Chris/Marc's project

[Steve Arndt]

Dad's are awesome.
My pops just fell out of his truck bed and compressed his L1 vertebrae. Not good.

I hope you get the thing riding smooth for him.

S

[Chris V]

Yeah, we really appreciate the robust-ness of the suspension and the components...But I'm certainly aiming to tame it so long as I don't have to compromise the very things we like. I'm thinking of making a 2" over beam - to delete the front wheel spacers.

[Chris V]

With the 17x8's and 17x6.5's temporarily:


From L-R 165R(4.5" rim), 235/45 bare, 255/40 (8.5", no schrader), 205/50 bare, 205/50 (7", no schrader)

[Chris V]

Here's how it turned-out, just in time, as Dad is going on a roadtrip to Portland to visit my Uncle this week...

[Chris V]

Had to roll it out to sweep the garage the other day - the front suspension seems to have taken a little set over the past ~500 miles, pretty happy with how it rides - smooth and tight, and man-hole covers are uneventful

[andy198712]

very nice!

[Chris V]

Thank you

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Chris, that doodie down low on the rear of our front fender, is that a marker light? I still like the colors.

Lee

[Chris V]

Yeah, they're from newer WCVW's, I used another on the decklid with a red LED lamp as a third brake light. The ones up front are wired into the headlight/turn signal functions. With the headlights on, they perform as park lights until the turn is selected, and the appropriate side will then alternate with the OEM signal on top of the fender...Without headlights on, when the turn is selected they illuminate in tandem.





I could see running the fenders un-painted for long term if the gel-coat on the front pair wasn't so battered - bought the fenders second-hand.

[andy198712]

you got Rossi lights too!
what lights have you got fitted in there?

[SANDFLEA]

Very nice Chris!

[Chris V]

Thanks, and they're Rampage housings with I think 60/100W lamps now - They're a bit of a sacrifice when it comes to usable pattern (though plenty OK)... I work a lot of graveyards, so in my own Baja I went with Bosch 'motorcycle' and 85/80W lamps - I have yet to see headlights I'd rather have. Both cars feature custom wiring with several relays to route the additional load, Dad's are even automatic via sensor in the center defrost vent to the Dakota Digital PAC-1300 - with the factory "push-to-test" dual MC button on the dash acting as the over-ride as well as a Type III headlight switch with terminal #57 to illuminate a park light indicator inside the speedometer at the first click

*Dad's lamps are 80/100W








Dad just made another trip to Portland & back and hasn't made me change out the SAW torsion leaves in the front - I think that makes about 1200 miles on them now.

[Chris V]

Rounding up the pieces for the next modification:



Had to cut-back the rubber around the collapsible MOMO boss (248) to clear the NRG quick-release mechanism...and the Nardi's horn button pokes-out by nearly 1/4"...

[Marc]

When Chris first showed me the NRG quick-release I thought it was too expensive for too little benefit, but after living with it for a few weeks I'm delighted - the power seats and roofrack (for a handhold) both made egress/ingress easier for me, but being able to remove the wheel is the icing on the cake. Even with my bum hips and knees I can get in and out with almost no pain now.
And if I ever have to park the car in a sketchy neighborhood, I can just take the wheel with me - good luck to any thief trying to drive the car away without it, there isn't even a place to clamp on Vise-Grips when it's removed

[Chris V]

Here's what I came up with for necking-down the Super Beetle box in the `69: