74 Germanlook SUBAbeetle

Joel · 2008-04-07T08:20:20+00:00

Well its been nearly 6 years now since ive last had a readers ride thread way back when avd first started so heres a new one i got my 74 Lbug 8 years ago after i totalled my 71 Sbug and well its changed somewhat over the years since then for those that have been following the supercharger saga the 1776 is back in now i havent been game to leave town and really open it up yet but i did a quick blat down a "drag strip"...... hard to see with my shakey camera action but it pulls 0-100 in 7.5secs at 8PSI without really beating it too hard still needs abit of tweaking tho Well anyway heres my bug in past lives The Evolution of DUB74L it was an innocent nanna bug when i got it 100% original even the paint cept for gaurd repairs and came with all the logbooks and papers etc it had lived in canberra since new so it was rust free except for a hole under the battery something thats highly unusual for a 70s bug specially an Lbug that still had its roof so i snapped it up circa 2000 Herbie look this was just for shits and giggles for the first herbie parade in 2001 it was rather embarrasing so was very short lived Resprayed in 2001 and back to stock. my boy racer phase Aww my gawd how embarrasement..... 18" zeptors, the token colour coded mono wiper, twin 4" cannons, under car neons and a $2.5k sound system that was 3.7dB LOUDER than a jumbo jet at 30metres Im sure it impressed 🤪 🤪 wedding car time and time again: present day: ive done every single bit of work to this car myself with the exception of the paint and gearbox rebuild ive painted a few of my other cars i hate spray painting and vw gearboxes are like a rubix cube once u get them apart the only part left on this car that hasnt been tampered with by me is the dash fan lol and it needs to come out for new brushes i had it resprayed in the original crystal white but in 2pac, i couldnt bring myself to change the colour as much as i wanted to paint it in ford shiraz or nissan electric blue interior is just something i made up front seats are gen5 celica,i redid the rear seat and door panels to match, leather Momo corse wheel, tarted up dash with carbon fibre dash panel, oil press, temp, boost, Air/fuel ratio gauges, white face indiglow speedo and a monster tach a jvc mp3 head with MTX/vdo amps, alpine and kicker splits and subs and a 1.5F capacitor under the seat and a few other toys like remote keyless entry, alarm, quick shift and im installing power windows soon, im sick of breaking brazillian winder handles ive put a fair but of work into the suspension and running gear the engine is a supercharged 1776 with dhla dellorto, tighe cam, lightened flywheel, headwork yadda yadda ya.... its putting down about 100hp at the treads at 8psi, so its nothing real special but it cranks along very nicely and is good for embarrasing all these dickheads in there falcodores and jap riceboxes all she needs now is to be lowered 2" all round thanks to the smaller 17" rims not filling the gaurds like the old 18s did, but im not doing that till i get my new stainless A1 zorst eventually she will be rolling on 18" porsche cup 3 turbo twists 😵 front end ive made up my own custom narrow coil adjustable struts and strut brace, koni inserts, whiteline swaybar rear is pretty stock, gearbox is a fairly stock freeway flier with a 0.89 4th which sux when i run a stock motor lol i dont think it will ever be classed as finished im always finding something to change Over the coarse of 8 years its had: 6 different engines, 3 different gearboxs, 4 different interiors and about 8 different stereo systems and god only knows how many sets of rims my fully hektik home made strut brace The cockpit Bass in ya Face YO! Subwoofer kitty approves.

STIDUB Over it.

1,497 posts · joined Jun 2008 · 29 Jul 2011, 12:35 am

#854336

3mm thick flat bar bent & twisted to suit or angle iron, bolt thru the bumper bracket, drill a hole for the light mount on the opposite face and your done 👍

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

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 · 29 Jul 2011, 10:04 am

#854371

STIDUB wrote:3mm thick flat bar bent & twisted to suit

yer, something like that 😂

I had the same setup on my white Sbug except I welded them on instead of bolting.

Bolts work just as well and can easily be removed later on.

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 · 17 Sep 2011, 5:58 pm

#862553

I noticed a couple of people caught my post here the other day before I calmed the f**k down and removed it so I didn't look like a total raging psychopathic VW hating knobhead.

I just had one of those days where everything that could go wrong did but I put this down to VW gods Karma'ing my ass for VW cruelty.
My poor bug has been sitting unused and unloved in the back of the tractor shed getting covered in dust, bird and insect shit and my cat been climbing all over it chasing rats and scratching the paint.

