[V8 Super Beetle]

Originally Posted by BAILEIGH

While your at it, why don't you throw on an exo cage. Just kidding.

LOL, that's pretty cool.

[V8 Super Beetle]

Originally Posted by BAILEIGH

too much horse power?

Nice!

Is there such thing?

[V8 Super Beetle]

Originally Posted by racerx999

Hi,I have been reading the last year or so of posts describing your v-8 beetle build.It is really going well.Thought you might like to see my super beetle v8 project.It is built with suspsnsion and drive train from a 87 corvette.It has a custom built tube frame.700r4 over drive trans,dana r36 rear end.400 hp zz4 crate engine with tpi injection.air conditioning,power seats,power windows.This baby cruises smooth and rattle free,but will break loose and scream at will.The poster last year that ranted about no one ever being happy with a v-8 beetle and that you shouldnt build one, doesnt know squat.Keep up the posts ,I am enjoying them,good luck.

Wow that's awesome! I like the vette wheels and the color! The whole car is very nice. You've pretty much accomplished what I'm after.

Yeah, I didn't pay it any attention. Building a V8 bug isn't any different than build a t-bucket in my opinion. Just a different body. Hopefully by the end of the year I'll have mine finished. Hopefully.

[moontanker]

I had to stick my 2 cents in your project because I had a guy working for me that took a v8 chassis and put the bug on backwards so the engine was under the hood,The radiator was leaned back and te body was stretched just a tad so you would not notice unless you looked for the difference.He was a valued asset in my shop in the 70s because I either created strange projects or my cutomers wanted them.Like the C Cab vw trike and the minature semi.No tech but just wanted to lighten your load.

[hutton01132005]

i have a 4.3l v-6 powered super in the works full air ride all 93 s-10 blazer chasis your is a little farther than mine right now i am still working out how to fit a steering column and a brke booster in the same spot would you post some pics when you get the motor in so i can see the steering shaft/column clearance between the block

[V8 Super Beetle]

Originally Posted by moontanker

I had to stick my 2 cents in your project because I had a guy working for me that took a v8 chassis and put the bug on backwards so the engine was under the hood,The radiator was leaned back and te body was stretched just a tad so you would not notice unless you looked for the difference.He was a valued asset in my shop in the 70s because I either created strange projects or my cutomers wanted them.Like the C Cab vw trike and the minature semi.No tech but just wanted to lighten your load.

Thanks for sharing. It's always cool to hear peoples stories and how they went about building one. There's so many ways to do it.

[V8 Super Beetle]

Originally Posted by hutton01132005

i have a 4.3l v-6 powered super in the works full air ride all 93 s-10 blazer chasis your is a little farther than mine right now i am still working out how to fit a steering column and a brke booster in the same spot would you post some pics when you get the motor in so i can see the steering shaft/column clearance between the block

I sure will. I'll post up some pictures once i get the engine in. It'll probably be a couple more months before I get the V8 in. I'm in the process of rebuilding the chassis, then have to rebuild the trans, putting the motor together, and put it all in.

You might want to go to v8bugs.com and you can see how much space some of the other guys had. I'll still post pictures though, it just wont be too soon.

[V8 Super Beetle]

Finally, some updates...

A few buddies came over this weekend and we took the body back off the frame. This time she's sitting on 4 blocks at each corner instead of two, LOL! ;D






At this point I'm welding up tack welds, would've completely welded some parts but they were too close to the headline, I added a couple fish plates to reinforce the shackles I welded in, and I'm welding up the top of the body mounts.













Next, I'll weld some caps onto the front of the frame, and weld in the "bolt-in" 6 point roll bar plates I bought. I'm doing this so I can remove the body (plates welded to frame, the cage will be inside the flooring once built and I'll be able to bolt it all up) later down the road if needed. Should make for installing the engine easier.

Then the frame is coming apart, I'll weld up the bottom of the frame (suck at overhead welding with the stick welder), small parts will be sandblasted, the frame will be power washed, and then I'll paint it and start rebuilding it with new bushings / ball joints.

Once all that's done I can do the fun part. Motor, tranny and install!

[MrPhotographer06]

nice work!..

thats the good thing about the VW.. even with it ready to go.. you can unhook a few bolts, and wires and you can take it off the body with a few friends..

