Hi….thought I'd share one of our current restorations with you.
I run DAS Resto Haus - a VW restoration shop on the Gold Coast in Australia….this 71 Dual Cab project was the idea of an owner who wanted an old styled 'ute' (what we call a pickup) but with all the mod cons and handling/performance of a new car.
Without rambling on much more here is what we started with:
More pics to come, cheers. Al
Dasdubber ·
This thing was destined to be torn down to its bare bones given the brief of the project and the importance to get the panels super straight. So off with the nose:
As usual rotten a-pillars and inner valance:
The D-pillar (passenger side) had received a big whack at some stage and rather than fixing it properly, someone decided just to plate over it with a second skin
Both doglegs were to come off and be replaced with Klassic Fab units:
Lower a-pillars needed replacing as well
Craig Torrens ·
Das, you're in resto heaven.....you must love rust challenges !!
what happened to the poor two tone splitty in the background of the 3rd pic ?
pfillery ·
Awww nothing a little bog and a good sanding block can't fix😂
Seriously though, looks like you have your work cut out for you, there are a few (no names mentioned) places around that do sub standard work so I look forward to seeing how this one turns out done properly.
Will watch with interest.
Dasdubber ·
Craig, it is an original 23 window - lost a back brake drum doing 90km/h and hit the wall hard a few times. Unfortunately was an insurance write off but the good news is the bus is being rebuilt currently on the sunshine coast by bob and ash. So it will see the road again some day which is great.
Scottkombi ·
Al,
A 3.2 quad cam scooby motor planned?
They are a big heavy lump with loads of torque so the gearbox will need to be strong - whats planned there?
Will make a great DOKA though.
Dasdubber ·
Scott, aircooled for this one - owner wasn't keen on suby power 😉
Scottkombi ·
Wow,
Even more power.
I know of a T25 owner with a 3.6 Porsche lump and it does 60km/hr in first, 105km/hr in 2nd, 160km/hr in 3rd, 210 in 4th, and 250+ in 5th. He has a Porsche gearbox of course.
Whats this one going to run?
Cheers,
Scott
Dasdubber ·
Scott, we discussed options with Dave Butler (vw transaxle guru here on the gold coast) and whilst we considered a G50, we opted for a well built 2L 091 box. It will have full Albins internals and super diff etc which we acknowledge will not withstand to a lot of abuse from the torque the Porker motor will put out, but there was a trade off for a bit of sensible driving (this DC is going to be more a family car than drag race vehicle) vs cost of fabrication/installation and rebuild of a G50 or 915 etc.
After our final mockups we'll get the box to Dave so he can start ordering all the goodies whilst we continue with body work and other mods.
BrisDubba ·
Of all the cars to showcase did you have to do a lowlite dc resto - Finally all of my imaginary friends had come to an agreement that we would offload my lowlite dc but now those inner voices are saying - wait we can do this..
Now I am having to sit through the build process on the forum..any chance this can be done as quick as overhauling - sure would be less painful
Damn you Al...
Dasdubber ·
Haha, no quick bondo overhaulin resto's here sorry mate 😉
I will probably have around 200+ hours just in planning and research by the time this one is done, never mind actual hands on work that Baz (my head fabricator) has done to date, and both of us will do to get it completed!
Dasdubber ·
Rear tubs were knackered so the call was made to remove and replace them as well
The deeper we dig, the more work we find (like all resto's!)
New Klassic Fab cab floor to come
Rear pillars were knackered as well
Off to blasting
vassy66T1 ·
Great to see a lowlight getting some love
11CAB ·
Wow, I hope my Baja DC doesn't need that much work....
Look forward to seeing the progress
Dasdubber ·
Post blasting things always look a little better (but certainly reveals exactly how much work is ahead)
Time to start cutting:
To make way for this:
After lots of research and talking to our gearbox builder, it was decided an 091 bus box would be mated to the 3.2L Porsche engine….it will have full Albins (weddle) internals and super diff. Whilst it will not withstand 3rd gear burnouts or drag race starts, the owner was happy to compromise some sensible driving to save a load of funds on buying/rebuilding/installing a G50 or 915 box.