I was gonna get it all cleaned up for Action day and go for a cruise up the coast as it was such a beautiful day last sunday and my new engine needs some highway KMs to bed in the new rings.
I didn't think anything of the puddle of cat piss sitting in the back rim where my cat had pissed on it (yes he is nutted before anyone pipes up lol)
Drove into town to fuel it up and quickly discovered my brakes almost non existent
The puddle of cat piss was really brake fluid.

Anyone order a caramel sunday?
Thats brake fluid mixed with all the grease from the handbrake mechanism

And here's the source of all my problems.
A $1.25 O-ring which had turned to jelly

Now to put the jigsaw back together

Ahhhhh fahrvergnügen restored 🙂

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 · 3 Oct 2011, 8:17 pm

#865092

Big momentous occasion today, I finally made a start on one those jobs that's been on my to-do list for years now.

Ever since I tinted the windows on my bug about 4 years ago the one thing that has stood out like dogs balls is the smokers window frame and scraper trim still being chrome.

I've been wanting to black them out but it just looked like such a prick of a job (and was!).
I had to replace my outer scraper and bailey channel so it seemed like a good time to do it

It's amazing the difference such a small detail makes

I say made a start because the passenger side is still waiting 😂

I had a new scraper trim and spare smokers window that I already painted up for the drivers side so it was a quick swap over but the passenger side I still gotta pull apart and paint.

Anyway while it was all apart there was one other thing i wanted to change.
The 20% tint looked awesome and seemed like a good idea at the time but about half the KMs my bug does is at night and it's a pain in the arse to see through in the dark.

Luckily modern metalized tint doesnt age badly so the old stuff just peeled straight off
I got the shits and ripped it out a few weeks back.

If there's any professional window tinters reading, now is probably a good time to look away.

I redid it with 35% tint this time, still looks tinted and helps makes the A/C work more effeciently but doesnt block too much out at night

cam070 Custom Title Time!

1,332 posts · joined Jul 2009 · 4 Oct 2011, 7:45 am

#865156

Looks heaps better with the chrome blacked out. Care to share how you painted the chrome?

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 · 4 Oct 2011, 11:37 am

#865196

Cheers Cam.
All I did was rubbed the chrome back pretty thoroughly with 80/120/400grit and then etch primed before painting.

Same thing I did with the bumpers, chrome strips, handles etc and they've held up fine for 4 or so years

Craig S Wolfsburg Wizard

635 posts · joined May 2008 · 1 Nov 2011, 7:29 pm

#869868

Joel wrote:Cheers guys,

I got the lights through Ringwood auto parts on ebay
this would be them

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/CRYSTAL-VISION-HALOGEN-HEADLIGHT-INSERT-KIT-BRAND-NEW-/280230457730?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item413f097182

He also sells an original looking version as well that has fluted lenses like stock.

To fit them to a VW needs some sealed beam mounts out of some other car but they're easy to get as pretty much everything with 7" round headlights uses them.

Gravedigging a post here.

Back on page 9 of this thread you replaced your headlights, and now my Beetle is home, I thought I'd copy you, because my lights need some lovin', but you are overestimating my abilities re your comments about some sealed beam mounts out of another car to fit them.

Are you able to expand on this so that even the thickest of us might have some chance of success??

Cheers
Craig

1969 Beetle - June
1974 L Bug - Gwendolyn
2002 Bora V6 4Motion - Anita

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 · 1 Nov 2011, 8:25 pm

#869886

Hi Craig,

It's fairly basic setup, pretty much all cars with 7" round headlights (including VWs just not in aus) all use a common headlight insert.

Idea was if you busted a headlight you could go to any parts shop or wrecker and get a replacement and they didnt have to stock 100s of different models.

VWs in the US got this system just not here or in parts of Europe.

Anyway cos I'm a cheapskate I just got the mounts for this setup out of a car originally fitted with them (Morris Minor in this case) cheap of Ebay.

But you can buy them brand new to suit VWs same as US cars had from Classic VW.

https://www.classicveedub.com.au/cvd_new/part_detail.aspx?parts_id=11447

Companies like Narva and Hella also sell universal ones aswell.

You'll find in your headlight buckets the 2 tabs near the top that are usually bent over flat and one at the base to mount these.

Then just find a pair of 7" headlight inserts you like.
The choices are huge but it's generally a case of you get what you pay for.

ALot of the cheap ones are all plastic and turn yellow real quick and melt with higher wattage bulbs.

Better ones have metal reflectors and glass lenses.

Hope that helps.

Craig S Wolfsburg Wizard

635 posts · joined May 2008 · 1 Nov 2011, 8:30 pm

#869887

Cheers Joel,

That explains it!

1969 Beetle - June
1974 L Bug - Gwendolyn
2002 Bora V6 4Motion - Anita

lou0060 Wolfsburg Wizard

568 posts · joined Dec 2010 · 12 Nov 2011, 8:34 pm

#871806

hi Joel,

looks good blacked out.
how's the new motor going? suppose it is all run in by now.

1971 karmann ghia Cabrio - Cruising 👍
1963 beetle Sunroof - gathering dust 🥲
1968 race beetle - twin turbo Subaru - stress relief 😁
1960 beetle - old school low & slow 😏

lou0060 Wolfsburg Wizard

568 posts · joined Dec 2010 · 12 Nov 2011, 8:34 pm

#871808

hi Joel,

looks good blacked out.
how's the new motor going? suppose it is all run in by now.

1971 karmann ghia Cabrio - Cruising 👍
1963 beetle Sunroof - gathering dust 🥲
1968 race beetle - twin turbo Subaru - stress relief 😁
1960 beetle - old school low & slow 😏

lou0060 Wolfsburg Wizard

568 posts · joined Dec 2010 · 12 Nov 2011, 8:36 pm

#871809

hi Joel,

looks good blacked out.
how's the new motor going? suppose it is all run in by now.

1971 karmann ghia Cabrio - Cruising 👍
1963 beetle Sunroof - gathering dust 🥲
1968 race beetle - twin turbo Subaru - stress relief 😁
1960 beetle - old school low & slow 😏

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 · 13 Nov 2011, 12:27 pm

#871951

Cheers Lou, bit of a studder there 😉

Not quite run in yet, around the 5000km mark beds the rings in apparently, I've just hit 3000 this morn.

I was bummed I couldn't make Warwick this year to see yours in action.

Anyway, on a slightly more comical note, even though I also own a 4WD ute and a 4 door family sedan, I seem to find myself using the bug things Volkswagen never intended like removalist truck and farm car lumber jack duties....

Amazing what you can fit in a bug with some determination.

cam070 Custom Title Time!

1,332 posts · joined Jul 2009 · 13 Nov 2011, 8:37 pm

#872069

Haha, table let me introduce you to chainsaw

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 · 4 Dec 2011, 9:35 pm

#875649

Well got my latest toy gadget installed.
Possibly the first bug in the country with Digital head up display speedo and I couldn't be more stoked with it.

I've been looking around at digital speedos for a while now,but I didn't really want to replace my existing speedo as that means I have to fit some sort of fuel gauge and all the warning lights externally so it turns into a huge job.

Steve Carter came up with a good solution in Davids bug but I wanted to do something abit different.
Then I came across this Speed alert/HUD from Bluewire Motorsport.

I don't know why HUD never really took off until recently as it's technology that's been around for decades.
A good mate had a 94 SSS Bluebird which was about only one of the mainstream cars we saw in aus with it till BMW started to dabble a few years back and it was a great feature.

I went with this unit for a range of reasons.
Mainly to get an accurate speedo.
The old cable one is a bit jumpy at certain speeds after 37 years and it's just not accurate due to my tyre size.
I know its about 5km fast across the board but its frustrating not be able to do anything about it.

This one works off my speed sensor and is calibrated to suit the wheels on the car so it's 100% accurate and if i change tyre sizes it can easily be recalibrated to suit.

its also a head up display so it's a safety device, by projecting the speed up onto the windscreen in your normal line of vision it's reducing how far you have to look to monitor your speed.

And finally it's also a speed alert.
Now normally I hate those fecking things with a passion, dad used to crack the shits when he'd get in his work hack after i'd been driving it and the speed alert setting was cranked upto 140km/h so it wasnt going off all the time.

