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My toy 1969 BUG-Racing Orientated... SHE LIVES! :)
Aussie Dubbin - August 20th, 2010 at 12:23 PM

Hi All a few months ago i purchased my newest addition ot the family and have set about dismantling reconditioning and putting back together

I will be hoping to make it roll, stop and handle well andthen work on the engine, with the biggest plans to have a successful car that i can drive to hill climb and supersprint events and then drive home.

I will be adding images of my journey along the way, and while it may not be the fastest project i will be keen to get it done as i have spare time available.

I have previously owned a 69 beetle for 14 years (a baja, and while it looked great it wasn't my thingin the end), i also built a very tidy and very exciting beach buggy (MaxFX from Beach Buggy Australia) with a group of students from the Yorke Pensinsula SA.

These two projects have set me well for knowing a fair bit about these cars and this time i hope to finish with a very successful build and end up wit a tight car that drives very well and gives me a lot of fun to drive.

I will post pics and ino as they come available.
I'm keen for any feedback as i go along too.


Aussie Dubbin - August 20th, 2010 at 01:21 PM

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/Aarons%20Vee%20Dub%20Beetle%201968/Bug2.jpg

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/Aarons%20Vee%20Dub%20Beetle%201968/Bug3.jpg

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/Aarons%20Vee%20Dub%20Beetle%201968/DSC02866.jpg

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/Aarons%20Vee%20Dub%20Beetle%201968/DSC02868.jpg


Aussie Dubbin - August 20th, 2010 at 01:24 PM

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/Aarons%20Vee%20Dub%20Beetle%201968/DSC02871.jpg

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/Aarons%20Vee%20Dub%20Beetle%201968/DSC02873.jpg

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/Aarons%20Vee%20Dub%20Beetle%201968/DSC02876.jpg

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/Aarons%20Vee%20Dub%20Beetle%201968/DSC02877.jpg


Aussie Dubbin - August 20th, 2010 at 01:28 PM

QUOTE: From previous thread...

My susmension improvement plan - help please


Hi Guys,
I am in the process of planning my resto and build but want to head down the circuit car/ track day car route (Would like to drive these and home too if achievable). I have just purchased a straight and seemingly rust free 1969 BJ/ SA 1500 beetle (RHD AUS), and want to separate the pan and redo all the suspension and braking mods so I know the car will roll well, stop well and handle as best it can. It (at this stage will be left in full street trim (does anyone know the street weight of this model?)
Reading what I can I am finding a few conflicting ideas about what would be the best way for me to go... I am considering replacing the following parts and would like suggestion about quality or rubber V polyurethane components. Thanks
Steering Donut DONE
Steering Damper DONE
Ball Joints (German) DONE
Tie Rod Ends (German) DONE
Dropped Spindles 2 1/2” (yes or no) NO
Swayaway adjusters top and bottom (yes or no – as well as dropped sp???) advice here SWAY AWAY
Super Eccentric Camber adjuster (where to get this and what spec?) NOT YET
Castor shims (how many and what length bolt replacement?) 2 EACH SIDE
(Whats the recommendation for beam needle bearings V Polyurethane)NEEDLE
Beam Dust covers Polyurethane or rubber? STOCK
Anti roll bar (is 19mm enough or do I need bigger and adjustable version?) STILL LOOKING

Rear
New torsion beam outer bushings(4) rub V Poly? POLY

Shocks (what options front and rear (costs???)) Adjustable? NOT YET PROB GOING KONI

Any cheapish but necessary gearbox improvements while its out would be appreciated ?
Geabox solid mount rear (yes or no) YES
Mid mount support (advice here too please) YES BERG STYLE
Shift rod bushing YES
Shift rod coupling (poly?) NO BUT WILL TIGHTEN
Bearings??? (all round? Are they expensive/ worthwhile or just re grease old ones) YES ALL REPLACED


NOW... I am getting to settings of the suspension and there a differences in what works. Here are two different suggestions comments would be great...
__________________________
FRONT
Discs all round YES
2 Castor shims per side YES
Extra camber adjustor BENT TOP TRAILING ARMS
Anti RB for lowered car
Adjustable shocks set half way
Bridgestone RE720 185/50/15” Tyres NONE YET
Set toe at ride height to ½ deg toe in NOT SET YET

REAR
Discs all round YES
Z-bar adjusted to be “on” full time, not Camber compensator CONVERTED TO IRS
Adjustable shocks set half way
Bridgestone RE720 185/50/15 NONE YET
Set toe at ride height to ½ deg toe in NOT SET YET
__________________________
FRONT
Swayaway adjuster top and bottom YES
2 super eccentric camber adjusters YES
-2 degrees negative camber HOPING FOR UP TO -4*
3-5 degrees castor
5mm toe out (6/32 – 7/32”)
18mm (3/4”) Sway bar
195/60/14” tyres PROB GOING 195 OR 205 X 50X15
Front 1” higher than rear? WENT FOR 28MM REAR T BARS INSTEAD
Cofab/ KYB gas shocks

