My other 1303 GL

[wrenchnride247]

Looking good Steve!!!

[Clatter]

X3 on seeing some more pics.

Looking inside there at the back seat area, i can spy a G50 house..

Would love to see how this all got fabbed up!

[Steve C]

Hi

I've been putting in some late nights getting my bug finished.

I haven't taken any more progress shots but I will post some of the earlier information on the car.

I originally had a 1302, I bought it 2nd hand in 1973 when it was 6 months old. I evolved this car with a turbo 2.1 Wasserboxer, 944 rear end and with brakes I've now fitted to my new 1303.

John Polden the original owner of the my "new" 1303 and I worked together for some time at a Sydney performance VW shop called Powertune. We have remained friends over the last 30 odd years and when John decided to move to Queensland Gold Coast I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to obtain this car. The was sold to V Force and stripped of its goodies then Richard at V Force gave me the rolling shell.

I've kept a lot parts from my 1302, brakes, suspension, seats, cooling system parts etc. Rather than use the water-cooled Transporter engine again, I have purchased 2003 Subaru WRX STI engine which has only done 13,000 kilometres to fit to my new project. 195 kW+ from the factory should make for an interesting ride. In place of the modified Type 1 box I'm now using a G50.

John Polden the original owner of my 1303 competing at Amaroo and Silverdale Hillclimb in the early 1980s, it was a street car then, running a 2180 cc Type 1 motor with 48 IDAs, it gained many FTDs at various speed events and it used to do the 1/4 in mid 13s back in the early 1980s. John later fitted a Mazda 12a rotary motor that first saw duty in a Group C touring car, John then ran the car as a sports sedan. The Beetle was put in his shed in 1985, when John decided to move to Queensland he sold the car to V Force, then I acquired it from V Force.

Steve

Photos, yellow bug is my old 1302, blue bug is the one I'm rebuilding and is now orange

[Steve C]

Hi

More history, sorry if I'm boring anybody.

This car had not been driven since 1983 and was virtually rust free, I acquired this car in 2002 and then brought it home in September 2004 after it had been sitting in a friends shed, I had sold my yellow 1302 earlier in 2004, I always wanted a 1303.

The previous owner had fitted rack & pinion from a 75 bug. and cutout the spare wheel area to house a radiator.

Steve

[Steve C]

Hi

More old photos.

My STI motor had only travelled 13000 ks and my G50 came from a low mileage Jap import.

I moved the motor and transmission forward 100mm, had to cut the torsion housing and I ended up using 40 hp length 26 mm sway away torsion bars, I had a stroke of luck, the G50 shift rod turned out to be exactly the correct length.

Steve

[Steve C]

Hi

The G50 is very hard to keep stable on a jack, so I made this bracket to hold it on my jack.

I've used the stock G50 alloy mount, I welded some tabs onto the chassis for it bolt onto and I had move the mounting slightly using some aluminium blocks.

I cut the centre spline from 2 chassis and had an outer sleeve made

I welded the splines in with "rose bud" welds so that 40HP / 1500 Beetle length 26 mm torsion bars poked out the correct amount to mate up with 944 spring plates.

Steve

[Steve C]

Hi

I'm trying to keep this build thread chronologically correct.

I will get to the newer stuff soon.

This is how the reinforcing started off on the torsion bar housing.

Steve