Board Logo

Length difference?
Arpspasm - January 12th, 2012 at 03:18 PM

Heya how much further forward is the centre of the wheel arches of a super bug body compared to a ball joint or a link pin? would a beam extender be required to marry a super body to an earlier pan for example? cheers, Dan.

BiX - January 12th, 2012 at 07:47 PM

I always though the wheel base was the same on all beetles.

duncombemu - January 12th, 2012 at 08:28 PM

Arpspasm,

I put a 1960 body onto a Super '71 floorpan.

I removed the strut type front and welded a B J Frame Head to the '71s IRS floor pan. The only modification I had to make is the body, was to cut about 2 inches off the length of the 'rear quarter panel reinforcement brackets' and then weld the part with the hole in it, back onto the reinforcement bracket. Then bolt the body onto the pan (put simply).

You need to get the new B J Frame Head very square and in line, or nothing will line back up.

Then you have an IRS rear, B J front and disc brakes.

Regards,

Mark

Smiley - January 12th, 2012 at 09:30 PM

I think he's talking about putting a late body on an earlier pan.

No reason why it can't be done. But you'll have to do a lot of cutting and changing of the spare wheel well area on the super body to make enough room for the framehead and beam to fit.

What is your interest in doing this mod?


Smiley :)

Arpspasm - January 13th, 2012 at 06:38 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Smiley
I think he's talking about putting a late body on an earlier pan.

No reason why it can't be done. But you'll have to do a lot of cutting and changing of the spare wheel well area on the super body to make enough room for the framehead and beam to fit.

What is your interest in doing this mod?


Smiley :)


Yeah spot on Smiley my reason for wanting to do this as for my reason for buying the beetle in the first place is to baja it. (obviously if I had of done a tiny bit of research I would not have brought a super.) I know I could buy an old beetle and start again but I like my car I just loathe its front end :lol: also I know where I stand with it and most importantly if I sold my super I would get a fraction of the money the previous owner and I spent on it. and there is no way the wife would let me get another "project" beetle when I am supposed to be restoring her Kombi.

Oh yeah does that mean the wheels would line up with the arches without extending the beam?

1303Steve - January 13th, 2012 at 07:12 AM

Hi

The wheelbase on a beam car is 2400 mm and its 2420 mm on a strut pan.

Steve

Arpspasm - January 13th, 2012 at 07:32 AM

Cheers steve, So not enough to stress about. Particularly with a lift kit and "altered" guards :lol:

Smiley - January 13th, 2012 at 02:40 PM

If it's fora Baja you can cut the front end of the super off from the firewall forward. Then just fit a one piece fibreglass frontend.



Smiley :)

Arpspasm - January 13th, 2012 at 10:59 PM

Not that fond of fibreglass though logically that would make sense I think Matt had a couple of moulds as well. Have to ponder a bit more anyway still in dreamy dreamy land till I rebuild some funds :lol:

Smiley - January 14th, 2012 at 01:46 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Arpspasm
Not that fond of fibreglass though logically that would make sense I think Matt had a couple of moulds as well. Have to ponder a bit more anyway still in dreamy dreamy land till I rebuild some funds :lol:


But the guards, bonnet nosecone and engine scoop on a Baja are 'glass anyway!

Unless you want to make them all out of steel.



Smiley :)

Arpspasm - January 14th, 2012 at 03:49 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Smiley

But the guards, bonnet nosecone and engine scoop on a Baja are 'glass anyway!

Unless you want to make them all out of steel.

Smiley :)


Yeah that was the plan (make them out of steel) or mostly steel depending on my welding skillz there will probably be some fibreglass/bog involved somewhere