Cheers
Al
Dasdubber ·
Cheers guys.
When mocking up the Porsche engine mated to the 2L bus box using a late bay gearbox top mount, two issues arose - one was the firewall/tranny hump was in the way, and two, engine to ground clearance was very limited if the box was mounted in the factory position.
As a result, a 2 inch tranny raise was implemented - front torsion housing mount was left in situ and the actual bolt on mount modded?the rear tranny hanger was then set 2 inches higher up on the chassis
Nickster ·
nice work Al.... another thread I will be glued to 🙂
Gotta love a VW resto, I'm sure there are some who, after digging and finding this level of rust and damage, would conclude that its not worth doing. Thank god there are those that persist, and those that have the skills to make it happen.
karmann141 ·
Gotta love a VW resto, I'm sure there are some who, after digging and finding this level of rust and damage, would conclude that its not worth doing. Thank god there are those that persist, and those that have the skills to make it happen. [/quote]
and Very Deeep pockets $$$$$$$$
Dasdubber ·
No full custom builds are ever cheap, but we are thankful that there are customers out there prepared to spend a few bucks on Volkswagens.
Lots of small rust repairs to go along with the major panel replacements
The left side D-pillar had received a big whack at some stage and needed replacement. Since no repro panels were available Barry (my head fabricator) had to rebuild it from scratch. Of course its Murphy's law that two weeks after we finished the repair, a NOS left side early bay D-pillar came up for sale in Australia! Grrr! If only it was listed a couple months earlier!
Scottkombi ·
I still think you would find that you would need to do a heap of work to the repro piece anyway and still not be as satisfied with the steel gauge used and other issues of repro panels as compared to the Barry made item.
Looks great all rust free and in primer - even if it is a bit lighter than when it came from the factory.
Dasdubber ·
Given the custom theme of the DC, Baz fabricated a new firewall and tranny hump from scratch and bead rolled some swages for strength and function (air flow - more info shortly)
Air ducts will be fed via sub cargo floor scoops
Part of the original tranny hump was retained and mated to the new section
New tubs…
Ampdub ·
love stuff like this
Dasdubber ·
Cargo floor was in fairly good shape apart from some rust under tank area so some new sections were welded in with the centre being left open for shift rod raise.
Splitty tank separation strips were modified and used to retain stock tank separation panels
Shift rod cover under raised tank
The thin flimsy Brazilian noses have the raised centre section for the emblem which we wanted to delete….and of course are for later high light bays so this needed modification too
Mockup on the DC - a lowlight lower nose had to be fitted as well but the repro items don't come with the indicator housings
One original was good, the other knackered….so only the brackets were salvageable and the housing had to be fab'ed from scratch
During butt welding
Dasdubber ·
The DC got held up for a bit whilst we wrapped this up (only finishing touches to go)
Dasdubber ·
Ok, back to the DC….and back to the rhinoplasty….
Late bay indicator holes gone and new vent trim mocked up to ensure aperture was the right size/shape
Belly pans (sides only) will help to provide some more torsional rigidity for the DC
Initially we were going to run with splitty rear corners and modify them to fit since no bay DC panels were available repro….but in the end found a pair of NOS rear corners in the UK that we had shipped over instead
Similarly, no complete side panels are available so we used an early bay section and then tabbed the rest to suit….also decided to delete the side vents for a cleaner side (air will be ducted from underneath, more about that later)
New rear tubs
A lot of subtle mods on this DC that will mostly go missed (which is alway the aim) include things like reversing and deleting a lot external seams to keep the sides super smooth
Boozo ·
amazing 👍
Scottkombi ·
Love your work Al...
That 23 window samba is very tasty too.
Turbo54 ·
Holidaying in Adelaide any time soon….
Love your work Al and team.
You still have your 54? Need some parts made and hoping you could use yours as a base for me.
Heath
Dasdubber ·
Hey Heath, no trips to adelaide planned at the moment sorry mate 🙂
Sold the oval to a customer in Sydney (turned out to be a 55 according to chassis number), but still have the body as we are doing paint and panel and new owner will do assembly. Let me know if I can help in any way I can.
