Volkswagen Kit Cars

[DeathBySnuSnu]

Well.....I did not take any pictures.

I was off work and it did not rain this Saturday. So the little car got tore down. Body is off. Quite a few bits and pieces went in the dumpster. Other things were surprisingly whole and/or rebuildable. Such as the master cylinder was still full of fluid and appeared almost serviceable.

The engine is not stuck, probably some stuck valves, but it is not rusted solid as expected. So I should have a lot of usable parts inside.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

While I was disassembling I did hold the wheels up to the hubs.

Of course I had done a lot of measuring beforehand......but they are a tight fit as expected. The drop spindles and disc brakes will be a bit wider.....and if that holds true then the front wheels may just ever so barely clear.

The back end though.....cleared the arms and spring plates better than expected.....but did not clear the bump stop tab by the upper shock mount. So I went down one size tire for the rear and i might have to use a spacer around 1/4" . Or i might modify the stop tab.

So......tires are picked out for the rear now.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

Well.....

It is looking more and more like this thing is gonna be turned mid engine.

Still figuring on it. I do have a set of 5 inch a side shorter springs left (still in the car) from narrowing the rear of a bug to fit big tires under the fenders.

If I were to use the shortness to make a gap in the middle of the torsion tube.......stick the case in the gap.

In the end would be something like this

 

[Ray55]

Had a shipmate that had a "65 Corvair with a '67 Vette 327 in the back seat. Was built by a group at Hobby shop at Travis AFB while they were going to Nuc School at Mare Island back in late 60's.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

Once upon a time ago.....I was traveling through Florida and saw a guy in a parking lot that I had to turn around and see.

A Bradley gt2 (like that basement hanger I posted before) they are on a full length pan and already have a lot of unused room where the back seat used to be. So this one had a toronado transaxle and a hot rodded 455 mid engine. Pulleys were right at the seats and the tunnel ran and two fours were stuck out the roof.

I dont know how hot is was inside.....but he was driving it in summer.

So as for my project..... I am wanting more of a 50-60's euro racer. A lot more of the le-mans and less of the drag strip. I may have ruined that with the 80's jap wheels....but I like them anyway.

That flip backwards rear hood and an engine that looks like it is supposed to be in the car......but no one has ever heard of.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

Worked with it some today.....ever so slowly it seems.

Still working the wheels into shape. I saw where one of the rear wheels had a big pile of sticky back weights on it........and thought I better check it to make sure it ain't bent. Well it was not bent but was wayyyyy heavy to one side. Spent hours grinding on it to get it close to balance. Used one of the new spindles and the drilled rotor to mount and hand spun and let the heavy side settle to the bottom. Then grind some more. I think I got it close enough that dyna beads will work.

Then I went back and checked the two I had already painted and mounted tires on. I had no reason to suspect them.....and there was nothing abnormal about them.

Then checked the other rear wheel I have not worked with yet....also no reason to suspect it.....but it was bent. Not horribly....and only on the inside edge.

Man what an awakening as to how flexible an aluminum wheels is. When I did the murdercycle wheels and had them in the lathe chuck they were flexible.....I could just lightly squeeze them.....that is why they did not get more machine work done to them to dress them up. So fast forward to today and these extra lightweight racing wheels. Talk about flexible.....just squeeze them all over the place....but they just spring back like a balloon. I had to squeeze and stretch it to where I wanted it and heat/anneal it to get it to stay. It took quite a few trys......but I got it true and round. But that burned up several hours also.

I did get one wheel sanded in, primed and painted. Put on a spindle and rotor to the beam to check back spacing and interference. Painted the showing side of the rotors red as I am reasonably happy with the fit (no additional wheel spacers).

I wanted to get the beam bolted onto the frame head and a few other frame/chassis measurements and plans made.....but did not make it that far.

I did get the old chassis inside and removed a few part and the rear drums. Then at least started towards plans of the mid engine. It looks like I will have to lengthen it at least 8 inches....maybe more to be able to change the belt.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

Well.....not a lot of progress made.

But a lot of plan changes.

It is definitely going to be mid engine. Might be the vw trans.....or I have an eye on a 914 Porsche trans.

But it definitely will not have the air cooled vw motor. I done went and got an old Mazda klze. A little 2.5 liter v6. Big bore, short stroke, double overhead cam, hemi headed, 8000rpm in stock trim screamer. Not real high hp....under 200 and low torque. A heavily modded vw trans could handle it.

