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HeidelbergJohn4.0 Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004 Posts: 1199 Location: Havre de Grace, MD
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 9:34 am Post subject: |
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mackyboy1893 wrote: |
Okay, let's look at it this way. I need this car to be able to go at least 95 mph every day on the highway. I need it to be reliable, and strong. I drive it about 70 miles every day.
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If you're planning on running AT LEAST 95 mph in that bug, you're gonna end up joining your late uncle sooner than later. Think Ryan Dunn's crash in his GT3.
just the weight alone of the transmission you'll need to harness the torque of the cummins is more than the entire drive train if the beetle. nothing like a bug that sounds like a backhoe. Look at a scoobie conversion. You can pretty much buy everything you need off the shelf at this point. _________________ 71 LWB Manx style dunebuggy
71 Beetle
71 Volksrod
Machette Speedster
2012 Passat TDI SE (sadly sitting in a buyback parking lot somewhere waiting for it's heart to be ripped out.) |
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mackyboy1893 Samba Member
Joined: August 28, 2011 Posts: 67 Location: Cleveland, Ohio
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 10:30 am Post subject: |
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Suggesting the civic is just stupid. I love this car and have been driving it for 8 months, I can get it up to about 65 mph. I need it to go 90-95 or ill get plowed over by Tue traffic. I live in largo Florida, so I drive on the highway for mist of my driving. What could I do to the 1600 to get it to handle these kinds of speeds? I know ill need different suspension, different braking, different steering maybe. This is why I'm asking, what will I need to do? And I don't have a problem keeping the air cooled engine, its a good lil engine, its just not fast enough. I know you can make them faster, so what would I do to beef up the 1600? I can spend up $8,500. That's including suspension and other things, maybe $10,000 at the most. |
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69 Jim Samba Member
Joined: September 27, 2004 Posts: 6264 Location: Chickengeorge's Neighbor
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ragtopbaja Samba Member
Joined: May 06, 2009 Posts: 169 Location: ct
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Randy in Maine Samba Member
Joined: August 03, 2003 Posts: 34890 Location: The Beach
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 11:20 am Post subject: |
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My 71 Super would easily do the 84 mph as a top speed from the factory and would cruise effortlessly all day at 70.
You need a tune up. Do you know how to do that? |
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MinamiKotaro Samba Member
Joined: July 18, 2008 Posts: 1039 Location: Somewhere in TN
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 12:04 pm Post subject: |
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mackyboy1893 wrote: |
Suggesting the civic is just stupid. |
No, it's smart. The days of ACVWs being everyday cars is over. Quality parts are getting hard to find and they are not really very economical compared to any modern four-banger. Use your VW for a weekend toy car and drive a Honda or Toyota to work during the week. _________________ 1967 VW Beetle
2276cc
MegaSquirt-extra v3.57
Check out my ongoing story. |
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rlutterb Samba Member
Joined: January 10, 2006 Posts: 1392 Location: Carrollton Ohio
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 12:30 pm Post subject: |
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No time, live in an apartment, no money, no fabrication skills, no welding skills, no mechanical skills.......gotta have a good imagination then. _________________ 1973 Super Beetle
1978 Ford F-250
2020 GMC Sierra |
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torsionbar Samba Member
Joined: December 11, 2010 Posts: 2215 Location: earf
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 12:41 pm Post subject: |
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mackyboy1893 wrote: |
Glenn wrote: |
mackyboy1893 wrote: |
I need this car to be able to go at least 95 mph every day on the highway.
Much appreciated,
Mackyboy |
you're never gonna get a Beetle to do that. You might have an engine that can do it but the body, suspension and brakes will not handle it for long. It just wasn't designed to do that. |
I understand that, part of the plan was to replace the suspension and braking. If I did that, the body would hold up at those speeds wouldn't it? |
you do not understand how cars work. find a new hobby please. golf perhaps? _________________
Max Welton wrote: |
[air cooled vw's] are no longer suitable for the general public. The owner has to be be able to maintain the car. And that is after fixing all the deferred maintenance items and ill-conceived modifications. If you can't do those things you are pretty much screwed. |
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ezrydr Samba Member
Joined: June 29, 2011 Posts: 106 Location: Alton IA
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 12:51 pm Post subject: |
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wow. _________________ just another kid trapped in a 53 year old body |
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mackyboy1893 Samba Member
Joined: August 28, 2011 Posts: 67 Location: Cleveland, Ohio
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 12:56 pm Post subject: |
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Why couldn't it be a daily driver? It has been for almost 8 months and been fine. It's just not quick enough. I've given up on the diesel or Tue subaru, just someone please explain where I can get the parts, what parts I would need, as in engine upgrades, suspension, and braking parts. I will stick with the 1600 but want to upgrade it. If I could at least go 85 I'd be happy. I know this is possible, I just don't know exactly how, that is what I'm asking. Not whether it not I van do it. I can do it, would take a little while, but I have a two week break coming up, so I could have a buddy help me with it. |
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69 Jim Samba Member
Joined: September 27, 2004 Posts: 6264 Location: Chickengeorge's Neighbor
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 1:14 pm Post subject: |
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Ah never mind.