Cheers
Al
Turbo54 ·
Can you take rough templates for the inner door skins and rear quarter inner for it and where the factory handles and chrome trim would go? I am thinking or pressing mine our of ally with all the details them wrapping in 3d Carbon wrap.
Thoughts?
Heath
Dasdubber ·
Hey Heath, all the door trims (front and rear quarters) are down with the owner Phil in Sydney otherwise would take templates for you mate…..sorry bout that
Turbo54 ·
cool mate, I have door cards here i will ship when the time comes.
Heath
Dasdubber ·
Back to the nitty gritty….time to make this DC a four door - the right side cargo door aperture was opened up and then braced:
The unwanted surrounding metal work was removed in readiness for some new steel to recreate the door aperture as per the left side of the vehicle
Whilst it would have been nice to have a donor LHD DC to provide the door opening cut, that wasn't possible so all the associated metal had to be fabricated
Along with the hinge captive nut plates
humpty ·
So cool to see that mod Al.... And that bloody front panel..... My god they are crap! I'm nearly done fitting one to my Lowie right now... Doing the indicators and lower section a little different than you have, but hopefully it will all be good.
11CAB ·
Four door looks awesome
crsedge ·
11CAB wrote:Four door looks awesome
Should have done that from the factory!
Bizarre ·
Should be able to put a back charge in for having to do it
Can't wait to see this finished
Dasdubber ·
Long time since last update, but here are some more pics:
Klassic Fab early bay front floor going in...
NOS rear corners from the UK:
More side panel fabrication:
Rear tubs:
Bay window engine access hatch opening (will have drain holes for water ingress in the seal aperture):
Tray will be moulded around the opening to look factory
Dasdubber ·
New jacking points and outriggers
Belly pans for both sides will help to stiffen the chassis to a degree given the torque this engine will put out and how hard the owner will want to push it into corners!
Donor chassis front section had to be sourced to replace the poorly repaired and rusty original section
Red9Design front end and brakes will provide the front suspension and braking duties
Hydraulic clutch conversion
Ride height will change a little but this gives you a rough idea
New rear pillars
Tight squeeze but we managed to slip it in
Will be retaining factory heater system, air box, air con etc etc to make life easier with the Porsche engine - learning from experience, the more modifications you make, the more teething problems you have!
17in Fuchs with no dish just didn't look right on the rear
Dasdubber ·
Our customer requested an electric sliding sunroof, Webasto was the largest available so in one went!
Factory style porsche mounts will help support the motor onto the boxed chassis rails
Right side scalloped for engine clearance
Rear valance required some obvious trimming!
Rear tub closing plates
Fast forward a little bit and this is a sneak peek at the wheels the DC will be running. You may love them or hate them, but gotta go out on a limb every now and then to be different. Polished/detailed Fuchs are always a good combo, but they are like belly buttons nowadays 😉
nils ·
Dual cabs are cool, but this is next level. 🤘 The owner sure has deeper pockets than I.
Boozo ·
mad build, ahh to have this sort of money 🙂
1303Steve ·
Great work as usual, where is the like button?
humpty ·
On the pin as usual Al.... Looking forward to the next installemnt!
Dasdubber ·
Thanks guys, lots of work still ahead but will certainly be a fun car to drive once done!
Turbo54 ·
Very Nice job Alan, almost rebuilt the whole body from the cab back.
Glad I was born without a belly button.
Heath
Dasdubber ·
Few more pics and details….
Since we deleted the vents from the sides, obviously there had to be an alternative way of venting air into the engine bay…..hence the floor vents (scoops will be fabricated to help duct air into the cavity…..and the engine lid will be dimple died behind the number plate for more air flow with the Porsche fan sitting right behind it)..
The floor section (which had some rust in it previously) was replaced first
Then the surround was fabricated to tidy up the edges of the cavity
New tubs were blasted and epoxy primed
To keep the sides straight and maintain the front to back alignment of panels, the tubs had to be modified so the sides didn't get pulled in
vassy66T1 ·
Nice Al
Dasdubber ·
I know its not the DC, but was nice to see the end of this bus last week after a very long resto
Scottkombi ·
Very nice Al.