REAR
Sway away camber compensator IRS
Cofab/ KYB Gas shocks
-2 degrees Camber
2-3mm (3/32 – 1/8”) Toe in
205/60/14 tyres
Shimmed up Z bar
1’ lower than front
__________________________

Brakes????
Car I fit front callipers to the rear as well and have a proportioning valve to bring the bias into play. Nothing worse than having brakes lock up at the front while the car isn’t actually slowing down (recommendations here for handbrake or options otherwise braking great!) PROB LOOKING AT RE BONDING NEW PAD MATERIAL GREEN STUFF OR SIMILAR

So hopefully you can see where I am heading and I would love advice from numerous people in the know please. I also read somewhere about polyurethane boots on the front suspension??? NO

Also as I said above I want to separate the pan get it blasted and powder coated and then commit as many improvements as I can so I have a car that rolls and stops and handles well, anything I have missed would be great.

Thanks Aaron




SEE the rest of the thread here
http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=83910&page=1#pid781818 


Aussie Dubbin - August 20th, 2010 at 01:31 PM

VIEW Thread here
http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=84301&page=1#pid784980 

Camber... Bending Top arms


Anyone done this??? I am trying to purchase eccentric Camber adjusters for my 68 bug BJ beam and have been told not to worry about the extra adjuster but to get the top arms bent... has anyone done this??? and is it safe/ good??? Can i still get adjusters, looking for -4/5Deg camber


Aussie Dubbin - August 20th, 2010 at 01:37 PM

I Hvae been doing some research for a while and have doen some other posts too. You can search under Aussie Dubbin if you need to.

I do have the pan plasted and primed and now i am just waiting to ge the rear stiffened and need to make a rear KAFAR style brace. Craig Torrens makes and supplies an excellent kit but maybe 550 bucks will cut into my budget too much???

I have also had the rear end converted to IRS by Peter Debiasi ( the workmanship looks great) and hope to have the car back together and drinving in the... er... not toooo distant future.

I still need HD or at least Type 3 wagon torsion bars and Type 3 Drums 3x130 if anyone has any lying around?

I will post some pics soon


Aussie Dubbin - August 20th, 2010 at 01:40 PM

Anyone got any other suggestions for things to do to the pan before painting and re-assembly???


Scarab - August 20th, 2010 at 04:54 PM

looks good mate....nice work! :tu:

Scarab (aka: Paul)


Aussie Dubbin - August 22nd, 2010 at 12:55 PM

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/Aarons%20Vee%20Dub%20Beetle%201968/DSC02756.jpg

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/Aarons%20Vee%20Dub%20Beetle%201968/DSC02762.jpg


Aussie Dubbin - August 22nd, 2010 at 12:58 PM

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/Aarons%20Vee%20Dub%20Beetle%201968/DSC02905.jpg

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/Aarons%20Vee%20Dub%20Beetle%201968/DSC02898.jpg

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/Aarons%20Vee%20Dub%20Beetle%201968/DSC02895.jpg

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/Aarons%20Vee%20Dub%20Beetle%201968/DSC02900.jpg

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/Aarons%20Vee%20Dub%20Beetle%201968/DSC02892.jpg

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/Aarons%20Vee%20Dub%20Beetle%201968/DSC02894.jpg

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/Aarons%20Vee%20Dub%20Beetle%201968/DSC02903.jpg

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/Aarons%20Vee%20Dub%20Beetle%201968/DSC02906.jpg

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/Aarons%20Vee%20Dub%20Beetle%201968/DSC02909.jpg

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/Aarons%20Vee%20Dub%20Beetle%201968/DSC02902.jpg


Aussie Dubbin - August 22nd, 2010 at 01:01 PM

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/Aarons%20Vee%20Dub%20Beetle%201968/DSC02910.jpg

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/Aarons%20Vee%20Dub%20Beetle%201968/DSC03048.jpg

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/Aarons%20Vee%20Dub%20Beetle%201968/DSC03049.jpg

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/Aarons%20Vee%20Dub%20Beetle%201968/DSC03051.jpg


Aussie Dubbin - August 22nd, 2010 at 01:03 PM

This is me up to date at the moment, Has anone made their own style KAFAR Bar??? Craigs kit looks tops but pricey??? Looking for something like the 5 bar triangulation of the rear frame horns...


Sides - August 23rd, 2010 at 06:55 PM

Shaping up to be a very nice build thread this one... keep it up.

:tu:

On the Kafer brace... well I've got a 3 bar that I got before Craig started doing his kits, but if the timing was different reckon I would've gone with one of his 5 bar kits for sure... great on both quality and value from what I've seen.

Oh and the black version looks damn sexy IMHO.

;)


Aussie Dubbin - August 25th, 2010 at 01:22 PM

Thanks Sides,
If you want to 'donate' your Gbox to a good cause... LOL Ha Ha


Aussie Dubbin - August 25th, 2010 at 01:31 PM

Any suggestions for best way to clean that GBox? Apart form scrape and spray and srape and brush etc...


