Originally bought a 64 beetle when I lived in Germany in 1989, commenced major overhaul in early 2000, which was sold for parts after eating a huge amount of money - everything sold except floor-pan and front/rear suspension, also retained the V5.
Looking for a new project I decided to build something based on the stock floor-pan and stockish suspension.
Like the look of sand-rails so some inspiration came from there, had also just build a street fighter from scratch, starting with just an engine. So started to explore what could be added engine wise from a motorcycle.
Spend the last year doing work on the floor-pan, suspension and installed an Aprilia RSV 1000R engine to the transaxle, big v-twin, 130-140 bhp and good torque. Front suspension included formula vee negative camber link-pins, Porsche 944 front disc and running a single set of torsion leaves. Rear (still swing axle) has 125 lb/in coil overs and camber compensator (torsion bars removed). wiring loom is a stock RSV loom (extended both ends), will include the RSV fuel tank, gauges and a beetle bonnet.
There will be no bodywork so to speak, just a rolling cage structure. The cage structure is built loosely to MSA rules for roll cages and seat belt anchor points. The cage can be easily lifted by one person and huge amounts of strength to the floor-pan due to the triangulation of the structure, it also links the front and rear suspension in to the frame and the transaxle rear mounting points. Seat will be mounted direct to the floor using doubler plates and subframe. Seatbelts will be mounted to the existing tunnel points and new points in the frame.
Some pics included.
Looking for a new project I decided to build something based on the stock floor-pan and stockish suspension.
Like the look of sand-rails so some inspiration came from there, had also just build a street fighter from scratch, starting with just an engine. So started to explore what could be added engine wise from a motorcycle.
Spend the last year doing work on the floor-pan, suspension and installed an Aprilia RSV 1000R engine to the transaxle, big v-twin, 130-140 bhp and good torque. Front suspension included formula vee negative camber link-pins, Porsche 944 front disc and running a single set of torsion leaves. Rear (still swing axle) has 125 lb/in coil overs and camber compensator (torsion bars removed). wiring loom is a stock RSV loom (extended both ends), will include the RSV fuel tank, gauges and a beetle bonnet.
There will be no bodywork so to speak, just a rolling cage structure. The cage structure is built loosely to MSA rules for roll cages and seat belt anchor points. The cage can be easily lifted by one person and huge amounts of strength to the floor-pan due to the triangulation of the structure, it also links the front and rear suspension in to the frame and the transaxle rear mounting points. Seat will be mounted direct to the floor using doubler plates and subframe. Seatbelts will be mounted to the existing tunnel points and new points in the frame.
Some pics included.