Wakefield Park today turned out to be a good 'shake-down' for the car - and also for the driver ❗ I felt a bit shaky at first, but soon got the hang of it.
The Beetle felt a bit slower, but much 'tighter' - probably due to the roll-cage. All seemed fine, with no real problems.......except the brakes.🥲
I am now considering disc brakes as a possible option. Is there anything available to suit wide 5, link-pin, swing-axle? Would appreciate any help.
Cheers, Greg
hellbugged ·
great you're back in the sadle!
vintage VW do a nice "zero offset" for the front
vw54 ·
Have a look at the VVDS brakes there tops ive had a set on my car for 3 years now
sander288 ·
What happens when the the Discs wear out on the VVDS kit? isn't it a one piece disc with the bolt circle and disc as one? Is it hard to find/ expensive to replace?
otherwise there is CSP from Germany - good kit just a bit pricey but the standard kit is about the same money as the VVDS kit when delivered, its when you start having vented discs that it becomes a bit much.
VVDS did a lot of research on the materials to use to make the Disc Rotors
After 3 years mine DO NOT show any wear on the rotors probally after 10 years they may
The pads are current model and available
The CSP kit is nice but widens the track by 10 to 20 mm
and the brake pads are unknown dont know what there off
Sides ·
Good stuff Greg... can't wait to see some pics !!!
👍
sander288 ·
Cheers for that Dave, i've often wondered how the VVDS kit held up, I forgot that the CSP kit adds track too!
The brake pads for CSP are GM ones, I think they say 48mm but what does that really mean...
HappyDaze ·
Pleased to find a set of 356 drum brakes ( my 1st choice). They were on The Samba, and I grabbed them quickly. I know the seller - in the U.S - so they should turn up.😎
This means that my 'drum brake' fetish will be maintained.😂
sander288 ·
😵💫
58camper ·
Greg,
Well done.
Keep up the lapping and the scraping for many years to come.
countrybuggybill
Camo ·
Photo update received from Greg and posted with his permission.
Kev
HappyDaze ·
Thanks Kev.
The Wakefield Park shots were take on 6th October. Although the body roll has increased, due mainly to softer rear torsion bars - and perhaps the extra weight of the roll-cage, the rear grip has improved.
Dave, now you can see what the holes in the roof were for. I don't think I imagined it - high speed stability seemed better.👍
Cheers, Greg
vw54 ·
nice little spoiler it would have to help
Greg do u want some type 3 rear torsion bars whats in there now isnt it the origional floor and suspension ??
HappyDaze ·
Yes Dave, the chassis and suspension are original, but I've tried even softer rear torsion bars (machined thinner). This allows more rear load on the comp. spring, giving more roll, which means more neg. camber (only works for swing-axle)👍 Still running the same rear camber - 2.5 deg. negative.
sander288 ·
Hi Greg,
Looks great!! I'm glad that little spoiler has helped too,
Cheers
Shaun
stagvee40 ·
Looks great Greg, dont know if they'd work on 356 drums (probably not) but in Fvee we run diaphrams on the back drums (as you probably know) perhaps they might fit, or something else could be made up? But they make sure that if a drum fails you dont do a mid-air swan lake impression😂!!!!!
HappyDaze ·
That's not a bad idea, stagvee40, although the 356 drums are very strong. The original VW drums are good too - it's the repro. drums that are a worry.
I've now driven the car with the 356 brakes, and once I feel confident in them, they will be fine. The extra weight of the roll cage etc. has reduced the 'punch' out of corners, but the car feels stable, and hopefully will lap Wakefield Park close to previous times. Looking forward to the Supersprints on May, 21st.
Cheers, Greg
oldtub356 ·
I heard the rumours from DBUG, but refused to believe it!!!
****"I am now considering disc brakes as a possible option."****
Now DBUG (DrumBrakeUserGroup) are sad to see G...Gr... er' this man? leave the group after a lifetime of good service.
But, in a positive spirit, the Group, wish him well in his future endeavours, but need to remind "him" of his DBUG commitments.
Firstly, "he" must return the rest of the can of BLACK paint and accept the PINK can for the mandatory respray.
