Vintage ill handleing tub to modern slalom course sink :)

Ok had to come up with a funny title, but now it's time to get down to some serious biz. You guys have read my other post about how much better the Mendeola suspenion does over stock, well now all of you west coasters that will respect my car are more then welcome to jump behind the wheel and take it for a ripping ride around some corners and just down the road and feel what you've been missing.

In the following thread I'm going to try and give a detailed step by step of the install and how it all goes together, however since I've done a few of these things I may leave something out here and there. So please by all means don't be afraid to ask as many questions as you like. I will do my very best to answer them in a timely manner.

Now on to the fun.....

now this is all the dirty work, next comes the fun clean stuff then the super fun shiney stuff ;)

Kevin, someone needs to show you how to direct link your photos. Much easier to read this way.
Example:

MAN ! ! ! My eyes are vibrating. You GOTTA get rid of those red borders, put more white space on the edges straighten up that type and adjust your kerning so that the letters and words are climbing up each other's back side ! !

That's the most unreadable type that I seen in ages, I'd rather just look at the pics and try to guess what's happening, than put up with that crazy type and those tiny red rimmed boxes ! ! !

You also have to insert some reference points so that we can tell what the pan positioning is. Looking from the front, looking from the side, top bottom etc. Right now it a dirty dark mass with overly bright cut edges. Get it sand blasted and start again, OK? Can't tell what you're doing or doing it to.

IMHO, which is usually correct . . .

TC

Kevin, thanks for taking the time to document the process. Looks like a cool modification. You can bet I'll take your car out if I contemplate the upgrade.
Ron, great suggestion. Maybe you can review the HTML process to directly link the photos.
TC, what can I say? You're such an ass.

Keep it coming Kevin. Nice job! You're making it look pretty straight forward. Great Info.!

~WB

good work Kevin!

thanks for documenting and sharing.

Kevin, try this:

1. Use an internet host for your photos. I used Photobucket.
2. Copy the 'direct link'
3. type in the following:
img border='0' src= (put your direct link in here-take out the
http:)align='center'
4. Put < in the front and > in the back.
5. You're done. Make sure your photos are reduced in size. I usually
scale mine down to 60%, which gives them a better fit on the page.

Hope that helps
Ron

TC--man, and you were making such good progress too. I'm still rooting for you though!

Good for you, Kevin. Have enjoyed mine for about 9 months now. Nice goin'.

Luftig

Cool thread Kevin! Keep those pics coming!

Nice pix, but I agree with TC, as a fellow art director, we need to work on the kerning and just basic typography and a few reference points would help...but, we'll work our way through this somehow. Keep 'em coming.

Hey Kevin,

Keep it coming, very good info. Next time I see you I might want to try your speedster.

Eddy

I'm just fine with my beam suspension, but thanks for taking the time and making the effort to help us all out Kevin. Very nice work!

Kevin-keep the posts coming. The fact that you labeled the pix is great. All the references to "kerning", gurning or anything else represent a constriction of sphinctoral proportions...

Oh, curious about gurning...? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzbVr2LyBgU&feature=related

Team,

Let me start by saying I am not an instruction maker or reader, I'm a do'er. I normaly don't even read the instructions, so for me to try and write some out, it's a bit of a task.

First off I agree with the lettering and inserted boxes on the photos, however last night when I was trying to get the info in and post pic that went with it the website would time out or simply was not capable of doing what I was trying to do. I will be the first to say I am NO tech geek. I was also not aware that I can have my pictures hosted somewhere else, as in the past I tried to post that way and all it would do is show the link. With that said I will try and post else where so that my pictures are easier for you to enjoy.

Now on to your next comments:
1) You also have to insert some reference points so that we can tell what the pan positioning is.You also have to insert some reference points so that we can tell what the pan positioning is. Looking from the front, looking from the side, top bottom etc.

.....if you do not know what a VW pan looks like or can not tell where or what I'm shooting, you may not want to attempt this level of up grade. However if you would like better details, please give me some examples. Yes I need you to illistraight them for me.


