cleaner look...

I'll update this thread as I play with things that I think would be of interest to the users of this Forum.

-Dave
__________________
'71 Type 1 - Rally Project
'58 Type 1 - I bought an early!?!
'73 Type 1 - Proper Germanlook project
'68 Type 1 - Interm German 'look' project
'75 Type 1 - Family Heirloom
'93 Chevy 3500 pickup - Cummins Swap

Last edited by owdlvr; March 4th 2010 at 15:27.
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