The Cal-look Lounge

hey all,


i bought this project little over 1 and a half year ago and i haven't done much to it. i got it and worked a bit on the suspension adding spax shocks at the rear and raising the torsion bars a bit and i also did a check up to run it at DDD 2012.
dispute the wheel hop and the apron coming lose, it actually performed really good. so i was happy. big plans were made to finish the car and i actually did some work, by family and work have taken up quite a bit of time. anyway no excuses, so i slacked on the project…  ::)

here is the topic of the previous owner:

http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,6858.0.html (http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,6858.0.html)

since a couple of months now i have been making plans to how and what should be done to the car, therefore a new topic to stay focused and finally get this car out of the garage and onto the streets.


just yesterday it passed MOT again so i can register it again.
i went to the station with Speedwell's 1300 engine i have had in my garage for over a year now and i must say that the sprint kit is a thing of beauty. it looks so different and cool, but it also performs very well. for a 1300 this engine is powerful and responsive. a pleasure to drive. i still need to fine-tune it a bit and return it to its owner as i think i have had it long enough now.

i also went out to find some parts and so far i have come up with a set of real mahle 5 lug gas burners and some lightweight ercos (wide 5) with slicks. for now it sits on the same BRM's which is fine, but i'll need to figure out a plan to combine wide 5 and porsche5 wheels on one car. the gas burners will be painted black (inspiration was taken from SOB's car) i love that look.

i also will be going turbo on this one, but still a long way to go. so i will hopefully be running next season, with the NA 2276 it had and build the 2276 turbo in the meantime.

IRS suspension is on the list as well. but i haven't had the arms and axles yet. i may need to look for another lead as this is taking 2 months now.

anyway, happiness is a hot vw, stay tuned!

allright! i have send in the paperwork to get my license plate, but unfortunately it will be a big square one and not the smaller one you sometimes get. but on the bright side of things i probably could use this plate as an a wing on the car  ;D

i also will separate the shell from the body in the next few months and convert it to IRS (parts for this conversion are welcome) and fit dic brakes on the front along with dropped spindles and a different beam as the one on the car is too low even set at its highest point (i think fabs wants his engine back and i think i could help me out with one)

here's some pictures right before going to the MOT.

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and i did some experiments with the clocks and the outside color…

and i did some experiments with the clocks and the outside color…




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tell us more please!  :)

Looking forward on this (and pics ofcourse   :D  ).Go for it Nicolas.  ;)

nico if you need help to remove the body frm the fllorpan  let me know and i will come to help
that would be nice ti have my engine back in the 61 especially for the next freddy files , :oldsoeed theme this year and i miss my speedwell engine ;-)

Yep,same here.If you need a little help........    ;)

hmmm, i wanted to give a little x-mas present to all who watch this.  :-*


[attachment=1]


i'm a big fan of this color, there is one other option that i am looking into, but this works for me.

green is good.
Ill pass on your Christmas gift.

Wow that is making some oil pressure :o ;) :D

cheers Richie

Love the color, I know off a sticker that matches it very well...  8)

hahaha!

well i must be spoiling all of you as this must be the second picture in 3 days.  ;D

the (matching ) stickers that were on the car are already long gone. i felt it was better this way.

as for the oil pressure… i bought some stuff that is said to make an interesting outcome if you have a mix of fuel, electrics, exhaust gasses and a GOOD oil pressure  ::)

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i will however be scratching my head a good deal as this is all new to me. watch this space to see the trails and fails!!

If you need help rewiring everything ,let me know :)

some confusion has risen…

i got my license plates (the new ones) and i am puzzled. it is a tea tray. it is twice as big as the one i have on the fastback. i KNOW the government is not too keen on altered engines or cars, but they DO send you and wing to mount on the car. strange, but it looks like that is sorted then as well.


it's the one on the right i got and it's the one from the left bottom i wanted, the one on the left top is plain ridiculous and is wider then a beetle.

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they are huge, you must have a really old population with poor eyesight. I can't believe one is half a metre wide!

no we have a government who wants more money , so they've decided that we need new plate  :-\ and we need to pay  again

I got one a half meter wide on my fastback, I wanted the smallest one too because thats the only one that fits under the lighting fixture. They told me if the plate physicaly fits you have to get one of the two biggest. Looks ridiculous now. I did get a cool plate with BMX in there. I ride a bmx so thats nice

In mine opinion, the licenseplates for motorcycles are to small for a +'64 decklid :)

The big ones are not so bad... i guess :)
http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm59/VWGlassee/De%2064er%20Zweed/64callook12-1.jpg

ah, we'll see. i hate it. but i really like the more classic (3 letters, 3 numbers) plates on a beetle or even the older ones before that.
like i said, i'll make it into an extendable rear wing or something.  ;D

i am still making progress as i picked up a set of IRS arms yesterday. i have the spring plates, but no CV's or axles. i will look into updating it to either type2 or 944, but i have no clue on prices or availability. so anyone who can help is welcome with his/hers suggestions.

next up is take up the offer of Fabian and Peter   :P  to come over and help out to get the chassis and body separated and the get the brackets welded in.

