Split-window project

[tommi_nylund]

Hello!

Let me introduce to you my new project! (first I thought not to publish any pics, but then I was thinking that you might want to know something about this.....)

I don´t know if it´s Germanlook because it will not be shiny and all-show thing.... But what it will be (or what I´d like it to be) is a car which look as old as it is (1951), but enhanced with modern parts and technology.

So let the pictures do the talking now! (with some comments..)



Done some rust repairs. Wheels are 996 7x17" + 9x17" ET55-something. Yes, rear fenders are stock width! (tires were winter tires from 996, as you probably guessed I´m not going to drive with those! )

Then I started thinking what kind of front suspension I want. Which is easiest to create and which parts should I use... McPherson was the answer.

So I made some struts from old Golf 1 ones...

http://www.kolumbus.fi/tommi.nylund/split/pherson.jpg

How should I attach those struts to my wheels. Hmm....well Porsche 944 spindles just happened to be very good choice, then I can have alloy front-hubs and Porsche bolt pattern. Nice.

http://www.kolumbus.fi/tommi.nylund/...frontstuff.jpg

Brakes should be powerful, because I like safety... Some Brembo monoblok callipers and 316x28 discs would do that quite nicely. (yes, I know that calliper in picture is upside-down!) Discs are Mercedes E430 front which I´ve machined to get those flat bolt-on center-discs mounted.

http://www.kolumbus.fi/tommi.nylund/...monoblokkk.jpg

Rear callipers will be Porsche 928 GTS brembos, but there is so far nothing to say about rear suspension and that stuff, except it will not be an IRS or surely not a swing-axle!

http://www.kolumbus.fi/tommi.nylund/...rcallipers.jpg

Then I had Porsche 914, Golf 1 and 80´s Audi 80/Passat front control-arms and find ones which could be the easiest to use. So I took those Audi 80 parts which we have used also on our racing-split and made some 'minor' modifications to front end of my car...

http://www.kolumbus.fi/tommi.nylund/split/front1.jpg

So far with standard bushings those control-arms, but later I think I´ll convert them to use uniballs.......

Yes, crotch coolers also! Must paint those rims, because standard wheel 'silver' is so boring....

http://www.kolumbus.fi/tommi.nylund/split/wheel.jpg

So what´s up next... Adjustable (camber+caster) top plates to struts (when I get my parts from laser-cut) and full roll-gage with some further reinforcements to front suspension/whole front-end... Then I should fit some Porsche gearbox and start thinking about rear suspension.

Your comments are very welcome if I´ve gone completely wrong or not or something....

PS. I´ll take some pics tomorrow of my steering rack and adjustable anti-roll bar....


***I want that these pictures are shown in this topic ONLY. You can save these into your hard disk, but you are NOT ALLOWED to show them at ANY other website or to link them to anywhere! (yes, it is almost impossible to control that, but I wish this goes ok) ***

[volkdent]

Hey Tommi,

It's going to be great! Looking forward to watching your progress. Keep the pics coming, they're great. What does the boxed section up front connect to? Is there an internal roll cage that the box section bolts to or something?

Jason

[ricola]

Wow Tommi, that looks like an awesome project! Really glad you have decided to show progress with us!

I'm guessing double wishbone rear suspension of some kind? What engine do you plan to use?

Rich

[trevorbrady]

great pics of a very interesting project Tommi! Well done!

I'm doing something similar, oval bodyshell with struts, but using the 1303 chassis. I'd love to see some more pics of your project, keep up the good work!

[tommi_nylund]

Thanks for your positive feedback!

-> volkdent: It´s now only been welded to body front, bolted to front beam and so on... I want to maintain Volkswagen´s original idea about bolting the body off the chassis and also I´ve made ALL modifications so that if I want I can still use standard king-pin front suspension + original steering etc! But when I get my roll gage set welded into body I will add more reinforcements under the dashboard and into the trunk area. So basicly the front end will be tubular kind of thing, but still I have the unique split-window bodywork remaining as much as it is possible... (I hope you got my idea from bad english..)

-> Ricola: Hmm.....wrong... There will be also mcpherson adapted from Delta HF integrale which parts I just 'happened' to have because I have that car also... But control-arms will be uniballed tubular ones, not from Integrale. But I don´t know for sure yet how I´m going to do it....this is the most latest idea for the rear.... I know I have to narrow the torsion bar housing for sure....30mm minimum, maybe I´ll narrow it 50mm / side just for sure.. I have very long coil-over struts to rear also with Koni Sports (adjustable, ofcourse) but I have to get 2,5" springs from somewhere....front I have 2,25" springs which are 100-times easier to find, at least here in Finland.... Any ideas for 2,5" springs??

I will go for watercooled inline engine I have been slowly collected and made parts for.... It will be vag 8-valve atmo-engine. Cylinder head will be VERY special with re-angled intake-ports, possibly DelWest titanium valves, 45mm ITB´s with programmable fuel injection and spark. Dry-sump lubrication, wisecos, crmo-flywheel, lightened crank, h-profile rods, stiffened main caps, etcetcetc, we will see what it will be...

