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flyboat
Samba Member
Joined: April 21, 2010
Posts: 2752
Location: Bath NC
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 Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 12:51 pm Post subject: Super beetle hood spring replacement |
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I just replaced my original hood springs with the gas srtut set up. Have a look at the pictures. Nobody offers this kit so I put a kit together. No more squeaking and it looks cleaner
Roger
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79 super Vert
62 Ragtop Bug
66 tintop Westy
Porsche 914
09 Z06 Vette track car |
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aimdela
Samba Member
Joined: January 07, 2011
Posts: 23
Location: MIAMI
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| Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 1:44 pm Post subject: |
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| nice, where did you get the gas struts? |
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flyboat
Samba Member
Joined: April 21, 2010
Posts: 2752
Location: Bath NC
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| Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 1:51 pm Post subject: |
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I found them at a gas spring manufacturer in IA. These units have steel eye ends. The lower one is machined to fit the original lower post and use teh original lower clip. The upper has a ss bushing and two ss spacers to keep it all snug and smooth.
I am going to offer these kits for sale as soon as I get pics for the classified on The Samba and in a few other places. Becasue of teh machine work invovled a kit will cost $60 plus shipping.
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79 super Vert
62 Ragtop Bug
66 tintop Westy
Porsche 914
09 Z06 Vette track car |
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Joel
Samba Member
Joined: September 04, 2006
Posts: 11099
Location: NSW Australia
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| Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 2:22 pm Post subject: |
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How much hell did you go through getting the drivers side old one out?
that's what has always stopped me doing something like this, looks like even a gynecologist would have trouble with that one.
Although RHD when you have all the fuel filler and breather hoses in the way make it seem worse.
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Quick little bug, you got a Porsche motor in that?
1974 Germanlook 1303 2.5 Suba-Beetle |
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jmedwid
Samba Member
Joined: November 10, 2003
Posts: 30
Location: Northern Ohio
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| Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 2:47 pm Post subject: |
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Let me know when you have your kit together. I am very interested in it. My bars inside the original springs are bent and therefore I am running with nothing now -- getting to be a hassle.
John |
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flyboat
Samba Member
Joined: April 21, 2010
Posts: 2752
Location: Bath NC
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| Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 3:46 pm Post subject: |
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| Joel wrote: |
How much hell did you go through getting the drivers side old one out?
that's what has always stopped me doing something like this, looks like even a gynecologist would have trouble with that one.
Although RHD when you have all the fuel filler and breather hoses in the way make it seem worse. |
It wasn't so bad. If you understand how the clips work it is easy to do. You'll probably need a long magnet because the clips may make their way down the defrost tube access.
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79 super Vert
62 Ragtop Bug
66 tintop Westy
Porsche 914
09 Z06 Vette track car |
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flyboat
Samba Member
Joined: April 21, 2010
Posts: 2752
Location: Bath NC
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| Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 3:47 pm Post subject: |
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| jmedwid wrote: |
Let me know when you have your kit together. I am very interested in it. My bars inside the original springs are bent and therefore I am running with nothing now -- getting to be a hassle.
John |
The kit is ready. There is about a two week delivery window. pm me if you are ready to order them.
Roger
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79 super Vert
62 Ragtop Bug
66 tintop Westy
Porsche 914
09 Z06 Vette track car |
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jbrandt01
Samba Member
Joined: August 21, 2008
Posts: 267
Location: Livonia, MI
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| Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 11:27 pm Post subject: |
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Don't want to be a downer but a kits already exist. I installed them on my '72 a few weeks ago and I love it.
https://www2.cip1.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=ACC-C10-3394
This is probably going to come back to bite me in the ass, but so far its the highest quality EMPI part I've come across.
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1972 VW Super Beetle (Turbo + EFI)
2010 VW Jetta TDI |
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vw_hank
Samba Member
Joined: February 07, 2001
Posts: 5371
Location: Everett WA
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| Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 11:55 pm Post subject: |
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I have the same kit, mine was bugpack  i don't think there's A difference between them and empi.... but the kit flyboat is making fits 73 and up supers, the kit you and I have don't.
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1302s sunroof..
1600cc motor. Glenn ring 010. full toplineparts.com suspension. factory front disk brakes. Tram type-3 rear brakes. Hurst shifter. empi-8's. low-back's. tons of mods! |
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smokey503
Samba Member
Joined: October 01, 2010
Posts: 713
Location: Ridgefield Washington
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| Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 1:16 am Post subject: |
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It is too bad Flyboat can not get the prices closer to the others that were posted by Empi and Bugpack.