Early steel arm 94 or 924s[ the one with porsche 5 lug hubs] is a good source for the stub axle which allows 944/type bay/t25/type cvs which are all slightly different in ball and cage, with a type 1 IRS box you can use the complete early 944 cvs and axles

cheers Richie

thank you. so i am on the hunt for this complete setup.

small update.

the shell is of the chassis in order to get the brackets for the IRS welded in (which i will hopefully receive next week).
the IRS axles are sandblasted and i wanted to order new bearings, but the inner bearing is a C3 type bearing. which have a bit more clearance on them and are mostly used in higher rpm (above 3000) applications. the outside bearing is a 'regular one', different type of bearing though. my question is do i need the C3 type or just the regular one. or does anyone have the correct numbers/brand/type for the bearings as mine seem to be aftermarket.

 ;)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/t1/1653461_619794858067984_1572186044_n.jpg)

(https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1/1517519_619794894734647_173558910_n.jpg)

Looking awesome!!!!  ;D
Vers harmonious car  8)

i have a good running engine for that car  ;D. when can i bring it over? PM me.

OH BOY!

in order to convert the car to IRS as i always intended, i took the shell off the pan and took the pan apart. it feels a lot like taking 1 step forward and a bunch back.
But the gearbox  needed to be revived anyway (i suspect worn syncros) and the front and rear need to be changed to a 5x130. the back will receive type3 brakes and the front vw dics.
for now i won't be doing much, aside from getting the parts needed to get most of the conversion done.

Hey Nicolas

Maybee you can do a 944 conversion (IRS, 5X130 and disc brakes in the back)?

good luck!

gr
Wout

i have been looking at that option, but for now i have most of the parts needed to do it with type3 brakes and vw parts. we'll see how far this can get me.  ;)

Ok, good luck!!

gr
Wout

allright i did do some work this week, i actually had a few good hours of work on the jigs to weld in the brackets to convert it to IRS.i also had them oiled with some Owatrol, seems to be really good stuff (thanks for the tip Kalle)

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i have most parts for the conversion sorted, only the axles are still missing, but i will start grind asap.
i also had some tires fitted to the rims i had done a month back. i opted for a wider tire up front while i was at it, i didn't feel the 135's were going to cut it, so Dunlop 175/65 replace them now. i also think they will look better on the car. the back tires are the nankang 215/70's. they will be fine to do burnouts when time comes  ::)

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the only thing i am not sure about right now is if they will fit a stock front beam with dropped spindles (CB, Disc brakes) or that i need a narrowed beam? i have both here, but the chassis is still not under the car.
i also will need someone to help out rebuild the swing gearbox to IRS with a quaife differential. i want to do the work myself, but there are special measuring tools needed that i don't have.

Any updates on this one Nicolas?

i wish i could say a lot, but in fact only a small bit has been done, the chassis is still not under the car.

i have put my engery in the type3 to get that one running and dailed to have at least a car that can go out this year. i have found it no use to attack two projects and have none finished.

on an upside i have made a swap with Fabs for a stock width front beam, and i do have other parts to put it all together again. i am still not sure what way i am going with the gearbox as in the long run i want a turbo engine with a type2 gearbox, but i only have a core and not an actual good useable box to build in right now. i do have type1 boxes that could be made to a usable IRS box, but they need a checkup as well.

even the old combo NA 2276 engine and gearbox could be an option, but that needs work too, as when i used it at DDD in 2012 the gearbox was not really happy and it seemed at the time the sycros are used up.

that is in short what i am at.  ::)

and as much as i had my mind set on going to Cotswelds in the UK to have a cage fitted this route is becoming more and more expensive as our euro is becoming increasinly less worth compared to the UK pound.
i have no contacts with builders here on the mainland to have it done, and the idea of making my own has been put on hold as i want it to be certified for events. so anyone who can help or point me a bit in the right direction n this is much appreciated.  ;D

by the looks of it I was in a fase of the build where I didn't see much light at the end of the tunnel...

so fast forward a few years.  ;D

a few months ago I talked to a friend on the phone who asked me about the car... I didn't even know someone even remembered it.
he said I call you every week to hear about the progress. needless to say he didn't, but for me it sparked something.
so I took off were I left the project dwindle and thought the best way to enjoy it is to get it back on the road and go from there.

everything was bolted back together and the engine went back in in NA configuration. BUT the arms of the IRS conversion were welded in wrong. no one to blame but me. after fiddling with it for a few days it was clear it would never work.

so I cut them out again and started again. this time I did have the trailing arms to see and correct if needed. again a few days/week work and after that I checked the floorpan to find repairs that were badly done or not done. I redid that as well. I even made a few mods to fix the midmount and some sort of jack stands.

nothing major when I see the projects from others here on this forum. just what I can do myself and my goal is to get the damn car out for a drive.

happiness is tinkering in the garage.  ;D

And?????....

