1973 VW Super-Beetle(1303) Hill-Climb Build

[Super1303]

Yea so I couldn't get the info to paste right but you get the idea.
Would of liked to show the graph too.

Here's the link. It's a free gear calculator I found a while back, now supports 8 speeds! I like it, simple and straight up.

http://www.gtsparkplugs.com/GearCalc.html

Final Gear Ratio : 4.12
Tire Size : 225-50-15
Limit RPM : 6500
Gear Ratio Compound
1 3.750 15.450
2 2.250 9.270
3 1.480 6.098
4 1.040 4.285
Gear MPH/1000 MPH @150 MPH @6500
1 4.60 1 30
2 7.66 1 50
3 11.65 2 76
4 16.57 2 108
MPH RPM (in Gears)
1 2 3 4
5 1088 653 429 302
10 2176 1305 859 603
15 3264 1958 1288 905
20 4351 2611 1717 1207
25 5439 3264 2147 1508
30 6527 3916 2576 1810
35 -----------4569 3005 2112
40 -----------5222 3435 2414
45 -----------5874 3864 2715
50 -----------6527 4293 3017
55 ----------------------4723 3319
60 ----------------------5152 3620
65 ----------------------5581 3922
70 ----------------------6011 4224
75 ----------------------6440 4525
80 --------------------------------4827
85 --------------------------------5129
90 --------------------------------5431
95 --------------------------------5732
100 --------------------------------6034
105 --------------------------------6336
110
********************************************

Gear Change RPM drop (change @150) RPM drop (change @6500)
*************************************************************
1->2 -60 (To 90) -2600 (To 3900)
2->3 -51 (To 99) -2224 (To 4276)
3->4 -45 (To 105) -1932 (To 4568)
*************************************************************

[walterclark]

Those fenders look bad ass!

Thanks for the link to that calculator. I put my cars stats in it and compared its calculations with my data logs...pretty close match. Using this as a stimulus to review my logs I learned a couple things. I tend to shift from 3rd to 4th too soon and the result is that I usually end up just slightly increasing in 4th whatever speed I achieve in 3rd. It seems that I usually have almost another 10MPH in 3rd before I normally shift (in the highest speed sections at Okemo and Burke) before I go past my power peak. By going into 4th at a higher RPM I might be able to gain even more. Something to try out next year.

[Mopar 151w2]

When I suggested short rubber to lower the car, it was based on a lot more than conjecture. I grew up around some of the best VW racers around - the old NEMMA, who raced weekly at Claremont Speedway in the '70's. Small diameter rubber is a miracle cure for the type 1 chassis, and it is still readily available. There are several tire choices around 21" diameter - example choice is HooiserA-6 235-40-13, design rim 9" , Aero has spun steel wheels 13 x 8 or 10", 14 or 16#ea. Changes overall gearing 13% vs the 23.8" diameter of the 225-50-15's. Is there a 3.6 ring&pinion somewhere about? 'Cuz if there is street legality involved, 4000 rpm on the freeway would'nt be good - but change tires to 25" from 21" drops that to 3300.

[Super1303]

When I suggested short rubber to lower the car, it was based on a lot more than conjecture. I grew up around some of the best VW racers around - the old NEMMA, who raced weekly at Claremont Speedway in the '70's. Small diameter rubber is a miracle cure for the type 1 chassis, and it is still readily available. There are several tire choices around 21" diameter - example choice is HooiserA-6 235-40-13, design rim 9" , Aero has spun steel wheels 13 x 8 or 10", 14 or 16#ea. Changes overall gearing 13% vs the 23.8" diameter of the 225-50-15's. Is there a 3.6 ring&pinion somewhere about? 'Cuz if there is street legality involved, 4000 rpm on the freeway would'nt be good - but change tires to 25" from 21" drops that to 3300.

I'll check it out. Honestly I didn't think of running smaller wheels, I swear! I'd look kind of bad ass too having 13'' wheels.
I was thinking of going the other way simply because it's getting hard to find 15's!
I'll call the wheel builder I just found http://www.diamondracingwheels.com/ to ask if they got something like that.
They got allot of selection of steels for the bolt pattern I have 4X130mm, whatever off-set and took the time to listen, none of that sales babble of BS that never stops.

Anyway, it ain't seeing the street. I'll check about that R-P ratio, Lowest off the top of my head is a 3.88 but I have a lot of gear selection in the box.

[sachilles]

Diamond makes good wheels. Make sure you know whether they use 45 or 60 degree taper lugs, as the use both.

[sdwarf36]

I pitted for the weekend at Pagoda next Rob Campbell-with a bad-ass Beetle. (some may remember him from from Mt. Washington 2001.) when I told him my guess to how much I had into my car, He chuckled-"I probably have that much in my heads!" I lent him my GoPro for a run.

[Mopar 151w2]

Hey, with them fat fenders, ya gotta have some fat tires! Aero only shows 3 bolt patterns in 4-lug - 4"/100mm (Vega, BMW, maybe Wabbit), 4 1/4"/110mm (Pinto/Mustang), 4 1/2 (Datsun, maybe). Diamond does show more of 'em, including the 130mm, spun rims are the same weights as the spun Aero's, Backspace 1" to 7".

[Super1303]

Hey, with them fat fenders, ya gotta have some fat tires! Aero only shows 3 bolt patterns in 4-lug - 4"/100mm (Vega, BMW, maybe Wabbit), 4 1/4"/110mm (Pinto/Mustang), 4 1/2 (Datsun, maybe). Diamond does show more of 'em, including the 130mm, spun rims are the same weights as the spun Aero's, Backspace 1" to 7".

Yeaya! I gotta have some fat tires! Why do you think I'm doing all this?

On a serious note. I'm thinking of running the same size tire all the way around. Example: Toyo-R888, 225/45-13, section 8.8" tread 8.7" dia. 20.8" rev. per mile 997.
Just different back spacing, make sense, over kill, not enough? Any body have feed back on these tires?
I was talking to one of the wheel builders http://www.vtowheels.com/ for British cars and he loved em, best bang for the buck.
Hey, Is that small enough!!!

[Super1303]

[quote="sdwarf36"]I pitted for the weekend at Pagoda next Rob Campbell-with a bad-ass Beetle. (some may remember him from from Mt. Washington 2001.) when I told him my guess to how much I had into my car, He chuckled-"I probably have that much in my heads!" I lent him my GoPro for a run.

Goodness, that sound awesome! Did he give any details of the engine? Just curious.

[Chief Geek]

Evan, keep in mind that most of the people posting here haven't driven anything with less than 250 hp/ton in a long, long time. ;)

Having had more recent experience with "modestly" powered cars (described as "un-powered" by #36), gear as "short" as you can. Some day I hope to use 4th gear on a hill, but 5th is certainly a pipe-dream.

Here's my spec's, hopefully it's a useful reference point:

2420 lbs w/ me in it.
140 hp @ crank (according to the brochures in 1997)
4.10 axle ratio
22.4" tire dia.
Not terrible aero and lower frontal area than most
radar and speedo said 80mph @ check 4 @ Okemo (7000-ish in 3rd)

If I stumble across 4.778:1 gears (Kia Sportage rear diff, same guts as Miata), they're going in.

Paul