Just wondering if anyone else has had problems either fitting Kafer Bars due to their heater boxes or as in my case now cant fit heater boxes due to Kafer bar being in the way.
Looks like if I want to keep the Kafer Bars to stops frame horns twisting etc then I am going to have to ditch the heater boxes. But this is not really an option as I spent a fortune on ceramic coated heater boxes and a sidewinder exhaust. We also mustn't forget the new tinware to suit a heater that I had to modify and then had all powder coated.
Not very happy, Kev.
Note: Even tried a standard heater box and same problem 😬
I thought rebuilding a VW would be cheap - Shit I was wrong, just don't let the wife know !!!!
Click here for my (slowy) modded 1961 Beetle build.yeah Joel said he had that issue as well 🙁
chin up, always a solution out there, just more time and thought unfortunately
Some pics may help us to help you with a solution
Don't let body work get in the way of real suspension travel
OZ Towdster wrote:Some pics may help us to help you with a solution
Here ya go. Hard to get the right angle of the path the rod is meant to take, but you should get the idea. I have added a rough line of where it should be, but the heater box is in the way.
And this one with the bar in place if you can work out where the heater box is meant to be.
Kev
I thought rebuilding a VW would be cheap - Shit I was wrong, just don't let the wife know !!!!
Click here for my (slowy) modded 1961 Beetle build.MMMMMMMM As you say the pictures don't do the problem much justas , but the several solution that come to mind are 1 puting holes in the heater boxs and running the kafer bars through said box with rubber grommets at the entry and exit point .2 adjust the kafer bar to exactly how you want those 2 bars adjusted and then get custom bent or offset bracket bars made to suit , yes they won't be adjustable but once set this shouldn't change on a street car .
3 . move the bottom mount point foward ?? to avoid the boxs .
What ever your solution ' i'd be keeping in contact with Craig or where ever you purchased the kafer bar from and make it an optional upgrade to the kit .
Andrew
Don't let body work get in the way of real suspension travel
If you cant get that one on , it a waste of time having the other two on.😢
😂🤪😂🤪😂
car forums. where a lot of peoples good intentions end up taking a good old car off the road forever never ever to see the road again. 🥲
ian.mezz wrote:If you cant get that one on , it a waste of time having the other two on.😢
That's what I thought, these are the two main bars to stop the frame horn flexing.
Kev
I thought rebuilding a VW would be cheap - Shit I was wrong, just don't let the wife know !!!!
Click here for my (slowy) modded 1961 Beetle build.could you maybe make a small bracket to line up with the bar off the gearbox mount? id suggest a thicker gearbox mount to match but kicking it out/up that little bit higher may solve the issue, failing that, just wear a jumper gloves & beanie like the rest of the worlds dubbers in cold areas 😁
on a side note, looks like your making great progress 👍
Volkswagen Drivers Club of Queensland - member 🙂
STIDUB - yep its still a work in progress
Vwdcq club car racing/ and crashing while my bug isn't finished.
The above are personal views, no more, no less
There are no problems only solutions waiting to be found
Aussie Dubbin wrote:There are no problems only solutions waiting to be found
Very positive thinking. I like it.
Do both sides foul? or just the near side?
Yes, both sides foul and here are photos of the drivers side.
You can see in the first photo the upper and lower mounts and then in the second trying to line both mounts up, the heater box is in the way. And this is 1/2 cylinder which is further back, so the passengers side 3/4 cylinder is even worse.
Thanks for the ideas also, Kev
I thought rebuilding a VW would be cheap - Shit I was wrong, just don't let the wife know !!!!
Click here for my (slowy) modded 1961 Beetle build.This was the issue I found as Daimo mentioned.
started putting a spare engine with heaterboxes in and clunk before it hit home base.
Not sure how viable it would be but the best solution I thought of was a bar with a dogleg around the heaterbox.
Any bends in those bars would make them virtually useless.
I'd rather wear a Beetle out by racing it than by polishing it!
Big brother say's "heater boxes, it's time to go".
