Ghia Road Course Setup

[Max Welton]

Thanks!

Max

[Moe Stacolli]

What are the yellow shocks with silver springs you are running in the front of 53? I am setting up my 74 std beetle for auto x and after reading this incredibly informative thread. I am looking at yellow koni special d gas shocks for the front with bilstein B8 sp shocks in the rear. I had a bright idea that I may be able to purchase the black oil shocks with silver coils and adapt the coil part to the front konis? And for tires; where do you purchase your avon tires? Do you by chance know the widest 15 in tire the ghia/bug will accept without rubbing. Do you modify anything for a better turning radius?

[FJCamper]

Hi Moe,

The yellow shocks and chrome springs you saw in the photo were a set of cheapie spring-assisted shocks, not coil-overs. It was an experiment a friend and I did on our separate Ghias to try and make the shocks work something like coilovers. We had mixed results. You can cut the springs and relocate them, but the shocks are still cheapie oil shocks.

Since good adjustable Konis are so hard to get these days, Bilsteins are now the best way to go.

For the Avons, try http://www.rogerkrausracing.com. He was our supplier. Our experience was, on 5.5" rims, the 175 70-series Avons was about the best we could run for a full-sized tire. If you drop to a 60-series tire, you can fit a 185 width, and it handles great.

After some experimenting with turning radius adjustments and clearancing, and getting nowhere, we gave it up and stayed stock.

FJC

[Moe Stacolli]

FJC, I appreciate your time and efforts helping guys like me understand this stuff. I'm going to shadow you're already listed advice and keep in touch when I get closer to having the chassis and suspension completed. Great information here, thank you.

[FJCamper]

Hi Moe,

You may know I have one book out on Kadron carbs, and I am in process of writing a handling manual for the air-cooled VW.

FJC

[Bonemaro]

Oh yeah? This is good to know.

[andy198712]

I'd buy it! Keep us updated

[FJCamper]

Gentlemen,

The purpose of the handling/braking book is to get to specifics on just "our" vehicles for street and road course, not Formula 1 cars or dragsters.

I'll keep the Forum posted on it.

FJC

[helowrench]

Wonderful.

[Bonemaro]

[Tony Z]

Hi Moe,

You may know I have one book out on Kadron carbs, and I am in process of writing a handling manual for the air-cooled VW.

FJC

Hi FJ

I'll buy one of each when you are done! just let me know

Tony Z

[Roflhat]

I'd get a handling book for sure!

[lcvaldetaro]

Gentlemen,

The purpose of the handling/braking book is to get to specifics on just "our" vehicles for street and road course, not Formula 1 cars or dragsters.

I'll keep the Forum posted on it.

FJC

FJ,

I have to thank you for the wealth of information you are giving us. I will for sure buy your book when it comes out.

On an unrelated subject, I'm curious about your #53 ghia. Somewhere (I think youtube) , I saw a comment that this Ghia
has 2 ddbl Kadrons 40, 11:1 CR and an Engle 110 cam with 1.25:1 lifters? (284 deg duration, I believe).

What size valves you used? What is your top RPM? What transaxle reduction? Did you calculate the Horse Power?

Have you thought of using an inskenderian 1010 for a cam instead of the engle? it has 326 degree duration, I think under the same circumstances it would rev 1000 rpm's higher than the engle 110. The isky 1010 idles @ 1500, power band really begins around 2500. I brought from Brazil a slight variation of the isky 1010 that my brother designed and fabricated that should pull a little more RPM's than a 1010. I plan on using it on a 1904 cc engine with 41mm valves and 9:1 CR. Together with dbl 40 IDFs. Should be fun to drive.

In the 70's we raced super V's in Brazil, they produced 120hp with 1600 cc's, 36 mm valves, iskys 1010, 11:1 CR, 4.3:1 reduction... in Rio we used 1010's, in Interlagos (old interlagos) with the long outside ring, we used even hotter 1012's....

[FJCamper]

Hi lcvaldetaro,

Some really great VW's have come from Brazil -- and the Fittapaldi twin-engine Bug is at the top of the list.

About our number 53 Ghia. That engine was one we used back from 2001 to 2004, before installing a 2.2 litre. We've run both Solexes (Kadrons) and Weber 44 IDF's.

You may have read here at Retoracing we're seriously designing and building our own twin-engine Bug and we're open to all the help we can get. Have you seen the original Bi-Motor?

FJC

[CobraJet]

I'm interested, got a link?