Yes – it has air ride. No – it is not an Air Kewld setup. I purchased the car with the air ride already installed. Records that I received with the car showed the work with other customization was done in between 2000 and 2003. I purchased the car at auction early 2008 at a very good price.
For this blog, I plan to detail all of my plans, thoughts, work and results and I go forward with the car. I’m going to start the blogs with some highlights on the past work I have done and then move forward. For detailed history, you can visit my thread on the Georgia Dubs website at http://georgiadubs.forumotion.net/60-s-vw-s-f23/1960-vw-beetle-bagged-t83-0.htm
Here is a brief description of the work I have done with it over the last couple of years.
When I got the car, it would not start and run. The car had been setting in a warehouse for 3 years. I replaced all the fuel lines, the tap and screen at the tank, fuel pump, filter and rebuilt the dual ICT carbs. I performed a full tune-up and installed a Petronix electronic ignition module in the distributor. After timing the car, it ran like a champ.
It scared the $%^ out of me to drive the car on the highway. It was all over the road – I couldn’t control it. The few times I did drive it, I was lucky to make it home alive. I did some investigation and set about to correct the problems at the front end.
The car has air ride on it and you would expect through rods installed. What I found was the top tube had a torsion spring installed – not screwed down – no seals. The bottom tube had a piece of rebar run though it with a nut and washer welded to each end to permanently hold it on. The seals were completely gone so there was about 1” of slop. To correct this, I ordered a through-rod set from Air Kewld. When they arrive, I installed them with a new set of seals on each trailing arm. I installed the missing grub screws and nuts so that they were not engaged. I know you don’t use grub screws with the through rods. However, I am using them to keep the dirt out.
King and Link pins were shot and could no longer be adjusted. I had a new set pressed into my spindles which made them nice and tight.
The steering box was sloppy and could not be adjusted, the coupler was shot and the steering dampener was gone. I installed a new steering box, coupler, dampener and new tie rods and ends.
When it was all complete, I did a do-it-yourself alignment as instructed in the “Keep Your Volkswagen Alive” book to get it close and safe to drive. Then I took it over to Sears to get an alignment on the machine. Afterwards it drove straight, the steering was firm and the car could be controlled easily and high speed.
I had been driving the car as-is while doing minor work on it until the driver side suicide door popped open on the highway and folded back into the rear quarter panel. I had planned to put the doors back to normal anyway since the job was so bad. I was now committed to do it.
Where the striker plate was relocated from the B pillar to the A pillar. 
The top hinge relocated to the B pillar. 
The bottom hinge relocated to the B pillar. 
Top B pillar repaired by grafting in a piece from a donor. 
Bottom B pillar repaired by fabrication sheet steel. 
Top A pillar hinge repaired by grafting in a piece from a donor. 
I am not going to go into details of my engine build. The details can be found on the Georgia Dubs website linked above. I did want to say that the engine was leaking 1 quart of oil every 200 miles. I was driving me crazy so I pulled the engine to see what was going on. It was pretty obvious, as you can see from the picture below that the block was repaired incorrectly. 
After building and installing the 1776, I decided to do a burn out on the test drive to “test” the new engines strength. I broke the axle – basically I broke the paddle off the axle inside the diff. 
With the air bag mounts (not Air Kewld) there was no way to remove the transmission for repair. I had to cut the mounts to get the transmission out. I’ll be replacing this with the Air Kewld Swing mount kit before I put the car back on the road.
Here is a summary of the work that I have planned for the car. I don’t know I will be able to fit it all in this year. With time and budget, it might take 2 years before the car is back on the road.
Body
Replace the front clip – the car had been hit and improperly repaired.
Repair the A and B pillars on the passenger side to remove suicide door.
Replace rear clip – I tried repairing and straightening the metal – replacing the bumper mounts. The trouble is that the shelves are badly warped as well as the panel the bumper mounts are welded to. I am going to redo this job so that it is right.
Rust repair on the donor doors.
Cut a hole in the roof for an aftermarket ragtop. http://www.slidingragtops.com/
Pan
Replace wacky air ride beam with Air Kewld 2” narrowed beam.
Replace tie rods with narrowed rods.
Replace air ride shocks with Air Kewld shocks.
Replace both pans. The pans are mostly good but while I am doing this much work, I might as well do it.
Replace rear bag mounts with the Air Kewld Swing Axle bag mounts.
Systems
Install custom wiring kit http://www.watsons-streetworks.com/vw.html
I need to decide on my air management system. I already have a few components that I would like to reuse.
2 Air Compressors
8 SMC electric valves
That is it for now.
I’ll expand later as I work and contemplate what I want to do in the future.
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