Thanks again fellows, hard work alright - thank god I don't have to pay anyone for labour as I would have gone broke long long ago!
Seal strip is removed mainly to rid a possible moisture and rust trap, and for a cleaner look. It is a permanent modification. It was amazing the amount of surface rust and pitting that was hiding under there - so glad I removed it before it ate through anywhere.
:o
So is the plan to still debut it at Dubs?
65 Meyers Manx
68 Country Buggy (KO 367)
68 Country Buggy (KO 669)
68 Country Buggy (KO 789)
68 Country Buggy (KO 815)
68 Baja Bug
76 Baja Kombi Twincab
If nothing major goes wrong in the mean time then yep thats the plan. Touch wood it will all fall into place. The variables that are out of my control in terms of time line include:
- custom exhaust (to be built professionally which depends on when I can get the body back on the pan and to the shop)
- wiring which I am planning to tackle but will be learning along the way (luckily know an automotive electrician though)
- final interior trimming including the ragtop and headliner
- compliancing, rego and insuring
So apart from the work I still have ahead of me there is still a bit that has to be done including running in the new engine, gearbox, brakes, suspension and sorting out the expected bugs/problems! Just a little 😠
[Edited on 29-8-2004 by Dasdubber]
Good luck with it, I cant wait to see it at Dubs :thumb
65 Meyers Manx
68 Country Buggy (KO 367)
68 Country Buggy (KO 669)
68 Country Buggy (KO 789)
68 Country Buggy (KO 815)
68 Baja Bug
76 Baja Kombi Twincab
Well, as is my life at the moment - body work continues. It feels as if it is never-ending! I can certainly see why a professional job costs $5K plus....the time it takes is rediculous! My "home job" will never be a professional result (I'm sure there will be a few waves and wobbles here and there), but I will be satisfied I have achieved the result myself.
Enough rambling, engine bay sound proofing tabs removed and filled and smoothed....then the whole lot primed.
Just in case you can't remember, the three nuts welded onto firewall are to hold the holley fuel pressure regulator in place.
Finally passenger side rear quarter is pretty much sorted - I thought it was going to be a lot easier than the drivers side but it was pretty bloody wobbly too.
And front quarter pretty close too. Have done a number of guide coats, more filler, sanding, another guide coat, more filler, more sanding, etc etc already but still a few more to go one a few coats of high build primer goes down (hopefully in next few weeks).
Front apron and most of under-bonnet area is smooth and ready for high build as well...still a bit to go in spare wheel well and area where under dash was modified.
Area in front of windscreen was pretty good but just needed some slight massaging to make it right.
Did you notice the grab handle is gone? Nice and smooth now as well. This is it for the moment - the car is booked in early october to have the exhaust custom made so the body should be in high build primer by then and re-mated to pan for some more trial fitting of bits and pieces (eg. routing fuel lines etc).
Your patience with it is amazing! The finished product will surely be a pay off for all the long hours you've put in on the bodywork.
Brendan
Had the Golde ragtop rails polished professionally.....nice and shiny 🙂
And the handle rechromed (needed some special method so I am told due to the material it is made from).
And got the Type IV stub pipes in from aircooled.net in readiness for the custom exhaust which is to be made early October.
And one more shot for good luck.
Still working on the body (surprise surprise). Almost finished under the bonnet, still a bit to do inside around rear quarter windows and rear window. Hoping this weekend to mate the body back onto pan (car has to go in next friday for exhaust). Whilst it is on I'll route the fuel lines, sort out breather box and coil location, trial fit a few more things before finally laying down the high build primer.....then more block sanding, filling, sanding, priming, guidecoating, sanding, filling etc (you get the idea - this is the boring part of the project).
I can certainly see why you need to pay well over $5K for a professional paint job - the time it takes to do properly is astounding.
😠
awesome stuff.
now let me guess, your gonna let it go abit rusty and go for the rat look, right? Just kidding🙂
what colour is it gunna be?
Its taking that damn long surface rust is rearing its ugly head in spots - easily sanded out though!
Colour will be under wraps (at least until it is on the body). Not an original VW colour but should look alright (I hope!!)
Alan-what have you got in mind for your exhaust system.I was going to get some of those stubs but ended up using the original stubs from heater boxes. As I said I was going to order stubs,but the exhaust bloke here reckoned that he could clean up the VW stubs from heater boxes real easy and it only took him about 15 minutes and they were all done.Welded new pipe into the stubs and they turned out very good.I had some flanges cut the same as the Type4 muffler flange where they bolt to the heater boxes so I can use genuine gaskets.I originally modified a new Type4 extractor and was going to have the muffler alongside the driver side tappet cover-but couldn't get a small enough muffler with 65mm inlet pipe to hide in there.Decided to make a round original type out of stainless with 55mm tailpipes out the original holes. I'm going to try some form of heating by making covers around the engine pipes and maybe a Kombi heater assist fan or even 2 to blow into the original system.Very interested in what you come up with.
I am hoping to get something like the Remmelle system pictured below (but have it exit the stock exhaust cut outs as you mention). I will have to discuss what is possible with the custom exhaust shop - I am sure they will do a good job as they want to know my cam specs, valve sizes, carbs etc so they will be ensuring the system works well. I will post pics mid october when it is done.
I would have used a set of used type IV stubs but didn't have any and couldn't find any (but didn't look that hard really) - figured it was easier just to get the ac.net ones
Alan
[Edited on 24-9-2004 by Dasdubber]
Well, work continues...on the dub, as well as the house (don't worry, my front yard is not going to look like it does here permanently!). So finding time to keep tinkering is a little difficult! (and the money - that seems to disappear very quickly).
With the help of my mate (blup58), we planted the body back onto the pan today. Work has continued on the body. Mainly the engine bay, spare wheel well and interior (mainly where the headliner strips were removed at the tops of door openings, and below rear quarter windows).
Front view - still going to adjust camber (bought some eccentric camber nuts to compensate for the lowering which has been performed).
Fair bit of tidying up in the spare wheel well was required. Looking pretty nice now.
Under dash mods shaped up pretty nicely - unless it was pointed out some would miss that the centre section has been dropped around 3 inches below where it normally sits.
Engine bay smoothed out some more....
Interior is finally in the one colour again after all the rust repairs and panel work. You can see the later carpet strip that has been welded in place - I wanted the carpet to be tucked in here then travel up the back seat like later bugs.
Last shot for now....a birds eye view of the big hole in the roof.
WOW!! man thats awsome!! cant wait to see it
shame, shame, shame..... on me that is.... nice,, very nice..
That's looking absolutely beautiful. Thanks for keeping us up to date.