[V8 Super Beetle]

Originally Posted by MrPhotographer06

nice work!..

thats the good thing about the VW.. even with it ready to go.. you can unhook a few bolts, and wires and you can take it off the body with a few friends..

Thanks! Yeah, they're very simple and light.

[V8 Super Beetle]

Got some work done today...

My 6 pt. roll bar bolt in conversion kit came in this past week. I mocked them up on the frame, took them to work, and then had them drilled for the bolts.





I then cleaned up the metal where the plates would be welded with a 40 grit disk.










Then welded in the plates.














Then I capped the front frame ends with some left over 1/8 metal I had laying around. I still need to go back and grind the welds smooth so it'll look nice once painted.





Next, after I grind the cap welds, I'm going to take the frame apart, sand blast the small parts at work, power wash the frame, adjust the rear ends location some so the shacks wont hit my fenders, and then it gets new paint (MasterSeries), and reassembled with the new bushings, balls joints, lowering spindles and blocks.

Then I can work on getting the engine together and rebuilding the tranny. Still lots to do til I get to that point. That's all until next weekend.

[V8 Super Beetle]

Yesterday I ordered the rest of the parts I need from Summit to put my 355 sbc together with the money I got back from my tax turn.

Fuel pump, high volume water pump, oil pump, gaskets, thermostat, comp cam timing chain, flex plate, aluminum crank pulley, harmonic balancer, etc.

Basically everything to finish off the engine. The only thing that will be used is the oil pump drive shaft, the fuel pump push rod, the block and internals (pistons, crank, rods). I'm going to freshen up the bottom end with some new bearings and piston rings. So a good clean up and a light hone is in line, soon.

Yesterday I also got a good deal on some used wheels for the V8 bug. They're C5 corvette wheels, 17"x 9.5" up front and 18"x 10.5" in the back. . The 88' vette wheels just didn't have the look I want for my car, but they're fine for mocking stuff up for now until I can buy new tires. Got them for $150 and they're in really great condition. Just the normal small scratches on the edge of rim lip




Also, on Tuesday I finished off the passenger side body mount that bolts to the heater channel. All it was needing was a piece of angle iron to reinforce it. Cut a 3" piece of angle iron, cleaned it with the 40 grit disk as well as the chassis, and welded it in. Strong and ready to go...








I can't wait to get the chassis finished so I can put the engine together!

[SECTION25]

Hey mate, just wanted to say I think your car is shaping up really well, I think that the Corvette C5 wheels look great and are much better than the ones you had.

I was wondering, now that your car is moving towards a shaved look, what with the bumpers gone and the mild smoothing modifications you've done, have you considered going down the retrotech path? I think your car in something like a dark grey/ gun metal or black from perhaps a late model mercedes with gun metal powder coated rims would look amazing.

With that fat V8 sound and the cage slightly visible would look amazingly tough in a black car.

Car looks fantastic

[V8 Super Beetle]

Originally Posted by SECTION25

Hey mate, just wanted to say I think your car is shaping up really well, I think that the Corvette C5 wheels look great and are much better than the ones you had.

I was wondering, now that your car is moving towards a shaved look, what with the bumpers gone and the mild smoothing modifications you've done, have you considered going down the retrotech path? I think your car in something like a dark grey/ gun metal or black from perhaps a late model mercedes with gun metal powder coated rims would look amazing.

With that fat V8 sound and the cage slightly visible would look amazingly tough in a black car.

Car looks fantastic

Thanks! Here's the look (well, with shaved bumpers, vents, and the wheels wont have the polished lip) or paint scheme I put together and plan to go with. The wheels will be black, top part of car black ,and the lower half will be a charcol / gun metal metallic grey. Should look and will sound tough. I'll photoshop another pic with the updated wheels and I'll shave the bumpers and whatnot once I get the chance. But this is the general look.

[V8 Super Beetle]

Here we go. I did a version with the wheels the metallic grey as they are now and a version with them painted black. They're supposed to look glossy black but I had a little trouble getting them to look glossy, but you get the idea. I like the wheels black better, but with them silver they'll probably look larger than they really are.






Might even through in the red stripe for the extra racy look.