My bank balance doesn't like the deliverys lol

Had a snow day today, so been doing some more. The new hubs are at the garage having new bearings pressed in, so I started cleaning the inner arches and removed the hub and strut on the passenger side. The strut on the drivers side didn't want to come off, so it's soaking in Plus Gas for a bit.

Driver's side before:


Most of it cleaned up, but need the strut off to finish it:


Everything removed from the other side:




And does anyone have any tips for removing the ABS sensor top from the wiring? It's snapped off on both sides and I'm left with this:

Managed to get the snapped off sensors out quite easily in the end

Been playing about with the air kit today. I have no idea how I'm going to assemble it all in the boot, so I played about with where they might go:


Then wondered where I could put the gauges... perhaps on the speedo surround?



Then we finally got the front end on properly:


And I'm still trying to work out quite where the sills should sit. I'm almost there now I think...

If i were you i would cut some MDF to the shape of your spare wheel well, then bolt / screw the pumps and tank to that. Saves drilling through your floor then.
Then maybe get another sheet of MDF to cover the lot to hide it all and you can also use your boot space and keep it looking standard.

Yeah that seems to be what most people do. A false floor with a trap door above it will make it easier to check things too.

Righty.... work is back on with Robbie.

Yesterday I cleaned up and POR-15'd the inner arches after Steve got the last coilover off for me:


So this morning, armed with copious amounts of this:


I set about putting the driver's side suspension and brakes back together.

A new ABS sensor was fitted:


And a new ball joint:


The air strut went on too:


Next to go on were the caliper adaptors:


Then the discs and calipers were loosely placed on:


(I know it's the wrong side for the caliper... just test fitting with the nearest one to hand)

I couldn't resist putting a wheel on to see how it looked and to also make sure it cleared the brakes and the strut. Due to the wheels being designed for the RSI which has 312mm brakes anyway, and the Cup Cars which run big brakes (for obvious reasons), they went over the brakes with loads of room:


The strut clears too, which is a bonus!



And yes, before anyone says, I know I've got the directional tyre on the wrong side, but this was the 1st wheel which I could get my hands on - it's not a permanant fixture to that side!

That looks some serious rubber i the last pic? What tyre is that?

They're Michelin Pilot Sports - 235/40/18. They came with the wheels from Germany.

Steve cut out some MDF to make the base of the set up for me:


Then I removed the seats to run the wire under the carpet:




I'm now thinking of putting the gauges here (under the centre dash bit) as there's a light illumiating them and they're not too in the way. It's the bottom vertical bit of cream plastic:




Except I can't see how they stay in? Are they held in by luck?!



I've also decided where to put the switches - under the centre bit of dash:


About here:


A bit of drilling and a lot of filing later, and voila!

with the 2 gauges, you can get an "A" pillar pod to mount them in http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://thumbs2.ebaystatic.com/pict/3703744318936464_5.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.shopadilly.co.uk/Auctions/52mm%2Bgauge%2Bpod&usg=__2T3MkNMRpAFzSVzoBFXiebUG2gQ=&h=51&w=64&sz=2&hl=en&start=44&zoom=0&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=3G21hX2j7wH6SM:&tbnh=51&tbnw=64&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtwin%2Bdial%2Bpod%2Bfor%2Bnew%2Bbeetle%26start%3D40%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26ndsp%3D20%26tbs%3Disch:1

also you can get air vent gauge mounts http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.swgmotorsport.com/asps/uploads/thumb/212.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.swgmotorsport.com/&usg=__AsJVzfXpNFr6hyGD7MvpcgyFzAY=&h=85&w=91&sz=19&hl=en&start=10&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=N-AxGfOJz-U7lM:&tbnh=74&tbnw=79&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtwin%2Bdial%2Bpod%2Bfor%2Bnew%2Bbeetle%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26ndsp%3D20%26tbs%3Disch:1

all gauge pods etc are for 52mm dials... these are 40mm

why not change the gauges? those ones look ugly anyway

nice set of digital ones, there must be a UK supplier too

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.yourcustomcar.com/image-files/dakslx-dakota-digital-round-air-pressure-gauge.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.yourcustomcar.com/air-gauge-product.html&usg=__iqvqkkObkUnw5TA_WEoMOHUafD0=&h=372&w=500&sz=81&hl=en&start=7&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=wtRaOjuYd1TVIM:&tbnh=97&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3D52mm%2Bair%2Bpressure%2Bgauges%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1

this is going to make me sound really dumb... but I have trouble with numbers so a digital one would be difficult for me

If you can find any in the US and can get them shipped to Kansas by next Friday I could bring them back for you.

Whats on the back? if it's a compression fitting or similar, how about fabricating something like this - it's designed to hold a vespa speedo in the headset, where the large hole fits under a compression clamp and the small hole onto a stud in the headset.

Cheers Scoops

There's only 2 very small screws on the back which hold the air line in place



Done a bit more on Robbie today. I continued with the wiring for the switches. Found a switched live here:


So now they're all wired up and ready to go.

Then I removed the passenger seat:


And carpet:


I had to cut the carpet in one place to get it out. But it's under where the centre console goes, so you won't be able to see it.



Got the carpet out into the garden to hoover and wash it: