I know most peoples VW's including my own are constant works in progress that will most likely never be complete but i made a list today of a few things that im working my way through to get my baja to a stage where in happy to leave it for a while.
Since owning my car there haven't been many aesthetic changes, people always seem to ask me why im always working on it when it looks the same, however essentially now everything is new or refurbished in the front end, rear end, brakes, clutch etc.
Anyway my list is thus:
- Finish sanding and painting interior (im halfway done here)
- Fit Sound deadening + marine carpet (some deadening already done in the front doors)
- Install a metal box behind the rear seat to hold my jack, wheelbrace, oil, Spare parts, Recovery gear etc.
- Get better tabs welded onto front and rear barwork for my skid plates and weld straight peices of tube in place of the curving front and rear bars to improve departure and approach angles.
- Get roofrack, front and rear bars and side bars powder coated black and rear wheels coated white to match the fronts.
- Cut out my new dash from alloy checkerplate (already have the stock and templates)
- Fit guages into new dash instead of under it.
- Re-wire car (made a diagram a long time ago, Need to get dash done first)
- Then after that i might consider paint, ill probobly just rub the baja kit back and paint it black again im not too worried about having a pretty car.
so whats on your "To Do" list?
Nicko
62/60 model bug eye baja bug, (Full Build in Progress)
1974 Chevrolet Luv
1970 MK2 Ford Cortina GT
1979 Yamaha RX125 Two Stroke tracker project.
2004 Harley Davidson Sportster XL Custom
so true that even a completed VW is still never finished.
I got around to replacing my rear brake cylinders today which I had been putting off for a while.
Also put new brushes in the generator.
I noticed that my rear engine mounts are pretty shagged and need replacing.
While I am there I will most likely do the clutch.
I need to drill and tap the case for a sender, mount gauge and wire it up.
I want to replace my speedo back light with a blue LED. Need to get some bulb holders and sink the LED in with epoxy.
New shocks on the back as well as trailing arm rubbers.
Re- paint or polish the E brake lever.
Put on a new lowered sway bar.
Jeez, this was supposed to be a finished car!
In order of importance.... (or if i have the parts already)
Front brakes.
Steering wheel.
Rear damage.. (got reared by a copper...)
exhaust, clutch, intake (kadrons.... need to buy these still) + mounts + oil breathing system + oil temp gauge etc.
Font damage (looks like it got hit a bit by a roo or something - front RH fender and front bumper need replacing)
wide window seals + rust spots around rear window and rear RH window.
rear brakes
new wheels
Lower + strut brace
Hoodjax
Thats about enough to cover till the end of next year.
Wow. Where to start.
Replace steering box (or fit R & P if pos.)
Re-bush front end & new steering damper.
Heavier rear torsion bars.
Get & fit GPS with reversing camera.
New bumpers.
Get all guages working.
From your ole' mate Jeff
beetleboyjeff wrote:Wow. Where to start.
exactly what i was thinking
i'll still wont be finished with mine long after petrol supplies have dried up
😂mine would fill this thread
“We all pay for life with death, so everything in between should be free.” Bill Hicks
the chaos project - click me
To do list...
1. Drink Beer..
2. Get laid.....
The VW just fills in the time between #1 & #2..............
If you can't fix it with a hammer,
you have an electrical problem....
Crikey....yeah, agree with Jeff here....where to start!??
Priority ones include..
Finish the stereo install
Get the 6v starter sorted so it doesn't screech and starts first time and not 10th time!
A few seals here and there.
Would like to go lower...
I want to replace my speedo back light with a blue LED. Need to get some bulb holders and sink the LED in with epoxy.
I tried this but had some trouble as the LEDs weren't bright enough, let me know how you go, I might be able to pull some ideas off what you come up with.
Smiley
If you said I was a Volkswagen man, you'd be right.
LEDs emit the light very much directionally, I've tried that application, it's good for control lights, but not as a backlight...
smileyman3000 wrote:I want to replace my speedo back light with a blue LED. Need to get some bulb holders and sink the LED in with epoxy.
I tried this but had some trouble as the LEDs weren't bright enough, let me know how you go, I might be able to pull some ideas off what you come up with.
Smiley
Way back i changed all my speedo ones to red by dipping my original clear bulbs in red stained glass window paint.
Seemed to work ok..
- Get gearbox and engine in and running
- Fix rust that has began bubbling in my rear pillars 😬
- Fit adjusters to front beam
- Front and rear discs off VWCOOL in Porsche stud pattern
- Chrome Fuchs
- Front and rear sway bar
- Stiffer shocks
- New Z-Bar Bushing kit and shimming
- 2332 or turbo 1915 🤘
cb john wrote:LEDs emit the light very much directionally, I've tried that application, it's good for control lights, but not as a backlight...
Hmmm, maybe I will try jamming as may as I can into the bulb holder. I would really like to try and get it a bit brighter, somehow? All the terminals are clean and voltage test is good.It just seems a little dull. Or maybe its age wearing out my vision
😂That wasn't what I wanted to see Barls,I was hoping that you were a happy little vegemite.
you think its funny do you, well ive seen the to do list mum has for you it comes in volumes like a phone book. 😁😁😁
“We all pay for life with death, so everything in between should be free.” Bill Hicks
the chaos project - click me
Nuff said,go back to playing with the fearsome guard dog!😏😂😂😂and brew some good beer for next weekend so I can put up with JohnnyFarmhouse on his last,last,last, final never to be repeated final show.
smiley, you can get BA7s LEDs which drop straight into the VW holders
i have them in mine, they work fine with my indiglo speedo face but are crap with the stock metal one
on my list to do is strip the speedo out and spray the inside with fake chorme then run a flexible LED strip like this around the inside
that should brighten it up
Nice, thanks for the tip Joel.
I wired mine all up and tried them but it just seemed really dull.
I thought the same thing, that the light wasn't reflecting to the front of the speedo very well.
Smiley
If you said I was a Volkswagen man, you'd be right.
smileyman3000 wrote:Nice, thanks for the tip Joel.
I wired mine all up and tried them but it just seemed really dull.
I thought the same thing, that the light wasn't reflecting to the front of the speedo very well.
Smiley
Hey Smiley what size leds did you use? Did you use one led per holder? What colour were they? I am intrested to know the details so I don't go and blow a whole heap of time on this silly little detail.
a mild improvement with stock bulbs can be made just by spraying the inside of the speedo with a highly reflective paint or even that chrome covered 100MPH tape
but as already mentioned LEDs dont work well cos theyre too directional which is why im gonna try the flexible strips
I used two LEDs wired in series (one for the fuel gauge and one for the speedo). I think they were about 3 volts each or something so I also got and small resistor and wired that in too so that 12V wouldn't blow them all up.
I used white LEDs because I'd just added some oil temp and pressure gauges which light up really white and I was trying to get my speedo and fuel gauge to match.
All I did was get the resistor and LEDs and solder and heat shrink them all together then used expanding filler foam to mount them in stock bulb holders. Remember if you're doing it like this that the last LED also has to be soldered to the side of the holder in order to provide the earth for the circut.
I might duck outside and see if I can find it in my electircal box and get a picture for you.
If you need any more details just ask.
Smiley
If you said I was a Volkswagen man, you'd be right.
I have no idea what size the bulbs or resistor are, but it's no hassle for me to pop down to the electronics store I bought that gear from tomorrow arvo and find out for you.
How many bulbs will you be running in the circuit? IE will you be running it to the fuel gauge aswell or do you have a later model twinbulb speedo with fuel gauge inbuilt?
I ask because they have a neat little program down at the store which works out what size resistor you also need.
I found the one I made and took and few pictures. The resistor I wired into mine is under the heatshrink in between the red spade connector and the first LED.
Smiley
If you said I was a Volkswagen man, you'd be right.
Notch Nut wrote:To do list...
1. Drink Beer..
2. Get laid.....
The VW just fills in the time between #1 & #2..............
You are a genius!
😂😂😂
Love ya work mate.
I hafta sell my square (thanx Mr Taxman),so i hafta wait till after xmas to get the next vw.Probly a Splitty or an Oval
Joel wrote:a mild improvement with stock bulbs can be made just by spraying the inside of the speedo with a highly reflective paint or even that chrome covered 100MPH tape
but as already mentioned LEDs dont work well cos theyre too directional which is why im gonna try the flexible strips
I've used this method on the bus instrument cluster, works magic, but couldn't find enough space in the stock Beetle speedo..
Just have to fit the new SuperBeetle inner rear vents I got, and maybe one day put the electric wiper washer motor on the Beetle and Bus
smileyman3000 wrote:I have no idea what size the bulbs or resistor are, but it's no hassle for me to pop down to the electronics store I bought that gear from tomorrow arvo and find out for you.
How many bulbs will you be running in the circuit? IE will you be running it to the fuel gauge aswell or do you have a later model twinbulb speedo with fuel gauge inbuilt?
I ask because they have a neat little program down at the store which works out what size resistor you also need.
I found the one I made and took and few pictures. The resistor I wired into mine is under the heatshrink in between the red spade connector and the first LED.
Smiley
Thanks mate
👍
I think I might pop down to Jaycar tomorrow and have a look around. The reflective tape on the inside sounds like a good idea to.
