Rear coilovers. .

I have been in the VW hobby on and off since 1974 and always been of the understanding that with it's torsion bars adjusted properly, a VW (especially a street car) doesn't need any more spring, front or back.  The odd time I've seen coilovers they've been cheap blister packed products on a baja bug or offroad buggy, most rode like crap and there was usually the question of whether simply adjusting the torsion bars for the ride height would do the trick and provide a better ride.  The exception would be a heavier modified baja bug with bigger back tires where instead of the cheap springs on the cheap shocks that are usually available (which would provide the lift that was looked for but rode like sh*t), slightly thicker Sway A Way torsion bars and decent shocks would be much more appropriate.

If one was to eliminate the torsion bars completely and go to properly tuned (note those last 2 words) coilover/shock assemblies I see it, but don't know if there would be any measurable advantage on the street. Kevin at Coolryde Customs has done this with his Mendeola front and rear suspension systems and claims far superior ride and handling (which in part is probably from the wider wheels/tires used at both ends) and much easier adjustability, but at $6,000 ($3400 front, 25-2700 rear) plus installation and more for wheels and tires to get the most out of it, not many replica Speedster owners have made the jump.  I could see going with the front A-arm assembly, but I'm not convinced that his rear suspension would be that much better than a narrowed irs/wider tire/properly shocked set up.

While I've never heard of anybody breaking the rear shock towers (not to say it hasn't been done, I've just never seen it), for any performance driving a kafer bar tying the tops of the towers together and triangulating down to the frame horns and maybe even the torsion bar tube is a good idea.  And if you do a kafer bar and are worried about the added weight you could do this

it doesn't totally negate the weight gain, but I did remove just over 1½ pounds per side and (I think) it looks really cool!

Why am I suddenly hungry for some Swiss cheese?

ALB....Exactly my thoughts and observations. Thanks for you input. I have been VW before I even purchased my first one in 86 at 15 yrs old. Since then I have had over 60 VWs, not all air cooled.

And I need to go make a grilled cheese sandwich now.

Hahhahaha

@Lane Anderson posted:

Why am I suddenly hungry for some Swiss cheese?

@Wright Conceptz posted:

ALB....Exactly my thoughts and observations. Thanks for you input. I have been VW before I even purchased my first one in 86 at 15 yrs old. Since then I have had over 60 VWs, not all air cooled.

And I need to go make a grilled cheese sandwich now.

Hahhahaha

Ok, you're both really funny!

Time to go back to bed- it's 05:30.  I've got to go to work in a couple of hours and I've already been up far too long.  This getting old and having to pee in the middle of the night sucks...

I find no fault in your culinary art skills. Actually like it. Seeing all the hard line structures and then lightening holes passing through.... very cool.

@Wright Conceptz I've run rear coilovers and rear airbags on VWs (and Speedsters) with zero issues, however we modify the way the rear torsion bar is attached to strengthen it.  I have also triangulated the shock tower itself, although I fell that is really unnecessary.  The bigger issue is twisting the torsion bar housing itself, especially if weakened by rust/age, if left stock.

Chines1....

Good points and thanks for letting us know you DID triangulat at some points.

Thanks !

I agree with all that has been said but have an outlier to this. I bought a 1977 Puma GTE a few years ago and for reasons unknown to me the car came with what I think are cheap coil over shocks on all 4 corners front and back. When I saw this setup I wondered why the heck this was done.  I still can only guess that the previous owner didn't know how to adjust the ride height properly and spent the money on parts and labor to install the 4 bug pack type coil over shocks.  The interesting thing is the car turned out to have one of the best rides I have experienced compared to the 15 or so VW's or VW based vehicles I have owned. So, I left the coil overs on and am going with don't fix it if it isn't broken approach. I know what I have posted is of little value to the original question but thought some may find it interesting. Have a great week!

  Sorry the pic posted is the best I have showing the front coil overs. The bent kafer bar was by design to clear part of the exhaust header.

Just to clarify, I think attachment of the torsion housing along whats is normally an open span form the end to the center, is much more important.  I've seen unsupported tubes, literally, twist along this span.  Normally the load is translated to the center where the splines are welded in, but with coilovers you're moving that load out to the ends and that is a lot of weight on an 18' lever if not supported.

@Jimmy V. posted:

I agree with all that has been said but have an outlier to this. I bought a 1977 Puma GTE a few years ago and for reasons unknown to me the car came with what I think are cheap coil over shocks on all 4 corners front and back. When I saw this setup I wondered why the heck this was done.  I still can only guess that the previous owner didn't know how to adjust the ride height properly and spent the money on parts and labor to install the 4 bug pack type coil over shocks.  The interesting thing is the car turned out to have one of the best rides I have experienced compared to the 15 or so VW's or VW based vehicles I have owned. So, I left the coil overs on and am going with don't fix it if it isn't broken approach. I know what I have posted is of little value to the original question but thought some may find it interesting. Have a great week!

That is BEAUTIFUL.... good to hear another side.

Keep that that thing in the road and drive it to the end.

Thanks !!!

@chines1 posted:

Just to clarify, I think attachment of the torsion housing along whats is normally an open span form the end to the center, is much more important.  I've seen unsupported tubes, literally, twist along this span.  Normally the load is translated to the center where the splines are welded in, but with coilovers you're moving that load out to the ends and that is a lot of weight on an 18' lever if not supported.

Good points.

Thank you.

@ALB, I get up to pee as many as 5 times during the night but I have never thought to check into the SOC website when I do it.  I think you should cut back on the habit a bit.

@Michael McKelvey posted:

@ALB, I get up to pee as many as 5 times during the night but I have never thought to check into the SOC website when I do it.  I think you should cut back on the habit a bit.