Secondly, when the di... "other" brake thingies are installed he must return his driving shoes and here after, race in stilettos.
These should also come in handy when he takes up his free entry into next years Mardigras in his pink "beasty".
Thirdly, you will no longer be considered to be an "OldFart".
____________________________
Oh, 'And by the way.......... Greg, those crappy old 356 drum brakes........ which you bought "really cheap"........ which were crap on the track......they can't be worth too much now, can they?
I could help you offload them...really cheaply.... just to get them out of the shed??
Lance.
(Now: Sole member of DBUG - looking for new(old) members - bring your own BLACK paint!)
matberry ·
oldtub356 wrote:I heard the rumours from DBUG, but refused to believe it!!!
****"I am now considering disc brakes as a possible option."****
Now DBUG (DrumBrakeUserGroup) are sad to see G...Gr... er' this man? leave the group after a lifetime of good service.
But, in a positive spirit, the Group, wish him well in his future endeavours, but need to remind "him" of his DBUG commitments.
Firstly, "he" must return the rest of the can of BLACK paint and accept the PINK can for the mandatory respray.
Secondly, when the di... "other" brake thingies are installed he must return his driving shoes and here after, race in stilettos.
These should also come in handy when he takes up his free entry into next years Mardigras in his pink "beasty".
Thirdly, you will no longer be considered to be an "OldFart".
____________________________
Oh, 'And by the way.......... Greg, those crappy old 356 drum brakes........ which you bought "really cheap"........ which were crap on the track......they can't be worth too much now, can they?
I could help you offload them...really cheaply.... just to get them out of the shed??
Lance.
(Now: Sole member of DBUG - looking for new(old) members - bring your own BLACK paint!)
OMG ... is this true????
Will this bloke of which you speak be also changing to double joint rear suspension???????😂😂
HappyDaze ·
Don't worry Lance, I'm still a fully-paid-up member of DBUG! None of those dicks brakes for me. I was just seeing who would bite.😏
Just keep your gravy-stained fingers OFF my 356 drums, thank you - get those ones out of your safe, and use them!👍
And Matt, mind your language, please. D#@^*e J#%*@t rear suspension, indeed!🙄
Cheers, Greg
oldtub356 ·
Quote:"Will this bloke of which you speak be also changing to double joint rear suspension???????"
IRS??.....Ever worse........I also heard that he was considering a MINI....phurt....pht...phtt I feel like I just swallowed a rat!
Oh the times, they are a'changin'.
HappyDaze ·
If you blokes keep using this terrible language, I hope that the Mods. will step in. Not sure what they will step in, though.
oldtub356 ·
Greg?...Greg, all is forgiven...you've seen the light...Alleluia Brothers...... the prodigal has returned to the flock...all is forgiven.
DBUG rulz!!!! Aaaand the FIRST Register also welcomes you back (FyukeIRSTransmittion)
Matt you should be ashamed of doubting Good OLD Greg!!
HappyDaze ·
Aaaaaaaaand the SAAB [Swing Axles Are Best] Club
vw54 ·
yep the SAAB club is tops
oldtub356 ·
Yep, the SAAB guys are pretty cool with their SVELT ladies (Six Volt Electric Light Tramps)
stagvee40 ·
When people try to reason why formula vees would be better with V8 and superchargers, i remind them FORMULA (Fantastic Old Rules Manage U lunatics Allways!!!!!!!)
matberry ·
oldtub356 wrote:Matt you should be ashamed of doubting Good OLD Greg!!
Nah...I knew it couldn't be true....some old buggers are as stubborn as all hell, but you know, even 356's UPgraded to dare I say it....disc brakes.............😂😂😂
oldtub356 ·
I like the FORMULA in Vees... It's sad to see the rules constantly being modernised in Historics...given time they will end up being like FunnyCars.
.....sob! Bad Karma, coming your way Matt....spanner slips, skinned knuckles will do.
HappyDaze ·
matberry wrote:
oldtub356 wrote:Matt you should be ashamed of doubting Good OLD Greg!!
