Have a small trailer I want to put onto "Barbarella" for when we do a promo some where. Need to fit in pamphlets, posters, stationary, small table, chairs etc. You know, all that stuff you have to have to fit out a stand at an expo. Guards front and rear are glass.
Q1. Can it be done?
Q2. Are they factory made or custom?
Q3. Where do they fit onto? (the exhaust line is joined and comes out the RHS very low to the tar)
Q4. Is it a lot of work and is it costly?
Q5. Am I better of to forget it and deal with postage instead?
Anthiron ·
chop the arse off it. baja it and then attach the ball to the cage:vader
odapbr ·
Whoa, I'd end up with my arse chopped of if I did that! Bajaing is no option! There must be a way of doing it. What about something on the inside of the bumper attached to the chassis, cut a hole for the tongue to come out with the ball on that?
That way it would not scrape the tar and keep the pull reasonably level.
But would an engineer have to do it and sign off on it???
Ellabella ·
there are ones that bolt all the way back to the rear torsion bar, not sure where else they hang from tho...
odapbr ·
Where have you seen them? Are they available as a retro fit and who from?
pete wood ·
I found one by the side of the road a while back, and a wreckers in marayong (NSW) has one too. He's just up from the station on the Nth side of the Station.
However, you should be able to make one.
they have two clamps that go round the chassis horns and then two bits of tube come back underneath to the back of the car and stick out beyond the bumper with the mounting plate for the ball. These bolt up to the bumper and the bumper probably should have a bar going in between the mounts to stiffen them up a little. I'll see if my bro can send me a pic of the one I gave to him. If so then I'll post it.
odapbr ·
A pic would be great as I have a mate who can do stuff like that and make it look like a bought one.
Found by the side of the road??? Yeah suuuure!
silverbullet ·
i use to have one on my 70 beetle it used to attaced where the bumper bolts on. It use to just hang below the rear bumper. no cutting of the guards required. The brackets were made from about 7mm steel. I had no problems with this i use to tow my jet ski wtih this. I dont know where this was made or bought but i sold it with the car.
pod ·
most towbar manufacturers can custom make a tow bar to fit,just cost more than a std one ,used to work for a towbar manufacturer about 9 yrs back ,so have seen them done for coaches and trucks etc :thumb
gooseneck should be made out of 20mm thick steel use 2" pipe for the cross brace and 8mm plate for the brackets ,12 mm for the plate where the gooseneck bolts on to ,hope this helps with your problem👍
pete wood ·
Just emailed my bro, should find out tomorrow.
General_Failure ·
Heh, shame things are the way they are I have a beetle towbar back at my mothers place. It's one of the V-shaped torsion bar dealies. I bought it and couldn't fit it because the thunderbirds were in the exact wrong place. If I could have made them both occupy the same space, it looked like there would have been a clearance issue with the irs arms.
ruckus ·
I took one off mine a few years ago. Left it with Dean at Vee Dubs Only down in Ocean Grove/Barwon Heads. He might still have it. Attatched to the torsion bar.
odapbr ·
Good lot of info *pod* thanks. Got a few lines in the water to see if there is one for sale without the delivery costing a bomb, so we will see.
Passed the *pod* info onto my engineer mate who says it can be done quite easily and for only around $150! Installed!
The next question is what would the rear end of a beetle be able to stand as far as a maximum towable weight is concerned?
odapbr ·
ruckus wrote:I took one off mine a few years ago. Left it with Dean at Vee Dubs Only down in Ocean Grove/Barwon Heads. He might still have it. Attatched to the torsion bar.
Got a contact number or email address for them as they don't appear in my ph book and telstra says it is not enough info for them to give me a number???
BiX ·
Yeah i got an old one, my dad had on his bug in the 70's. It has a round tube welded between the bumper bar brackets and a tag hanging down of that. Then 2 tubes than ran all the way foward to the torsion tubes. So the bumper brakets took the vertical load, a nd the torions tubes take the hor load.
odapbr ·
A shame Brisbane is so far away BiX, what would it cost to buy and post/courier?
pete wood ·
Havin issues getting a pic for ya, Bix can you take a pic for him?
Ellabella ·
i have also seen em with tags that bolt to gearbox horns as well as bumper and torsion tube no wi cum to think of it
68AutoBug ·
the two long round pipe sections go under the engine and back up to clamp around the torsion bar tubes.
Then a flat steel bar bolts across the rear behind the bumper bar attaching to the bumper brackets....
If You look around You will find one....
The bumper brackets will need changing behind the bumper for the later model bumper bar brackets...
Best of Luck
I have had some luck... .. My Son tells Me He has one as I was looking for one too....
Have You seen the smallish sized trailer.... could be made for a motor cycle, but they look great on small cars....
Lee Noonan 68autoBug
Htp://community.webshots.com/user/vw68autobug
ruckus ·
Here you go. Nicest bloke in volkswagens IMHO
V-Dubs Only
Ocean Grove VIC 3226
ph: (03) 5256 1911 Motor Engineers & Repairers
odapbr ·
Ta, will talk to him monday.
pete wood ·
Dude I have some pics for you.
odapbr ·
Good pix, where do the brackets bolt onto on the chassis? There must be a brace between the bumper mounts behind the tongue I would have thought. What gauge steel rod is it?
ctefeh ·
Hi,
Picked up the wife's 72 super on the W/E and it has a towbar attached. The ball sits above the rear bumper.
Want some pics?
Regards
Ctefeh
Chewy ·
ruckus wrote:Here you go. Nicest bloke in volkswagens IMHO
V-Dubs Only
Ocean Grove VIC 3226
ph: (03) 5256 1911 Motor Engineers & Repairers
Are you sure he is still in business??
I think his shop is now a resturant?
Dunno, tell us if you get a hold of him
Cheers
Chewy ·
P.S my towbar is the type that bolts to the bumper brackets and has a big tube running between them with the towbar attached to that.
I am going to make some tubes that mount to the towbar tube and run under the engine to the torsion bar to mount a skid plate too
Cheers
odapbr ·
ctefeh wrote:Hi,
Picked up the wife's 72 super on the W/E and it has a towbar attached. The ball sits above the rear bumper.
Want some pics?
Regards
Ctefeh
If you could please, also any from underneath to show how what and where.
Thanks
odapbr ·
Chewy wrote:
ruckus wrote:Here you go. Nicest bloke in volkswagens IMHO
V-Dubs Only
Ocean Grove VIC 3226
ph: (03) 5256 1911 Motor Engineers & Repairers
Are you sure he is still in business??
I think his shop is now a resturant?
Dunno, tell us if you get a hold of him
Cheers
Yeah, the two times I tried calling it rang out. Will keep trying...
ctefeh ·
Hi,
Took the photos last night, I'll e-mail you them after a little shrinking.
Regards
Ctefeh
odapbr ·
Look forward to them...
ctefeh ·
Photo 1 is the bar from above. It's bolted to the existing brackets from the said and above.
Very old Utilux connection.
ctefeh ·
Bumper bracket piccie 1.
ctefeh ·
Bumper bracket piccie 2, underneath shot
ctefeh ·
What's behind the apron
odapbr ·
Can you email them in a larger format please as these thumbnail pix are a bit too small for me to fully appreciate. pomponderoobushretreat@dodo.com.au
Regards
odapbr ·
Great pix, close up too! Been keeping an eye out for one on the market but no luck yet. Will give it a while longer and if nothing turns up I'll get one made.
Thanks to all for your advice:thumb:bounce:thumb
koolkarmakombi ·
do the ring around the VW places around Vic, busfr8 is real cheap.