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1970 Mid Engine Bug (Bugzilla)
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Mid Engine Bug
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PostPosted: Fri May 26, 2017 5:23 pm    Post subject: 1970 Mid Engine Bug (Bugzilla) Reply with quote

Hello all. Been lurking on here for a while and decided to join and share my project. Some of you may have seen it before and most of you have not. So far it has been a 4 year project (never ending of course). It is a 1970 Beetle that is not much of a Beetle any more. Here are a few teasers. I will update with all the good info a little bit later.

1970 VW Beetle
Mid engine
Full tube frame
2.3L supercharged Chevy Ecotec powered
All independent suspension
Used for auto-x and road racing

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Edit - figured the picture posting out. Dont like it
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chickengeorge
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PostPosted: Fri May 26, 2017 9:24 pm    Post subject: Re: 1970 Mid Engine Bug (Bugzilla) Reply with quote

Awesome. Creative, different and executed very well.

Congrats!
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63Ragtop NZ
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PostPosted: Sun May 28, 2017 8:47 pm    Post subject: Re: 1970 Mid Engine Bug (Bugzilla) Reply with quote

Yes, more info please!

blown 2.3? bet it goes like a shit blanket on a cut cat with rails!
Laughing
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MI-Bug
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PostPosted: Mon May 29, 2017 4:51 am    Post subject: Re: 1970 Mid Engine Bug (Bugzilla) Reply with quote

Yes, more details please! Would love to see more pics of the engine and suspension changes you've made. Also, curious what class you run in. Cool bug!
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Mid Engine Bug
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PostPosted: Mon May 29, 2017 10:48 am    Post subject: Re: 1970 Mid Engine Bug (Bugzilla) Reply with quote

Thanks for the comments guys! I will update with more pictures tomorrow when I get back on my work computer. So as of right now, the Bug is taken apart. After my last race, it spun a bearing. So I decided that I might as well go bigger and better with the new engine. It is a 2.4 Ecotec block with a 2.2 crank for a shorter stroke. Custom pistons and rods. Big cams, ported head and all the other matching components. Should make around 450hp at 14 psi. Yes, it scoots!

As far as the chassis goes, its all custom. I took the original VW pan off and sold it. Then I started building my own from scratch. So from the front to the back, its all tubes. I used the spindles from a Miata. The arms are a custom tube design and it now has a-arms on all 4 corners. The brakes are Wilwood 6 piston up front and 4 piston in the rear. It has double adjustable coil overs as well.

Last season I ran in the Ultimate street car class. Pretty much just an anything goes class with no limitations. This coming up season I am going to try to get it to the classic muscle class. That way I can put some of the LS powered vehicles to shame!

Like I said before, the Bug is currently in pieces since I am putting the new engine in it. I also figured it would be a good time to finish painting. So while I am waiting for the last of the engine parts to show up, I am painting. Its not fun but needs to be done.
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gereonb
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PostPosted: Mon May 29, 2017 11:49 am    Post subject: Re: 1970 Mid Engine Bug (Bugzilla) Reply with quote

This is a great design, did you take any queues from the European Fun Cup ?, because theirs are almost identical just using VW/Audi 5 Cylinder engines mid-mounted.
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Mid Engine Bug
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PostPosted: Mon May 29, 2017 1:48 pm    Post subject: Re: 1970 Mid Engine Bug (Bugzilla) Reply with quote

Here is an older walk around video. Should get the point across.


Link
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Mid Engine Bug
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PostPosted: Tue May 30, 2017 11:00 am    Post subject: Re: 1970 Mid Engine Bug (Bugzilla) Reply with quote

I really dont like the picture uploader on this site. Is there any way to use Photobucket? Every picture I try to insert does not show up.

Anyways, more pictures as promised. This is going to take me while to get caught up to its current point. Much of the stuff you will see is on its 2nd or 3rd remake. Here is the Bug when I first got it. Pretty much all there except for the engine. Got it for $600.

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After the pan was off, it was frame building time.

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Then time to put the mock up engine and trans in.

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Then the floor when in.

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Then I built a snake looking header.

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After that, you end up with a somewhat complete looking Bug.

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Mid Engine Bug
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PostPosted: Tue May 30, 2017 11:17 am    Post subject: Re: 1970 Mid Engine Bug (Bugzilla) Reply with quote

So after I got the Bug for the most part assembled, it was time to start working on the interior. First up was mounting the seats and gauges.

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After that, I moved on to the engine cover. The lid tilts and the front half is removable. Its a nice carbon fiber lid with a clear Plexiglas opening.

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Moving back to the outside of the car, I mounted the new flush tail lights.

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After the tail lights it was back to the front of the car. Since my radiator is up front, I needed to add a grille. So I first cut out the area where a grille would go. Then I boxed it all in and added some mesh.

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Here is a picture of the 2nd rear arm design after I changed the whole rear frame around.

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And then the engine. This was the first engine. A 2.2L Ecotec. Still supercharged. I love building engines!

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Mid Engine Bug
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PostPosted: Tue May 30, 2017 12:25 pm    Post subject: Re: 1970 Mid Engine Bug (Bugzilla) Reply with quote

At that point, all my mock up stuff was just about done. That was a good thing cause I bought a new house and was ready to move. So I rolled it out of the garage for the last time and loaded it up on a trailer. I also threw the wing on and the new steering wheel.

