Posts: 403
Threads: 61
Registered: March 27th, 2003
Member Is Offline
Location: Uralla NSW
Theme: UltimaBB Pro Blue ( Default )
Mood: RISKY IS 1337
posted on August 2nd, 2004 at 08:22 PM
will a t3 front end fit a t1??
hi gang
wes might be able to help
will a t3 front end fit a t1 front
it will be going on my manx project it's a 72 so has a mcpherson strat front end so i need a new front end and i have a t3 so will i be able to weld
a frame head on and run it?
i don't think it will evea be rego
or will t3 disc and stearing box and arms fit a t1 balljoint front ?
thanks people as im not sure what to do
Posts: 403
Threads: 61
Registered: March 27th, 2003
Member Is Offline
Location: Uralla NSW
Theme: UltimaBB Pro Blue ( Default )
Mood: RISKY IS 1337
posted on August 3rd, 2004 at 07:00 PM
btw why i was going to do this was coz i had all the t3 stuff and i would have to buy the t1 front end and frame head so thats why and they are easy
to jack up standed
thanks again people
Posts: 199
Threads: 39
Registered: January 4th, 2003
Member Is Offline
Location: Coffs Harbour, NSW
Theme: UltimaBB Psyche Blue
Mood: Be cool.
posted on August 3rd, 2004 at 08:09 PM
Putting an older Beetle body on a Super (1971-1975) type floor pan.
I’ve put a 1971 Super Beetle floor pan up to my ‘62 Ragtop Beetle. But the Super has strut front-end and the Beetles before that had torsion bars.
This is how I ended up fitting the ’62 body to the Super floor pan. I hope this helps in some way.
First I cut off the frame head of the Super and welded a new ‘ball joint’ type Frame Head (from Mick Motors) to the ‘bulkhead’ that the brake
master cylinder bolts onto. This type of modification has to be very precise if you want the older body to fit onto the floor pan.
There were problems.
Just getting the new frame head at the correct length, so the two upper front beam bolts, line up, was hard enough. Then getting the whole ‘head’
square to the floor pan and keeping the ‘head’ at the correct length and level with the rest of the floor pan was very hard. It also had to be set
up so the upper and lower torsion bar tubes were vertical to the floor pan. I ended up with the front beams about 12 mm too high. I just couldn’t
get all these parts lined up without it being out by this much. Everything else was OK. I found this out when I went to match the body to the upper
front beam anchor points. So I cut the two lugs off the top beam and welded a new set on a modified bracket I made. This fixed the problem of not
having the front of the body secure.
There was a lot of rust in the floor pan, like where the battery went, was completely missing and on the other side too. I cut all that out and welded
in new quarter panels (from Mick Motors). So the floor pan was completely waterproof again.
Now when it came for me to attach the steering column to the rubber coupler/steering box, it all wouldn’t line up, because the body was just that
much lower than originally. It wasn’t much, but it was enough not to line up. So I had to modify the way it all attached together and utilise the
universal joint from the Super’s steering setup. I made up some attachments and a nylon bush/bearing, cut in half and secured up in the steering
columns shaft, that protrudes through the firewall, to act like a bearing. This stoped the shaft slopping around in this piece of tubing, when the
steering wheel was turned. It worked very well.
Then when it came to putting the fuel tank back in, it wouldn’t fit, because the steering universal joint was too high and hit the tank. I made a 13
mm RHS frame that I put between the lip on the tank and where the tank was secured normally. That fixed that little problem. I added some small tags
to the original clamps that held the tank in before. The tank just sits a little higher than it did originally. It’s not that noticeable under the
carpet lined front section.
I then had a few of the holes along the floor pan/chassis, that didn’t line up, but they weren’t that far out and eventually I managed to get them
tightened up nicely. The bolts under the back seat didn’t line up at all, about 5 mm out, so I had to cut the holes a lot bigger and then welded
large washers to cover the holes and secured the body with the bolts the usual way. That turned out OK.
I then came up against the usual problem where the rear mounts attach to the higher shock towers. So I cut around 32 mm off the bottom of the mount
and lowered the body onto the towers and then welded the tab with the hole in it to the remaining mount bracket and secured those points to the
towers.
There were some other little problems that manifested themselves, as the job progressed, but I just worked my way around them.
I changed from a single line/circuit to dual circuit master cylinder while I was at it, because I now had front disc brakes. The brake fluid
reservoir, from the Super, had to be installed because of two feed lines needed, instead of only one, as before with the single circuit set up.
I removed the rear shock absorbers from a 1995 Volvo sedan and they fitted straight in with out any modifications and gas Monroe’s at that. I
removed the front shock absorbers (Old Man Emu) from a four wheel drive (don’t know what type, sorry) and they went in the front with only a bush
needed for the lower mount stud, because it was a smaller diameter than was needed on the shockers.
Every bolt that I put back into the car, had the ‘No Seize’ grease on the threads, so at any time these bolts are going to be removed easily
enough. Very little is needed. This is very important, when doing anything with nuts and bolts.
I then had to hunt around to find wheel rims (4 stud) to suit my wide tires that I had on my 5 stud wheels. I got some Centrelines, 14 X 6 front 14 X
7 rear. Very nice indeed!
Also while I had the car off the road, I installed a 1500 motor and removed the old tired 1200, that was in it originally. One thing that I should
have done and did not, was change the ‘throw out bearing’ for a new one. It’s as noisy as hell, when you put your foot on the clutch. I’ll do
that next time I remove the engine. I fitted a ‘quick shift’ to shorten the gear changes too. I also installed a new oil temperature gauge and a
tacho as well. I put in the front seats and the retractable seat belts out of a 1976 Gemini.
What a difference all of these changes have made, a lot of work, but well worth it in the end. You get IRS rear, a newer gearbox, with better ratios
for the bigger motor and front disc brakes. The only trouble is, the car still looks the same, only difference is the wheels, because all the other
changes are hidden. But gee, what changes!
So if anyone wants to talk to me about doing anything like this, then feel free to ask.
Regards,
Mark
Don't ever let anyone tell you, "It can't be done."
