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I have purchased a steering column form a 1958 vw beetle. I did so in order to install an original looking hub and turn signal indicator. I also did so without doing much research.

Has anyone installed an older steering shaft/column on their speedster that can pass on any information? Has anyone ever restored one of these? The horn contact switch is interesting and very new to me. Im wondering if it can be used in the speedster as it was intended in the vw.

My initial question is will i have to lengthen the shaft several inches in order to keep the steering wheel in the same position? I plan on having Lanes friend Mike Lempert build a flat spoke Derrington style wheel for installation.

Paul
1956 Thunder Ranch(Speedster)
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I have purchased a steering column form a 1958 vw beetle. I did so in order to install an original looking hub and turn signal indicator. I also did so without doing much research.

Has anyone installed an older steering shaft/column on their speedster that can pass on any information? Has anyone ever restored one of these? The horn contact switch is interesting and very new to me. Im wondering if it can be used in the speedster as it was intended in the vw.

My initial question is will i have to lengthen the shaft several inches in order to keep the steering wheel in the same position? I plan on having Lanes friend Mike Lempert build a flat spoke Derrington style wheel for installation.

Paul

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  • 58 column as purchased
  • steering boss
Here are some links to discussions of horn grounding.

http://www.thebugshop.org/bsfqhorn.htm

http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/wired/wired_12_00/wired_12_00.htm

Your '58 column used an overly complicated system for the horn involving a carbon brush rubbing on the shaft.

I used a column like yours but used the '62 - '69 horn system.

Where you have that protrusion on the side of the tube I soldered on a copper cap with a tab riveted to it for a push on connector for the ground wire.

Your hub looks very nice.

I don't know if you need to lengthen the shaft. I wanted the wheel to be further from the eyebrow so I lengthened the shaft and tube. You can look in my photos to see how I lengthened the shaft.

I used a '66 - '67 bus turn signal switch with dimmer. The bus tube is smaller diameter and the switch is bigger. I used the right side of the VW switch housing and the left side of the bus housing. I used a 1 1/2" sanding drum to open up the bus housing to fit the VW tube.
I have done this as well... a few times. The last time I took a bunch of photos on how we sleeved the column and turned it down so it was spaced out enough for the wheel. I also took several shots of how we kept the original 356 horn isolation sleeve and made it work. We used a similar turn signal mechanism, but used the 9 wire version which has the dimmer switch on the turn signal stalk. I'll send some photos your way Paul.
Carey,

I received the email. Thank you. Its going to take more than a quick read over lunch to make sense of it all! Special Edition is really doing some good work with regard to accuracy in their builds. I like it.

Dale,

Why dont we try to get together Sunday. We could talk through a couple things. Its going to be a baumy 47 degrees and sunny. Ill drive the speedster. Let Greg know, its probably time for him to quit showing off that first place trophy anyway.

Michael,

great links, thank you. beautiful detailing on your car... you spent a lot of time thinking through the details. you should have been an architect.
Yes and yes!! Both the shaft and the tube will need to be longer.

I made mine like a 58. and had never seen one Haa! Thats a HOOT!

I found a old tv antenna pipe at a junk yard that was perfect. just cut it to lenth, and i used the super beetle universal colum link at the lower end Unmonified. You will need 2 inner shafts to make a nice longer one

When i put the 67 bus turn signal switch on mine. (Built in dimmer switch)..

I knew it had no place for a contact ring. when adding that switch

If he upgrades the turn switch.. I think he will be glad he has that.

It may be more complecated but it solves a problem, and give you room for a dimmer switch on the colum.

I like mine.

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  • turn sw.
Went down and hung out with wolfgang and Dale S. last Sunday. Dale helped me clean the rust off of my column parts while Wolfgang went for a drive in my speedster (the thing hasnt run the same since). I have started painting the parts.. not sure i am doing it correctly. figured id look for advice here. So, the following is my process:

1st coat primer
wet sand with 1000 grit
2nd coat primer
wet sand with 1000 grit
1st coat of color
wet sand with 1000 grit
2nd coat color
wet sand with 1000 grit

there is where i am as of today. I need to apply a third and hopefully final coat of 'color' because metal came through in some thin spots.

question is how to best finish the job. Do i sand the final coat of color with 1000 grit then 2000 grit and then apply a coat of clear, sand with 1000, second coat of clear (heavily applied), sand with 2000?
I built my own steering column using a 57 x 50 tube, old donor Beetle steering shaft, a new 6 wire 67 bus switch assembly from Cip1, 2ea. #6205 bearings, U-joints and a bit of splined shaft from Borgeson.

It is necessary to machine one of the u-joints and TIG to the steering shaft, plus a bit of lathe work.

Looks period correct, and works great with the wheel centered with the driver.
email me if you would like the drawing
I just test wired up the old (new?) switch from the '58. hooked the power up to the relay, right front indicator to the 'right side' indicator and the left front indicator wire to the 'left side'. evrything works, including brake lights. So, new question. Am i going to screw anything up but ot hooking up the remaining 3 wires? Its the one that is supposed to go to the brake switch I am wondering about.

If all this works I can move on to figuring out how to get high beam capability again. the fun never stops.
The '58 column i purchased included the original turn signal switch. I was hoping to wire it up and use it. The current switch is a 5 wire. It has a high beam switch on the stalk, I think it is late 60's. The switch out of the '58 is a 6 wire. On the '58 there is a single wire for each turn signal, a total of 4. left front, right front, left rear, right rear. that leaves two wires, one to the relay (power) and one that connecs to the brake light switch???? Strange.

the switch installed only has one wire for left indicators and one for right indicators, both front and back.

In order to use the switch from the '58 do i need to purchase a 12v relay for that year vw? Can I wire this up using my current relay? how?

I'm redoing the turn signal circuit on my '64 panel type 2- I can answer the brake switch question.

The idea is that older beetles and buses did not have separate brake and turn signal bulbs- only one dual filament bulb in the holder. So- if you don't use the wire from the brake switch, the brake lights don't work right. What VW was after was a solid light on the non-flashing side when the brakes were applied, and both on when no turn-signal was on.

If you've got a separate brake light bulb (and most replicas do), then you can ignore the 4th (and 5th, and 6th, and 7th) wire.
Paul,
Not that my opinion matters but I gotta say how glad I am to see you ended up keeping that car. I always liked the story from the begining - going out west and doing a shakedown on PCH, the color combo (my personal favorite), and now you doing what so few rep-speedster owners do, making it look right from the inside out. That car is by far one of my favorites and now it'll be even better. I know it was a rough journey to this point but as you already know, thats part of the "madness" as they say.
I look forward to seeing your car again at Carlisle.
It is an illusion in the picture, the wheel is actually drooped down, no bracket holding it up. You can see the top 1/2 of the alluminum collar still mounted on the underside of the dash. The '58 column is too large to re-use it. I threw something together with the original column mount, but am not happy with the look. I am dropping off the aluminum piece tomorrow hoping they can machine it to receive the larger diameter column.

Ill take a couple pics tonight of the actual mounting position before i pull everything out.

Paul

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Images (3)
  • steering-column-collar-01
  • steering-column-collar-02
  • steering-column-collar-04
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