But what I´m trying to do is a VERY different split-window with some fresh (??????) ideas. I don´t care if someone say I´ve destroyed great split-window with watercooled engine, porsche wheels, big brakes and coil spring suspension!! (actually I want to make this car to piss off the old-school enthusiasts & purists ) Old-school splits etc are nice, but there must be also different style splits!

I don´t know what it will be, but I would be glad if it will be something like that I wroted above....

-> Trevor: Thanks. I´ve watched silently your project also... I must ask were the longer drive shafts from 951 or which 944, because I would need also longer drive-shafts?

First I thought I should do a split like that also, with super-beetle chassis...but then I was thinking that there MUST be other ways to do front suspension to beetle... And I wanted my car with original split-window chassis so I will get it registered as 1951 car and get it´s original licenseplates if possible.

But oval with superbeetle chassis is not a bad thing!! I like your choice of engine!!! Sadly that kind of mod is not even near legal here in Finland. We have stupid regulations that I can use only max 20% more powerful and 25% larger displacement engines in place of factory largest and powerful engine.

Sadly I forgot to take my camera with me to garage today....so I will update some pictures tomorrow then.....

[tommi_nylund]

Here´s another shot of front.....

(please note that car has now about 120-130mm ground clearance for now and it will be the maximum limit before wheel is lifted from the ground)



Adjustable anti-roll bar is 'dry fitted' just for fun... I´ll machine bearing mountings for it next week if I have time...

I´m quite satisfied about the placement of steering rack&pinion... Steering-rods are nicely aligned together with front wishbones (so hopely I got only minimal or any bump-steer) and I placed it slightly ahead of steering-arms so I got some Ackermann steering which I hope would help to reduce understeer on track..?!

This steering rack is from Ford Escort Mk2. Why? It was small and light and quick steering parts are the most cheapest for this rack, because rwd Escorts are still widely used in rallying! Now it have about 2.9 turns lock-to-lock and I can get 2.4 turns kit for under 100euros. Rod ends are standard Beetle (must machine adapters because Escort´s steering-rods are about 50mm too short) and I´ve used Beetle 'bump-steer kit' to flip rod ends on top of the 944 steering arms.

I have one advise for you Trevor! When you are about to fit that Golf steering rack&pinion I suggest to take enough time to look for it´s position. Not just throw it there and bolt on, then you can go very wrong. Look for maximal anti-bump-steer... And if you want any Ackermann-steering make sure you have right Ackermann.

Whew....lots of text again. Feedbacks are still welcome.

[Racelook]

Verry awsome project..

Looking forward for updates!!!

Wiebrand

[trevorbrady]

thanks for the advice Tommi! I'll check everything is good before finally deciding on the location. I want to have the car down on its wheels and the suspension loaded before putting in the rack.

The driveshafts on mine are 951 as far as I know. Whichever rear arms you have, you must get the corresponding drive shafts. The lengths differed with each incarnation of rear arms.

[tommi_nylund]

-> Trevor: I have no rear arms.... But longer driveshafts I would need because I´ll move my gearbox about 80-100mm to front....

Actually there is nothing special of the placement of steering rack... You must have steering rods and front control-arms in same angle, like you can see my latest picture. Then you have very little of bump-steer....which as far as I know is always present with McPherson front suspension because of it´s design. For Ackermann-steering.....it´s a bit more complicated thing to decide what to want.

I placed my steering rack slightly ahead of steering arms on spindles. (so steering rods point a bit backwards if looking on top) I found it will have effect when cornering you have your inner wheel turned a bit more than outer wheel. You got both wheels turn same angle if you place steering rack so that steering arms does not have any angle back- or forwards (= no Ackermann steering and that´s the best (?) setting for drifting and gravel/show rallying etc for rwd car) and so on. I thought it would be best for track use to have some Ackermann and specially the one which turns inner wheel more. I don´t know if I´m right or wrong...it finds out when I get my car to track someday.

[jimby]

hey Tommi

NICE!

i too have a crotch cooler bug which I am modifying for racing, im not going to do as much modifying as you but yours is certainly a great inspiration. looks good

[tommi_nylund]

Thanks! Post pics of your split too....

My split is sitting on it´s own front wheels and springs now...
So I took couple of pics for you...

Front dropped to own wheels

Front dropped to own wheels 2

Though it is not ready yet.... I need to connect McPherson upper-mounts to front-cage and so on....

[ricola]

Looking good Tommi

Do you think you have enough adjustment at the strut top?

Rich

[Racelook]

Can you adjust your front tyres more than this? Otherwise this would cost some numbers of tyres a year.

[tommi_nylund]

-> ricola: Thanks! I wanted to have possibility to large adjustments which would compensate measure errors during building etc.... And I don´t want to machine new parts in future in the case I run out of adjustment.

-> Racelook: You meen can I adjust less negative camper? With the parts on those pics, no I can´t. All I wanted was to keep strut tops inside car. Now I´ve modified the struts´ lower-end to correct too much negative camper.

I think I´ll move to rear end of the car now....and start thinking about rear suspension. Front isn´t ready, but it´s rolling now and that´s good.

[coxy-ben]