Right now it a dirty dark mass with overly bright cut edges. Get it sand blasted and start again, OK? Can't tell what you're doing or doing it to

...... As far as sand blasting and all the other things you would like me to do. I would have prefered to do the work on my own car that way, it would have been a whole lot easier, however because this is a tech artical on how to install one of these front ends with the BODY ON. Sand blasting was not an option. So that you know I will be pulling my body off after the install to complete the other work I plan on doing (915 trans & complete Mendeola IRS conversion) this will include full sand blasting.

To everyone else thank you for your comments and I will try to show the progress in a more possitive and easier to follow way.

Sorry Kevin, my comments were only meant as humor. You can do this anyway you want.

Adding to Ron's instructions above, here is what it should look like when you want to post a picture either from the SOC site or from an outside site. I'm going to start another thread in the Anything Goes section that contains this same information so you can save the thread to your favorites for quick access in the future.

Good stuff Kevin. Thank you for taking the time to do this...

Nice going Kevin. Isn't it amazing that people rip you up when you are just trying to help them. Keep up the good work and for me, I don't care much about the delivery, it's the content that counts. The larger photos are good though.

What Warren said x2. The way you posted is fine with me.

~WB

I would like to start with a THANK YOU Kevin. I believe that we all understand the amount of Time and Effort it takes to document an install such as this. It is not an easy task. I for one, very much appreciate the information and incite that I will take away from this thread. Thank you, continue with what you are doin and hey you might have missed some oil over there.. ;-)

Steve the other half of Angela

Well after figureing out the front stock bulk head had been replaced with an after market psc of sh ITE and it was installed by Hellan Keller her self. This thing was soo off I had to invent a new way to true our Mendeola suspension to the chassis. But I'm glad to say after fighting with it I have made it work and can now teach others how to get thru it...... In fact if you look in the photos above you can see how off it was with almost possitive caster.....

I'll post more pictures and how to instructions soon....

Kevin - Looking forward to seeing your finished product first-hand!!

Damn . . . so Keven is a great guy and I poked him with a stick.

Sorry! Honestly sorry for messing with you. I really STILL am confused by the last pic, I think that the box might be blocking what I need to reference the position of what you're meaning to show.

TC,

No problem. The last picture is inside of the hood looking down with the carpet pulled back. The opening is where the gas tank goes. The duct tape is there so that you guys can see where I cut to allow the front end to drop in. The two lines with circles at the end are where the bolts go thru to the bracket that connects the body to the upper mounts on the VW beam.....

Hope that helps.

Next time I'll make a little map in the box like the ones at the mall that says "you are here"..... :)

Here are a couple of more pictures..... Man I can't wait till I get this thing on the ground and take it for a spinnnnnnnnn... ;)

Nice job, Kevin!

"you are here"..... :)

If I'm here . . . where's Waldo ?

Man, those last pics are sweet, what a great set-up ! ! Gotta post a video of the car on the road once you're done, LOVE to hear and see how it drives ! ! ! !

Wondering what the spring rate is in the front? Do you remember what you bought? Was it all a balanced kit readied for installation?

TC

Hey Kevin,

Keep it coming, starting to look really nice

Eddy

The rack is in next time to install the brakes and wheels, then it is off to the rear for an IRS conversion, full Mendeola rear suspension, a 915 5 speed trans and a 2276 power plant......

And who was it that said you couldn't do this? Will you be making a nationwide tour so we all can take it for a ride? Nice work!

NICE Kevin!

angela

Nice... keep it coming.

So Kevin, am I wrong to think that your front suspension CAN be installed on a speedster with the body still on the car?
Ron

Yes you are wrong. I was able to install it with the body on....

That was kind of the idea here - to prove it could be done with the body on. Kind of opens his market up a little bit to both initial build and those who want to retrofit.

angela

Did I miss the pics of you physically installing and attaching the susp. to the front mount? Bolt on??....weld on??

~WB