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And after all that, the Bug is at its new home. This is where the fun starts. Since the mock up of everything is done, its tear down time. I still had a lot of stuff to add but all the main things have been done. This is the part where everything starts looking nice.

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Mid Engine Bug
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2017 1:06 pm    Post subject: Re: 1970 Mid Engine Bug (Bugzilla) Reply with quote

So after I got all settled in to the new house, I started to tear the Bug down to finish adding more things and to start painting.

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After it was torn down, I decided to start working on the roll cage.

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It started out as just a simple bolt in EMPI cage and then I went and changed / modified a lot of it. Pretty much every bar was modified and I added in another 5 or 6 bars for extra strength. It is a true cage now and not a bolt in. I also added some more floor support before painting everything.

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Once the cage was done, it was time to put the real engine and trans in to make sure it fit still.

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Once the engine barely made it back in, I moved on to the exhaust. I also finished plating up the original engine compartment. The exhaust is fairly simple as you can see. Just 2 Magnaflow mufflers and a couple bends. I did it all in 3" stainless steel and TIG welded it together.

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Mid Engine Bug
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2017 1:30 pm    Post subject: Re: 1970 Mid Engine Bug (Bugzilla) Reply with quote

Since the engine is now back in, it was time to put the suspension back on in the rear and remove everything from the front to prep for paint.

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Since my primary use for the Bug is racing, I needed it to be able to stop consistently. That meaning, big brakes! So I went ahead and got some Wilwood 6 piston calipers for the front and 4 piston for the rear. 12" 2 piece rotors up front and 11" 1 piece in the rear.

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Then I put everything back together and it sure looks good!

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slowlearner
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 6:15 pm    Post subject: Re: 1970 Mid Engine Bug (Bugzilla) Reply with quote

Extremely impressive work. Must be a hoot to drive! Twisted Evil

BTW, was bemused that you install the motor through the driver's door. Did you consider having a removable subframe at the back?
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Mid Engine Bug
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 9:34 pm    Post subject: Re: 1970 Mid Engine Bug (Bugzilla) Reply with quote

Thanks slowlearner. Its like a go kart with too much power. Meaning it will put a smile on your face everytime you drive it (after you somehow manage to get in the seat and buckle up).

And yes the engine through the door is something else. The main reason I didnt do a subframe is cause even if I could drop the engine out the bottom, I dont have a lift to lift the body up and pull the engine out. Had to design it around the tools I have. But even if I had a lift and the ability to drop it out, it would have required a lot of extra bracing and bracing equals weight. So I dont mind the extra work putting the engine in through the side. It is odd though...
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Mid Engine Bug
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 08, 2017 12:06 pm    Post subject: Re: 1970 Mid Engine Bug (Bugzilla) Reply with quote

After I was done with the brakes, it was time to start painting the outside. After way too many hours sanding, I masked it all off and shot it white.

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After I was done painting the main body, it was time to unwrap it to see what it looks like! Didnt turn out too bad.

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Mid Engine Bug
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 08, 2017 12:32 pm    Post subject: Re: 1970 Mid Engine Bug (Bugzilla) Reply with quote

I am going to fast forward a few months from the paint job. In those few months I just did wiring and plumbing. Nothing worth posting. For the most part, the Bug was wired, plumbed and ready to fire up for the first time. I also just threw on all the other body panels so that I could start street tuning it. In the middle of all that, I finished up my steering rack extender to eliminate all bump steer.


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From here, the Bug had its first engine fire up. Everything sounded great and had no leaks. I took it around the block a few times to verify everything was going to stay good and it did. After a couple hours of street tuning, I was able to open the throttle up and release the beast. Not only is it very fast, but it has zero traction issues. I thank the r-compound tires and being mid engine for that. Blowing through the gears at 8200 rpms is a blast! 100 mph comes in just a few seconds and it just wants to keep pulling past that. The whine of the blower is just an amazing sound. So here is where I will leave you guys for a while, right before all the fun stuff happens and the videos.
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scottyrocks
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 08, 2017 2:28 pm    Post subject: Re: 1970 Mid Engine Bug (Bugzilla) Reply with quote

Just amazing. And I'm especially impressed that you're a one-man band.

It's barely a Beetle, though, isn't it . . . Wink
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Mid Engine Bug
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 08, 2017 4:08 pm    Post subject: Re: 1970 Mid Engine Bug (Bugzilla) Reply with quote

Thanks Scotty! Yep one man team for me. Did the whole thing in the garage with basic tools. The only thing I had someone else do for me was laser cutting. But I drew up the files on Autocad myself and sent them over (learned how to use Autocad on my own as well!). Never built a car from scratch let alone 90% of the other stuff I did to it. So it was all a learning curve. Thats half the reason why certain things got redone a few times. When I started this project 4 years ago, everyone I told said that I couldn't do it. Not only did I prove them wrong but I have trophies to prove that it works on the track. This project has got to be one of my biggest accomplishments so far in life.

Yep, not much of a Bug anymore but it still looks like one!
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Mid Engine Bug
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 29, 2017 4:53 pm    Post subject: Re: 1970 Mid Engine Bug (Bugzilla) Reply with quote

Skipping way ahead of the last pictures, we get this. This should be a good weekend to bust out some work. Sooner I get it done, sooner I will reveal everything thats been going on over the past year. Its almost there!

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PostPosted: Thu Jun 29, 2017 6:47 pm    Post subject: Re: 1970 Mid Engine Bug (Bugzilla) Reply with quote

Popcorn
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