Nah...I knew it couldn't be true....some old buggers are as stubborn as all hell, but you know, even 356's UPgraded to dare I say it....disc brakes.............😂😂😂
Matt, the reason for changing 356 brakes to discs, was more about keeping the Yanks happy, as TRs, Jags, etc. were fitting discs. The disc brakes on the early 356s were a lot HEAVIER [un-sprung weight] than the drums, and didn't stop any better.
OK Lance, go on - tell me that I'm wrong.😂
matberry ·
Fair enough Greg, after all, I am a believer too, I just tend to keep it under my hat.
I engineered a set of 40hp brakes (class rules n all) that out performed a stock disc setup ...... back a few years now......
oldtub356 ·
No, you've DRUMMED it into me Greg...I'm a true believer too....bbbbut, if by accident, I have ended up with a IRS Dub.....I may as well stick some discs on the back, before asking forgiveness?? I promise to never go back to McPherson Strut though!
HappyDaze ·
matberry wrote:Fair enough Greg, after all, I am a believer too, I just tend to keep it under my hat.
I engineered a set of 40hp brakes (class rules n all) that out performed a stock disc setup ...... back a few years now......
Don't worry Matt, I won't tell a soul.🙅
HappyDaze ·
oldtub356 wrote:No, you've DRUMMED it into me Greg...I'm a true believer too....bbbbut, if by accident, I have ended up with a IRS Dub.....I may as well stick some discs on the back, before asking forgiveness?? I promise to never go back to McPherson Strut though!
For f..k sake Lance, how many times must I explain what IRS means?😂😂😂
HappyDaze ·
After 4 years of hard work, I decided that the engine deserved a 'freshen up' and a couple more horses to help with the extra weight of the roll-cage,etc.
Steve Muller, who originally built the engine, was very busy, so [with Steve's blessing] I asked Rod Penrose to tackle the job. Amazingly, it needed very little work, and Rod gave it a bit more comp.[now 9.5:1], and suggested smaller webers [48mm down to 40mm] and 1 1/2" headers. A Magnaspark ign. was also fitted.
This morning, with Rod supervising, his 'Dyno-Man', Jason, worked his magic. We ended up with just over 120 HP at the wheels, with really good power from 4000RPM to 6000RPM. There was a slight miss at first, and they wanted to know how old the plugs were? "4 years", I said, and they looked at each-other in a funny way. I mean you can't just go spending money on spark plugs all the time, can you?😂 Thanks Steve, Rod, and Jason, well done.👍👍👍
Cheers, Greg
nbturbo ·
Are you sure you can handle that big jump in power "old fella"?
HappyDaze ·
Listen Gary, leave the "old fella" alone, will you.........that doesn't look right, does it? Oh well, that's probably what I meant, anyway.😂
Guess who hopped out of his truck to have a yarn, while I was loading the Beetle on the trailer? Ron! Haven't seen him since we got back from the 'spending spree'
How did Wade's Mustang turn out?
vw54 ·
more horses now that will be fun to drive
cnfabo ·
more hp with smaller carbs and exhaust,wtf????
HappyDaze ·
More in the mid-range.
colin ·
cnfabo wrote:more hp with smaller carbs and exhaust,wtf????
Bigger doesn,t mean better, it,s all in the combo.
Heads , Carb, Cam , Exhaust.
Nice work Greg, great result.
Cheers Col
hellbugged ·
😂, good stuff Greg
yep combo Col.......it's a combination that makes "A" package
nbturbo ·
I said "old fella-not big fella".It would be good to see Ron again.Bet he would love to catch up with fxxx-knuckle again.The Mustang is a work in progress-it's been back for warranty work-some of the work was pretty sub standard,and some was top quality.
matberry ·
🙂 Nice to hear she was is good shape and only needing a few changes. 👍👍
mactaylor ·
can you give us a run down of the engine specs greg?
HappyDaze ·
Rather than me getting it wrong [I have an idea what the specs are, but not to the last detail], maybe Steve or Rod could chime in here with the exact specs?
What I do know, is that it a VERY strong and reliable engine.👍
cnfabo ·
i know he he, spoke to rod today......do i have permision greg....
HappyDaze ·
Shows what kind of person you are, asking permission - I'm impressed, Chris!