X2 :)

oh oh...

 ::)

not much has happened. well, some bits were done. the chassis was powder coated and has been back a few months now.
right after I sent it out I started on my driveway and carport.

so a big bummer, but I am hanging in there  ;)

It will come all right at the end  :D.

During lockdown I also worked 99% on the garden, outdoor stuff and only 1% air-cooled  ::) so I understand.

Wout

If you want we can all started calling you every week to ask how the project is going?  :D

I know the feeling. It took me almost 5 years to build mine...
Get that driveway done so you can start on your build  ;D

Yannick

at least you got 1%!!! if putting the chassis in a different place counts I get 0,2%


yes, that could work, but I it was tried and tested last year and almost worked. I just need to get it done (all of it)  ;D

but thanks for the thoughts, I only now found my way back to the forum because of the notification and what was/is still boiling under my skin can be put into practise in the next few weeks, months, centuries  ;) ;D

Any progress Nicolas?  :)

yes, but not much.

I have been trying to get the fuel lines sorted. the hard lines are in the chassis and I have finally ordered a fuel pump and now I hope to get a good idea on how to run it, what connections to use and get it made.

but mostly I seem to be working on others engines. which is great but not helping my own project...  ;D

you get a few years were at least someone asks you if there are any updates, but even after a few years it all goes silent... rightfully so.

but, here here here! I found some time to get the car a bit better together. I even took it out for a drive. the plan was to make it to EBI, but that did not happen. I found the engine overheated.

I am still looking into that. the MSD coil exploded (that was a new one to me). I didn't even realize it. I thought the cable just popped... for whatever reason. maybe that is why it gets hot. maybe just install a magneto...
anyway, the oil lines I got are not making me happy, as I can't get the correct angle or length to make it clear the exhaust and still fit on the bracket of the bumper. I don't want to go back to the bracket on the exhaust, so please let me know how you route your oil lines and what mods you had to make?


(http://[attachment=1])

I used AN lines but got the same problem with the S&S header so I just made a bracket that holds the lines away (but still in between) the exhaust tubes. If i get back from holiday I'll make a picture.

another question I have since I am fiddling at the rear (that sounds nasty  ::) ) is do I need a traction bar? I have it all solid mounted and a mid mount, but maybe I need some sort of berg cross bar for the engine... don't know if it is needed. I had massive wheel hop before, but that was a completely different setup. there isn't much from the old frame left at this point.

so far I have a stock front end (instead of a narrowed one) no height adjusters, dropped spindles, disc brakes.

the rear is IRS (Richie I do listen  ;D ) vw trailing arms, dual spring plates, 24mm torsion bars (for now), solid mounts, all new redone gearbox, bus axles (still no big axles, but good for now), type3 drums, midpoint and solid mounted. no trapezium or any other mounts at the moment.


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Hi Nicolas,

I still run a berg traction bar even with a full cage which ties to frame horns.

Hey


I think i would with your car to help, with no cage its  even more useful

cheers Richie

OK! got the torque bar and installed it yesterday late afternoon and night. they are quality, but the brackets are not easy to mount or find the ideal place for. looks like the ones on the cradle for the gearbox may need to be removed with a different header. now they are mid mid between axle and header.
one question I have is, do you tighten the bars outward or inward? or the long one one direction and the shorter ones another? I still don't know what they do, except that they keep the shock horns in place. maybe the frame horns as well.

push or pull? or neither?  ::) ;D


oh and I took the trailing arms off to reset the torsion bars (yet again) but better now, when everything is loose anyway. I found it too low. and after looking at a 100 pictures of cars... I still don't see what is 100% right... 

I pre load them slightly with push force.
Torsion bar "height" setting is mostly personal preference for looks I think. Ideally it should be as low as possible keeping wheel camber around zero and have plenty of shock movement still but normally that's not possible to achieve it all >:(  [this is with thicker torsion bars so no pre load]

I am halfway there then. I like the looks  ::)  and it sat a bit too much once I rode it before, so I set it 3/4" higher now so when it settles it will be ok. the stops were getting close to the rubbers. so it must be better also. it's IRS now! so camber issues are far less  8) it's still a lot of fiddling to get it all right. it also has Porsche torsion bars and they need preload due to the weight of the engine and still a smaller diameter. they are also the longest type, so again, for now they will be one, until I know what I really need and change accordingly.

not a big update, but I am doing the suspension again.
I will do the steering tube again. nothing major, just a check over and trim the left and right movement with the stop screws.
I removed the line lock to have a simple braking system for the first time. I now will fit it back in again. I was thinking about adding a adjustment valve to change the front rear bias, but I don't know for sure...
I am looking at the torque bar as one side has a scrubbed the axle.
I am also fitting a new sensor as I never really knew what the gauges read. so I did check the oil temp sensor in boiling water and that is accurate. so now I am fitting that and see what we get. before it was a VDO sensor with an autometer gauge. I read that they are not compatible.

