#LIFEONAIR: MAX EDWARD’S ’78 BEETLE ON AIR SUSPENSION

Max Edwards has built a rather special Beetle, taking inspiration from the land of motorsport, while somehow keeping it true to its classic Beetle heritage. These are two very different styles, but they compliment each other very well!

The idea first came to Max in February of 2011, and it had him searching high and low for an early-model Beetle. Eventually, Max stumbled upon an original 1978 model that was in need of some TLC. After enjoying the car in its stock form for several years, Max knew it was time for his Beetle to reach its final form – a form that would include a complete body-off restoration.

The suspension and chassis were the first elements to be overhauled, adding a 2” narrow beam to get that perfect Beetle tuck. To achieve the #LifeOnAir look and performance, he upgraded the suspension to Air Lift Performance through rods, long travel ball joints, track rod flip and raised and strengthened shock towers. The rear suspension was converted to IRS, using Air Lift Performance universal air springs, notched trailing arms and modified lower mounts. The whole suspension set-up is controlled by 3P, the pressure-based air management system that can later be upgraded to the height-based 3H system.

With a wide range of Air Lift Performance management options, Max opted for the 3P system because it gave him the benefits of instant ride-height adjustment, iPhone app control and, of course, the ability to upgrade to 3H in the future.

“I’ve always liked how the AutoPilot V2 system worked, having used it in the past, so I was eager to try the latest system on the Beetle,” Max explains. “It does everything I need, never giving me any issues, and the phone app is great for standing back and making adjustments to preset ride height. Since fitting the Air Lift system, the ride quality and handling is greatly improvement, like a premium set of coilovers.”

In fact, the Beetle is now as good as new underneath – a testament to the work and time Max has invested into this project.

For the exterior, the Beetle’s body was given a fresh coat of Pure 400 white paint, complete with custom 78 numbers and 4-color stripes. The bodywork also benefits from body-colored bumpers and Lucas yellow headlight covers for that motorsport vibe.

It’s a similar story inside, too. Porsche ‘Pasha’ material lines the seats and door cards, along with 964 seats and a 3-spoke steering wheel. Combined with an Alcantara headlining and the flush-mounted Air Lift controller, the Beetle’s interior looks seriously cool.

In the all-important wheel department, Max opted for a classic – genuine BBS RS, measuring 7.5” up front and 9” out back. The color-coded centers are the perfect finishing touch for such an iconic wheel design.

Max’s Beetle isn’t all show and no-go. The 1641cc motor runs a balanced bottom end, Eagle 110 cam, high-revving valvetrain and twin Solex 44 carbs. All killer, no filler!

The humble VW Bug may have been around for over half a century, but Max has managed to create something truly unique without straying too far from the original look.

The post #LIFEONAIR: MAX EDWARD’S ’78 BEETLE ON AIR SUSPENSION appeared first on VWVortex.

from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2q2Q5yQ
via IFTTT

2018 Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster Review

“Supercars just don’t excite me anymore.” These words, spoken to me over a month ago by another journalist, friend, and (so-called) enthusiast were echoing in my head for far too long, but they’ve finally been drowned out. Drowned out by the wail of a naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 engine mounted in the middle of the new Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster. My friend’s point is that back in the good old days, there was a crop of supercars that captured the imagination with amazing style, sounds, performance, and more. Today, it seems like everything is capable of supercar performance, with large luxury sedans outdoing some of the best and most dedicated teams of car nuts, while former pillars of automotive excellence are suddenly pumping out family-friendly SUVs. Beyond that, another league of supercars, dubbed hypercars have cropped up with hybrid gas-electric powertrains that make magical things happen quickly, but at the cost of the acoustic drama, visual flair, and engag...

Project SportWagen: Going Stage 2 with APR

When we last left you, the humble little SportWagen was fresh from the development process with our friends at AWE Tuning, sporting a new downpipe, exhaust and intake, allowing things to breathe a bit easier. The car sounded great, but there was no getting around the fact that our wagon was still quite, well, slow. While we realize that nothing we do to the Golf SportWagen at this point will make it a race car, we still felt compelled to do something . To put it bluntly, we had a fever, and the only cure was more power. Flash forward a few hours, and we found ourselves at Waterfest, staring down APR’s palatial spread and the numerous tuned vehicles surrounding it. Earlier in the year, APR had hinted to us that their 1.8 TSI files would be quite impressive, and based on what they were able to do with the 2.0 TSI found in the new GTI and our time in their Golf R, we knew it’d be worth the wait. So with this in mind, we lined our G...

Project Golf SportWagen- Intro

I’ve never really been one for SUVs and crossovers. The current offerings aren’t the body-on-frame, go-anywhere specialty tools I remember from my youth, and what they lack in capability, they also lack in on-road performance. The current crop isn’t terribly good at handling or being efficient, which in my opinion are major components of our ideal driving experience. So when it comes to space or utility, I usually look for something of the wagon variety- and it seems that I’m not alone. We hit quite a few shows around the east coast each summer, and we see modified Jetta SportWagens at nearly every event. Even amongst common consumers, these cars are highly sought-after. They don’t depreciate much, making even early Mk 5 2.5 versions expensive in comparison to other Jettas or Golfs of the same vintage. This year, Volkswagen launched their latest SportWagen, which is now billed as a Golf. In many ways, this latest SportWagen is the best yet and it has certai...

Vorderman Volkswagen

Search This Blog