• From: Glasford, IL
  • Registered: 2008-02-17
  • Posts: 155

Topic: 1969 Convertible V8 Beetle update with pics.....

I just thought that I would let everyone know that I have finally been making some progress on the V8 Beetle project.  I took a couple days off of work and started by cleaning up the chassis, I'll also have some updates soon on some rear suspension work and transmission cross member work I've been doing too....


Below are a few pictures, you can also see these and more new pictures in the chassis section on my website: http://www.v8beetleresource.com

http://www.v8beetleresource.com/epbimages/9-18-11-2.PNG
I took a couple days off of work to get some work done on the V8 Beetle project, and unfortunately the parts I ordered for the rear suspension didn't show up until the last day I had off....... Darn slow postal service smile.... Oh well I've been needing to clean up the back part of the s-10 chassis anyways.

I started off by cutting off the old s-10 rear bump stops, they wouldn't do me any good since I put on shorter leaf springs, I'll add some new bump stops later on. Also to make the chassis a little easier to work on I hoisted the body up over the chassis.


http://www.v8beetleresource.com/epbimages/9-18-11-4.PNG

The next things to go would be the old bed and body mounts, they are too high or in the wrong spots to use for body mounts for the beetle, so I hacked them off......

http://www.v8beetleresource.com/epbimages/9-18-11-5.PNG

Here I have them all ground off, now I just need to start cleaning the rust off of the frame.


http://www.v8beetleresource.com/epbimages/9-18-11-6.PNG

Next I pulled the chassis outside in the driveway to clean up the rest of the frame. I pulled out the rear cross member so I could clean the frame rails easier and also so I can take the cross member to work later on and shot blast it, or make a new cross member. I used a couple C-Clamps to keep the frame rails from spreading, etc.....


http://www.v8beetleresource.com/epbimages/9-18-11-8.PNG

To clean up the frame rails I first used a wire wheel in my angle grinder to get all the major stuff off, then I came back with a 36 grit flap wheel in the angle grinder. I'll probably go over it one more time with the flap wheel before sand blasting......

http://www.v8beetleresource.com/epbimages/9-18-11-10.PNG

Next I cleaned up the inside of the frame rails with the wire wheel and flap wheel. Of course the inside is much more difficult to get to than the outsides..... The sand blaster will come in handy in these harder to get to spots.....
Oh yeah make sure your wearing eye and face and ear protection..... and long sleaves are a good idea too.....

http://www.v8beetleresource.com/epbimages/9-18-11-11.PNG

I eventually pulled the engine and transmission off the chassis so it was a little easier to work on


http://www.v8beetleresource.com/epbimages/9-18-11-13.PNG

By this point I'm getting pretty tired of cleaning up rust............. LOL


http://www.v8beetleresource.com/epbimages/9-18-11-26.PNG

Through the frame cleaning process I ended up killing my 4.5" harbor freight angle grinder. One of the brush holders cracked and it would loose power and shut off as you ground with it..... I was able to get the grinder to limp along though and finish what I was doing. A couple 3/8" nuts wrapped in duct tape worked for a while to hold the brushes in, then it got worse so I had to add the C-clamp later on...... The grinder isn't quite as nimble as it once was.....LOL


http://www.v8beetleresource.com/epbimages/9-18-11-27.PNG

Over probably the last 4 or 5 years I've killed 2 of these 10 buck grinders from harbor freight, and with this project I've been using it a lot I decided to go with a good 10 amp dewalt 4.5" grinder, I've been using one of these at work for almost 8 years without any problems. I also had a coupon for sears and they had them on sale so I picked this up for 75 bucks, and it even came with a case, which is nice. It also has a quick release nut which is WONDERFUL!!! I have a 5" high speed matuba grinder at work with one of these quick release nuts and I don't know how you can live without them after having one........... LOL..... No more searching for that lost wrench..... smile


That is it for now, but hopefully I'll have an update on some more stuff in a few days.

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body.... Rather it is to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, WOW WHAT A RIDE!"

zbhover's Website

  • From: Glasford, IL
  • Registered: 2008-02-17
  • Posts: 155

Re: 1969 Convertible V8 Beetle update with pics.....

Just another quick update on the 1969 V8 Convertible Bug Project........


This time I got some work done on the rear suspension,  I got the old spring perches cut off of the ford 8.8" rear end and some new perches to weld on.  I also got some new rear shackle hangers and got those welded on.

I should have another update soon, it will be of the new transmission cross member I'm working on, etc........


You can see all the new pictures in the chassis section of http://www.v8beetleresource.com

or click on this direct link to the newest update: http://www.v8beetleresource.com/chassis16.html

Here are a few pictures:

http://www.v8beetleresource.com/epbimages/9-18-11-14.PNG

At first I was thinking to adapt the ford 8.8" rear end to the s-10 chassis I would make some adaptor plates for the spring perches. I was thinking I could make some angled plates that would get my pinion angle correct and that were also offset to match up the leaf spring center to center width and the spring perch width.

I took a couple days off of work, and its been rare that I had time to work on the bug, so instead of wasting time making these adaptor plates I decided to buy new perches and also new rear shackle mounts. Not only did I not want to waste time when I could be making progress, but the adaptor plates would have left me with little suspension travel.


http://www.v8beetleresource.com/epbimages/9-18-11-15.PNG

Here are the spring perches and rear shackle hangers that I got from www.ruffstuffspecialties.com The parts were of real good quality, and at the time they were the only people I could find with the offset shackle hangers, they call them way back shackle hangers, which worked better for my application. The pricing was also great!


http://www.v8beetleresource.com/epbimages/9-18-11-16.PNG

Here I have the Ruff Stuff Specialties way back rear shackle hangers assembled and ready to weld up.



http://www.v8beetleresource.com/epbimages/9-18-11-17.PNG

Next I needed to do some more trimming to the s-10 chassis. Before I had some shackle mounts welded into the frame rails, but this was going to leave me with little suspension travel, and I also just wasn't happy with them. So instead I cut frame rails off even with the old welded in mounts, and then welded a plate across the back of each rail. My new ruff stuff specialties hangers will then weld to these plates. This lowered my hanger mounts from where they were giving me more suspension travel and also looks nicer.


http://www.v8beetleresource.com/epbimages/9-18-11-20.PNG

Next I welded the shackle hangers to the back end of the frame rails, I really like how these turned out versus what I had before.

You can also see that I have the rear end clamped to the springs with the new spring perches on the 8.8" rear end. I'll wait until further down the road to weld the new perches on because I want to make sure the pinion angle is just right.


http://www.v8beetleresource.com/epbimages/9-18-11-22.PNG

I left the plates that I welded to the frame rails a little extra long yet because I'm not sure what I'm going to do for a rear cross member. I'll have a bolt in cross member at the back of the chassis to keep the end of the frame rails from twisting.



http://www.v8beetleresource.com/epbimages/9-18-11-24.PNG

The rear tires are the same size that I will be using on the bug in the end, but the front tires are a little larger dia. I put a couple boards under the rear tires to get the same stance on the frame. It puts just a slight down hill stance from the back to the front, which I think will work perfectly. Now I can't wait to be able to drop the body back on the chassis to see what it looks like, because with the old cab and bed mounts cut off I'll be able to lower the body down to where I want it to sit.


Thanks for following my V8 Beetle project!

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body.... Rather it is to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, WOW WHAT A RIDE!"

zbhover's Website