bugster

[john walker's workshop]

well, i can't help myself, this project has been in my head too long. i nabbed this 63 convert at a vw swap meet last weekend. yesterday i stripped it down to what i need to work with. power will be a 911 engine mounted mid style and a 914 side shifter trans. it will have a tube frame, modified 911 front suspension with a shortened strut tube and custom upper A arms, and external tube shocks, double A arm rear suspension using the hub from a steel swing arm so 911 discs and e/brake can be used and a 4 link attached to the rear frame, which will be similar to a 906. the rear engine/trans/suspension area will be very open for that mechanical look. kind of dune buggy style. no fenders of course. the local RCW allows fenderless streetrods as long as it's not raining. the front wheel well cutouts will be smoothed with sheetmetal. can't wait to get started, maybe i'll close for a week.

[JDaniel]

Methinks it's good to be John Walker

[Chuck Moreland]

Very cool! Keep the pictures coming.

[david c.]

what kind of 911 motor?

[Superman]

WAY cool.

[makaio]

Bad A$$!

[john walker's workshop]

the plan for the engine is a 2.0 with S pistons, solex cams, webers, and 914-6 headers. it will be so light that the 2.0 should push it along quite well. later on when i get used to it, a larger unit may get swapped in. with the limited fuel tank size, the 2.0 should have a decent range. not sure what wheels will eventually be used, just had these 993 ones sitting around. their negative offset may work fine, being there will be nothing for them to rub on, and will keep the track width more bug-like.

[724doorE]

It should now be clear what the difference is between art and rice..

Definitely bad ass..

Dennis H.

72 911E

[Jadams1]

Nice Project! How long will it take you to get it drivable, weeks, months?

[john walker's workshop]

hopefully i can get it dummy'd up in a couple of months for the annual 20 block long car show on the street in front of my shop. it may not be driveable by then, but should look cool at least.

[Targa Dude]

I LIKE IT.... I LIKE IT ALLLLOT!


Jorge (Targa Dude)

[78silversc]

Wow! What a project.
Can you keep pictures coming as you go along? I for one would love to see documentation of what it takes to go from where you are now to a finished product.

[Gasburner]

I'm speechless... ok well i'm never speechless but man thats really got a cool look to it. I can't wait to see it done! Will you be showing pix of it in progress? I just picked up a poster from a German magizine of the early black fenderless bug/rod with a 6" chop thats been in a few mags lately. Its got a Ford straight axel pushed out front. so its got a nice look to it. Your convertible project takes that look to the limit and More! I think the wheels are perfect. Thats gunna be one unique machine.

[pohsche]

I did a '64 VW Vert 2 years ago. Hereis the list of Pcar parts.

H-4 headlights
914 front discs
911 rear discs w/ p-brake
911 seats
944 steering column
356 front beam with lowered spindles
Boxster rims with z-rated tires
914 master cylinder
Incredibly fun and expensive project for my daughter. I am going to try to post pictures, but I haven't had any luck so far. Let me know if there is something I am doing wrong.

Alan Poh

[pohsche]

See if this works.

[john walker's workshop]

i put the picture in C drive, then drag it up on photoshop and cut it down to 6" wide, which usually falls within the 60K size needed to post. then write your post and then hit browse and find the pic in your C drive or whereever you put it, click it and it will come up in the browse window. post it and you're done.

[Early_S_Man]

Sounds like a great project ... sort of like a cross between Paul Newman's Beetle 'vert built by Jerry Eisert with a 351 Cleveland in front of a Hewland DG300 and indycar rear suspension ... and the Super Beetle 'vert of the mid/early '70s with the mid-engine 911 engine built by one of those German tuners.

Shouldn't have to weigh more than about 1900 lbs wet, and ought to fly with a 2.0 and about 140-150 hp on Solex cams. A banana sport-mufler with narrow oulets coming out the factory Beetle cutouts would be a nice touch!

[john walker's workshop]

there was a super beetle built by a german guy named norbert or nordhoff, or something close to that, back in the 70s with a mid engine 911. it would be interesting to see the technical drawings for that. mostly for the rear suspension setup. this car will probably not have any rear apron, decklid or rear wheel wells. it will be very open back there to show off the innands. it will probably have two big tailpipes though.

[bell]

if you use the "attach multiple" option when replying to a thread it will let you upload a pic up to 100k.
hope this helps

[Doug Zielke]

John....Won't your Caddies be jealous of this latest creation?