74 Standard - Formula Vee inspired GL Build

[Eskamobob1]

Hey guys,

So I figured it was probably about time I stop lurking and actually start a build thread for this project. This bug was my first car and now that I'm out of college and actually have some money I figure I should give her the make over she has always deserved.

The Plan

Mission Statement:
So, I love the German look, but with this build I dont want to exactly take it too far style wise. The plan is make a fantastically performing bug with a more subdued styling. Here are the set in stone requirements.

• She must look like it could have come that way to non beetle people
  
• She must be a capable daily driver for mostly freeway miles
  
• She must get over 20 MPG (american), but preferably ~30MPG

Objectives:

Suspension

As with any performance build, the absolute first mod one should ever do is making it handle. The plan here is actually fairly simple. Stage 1 is to off with soft ride KYB gas shocks front and rear as well as dual 3/4" sway bars. Stage 2 will be to lower the car roughly 2 1/2" with front drop spindles and convert to early 944NA rear trailing arms and spring plates (and figure out how to lower those). Once I get the weight/power of the engine and transmission more figured out, stage 3 is where will start playing with stiffer springs/bars and different size sway bars and probably adjustable shocks and a kafer bar system.

Brakes

The car currently sits with a front disc conversion and rear drums all of which are in fairly nice condition. The primary upgrade on the brake system will be a big one though. The brakes will be upgraded to early 944NA brakes on all 4 corners (donor parts already obtained) which will require rear trailing arm/spring plate swap as well as having the front spindles and hubs being machined by VDubEngineering for proper fitment on a standard beetle.

Wheels & Tires

The plan for wheels is to move to 15x6 or 16x6 early offset Porsche wheels for the best wheel width without running into clearance issues or needing to narrow my beam. As for which wheels specifically, I like the idea of black cookiecutters, but we will see where I end up. Tires are still something I have no clue on though.

Interior

The interior is something that will largely be worked on intermittently throughout the entire project. My current thoughts are that I would like to somewhat replicate the 1970 Formula Vee Edition package with the gauge layout of the 1600SP. This will include sourcing an appropriate walnut sifter (obtained) and steering wheel as well as fabricating actual wood dash panels and button inlays and black door panels and carpet. The seats I am torn on though. The two major options I am considering are obtaining and reupholstering some sports beetle seats or possibly just going with EMPI race trim seats.

Exterior

This is possibly the easiest, but may take the longest. The plan is to black out the trim, possibly go with smoked light covers, and patch/repaint to get rid of all the chips. I likely wont do much until I have the small rust patch in the rear driver side patched and and can afford/justify a full paint job. This will likely all happen when I finally take the body off the pan fairly far into the build.

Drivetrain

This is one place I still have quite a bit of thinking to do on. My 3 basic options are a Subbie swap for an EJ207 and Subaru transmission (will have done professionally), type 4 conversion with a Porsche tranny (slightly cheaper than the subbie but not much and still aircooled), or a more mild type 1 engine with a better trans (either higher 4th or porsche). What this basically comes down to is just how far I want to build this car. It will continue to be my daily driver for at least a long while, which does make the less efficient engines a bit less appealing. Ultimately, I believe the choice is going to come down to if I want to build my bug to the 9s or do a more moderate build and put the money that would have been used on a more exotic drive train to get another car. Luckily I have a while to think about this one though.

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'74 - front disks/lots more work to do

[Eskamobob1]

The Build

Outline:
Green = Done
Blue = Parts Obtained
Red = Not Done

Phase 1

Suspension

• ball joint and tie rod end replacement
  
• KYB soft ride gas shocks
  
• Front and rear 3/4" swaybar

Interior

• Locate gas smell
  
• Better front seats
  
• Begin mock up of dash panels (3d print test fits?)
  
• Install lighter port

Misc

• Full inspection of electrical system
  
• Repair turn signal switch
  
• Upgrade headlights/install stealth light bar

Phase 2

944 Conversion

• Obtain donor parts
  
• Have front spindles and hubs machined and order replacement rotors and pads
  
• Decide on MC
  
• Finalize wheels and tires
  
• Install Conversion

Exterior

• Black out Trim and smoke light covers
  
• Wolfsburg emblems for wheels
  
• Front damn
  
• Fastback Window Cover (?)

