my punch buggy racer!

[punchbuggyracer]

I fitted the new bushes. I removed the sway bar ones by going very slowly with a hack saw to cut the steel ring that is pressed in from factory, after drilling out all the rubber. I then used a vice to press in the new ones.



All fitted up easy up untill i went to install the 1303 struts. Turns out you need the 1302 Thrust bearing caps (the top of the strut). The thread on the top of the 1303 strut was not as long as the 1302 so i tosed two washes and the large one that must be like for the bump stop and it all went to gether nicely.

I must note that the springs are quite soft and i didnt use a spring compressor, to disassemble or reassemble (although it did take to people to reassemble).

[punchbuggyracer]

By now i was in the mode and decided to remove the bumpers and make a tidier front number plate bracket. I just cut two strips of aluminum 185mm long 80mm wide by 1.6mm? thick, stuck them in a vice. Bent them by hand and them used a raw hide mallet to get a nice ninty degree bend. dilled the holes, rivoted them together, fitted the number plate and attached to the car. I had to elongate on of the hole to get it to fit. Im happy with the result. Ill do the back next week when i can afford a LED light.

the rivots

back view (before i elongated the rear most hole)


Fitted, nice and snug.

The left hand ball joint turned out to be stuffed so ill have to take a look at that.

[punchbuggyracer]

Now my beetle is awaiting next week end, when the boot lid gets a coat of black (mostly to hide the dirty yellow it currently is). A new shift rod tube bush, having gear selection problems (probably because the plate is still in wrong) and apparently i wasnt supposed to clean all the grease off, opps.