Welcome back to VWm’s very own Project Doon Buggy.  When we were last with you, we had just completed the build of the front beam and were moving towards getting the car rolling with wheels at both ends – rather than with a trolley jack!

As I write this, the sun is shining and the temperature is nudging 90. Wow, it’s really hot and without doubt it’s absolutely perfect buggy weather! Unfortunately the owners of the first three Doons are all still working hard in their respective garages, in an attempt to be first on the road, will we make it before the end of the summer? Only time will tell.  

This month we detail the installation of the transmission, rear brakes and suspension, a part of the build has not been without its problems. Suppliers of one-off items – which were being made especially for us - promised to deliver, but never did. Whilst other parts got locked in the finishers, whilst the company shut down for their two week summer holiday!

All of these things were sent to try us, but hey, we’re getting there! 

With the front beam now complete it was time to turn our attention to the rear end. The 1303S gearbox was cleaned up, sent away for blasting and then painted in two-pack grey upon its return. The box was then bolted up to the chassis using new Urethane mounts and a gearbox strap kit. The latter is fitted using rubber padding to reduce both noise and vibration and is designed to minimise gearbox movement and twisting under acceleration. One strap fits around the gearbox bell-housing and the other further forward, just behind the nose cone. 

Urethane products were also used in both the rear torsion arm grommets and the IRS A-arm bushes. 

The original drive shafts were taken apart, the actual shafts themselves were sent for blasting and then painted in two-pack, before being rebuilt with new CV joint kits and seals.

Top Tip

When bolting up the new shafts, we found that some of the new bolts went home without a problem and others didn’t. “Some of the newly manufactured bits you get are often a duff fit” said Lee; “once again with bolts it’s often a case of a good old’un being a better fit!”

We chose to junk the original gear lever, as the stock item does not lend itself to use in a modified vehicle, having a very long ‘throw’ and that strange ‘push down – push left’ movement to engage reverse.

After having a look at what was on the market, we eventually chose to use an EMPI ‘Hurst’ style trigger shifter, which is a reproduction of one made during the 1960’s / 70’s. All the various types aim to reduce the ‘throw’ and improve the selection of reverse; on our shifter, reverse is selected by pulling up on a trigger. The kit came with comprehensive instructions and was easily fitted to give a much improved gear selection.

The good thing about building such a project car in a VW yard is the ability to try different parts and fitments. Whilst rear disc kits are now available from numerous companies Lee jumped at the chance of putting together a Volksmagic kit using readily available second-hand parts.

The most difficult part to source was the actual calliper mount, but after much thought and consideration, a set of careful measurements were taken from which a pattern was constructed. The mounts are now easily produced to order, by one of the many local firms with whom Volksmagic do business.

“They don’t call this part of the West Midlands the Black Country for nothing” says Lee. “There are still a great many small engineering firms around here, who can either manufacture a part for you or who have a grumpy old man in trade sales who says “no problem” and produces exactly the size of bolt you need from beneath the counter!”

The existing brakes were stripped down, with the bearings being replaced as necessary.  The new disc brake calliper mount is then fitted in place of the old back plate and the gaskets and seals renewed, before the bearing cover is replaced.

The rear discs themselves were sourced from the Bug Pack catalogue and are non-ventilated items, which slip onto to the existing driveshaft splines. The callipers, in this case Golf Mk4 (with floating brake pads) though new Beetle ones will also do the trick, are then easily mounted onto to the bracket.    

After test fitting, all the components were unbolted, blasted clean and then anodised gold before final assembly - this included the new discs, which were in need of a good clean.

Once all the rear end had been reassembled, it was an easy job to bolt on the shock absorbers, once again a pair of KYB GR2’s.

The engine I chose for our project was purchased after scanning the adverts in  the pages of VWm, but it was only following my initial phone call with the vendor that I discovered it was former VWm editor Neil Birkitt. The engine in question was the race engine from his old ‘Big Boys Toys’ Beetle Cup car.

