Spring plate end covers/ long torsion bars

[marlinmatt]

Is it possible to get spring plate covers with the hole for longer torsion bars? It's on a buggy, year of torsion bar unknown.
The empi is solid, and the one with opening for torsion bar, doesn't fit over the rubber seal; it's kind of upside down. I think it's fow irs rear ends.

Maybe cut the middle out of the cheap chrome one?

[jsturtlebuggy]

Your spring plate covers are for a chassis from the 1950s. They do not make new ones like them, that I am aware of.
To find out what year chassis/pan you have, go up to where is says Home, Classifieds, etc... at the end is Technical, click on that and look up chassis numbers.

To find another spring plate cover look in the classifies, you may something there.
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Joseph
Fair Oaks/Orangevale, CA
Elrod Motorsports
Motion Tire Motorsports
Having fun with Dune Buggies since 1970
Into Volkswagens since 1960

[marlinmatt]

Thanks!
Yup, it seems there are no new reproductions made.
I originally thought my chassis was mid 60's vintage, but I'm rethinking that.
Chassis # on tube by inspection plate is 1618346. I can't seem to match it up with any year/model. the 16 prefix has me stumped.

I might cut a hole in a solid end cap, but I need to find out if the bolts line up.

[Dal Churchill]

We cut holes in those chrome ones for my mate's car. I think it was a 52mm hole saw I used the same as for gauges. Those raised bosses were also removed by drilling out similar to a rivet. His car was an Oval but I'm not sure of the year.
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1974 Beetle. Bus/Porsche/Rover V8 (Buick 215ci) Baja. (Unfinished project)
1979 Beetle. 1641. Ex-Modern Day Luftwaffe Airfield Radio Car. (Daily driver)

[dustymojave]

The Torsion cap bolt hole pattern for ALL VW Bugs is the same. I converted my 1958 to IRS some years ago. My torsion caps were in good shape with none of that steel cancer yours has. But alas...Where those caps have wound up in 20 years and 3 moves, is a really good question.

Your torsion bars are what are called "mid-length" bars. You COULD replace the torsion bars and spring plates with short bars and matching spring plates from a 1961 to 1968 Bug and use the closed end type torsion caps.

So you know...
There are 3 lengths of VW Bug torsion bar, and each has matching spring plate and torsion cap.
- up through 1960 used mid length bars. IIRC, this length of bar was also used in torsion rear Porsche 911s (same splines on the ends too!) 1965-1986.
- 61-68 used short torsion bars
- 1969 used long torsion bars. Although I'm not sure about 1969+ cars for other than US market that were built swingaxle. From 1969-on ALL Bugs for the US market were IRS. But swingaxle cars were in production for other markets right to the end in 2003. Certainly ALL IRS cars came with long bars.
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Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.