I see the Owner wanted stock with the reduction hubs still there. But disc brakes and dual circuit master cylinder.
I know the splitty wipers are useless but I thought they were required to at least be fitted as a token gesture for the road-worthy? No?
No middle seat? They are hard to gefind these days...
Dasdubber ·
Scottkombi wrote:Very nice Al.
I see the Owner wanted stock with the reduction hubs still there. But disc brakes and dual circuit master cylinder.
I know the splitty wipers are useless but I thought they were required to at least be fitted as a token gesture for the road-worthy? No?
No middle seat? They are hard to gefind these days...
G'day mate, yeah wipers were fitted for roady but removed for detailing (ran out of time before rego). Being a 55, the middle seat has to be a 6 legger (aka barny era) = $$$$$$. Certainly not easy to find although repros are now available (still at considerable $$$$)
Brief from owner was keep all styling and general feel original but upgrade for modern traffic and safety - hence 1600cc engine, freeway flyer box (with big nut hubs not correct for the bus), later beam with discs and d/c m/c as you noticed. Drives nicely so he is happy 🙂 Dead original resto, no (was never the intention)
Cheers
Al
Dasdubber ·
Back onto the DC - been a lot of bodywork going on over recent months….now down to fine tuning stage before paint but before that happens its time to basically mock up everything on the bus to make sure any holes that need to be drilled are drilled, and any welding/brackets that may be required are sorted before the engine and gearbox are sent off for rebuild.
Got some second hand tyres to recheck wheel clearance and finalise ride height
Subtle details like deleting the seams from the front bumper (originally three pieces), as well as the rear bumper bolts will help to maintain the smooth overall look of the DC
Rear seat base was rusty so needed some repair…non factory spec of the profile wasn't a concern giving the custom treatment the rest of the car is getting!
On we go...
Dasdubber ·
Long time no update - kind of hard to find time sometimes with multiple resto's on the go!
Porsche 3.2L rear engine brace has been fabbed, and since then the engine has been sent to Brisbane for full rebuild.
The Mercedes van seats will be reshaped during upholstery stage but provide some more comfort than the stock units
Lots of fab work on the runners to centre the seats to the cab and steering column, all the while complying with the engineering/certification requirements
The owner wanted to get rid of the stock plastic 70s styling on the dash so a custom glove box was fabricated with revised hinges so the lid opened downwards
Similarly, a lot of work went into the enclosure for the Dakota Digital gauge pod
Dasdubber ·
The exhaust system also has to comply with noise restriction tests for certification so a baffled primary muffler (non packed to sustain the heat being so close to the heads) in addition to a secondary resonator will keep the noise down - if the owner decides to remove the secondary muffler and just run a straight dump pipe, that will be up to him 😉
Onto the electronics, two four channel amps mounted above the primary Optima Yellow Top battery will power the drivers/tweeters (8 of each!), and then a mono block will power the 2 12in subs. Josh fabricated the custom racks (all of which will be hidden) to maximise the space available
A processor will control the tuning of the system which also includes double din GPS/audio visual unit with reverse camera, and front seat head rest individual DVD players…..plus a dual battery system to control charging duties
A Techsafe rear seat incorporates inertia reel belts (another requirement for the owner who has young kids) and head rests (and is fully complianced)
Dasdubber ·
AJ has been flat out with the centre console fabrication - something a little different that provided some form and function
Electric power steering is another addition to make this thing drive like a new car
Upholsterer will stitch up a boot for the shifter and handbrake lever
There will be a storage compartment/elbow rest up top, but a single cup holder on the angled front face was also a necessity
Part of the briefing sessions with each owner is to find out exactly how they intend to use their car, perfect example was the fact he drinks mostly small red bull cans, plus the occasional coffee and bottle of water, so the cup holder had to be fabricated so that all drink sizes would be accommodated without wobbling around/falling out under brakes….and also have some degree of style and visual interest
Air con evaporators have now been mounted, so next up is ducting (four vents in rear bulkhead, plus two hoses feeding the front which will split to four vents also)….
So the work goes on, and on…..and on 👍
Al
Camo ·
Fantastic job there Al, you are true a master at your job.
Kev 👍
Doug Sweetman ·
Amazing work, just amazing. Stuff of dreams right there.
Do the amps have any cooling planned ? Sitting on top of each other like that they will get pretty warm when the system is cranking.
vduboy ·
Yep top stuff mate, wish I had a bee's pecker of your metal fab skills. Hope to see this beast in real life one day, where does the owner hail from?
Dasdubber ·
Doug Sweetman wrote:Amazing work, just amazing. Stuff of dreams right there.
Do the amps have any cooling planned ? Sitting on top of each other like that they will get pretty warm when the system is cranking.
Consulted the audio supplier before Josh fabbed up the amp racks and they confirmed heat will not be a problem as the amps are digital and not analogue (less heat production)
Cheers for the kind words, my other staff member (AJ) is the man behind the metal fab on the console and cup holder - very talented.
Owner will be based in NSW
Thanks
Al
Dasdubber ·
Time for another quick catch up after a couple months more solid work:
AC evaporator cover:
Ducting outlets from rear evap to outer vents in bulkhead (via flex hose)
Console progress:
Inertia reel seat belts mocked up with custom brackets (around the owner requested mandrel bent tube which forms the ducting to the rear AC vents)
Custom plumbing for the heater tube (from sub floor, ducted to foot outlets in nose and up to windscreen)
Dasdubber ·
Start of lower dash mods to house handbrake lever (billet) and central AC vents:
Pimple come dimple for handbrake
Recessed slot above lever is for audio processor controller (like a head unit that controls all the audio)
Custom steel fresh air (one) and heater (one) levers to replicate original and keep to the 'chunky' brief delivered by the owner
More hand fab'ed metal work including this storage box which resides in the centre console - shape is to allow room for custom hinges which enable lid to flip right up and out of the way to access the storage compartment
Rear corner tray rail repairs
Dasdubber ·
Been a while since the last update but no shortage of work in the interim, here is an abbreviated recap. First up the centre console is complete including the rear centre speaker mounts, plus outer housing that flows through the front console, AC switches recessed and centre AC vent
Buttys Bits splitty accelerator linkage modified to suit the early bay
Central locking was another major undertaking but eventually was sorted with persistence and fair bit of swearing 🙂
Dasdubber ·
PS console will be wrapped in leather so rear section won't look so much like 'Bender' once trimmed 😉
Drains for engine access hatch seal aperture directs water away from the recess in the tray to avoid any rust issues down the track
AC hoses were mocked up so retaining brackets and tabs could be welded on the body before the rear trays were welded on
Porsche engine ancillaries were either painted, powder coated, polished or zinc plated for some factory appearance, and slight custom touch
Dasdubber ·
The DC was towed to a company that applies 'Rhino Liner' which is a urethane liner typically used on pickup (ute here in Australia) beds…but this time on the inside of bus for protection from any sand/water that may find its way in!
Dasdubber ·
After the interior floors etc were done, a different company was contracted to apply a similar urethane coating on the underside - had to be a different product as Rhino Liner can't be applied upside down. The owner wants the DC to be very resilient and last a long time, hence the unconventional finishes!
After the urethane dried, it was over coated with the necessary primer then some two pack black gloss paint for resistance to dirt/mud etc
EFI pump, pre and post filters plus tap round out the fuel system
Oil thermostat
Dasdubber ·
Engine lid was dimple died (will be hidden behind number plate backing) to allow the fan to suck fresh air straight in to aid cooling
Body is in its final prime:
Roof bracing was added after the Webasto sunroof was mocked up again
Doors received their final prime as well
Just to be a little different, JW Speaker LED headlights were fitted (after fighting the mounting rings for a while)
That brings us up to date finally….now the last push to paint then off to the upholsterer, still loads of work to do but the light at the end of the tunnel is drawing closer slowly!
Al
Scottkombi ·
Just brilliant!
keep the updates coming....
Super1302 ·
Some great stuff here, looking forward to seeing the end result 👍
Dasdubber ·
It's been a while between updates, but work has progressed fortunately….including paint on the interior which was body colour (metallic black) but with PPG matt clear over the top to tie in with the leather.
And after lots of sanding, the interior was masked off and the exterior shot
The clear was laid on lightly and a little dry to make colour sanding easier (than trying to lay the clear down heavy and chunky which is harder to cut flat)
Dasdubber ·
Lots of prep and painting of interior and exterior components all to keep in line with the blacked out theme
Also some painting for the upholsterer (platinumtrimming.com) for pieces like the overhead light assemblies and AC vents (bezel originally silver)
DVD screens in front seat head rests were a prick to paint, but couldn't be left silver as they would stand out too much
Some pics from Willem at Platinum…..front seats were originally out of a Mercedes van:
Some reshaping:
And some deep red leather (which will flow into the door cards to break up the black):
Dasdubber ·
Black perforated leather headliner
Pic doesn't show the detail but the bulk head is a combo of perforated and non perforated leather
Porsche 3.2L Carrera engine has been rebuilt at a specialist workshop and ready for the final pieces
Manifolds were blasted and clear powder coated for longevity
Wanted to keep the motor as the factory intended (except for some additional detailing)
My old Turbo type 1 2442cc (sold to a customer) may make a little more horsepower than the Porker, but would be a little more highly strung 🙂 The 3.2 should be a real pleasure to drive with loads of torque for the heavy DC
More updates soon as we push towards the finish line….
oldturtle22 ·
Wow. That looks amazing Al.
Keep the updates coming!
Dasdubber ·
Well, bloody hell its been a long time between drinks (i.e. updates) again, seems time slips away awfully quickly when you're having fun 😉
The DC is still not quite finished but getting very close. So here is a pictorial update from the last few months:
Love them or hate them, we wanted to be a little different with the wheels:
Hard to get much visual differentiation underneath for photos when its all black, but these shots will give you an idea:
The bay window washer reservoir was relocated under the nose along with an electric pump"
The heavily texturised underside is due to a urethane coating (like a pickup bed liner) that the owner wanted for resilience and longevity - whilst the standard of the DC is very high, at the end of the day its not being built as a show car
Bosch EFI pump and oil filter (anti drain back) tucked away (accessed when rear wheel is removed)
We took one step forward just before taking two steps back (more on that later), some assembly started, but halted soon thereafter
Dasdubber ·
Dual AC evaporators hidden under the centre console up front:
This was the final mockup before the engine came out for final time for the last pieces (more info later)
The rear end settles down with the weight of the engine and ancillaries in (the car was never built to be slammed, but still has to have a decent stance 😉
More mockup - dry sump tank and breather plus oil filler
Dimple died cover plate under tank plus Aeroflow fittings (black of course) plus black braided hoses throughout
Space is tight everywhere when you cram enough components in (AC centre vent for rear plus two centre mid bass woofers
The mess of wires and ducting eventually find their way neatly into place
All the fiddly bits not even seen wrack up the hours like one of the switch panels (for audio when not on ignition plus windscreen washer, Dakota Digital control buttons and lighting dimmer)
AC compressor paint detailed and ready to go
S&M Bender 🙂
More trim photos from Willem at Platinum:
Dasdubber ·
Okay, so the two steps back resulted from the frustration of seeing a few ripples in the side panels and front doors where the inner strengtheners were vertically…whilst most people wouldn't even pick up on it, it annoyed the crap out of me given the calibre of the build…..so we re-bodyworked the rear quarters and cab doors then prepped the entire exterior and I repainted it (Ferrari Nero Daytona black metallic base coat first then PPG Deltron clear)….
Before it rolled out of the booth this time, I wanted to colour sand it to get the process out of the way (long laborious task!), few pics post buffing:
Dasdubber ·
Update almost complete! Now the DC is buffed, reassembly can resume inc new rear light housings with LED bulbs
Smoked lenses front and rear
Quick roll down to the 'clean shop' (i.e. our parts store - dasrestoparts.com.au)
Next on the agenda was the flywheel - we enlisted the expertise of Dave Butler who turned this slug of steel into a custom flywheel to mate the Porsche 3.2L engine to the 091 2L VW box:
Dual ring gears were required - one for the starter and one for the EFI sensor
AJ fabricated steel door pockets front and rear which will be trimmed in leather
Finally the JW Speaker headlights were slotted in place
Trim piece around the vent intake went on after this pic (forgot to install first time around!)
Alright that's it for now, will try and remember to update again a little sooner than later!
Al
dasrestohaus.com.au
modnrod ·
uuhhmmm........bloody! 😂 👍
Flintstones ·
Quality work, as always!👍👍
vassy66T1 ·
That is looking fabulous!!
Can't wait to see the finished result.
LUFTMEISTER ·
Bravo Al & Co. Major respect to you and the owner for a dream come true Duelly. 👍👍👍
onetrackwonder ·
Really beautiful work has been done here, more art than anything, my only concern is the box even with the owner tooling around it will be the torque that will bring it undone in second or third, I had a similar box and 4.4 litres sneaking away from home early one morning trying to not upset the neighbours when it all came undone, went to the the G50 after that and never had a problem in 15 years, hope I'm wrong, but none the less an awesome job, have you calculated just how many hours have been spent on this project, I can't wait to see the finished product, the owner will be one lucky person, cheers Greg
Dasdubber ·
Well it was a monumental day today (for me at least) as the owner picked up his DC! As with any major build with so much custom work, it will come back for a few tweaks in a couple of weeks, and also so we can check over everything underneath....but for now it was nice to see the owner so happy. It has been a great collaboration between someone who had a clear vision of what he wanted to create plus the commitment to see the project through...and our team at DAS Resto Haus to put those ideas into reality.
Anyway, I have some catching up to do for the last few months....
Boring pic to start off with just to give an idea of how the central locking is set up:
After consultation with the dyno tuner, we decided to ditch the factory 1989 Porsche ECU and upgrade to Autronic SM4, plus MSD for some extra 'spark'
We had an excellent auto electrician jump on board to create a complete plug and play engine harness including auxiliary fuse panel and associated components
Hydraulic clutch plus EFI fuel filter
Some subtle advertising with the approval of the owner on the CNC machined number plate housing and laser etched website detail
Dasdubber ·
AC lines going through the floor in tank cavity....charcoal canister we made to vent the tank fumes....
All the wiring is braid wrapped or PVC sleeved....the firewall plug is aircraft spec but makes engine removal (if needed!) a one connection deal (apart from fuel etc)
Fuse panel distributes power to reverser camera, reverse sensors, and LED reverse lights plus a few other components in the engine bay....earth distribution block avoids having a heap of wires running to body grounds all over the place
Custom dry sump tank vents to catch can (breather filter not fitted yet in the pic)....obviously this is during fitout before all connections were finalised
Micro switch under the bus controls the heater booster fan (on the engine fan shroud), operated by the lever on the dash
Dual optima yellow top batteries
All engine management electronics were mounted behind the rear seat but had to be up high to clear the sub box
Oil thermostat (-12 lines), fuel shut off tap (makes fuel system maintenance a lot easier)...and other stuff...
Two four channel amps power the 8 mid range woofers and 4 tweeters (all controlled via the Alpine processor)
LED strip light in engine bay helps to see oil level (sight tube on tank) at night...
Bizarre ·
Great result Al. Credit to you and the team
As you said- great someone had the stamina, money and understanding to see something through.
Now........ what is next?
mactaylor ·
Awesome Al! So neat.
Dasdubber ·
Few more pics for perusal...
Engine update:
Engine bay wiring....
Licence plate backing serves a couple of purposes (other than the obvious)....it also hides the dimple die holes for fan ventilation, and also provides a mount for the reverse camera
Mid way through rear bumper wiring
Bit of sunshine through the Webasto electric sun roof
Dasdubber ·
Scissor jack, wheel brace and fire extinguisher tucked up under the back seat out of the way but accessible
Decided to stick with factory mirrors (painted in gloss and satin black) as everything aftermarket just looked wrong
Tray was Rhino Lined for protection and longevity
KalgoorlieGreg ·
Love the build! One question, what steering wheel have you used?