I have several pans as options for a basic drag (semi streetable) VW.....so to help narrow down the selection I have two main questions.
Do they make aluminum beams for ball joint pans or only early pans ?
If you had a choice, is it better to have IRS or swing rear setup for a drag beetle?
I can see pro's and con's for both, but I'm not a drag racer so I'm probably not looking at the complete picture.
Best option is DONT!!!! There an addictive money pit!!!😀
as far as i know k&l are the only option for alloy beams.
IMO swing axel is better. Less parts to brake.
What have you got planned????
Craig , Aluminium beams are only available for the early K & L beams . For the rear , the weight of the swing axle is the lightest and most effective way to transmit the power . The down side is that when the trans is out , the car is hard to move . All of this is a factor in the build . I have used both and there will not be any start line advantages from one particular set up . ROD.
More boost + More fuel = More power
1968 Beetle fastest run 8.96 sec @ 161 mph 4th Nov. 2001
2010 New Beetle 8.12 sec on 8th march 2014 http://www.rodpenroseracing.com.au
IMHO I would say that it depends on how much HP and Torque your engine is going to produce. Under 200 HP I would say swingaxle because it takes less hp to operate it, over 200 I would say IRS with a bus box. To really confuse you I have a swingaxle transmission in my IRS car with 366 rwhp. Mike McCarthy
When I first read this post I automatically geared my mindset toward building a pure race car that could be improved as time went by into a full fledged race car , after reading it again I think a better choice would be to build a " Hot " street car that you can occasionally race . You already have a newer style body and if you are going to do more driving on the street than racing I would think about using the IRS pan. The car will ride smoother and can be made pretty durable costwise when you are on a tight budget . If you already have a single sidecover trans you ( at least over here ) probably have a 3.88 R/P and a 3.78 first gear, both of which are pretty tough if you keep your clutch setup reasonable pressure wise . There are some very talented transmission builders over there , seek one of them out and ask them about improving your transmission because it is the weakest link . With a bullet proof trans you can have alot of fun racing a lower HP engine without spending a fortune. The biggest differance between a 'RACE " car and a daily driver is one is parked in a spectator parking lot and the other is parked in the pit area, my point is " Run WHAT YA BRUNG ". I would bracket race and gain "experiance" and NOT get fixated on going faster. The mods I would do to the engine would be for durability ( 8 dowel crank ect...) and consistancy , not necessarily performance. I know how addictive speed is , hell I still need my fix once in awhile but it is really expensive . This is advice from an old man who made ALL the mistakes you are going to make if you decide to race. Have alot of fun, Mike McCarthy
Craig Torrens6 times Australian, 7 times State Hillclimb Class Champion
