Back To Stock?????

[houseofboyd]

Took Mabel out for a drive around town today. Something I’m considering is putting her back to stock. She’s 100% stock other than the narrowed front beam and gas burner rims. Inside, nothing has changed since 1967. So, here’s my question. The front beam is new, 3 inch narrow beam built by Rusty Bottom Garage with new tierods and German ball joints with CB drop disc spindles. What I’m considering doing is putting the stock front beam back on (1968). How much of a pain in the ass is this going to be?

http://kentuckyhotwheels.com/2016/12/ready-for-christmas-and-maybe-a-change/
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1968 VW Beetle
2012 Turbo VW Beetle

[SBD]

I'm not sure I understand the question. Did you install the narrowed beam yourself? Going back to stock would be no more difficult than any front beam swap.

You would have to remove the front beam. I think the procedure is covered in the Bentley manual. It's not overly difficult but it IS heavy. I've done it by myself but it helps to have a friend or two. You can swap the brakes over and maybe even get by without bleeding them. You'll need a set of stock length tie rods if you don't have them with your 1968 beam since your narrowed beam has narrower ones. Same goes for the torsion bar stacks. If you want to go COMPLETELY back to stock then you'll also need a set of stock spindles and brakes to replace the lowered ones you have now because your standard height (drum) spindles won't work with your disc brakes. You have to switch the steering box over from the old beam to the new one. You might also have to deal with the sway bar. The car will need aligned when you're done.
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[Rome]

Even if you intall a stock-width beam, if you transfer over the lowered spindles you'll most likely have clearance problems with your GasBurner wheels. The wider wheels will tend to cause the tires to contact the inner edge of the front fender lips. If you want to stay with stock-height and the discs and the GB wheels, you'll need stock Ghia spindles which have the holes for the disc brake backing plates.

If you decide on stock front ride height with the GBs, will you raise the rear suspension so that the car will have a level stance?

[houseofboyd]

[wcfvw69]

You must be getting older. Back in the early 80's I had a lowered Cal-look bug. I shudder when I think about how rough that bug rode but I was young. Those 135 tires I had on it provided crap braking too.

Now, my bugs are bone stock and I appreciate the ride with the factory oil shocks, correct tire inflations and "meaty" 165's up front.

Yea, I'm getting older.
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[houseofboyd]

[Rome]

Unless you already have your stock wheels so that you need to find a set, be aware that there are at least 4 different versions of the 4-bolt hubcap wheel. They are all 15" but vary in width (4.0" vs 4.5") and the offset (deep dish effect). You can tell the relative offset by holding a yardstick across the rim edge diameter, then seeing how far down the highest part of the hub is. Wheels with a high offset number such as ET46 have the hub higher than the rim. Those with most offset (e.g. ET34 from a '72) have the hub about a half inch down/inwards from the edge. I've often seen Beetles and Ghias at VW shows which are nicely done, wheels are refinished, but offsets don't match.

ET stands for the German words for "press-in depth", Einpresstiefe. On many of the stock wheels the ET # is stamped into the flat sections adjacent to the lug bolt holes*. One of the in-between values is ET41 on the 4.5" rim.

Best combination IMO would be a set of 4.5" ET34, painted in the '68 style black and cream. Stock looking, but slightly wider stance than original '68 which had the 4.0" wide rims.

*From the gallery: