<VV> hand controls and stick shift

[Geoffrey A Johnson]

Here is  a picture of the controls we installed in my friends sedan.

http://www.unm.edu/~geoffj/images/Host/Handcontrols.jpg

To clarify, brakes are activated by pushing IN, and throttle by pulling 
Down.   Engine is a 140 PG.     Car remains completely driveable with 
normal controls.    I drove it ~1800 miles to California and back myself 
after the install and it was actually pretty comfortable to use them when 
my foot got tired.

I reinforced the brake pedal due to the slight side load imparted by the 
arm.   Then drilled and bolted the arm to it.
The leverage is sufficient that brakes can easily be applied, power brakes 
are not necessary.

The accelerator setup was not too complicated, but took  a few 
adjustments  and some fabricated parts for the 
Vair.

The controls we used (and almost all  others out there) clip on the 
rod at the top of 
the accelerator, since most cars the accelerator the pivot is at the 
top, and the pedal hangs down.   Since the pivot is on the other side 
of the pedal in the vair, this provided nearly zero throw at the pedal. 
I welded a shaft 
extension to the back of the pedal for the control to bolt to.   Then with 
Matt's 
idea, 
I made a arm to extend the throw from the controls themselves.     This 
provided the needed range of motion.  See arrow:

http://corvaircenter.com/phorum/download.php?66616,10677/HC2r.JPG

Then I had to make a new shaft and 
tube for the slip coupling that the accelerator gets operated by.  The one 
the controls had was too short and did not have enough movement.
  This way the accelerator can be used normally, but does not move the 
controls.

To me setting a standard up for that seems like a LOT more work for not 
much gain, but that is just my opinion.

The original article can be seen in PDF form for a bit longer at:
http://www.unm.edu/~jimp/Month06.pdf


-Geoff Johnson