If they were in the $35-50 range I would be interested
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If a car travels the speed of light, would the headlights work? |
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vw_hank
Samba Member
Joined: February 07, 2001
Posts: 5371
Location: Everett WA
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| Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 2:40 am Post subject: |
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| smokey503 wrote: |
It is too bad Flyboat can not get the prices closer to the others that were posted by Empi and Bugpack.
If they were in the $35-50 range I would be interested |
that would be nice,, but you need to remember Flyboat isn't A mass production business with 100s of 10 year old slaves wiling to work for rice 
_________________
1302s sunroof..
1600cc motor. Glenn ring 010. full toplineparts.com suspension. factory front disk brakes. Tram type-3 rear brakes. Hurst shifter. empi-8's. low-back's. tons of mods! |
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flyboat
Samba Member
Joined: April 21, 2010
Posts: 2752
Location: Bath NC
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| Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 6:01 am Post subject: |
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That's right. This kit is for 73 on supers. No one offers these as far as I know. I developed the kit for my own use and decided I could share it with others. The biggest reason for the kit pricing being high is the machine work to the bottom eye and the small pieces generated to create the bushings and spacers and all the stainless steel fasteners. Considering the amount of work involved, the kit is fairly reasonable.
I am a VW enthusiast first. I hate it when I see vendors taking advantage of us for the purpose of lining their pockets. Fortunately, there is competition in the market and it doesn't happen as much as it used to, but it does still exist.
Lastly, every part that goes into these kits is AMERICAN made. No disrepect to other countries but I think we need to look out for jobs in America at all costs or else, one day we will be the third world country
i hope my rant does not affend anyone. I am just making everyone aware of my position. You can look at my website and see where my income comes from. The VW parts I offer is just a hobby to gain more VW spending money
www.brooksboatworks.com
Roger
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79 super Vert
62 Ragtop Bug
66 tintop Westy
Porsche 914
09 Z06 Vette track car |
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vw_hank
Samba Member
Joined: February 07, 2001
Posts: 5371
Location: Everett WA
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| Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 6:37 am Post subject: |
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| flyboat wrote: |
That's right. This kit is for 73 on supers. No one offers these as far as I know. I developed the kit for my own use and decided I could share it with others. The biggest reason for the kit pricing being high is the machine work to the bottom eye and the small pieces generated to create the bushings and spacers and all the stainless steel fasteners. Considering the amount of work involved, the kit is fairly reasonable.
I am a VW enthusiast first. I hate it when I see vendors taking advantage of us for the purpose of lining their pockets. Fortunately, there is competition in the market and it doesn't happen as much as it used to, but it does still exist.
Lastly, every part that goes into these kits is AMERICAN made. No disrepect to other countries but I think we need to look out for jobs in America at all costs or else, one day we will be the third world country
i hope my rant does not affend anyone. I am just making everyone aware of my position. You can look at my website and see where my income comes from. The VW parts I offer is just a hobby to gain more VW spending money
www.brooksboatworks.com
Roger |
 on A different forum, my sig line is
"Welcome to America! the next 3rd world country"
_________________
1302s sunroof..
1600cc motor. Glenn ring 010. full toplineparts.com suspension. factory front disk brakes. Tram type-3 rear brakes. Hurst shifter. empi-8's. low-back's. tons of mods! |
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flyboat
Samba Member
Joined: April 21, 2010
Posts: 2752
Location: Bath NC
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| Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 6:52 am Post subject: |
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Apparently, you get it.
Roger
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79 super Vert
62 Ragtop Bug
66 tintop Westy
Porsche 914
09 Z06 Vette track car |
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jbrandt01
Samba Member
Joined: August 21, 2008
Posts: 267
Location: Livonia, MI
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| Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 7:54 am Post subject: |
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They also sell a kit that is German made for 1303's that is priced at $60. I'm not here to discourage, only to make you aware of whats out there and how you can improve.
As for the whole "American" aspect of it, I can fully appreciate that. As a matter of fact I am a project engineer for an American fabrication house. Before that I was a hard working American machinist. The entire purpose of my job is fighting off foreign competition. That said, I fully appreciate and understand the pitfalls of small volume manufacturing, and thats with a well equipped shop.