Interior

• Walnut Steering Wheel
  
• Walnut Formula Vee Shifter
  
• Make Dash Panels

Phase 3

Body Off Restoration

• Fix all Rust
  
• Patch Paint/Repaint
  
• Replace Cracked Dash pad
  
• Install New Carpet


Drive train

• Engine
  
• Transmission

Posts:
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'74 - front disks/lots more work to do

[Rome]

Excellent plan! Seems like it could end up as a distant relative of Glenn's '74:

For your suspension phase 1, it is very important to install both HD swaybars at the same time. Don't do just one and then drive it a while before installing the other because the handling is really wacky- too much oversteer or understeer depending on which single HD bar you install. They have to work in a matched pair to keep the handling neutral.

For your engine, consider that if you build a complete, turn-key mid-range performance engine such as a 2-liter Type 1 with slightly larger valves, you could build the entire engine over the winter, then swap engines in a single weekend. Then you'd be driving your "daily driver" again with absolute minumum downtime. Keep your current running engine completely intact. Swapping over to a type 4 or even to a Subie would inevitably involve much more downtime and adapting/fabricating/cutting.

For seats, consider finding a decent set of Porsche seats; either '80's 911 or even 944's. Since you are considering reupholstering, see if TMI or Sewfine would make a custom set of seat covers using a VW vinyl pattern that was offered in '74. Then the interior would really look like it came out of the factory. Or, try to find some generation 1 Rabbit GTI or Cabrio sport seats. Those have a very similar mounting method as the Beetle seats (rear legs need slight adjusting in width) and you have the side bolsters. It should be straight-forward for either TMI or Sewfine to use Beetle-pattern vinyl for a replacement set of Rabbit covers. Then it'd really look factory stock since those seats were made by VW.

[Eskamobob1]

[pondoras box]

I like your color coded build plan / guide. I am going to steal your idea for my projects. It would help keep me focused on what I need to do and motivated when I get to change colors when done.
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Looking for anything from Hal Casey Motors out of Hamburg New York, from license plate surrounds to matchbooks.

1961 23 Window (Bobo)
1965 11 Window (Zelda)
1965 13 Window (Lucas)
1957 Oval ragtop
1988 Cabriolet VR6 conversion
Plus a lot of other rusty junk

[cdgreentn]

My guess is you are in the Quality or Project management field. I love it.

[Eskamobob1]

[Eskamobob1]

So, not a full update here, but kind of a small one. I currently have the entire front end of my bug pulled apart with everything off except the steering box and the beam. Though I would like to pull the beam off, clean it, and paint it, I just dont think I have the time for that currently as I would like to be driving my car again by the end of this weekend. There were a couple of weird things I encountered when pulling everything apart, so here is a list of my anomalies/what kicked my ass

My front sway bar was only connected by fittings on one side with the other side completely rotted out, and the sway bar its self was cracked (looked like someone beat on it with a hammer, but its hard to tell). My front passenger side shock hemorrhaged all of its oil when I finally got the weight of the car off it. The same shock was missing its lower retaining nut and only held on by being seized to the bracket its self. The driver inner tierod looks like it still has a good end (being replaced anyways) but the not was not tightened down at all. When pulling the spindles off one of the ball joints was so shot that the pin the nut was on was spinning inside of the joint making it an absolute pain to get off. I had to go buy wobble socket extensions for my impact and literally just let it run and smoke a bit until the nut let go and I could get the ball joint out of the socket.

I also have a gas smell that I seriously cant locate. I have an early 68 tank and have just gone about replacing the vent lines (larger one and running one off of the cracked cap in the picture), fill hose, gas cap, and the sender seal to no avail. I do not have the carbon canister installed, but I didnt think that should play too big of a role. The hose connecting the tank to the had line is never wet at all and doesnt smell of gas from what I can tell. Maybe the issue is where the bottom hose comes out of the tank as the grease around it isnt dry, but it doesnt realy smell of gas either. Over all this one is kind of kicking my ass.