Luke - August 26th, 2010 at 07:35 PM

Hey mate. Your pans look in good nic. Are you replacing them?


Aussie Dubbin - August 26th, 2010 at 08:32 PM

Heyluke, it was a pretty good find... no rust that i can see


Sides - August 27th, 2010 at 07:28 AM

Heh heh, yeah - happy to donate the box if you donate appropriate amount of coin !!!

:lol:

Cleaning that box tho... well first plug up the breather hole with a toothpick or similar to reduce chance of stuff getting in (it's up the front in top area of nose cone)... then just go to town on it. Way I've done it is to scrape away as much as possible, brush on some kero or degreaser to soak, the scrub, hose off (gerni) and repeat. Remember to unplug the breather when all done.

Oh and yeah - do it on top of a tarp to collect all the crap that comes off rather than soaking into the grass or driveway.

:tu:


Aussie Dubbin - August 30th, 2010 at 06:48 PM

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/beam.jpg

The beam preped and ready to cut and put in adjusters


Craig Torrens - August 30th, 2010 at 09:30 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Aussie Dubbin
Craigs kit looks tops but pricey??? Looking for something like the 5 bar triangulation of the rear frame horns...


LOL......a clevis joint is around $45-$50 retail, and my kit has 10 of them....then the material costs for the bars, fasteners, laser cut tabs, laser cut and welded brackets on the shock towers, plating and all the time machining up the kit !!!........I reckon the VW community is getting a bargain for the quality these kits provide :cool:

Its worth spending the money now, as you are at the best stage to fit it............and it will certainly be worth (all 5kg!) its weight in gold if you intend to do ANY type of racing.


Aussie Dubbin - August 31st, 2010 at 08:45 AM

You are absolutely right! I canot come up with any type of solution close just yet... NIce kit Craig, i can see the workmanship is spot on and it is very easy to use... Don't take my attempts to make my own in offense, just a guys wanting to have a crack.

Cheers for looking at the thread, i appreciate your input.


Craig Torrens - August 31st, 2010 at 03:58 PM

That's cool, I make NO money from it so I have no probs at all if you make your own.

With your front beam, remember to "trim" the top of the shock towers so the tyres clear when you run neg camber :cool:


Sides - August 31st, 2010 at 04:05 PM

Oh yeah - good point about the shock towers Craig... funny how rarely that one get's mentioned hey !!!

:tu:


Aussie Dubbin - August 31st, 2010 at 05:10 PM

Ok cheers for the info... how much should the tower be timmed by? any guides/ pics? Are you guys stiffening the shock towers too? i was considering a front 'truss' type bar from tower to tower or something like that???


Craig you may not want to say, but why the adjustment in the Torque bar? is it ease of fittment or is there another feature?


Craig Torrens - August 31st, 2010 at 08:59 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Sides
Oh yeah - good point about the shock towers Craig... funny how rarely that one get's mentioned hey !!!

:tu:


There's lots of tricks that rarely get mentioned !!


Craig Torrens - September 1st, 2010 at 10:03 AM

Where the texta line is.....cut that away and then weld the join all the way around the shock tower.


Aussie Dubbin - September 1st, 2010 at 10:56 AM

Cheers... Thats a lot of material. Have you then stiffened her up further elsewhere???

Tension on the Kafer bar kit???


Aussie Dubbin - June 2nd, 2011 at 11:06 AM

In primer anyway. Will turn over and do the underside tonight.

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/DSC04505.jpg

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/DSC04511.jpg

http://i999.photobucket.com/albums/af113/Aussiedubbin/DSC04512.jpg


Aussie Dubbin - June 2nd, 2011 at 11:14 AM

Just an update.

So i have got the top arms bent on the front beam.
I have secured 4 wheel discs all new ut had to go cheaper than i wanted too so time will tell
Ive got one racing seat and just waiting to put the body back on top to see how it fits...
Installed an 8mm fuel line in addition to the original... other side
Stitch welded the pan and frame head and frame horns and torsion beam frame horns
Installed sway away style front beam adjusters
Trimmed the top of the horns on front beam as photo above...
Solid mounted the gearbox at the rear mount (thanks Richard at V Force)
Solid intermediate mount also thanks rich. (berg Style)


Aussie Dubbin - June 2nd, 2011 at 11:21 AM

Bought parts too will post pics.
Got 28mm rear torsion bars to sort out the rear end. Cant wait to see how they feel.
Went with Empi short shifter and will replace the rivets for nut and bolts... apparently will feel nice. Might pull apart and lube properly before install.
Have painted the gearbox, no real service there as Gbox is unknown. Will change oil and cross fingers see where that leads?
Have pulled steering box apart and cleaned inspected and lubed back together. (Wow - feels so smooth)
Instead of craigs 5 bar kit (great but no spare cash) will bolt the frame horns to the fire wall.
Still have to make an engine support cradle but will do that insitu


I'm sure there is heaps i have forgotten ut will post as i remember. Nice to finally have something to put up:cool: