Vic,
Thanks for the information on the arm modifications. I'll try and track Jorge down.
I also loved the photos of your gorgeous VW Beetle convertible. Is it a 1967 (the first year with a 12 volt electrical system and the last year with the old-style bumpers)? I drove Beetles for 19 years and helped pay for my undergrad degree in the 1960s by working on fellow students' Beetles. My last Beetle, and my favorite, was a cream colored 1967. I had to sell it in 1982 after my wife and I had a baby and needed a larger car. I still miss that car.
Phil
Phil, good luck with that information I gave you. I tried Googling him and Google went French. If memory serves me he was in Puerto Rico. I didn't try the email.
Yeah, I think the 67 was the last year Germany exported them. The 67 had quite a few unique 67 only parts. I used the wiper motor, master brake cylinder, 12 volt electrics. "How did the snow plow driver get to the snow plow?"
That 1966 was my last in a long line of Volkswagens. I bought it from the original owner a University Of California Berkeley Librarian. It sat outside the last two years she owned it so the rear deck behind the rear seat and, of course the battery sump were a little cheesy. The car was absolutly complete right down to the little aluminum serial number key tab and all the paper. It was red with black interior. The only NOS part I had trouble replacing was one visor.
My goal was to build a stock looking road car with the emphasis on handling and power. I left the body and interior stock. Not wanting to touch the original deck lid I hammer welded a Ghia deck lid vent onto a new sedan lid. I needed way more air into the engine. Two liter engine, forged Scat crank, new Mexican case, everything else was Gene Berg. 7.5-1 comp. Dyno'd at 176 HP, 1872 lb.. Four wheel disk breaks, 67 dual master cylinder. The car was very fast, a real sleeper. Eventually, I grew tired of the perpetual 600 mile valve adjustments so I let it go.
My proudest achievement was designing an adjustable rear sway bar for a swing axle. A sliding bushing mount attached to the engine horns and a relatively simple link rod and bracket mount on the lower shock mounts. The trick was to set the bolts at the horn bushings finger tight, drive the car a short distance to settle the suspension which would automatically locate the for and aft position of the sway bar. With the car still on the ground tighten up the horn bushings.
The car was a show winner many times in the late 80's. It won the VW Trends Editors Choice at a Vallejo Ca show with a cash prize. The car went on Ebay two years ago and is currently in a collection in Queensland Australia.
