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Post by Mock1racer on Jan 22, 2010 13:26:42 GMT -5
This thread is to help select the basic parts that you are going to need to build your car, depending on HOW you plan on using the car. I think there are many ways of doing it, a lot has to do with your budget. There are quite a few that want to do it on a low budget,that said let's try to compile s list that the "novice " can put together, with minimum tools, experience, and $.
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Post by Mock1racer on Jan 22, 2010 13:36:48 GMT -5
First , and the most important, your car.
This to me is the single most critical piece that you can spend money on. You don't want to start this project off with a rust-bucket. (I did and it took a lot of time and money to fix it, I also must add to that I'm a 20+ year fabricator/welder. I have the tools and that takes time and money to collect as well.) Anyway, you want to get a car that has very little rust if possible. The less you have in the beginning the better. The rest of the body work you'll have to figure out on your own, not my field.
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Post by Mock1racer on Jan 22, 2010 14:06:21 GMT -5
If you have a donor car that you're gonna pull the V8 out and put it in the bug, then you also may have the parts you need to hook it up. I think there is a member that bought a s-10 that came with a V8 and he had a bug to use so he pretty much had everything he needed. There are also some out there in countries that don't have s-10 pickup trucks, This project could be done with a toyota frame or a range rover frame. I'm certain that any pickup truck type frame would be fine to use if it's a small truck. Just have to make do with what you have to work with. I think the wheel base will be important in the selection of the truck, VW is 95" or 96".
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Post by Mock1racer on Jan 25, 2010 9:12:31 GMT -5
I think a real close second would be the engine/tranmission choice.
By far the cheapest and most bang for the buck is the small block Chevy engine, these can be found just about anywhere, pretty cheap, and If you drive it a lot the parts can be easy to get. If you live overseas, this choice might not be an option for you. However, Range Rover builds an all aluminum v8, Audi also has a good v8, Toyota's v8 is stout as well.
A Chevy 350 c.i. with a 350 turbo trans is cheap and strong, and in a bug it's insane! Obviously, the build can be done with other engine combos, 351W ford with a c-4 trans is equally brutal in a bug, just more in cost as some Ford engine parts are a little expensive.
Engine choice, when it comes down to it, is how much you wanna put in it.
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Post by murphytj on Jan 25, 2010 19:50:10 GMT -5
8-)Very good information. I personally opted to go with a 2" x 3" tube chassis with Mustang II front suspension with power steering (as mine is a '69 Type III Squareback that my wife will be driving), sbc 350c.i./330 horse crate motor, 700 R4 trannie, narrowed 9" Ford,4:11, triangulated 4-bar rear. There will also be a/c in this driver. I am 64 years "young" and am thoroughally enjoying this project. This is my second V8 Volkswagen project. My first was a pretty wild, '63 VW panel van with a mid engine Ford 351. Built this one in the '70's when something like this was unheard of.
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Post by Mock1racer on Jan 28, 2010 11:22:42 GMT -5
Something else I thought about when starting these types of projects,wheels & tires. Tires can make or break your ride, meaning the wrong tires could ruin your cars handling.
The "normal" average person does'nt think about the performance of their tires and how it affects the way their car handles the road.
Anyone can build power in an engine, bolt it to a bullitproof trans, with an indestructible driveshaft and a totally beefed up rear end, but if you dont have your tires sized properly, your car may not turn, it may not get traction, I can't think of too many things worse than that.
Take a little time and figure out how the car will be used and take some measurments so you know what you will need for wheel size.
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Post by V8 Super Beetle on Jan 28, 2010 15:49:43 GMT -5
Good info. I'm not sure I can add much.
I can add this. Even though 73+ super has more cubic / metric trunk space, stock, doesn't mean it has more space for a V8. It actually has less. I think a 71-72 has the most space, followed by a standard beetle, followed by a 73+ super. It makes things easier if you can keep your radiator up front and still be able to remove your distributor cap for tuning / maintenance. I could fit neither a radiator up front nor can I pull of my cap, muchless the whole distributor, without pulling the engine. A Ford might be a better option because the distributor is up front.