Last edited by 69 Jim on Mon Aug 29, 2011 1:54 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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cableguy Samba Member
Joined: October 16, 2010 Posts: 21 Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario
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ezrydr Samba Member
Joined: June 29, 2011 Posts: 106 Location: Alton IA
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 1:21 pm Post subject: |
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For starters just use the forum search function. This is site is FULL of information on engine upgrades, maintenance, tune ups and even vendors who can sell you a whole new bolt-in performance engine and tranny.
Everything you need to know is right here if you have the patience to look.
That said, let me try to give you a dose of reality even tho you don't seem quite ready to accept the advice from those here you are seeking it from.
If you want to do this yourself you will need to study every bit as hard as you do for whatever you are going to college for. You are talking about performing mechanical alterations in a vehicle that is used on public roads. You owe it to yourself and to the public who shares the roads with you to know what you are doing.
I am 53 years old and have worked on all kinds of vehicles. I have mechanical, electrical and fabrication experience and a garage full of tools.
A few months ago I acquired a 1962 VW with a 1969 engine. The first thing I learned about vintage VWs is that I had a lot to learn.
I have literally spent dozens of hours pouring over this web site in an effort to understand how to do things correctly on my old VW.
Before I even laid a wrench on my VW I made sure I understood as much as I possibly could about whatever I was about to do lest I make a bigger mess of what I was trying to fix.
Even something as simple as the clutch cable on these cars reuqires that you understand how and why it was engineered to work the way it does. Or it won't work and you'll be sitting on the edge of the road (or worse)
If you have as much determination as you do imagination I have no doubt that you can do it. But you need to be REAL.
You need to get the proper repair and service manuals for your car first. Then you need to read and understand them.
Whenever you begin work on one of these cars you should always be prepared to have it out of service for days or weeks. Inevitably as you begin work you will discover that you need a part or parts that you did not anticipate. While there are plenty of on-line vendors for vintage VW parts you will find it that sourcing parts locally will be difficult. Auto Parts Stores simply do not stock stuff for these old cars. Many parts are not even available from the online vendors.
There are also many special tools required to repair, upgrade and maintain these cars.
The best advice I saw given to you in this thread was to stop trying to make this your daily driver. If you truly want to honor your uncle then treat this car as something special. Spend some mony on a reliable run-of-the-mill car for a daily driver. Then tear into your VW and do it right without having the pressure of having to get it back together so you have something to drive.
Even better, put it into storage and preserve it until you get out of college and have a place of your own where you can work on it in your liesure.
Maturity and wisdom will teach you that the more you learn, the more there is to learn.
Good Luck _________________ just another kid trapped in a 53 year old body
Last edited by ezrydr on Mon Aug 29, 2011 1:24 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Mooosman Samba Member
Joined: November 05, 2007 Posts: 269 Location: Las Vegas, NV
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 1:24 pm Post subject: |
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mackyboy1893 wrote: |
As I don't have a mechanical background. |
This is going to be your biggest hurdle (besides the apartment living, lack of tools, etc.). I think you need to start at the beginning, and work your way up; your first stop should be the nearest Barnes and Noble, or a trip to amazon.com. You need to buy two books, and you need to read them before you tear your car apart! "How to keep your Volkswagen alive" by John Muir, and a Bentley service manual for your car.
You need to get the basics of VW ownership down before you try your hand at hot-rodding. Things like:
-adjusting brakes
-adjusting valves
-setting points
-setting timing
-rebuilding and adjusting a carburetor
-bleeding brakes
IMO, if you don't know the basics of car maintenance, and aren't comfortable working on a car, then there's no point in spending money on go-fast parts. You need to know what you're doing, how things work, and why certain parts of the car do what they do. Without this mechanical foundation, everything else is going to be a shot in the dark.
Nick
*Edit*
mackyboy1893 wrote: |
If I could at least go 85 I'd be happy. I know this is possible |
It's possible, but a bug doesn't really feel comfortable at 85. It feels like you're flying a WWII plane or something. I know I don't feel very confident driving mine over 75 or so, even though the engine will do it. 65-70 mph is the sweet spot for me.
BTW, I did the Subaru conversion on my 69 bug, and it took all. summer. long. (and I'm a fairly competent mechanic).
