Bonemaro's '73 Ghia

[coolrydes]

Ouch indeed. Just the front and rear suspension sections may be doable though.

Just be aware the Mendeola rear suspension, while absolutely beautiful and perhaps lighter/stiffer than stock components, still suffers from being a semi trailing arm setup with essentially factory geometry.
(this is not horrible, 924s/944s etc had the same setup, but that was with stock parts too)

The rear is also typically the traction limiter from a handling stand point so the whole setup approaches 100% bling.
Don't misunderstand me, I'd roll it in a heartbeat if I had free cash to blow on it, but I must call it what it is.

If I had a Manx style buggy being street driven, where the suspension was visible<>exposed, the Mendeola setup would be my first choice...
It looks absolutely bitchin, and on a very light car the rate choices coil overs provide would matter.

As far as making you faster around a race track etc, given the same wheels/tires and effort in suspension setup I doubt it would buy you much time...maybe in AX, on a dedicated AX car, as the front allows a lot more adjustment.

Piledrive, how's is it going buddy?
I would like to clear up a few points you might not be aware of about the Mendeola Suspesnion.
The rear arms are built with .5 degrees of camber at a 1.5 lowered ride height, and also has a camber adjusting plate that allows for even more camber adjustment. They also have toe and height adjustments. They are also the only rear trailing arms on the market that are available in a narrowed arm. This allows for a lot more tire and wheel combo's. In fact we just fit 17x8 rear wheels with 215/40/17 tires under the rear of a low light ghia with out major fender mods.

Take a look at MendeolaSuspension.com for more info.

Also guys, the Mendeola Suspension prices are $3295 for the complete front kit spindle to spindle and $2395 for the complete rear kit. That's less then 6k. Why have a 8-10k motor that hauls a$$ when you can't stop or turn just as good? Just saying.....

[coolrydes]

Piledriver,
this is an official call out. I will gladly lay down my pink slip to our shop car the 65' black and white bug in a road coarse race against any air cooled vw based chassis car. Since you don't think it will be any faster and is just for show cars, you should not have a problem beating a Show car...... I think you be surprised when I'm showing you my tail lights as we go around the coarse.... bring it !

[Steve Arndt]

I thought you posted on the samba that non of these systems have been track tested?
The cars are still in the building / tuning stages and nobody has raced one yet?

[coolrydes]

Steve, that is not true, we just have not got videos for everyone. The videos are finally top on the list of things to do. We are finishing off the latest shop car a black and white show quality sedan that features our narrowed kits front and rear and is being built to do these videos that everyone wants to see.

As for racing, I stomp Vette's and others cars everytime I get a chance with my mendeola equipped speedster kit with Porsche 911 5 speed trans and turbo injected 2165cc

[Piledriver]

Piledriver,
this is an official call out. I will gladly lay down my pink slip to our shop car the 65' black and white bug in a road coarse race against any air cooled vw based chassis car. Since you don't think it will be any faster and is just for show cars, you should not have a problem beating a Show car...... I think you be surprised when I'm showing you my tail lights as we go around the coarse.... bring it !

Interesting...

Someone like FJCamper would have to take that up, as he races well setup stock suspension vehicles, including at least one SA setup... Unfortunately he isn't on the left coast.
That would be a very interesting comparison.

My Squareback with a 1.8l bus motor rolling on Yokohama yk580s isn't exactly going to be in the hunt, even though it handles great for a DD.

As to the rear suspension, I'm sure any well set up 924T could provide an interesting competitor, as it has T1 trailing arms and the same geometry as a stock T1.

[RHough]

Steve, that is not true, we just have not got videos for everyone. The videos are finally top on the list of things to do. We are finishing off the latest shop car a black and white show quality sedan that features our narrowed kits front and rear and is being built to do these videos that everyone wants to see.

As for racing, I stomp Vette's and others cars everytime I get a chance with my mendeola equipped speedster kit with Porsche 911 5 speed trans and turbo injected 2165cc

If you represent Mendola you might want to consider the effect on future sales of coming of like a teen-aged street punk on the forum. "Let's run for pink slips?" Really?

I won't be looking at Mendola stuff if there is a chance I'll have to deal with attitudes like yours.

Cheers,
Randy

[Bonemaro]

I'm sure he wasn't being punkish in a serious manner.

[Piledriver]

I don't see it as out of line in any way: It's good advertising.

As long as it's open to all comers, It's cool.

I'm sure someone with a hopped up 924T or early 944T (with an essentially stock IRS T1 rear suspension, and Mk1 Golf front end bits) would love to have a awesome show-quality (and quick for what it is) T1.
Of course folks put LS6s in 924/944s regularly...

[coolrydes]

Thanks Piledriver, your right I was not trying to be a punk..... Just simply showing how confident I am in our suspension and it's ability to out preform any VW based Suspension. So confident that I would risk losing my car.

[RHough]

Thanks Piledriver, your right I was not trying to be a punk..... Just simply showing how confident I am in our suspension and it's ability to out preform any VW based Suspension. So confident that I would risk losing my car.

Sorry if I over-reacted. Prompt, reasonable responses are not punk behavior. Well done.

Randy

[Piledriver]

Thanks Piledriver, your right I was not trying to be a punk..... Just simply showing how confident I am in our suspension and it's ability to out preform any VW based Suspension. So confident that I would risk losing my car.

I feel you make a great premium product and your confidence is deserved.
I wasn't trying to put it down in any way, just trying to provide some perspective.

As I said, if money fell from heaven I'd have it it on my T3 in a heartbeat.
(the rear setup, anyway, I have my own evil plans for the front)

Is the "contest" or some variation open to all comers?

[Bonemaro]

As I said, if money fell from heaven I'd have it it on my T3 in a heartbeat.

I could use about $20,000 of that heaven money please.

[Piledriver]

Steve, that is not true, we just have not got videos for everyone. The videos are finally top on the list of things to do. We are finishing off the latest shop car a black and white show quality sedan that features our narrowed kits front and rear and is being built to do these videos that everyone wants to see.

As for racing, I stomp Vette's and others cars everytime I get a chance with my mendeola equipped speedster kit with Porsche 911 5 speed trans and turbo injected 2165cc

I'm visualizing a series of sponsored track days, with videos showing racing against various hardware ..Should be a great way to show off. A T1 -even sorta keeping up with modern hardware- is always fun!

Dry sump that sucker.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Even back in the early '60s a stock bug could stomp a built 'vette... for a block or two anyway, then the 'vette (if it didn't break first) would pass them so fast the bug would change lanes from blow by then get sucked back over by the vacuum.

Lee

[crazy tarzan]

back to the headlights and Piledrivers mention of a T3 with the sloped lights, here is a pic I pulled off internet--I don't know who's it is, or even where I found it But it gives you an idea of using porsche 356 glass instead of bug glass (if I've correctly identified it). Notice also the tubbed wheel wells and porsche rims.