Aircooled VW South Africa

Has anybody tried a Type 1 IRS conversion in SA?
Can we get the goodies that are needed? Without paying the equivalent of a new car in the process?

Merlin has done it on his Beetle, IMPI on his new Puma, and myself with the HW2 project. If you have a donor car's rear clip, trailing arms, sideshafts and gearbox - all the other parts like bushes and bearings are easily available.

Pine wrote:Merlin has done it on his Beetle, IMPI on his new Puma, and myself with the HW2 project. If you have a donor car's rear clip, trailing arms, sideshafts and gearbox - all the other parts like bushes and bearings are easily available.

I need to get a new gearbox anyway (Bugger says mine are no good for fitting longer legs to) so that may be enough to sway my decision. Gonna have to get the bits tho - if I bring another vrot bug home, even if it is a donor vehicle, the wife is going to go ballistic.

Stupid question - what do you mean by 'clip'?

With 'clip' I mean the rear part of an IRS Beetle suspension, I got this one (off a 1302), which started the whole IRS idea

Do you then cut the rear suspension off the current pan and weld the entire clip on?

I've seen conversions on volkszone where they weld brackets on to the cross tube. The gearbox mounting 'horns' need to be dished a bit to make room for the drive shafts - which concerns me a bit as this must reduce the strength of the horns?

This way you need the gearbox, driveshafts and trailing arms only - and you maintain the structural rigidity of the tunnel by not having to cut it?

davetapson wrote:Do you then cut the rear suspension off the current pan and weld the entire clip on?

Yes, the same process for cutting and re-welding, like shortening the buggy chassis.

davetapson wrote:I've seen conversions on volkszone where they weld brackets on to the cross tube. The gearbox mounting 'horns' need to be dished a bit to make room for the drive shafts - which concerns me a bit as this must reduce the strength of the horns??

Personally I am not very fond of that idea. The IRS pivot points also need to be aligned perfectly before and during welding to keep the rear geometry of the car 100% true. Remember, this was done on a jig in the factory, and it can be a bit tricky to do without a jig - unless you make up your own. (Speak to Merlin - Eric who did his IRS conversion might still have the jig he made for the welding.)

davetapson wrote:This way you need the gearbox, driveshafts and trailing arms only - and you maintain the structural rigidity of the tunnel by not having to cut it?

(And the pivot points as well, they can be bought new from Volkspares). But I don't think you need to worry about the structural rigidity of the tunnel. If it is cut and welded professionally, it will most probably even be stronger as the day it left the VW factory.

Any suggestions as to who could do the welding - esp. somewhere close to the East Rand..?

Erick has still got the jigs As I am fitting the Porsche 944 setup in the back of the Flag buggy

Speak to him 0720246110

I have done 2 conversions by welding on the brackets to a pan not a biggie
easiest way to find parts : automatic type three had the same setup but the gearbox will not work the sideshafts can be porsche 924 as it is easily found as also porsche trailing arms
gearbox is an issue but for low performance use the brazilia gearbox coupled with Passat mark one parts works well
Armand

I'll be bringing back a SA kit next week from London for all the split lovers who fancy doing this. Then myself and Bugger will work some magic and get it in a form that's reasonable for those based here.

more to come as it happens

*BUMP*