The Rancho Pro Street gearbox for Steve's '60s Beetle

With the welding on the project drawing to a close I have been keeping busy souring parts to keep the project moving.

The next stage with the car is to get the floor pan up and rolling. So thoughts turned to gearboxes. And when you talk VW gearboxes, the words Rancho Performance are never going to be far from the tip of your tongue. These boys have been there and done that. They know what works and what to beef up. And i have to say they're one of the most helpful and enthusiastic companies I've ever dealt with.

After talking to my man Bob in California, I've settled on a Rancho Pro Street 'box with all the bells and whistles. Super diff, aluminium side plate, steel shift forks, welded 3rd and 4th gears, with a 3.88 ring and pinion and a 0.82 4th gear. Now this might sound like over kill, but I'm hard on machinery and the last thing I want to be doing is replacing the gearbox 6 months down the line. And as the old saying goes 'better to be safe than sorry'.

Gearboxes are an area often overlooked on VWs, if they work they get re-used. But I want the '60 to drive like a new car (well at least a new old car!) so a second hand sloppy gearbox was out of the question.

The techy amongst you will have noticed I've gone for long gear ratios. The reason for this is simple, I want to drive this car and generally where ever I go, it involves traveling on the motorway. So this is the perfect cruising gearbox. I'll be able to sit on the motorway at a nice and legal 70mph all day long without revving the nuts off the engine. Making for a much more relaxed and pleasurable drive.

For more information on Rancho gearboxes check out www.ranchoperformancetrans.com or speak to their UK distributor VW Speed Shop on 0161 881 5999 or www.vwspeedshop.com