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After years of 356 dreaming, I'm the proud new owner of a virtually untouched CMC speedster project. Other than the two bolts holding it to the dolley, there haven't been any holes drilled or routed. The seller purchased the kit from CMC in the late 80's and has been accumulating parts ever since. It sits on an already shortened Super Beetle chassis and has the conversion kit to attach the standard front end. It also came with a standard Beetle chassis with rotted floors and a set of new floor pans, should I choose to go that route. Also included is a 0-mile 1776cc motor built by Wagenschmitt in Seattle as well as nearly every other part needed to build it. I'm sure there will be a few bits here and there that are missing but it's surprisingly complete. He had CMC sew him custom upholstery made from genuine leather.

I'm really looking forward to the build and being a part of this community. My plan for the car is a mild outlaw look with pod mirrors, fog lights, and hub cap delete. I'd really like to find or make a tonneau cover with fairing like the one used on the Emory speedster. For the color, I'm leaning towards Aquamarine Blue or Auratium Green.

My first questions for the group is if there are any cons to the super beetle based speedster. It seems like it might be a little heavier than the standard beetle once you factor in the conversion bracket up front, but I don't really know.

It came with a transmission core. What I'd like to do is buy a rebuilt transmission and trade in the core. I owned an MGB for a few years that had a 4 speed with electronic OD. I loved that setup, made for comfortable freeway cruising. I would like to either do a 4 speed with OD or a 5 speed. What are folks running?

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5-speeds are rare and pricey in the VW world.  Others will chime in about it, but expect a good natured religious war .  I had a Rancho ProStreet 4-speed that was bulletproof, but I understand the desire for an OD gear.  Electric ODs like the MGs had have never been available for VWs.

Good luck with the project and keep us posted on progress.  Oh, and Welcome to the Madness!

Hi, Adrian, and welcome to the madness of replica Speedsters.

You might want to contact @Marcel in Europe about his hard tonneau.  His looks just like what you want, but I don't know where he got it.  Lord knows, maybe he made it from scratch - he has some mad fabrication skills.

I once owned a CMC front end conversion kit and can attest that they're very well made.  Since I never actually used it (didn't need it) I can't say how straight it is, but anything can be adjusted.  It is an easy install, from everything I've read, and adding another 20 lbs to the front end is actually a good thing.  The final weight of a pan based speedster is very close to the weight of a VW sedan - maybe a tad lighter, especially in the front.  OTOH, if the standard beetle pan frame is in good shape without too much rust, then those new floor panels can be cut, dropped in so they overlap 2" or so and then welded in - it's pretty easy, just time consuming.  

If the old pan is a swing-arm rear suspension, rather than dual CV joint drive axles of the super beetle, I would opt for the super beetle and front conversion because it will handle better.

Transaxles:  5-Speed transaxles are available but the waiting period seems to be measured in years.  They don't provide you with any more of an "overdrive" than a similar 4-speed, but they will give you shorter gaps between the lower gears, good when carving through curvy mountain roads.

Both the 4-speed and 5-speed can be had with a 3:88 (preferred for your 1,776 engine) or 3:44 ratio final drive, along with a .89 fourth gear.  The .89/3:88 combo gives your around 3,250 rpm or slightly less at 70mph.  You want to keep the engine rpms at 3,000 or above on highways for adequate cooling of the engine - NOT like a water-cooled engine at all.  There are a few other gear ratios available, but you've got time to decide what is best for you.

If your heart is set on a 5-speed, expect to pay 2X - 3X the cost of a 4-speed, both newly rebuilt.  Most of us get our transaxles from Rancho Performance in California.  I don't know it they offer 5-speeds or not - Nothing on their website but you could ask.  The only other alternatives are a Gene Berg 5-speed conversion kit ($$$) or a Porsche 901 5-speed complete from Rancho ($$$$) which will require some frame mods to accept it.

That's all I have for now.  Keep the questions coming!

Many later Supers had a transaxle with the 3.88 R&P which is desirable over the normal 4.125 R&P. Check the serial number.

