slowing down a bug

I'll play devil's advocate on this.

It shouldn't take an 18 yr old more than 1 week to figger out the "impairment". Maybe Google it in a few minutes :-)

Personally, I think it's the wrong approach.

Find some way to make the kid have a "stake" in the car. His own sweat and tears, and pride. Then, explain (redundant maybe) that keeping the car intact is his responsibility.

Jim

Hey Jim Oh trust me he doesn't get to drive it till he has done alittle work on it Just to give him some understanding I'm going to have him replace shocks and go thrugh the brake system completely. He does have alittle mecanical skills working on his girlfriends car and so I figure a bug was a perfect car for him.

Mario Vintage Werks resto

OK. Good start. How about this: Hand him the rev-limiter, explain its purpose and how it works. Let him decide if this might not be a worthwhile "accessory" for at least the short term.

Jim

There are rev-limiters for the 009, but they are set higher than the stock bug can wind. So stick a restrictor plate under the carb.

So he screws up the suspension, rolls off the road. Problem solved.

no I would be standing over him to make sure he does it right, I do this everytime I hire somone new at the shop.

I could change the carb, I have a few of the economy plats to mount a

I supervise eveything that gets orked on at my shop.

Mario Vintage Werks resto

That rotor should work fine on the 009s if you can still buy/find them. I used to have a couple of them with different rpm cutoffs.

Adjusting the accelerator cable looser can work for the short term. Installing a restriction on the accelerator pedal throw is even better.

NOTE: Of course there is that SAFETY issue of not being able to get out of harm's way fast enough! 8^o

JMHO

i have a rev-limiting rotor in my locked 009....they are available(readily) but the lowest one i have seen is 5k RPM's...the stock cam and intake system will limit the car to that already...the only problem with a limiter like that is, it limits it in all gears...not just top speed, which can be less than desireable in traffic....slap some smallish tires in the rear and his top speed will be severely limited...

i should have refreshed and read ahead...both of my points have already been covered!!

A standard baywindow type 2 rev limiter should drop right in. Same shaft. Play with the springs and travel stop a little to adjust the rpm limit if you want to.

Jan

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Put a restrictor plate under the carb. (Works on the exhausts too but it's more trouble to install.)

Add sixty-thou shims under the rocker shaft towers.

Make up a new dip-stick with the 'Full' mark half an inch higher.

Reduce the tire pressure by 25%

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Anyone familiar with VW's should have learned these tricks (and a few more) by the time they were twelve :-) The real classics are replacing the stock pressure plate with one that has been de-tuned. Ditto for the distributor (ie, limiting the maximum advance) and the coil (limiting peak voltage).

Personally, I would have started the kid driving as soon as he was big enough. Raise them right, if you can't rely on their common sense, tricks aren't going to help.

-Bob Hoover

Hey Bob this is my step son of 2 yrs so I didn't get the quality time to teach him the way of the force, but my daughter was driving the 59 convertable when she was 8 and changing tires.

thanks for the suggestion athough this is the first one i've ever thought about slowing down .

As far as commen sence, I'm wondering if you find many kids today that have it.

Commen sence takes the ability stand back and think about a situation or concept, but in the instant world of today when everything has to be done Now, there is no time to think.

Mario

Correct. It is the social contract again. When a parent's example and mutual respect does not work, modern parents tend to look to mechanical controls. They become an extension of the failing machine.

Then he can wait until he is supporting himself with the car he bought with his own money, insured by his own income.

Worked for me.

Sure. That hasn't changed. But their material expectations have changed a lot and that's our fault.

So don't yield to the trend! Make the time. Don't let him have a car.

Modify and restrict the tailpipe(s) Not fond of the increase in back pressure though.

Drop a stock 1200 sp in for a while - sorted :)

You all have some good ideas but most put to much thought into this. I'm just a simple country boy but given this question and who asked here goes.

1. flatten the tires.
2. don't give them the keys.
3. pull the coil wire
4. remove a plug wire

I have a couple more but don't want to offend certain people or start a flame war. But we haven't had a decent flame war in a couple months. But I will be nice and not do it.

Randy

Y'all are so messed up.

There is NOTHING you can do to inhibit the power of the ACVW that a half-wit cannot defeat and kill himself.

It's all about parenting. Screw the OP.

you've obviously never had the engine apart...i can think of several ways to inhibit the power that would take alot of effort and some skills to defeat.