This one has a dual stage alert.
The first one just gives 3 short beeps when you go over the first speed setting which i've got at 105, and a second stage louder longer 2 beeps and red warning light i;ve got set to 115 as I do alot of motorway driving.
Alot of speed alerts dont shut up till you get back under the set speed which is why I like this one as I usually gain a bit of speed overtaking so it gets annoying.
LAst thing you want when overtaking is a gizmo beeping its nuts off at you.

It was easy as to install, just 3 wires but i did have the speed sensor already for the subi engine.

They give you a piece of tint for the windscreen but I just used a peice of ordinary tint as I knew I would probably move it around.

This was spot on as firstly I had it alittle too much in my line of vision lol

so I moved it down lower and more to the center of the car.
Much better.

I'll put the proper tint in eventually.

It also has a light sensative sensor on it so its nice and bright during the day but dims at night so it doesn't glare.

There's a heap of settings to play with, beep volume, brightness, you can alter what speed it starts working from but I just have it set to work all the time
And it also displays battery voltage when the ignition is first turned on.

Now unfortunatley for most bug owners, I think an Lbug is probably the only bug that it would work in.
Flat screen bugs have a too steep windscreen angle and no dash to mount the unit on.

If anyone else wants to suss it out I got it from Bluewire motorsport.

http://bluewiremotorsport.com/products/digital-hud-speedo-speed-alert-volt-meter

cam070 Custom Title Time!

1,332 posts · joined Jul 2009 · 4 Dec 2011, 9:53 pm

#875652

Well done Joel. Always the innovator

Craig S Wolfsburg Wizard

635 posts · joined May 2008 · 4 Dec 2011, 10:04 pm

#875654

Damn it Joel, you're too quick.

Camo sent me a PM last night with links to HUD devices that do tacho as well, but my main problem was figuring out speedo connection. He suggested that I could be the first Aus Beetle with HUD, but you've no taken that title.

Looks great, and now I'll go back to my dashboard ponderings with even more ideas.

1969 Beetle - June
1974 L Bug - Gwendolyn
2002 Bora V6 4Motion - Anita

1303Steve Scirocco Rare

8,650 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 5 Dec 2011, 7:02 am

#875668

Hi Joel

Great work, a fantastic solution to the 1303 speedo problem, I set the one in Davids bug and my bug to read a few ks over.

It gets frustrating when you follow someone and they are well under the speed limit and you have very accurate speedo.

Steve

ian.mezz I never said, I could write or spell

3,913 posts · joined Sep 2004 · 5 Dec 2011, 7:17 am

#875669

good old jOEL GOING old school , I remember that from the old nissan blue birds .🤪

😂🤪😂🤪😂
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. 🥲

Craig S Wolfsburg Wizard

635 posts · joined May 2008 · 5 Dec 2011, 2:39 pm

#875711

One more question Joel (and probably Steve as well), how do you find the digital speedo?

They have obviously been around on various models for years (I think the VK Calais had what was described as 'Donkey Kong' digital instruments), but having only ever had dial gauges I'm nervous about how distracting they might be with the digits flickering all the time.

1969 Beetle - June
1974 L Bug - Gwendolyn
2002 Bora V6 4Motion - Anita

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 · 5 Dec 2011, 5:52 pm

#875733

Ah Craig, good old synchronicity 😂

If they were big 2" high digits it may be distracting but it doesnt worry me, I just glance across occasionally.

I would say the stock speedo needle jumping around having a fit would be more distracting lol.

Those 80s LCD dash clusters bring back memories,
Mums old man had a TN magna Elite and my exs first car was a series 3 TRX bluebird with the LCD dash.

But I think the award for the worst 80s LCD dash goes to Subaru Vortex.
Anyone remember those?
My Music teacher from primary school had one back in the late 80s, I remember thinking it was so futuristic at the time.

Now it just looks like a terrible 80s Atari game

Craig S Wolfsburg Wizard

635 posts · joined May 2008 · 5 Dec 2011, 6:56 pm

#875743

Really I don't think it was the 80s unless there was a graphic equaliser on the stereo.

Is that a genuine three speed auto in that picture?? Can you imagine the tyres it tore up.

All in an attractive shade of brown.

1969 Beetle - June
1974 L Bug - Gwendolyn
2002 Bora V6 4Motion - Anita

1303Steve Scirocco Rare

8,650 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 5 Dec 2011, 7:43 pm

#875753

Hi

I first found that looking at the numerals was was a pain, no I'm used to it I appreciate how accurate it is.

