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LAST

and why a super beatle?

Could the 944 arms provide more wheel, brake and shaft options, and would they be cost effective?

Sure. $.

We start off with most of most pieces...or you can upgrade to similar.

Why not?



Later,
Tom

"and why a super beatle? "

Are you KIDDING ! ? ! ?

Check this out: http://www.germanlook.com/ and THEN follow the links to other Super Beetle sites.

Those cars ROCK . . .

TC

I guess I'm with the why do it to a beetle group. Spend that money on a car that actually handles.......like onna em err boxy lookin two seater Poorsh cars

I have customers all over the world doing this.... The BEST car to do it to is a Super! Trust me- After these mods a Super will be right on the ass of a 914 and many will smoke a 911!

The late supers have Rack and Pinions steering and with those brakes and their light weight it really works well.

On march 10 one of my friends will have his German looker featured on "Car Crazy".... Don't miss it- He runs a 2275cc TI with my TI DTM shroud.

These guys are my best customers- They do their cars right and don't bitch about the cost of it!

We don't bitch....we're thrifty....

minor detail you are overlooking.......the trailing arm mounts would have a slight interferance with the motor in a 914.........(there is a V8 car running 911 trailing arms, but he has the room for it)

as for the rest of the mods, I don't see anything that has not been done before on a 914 or any other car for that matter........I'm not diss'n the bug, but I don't see anything special

i like it, nothing too crazy or special, but a nice looking car IMHO.

You have obviously never went through the gears in a Beetle and smoked the pants off of a Vette or other "Muscle car"

Doing so in the "Underdog" is an experience that is very highly addictive.

I was (am) a VW enthusiast long before I got into Porsche's..

BTW- The very last VW ever made in Germany and shipped to the states has one of my engines installed. It belongs to the owner of this restaurant www.joelrestaurant.com and he has well over 50K invested in the car- When it came to my shop it had 27 original miles on it and the dealer plates from 1980. Now its a daily driver- His other car was a 59 Carrera GT 4 cammer..... He sold the 4 cammer but kept the beetle with it's Glove leather interior and MassIVe Type 4 engine!

These guys are enthusiast and they LOVE their cars and money is not an object to many, they don't care what it cost and many times never ask till I invoice them. Whats really wild is that in the old days I worked on cars for people that were all about a budget. When the new beetles came out it really spiked the old ones in popularity. Next year when the new Herbie movie comes out I expect it to go even more nuts than it already is now! Most of the guys I deal with these days are executives that drove a Beetle in College when they were broke. Now they want another one that hauls ass.

I could have installed my 3 Liter engine into the 914 just as easy as any of my other cars... Its going into my 66 beetle, guess why??? The WOW factor is much higher when you have an engine and traction to rip the seat tracks out of the floor pan in a beetle.

Its hard to explain to guys that haven't experienced it... In a beetle I don't care about the handling- I like the incredible zero-60 times and the look on the passengers face when the front wheels come 3 feet off the ground and they are glued into the seat while I go through the short gears shifting at 8K......

My most powerful engines are all in Beetles, some over 300HP Turbo!

Who cares if it makes sense- The fun part is taking the car known for it's lack of performance and creating something that is totally a suicide machine that gets gobs of attention anywhere it goes. If I drive my bug to town I literally have a car show at the gas station as people are gawking at it constantly, same goes at Cruise in events. Drive the 914 to town or the 912 and people just look at you like if I'm in my Old Chevy work truck.

Its all about the WOW factor when you leave 100 foot long posi tire smoking burnouts......

Many years ago my friend gave me and another friend a ride in his built 2 liter oval window. That car pinned us in our seats. An enthusiast in Japan convince him to sell for alot of $$$. The difference between a Beetle and 914 is it has worldwide recognition, it is a milestone design, it is a practical 4 seater, it appears "rare" despite their production numbers, and it has a modern version. We hope the 914 will someday have the same accolades...

I've got the brakes:

SWEET!

I kinda don't mind the beetles... my first car 57 oval, went around corners like Noahs Ark .....when you turned the wheel you couldn't really tell which way you where going...

i don't mind a tricked out beetle. but not a super beetle. the older ones look nicer if you ask me. a '57 tricked out like that would be sweeter! i actually like the '62 the best.

QUOTE (Toast @ Feb 23 2005, 11:18 AM)

I hate VW's and I wish people would quit posting them here and using them in their avatars. I think it is an insult to put a Porsche......anything onto a VW. (I do realize that some parts are interchangeable.) Here's to you VW and all the hell that you have put me through........

That WAS sarcasm I hope!
Without VW there would be NO Porsche! The first Porsches were VW prototypes. VW funded Porsche racing, built our cars, the 924 and other. Tread lightly on VW! with out them, there would be no US!

Toast,
You must really want your ass "toasted"...

Your Porsche is a VW- So I'd shut the hell up....

Look under your front hood- Volkswagenwerk AG is plastered right on the plate.

The 914 IS a Volkswagen- Like it or lump it....

It is a flat VW.

Hey Toast check out my Avatar

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ps I'm sure you were being sarcastic.

This is my first foray into Porsche, my list of beetles/VW all of which are sold with the exception of the Vert:

1975 Std
1969
1974 Super (ground up resto)
1966
1963
1969 - Camper
1984 - Vanagon
1991 - Vanagon
1974 - Super Vert (Sun Bug) (to be restored father/son project waiting on dad?)

I have not driven the 914 all that much but can tell you that with a Beetle there is a wow factor, almost every gas station stop included a conversation with a stranger. I do agree with Jake, blowing off the doors off of a V8 is something I would have liked to achieved, may be in the Vert as a sleeper.

I contemplated getting another beetle or ghia as my next project but wanted something that handled well and had more power, hence my decision to go with the 914 besides I also think it is quit cool

Look guys, I know the association between VW and Porsche.

I owned 2 VW Beetles within an 8 year span.

I spent over $10,000 (that with the calculations with the reciepts that I DO have) just to keep them running as a daily driver.

Every time I fixed one up nice, someone slamed into me and totaled it! My first baja bug took me two years to fix up, and just 8 months after completions, someone ran a red light and totaled it.

My second bug took me me 4 years to fix, and just FOUR days after completion, some ****** spun me into oncomming traffic, killing my significant other of 6 years and putting me in ICU for 5 days!!! The Fucking BS that I had to deal with with Teds family and supposide friend was completely fucked! I did race that one at the Riverside Show and Go.

So sorry if I seem to show a bit of dislike to the VW, but I just had too much damn trouble with them and some serious bad luck.

And as I said in my first post,

QUOTE

(I do realize that some parts are interchangeable.)

I know of how Porsche and VW are associated.

Im done.

And yes, there was sarcasm in my post. Except for "I hate VW" and "Here's to you VW and all the hell that you have put me through........"

better sell that fourteen....it is a vw.....think thats what the guys are saying

I am sorry for your pain and losses Toast. Those kinds of experiences are truly unfortunate, and truly painful. Your anger is understandable.

It seems, however, misplaced to direct it on VWs or the company that built them. I know it doesn't make things any better, but it could have been any car.

QUOTE (Jake Raby @ Feb 23 2005, 09:23 AM)

You have obviously never went through the gears in a Beetle and smoked the pants off of a Vette or other "Muscle car"

Actually, I have. I built a 1776 and raced it at the Riverside Show and Go. I beat three cars in the 1/8 mile drag before a guy with tubo booster beat me by .3 seconds, probably because my revlimiter kicked in. I still have my printed time sheet.

QUOTE

I was (am) a VW enthusiast long before I got into Porsche's..

I use to be also. I still have a collection of modle cars, clothing, magazines, ect. They VW shops use to know what I needed the second I walked through the door.
I have attended the Bug In's, Bug o Ramma's ect., and have made some good friends because of my association with my bugs, whom I am still friends with today.

So why must you act like a "Prosche prick" then???

I thought for sure you owned a 911 by the way you acted...

As far as VWs being reliable- I have not spent 10K on my entire fleet of VWs and their maintenance. I have owned over 200 in my lifetime and had my own 80 car junkyard before I was 18..

I built a 1600cc Type I engine (singleport) when I was 11 years old. After two valve jobs it still runs with about 200K miles logged- Its in my 62, 15 window Micro......

Geeez...this went down hill...

I started with a blown up 57 ragtop given to me by Moms and Dads....the 36hp had a burnt valve....traded that for chrome rims.....the crash box trans was replaced with a full synchro unit, converted to 12v, an 1835 with dual webers, select a drop up front, decambered rear end....used to haunt the Orange County Bug Ins during the late 70s.....prolly had an underage beer with Sammy and didn't know it...

Got into mini trucks and motorcycles....got married...bought a non running 914 in '92 that became the Rocket....

And yes, I are a 911 dickhead as well....

Volkswagen bugs is what got me into 914's and 911's.
My dad had a totally stock on the outside and a 1641 with webers, 3/4 cam etc. on the inside.
With our whole family of 5 in the car on the way to church he blew away a 240Z.
When I was in high school I used to race it on the avenue.
I had a lot of fun with that bug and I could get my friends in the back seat.

I love bugs but there only good for 1/4 mile drag strips and total sleepers on the avenue.
I love to hang corners, auto cross etc.
When I see a bug get top time of day at an autocross or willow springs I might look into investing my money in one.

I am quite happy with my squashed mid engine bug made at the Volkswagen Karman factory.

QUOTE (Jake Raby @ Feb 23 2005, 02:52 PM)

As far as VWs being reliable- I have not spent 10K on my entire fleet of VWs and their maintenance. I have owned over 200 in my lifetime

Luck you!

Wish I would have owned one of yours.

Hey, I'll trade you one for Ted's life back!

You can call me a Porsche Prick, (although I would perfer BITCH) and I will still hate 1969 VW beetles and will still drive a Porsche.

whoa..