AS        1600           3.875          Type I from 1973

AT        1600          3.875         Type 1303 and Verts from 1973

AU        1600           3.875          Type 1303 with LSD from 1973

A '70-72 Porsche 914 5 Speed (tail shifter) can be used too and more available (cheaper).  It is a 901 trans just like the early 911/912.  You have to flip the R&P, add a vent hole and swap the nose cone (and the shift linkage).

Do you have a VW title for both Super and Std beetle pans?  That may be deciding factor in which you use as it may be difficult to register a pan without a title (dependent on state).

Last edited by WOLFGANG

Thanks for all your replies so far guys! I raised the body off the super chassis to get a better look at it. It appears as though both chassis are IRS. I have the titles for both. The Super is a 73 and the standard is a 74. The super is in good shape, just needs to be cleaned up and painted. The standard chassis needs the works: new pans, shortening, etc. It's very rusty in the floors, not sure about the rest of it.

I am going to call Rancho to get their $.02 on what they recommend. I appreciate the insight regarding gearing and the relative availability of the 4 speed.

@Adrian Tayne-  I could write 400-500 words, which would take 1½- 2 hours with all the editing/re-writing I do, but this is way easier- 

https://www.speedsterowners.co...rsche-901-914?page=1

and this-

https://www.speedsterowners.co...1#564965618986679951

and more if you're really diggin' our banter and prose-

https://www.speedsterowners.co...r-disc-brakes?page=2

After reading all that- I probably know as much about the Berg 5 as anybody and know more about gearing than most, so if you have any questions feel free to ask.   Between myself and a couple others that are very knowledgeable we can probably help you with anything you need to know.  I'm away for the day (going to help a friend finish digging trenches for the new septic field) but will be back tomorrow.  Al

Last edited by ALB

That's true, if you are replacing the front mount on a beam pan, which I did, too, I would agree that it would have been easier to have it on a frame rack.  I bought a complete headset and welded it in, but I must have spent well over an hour getting everything as true as I could before firing up the welder - a true PITA!

He has a useable Super Beetle pan, though, and a CMC conversion kit which bolts up to the SB suspension points (Struts, A-arms and shock mounts) and that accepts the new beam.  It should be as true in alignment as the original SB was, I would think.  It certainly is rugged - IIRC the conversion kit was made from 1/4" steel plate with rectangular tubing welded on as mounts!

Last edited by Gordon Nichols

Good morning gents, I took a couple pictures of the transaxle and the CMC super beetle conversion kit. It is the adapter plate mentioned above that CMC sold to bolt directly to the frame. The manual makes it sound simple but I haven't looked into it much yet. If it's all bolt-on which would allow for future adjustment, I should be able to wait to get it aligned until after it's all assembled, no?

I included a picture of the transaxle and the number stamped on the side. I also took a picture of the front beam.

To @Gordon Nichols's point, the conversion kit does appear to be 1/4" plate and is pretty beefy.

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Looks like you have some good things in there. The transaxle looks a little worse for wear; maybe it sat on the ground for quite some time; I would look for corrosion holes at the bottom; same thing happens with the OEM magnesium engine cases. God knows; if the bottom of the transaxle is not porous you might get away with cleaning it, changing the gear oil and the final drive seal; it might still be good.

Last edited by Impala

I've done some searching and found that there have been several posts about the CMC Super Beetle conversion kit but I haven't come across anyone who actually built one. Is there anyone that can vouch for how theirs turned out and how it handles? I'm at a cross-roads and want to make sure I'm not getting off on the wrong foot using the super beetle with the conversion kit.

I've done some searching and found that there have been several posts about the CMC Super Beetle conversion kit but I haven't come across anyone who actually built one. Is there anyone that can vouch for how theirs turned out and how it handles? I'm at a cross-roads and want to make sure I'm not getting off on the wrong foot using the super beetle with the conversion kit.

@Gordon Nichols built his on a Super Beetle I thought?

Adrian, if I were you I’d get a couple of cans of Gibbs Brand penetrant/anti corrosion treatment and a few brass wire brushes and give that transaxle a good going over. Just going by the pictures, I think there’s little chance that case is still good.

My brother just bought a 1500 that sat in the dirt like that and when he went to change the oil the whole bottom of the sump turned to dust in his hand when he tried to pull the sump plate off.

Last edited by dlearl476
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