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Post by George on Apr 4, 2021 11:05:00 GMT
My Bug arrived last night, but it was too dark to look at it or take any photos.
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Post by Stiffy on Apr 4, 2021 13:07:43 GMT
Good luck and feel free to post lots of pictures.
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Post by George on Apr 4, 2021 21:27:36 GMT
And see if I can get into it and out of it. I am 81 with bad arthritis
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Post by Nobla on Apr 5, 2021 10:40:24 GMT
Hi George,
Lets have some photos please, we are eager to enjoy the Bug with you.
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Post by George on Apr 5, 2021 20:17:32 GMT
I was able to get in the Bug with some difficulty.
And I was able to get out with a lot of pain and difficulty
Need to come up with a better way to get in and out
And I will try to figure out how to post pictures here
Plus join the club when I have the registration info later this week
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Post by cdb15 on Apr 5, 2021 21:38:49 GMT
I was able to get in the Bug with some difficulty. And I was able to get out with a lot of pain and difficulty Need to come up with a better way to get in and out And I will try to figure out how to post pictures here Plus join the club when I have the registration info later this week Have a look at this thread, might give you some ideas...
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Post by vannin on Apr 7, 2021 20:46:28 GMT
Well done George for taking the plunge and buying a Bug. What about taking the sidescreen off and the hockey stick and door bottom to give you more room to get in and out.
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Post by George on Apr 8, 2021 11:07:43 GMT
Actually I was going to do that tomorrow. Also put a walker next to the car and see if I could use it to lift myself
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Post by vannin on Apr 8, 2021 11:51:53 GMT
What about fixing a grab handle on the inside at the top of the windscreen pillar to help lift yourself up out the seat and onto the edge of the body tub.
Maybe even fit a quick release steering wheel boss to give yourself even more room for ingress and egress ?
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Post by George on Apr 9, 2021 12:18:59 GMT
I am now a member and no longer a guest
Has anyone fixed a grab handle on the windscreen pillar.
Thought my weight would be too much for it
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Post by cdb15 on Apr 9, 2021 18:21:56 GMT
I am now a member and no longer a guest Has anyone fixed a grab handle on the windscreen pillar. Thought my weight would be too much for it As far as I can see this gadget only requires a small support post fitted to the inside of the footwell. That's good for the Bug because there you are very close to the chassis and the bodywork section is particularly strong, being a double skin L beam. You have a couple of body mounting plates that the support post could be adapted to with a custom made plate to spread the load over the chassis and body panels:
However, with any aid device like this, this issue it seems to me is what do you do at the other end of your journey? It's fine to get in the car to start with, but you'd need a corresponding device at the other end to get out.
Fitting a grab handle, you'd need to use the fixing location of the sidescreen hinges to be sure of getting the strength of the steel frame to support you, but then that would preclude you using the sidescreens. That in turn says you can only use the car in fine weather, which may be an issue given how suddenly rain can appear in these islands.
Part of the problem with getting out of the Bug - not so much with getting in - is having to lift yourself over the 'lip' of the bodywork beside the seat. If that area of bodywork wasn't there, you'd be able to swivel around so your legs were outside the car and then simply lift yourself outwards. Conceivably that area could be cut away and made into a lower 'door' but that would have major implications for the body stiffness so you'd need to compensate with some sort of steel 'U' plate bonded to the body to stiffen it.
Alternatively, you could look for something that would raise and lower you in the seat so that you would lower yourself onto this and swing your legs in, under the steering wheel. Then lower yourself into the driving position. At journey's end, you raise yourself up until you can swivel your legs out sideways over the bodywork 'lip'. You then stand up and out of the car as usual.
A browse around mobility aids for folks to help them stand up out of a chair might offer some inspiration.
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Post by George on Apr 10, 2021 10:53:34 GMT
Thank you very much for your thoughts on this
I will figure it out and post the solution
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