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Fri Jan 16, 2015 2:41 pm

I ordered Cofap shocks from Amazon as I did read here on the Samba that it was the correct shock to smooth out the very stiff front of my 73 standard. When it came today it was a KYB gas shock.

Are these the same thing?
Is a Cofap a gas shock, with some lift, or is it an oil shock providing resistance only?

Fri Jan 16, 2015 3:34 pm

Cofap makes both oil and gas shocks. They are separate companies, KYB and Cofap.
KYB shocks are great, and have a lifetime warranty. Are yours silver or white? Silver is lighter, white is the heavy duty.

Fri Jan 16, 2015 3:49 pm

This had been a "Great Debate" easily for 20 years that I know of....

KYB Gas-Adjust are a rough ride, maybe good for the Track but not for the street...

Now, if you want gas, KYB GR-2's are what you want, they are a happy Meduim, like a cosher ride than oil, more performance, but not as harsh as KYB's Gas-Adjust...

Think the new versions now days of the GR-2's are Called Excell G's, which is a rename of them for marketing... Point, the Excell G's(GR-2's) are in the middle, this is do to what you have to take into account, the ligh car weight of a bug...

If you have a lot of choppy roads, chatter board, or other words known as Wash Board, you need to stick to oil, they are more forgiving, but if you drive that slow then get onto nice roads, GR-2s(Excell G's) maybe were it is at for you, not Gas-Adjust KYB's...... RB

Fri Jan 16, 2015 4:14 pm

You may find a gas shock too stiff in the front of a Beetle. I have found the best, comfortable daily-driver dampers are BOGE

Fri Jan 16, 2015 4:27 pm

Thing is when it comes to street cars you don't want to mix-and-match shocks or tires....... If you do you loose the "balance" and overall "balanced perfornace" and can crash and burn do to lets just say this one thing, "kick out". RB

Fri Jan 16, 2015 4:49 pm

I have used Cofap (Brazil) stock replacement oil shocks on my '68 Beetle and they are very smooth...highly recommended!

I tried KYB GR2 shocks on my '74 Beetle and they are not bad, but are stiffer than the Cofaps. The KYB Gas-A-Just shocks were terrible, very harsh ride when the road gets bumpy.

Fri Jan 16, 2015 5:42 pm

RailBoy wrote: Thing is when it comes to street cars you don't want to mix-and-match shocks or tires....... If you do you loose the "balance" and overall "balanced perfornace" and can crash and burn do to lets just say this one thing, "kick out". RB

Disagree on this point. On our buggy, we run GR2s in the front and Gas Adjust in the rears. 63 pan manx clone. Do have a Sway away style camber conpensator. Car handles amazingly well.

Sat Jan 17, 2015 4:58 am

Its a buggy and are you hitting back road pavment that is wash board with that light front end and hitting them at speed were the rear kicks out, or is this another Auto-Cross Set Up Car like I could have built my Rail? Thing is nice roads make the car very forgiving, so you may have that going on in your region, but for "Spirited" driving, most mechanics will suggest a matched set, why, so you don't have the front or rear to "kick or push" out.

Race track cars are not street cars, the pavements are smooth and have no suprise chatter bumps/wash board like most average roads do in the world...

Oh, and by the way, in your buggy you ever get front wheel hop going on in a corner, if you are doing that you are carring some speed, do it all the time, even with brand new Sachs Oil's from Westburg West, but it is a Street Rail with a 2110, not a balanced out car with the typical balanced out weight.. I get wheel hope from the 7" wide tires I run on 13" Smoothies in the front when I am being all Spirited on the back roads, smooth or wash board....

Now were off topic, Dune Buggies and Rail and other recreational cars don't have the "balance" of typical cars and distributed wieghts... RB