Beetle (ok... 1303) to Alpine conversion

[daartechniek]

Aaah the 1303... love them hate them...
I did the last one and took the anglegrinder and am making something less hiddious or at least TRY !!!


Alpine project based on 1303

[BL3Manx]

Took a while for the pictures on your site to load, but WOW! Beautiful coachwork! Love the way you reused the roof panel and glass from the super-beetle. Thanks for posting the link.

I reposted these pics so they open here.

[daartechniek]

that "super-beetle"was chosen for that purpous exactly. it is nearly impossible to get a front windscreen in a self built frame... and why bother if that 1303 (a gift from someone who's yard it was littering) has the lines you want.

everything is on a budget since it is for a mental healthcare project. so having a windscreen custom made...bit too expensive
costs till now approx 150 euro

[BL3Manx]

Building a coachbuilt coupe as a mental healthcare project is a great idea. Over here they just give out drugs.

I think the Alpine had a fiberglass body. You might have the only one made of steel.

Bruce Meyers uses the super-beetle windshield in his Kickout SS Manx too, but he made a custom frame.

[34FraserNash]

Love it... I'm definitely watching this thread.

If my metalworking skills were anywhere near this good, I'd do a Simca-Abarth or Lancia Appia Zagato replica (my two favorite non-VW car marques) based on a Super Beetle, rather than a Renault Alpine. Still, it's very nice.

Do you intend to use a VW drivetrain and suspension, and what are the plans for the interior?
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HBB-RW-Mongo63

Olds 455 V8 '71 411 Variant
1934 Frazer Nash kit car on a '69 pan (decided to keep it)
Tube-frame off-road buggy based on '57 beetle
1970 Fun Products MiGi Stutz street buggy on '64 pan
1927/1973 Model T Ford sedan replica
And non-VWs too...

[daartechniek]

[daartechniek]

things just got a little more luxurious...
just in : electric windows ( where it'll all fit i don't know), electric seat ajustment and a lot of dails for a cute dashboard...



also atempting to build a "sequential-like" gear stick that changes gear like a sequential gearbox.



so make that the slowest 3 ton metric car

for the complete update... visit www.daartechniek.webs.com


cheers
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[BL3Manx]

That sequential shifter looks superb, but it should be done as an upgrade, after you complete that fantastic car.

You mentioned the need to turn the fan 90 degrees. Here is a picture of a 914 engine with a flat Corvair type cooling system which was raced very successfully by Tangerine Racing. They call it "the best cooling system for a racing 914-4". They sell the system as a kit. http://www.tangerineracing.com/Engine.htm

[daartechniek]

i know the gears are not the most important at this moment. but sometimes i get tired of staring at some sheets, so i do something completely diferent. then some time later it all comes to me and a better plan is born.

hey that is a good looking fan-setup. i heard the guys from kieft and klok saying something about that setup, but seeing it explaines all the questions. a BIG thank you for the pictures. i printed the pictures and we'll see if it fits and if we have the machine to build something like that (guess so)

cheers
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[BL3Manx]

I think you can get Corvair cooling fan parts and even the top sheet metal shroud pretty cheap. If you do use a Corvair fan, make sure its the later cast magnesium type with the non-directional straight radial blades like in the picture. I think they were 64-69. The Corvair engine rotated the opposite direction from the VW.

Because of the 90 degree bend the belt makes, the fan belt would often roll upside down and stretch. They improved its reliability by adding guides, better shaped pulleys and a spring tensioner. I'm guessing Tangerine has solved that problem on their racing engines.

[Tangerine Racing]

Hey, I recognize those pictures!
The complete engine pics are my old prototype system that was run in my race car (with no alternator) for more than 10 years. The f/g shroud was a poor design (sold by someone else) and required the Corvair fan to be cut down too much. This year I completed development of a full kit using the carefully designed aluminum shroud shown in the lower pic. I've been running it (at speeds up to 100mph) in my street 914 all year with great results.
I haven't had any belt problems since 1999, after redesigning the pulleys to properly fit the belt. Nonetheless, I still have an alarm light on the dash in case a failure ever occurs.

[BL3Manx]

Does the fan still have to be cut down?

[Tangerine Racing]

[xirxious]

I saw another design close to this, but these type, you can't skip a gear right? It's always FWD up a gear and back is down a gear like a motorcycle? THe one I saw had a separate reverse lever.

[daartechniek]

indeed... it can not skip a gear. i got the idea from my motorcycle period.

a seperate reverse? then you propably need a seperate gearbox, just for reverse... or do you mean the extra lever was to be sure reverse could not engage unless the lever is operated.

when a seq box is in 3rd... i do not know of a way to switch into reverse without seeing some other gears.
but thaty could be my lack of brains
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[daartechniek]

or instead of a fan use the RAM-AIR principal





just added an air intake... felt like sharing
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[daartechniek]

all's going along fine



http://daartechniek.webs.com/
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[daartechniek]

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[daartechniek]

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[daartechniek]