The engine is a 100bhp 1641cc unit, fitted with a single Dellorto 40 DRLA carburettor, Engle 120 cam, Scat 1.25:1 rockers, 009 dizzy, full-flow oil filter etc. Having only been raced once since being rebuilt and having such an impressive spec, I was very interested and a price was soon agreed.

After a brief test fit, which showed minimal clearance for the air-filter due to the tall inlet manifold, the engine was partly stripped down in readiness for cleaning and painting. The actual block will be painted red, whilst the cylinder shroud and engine tin-ware joined the other single skin components on a trip to the dipping shop, prior to painting. The carburettor manifold also went off for anodising, with the top pulley and exhaust going in the opposite direction to the polishing shop.

The wheels were bought second hand and as you can see in the picture were Porsche copies and came in a wonderful shade of brilliant lime green! They were identified as a set of 15” Compomotive Dage split rims - in 7” and 8” widths – and were in need of a little bit of TLC!

After junking the fitted rubber, I rang Compomotive (who are located no more than 15 minutes from where I live) and spoke to the ever helpful Barry Dixon.

“Bring them along and let us have a look at them” said Barry, “we have all the parts to repair the old Dage wheels, drop by and we’ll give you a quote.”

Identified as being made in November 1985, it wasn’t long before Barry had them split into three sections, ready for reworking. The centres remained at Compomotive where they were blasted clean and repainted silver, whilst the rims went to Parkes Polishing of Bilston who – despite the lacquer having been worn through – made an excellent job of making them gleam. Whilst I was entrusted with the messy job of trying – somewhat unsuccessfully  - to remove nearly 20 years of brake dust!

Once clean and shiny all the bits were returned to Compomotive for reassembly, with no less than 20 sets of new seals, bolts and lock nuts being required per rim.

OK, so we could have rebuilt them with new outer rims, but at an extra £50 per wheel that was outside our budget. Personally I think they look great and I’m more than pleased with the outcome.

The choice of tyres was more difficult than I imagined, with more modern cars now running 16” – 17” rims as standard, the choice of sizes in 15” has diminished considerably, whilst the prices have gone the other way.  After a bit of research at my local tyre dealer (Hadley’s of Oldbury – thanks guys!) we chose a set of Nankang EX500 performance radials in 195/50 (front) and 225/50 (rear). Nankang are a little know Far Eastern Tyre Company, but who have actually been in existence for some 40 years and make some nice looking tyres, very similar to Yokohamas.

The front wheels were easily mounted to our new drums, which came already drilled to accept the 5/130 PCD Porsche pattern, but the rears were to prove more of a problem!

Following an unfortunate experience with a set of aluminium adaptors, I spent a lunchtime rushing down the M6 towards the Nuneaton premises of Machine 7, where Proprietor Michael Leche was only to glad to be of assistance.

“These UK made billet steel wheel adaptors will allow your Porsche wheels to be fitted onto a 4 stud Beetle – or even a Type 3 or Karmann Ghia”, said Michael as he emerged from his storeroom. “The adaptors are bolted onto your original hubs using new wheel bolts and a long wheel stud (which we supply), whilst your Porsche wheels are then bolted onto the adaptors using suitable M14 wheel bolts.”

The adaptors are 25mm thick which helps to off-set the rear wheels and fill out the wheel arches and after settling my bill I thanked Michael for his help and headed back towards the every wonderful M6.

With the wheels now safely bolted up, it was time to roll the chassis out into the sunshine for the very first time. Everyone’s first impression was “wow”, it was clear to see that all the hard work put in by Lee and his workforce at Volksmagic had been well worth it. A feeling reinforced when we lifted the body in place for a quick photograph.

Project Doon had turned a corner and we could see the light – and the MOT station – at the end of the tunnel!

Thanks this month to:

Big Boys Toys - 01708 861827 / www.bigboystoys.uk.com

Compomotive Wheels – 01902 311499 / www.compomotive.co.uk

Doon Buggies – 01384 850636 / www.doon.co.uk

Machine 7 – 02476 356465 / www.machine7.co.uk

Volksmagic - 0121 541 2278 / www.volksmagic.com