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Post by Mock1racer on Jan 29, 2010 9:13:22 GMT -5
Hey every little bit we can put together will help someboby that does'nt know where to start. If we, and I mean all the experienced builders on this site that have built these cars can help a young kid or even somebody that has never done this but wants too, if we can give some insite on what to look for ,how to start, what to use or what works best , then they will keep coming back for info and maybe that will bring in some new members. Yeah , that's true. I used a 71 super front, downfall is the hood is not only hard to find but expensive for a good one. Forget aftermarket they don't have a 71 super hood.
The distributor was another reason I moved my engine back, to MAKE access to it, and to be able to pull it out if I need to. Yeah that's the only thing I like about a ford engine.
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Post by V8 Super Beetle on Jan 29, 2010 11:58:41 GMT -5
If I do another one, I'll build a 2x3 tube frame, use a S10 front clip for the front suspension, get a 70 ish standard beetle body and get a one-piece front end. If I had an unlimited budget I'd still do it the same way, but with a mustang II front suspension.
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Post by V8 Super Beetle on Jan 29, 2010 12:13:05 GMT -5
For the all out racers without access to the tools to bent a cage, here's a 10 point cage. It was about $350 delivered to my work place. www.swracecars.com/store/10-Point-Roll-Cage-OSCARItem_38=11-5550.aspxBe sure to order the one for the classic beetle. Part #11-5550. I'm sure they can make you just a 8 point roll bar, even a 4 point if needed. It's 1.75 EWS mild steel tubing and is .134 thick. NHRA approved cage. Beware of cages that state they're .120. They really mic out to be about .114 which wont pass NHRA standards. |
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Post by V8 Super Beetle on Jan 29, 2010 12:18:33 GMT -5
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Post by Mock1racer on Jan 29, 2010 13:45:20 GMT -5
V8 Superbeetle....
YOU'RE THE MAN!!!
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Post by murphytj on Jan 29, 2010 19:11:58 GMT -5
V8 Superbeetle.... YOU'RE THE MAN!!! 8-)Gotta agree with you. Matt is the man. I only wish that there were other type III V8 builders out ther. Come on guys, Dare to Be Different. Dig up that Squareback or fastback and let the sawzall begin. |
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Post by Mock1racer on Feb 2, 2010 9:00:25 GMT -5
Good info. I'm not sure I can add much. I can add this. Even though 73+ super has more cubic / metric trunk space, stock, doesn't mean it has more space for a V8. It actually has less. I think a 71-72 has the most space, followed by a standard beetle, followed by a 73+ super. It makes things easier if you can keep your radiator up front and still be able to remove your distributor cap for tuning / maintenance. I could fit neither a radiator up front nor can I pull of my cap, muchless the whole distributor, without pulling the engine. A Ford might be a better option because the distributor is up front. I think that has to do with the spare tire "laying down" rather than standing up in the other beetles. I kinda figured with the 71 front that I used it looked like this...  |
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Post by Mock1racer on May 5, 2010 6:48:53 GMT -5
Okay, I get lots of questions from people about welding. Somewhere Ive seen a thread about it but now I cant find it. I think that if you are thinking about doing a build like this, welding is going to come into play weather you like it or not. Now as far as the safty stuff goes I'm not going to get into all that because you should already be familiar with the standard safty equipment. Also, I'm not going fill this thread up with the common sense stuff,( dont weld in shorts and no shirt with flip-flops on) So, when it comes down to what welder to buy, it depends on several things, your $, your ability to weld and what it is your planning on welding. I use several different types of welding on my build because I have different types of material. I have the cheapest welding machine made...  This is a MIG welder from Harbor frieght tools, a Chicago brand. It has a 20% duty cycle and works very well with .030 gasless flux cored wire. It cost me a total of about $225 with everything , even the wire. Okay so now you wonder what 20% duty cycle is? The duty cycle is based on a ten minute period of the internal components getting used and heating up. At 20% I can weld a solid two minutes before the interanls get hot and overload. If you think about how long two minutes is, it's not that long. But in welding time ,that's quit a bit of welding. This machine is good at welding some small stuff and sheet metal/ body work and small brackets and such. I used this machine to weld out the mainframe of my build. Also this is a standard 120V machine that plugs is to any outlet around the garage. |
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