So the plan it independent throttle bodies and a computer.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

Cut the torsion out of the pan.

Going to start on a chassis.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

Making parts.

So here is the beginning of the elephant ears.

Sorta.

Elephant ears are a drag racing engine mount that typically are a plate on the pulley end of a v8 sandwiched between the timing cover and the block.

As the engine I picked has no motor mount point on the sides of it.....because it was sideways in a front wheel drive car.....I have to create mount points.

So here is the idea....ears at bell housing end incorporated into the adapter.

Mazda klze all aluminum double overhead cam hemi chambered 4 valve per cylinder 2.5 liter V6

To

Porsche 901 reverse rotation side shifter transaxle from a 914. (Same axle flanges as beetle).

Elephant ear motor mount.



Will be rubber mounted with suspension bushings at the ears and the single original mount at the pulley end of the engine.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

Torsion housing stripped of all of the original drivetrain mounts (horns).



I am going to split it in the middle and make a square tube wrap around for the v6 to sit in.



This is the back of the square tube. The other 3 sides will be more like a c section welded to it.

It will also be the mount point for the new engine mounts.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

The start of the fab work.

I cut the splines out of the tube, split it in two, and remounted the splines inside the tubes.

This wrap around will become a square tube.







The engine oil pan will sit in the notch in the middle of the torsion.

The springs will be the short type like a swing axle has. But will stick out the sides like a long spring IRS does.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

Klze v6 goes here.

This should be a first.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

I got the urethane bushings and mocked up the rear suspension. I could not get the alignment I wanted so it came back apart and got bent on a bit. Then all put back together for another mock up.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

Mock up of engine in place.

 

[irondad01]

Good job.

I have a couple of questions I'm sure you thought of. Will there be any flex in the U frame as the wheels hit bumps causing them to pinch in toward each other? The engine mounts will add some stiffness but they're not solid, right? Also is the weight of the engine close to a VW? I was wondering about the strength of the torsion springs. I guess having it mid mount instead of it hanging off the back would make a big difference. I'm not being critical, just trying to learn something. Thanks.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

Of course this is just the first major building block of the chassis.

There will be a whole lot more frame work and a good portion of it will be in the rear area. Such as above the trans between the shock towers. Not only just to simply tie together the chassis but to hold the trans, tank, battery, radiator and the whole back end of flip up body.

And.....

NONE of it even exist yet.

 

[irondad01]

(Yes) I knew you had it covered.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

Sorry the pics are so bad.....time for a new phone.

The rear crossbar link that ties the shock towers and notch together.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

So......

I now have a Porsche 901 side shifter 5 speed transmission.





Now to make a flywheel.....

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

Not a lot of parts made.

I have been doing a lot of figuring trying to get the kl flywheel and pressure plate into to Porsche bell housing.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

But it really looks like I am going to have to make a flywheel and use a VW clutch.

I would really like to use the kl pressure plate and the fact that it is the same diameter as the VW bus (228mm) it would be capable.

It looks like the easiest way to go would be to get a stock replacement Porsche throw out bearing. A super heavy duty late VW 200mm plate and disc. Then make a flywheel.

I am just stick on wanting to use the larger diameter kl clutch....less spring more diameter.

The Porsche has a small (like a late beetle) but different mounting with and actual fork.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

Started on intake manifold parts.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

Throttle bodies......six this time.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

The actual engine.... all whole and over to the side.

I am using a junker parts engine in the mock up.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

The VW trans off the mock up.

Of course the Porsche trans is the same bolt up....once I decide on clutch..

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

STOP.

I have the brakes all made up now.

Sleeved and bolt pattern for the metric wheels.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

And I did decide to go with the Mazda pressure plate.

I have a Jetta TDI STD shift diesel starter coming. I think I can modify it to fit around the Mazda pressure plate.

Right now the plan is to thin down the Mazda flywheel so the clutch sticks out the right amount.

Then use a type 5 vw disc.

And a type 1 throw out bearing.

Modify the 901 fork .

Cut the starter ring off a vw type 1 flywheel and put it on the Mazda flywheel.

Then make an adapter for the Jetta starter. It has a long nose and the same bendix gear as a type 1. All to get the bendix to the right depth and reach around the Mazda pressure plate.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

Making all the pieces of the intake manifolds.

The parts from throttle down are made.

The stacks are just chunks of metal yet.

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

Stacks whittled out.