Making a non-super handle

[SCCAbeetle]

Originally Posted by evilC

Fundamentally, the BJ/LP trailing arm design is miles behind the Macpherson strut design and it is doubtful whether you could get close to the same performance in any empirically assessable way.

For a good read:
http://www.amazon.com/Modify-Volkswa.../dp/1903706998 and
http://www.aircooled.net/gnrlsite/re...s/handling.htm

Whether you can get a beetle to handle as well as a modern car is also doubtful, irrespective of whether it is a BJ/LP or strut front suspension especially as the design is 40 years old at best, 80 years old at worst. Your '70 beetle will be a swing axle rear that is definitely an 80 year old design that no modern manufacturer would consider. Even the IRS rear is old hat that having been superseded by multi links that do not toe-out in roll for example. Porsche have tamed the wayward 911 IRS rear with multilinks.

All you can do is make the car handle the best it can within the bounds of its ancient design. Its big advantage is that the light weight coupled with the potent power that can be extracted keep it a plausable contender.

You could drift any car with the right modifications. Check out 'You tube' for all the videos.

Its an IRS pan.
I was thinking that I might have to invest in a Mendeola suspension if I really want to make this thing handle.

Now come to think of it my best bet is to make the thing a GL street fun car not super fast and call it a day, get my hands on a 130X (2 or 3) and go to town on that.