Front sway bar on VS with AC?

Need advice on my "new to me" 2005 VS turnkey car. My VS doesn't have a front sway bar: I'd like to install one along with a rear camber compensator too. I've read the search items on "sway bars"
( lots of good info )and have a question that I didn't see answered:
Will a stock VW -- small dia -- fit in in the space in front of the tubes but BEHIND the back edge of the AC condensor? I have exactly 2" of horizontal free space there now and sure wouldn't want the sway bar to rub/hit the AC condensor! I don't think I need the 3/4" sway bar, and I sure don't need the fit hassles with notching / adapting the front bumper brackets to make one fit....there's way too much AC stuff mounted to the bumper brackets! I guess that's the only place Kirk could mount the AC condensor, but it sure makes things busy under the front end. It also looks to me like the AC condensor would be the first thing to get scraped or hit with road debris or a parking curb if I wasn't careful? I've looked at a number of pics in the search threads and it "looks" like it would fit. Anyone have a front sway bar on a VS with A/C?
Is there a front sway bar that mounts BEHIND the tubes?
Thxs
Doug

Hi Doug. I have a after-market front sway bar on my Vintage with AC. However, I had my bumper brackets modified to fit the sway bar. I followed Ricardo's approach and it worked great for me. At the end of the day, it was easier for me to get started on a project that I knew would work - even if it required a little more work.

Brad, was there room enought for the sway bar as is, or did you have to move the AC condensor? It appears that Kirk "riveted" alot of the condensor mounts and bumper brackets....looked like alot to R&R.
What did you end up using: 3/4" bar for a lowered car ( with the bends )? Or just a 3/4" normal bar? Did it make the suspension too stiff? Do you have pics of your bar mounted?
Thxs
Doug

Again Like I said in te sway bar post a rigid mounted sway that only the arms twist on would be your best solution. In that case a 1" inch would be enough

a 1" bar on a "stock" VW based Speedster?????

Regardless of whether it's rigid mounted (suspended to the lower torsion tube) or a free floating bar, a 1-inch on that car would be vast overkill - the car is just too light, especially the front end. A rigid-mounted bar would, however, solve his clearance problem with his A/C bits.

A stock VW, 3/8" diameter bar installed upside down should be plenty, although I can't vouch for the necessary clearance to the A/C condenser (I've never installed one with A/C on the car, but they don't stick out very far forward). 1/2" diameter should provide more anti-roll strength at the cost of a slightly harsher ride, while a 3/4" (19mm) bar should be good for autocrossing (corner like a go-kart) but give an even stiffer ride.

I had a 1-1/8" diameter bar on a LeBaron GTS Turbo once, and it was STIFF! That car weighed twice what a Speedster would, too.

Here's a truly great article on making your VW-Pan-Based car handle the way you want it to: http://www.aircooled.net/gnrlsite/resource/articles/handling.htm

Great article, Gordon! I think I'll stick with mounting a stock VW bar with urethane bushings and quality clamps from CIP, and also a rear camber compensator at the same time. it's Winter big time here in Maine, so when the roads are dry in Spring I'll get the VS a full alignment and get the rear into spec with the article you listed and see how it handles...only a 1776 cc, but next Winter I'm hoping to get into a stroker big bore for more torque.

My next question is on trans axle gearing: is it worth the so called pro-comp street mods to spend the $1k? Ring & pinion ratio and trans gearing changes for a 125HP motor that's mostly a freeway cruiser? I know the current 1st gear w/4.12 final drive is way too low for a torquier motor...seems like I'm shifting from 1-2 within about 20 feet! What are the best first-thru-fourth gear ratios and final drive to order to get 70-80 MPH at around 3500 -- 3700 RPM for that motor? What do most of the bigger motor Speedeters use for gearing & highway use with out compromising performance on stroker motors built for max torque? I'd like to get trans gears and final drive correct the first time....
Thxs for the handling article & for your transaxle advice!
Doug

Doug, to answer your questions about my setup I used a 3/4" sway bar for a lowered bug. I had no clearance issues with where by condenser was located. My condenser is mounted towards the front of the car on the bumper bracket. The sway bar didn't come close to it. I dont think it made the suspension too stiff. I love the way the car handles with the sway bar. I don't have pictures unfortunatley but if I get my car up on jacks in the next couple of weeks I'll take a picture.