It would be better for that information to be 'first-hand'. If we don't hear from Steve or Rod over the next few days, however, go for it!
RodPenrose ·
Greg , I think it is a stock 1600cc with a few small mod's , ROD.
Super1302 ·
RodPenrose wrote:Greg , I think it is a stock 1600cc with a few small mod's , ROD.
ha ha, all day everyday 🙂
Paul
HappyDaze ·
Hey Rod, you forgot the NEW spark plugs, and bumping up the fuel pressure another .5 psi.🙄
sander288 ·
Rod's good for new spark plugs!! Sure helped me out at the supersprint 😀
Can't wait to hear the difference when you take it out next
cnfabo ·
enjoy the new found horsepower greg.....and get some incar footage for us all...we need to learn off you old fella....
mactaylor ·
RodPenrose wrote:Greg , I think it is a stock 1600cc with a few small mod's , ROD.
cheeky bugger!
Camo ·
Great stuff Greg, but it will be at the track where you will get the most pleasure from it and a grin from ear to ear 😁
So when is your next outing.
Kev
HappyDaze ·
Hi Kev,
The next outing is Saturday week [Sept.3rd] - Cootamundra Sprints [Vintage speak for drags], run by the Vintage Sports Car Club of Australia. I fist joined the VSCCA in 1961.🙄
The one that I am really looking forward to is at Wakefield Park, on October, 14th. It will be an historic race day, and I hope to get back to pre-roll-cage lap times, with the extra couple of horses.
How's your Beetle coming along, Kev........must be close now?
Cheers, Greg
Camo ·
Hi all,
Greg has whipped it out again and has been having a play with it 🙅
This time he was doing it at Wakefield Park and has asked me to put these few photos up for him.
If you want to know any more about his car etc, you will have to ask the man himself.
Kev
mactaylor ·
great photos! that outside front wheel tucks along way under must be flexing heaps, very impressive, heaps of mechanical grip.
hellbugged ·
👍
lap times Greg?
HappyDaze ·
Camo wrote:Hi all,
Greg has whipped it out again and has been having a play with it 🙅
This time he was doing it at Wakefield Park and has asked me to put these few photos up for him.
If you want to know any more about his car etc, you will have to ask the man himself.
Kev
Thanks Kev.
By the way, there were others there....I wasn't just playing with myself!😂
Best lap was 1m16.6, and it needs more work on the engine to get back to pre-roll-cage times.
The rear end [swing-axle] is really gripping well, now I need to work on the outside front grip. Got a few ideas to try.
Brakes [356 drums] are working well.......and they didn't collapse!
Cheers, Greg
matberry ·
Looking great Greg. Those 356 brakes must be noticably better than the old VW drums....
matberry ·
Hey Greg, look what photo Col just dug up. Circa 2003, thought you might be interested.
HappyDaze ·
Thanks a lot Matt........just when I'd almost forgotten about those 'crap' brake drums.😬 Pity I didn't see that in 2003.
Lucky they weren't doing about 80 MPH around a corner when that one let go.
matberry ·
HappyDaze wrote:Thanks a lot Matt........just when I'd almost forgotten about those 'crap' brake drums
Best not to forget Greg. 😉
HappyDaze ·
hellbugged wrote:👍
lap times Greg?
Sorry hellbugged, just reallised that I had not replied.
Best lap was 1m 16.64, however the 'trial' 40mm Webers slowed it quite a bit on the straight. The 48s are going back on!
Next time out should be interesting........I am presently converting the swing-axle rear suspension - NO, NOT IRS - to 'Zero roll'. No torsion bars, just one coil-shock unit, as per F.Vee. Toe-in, toe-out change will be also [almost] zero.
Cheers, Greg
hellbugged ·
cool stuff.
always keen to hear how you're doing and what developments are going into it, being a fellow swing axler and all.
hopefully one day catch up and pick your brain a bit.......would love to get mine hooking up like those photos above
better get my butt down to Wakefield this year and see where it's at with it's current set up
PAZZAN ·
looks like its time to take the swing out of swingaxle👍
matberry ·
Obviously we all need pics Greg, I like the sound of it.