German experimentation with low Cd automobiles in the 1930's

[chillsworld]

VW pillbox... Is there any reason this can't happen? What would keep someone from centering the driver between the wheel wells of an old bug? The transmission tube? I'm familiar with the Kit Car scene, but not so familiar with how to actually modify the VW its-self. I know a few of you are really into the VW scene, so I'm hoping you can tell me what's up. Forget the construction of the body... I'm talking mechanicals only. Well, and cooling too... I'm not an aircooled guy, so tell me how hard it would be to cool with out increasing dag substantially

I mean a three seater stream lined bug would be amazing. And you could do it on a baja bug and maintain some modicum of usability on back roads and light offroading via ground clearance and belly pan armor


~C

[NeilBlanchard]

Moving the steering and the pedals would be interesting. The Tatra had a rear engine with air cooling in a low drag body.

[elhigh]

I don't think there are any major showstoppers with moving the steering, I've seen privately owned postal vehicles that used a rope and pulley system to move the steering to the passenger side. Don't know how they did the pedals exactly, but they're just linkages. If it can be bent up one way, you can bend it up in another. You may even be able to run rigid connecting shafts from a new pedal box and run the original linkages in their original location from new pedals wherever you need them. Just remove the old pedals so they don't interfere with getting to the central driver's seat.

Admittedly the rope and pulley system I saw looked a little dodgy, but the guy had obviously been using it for years and there didn't appear to be any significant dents in his fenders, so it was reliable enough to keep him out of the ditches.

[Grant-53]

Check out Formula Vee part suppliers for center steering components?

[freebeard]

NeilBlanchard -- Well maybe. The wind tunnel picture looks like it might have a slider like a Type II. But in the other pictures they look to be one piece. They definitely don't roll down. Unless the alligator open on that curved back edge, I can't see it.

I'd sooner believe that nostril under the center of the windshield opens.

chillsworld -- Grant-53 covered the steering, sand rail parts could provide the hydraulic clutch.

What a Baja'd streamliner might look like:

[Cd]

I'm pretty sure this has been posted here already, but if not here you go :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZXRAQw9kyE

[freebeard]

Thanks for that, I hadn't seen it before. You know Jeff Lane repro'd the original Dymaxion?

That's what car build shows should be. Clear, well edited, no throwing wrenches. I'm only about 15min in, they're just plumbing the chassis.

Edit: Well it's like they were desperate for some drama toward the end. It just kept on working. Spoiler: In the end they got 115mph out of it.

I went back to the Original Post to see were it came from—Basjoos in 2007. The website that this car appeared on (or a clone, it's called a Maybach and the taillights are different) is up for resale. The website, not the Maybach.

To bring the thought at the top of the page forward, a 3-seat Type I Beetle existed.

Torchinsky: This Virtually Unknown Stillborn VW Prototype Is Blowing My Mind*

So it can be done, VW did it.