1302

[1302 S]

Hi, everyone
Here is my car, a -72 Superbeetle. My grandpa gave it to me back in -89, as a first car. I restored it in the style of a Cal looker and developed the car until -97.
Then I had children, bought house and got married and the car became more or less garaged for some years. Around -05 my interest woke up again when I saw an article in a VW mag about a race beetle. Since then a step by step process has begun to convert it to a street- and track beetle with no restrictions (only the wallet).





Two years ago the car was so completed I could test it for the Swedish “TUV”. It was approved and it’s now street legal with semi slicks, up to 140kW engine and rebuilt suspension. Until I find the right concept the beetle is running as a testbench for improvements. My intention is to find out how competitive an old VW could be on street and track.
Here is my recipe so far:

Engine/gearbox
Engine: Typ1 69x92mm. CB Street Eliminator 42/37mm valves, 284 degree camshaft, Dual IDF 44 Webers, Mahle forged pistons/cylinders
Gearbox: typ1, late type -75
Driveshaft: 944 N/A

Suspension/Brakes:
Front end converted from -72 to 73- front with late track control arms and stabilizer bar
Front: Homemade coilover to fit 944T steering knuckle, 4-piston calliper. Ventilated disc.
Rear: Al rear arms 944T (-85), 4-piston calliper. Ventilated disc.
Increased track width 1450/1480mm

Wheels
Rims: BBS 16tum 7 ½” and 8 ½” low ET.
Tyres: Toyo R888 215/50-16 and 225/50-16

Other mods:
Widened fenders: Front/rear 60/100mm (2,4/4 inch) each side
Fuelcell lowered into the spare wheel space, Mallory fuel pump
Macrolon windows all except front window
Light weight battery
Instrumentation Autometer Nexus and C2 series

For next season following mods will be performed:
Rear suspension: Inner ball joint
Rear suspension: Outer bushing in low friction filament wound bushings
Rear: “cup” brace

Front suspension: track control arm with inner ball joint and 17mm outer ball joint

Typ 4 engine

[scourtaud]

Hi,

That sounds like a nice car... Do you have some pictures?

Seb

[1302 S]

Here are some more pictures.
The front end suspension is now in parts and new parts to replace them.
New rebuilt track control arm with inner rod end (Hirschman) and 17mm outer ball joint from Golf II, easy to change if I hit a curb too hard.



The rear suspension is also going to be rebuilt. I have made the drawings for these pieces and got them made. The uniball is Rodobal MTE series.

[Xellex]

Nice work on the control arms! I'd buy a set if they were available..

[Wally]

Indeed very nice work on the suspension parts!

[1302 S]

Thank you Xellex, sorry I dont have the possibility to make another pair, but I can place some more pics, how I made them.

The reason I made the arms this way is that I want to control camber with lover arms and steering knuckel and caster at the top of the strut. So these arms are just a part of a bigger plan.

Comments to the pictures
-Ball joint was found through www.sidem.be they list car model and dimension, realy good site.
-Bushings in PUR and NBR (different hardness) I will try which works best. POM plated steel wachers with lubrication pockets.

[onixbonilla]

Great! I really,really like your work! Some neat ideas! More pictures please!
Brakes, coilovers, trunk, interior, gauges, undercarriage pictures!!

[1302 S]

ok here is som more pics
I replaced the fueltank with this fuel cell. And moved it into a lower position, like 911. Many typ1 owners here in Sweden used to put a sandbag in the trunk in the winter, to get better grip for the front wheels. In my case I want as low CG height as possible and more weight direct over the front wheels for better grip. The upper lid is now where the bottom was before.



A safety device. A rollover switch for the gas pump. Its from a Ford Scorpio, originally mounted back above the gas tank in the Ford.



Mallory fuel pump. Its a gear pump and gives less pressure pikes and works more quiet than a Holly pump. The Holly pump is a vane pump (4 vings).



Here am I going to mount a light weight battery 7kg from Odyssey. A high power switch is mounted to be able swith the car off, remote via cables. The installation is not completed at the picture.



Some interior pics. Both seats are going to be replaced. Hopfully during this winter. (The shell seat has shrunk ). The panels have I made from alu sheet.



Front suspension pics. Classic combination of Golf dampers, Porsche 944T lower part, homemade ...

[evilC]

Hi, Nice work but a couple of queries:

1) Front suspension. Why control the caster from the top of the strut? The anti-roll bar controls the caster and locates the TCA via a squidgy bush that doesn't allow any anti-dive to be built in especially if you lower the suspension. With the accuracy that you are initiating with the inner heim joint having the bottom of the strut potentially moving around via the AR bush seems counter productive. The classic way of adjusting caster and tightening the whole assembly is to use a tension or compression strut. I prefer the idea of a compression strut as the inner pivot can be adjusted to amend the anti-dive. The AR bar can then be detached so that it can become adjustable. Its a win-win system.
2) Front suspension. Are the front struts Golf or is it just the inserts?
3) front suspension. Are the top mounts solid?
4) Front suspension. I think you should consider a brace bar and then look to cross brace the front of the hammer head to stiffen the whole body and therefore the suspension pick up points.
5) Front suspension. Consider dropping the inner pivot on the TCA to lower the roll centre to increase the roll couple.
6) Front suspension. Whilst lowering the tank lowers the front weight distribution I have kept ours as the standard tank in situ to improve the roll couple and keep the weight within the wheelbase to help with polar moment of Inertia. Similarly the battery remains in the VW position for the same reason.
7) Rear suspension. Are you intending to run a full coilover suspension i.e. removing the torsion bars?
8) Are you fitting a full cage? Its worth linking the cage to all the suspension pick up points as well as multi-pointing it to the body to increase the torsional rigidity.

Clive