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Fri Jul 25, 2025 7:46 pm

Hello My name is Brian. Long time Samba member and resent new project bug owner. I figured I would introduce myself on this forum since I ill be no doubt hanging out here in the future. I'm a Bay window bus guy, but please don't hold that against me. I have owned bugs in my past but it has been a long long time.
Since I recently retired I figured what the heck. I found "Blanca', she's a 1965 sunroof bug project she's running but she will need a motor, It has a "freeway flyer" transaxle which is just fine. just axle boots and gear oil top up.

She was lowered when I got her, but it was done very poorly.
To start with the rear torsion bars had zero preload and Empi coil over shocks were added, The front had split leaves removed and the suspension stops cut off. I have already fixed the rear by doing an old school 2 degree drop which is the stock preload setting minus 2 degrees.

The front required a complete rebuild beyond just doing king and link pins. Mainly to correct the missing front stops. I put the missing split leaves back in the top tube and just added 4 inch segments to the leaves stack at the three anchor points. It may raise it a bit in the front but making sure the bottom stack is properly anchored should help overall stability I think. I just got it done this week and it's ready to go back in.

Once the suspension is done I can turn my attention to the engine. after that once it is cruising smooth I'll turn my attention to the interior and the pretty stuff. :D

Just after I fixed the rear torsion adjustment

Front end work.

Sat Jul 26, 2025 1:06 am

Looks like a great start!

Sat Jul 26, 2025 3:00 am

Nice car and good work so far. What are your plans for it?

Sat Jul 26, 2025 3:34 am

nice car, and bays are fine too. that's a neat front beam holder 8) but what's the 'piston of death'?

Sat Jul 26, 2025 8:11 am

I just noticed the beam holder when pointed out by another poster. That is very nice, are you planning on doing a lot of those beams?

Sat Jul 26, 2025 1:57 pm

Brian- are you sure the Beetle's color is white (blanca) and not Fontana Grey? FG is a very light grey original factory color.

For your planned engine, is your FF transmission based on a '67 or '68 unit which has the bellhousing's inner diameter ready for the 12 Volt larger diameter flywheel? Also, with the FF gearing, you'll want at least a 1500 or 1600 cc engine, preferably a dual-port and stock doghouse fan shroud so that it has the torque to push the car with that gearing at highway speeds. You should be able to do 75 mph all day with that transmission.

Will you keep your wheels painted single color, or go with the factory 2-tone with black centers and ivory outer sections? '65 press photo from the "Archives" section-

Mon Jul 28, 2025 11:25 am

1 What are my plans for it?
At this point I want to make it dependable and enjoy driving it. It has no interior but it came with a new headliner and carpet kit, so those will be installed eventually

2 that's a neat front beam holder, but what's the 'piston of death'?
The beam fixture is a dealership tool. I got it along with another fixture that holds 002 and 091 transaxles. it bolts to that beam fixture as well to fit in the work stand. so it serves two purposes.

"The piston of death" is a little souvenir from when the engine in my bus sucked a valve. I also have a nice two piece type IV 2.0 crank that's pretty awesome. I was so impressed when I broke it I had to keep it

3 are you planning on doing a lot of those beams?
No. I also use the beam fixture in conjunction with another transaxle tool.

4. Actually it is not a VW color. When it was painted (not by me.) they used a GM color Chevrolet specifically. The car was originally dove blue.
The Motor that came with it is a 1904cc and does fine staying on top of the gears It looks like the transaxle is a 12volt case as the electrical has been converted. But it was built up with the short axles. It works fine but I may end up going through it in the future, But no reason to at this time. :)

Mon Jul 28, 2025 12:56 pm

The dove blue on a 66 is a pretty nice stock color. That will be a nice driver when you are done with it. Good luck-Bob

Tue Aug 05, 2025 9:10 pm

since I was also doing the brakes I decided I wanted to put wheel studs on the drums I had the required drill bits I just needed a "counter bore" to face the back side of the drum. I haven't done it in a long time so I took my time doing it. I like the results so far.

Wed Aug 06, 2025 3:08 am

Nice progress looking real good and I have those same jack stands. Enjoy.

Wed Aug 06, 2025 7:52 pm

Yeah this is great - keep it up and I look forward to seeing more progress pics!

Sat Sep 06, 2025 9:44 pm

I have finally gotten my hands on something I have been wanting to acquire for a long time. Even when I had nothing to bolt it into I wanted it anyway. It's something that is very special to me. It is a transaxle out of an old HDRA class 11 car that my friends and I used to race in1980. One of my friends has held onto it all these years. It is a 12 volt long axle, swing axle unit. It was originally built for us by my old boss and mentor Bob Clark, owner of BC Engineering.

The first race for the car and the transaxle was the the 1980 Mint 400. Afterward I went through it again in preparation for the cars next, and what turned into its last race at Barstow. I also Fixed and upgraded a thing or two That proved to be inadequate from the Mint 400. At Barstow we had a collision with another car in the race, and were put out with bent steering on the very first lap. The car was never raced again. Because of this I think this gearbox has 50 to 75 race miles on it since I went through it.

It has a laundry list of modifications, upgrades and little tricks done to it. Some I knew about and still use. Others I'm coming across while taking it apart have jolted me remembering them. Others that I don't remember at all yet they are present and make perfect sense to it's application. Other than the parts that were exposed to the elements like the ends of the axle shafts and the input shaft This transaxle is literally a time capsule on the inside betraying its race heritage with some sweet vintage speed parts in its assembly. installed 45 years ago.

I'm going to change the ring and pinion ratio and a few bearings because I'm in there. otherwise it should be gaskets and seals. I attribute the awesome condition of this gearbox to being kept indoors in the desert and the Valvoline 85-140 gear oil put in it 45 years ago. It's been a total nostalgia for me going through the disassembly

Sun Sep 07, 2025 3:57 am

Wow good stuff. It looks like you know your way around transaxles. Will that go into Blanca? What engine will you run with that?

Sun Sep 07, 2025 9:29 am

Bobs67vwagen wrote: Wow good stuff. It looks like you know your way around transaxles. Will that go into Blanca? What engine will you run with that?

Yes! It will go into Blanca when it's done. Blanca came with a 1900 something or other, but it broke a valve spring and sent metal through the engine. I also have the 40 horse motor from the race car as well and I was thinking of doing a vintage speed thing with it but there doesn't seem to be much love in the aftermarket right now for these engines. Speed parts for 36 hp engines all day long but not 40 horse. I have a feeling that may change though. In the meantime I will use the "1900 something" to build a 1776 with a vintage speed look perhaps. I also have a set of Solex P11 carbs that might add the that look, Hmmmn.

Thu Oct 30, 2025 4:45 pm

The transaxle internals are cleaned and ready. The ring and pinion for the gear ratio change is magnafluxed, shot peened like the rest of the "hard parts" and ready. The vintage Speed Unlimited steel side cover, the over tube flange stiffeners and the Vintage Speed Unlimited chrome molly axle spacers have had new cadmium plating applied and are ready. All needed replacement parts have been ordered and are ready. And it's all in that plastic tub.

The case parts need a more thorough cleaning as well as the axle over-tubes. The over-tubes will also be media blasted for repaint. Once I have it all ready to go together I will take plenty of pics for a nice overview post of the assembly. It will be along the same lines as another one I did on a five rib 002 transaxle. See it in the tech tips sticky on the bay window page. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=