Hi, I have a ratty standard 54 beetle that I think I will turn into a sleeper.

The question is, what do people do with the handbrake setup when you run a later gbox and later style drum brakes ? What needs to be changed/ modified to make it all work, and can you then change back to the standard setup later ?

Cheers
CT

Change the gearbox nose cone to a type 2 one and it should fit up good, alternately change the gearbox mount (nose cone one) to a later model.

OK - dumb question

What does the hand brake have to do with the gear box??

Ok, sorry I should explain myself. The gearbox fitment re mounts etc isn't the problem. The problem is that on a 54 beetle the handbrake cables are completely different. They enter the rear drum at the top and from the rear (instead of at the bottom and from the front like all other beetles) and the adjustment is made at the front of the car between the front torsion bars, not at the handrake.

So what cable combination do I use for fitting the later drum brakes..........or is it possible to just route the existing cable in from the front on the later backing plates?

we have a IRS trans change to a swing, different nose cone. 54 hand brake still.
newer rear brakes & cables may fit just have to give it a try.

I have a type 3 1500 box, 1200 axels with type 3 drums in my beetle
Later nose mount fitted up
same og handbrake set up
George croucher fitted up many moons ago n he widend the wishbone for clearance from memory
goes like a dream on the highway

I fitted a 66 1300 box in my 55 and from memory redrilled the front mount to lower it and swapped the back plates side to side and brought the cables in from the rear.This was a lot of years ago probably back in 67,the system worked with a single port 1500,that was a mean little bug in the old Mini Cooper days.