It does seem to be the best option! Call it a learning exercise and continue with the work. It's looking good.
just take them off. I dont think you will drive it that much let aloan like peter.
If you want to drive around like peter brock use your commodore .🤪
😂🤪😂🤪😂
car forums. where a lot of peoples good intentions end up taking a good old car off the road forever never ever to see the road again. 🥲
You would use the heater boxes more than the kafer bar set up
Futue te ipsum!!!
dogo wrote:Big brother say's "heater boxes, it's time to go".
It does seem to be the best option! Call it a learning exercise and continue with the work. It's looking good.
I understand what you are saying, but my ceramic coated heater boxes, exhaust and all other parts that go hand in hand with having a heater cost me over $1200. So I'm sure you can see why I want to keep them, not to mention having to buy new dog house cooler tinware and then having to fit it.
And I think one good reason to keep them is so as to have a demister which is required and the car has to pass an engineers exam. But the biggest reason to keep them is so the wife might actually come in the car in the winter time with me.
Heater boxes are staying.
Kev
I thought rebuilding a VW would be cheap - Shit I was wrong, just don't let the wife know !!!!
Click here for my (slowy) modded 1961 Beetle build.No worries, problem part solved.
Like the Towdster said, I'd be modding the heater box's to get around the bars. The braces must be straight. Once the heater box's are modded a few more dollars and they'll be pretty again too 🙂
Matt Berry Motorsports...air cooled advice, repairs and mods Ph 0408 704 662
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Ask craig fro two extra bars and moutn further up and below the Heater boxes... Surely you can find a few mounting points?what if you welded/made up a vertical bar from the trans mount to the firewall and went somewhere there?
WOTAM waste of time and money as Bazza said u wil be using the heater boxes more than the bars
Its a crussier not a FULL ON race car sell them off n get some money back
Ive never had anything that fancy Even Greg dosent have that stuff
Yea but you drive like teh old wimmens 🤪
Greg, it wouldnt take much of a bend to clear, not enough to cause a loss of strength or movement anyway.
HappyDaze wrote:Any bends in those bars would make them virtually useless.
Could you not bend the bars just enough to clear, then gusset the back of the bar to replace any strength that could have been lost through bending?
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get Craig to cut a THICK plate with center hole that goes over the heater box.........with mounting tang on each side
send him the bars to be shortened and tapped for clevis joints
4 bars
could be nuts, but just a different take on it
yeah heater boxes are cool, recently borrowed a beetle with them in tact and absolutely loved it with the heat on tap!
hellbugged wrote:yeah heater boxes are cool,
I thought the point of heater boxes was that they were uncool
🤪🤪🤪1969 Beetle - June
1974 L Bug - Gwendolyn
2002 Bora V6 4Motion - Anita
😂🤪😂🤪😂🤪😂🤪😂Joel wrote:Yea but you drive like teh old wimmens 🤪
Greg, it wouldnt take much of a bend to clear, not enough to cause a loss of strength or movement anyway.
😂🤪😂🤪😂
car forums. where a lot of peoples good intentions end up taking a good old car off the road forever never ever to see the road again. 🥲
😂........i'd like to see how the #$%^ you bend em and then get the tabs to line back up!
cut em..........keep the two end pieces and curve two more pieces around each side of the heaters..... notch them neato.........tig em up!
Just need to be care full that if doing a dog leg rod that when wound into tension , ie perfect adjustment position that when reinstalled with the dog leg in place that the desired position / adjustment also has the dogleg going the correct way as in , hell you know what i mean .
And as for the views of it's only a streeter and the kafer bars are not needed , well you best have a look at the rear of your engine under hard excelaration before and after the fitment of a Kafer bar or similar
Don't let body work get in the way of real suspension travel
I am sort of glad you have identified this problem Kev - I am thinking of getting some later on, but I love my heaters too much to get rid of them.
I think there is a lot of merrit in Damo's idea - I think if something like this could be developed, it would certainly give more people the option of using them.
From your ole' mate Jeff
