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VWRX Karmann cabriolet

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ricola Wolfsburg Wizard

437 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 7 Apr 2009, 1:01 am

#705578

Hi All! Some of you may know me from my website: http://www.ricola.co.uk

Just a quick summary of my project so far and my current plans!
Before it came off the road:

I had fitted 996 brakes on all corners and also kerscher front struts with the cup 2 wheels

I then found some serious rust so it was off the road for a BIG overhaul!

Inside the heater channels, same both sides!

I am also using a short nose G50 transmission

It has only done about 30k km and I also have an LSD to go in it.

Engine will be a WRX RA with VOS chip so about 300bhp, I had it in the car temporarily on the bug AT transmission before I decided to go G50:

I was originally thinking about modifying the dash for the subaru instruments, but now I am considering using the complete subaru dashboard complete with heating and air conditioning, also moving the steering column so it is less off-centre

I also have some 996 turbo sports seats:

Rust!

Rear strengthening panels removed:

There are a LOT of spot welds on this car!

I made up a removable frame to add extra body support while the heater channels were cut out

New channels and strengtheners after being stripped and repainted

New A post bottoms on both sides

New crossmembers

New bulkhead

Inner wing strengthening was also rusty...

New inner wing

For ALL the pictures have a look here: http://www.ricola.co.uk/cabrio_rust.htm

The bulk of the body repair is now done :cheers:

Now for squeezing in the G50...

I have positioned it 25mm higher and about 70mm forwards compared to the standard bug trans to get the subaru engine under the bodywork.

I'm now buildingup something along the lines of the sketch below, made out of 40x60mm tube, that way I can make them suitable for the subaru engine mounts. I am making the new floor perimeter from the same tube so will tie it all in together, I think it will be nice and strong when I'm finished.

Latest progress:

New brackets for the 911 front mount:

Getting the shape for the top of the new framehorns

No going back now!

The splines remade to fit further out inside the torsion tube, I'm using shorter swing axle torsion bars now

All welded in!

More progress during the next week or so, a full 4 days next weekend!

http://www.ricola.co.uk

seagull Compulsive Aussie Vee Dubber

4,979 posts · joined Dec 2003 · 7 Apr 2009, 1:15 am

#705579

Thumbs up mate , quite a job you have there on the go

Looking for that special lady : PM me for coffee & cake

ricola Wolfsburg Wizard

437 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 7 Apr 2009, 1:28 am

#705582

Cheers. It has been a bit of a backburner project for me but the family has gone away for a couple of weeks so I'm pushing forwards and making the most of it 😵‍💫

http://www.ricola.co.uk

seagull Compulsive Aussie Vee Dubber

4,979 posts · joined Dec 2003 · 7 Apr 2009, 1:45 am

#705584

Is the rust due to the salt on the road ?

whats the going rate for a G50 gear box on your side of the slab ?

cheers seagull

Looking for that special lady : PM me for coffee & cake

seagull Compulsive Aussie Vee Dubber

4,979 posts · joined Dec 2003 · 7 Apr 2009, 1:46 am

#705585

& how did you find a VOS chip in the UK LOL !

Looking for that special lady : PM me for coffee & cake

reub VWRX is gone...

2,054 posts · joined Sep 2002 · 7 Apr 2009, 2:09 am

#705588

You are a man possessed Rich!....
Looks great👍 ... as always

Reub

ricola Wolfsburg Wizard

437 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 7 Apr 2009, 2:41 am

#705589

Cheers guys... Rust is a problem with all cars over here, climate and salt eventually gets them all!

G50 prices are all over the place, realistically from £1500 upwards, I got lucky finding mine with only 20k miles on it from a pampered car that was written off (a mate looked after the car and had bought it's parts but needed some fast cash). They are very popular for all sorts of mid-engined cars over here, particularly the Ultima GTRs...

VOS chips do get around! I bought it a while back on ebay when scoobyecus were very hard to come by, I may switch back at some point as the original guy over here has started mapping them for bespoke installs and the chips are available again, only really to get rid of the check engine light for the missing chargecooler pump (unless anyone knows how to fix that!)

http://www.ricola.co.uk

Gibbo Custom Title Time!

1,685 posts · joined Jun 2004 · 7 Apr 2009, 7:30 am

#705601

WOW! Nice work mate, its going to be a sweet ride.

ricola Wolfsburg Wizard

437 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 7 Apr 2009, 7:34 am

#705602

Mocked up the trans again tonight to double check clearances and work out how the bottom tube is going to fit in, I have it all planned in my head now 😎

http://www.ricola.co.uk

1303Steve Scirocco Rare

8,650 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 7 Apr 2009, 9:21 am

#705629

Hi Rich

Looking good, I hope to get back to mine soon. I'm glad I didn't have a the rust issues to contend with that you had.

Steve

ricola Wolfsburg Wizard

437 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 7 Apr 2009, 4:42 pm

#705720

I'm still annoyed with the rust, I paid a good price for a supposedly solid car as I wanted to avoid that part too. At least I know now that it is 100% solid and it's RHD (most here are LHD imports)...

http://www.ricola.co.uk

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 · 7 Apr 2009, 5:20 pm

#705738

Hi Rich, ive been following the resto and conversion over on VWKD
are you still happy with the radiator setup?

ricola Wolfsburg Wizard

437 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 7 Apr 2009, 5:39 pm

#705743

Still happy? I don't plan to change the rads if that is what you mean, I will be cutting a hole into the front apron for direct air flow and it is a fully enclosed intake. The rad is a Pace ally one, it came out of a 500bhp sierra cosworth track car will be overkill if anything... The chargecooler rad sits infront of the main rad.

http://www.ricola.co.uk

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 · 7 Apr 2009, 6:57 pm

#705758

yeah thats what i meant
just wanted to know if you were happy with the way its cooling

i plan to mount mine in the same manner i just wasnt sure if there was enough metal cut out behind for the hot air to escape out

im going to fit an american style A/C front valance as well

ricola Wolfsburg Wizard

437 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 7 Apr 2009, 8:03 pm

#705784

American style A/C valance is still an option and I may yet rework the shape of the rear cover to maximise the outlet for the air to escape at the back but it's not a particular area of concern..

http://www.ricola.co.uk

Flintstones Custom Title Time!