The fact of the matter is people decide with their wallet. Country of origin only goes so far when you can get the same part elsewhere (longevity aside). My suggestion would be to either sharpen your pencil and find ways to reduce your costs or come up with something that drastically sets your product apart from the competition. Stainless Steel bushings are nice, but a switch to UHMW or oilite/brass is cheaper and also offers self-lubricating properties. A piece of braided polyethylene wiring loom and two pieces of shrink wrap would make a nice 'boot' for next to nothing. Including extra snap rings for when you undoubtedly drop them down into the abyss when removing the originals would be a nice touch. Heck, even a set of rudimentary instructions would be a massive step up over the Chinese parts.
There is nothing I'd like to see more than a bunch of the little guys making superior products at the same price point as the imported junk. That said, it will take what truly sets an American product apart, ingenuity and a desire to be better than the rest.
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1972 VW Super Beetle (Turbo + EFI)
2010 VW Jetta TDI |
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flyboat
Samba Member
Joined: April 21, 2010
Posts: 2752
Location: Bath NC
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| Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 9:37 am Post subject: |
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| jbrandt01 wrote: |
They also sell a kit that is German made for 1303's that is priced at $60. I'm not here to discourage, only to make you aware of whats out there and how you can improve.
As for the whole "American" aspect of it, I can fully appreciate that. As a matter of fact I am a project engineer for an American fabrication house. Before that I was a hard working American machinist. The entire purpose of my job is fighting off foreign competition. That said, I fully appreciate and understand the pitfalls of small volume manufacturing, and thats with a well equipped shop.
The fact of the matter is people decide with their wallet. Country of origin only goes so far when you can get the same part elsewhere (longevity aside). My suggestion would be to either sharpen your pencil and find ways to reduce your costs or come up with something that drastically sets your product apart from the competition. Stainless Steel bushings are nice, but a switch to UHMW or oilite/brass is cheaper and also offers self-lubricating properties. A piece of braided polyethylene wiring loom and two pieces of shrink wrap would make a nice 'boot' for next to nothing. Including extra snap rings for when you undoubtedly drop them down into the abyss when removing the originals would be a nice touch. Heck, even a set of rudimentary instructions would be a massive step up over the Chinese parts.
There is nothing I'd like to see more than a bunch of the little guys making superior products at the same price point as the imported junk. That said, it will take what truly sets an American product apart, ingenuity and a desire to be better than the rest. |
I hear you loud and clear. Can you post a link for the german made units for the 1303's. I have never seen them. If I had, I may not have developed the kits I have. Thanks
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79 super Vert
62 Ragtop Bug
66 tintop Westy
Porsche 914
09 Z06 Vette track car |
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my quite
Samba Member
Joined: October 04, 2010
Posts: 113
Location: Sarasota
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| Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 11:38 am Post subject: |
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| I'm interested, but curious about the gas struts themselves. Given time all gas struts seem to fail. would you offer replacement struts, and for how long? or would there be a part number we could get new struts from? I like the fact they are made in the USA. That alone would make them worth the price. Thanks for the work. |
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flyboat
Samba Member
Joined: April 21, 2010
Posts: 2752
Location: Bath NC
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| Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 11:49 am Post subject: |
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| my quite wrote: |
| I'm interested, but curious about the gas struts themselves. Given time all gas struts seem to fail. would you offer replacement struts, and for how long? or would there be a part number we could get new struts from? I like the fact they are made in the USA. That alone would make them worth the price. Thanks for the work. |
I will continue to sell the replacement parts. Also, I will ship the kits with the manufactuer stickers on the struts so the new owners can access replacement parts from the original manufacturer. The manufacturer may tell you where you can buy them. I buy them OEM because I am a manufacturer of boats and use their products on the boats, only in stainless steel. I can offer these kits with polished stainless struts also but the cost goes up about $200.
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79 super Vert
62 Ragtop Bug
66 tintop Westy
Porsche 914
09 Z06 Vette track car |
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jbrandt01
Samba Member
Joined: August 21, 2008
Posts: 267
Location: Livonia, MI
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| Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 1:26 pm Post subject: |
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| flyboat wrote: |
I hear you loud and clear. Can you post a link for the german made units for the 1303's. I have never seen them. If I had, I may not have developed the kits I have. Thanks |
http://www2.cip1.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=ACC%2DC10%2D3395
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1972 VW Super Beetle (Turbo + EFI)
2010 VW Jetta TDI |
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flyboat
Samba Member
Joined: April 21, 2010
Posts: 2752
Location: Bath NC
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| Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 2:03 pm Post subject: |
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They are similar to the ones I offer. I wonder how long they have offered this kit?
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62 Ragtop Bug
66 tintop Westy
Porsche 914
09 Z06 Vette track car |
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