I am not doing bodywork yet it seems... oh well. 

does anyone run 10/90 shocks on the street. I got a pair and want to fit them, but I don't know what too expect really... or is this strip only?

yes! and no...

I got it running right before the SPA 2023 Bug show meeting, but another gremlin threw a spanner in the works and this time it was the gearbox. it kept popping out of 4th gear every other 500m. so not that good. I did drive it for a couple of km.
so the good things that happened are not too bad:
1. I fitted the torque bar in a respectable manner in the end. it fits, doesn't hit anything and I can almost take the j tube off without removing both arms. so it fits and works.
2. the gearbox shifts ok and sits square now. apart from the popping 4th. it fits and works. I did get it back this week and should be good to go and not come out any time soon.

so now I am on another challenge... I want to see if I can fit an EFI system on the 2276... it just never ends... or I keep slacking and I don't push through with anything on this car.  ::) ;D I will make a topic in the technical section about my EFI questions. please feel free to guide me through that adventure. thanks!!!

3. oh... I think I can work out how the car will/can look. I did have help from my daughter on that part. but for now it looks like it always did

the car was out last weekend. I finally took it to the track (with a tower) to see what it does.
it ended up with mixed feelings in the end. I did a 14,41 run. I had to calm down a lot. the biggest problem was/is/will be the driver. so the calmer I got the better I had control of the car and the better it performed.
it's a starting point from where there is so much to improve.

I redid quite a bit over the last months. I fitted 29mm torsion bars, fitted two gearboxes. ran the engine that had been sitting for 15 years a week before the event for the first time. and then 2 days prior. so driving was n to an option.

I still have wheel hop, so that will need work. the tyres don't help as they are the same as 12 years ago and where not that good then.

traction bar will help for the wheelhop  ;)
for me it did anyway

Hopefully you can get the car to hook right. Good luck!

yes it does! a vast improvement. I believe this made the biggest difference.
after that I also swapped the header, the muffler and I fitted 48 IDA's. I like that! they seem to discharge fuel quite easily into the engine  ;D
I went to EBI10 (on a trailer) because I drove the car basically 1 time after Clastres in May. I managed to fit the 10/90 shocks and swapped the rear shocks for some KYB gas shocks. the front and rear was adjusted again.

all this on late night shifts and a day of work with a friend.

all this to do a good run and a bad run at EBI and ending it with a engine that made sure it didn't act happy. I believe after checking the ignition that the battery is slowly dying and doesn't stay charged engough to feed the MSD.

I hope to sort a bit more out, fit a second seat and DRIVE! happiness is DRIVING a hot vw.  ;)

It was good seeing the car in the flesh after so many years. It’s still an incredibly cool car even if I say so myself. Looks even cooler now with some of the modifications you’ve done.

I feel the love.  ;) ;D

 ;)

Fabian you did a good job with the pictures to make it look fast ;D

cheers Richie

first off, thank you Tim for the comment. I appreciate it very much. this car has grown on me lately. it has been a bit of a fight for the last ten years, but since getting it more attention in the last two years, I think we are bounding  ;D


too bad he was at the wrong side to catch the one wheel burn out...  ::)

so I did 2 runs. 1st was OK. a lot of wheelspin still, but no hop, due to the traction bar that I tabbed up. the tyre pressure was too high.

second run was a total mess. I bogged in the burn out and during the run it ran badly. so that was it for me that weekend. I wanted to drive it Saturday evening to the chalet with my friends and it acted up again. so bad we towed it to the site. so my weekend of racing was done. and I couldn't quite figure out what happened or why.
in the next weeks I got to work on and off on the car, with one day of really digging into it with a friend. so three weeks later, I found out the coil from the MSD failed and that caused the bogging. than I installed a regular 009 with a blue coil, to have one cylinder not firing. that in the end was due to a bad sparkplug wire. So at this point I will drive the car. for a streetcar it sure does not lives up to it's name and is trailered a lot more than it is driven. and driving it would at least give me some sense of knowing what it does (heating up, gears, brakes,...) all simple things, but in changing so much and trying to make things better it is usefull to actually see progress. hence driving.  ;)

in a few weeks it will be Spa and I hope to bring it there in better shape and hopefully do some runs. slow, yes. improving, yes-er. having fun, yest!

That's the most important thing, and so many people lose sight of that while trying to impress others !!!

good to see you are enjoying it 8)

cheers Richie

;D ;D