1,077 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 7 Apr 2009, 9:36 pm

#705826

looking good Rich👍
Cheers
Dino

ricola Wolfsburg Wizard

437 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 7 Apr 2009, 10:23 pm

#705836

Cheers Dino,
I got the idea for what I plan to do with the floors from your build, except I'm going a bit further and replacing the bottom section of the napolean's hat with a single piece going through the centre tunnel (for some reason 1303 napolean hats are very expensive and mine's rusty there too).

http://www.ricola.co.uk

GTMac Fahrvergnugen

976 posts · joined Nov 2004 · 7 Apr 2009, 10:43 pm

#705839

Nice work, love seeing stuff like this that is done well. Like the bracing setup for the gearbox, will have to be doing something heavy duty as well when I put the 915 into the Fasty.

1971 Type 3 Fasty - EJ20T

I love 242HP sleepers. 🤪

How many sets of lights does it take a $229k Carrera S to learn? 😂 UPDATE: Cayman S, M3, B4 now added to the list.

ricola Wolfsburg Wizard

437 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 7 Apr 2009, 10:59 pm

#705841

I'll be putting hoops over/under the trans as well some triangulation once I get more bits in place and see what space is left with the body fitted. My big aim is to minimise the affect all this is having on the look of the car, so no roll cage and will hopefully keep the stock rear seat base. I'll have to build in the seatbelt mounting points over the trans too.

http://www.ricola.co.uk

ricola Wolfsburg Wizard

437 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 8 Apr 2009, 5:58 am

#705854

A bit more tonight, made up both lower framehorns and done most of the clearancing on one side ready to weld in. Note I have left them over-length to trim down later when the engine is in.

http://www.ricola.co.uk

ricola Wolfsburg Wizard

437 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 11 Apr 2009, 7:46 am

#706347

Even though I worked a half day today (we get tuesday off instead), I got out to the garage and got a load done today 😀

End piece tack welded in to keep it all square

Fully seam welded with the new handbrake tubes welded in too

Measuring for the bridging pieces with the trans in place

All welded!

That's the framehorns pretty much done. I'll do a hoop over the trans later on and adapt the ends of the framehorns for the subaru engine mounts but I'm very pleased with today's progress. It's very strong already!

http://www.ricola.co.uk

ricola Wolfsburg Wizard

437 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 12 Apr 2009, 4:55 am

#706501

More progress today:

New perimeter rails for the floor, this will be a LOT stiffer than a stock chassis 😀

http://www.ricola.co.uk

Flintstones Custom Title Time!

1,077 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 12 Apr 2009, 7:39 pm

#706580

that'll stiffen it up Rich!!
What wall thickness did you end up going with?

ricola Wolfsburg Wizard

437 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 12 Apr 2009, 9:17 pm

#706595

It's 3mm. Being a cabrio I need all the help I can get! Next step is to cut the bottom section out of the napoleans hat and weld a single new piece through the front of the tunnel, luckily it should fit just under the master cylinder positions. I'll also be re-working the pedals to have a clutch m/c in a mirror image to the brake m/c.

http://www.ricola.co.uk

ricola Wolfsburg Wizard

437 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 15 Apr 2009, 4:57 am

#707021

A bit more done today...

Cut the original floors out

Bolted up the new chassis sections to the body to check for fit

Both rear sections tacked in to the back end of the chassis

I ran out of cutting discs 🙄, have to cut the bottom part of the napolean's hat for the front cross tube before I can progress any more...

Once the new chassis sections are welded together and bolted to the body I'll be abel to do a trial fit of the engine and make it's mounts.

http://www.ricola.co.uk

ricola Wolfsburg Wizard

437 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 20 Apr 2009, 6:10 am

#707894

A bit more done now...

Put the body on the chassis to get everything aligned perfectly before welding it all together

Years of bodges! Several plates, filler and pidgeon shit welding.

Front end together, nearly ready for welding...

http://www.ricola.co.uk

ricola Wolfsburg Wizard

437 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 24 Apr 2009, 7:21 am

#708750

Went out this evening to weld the chassis sections together, then removed it so I can add some extra sections more easily. Getting there!

Away this weekend so no more progress for a week or so...

http://www.ricola.co.uk

GTMac Fahrvergnugen

976 posts · joined Nov 2004 · 24 Apr 2009, 9:04 am

#708764

Looking good Rich. What extra weight do you think will be added? Sure it will be well compensated by the new motor!

What type of clutch set up do you use with the G50?

1971 Type 3 Fasty - EJ20T

I love 242HP sleepers. 🤪

How many sets of lights does it take a $229k Carrera S to learn? 😂 UPDATE: Cayman S, M3, B4 now added to the list.

ricola Wolfsburg Wizard

437 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 24 Apr 2009, 6:02 pm

#708818

At the moment it really isn't that much heavier, still easy to pull around the garage like a wheelbarrow with the new framehorns!

I'm using a stock 911 clutch for the year of the G50, should be fine for the moment (having thoughts of building a new 2.5sti based engine for the future!)

http://www.ricola.co.uk

Flintstones Custom Title Time!

1,077 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 24 Apr 2009, 11:29 pm

#708869

That's a familiar sight 👍
Looks good.

Cheers
D