Unless you stick with the VW engine, ANY engine conversion is going to take a lot of time, energy, and money. There is no way around it. Be honest about your abilities before you start tearing apart your uncle's car. It would be a shame to start the project and not be able to finish it. _________________ (o\ ! /o) '69 Beetle---Subaru EJ22 powered---SOLD
(o\ ! /o) '64 Ruby Red patina bug---40 horses of FURY!
Last edited by Mooosman on Mon Aug 29, 2011 1:34 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Paul Wright Samba Member
Joined: November 15, 2004 Posts: 425 Location: Memphis, Ind
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 1:25 pm Post subject: |
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Two weeks..........you are going to need a lot more time than that!!
Face it....with your financial situation and time, plus you dont know enough about cars its not possible!!!
This is a project for someone who has built many, many cars and has learned how to fab parts.
You cannot really think that you post a few questions on a board and get this done.
The samba is the worlds best resource for good advice on realistic vw problems. This post is quite frankly a waste of time and you are going to get flamed!!!!!!!
Keep it stock or upgrade the motor for a little more power. Get another car for commuting to work.
I can use mine for daily driving if I wanted to but I dont need to go that fast.
Come to think of it.......my Toyota x-runner speedo says 120mph but I have never had it more than 75. Just not needed!!! _________________ I may not be good.......but I sure am slow!! |
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deathroll77 Samba Member
Joined: November 19, 2007 Posts: 385 Location: Sacramento, CA
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 1:43 pm Post subject: |
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torsionbar wrote: |
mackyboy1893 wrote: |
Glenn wrote: |
mackyboy1893 wrote: |
I need this car to be able to go at least 95 mph every day on the highway.
Much appreciated,
Mackyboy |
you're never gonna get a Beetle to do that. You might have an engine that can do it but the body, suspension and brakes will not handle it for long. It just wasn't designed to do that. |
I understand that, part of the plan was to replace the suspension and braking. If I did that, the body would hold up at those speeds wouldn't it? |
you do not understand how cars work. find a new hobby please. golf perhaps? |
Wow that was harsh. lighten up.
Im 22 years old. knew nothing about cars till i got my first bug when i was 19. id say ive learned alot now. but dont know as much as others. my recommendation for you is that if you really.. reallly.. REALLY want to pursue doing an engine swap in a bug. i would do a Suby swap. ive been 95mph in a bug. one of the most scariest things ive ever done. there are soo much Engineering involved in doing what you want to do.
IMHO I strongly suggest drive it for now, learn more about Vw's, wait until college is done, so you'll have nothing to worry about. I.E. classes, homework etc.. and decide then.
for now your Main #1 Priority is School. nothing else.
Btw, chicks dig bugs. thats how i got my gf now. _________________ 1971 Volkswagen Bug |
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Paul Wright Samba Member
Joined: November 15, 2004 Posts: 425 Location: Memphis, Ind
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 1:46 pm Post subject: |
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"for now your Main #1 Priority is School. nothing else. "
Well said!!! _________________ I may not be good.......but I sure am slow!! |
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mackyboy1893 Samba Member
Joined: August 28, 2011 Posts: 67 Location: Cleveland, Ohio
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 2:39 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks to everyone for your answers. As much as I want to say I'm going to still do the swap, I'm going to skip it, and maybe later on do a few acvw performance upgrades, this car was my uncles, and being he died so young its really the only thing I have to remember him by, so I'm going to keep it the way he had it. If any of you are interested, ill put some pics up of it. Also, if I leave it the way it is, could I use it as my daily? Or should I just go buy another cheap subie?
Thanks,
Severely stubborn and confused
P.S. I already have a masters degree in culinary , and a masters degree in baking and pastry and also a associates degree in business. What I'm working on now is a PhD in restaurant management and hospitality. So yes, school is one of my main priorities, my girlfriend of 5 years my main. But anyways, a few of you I believe wondered what I was doing for school. Again, thank you for your help, and straightening me out on the tinkering that I would probably, no most likely fail at. and for saving my uncles pride and joy. |
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ezrydr Samba Member
Joined: June 29, 2011 Posts: 106 Location: Alton IA
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 2:46 pm Post subject: |
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I think you are wiser than you're first post led us to believe.
Congratulations on your educational and culinary accomplishments!
very cool!
Hang onto that old VW and treat it like a family heirloom. Who knows? maybe someday you'll be able to pass it on to your nephew or son or even daughter. _________________ just another kid trapped in a 53 year old body |
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Paul Wright Samba Member
Joined: November 15, 2004 Posts: 425 Location: Memphis, Ind
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 3:40 pm Post subject: |
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Would love to see some pics!! _________________ I may not be good.......but I sure am slow!! |
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