Steve

vvwbeetle Officially Full-On Dubber

234 posts · joined Apr 2011 · 5 Dec 2011, 10:00 pm

#875781

Hi all,

I use my iPhone with the awesome HUD app in my beetle.

I just have a windscreen mount as I have a flat screen.

It reads the same speed as my Tom Tom.

It works well enough for me so far.

I have tried it out in my Xtrail and works well projecting onto the windscreen as well.

Flintstones Custom Title Time!

1,077 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 6 Dec 2011, 12:07 am

#875799

Craig S wrote:I'm nervous about how distracting they might be with the digits flickering all the time.

I drive around in a SSS bluebird currently and love the HUD. (you don't notice the numbers change unless your looking at it)

I find it so annoying when I jump in another car and have to look so far down to read the speedo🤪

Cheers
D

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 · 11 Dec 2011, 8:51 pm

#876558

I finally got me one of them fancy new fangdangle cranky starter kits.

The New Semi-auto starter motor I got last year does the job of starting the Subi, and has always fired it up every single time but when the engine is nice and hot after a long run you can hear it hitting all the compression strokes.

A freshly rebuilt 2.5 twin cam 16valve engine with a 10.4 compression ratio was abit more than Bosch intended for it to crank over, so I'm surprised it handles it so well.
But playing it on the safe side I took the plunge and set about fitting the starter designed to actually go with that engine.

My concern was a clearance problem between the starter and the Kafer bar.
I didn't want to drop all that coin on one only to find out it didn't fit.
My Semi auto starter was very close to the Kafer bar already, I had to even shorten the B+ terminal to get it to fit, but it was unusually long for some unknown reason (over 1" for one cable 🤪)

But thanks to Sides putting up a pic of Jezebels Cranky kit and Kafer bar I was abit more confident about them playing nicely together.

I never realized there were so many different types of Subaru starter motors till I started poking around trying to find the right one.

Turns out the one for the cranky kit is early Liberty Automatics.

They are also a tiny little unit despite being alot more powerful than the VW Bosch starters

Here's a comparison, stock Bug starter at the top, Semi-auto starter in the middle and the EJ one at the bottom.

Now Cranky kits are a nice simple installation in a VW normally.
The really really really I mean really ironic thing is having a Subaru engine in my bug complicated fitting a Subaru starter......

THe reason for that is the cranky kits are designed to use the standard VW D head bolt.

Simple...

But with the Subi engine fitted there's no way to fit a nut on the other side as it's inside the bellhousing/adaptor plate.
So EJs are fitted using a bolt that threads into the adapter kit and the cranky kit leaves no room for the bolt head.
Nothing a little creative engineering couldn't fix though.

The only mod the car needs is the old stud removed, they tell you just lock some vice grips on them, but it's no effort to lock 2 nuts together and unscrew it out.
atleast then it's not ruined

Only fitting issue I had was the casting on my case interfered and didn't let the flange sit down flush but lucky mag being so soft I was able to clean it up easy as.

Flange fitted up beautifully

Look at that, stacks of room

This thing cranks it over so much faster because it's a geared starter unlike the direct drive VW one.
I just have to get used to it having that modern car starter motor sound now.

ian.mezz I never said, I could write or spell

3,913 posts · joined Sep 2004 · 12 Dec 2011, 12:57 pm

#876636

i Think that you need to get some subaru badges and stick on you car.😂
Does your insurance papers say extremely modified .😊

😂🤪😂🤪😂
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. 🥲

cam070 Custom Title Time!

1,332 posts · joined Jul 2009 · 12 Dec 2011, 1:03 pm

#876638

ian.mezz wrote:i Think that you need to get some subaru badges and stick on you car.😂
Does your insurance papers say extremely modified .😊

I reckon he could rego it as a "hybrid".

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 · 12 Dec 2011, 5:24 pm

#876673

ian.mezz wrote:i Think that you need to get some subaru badges and stick on you car.😂
Does your insurance papers say extremely modified .😊

Modified yes but not extremely.

I have got the grille badge of my donor Suby, for shits and giggles I have a pic some where of it on the hood where the VW badge is on flat screen bugs.

56ovalrat Casual Dubber

20 posts · joined Dec 2008 · 14 Dec 2011, 2:20 pm

#876958

cool