Heading in yet another new direction!

[tigersteve]

Hi Steve, and welcome aboard.
Another nice feature with the Beetle, non of them were 'standard'. I had a 12 volt 1100cc version with drums all round!!! (On the outside!!!). After a bit of fettling, a bit more negotiating and a bit more fettling it had discs all round, new master cylinder. A 1300, then eventually 1600 engine fitted. (Plus several clutch plates and conversion kits). The rear bar at the back of the engine was cut out a new removable section replaced. (That saved on lifting the car up and over the engine every time I wanted to tinker.) Heated tunnels were replaced with fibre glass tunnels and I stopped No.3 piston from overheating by beating out a small scoop under the piston to allow cooling air to flow over it!!! It was proper wolf(sberg whistler) in sheep's clothing!!!!!
So if anything goes wrong with the build I may just (cough), change a few things!!

Just to say I'm not promoting my old build, but copied the first paragraph, which you may find funny!

My first ever car was a 1966 'D' Reg VW 1300cc Beetle .
There was quite a story with the car , first bought by my Dad new, in Bright Red .
However , My Mum hated red cars , maybe that was why he bought it, as they divorced a few years later!
Dad was in the Welsh Guards Band for most of his working life and whilst touring the USA and Canada in 1967, (which lasted 3 months) Mum had the car repainted Porsche Yellow ! Dad returned none the wiser and was not impressed.....
However, it remained our family car for another 8 years, nearly written off in a bad crash and took 4 of us on 2 major touring holidays, to Spain in the early 70s , towing a caravan and with a Mirror sailing dinghy on the roof!
When I passed my test it became mine for a couple of years .

[Waspie]

I wish I had a similar tale to tell but sadly no!!
Mine didn't cost a lot at all, it was a rust bucket with an engine with no compression. That led to the first engine change - it was cheaper than trying to rebuild it!!!! After that it was just money money money!!! Had some great times in it and under it!!!
In a week it was off wings, treating rust and such, then the brakes and brake pipes came out and replaced.
Here it is/was by the Bonny bonny banks of Loch Lomond!!!!

[tigersteve]

In '67 Red! Then around '72 Yellow !

[Waspie]

Thats quite a load considering how many horses they had in comparison to todays motors!
I remember talking to a motorway copper way back, we were talking about Beetles and speeds and he said he rarely pulled over a Beetle for speeding as it was common knowledge they didn't go fast. That was about an hour after I had hoofed it down the M6 well over the national speed limit. (That was only with a 1300 engine), Won't go into the 1600 I ended up with!!!!:flushed:
Steve, did your Beetles rear window mist up for a pass time?

[Scratchbuilder]

Put a Porsche engine in there, that will give it some oompf!
My first was an original Mini Cooper, complete with roll cage, wide Dunlop tyres and twin carbs.... on the way back to barracks in Chelsea got to the the A1 roundabout at Catterick, engine finished up in the little guard hut, and I finished up in the ditch, upside down... Never bought a Dunlop tyre since.
Best oldy '72 was a Morris Minor van, seats came from a Humber Snipe, Jaguar rear suspension, Wolfrace 10 inch rears and 8 inch fronts on Morris Marina front suspension, Ford V6, and vynil sunroof cut down from an unknown car. All the interior was customized including remooving the centre speedo and replacing it with other instruments. Used to take me from Munster to the UK at least once a month. Eventually sold on to another squaddie when I went further abroad.

[Waspie]

Put a Porsche engine in there, that will give it some oompf!
My first was an original Mini Cooper, complete with roll cage, wide Dunlop tyres and twin carbs.... on the way back to barracks in Chelsea got to the the A1 roundabout at Catterick, engine finished up in the little guard hut, and I finished up in the ditch, upside down... Never bought a Dunlop tyre since.
Best oldy '72 was a Morris Minor van, seats came from a Humber Snipe, Jaguar rear suspension, Wolfrace 10 inch rears and 8 inch fronts on Morris Marina front suspension, Ford V6, and vynil sunroof cut down from an unknown car. All the interior was customized including remooving the centre speedo and replacing it with other instruments. Used to take me from Munster to the UK at least once a month. Eventually sold on to another squaddie when I went further abroad.

Trust me Mike, a flat six was considered!!!!

[Guest]

Put a Porsche engine in there

There already is

[Waspie]

There already is :smiling3:

But not a 6 cylinder boxer engine!!
Way to many modifications toto squeeze a flat6 in!!!

[tigersteve]

Thats quite a load considering how many horses they had in comparison to todays motors!
I remember talking to a motorway copper way back, we were talking about Beetles and speeds and he said he rarely pulled over a Beetle for speeding as it was common knowledge they didn't go fast. That was about an hour after I had hoofed it down the M6 well over the national speed limit. (That was only with a 1300 engine), Won't go into the 1600 I ended up with!!!!:flushed:
Steve, did your Beetles rear window mist up for a pass time?

It was a 6 volt system and the heater had no fan at all, so the car only got a bit warm in the winter when on a long/fast(ish)! run. The rear window was always misted up as we had a border collie who used to sit behind the rear seats, dribbling and moaning! ( Naturally 'Tweed" never made the foreign trips! ) Also the windscreen wash was pressured from the air in the spare tyre ........ :flushed:

[minitnkr]

Recall many go-fast 1835s in bugs & buggies from my CA days.

[Waspie]

It was a 6 volt system and the heater had no fan at all, so the car only got a bit warm in the winter when on a long/fast(ish)! run. The rear window was always misted up as we had a border collie who used to sit behind the rear seats, dribbling and moaning! ( Naturally 'Tweed" never made the foreign trips! ) Also the windscreen wash was pressured from the air in the spare tyre ........ :flushed:

I spent tome time on the heating!! As I said, I stripped out the old rusting metal heating channels, no point in them as no warmth reached the front. After I refitted the GRP channels, connected the ducting for the front and footwell vents it was hunky dory. Needed to living in Scotland at the time. Next was the rear window, The heating element was rubbish and I wasn't going to tinker with that. SO!! I used some clear fuel pipe, initially I punched holes in it to allow air to pass through and onto the rear window, (inside). Didn't work, next I drilled the holes into the fuel pipe, success!! Then the fuel pipe was glued under the window so the air which was tapped from the heater channel blew over the window!! Huzzah!! No more misting.

I must say, the tapping air from the spare tyre to pressurise the windscreen wash was devilish cunning.

Next mod was a front air dam as motorway driving with a fuel tank nearing empty was fraught with danger!! The front became light and was susceptible to getting blown around by overtaking lorries!!! The air dam was very good, but steering was improved more when I aded some 50 pound of lead shot under the spare wheels in the nose!!! Stable as heck then.

Recall many go-fast 1835s in bugs & buggies from my CA days.

Paul, is the 1835 referring to engine size? If so I would have loved to have a beast that big sat behind me!!! (Eyes narrow and little horns pop up). The UK somehow isn't the place for bugs, but I know a few who had them, driven dry summer days only!!!

[Guest]

But not a 6 cylinder boxer engine!!

That was not part of the stated requirement

[minitnkr]

Yes Doug, big jugs to take it to 1835ccs, plus a lot of other mods to make the whistlers scream.

[Scratchbuilder]

But not a 6 cylinder boxer engine!!
Way to many modifications toto squeeze a flat6 in!!!

I seem to remember that the engine cover/boot lid had to be left open to clear the carbs.

[tigersteve]

steering was improved more when I aded some 50 pound of lead shot under the spare wheels in the nose!!! Stable as heck then.

Haha I remember Dad saying he heard a bag of cement was the trick!