Went to put the front bar on and found that both driver's side bolts sheared off so up on the hoist, drilled the bolts out, retapped the thread and fitted the bar.
Haven't been able to locate the treasure chest lid lock so I modified the hole a little to take an engine lid lock. This also meant making a bracket for this to latch on to. Works well.
Front mats next to go in.
Of course these need to be cut out where the tracks live.
The markings are on the rubber but they didn't match my ute so measure twice and cut once.
Rear window rubber.
This is what it looked like as i was fitting the rubber to the glass. I immediately thought that had sent the wrong rubber. I rang the supplier and checked numbers. No, right one and was told to 'pull harder'! Not sure what that had to do with it?
Anyway, it is a 2 person job to stretch it over the glass and then to hold it firm whilst pulling the rubber in.
We got it in.
Decided to work underneath for a while for a change of scenery.
Took all the old alloys off.
Checked all the brakes, rears like brand new but front disc pads at 25% so will be replaced. A little bit of suspension detailing, not too extreme as we do have a 1 kilometre long unsealed driveway.
Mostly quite original underneath.
By the way, as mentioned before.
there are 4 of these alloys with legal good tyres on them.
Not wanted by me so FREE to good home.
I don't really want to get involved with freight etc so call in to pick them up.
Ready to go.
Oh, I do like a Bundy.
Mudflaps added after modifying the universal type brackets.
Engine bay minor detail
Then realised that the engine crossbar wasn't on so off with the exhaust and heaterboxes and various tinware. New mounts and back together.
Put the engine and gearbox on a workbench on wheels and slid it under the ute on the hoist. Made it real easy.
Now I could see what had to be done to mount the auto box in the manual vehicle.
I made a simple plate bracket that slots snuggly into the auto rubber mount and then bolts up to the torsion housing. No welding on the ute at all.
The rabbit ear mounts on top of the auto lined up perfectly as well.
This is the end result of an auto into a manual.
Connected the engine and it fired up straight away.
Porsche wheels back from getting tyres so needed to put them on the ute to see what it looked like.
New black full cover wheel nuts from Repco and looks great.
Have spent 2 days on the wiring getting it sorted.
Led tail lights are fantastic.
Pondered where to put the front led lights but finally think that the low light place was the right place.
So, I wired in,
heated seats looms and their switches,
electric window looms and their switches,
central locking looms,
push button start,
new stereo that has the speakers in the radio facia so no other speakers to mount,
clock,
12v accessory socket,
electric washers,
And I don't even like electrics, just realise that it has to be done.
T- bar shifter next.
It actually bolts into the same holes as the manual gear stick.
However, the auto shifter has studs on it and the manual floor has holes with threaded nuts under it.
So the auto shifter studs were drilled out allowing bolts to hold it in nicely.
There is a bracket under the floor for the manual gear rod that has to be cut off as it is in the way.
New floor mat has to be cut around the auto shifter.
New kick panels needed a good haircut on one end before they would fit.
Instrument cluster, glove box and lid now in.
Need to sort out shifter cable and accelerator cable next.
Getting there, one step at a time.
I used an electric fuel pump and made a blanking plate for where the old mechanical pump was. Main use of extra filters was to adapt the two different fuel line hose sizes.
I ordered 'morse' style cables for the auto shift and the accelerator. Some new holes in the rails needed and mounting brackets needed.
Made the job relatively easy for the manual to auto issue.
Finally found a rear bumper just after I started making an alloy one. Not bad for it's age but off a '71 so different brackets.
I will cut and shorten the brackets and re mount them wider on the bar which will then all bolt up.
Using form ply to line the back tray area so after cutting it to size, sanded them and a coat off exterior paint to waterproof them. Stainless dome headed bolts recessed into the timber used to hold them on.
Rolled out the boat carpet to then line the timber.
"grass glue' to hold the carpet on.
End result a good all weather surface that can be hosed clean.
Been a lot of after hours work this week and as we are heading of for a week tomorrow, touring on the Harley, decided to fit the front seats and steering wheel and take it off the hoist.
First time under its own steam since we have had it.
Drove it about 400 metres down our drive to surprise Bronnie at the house. A good feeling after all this time spent on it.
Still needs a windscreen, door trims and rear bar on it but that can be in December after our break.
Bronnie was surprised and delighted.
Wow, that looks great and the work you have done is awesome on the build and in this thread.
Thanks
Dan
72 super beetle
74 rat panel van
Looking fantastic, what a great job. Congratulations! And thanks for the progress pics and commentary, really good.
Thanks guys for the kind words.
I have always enjoyed others people's builds and am now glad that I documented this one even though it is an extra task to always take the time to take a pic and then take the time to upload it with commentary etc.
You always learn something from other builds and it is a great way to share ideas and skills.
Looking forwards to getting some plates on it soon, maybe this year but if not, soon after.
Fantastic! Also like your CC in the background!
My 'trouble and strife' has now decided that the blue boat carpet on the tray back clashes with the ute colour.
I kind of agree.
So, charcoal carpet bought today and will replace it all.
As mentioned, I finally found a rear bar in average condition so need to get it up to specs.
The brackets were off a 71 so about 200mm too long and wrong shape.
The fixed nuts on the chassis rails on one side were gone so I drilled out the holes to a nut size, inserted the nuts and welded them in.
Ground back the welds a little and painted.
Good as new.
I have never thought that the rear bars were strong enough so I bought some 8mm x 50mm x 1600mm flat bar.
After straightening the bar best I could I welded this on the inside of the bar slightly curved in the ends.
Should strengthen it really well.
Drilled the bumper hole through and will put longer stainless roundhead bolts to suit.
Now to prime and paint it.
New windscreen was delivered today so a mate and I fitted the rubber, applied the goo and in she went.
A good fit all round, thankfully.
Also chose, as it was Christmas eve, to replace the carpet for my wife to a more suitable or liked colour.
The blue had only been on a few weeks but was a bugger to remove.
Tried a few ways but ended up wrapping the carpet around a length of 50 x 50 box steel and using a large shifter to turn the steel.
This worked.
More carpet cut.
More outdoor synthetic grass glue applied.
More pleasing on the eye result.
The shortened, cut, bent and welded '71 rear brackets were put on ready for the bar.
Getting closer to number plate stage.
Looking good! Great effort all round
This ute is cool as. 👍
I love Bays with autos, I had one years ago and it is still my favourite ride.
I also used a hefty shifter cable but hooked up to a B&M (ahem, sorry!), but I found that the first bracket I made started to flex and crack, so keep an eye on your cable bracket mount.
😎
Thanks, glad that you like it.
It's the look I had in mind from the start with a bit of influence from 'Dino's single cab'.
I have mounted the cable pretty securely but will keep a check on it with your experience in mind.
Finally got the rear bar straight and painted.
Couldn't find the rear bar alloy bases anywhere so made up some metal flat bar to sit in the rubber and bolt through the bar.
Worked suitably OK.
End result is an interesting variation of it's actual year model.
Basically, this was the look that I was after from the beginning.
Still looking for a suitable alloy molding to go around the tray edge.
Just temporary steel strapping on there now.
Near to last of the jobs is the door trims.
Used a good thick clear plastic with clear silicone all round.
The trim clip rubbers are a bugger to fit. I used a thin tapered flat ended punch with silicone spray on the rubbers to help. This method worked well.
Holes were needed in the door trim for door pull handles and microbus armrests.