Here are some teaser pictures for my front end overhaul post

[/img]
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'74 - front disks/lots more work to do

[Eskamobob1]

Another mini update because I’m kinda frothing mad. My tie rod ends were a pretty massive PITA to get off the tie rods, but ultimately I got 3 off just fine but was stuck on one of them. I decided to just go and get new tie rods at the only shop open and when I got back to install them I found out the threads on one was just completely jacked up to the point of being completely unusable. I’ll return them on Monday but that meant I was kinda stuck on what I could do this weekend. Being completely stuck because of this i ended up litteraly filling the old tie rod with PB blaster and leaving it setting upright in the blazing sun. After 2 hours of soaking, using a vise and a pipe wrench I finally broke the last one free and got back on my way rebuilding the front end. Have one spindle back on and the trailing arms and tie rod installed on the other side. Should actualy get to finishing this part tomorrow luckily, so hopefully I’ve got a full update post some time monday
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'74 - front disks/lots more work to do

[jinx758]

These cars can definitely be frustrating ... some have a rather steep learning curve.

If it's not "improvements" from the PO it's I'll fitting aftermarket parts. Ugh !

It's all worth it in the end ... chin up.

Good luck ... jinx
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" It's not valuable unless you learn something from an experience. " Henry Ford

It's not unlike the same difference

You can't push a rope


VALVES (cold)
POINTS
TIMING
CARB (fully warmed engine)

SCRAPE ALL GROUNDS

My Craigslist rescued 100 footer :
1971 Standard Bug
1776cc dual port
034 distributor
38mm EGAS Carburetor

[Eskamobob1]

So, I ran into a few more problems, as is to be expected, but the entire front end is finally rebuilt, shocks installed, and front and rear sway bars installed. I am just waiting for the shop to call me back to let me know when they can fit me in for a custom spec alignment. Big post on the rebuild inbound. In the mean time though, I unfortunately discovered another problem. It seems as though I have a break line leak inside of the main tube not only causing a leak but also the beginnings of some rust....

Not sure how im going to fix this one at all unfortunately
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'74 - front disks/lots more work to do

[Rome]

Crap- 2 steps forward, 1 step back with your repairs. Have you reached over to touch that wet spot, then smelled your finger? Most likely it's gasoline which does run through/inside the center tunnel. Brake fluid runs in the main pipe to the left of the tunnel along the inner edge of the driver's floorpan and would not leak through at the center of the tunnel. Once you confirm which fluid is leaking, we can advise on repairs.

As to your earlier question as to tire pressures, I recommend the radial tire setting per the sticker on your glovebox door.

[theKbStockpiler]

Thoroughly read threads on transmission swaps before making a decision. The 901 is best left in a 914 and a 915 transaxle is going to cost as much as a fully built engine and difficult to source.
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My beetle is not competing with your beetle. I have the yellow beetle in my town. There is a red one, a green one ......
Use all safety devices including a mask.

[Eskamobob1]

[Eskamobob1]

Ok, so I checked all of my brake lines last night and you guys were right, that doesn't seem to be the problem. Unless my transmission is burping fluid out of the shift linkage, my best it is you guys are right about it being gas. My guess for why it doesnt smell is because it has been sitting on the ground for a while and has lost most of its ethanol. I am going to pull my seat up tonight and check the tunnel through the access panel above the shift rod coupler. I seriously hope the issue is gas running back down the had pipe from the soft tube not being sealed, but if the hard tube is bad, is that even possible to fix with the body still on?
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'74 - front disks/lots more work to do

[Q-Dog]

If the fluid doesn't smell like gas it is probably brake fluid and is probably leaking from the master cylinder.

Check for leaking inside and around the rubber boot in front of the pedals. The forward bulkhead the master cylinder bolts to is hollow and has an opening directly into the center tunnel so fluid leaking from the master has an easy path down the tunnel of the car.
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Brian

'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
'70 Beetle

[Eskamobob1]

[Eskamobob1]

so it looks like you are right. I pulled the cover from above the shift coupler and could see it wet fairly far up the tube. I went up to the shifter, pulled it, and low and behold, there is actual liquid sitting in the channels on the bottom of the tube.

That would make sense that I only see the leak when sitting in the driveway as that is the only time it can actualy drain because it isnt sitting flat. I guess my question is now, how do I locate the actual issue? I cant actualy take a wheel off and look at the MC its self until after work, but what should I be looking for? I am assuming its the seal with the plunger, is that an auto full replacement of the MC or can I rebuild it somehow?
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'74 - front disks/lots more work to do

[theKbStockpiler]

[Eskamobob1]