vw front end on model a

Has any one ever thought of putting a vw torsion bar front end on a model a hot rod? I am planning on building a hot rod and was calculating what it would cost me. A traditional drop axle will be minimum $500 and then when you figure in the stearing box, tie rods, disk brakes, hair pins, etc the price just keeps going up. A VW front end from a type 3, so you get disk brakes, is $100 and has the tie rods, stearing box, disks, calipers. And they are readily available on thesamba. I orignally come from the sandrail world and have used many of these ( the king ping type). They are bullet proof and extremely simple in design. I can also compensate for weight by using appropriate coil over shocks. Also adaptors are available for around $30 so that you can put on chevy or ford bolt pattern wheels. I was thinking of installing it in front of the radiator then mounting a spun aluminum puke tank in front to concel it some what. This will be for a fenderless car. I think it might look better than a conventional mustang ii front end with those ugly A arms. What do you think?

 

no and post and intro

 

Nope AXLE is the only way to go on a Hot Rod!!!

 

Barf!

 

I'm gettin' some popcorn- anybody want butter?

 

Just to give you a heads up..this is concitered a Traditional Hot Rod Message Board..Really dont see that fitting in well with that venue..and To be honest "I" think it will look like crap!

 

I think you should do it and show us lots of pictures so we can all ridicule you.
Seriously, it would look really bad and has no place on a hot rod.
It does cost money to put together a good looking hot rod, don't cheap out with crappy parts. Their cheap for a reason.

 

VW beams are ugly,but this guy doesn't seem to mind.

.

 

Man, have you actually LOOKED at a VW torsion bar suspension? It's ugly! That's why Volkswagen covered them up.

 

Hot Rodding is all about using what you have, so if you have a vw , then use it. But if you have to go out and buy this vw set up, then, you might as well hit up a swapmeet or two and look for some old ford parts and use them.
Bargains are still out there .Through the network and help of friends, the major components to start off a car can be had for little money . You could also try bartering and trading.

p.s. Also if you are trying to save money, you could easily drop a few hundred dollars on the coilovers alone.

 

Okay I got it. Dropped axle it will be. I just have to forget that I am no longer building sandrails!

 

Don't just lock this thread, delete it entirely, please.

 

I love the Boyd picture, the shovel nose Camaro in the background is so fitting . "thats right baby, I've got a rat rod AND a ca-mar-o"

 

They were the hot setup in 62. But it was a one year, one car trend.

http://www.motorcarportfolio.com/site/product.cfm?id=2460

 

Keep the VW front end on the VW. No, on second thought, put the dropped axle on the VW too.

 

I love the picture of Boyd too. Once I saw that, the decision was easy.

 

yeah,, leave the beam on the beetle. However,,, this does remind me of an idea I was tossing around in my mind a while back of using a single narrowed vw torsion tube with narrowed torsion leaves as the front frame crossmemeber on my T rpu with two short radius arms going up to the axle, almost like the torsion arms on a sprint car. This of course would be used in conjunction with hairpins or split bones, but I thought it might be a differnt, inexpensive, and clean way to do a front spring, especially if you wanted to hang the axle out in front of the grill and frame horns.

 

To PBR Allstar,

I once did something similar on a manx style buggy. Ended up using the sprint car parts available from speedway.

 

If you have VW's on your mind...just build a fucking bug!!! If you have to ask a question like that...you're in the WRONG place...

 

I don't know how old the posters to this are, but I remember when this set-up would turn up from time to time. Was never a big mainstream thing but was used.

 

VW frontends on hot rods... S-10 Frames under model T's.... What the hell??? Is it April Fools?

 

Yep.

But it's ugly...

 

Can't argue with that.....

 

Fullers Magwinder 1961

 

Still ugly. There's no getting around an axle on an early style hot rod. So many have tried, so many have failed.

 

Now that I started something, take a look at this:

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/car/495471573.html

 

The XR-6 roadster, built by Tex Smith, used a vw beam...

 

Jayzx6, I think you're making their point for them with that link. LOL Seems that I did see somebody split the beam and only use one torison tube, and it was kinda disguised.
I have a VW background, but still wouldn't go there. Oh and make sure you put the motor in the front too. (J/K) I'm still trying to figure out what Boyd hacked up to make that car? Kinda looks like a outhouse on wheels.

 

Camaros aren't what this board's about but that doesn't mean they are objects of ridicule. Mocking american iron ain't exactly "traditional" either.

 

Seriously dude it's a photoshop for crying out loud.