Shoptalkforums.com

I was stripping down a superbug for the irs when it occured to me that the superbug floorpan is the same right up tp the front x-member..looking into it a bit further ...If I can get shorter mcpherson struts and build a strut tower to hold them in ..rack and pinion steering would be a breeze to fit from there??? The front of the body can be easily cut and reshaped to suit and for the Eureka would actually give the body a much better mounting point( they just swing on the front using an undertray to prop them up)...
So my question is this..Has anyone used a superbug floorpan for there kitcar in place of the type 1 ??? Where would I begin to look for mcpherson struts that are about 250 mm shorter than stock superbug {can I use a strut off something else and have the triangulare mounting plate at the bottom welded on ???
thnax for any advice

You are unlikely to find struts THAT short... But you could probably do something that doesn't come up much higher than a 24.5" tire.

You could likely do something really compact with Golf struts and 2.5 in coil overs on late super spindles etc, might need to custom order some Konis to suit. (Topline may sell something suitable)

colemanracing.com has neat stuff.

(944 spindles+ brakes are also candidates using the late setup )

Might even be able to use the shorty early Topline struts etc that use the Golf inserts... but not 250mm shorter, maybe 100-150mm or so.

Pics of the body?

Eureka, huh? The Nova variant? Or another kit named Eureka? Sounds like a project, but not a terribly difficult one if you can source the parts. Keep us posted!

Looks eerily similar to a common kit over here called a Sterling.
(Edit---A little more Googling reveals it apparently is the same car)

Someone apparently still flogs them... Bit pricey tho... Esp considering what you can get one already assembled for

http://www.sterlingsportscars.com/

I'm going to be putting 944 brakes/late(ish) front susp etc on an early super RSN and may be doing something similar to what you need.

In the early 90's Redhead Roadsters (Waitsburg WA) had the mould for the Sterling GT, the Machette Speedster, the Vokaro, and the Dauphin 2+2. All of them were bodies that I remember seeing years before. They also made a body called the Cute-T which I bought.

I ran into him trying to sell one of the moulds on another forum and found out that his company broke up and he had to give up the mounds. I only had one exchange with him before his email was disconnected so I can't help more than that.

Piledriver wrote:Looks eerily similar to a common kit over here called a Sterling.
(Edit---A little more Googling reveals it apparently is the same car)

Someone apparently still flogs them... Bit pricey tho... Esp considering what you can get one already assembled for

http://www.sterlingsportscars.com/

Exactly the same car. The Eureka and Sterling were pulled from Nova molds. I know Dave at SSC personally. His prices are right in line considering how much work and material actually go into making the bodies. But you're right...there are more than a few "project" cars available for far less unfortunately.

My one remaining neuron just fired again...

Half baked front susp idea ...for a SB chassis... for a kit with a reasonably long nose.

Unequal length double wishbone front suspension for ~<$500.

(Chassis would need modified, but could be made very low profile, and should work awesome).

Use junkyard 911/914 front susp/torsion setup, replace the struts with a ball joint//upper control arm.
(Coleman racing makes custom arms cheap)

Add shocks, done. One could easily do a "lay down" bell crank setup if required.

The lower arms are A-arms already, and the adjustable torsion bar setup is the inner pivot for the lower arms. The "sprung" lower arms hold the car up, the "struts" are just for location/damping, no spring.

The stock 911/914 front susp setup is nearly bullet proof, common as salt, and usually goes to the crusher with the car. ALL service parts available.

Piledriver wrote:My one remaining neuron just fired again...

Half baked front susp idea ...for a SB chassis... for a kit with a reasonably long nose.

Unequal length double wishbone front suspension for ~<$500.

(Chassis would need modified, but could be made very low profile, and should work awesome).

Use junkyard 911/914 front susp/torsion setup, replace the struts with a ball joint//upper control arm.
(Coleman racing makes custom arms cheap)

Add shocks, done. One could easily do a "lay down" bell crank setup if required.

The lower arms are A-arms already, and the adjustable torsion bar setup is the inner pivot for the lower arms. The "sprung" lower arms hold the car up, the "struts" are just for location/damping, no spring.

The stock 911/914 front susp setup is nearly bullet proof, common as salt, and usually goes to the crusher with the car. ALL service parts available.

Hey Pile -

I've often considered the possibility of using a second-gen Mazda RX-7 front suspension or maybe Miata, since they have upper/lower arm setup, and disc brakes, and a removable crossmember on the Miata, IIRC... yes, the bolt patterns would be different with Mazda front & VW rear, but redrilled rear drums are a possibility - You'd still have to figure out the strut question, but you'd start off with upper & lower control arms...

http://www.fd3s.net/suspension_front.jpg

bnc

Pretty much no VW based grass roots kit cars used the Super beetle because the front suspension isnt self contained,
I loved my Sterling,
The Nova/Sterling is very tight in it's sloping nose, and I believe it would be hard, not impossible to build mounts for the struts, if the geometry is off it wont ride or handle right,
You might want to weigh the cost vs benefit on this one, I dont believe in a kit car with it's lighter nose weight going with a super beetle front suspension will be worth it,
If you really dont want to use type one perhaps think about moving even further ahead and doing one of the A arm front end kits,
But the truth is 99% of VW based kit cars never need more that basic VW drive train and suspension for the way we use the cars.
Cheers,
P.