With the Vw bug lower control arm mount tabs bent to the correct angles, I can position them on the main frame rails. I have temporally clamped the MR2 lower control arm bushings between the mount tabs to insure that everything is going to line up OK. Using this idea for mounting gives me adjustablity front to back before each mount can be welded on.
I now have the pictures of the creation of the VW bug’s front frame member. This is the member that contains the MR2’s front suspension strut bar mounts.
The VW bug needs lower front control arm mounts. I am building these from 3.5×3.5×3/16″ box tubing. After cutting each mount out, I need to bend the tabs over to create the actual mount points. I am using a small piece of the 3×3 inch tubing for leverage. Once clamped in the vise I just need to add a little muscle to bend them over.
With the VW bug’s front frame nose piece in place, the next step is to create the mounting brackets/tabs for the front lower control arms. I will need to reinstall the main frame rails to line everything up.
Before I can set the main rails back in, I must set the MR2 front lower control arms in their exact locations. The VW bug frame spacing has been determined by the hub to hub measurment of the MR2 drive gear.
The initial fitting of the VW bug’s front frame member seems to be OK. I will now mark it’s position on the plywood platform in order to determine the lenght of each main frame rail.
The front nose piece of the VW bug’s frame is now complete. I will need to position this piece to be able to determine the length of the main frame members.
The VW’s 3x3x3/16″ front nose torsion mount has now been cut and drilled to match the foam template. I will need to bend it to make it fit on the front of the frame.
I can now remove the VW’s front frame foam template and trace it onto the x3x3x3/16″ steel piece. I will then cut and bend the steel to match the foam template.
I now have the VW bug’s front torsion support and frame member template in place and taped together. I also must determine the correct angle for the MR2’s front torsion bars. I created a small angle finder out of the foam board to insure that the correct angle is maintained.