BAAAHHHHAHHHAHAHAHAHHA....

I GET IT !!!!

WHAT A PISSER

Which habit?  Getting up to pee in the middle of the night, or checking the SOC site when you are then up?

I wish I could kick the former.

@Wright Conceptz I don’t know about the ride yet still waiting on Body from Rafeal with Customs Fiberglass in Mexico to do some modifications to chassis

@Former Member posted:

@Wright Conceptz I don’t know about the ride yet still waiting on Body from Rafeal with Customs Fiberglass in Mexico to do some modifications to chassis

I am drooooooling.... all over the place.

Wow

@Michael McKelvey posted:

@ALB, I get up to pee as many as 5 times during the night but I have never thought to check into the SOC website when I do it.  I think you should cut back on the habit a bit.

Yeah. If I get up, I keep it dark in the house, pee, then directly back to bed. More sleep that way, plus it's easier to fall asleep if it stays dark and quiet. I don't look at my computer or phone for about an hour before bed. This helps you fall asleep as well.

Do you have sleep apnea Al, maybe undiagnosed?

@Former Member Nice, really nice. That perimeter square frame looks great, and the front looks a lot less "overdone" than the front end that bolts to a pan. I like it.

@Former Member wrote- "I don’t know about the ride yet still waiting on Body from Rafeal with Customs Fiberglass in Mexico to do some modifications to chassis"

Do you know what tire size(s) you're running?

@ALB right now I have 205/40r 17 I may have to change the offset on the rims but I am going to wait till my body gets here to address that and the length. Rafeal told me it could be ready this Saturday. I don’t know how long it will take for shipping from Mexico

@Former Member posted:

@ALB right now I have 205/40r 17 I may have to change the offset on the rims but I am going to wait till my body gets here to address that and the length. Rafeal told me it could be ready this Saturday. I don’t know how long it will take for shipping from Mexico

I can't remember did you order a coupe or a regular speedster body?  

@IaM-Ray I ordered a regular speedster Rafeal call’s it a Speedster GT.I wanted a coupe but it  was going to take to long. Here’s a picture he’s changing  the Interior color for me and doing a few modifications to the body and the tonneau cover for the roll bar. He’s changing the interior color to brown leather.

@Wright Conceptz posted:

I am drooooooling.... all over the place.

Wow

Me, too. That’s beautiful.

Does Rafa make those vents  functional ?  Really nice.

@IaM-Ray Yes they are functional

@Former Member- if those will actually pull air into the engine compartment at speed that would be way cool!

@ALB Here’s what it looks like under the louvers.

@Former Member posted:

@ALB Here’s what it looks like under the louvers.

Yeah, I thought the engine side was really neat when I saw the pic above as well.  I'm just wondering what the airflow over that area will be like- will it allow air to go through the louvers and into the engine compartment at highway speeds?  I guess you'll find out.

Do you know if Rafael has changed the contour of the rear fender edges at all?  Most Speedster owners are limited in tire width in the rear because the car narrows an inch or more (per side) as you move from the front to the back of the wheelwells.  There's plenty of room between the fender edge and the front of the tire but with wider tires it gets really close at the back.  35 or so years ago I saw an Intermeccanica with 225's (on 8" Fuchs alloys) and it was so subtle you couldn't tell they'd messed with it.  My body is an IM and without a little 'body work' the biggest tires I can get in the back are 195's at the moment, and that's with the inside of the tire being within 1/8" of the spring plate.  And my apologies- I don't remember if it's been mentioned- what color are you going to paint it?

@ALB Rafeal did mention this particular body is a little wider at the rear. If it doesn’t fit I may have to shift gears and get a different offset or go to a smaller rim and tire but I hope not I like these.

I have not decided on a color yet. I was thinking dark grey or silver maybe even black but I already have a black super wide.

You'll probably be alright then- it doesn't take much.

@ALB I hopping so I’ve got my fingers crossed!!

IM makes pie shape cut out to accommodate bigger rear wheels but they use a local wheel guy to make the mangel style wheels bigger towards the inside of the vehicle.  I have 7 inch rears and 6 inch fronts. Fuchs.  I had 8inch rears on my old IM .

One thing is that a person might be able to shorten the trailing arms by an inch which I don't think IM ever did to gain more wheel space as well.

@Former Member posted:

@Wright Conceptz I don’t know about the ride yet still waiting on Body from Rafeal with Customs Fiberglass in Mexico to do some modifications to chassis

Who makes this chassis? It's gorgeous!

@RobertCalifornia posted:

Who makes this chassis? It's gorgeous!

@RobertCalifornia That is the Mendeola chassis sold by Cool Rydes Customs (the blue text is a link to their stuff) that I linked to earlier in your tube chassis thread (IIRC).

By the way, if you scroll through the custom build photos on Cool Rydes’ website, you can find a car they worked on for a client who appears to have a 3D clown head grill badge.  Or am I just seeing things?  Was this an SOC gathering raffle prize?  It looks like it might squirt water.

That is a hidden reversing camera

@Jon T posted:

By the way, if you scroll through the custom build photos on Cool Rydes’ website, you can find a car they worked on for a client who appears to have a 3D clown head grill badge.  Or am I just seeing things?  Was this an SOC gathering raffle prize?  It looks like it might squirt water.

That is Larry Bull's Speedster.

@Robert M posted:

@RobertCalifornia That is the Mendeola chassis sold by Cool Rydes Customs (the blue text is a link to their stuff) that I linked to earlier in your tube chassis thread (IIRC).

Thank you. I recognized the Mendeola front end but I didn't realize that's their chassis. That looks super nice and expensive!