You are scaring me


M

I feel sorry for your buddy but I don't think there's a make or model that someone hasn't been killed in.

Hell people get killed crossing the street...what are you going to do...never leave the house? Bugs are no more dangerous than any 30yr/old car.



BTW my wifes 71 super has been with us about 7yrs, including the cost of the car we've spent $3000 on it.

I'm pretty sure my wife is screwing her mechanic though.

exactly... why would you do it TO a 914, when you can do IT IN a 914 i think that would be more my style, lots more usable cabin space in fourteen

Hi People
I have had this conversation many times...
usually its about my investment (car), and time, four year rebiuld, BUT I usually get compared to a Chevy
Think about it... Invest 20000$ in a 69 Chev convertable, and its worth how much today ?, invest 20000$ in a 74 914 targa, 2.0l, same question?
Apples and oranges, two different cars, so is the 914 and Bug.
At the age of 16 I bought my first Bug, I worked all summer on it, Cannary yellow, 1.6l, Exhaust, cam, carrbed.
I used to get the tires to come loose going into 3rd gear. Had 3 Bugs in total, worked on lots of them. I love this car, I love my Porsche, not the same way.
There was a time I siriously priced out a monster type 1 and adapter to put it in the 914

Jake will sure agree with me when I say 2.0l were expensive to do right back then too. I think the deals availible today are much better, still pay huge $$$ but now things are even better. 12 years ago 3000$-4000$
was the going rate for a "real" rebiuld. My Koblesmtch (sp) were going for 1200$ 10 years ago.
OOPPPPSSss got sidetracked...
Porsche and VW ...Why not swap stuff, if it works...cool, back in the day, type1 powerplant was a great , dollar vs HP swap, but what always stopped me was origionalty, or the Porsche badge.
Where I grew up you had to own a Bug before you moved up to a 914, it was an unritten law. When you had your Bug long anough to lite your smoke with the gas heater, you can start looking for a 914.
Just my idle ramblings
Peace
Joe

My $0.02, yes, it's about the "wow" factor. I've spent enough money on my baby to get me a very nice 914-6 -- over the span of 20+ years

Yeah, it's the wow factor and what you like to drive. I get the occational 911 behind me checking out my engine

QUOTE (Steve @ Feb 23 2005, 02:20 PM)

I love bugs but there only good for 1/4 mile drag strips and total sleepers on the avenue. I love to hang corners, auto cross etc. When I see a bug get top time of day at an autocross or willow springs I might look into investing my money in one.

Actually the bug in the photos at the top of the thread was made with handling in mind, and when bugs are set up they can be more than respectable. Don't forget the early bugs only weighed 1600 pounds, and those supers, when they have 951 suspension and brakes, handle a heck of a lot better than most 911's. As for racing at Willow Springs (actually Streets of Willow) it's been done. Check this out:

http://www.vwtrendsweb.com/features/0112vwt_gforce/

That wasn't an autocross, but van Wettering's red bug was built at Bugformance in San Jose and holds class records nearly everywhere it's been raced, TTOD at some. If I recall correctly it came in second overall in that G-Force Challenge, beating, among other cars, a pretty nice 914. Granted Jack's bug is more of a race car than the nice street bug in the photos that started the thread.

Jake's right about the pleasure of a fast bug that can embarass owners who simply can't admit that their car could be thrashed by an old VW. There's a lot of satisfaction in that. It may be perverted satisfacton, but hey. And if you think it couldn't happen to you, well...

And Toast, disliking the car you were in because somebody else hit it? What exactly does that have to do with anything?

The 944 suspension is a direct copy of the superbeetle suspension geometry, so much of a copy that the rear trailing arms from a 944 bolt right into a super beetle.

The super beetle suspension geometry was designed before the 944 suspension.

The 944 used better parts to accomplish the same thing..

So, you swap a 944 suspension into a beetle and the world of high performance suspension and brakes opens up in front of you...

Toast, VW is like any other car company, they are big and only out to make a buck....

Personally I will never stop being a fan if vw,s

I have 7 right now including my three 914's

That is why I like the 914, cause its a low fast vw....
I love beating 911's with basically a bus engine....makes me smile...

Rich

What else could I say.

My first job in the early 80s was at so cal import dismantlers a porsche /vw salvage yard ,first car 68 vw squareback second 69 vw bug class 11 ,rode in a unlimited class 5 car (baja bug )in the baja 1000,and a couple of nice prerunners ,best friend had a 69 w/wicked 2180 If i didnt have so many cars now id have a oval window rag with a killer motor and a nice prerunner

I'll admit thats pretty cool stuff on that car, no doubt.

But from a logistical point, those GT3 or GT2 calipers are way overkill. After spending bank on the equipment (which again is nice stuff) you now have to re-engineer the braking physics to work for the car through perportioning valves. Those calipers use power assisted units because of the volume they use, and just putting a larger master cylinder doesn't always work.

Hats off to them if they got it all dialed in, blingity bling toys.