The Ragtop Express

[tpb_karl]

Servais Engineering made his first YouTube video featuring the work on my engine case. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/gCWLd8rOJ1k?is=F1g7cslHhig22WHi

[Steve67]

great work with some well thought-out fixtures

[tpb_karl]

Finally got the correct sticker for the Tach. Fitted two on top of each other and folded the ring around the frame.





The sleeving has bothered me as i dont really care for the look. I replaced it some something new and fresh. All it needs now is some heat-shrink tubing on each end.







Looks better than before in my opinion. Before/After:






Under the Tach is the latest prototype bracket. Spring has come to Sweden so i feel like it is time to get the ragtop out and test fit thing thing. If it fits i'll 3D-print it in a durable material like ASA. In black of course.

[ibg]

Big improvement, subtle and sharp. The braid for the wires also looks much better and being fabric is kind of a nod to the antiquity of our cars when all wiring was cloth covered 

[tpb_karl]

Spring has arrived, and during Easter it was time to bring home the summer car, or so I thought… The Swedish spring didn’t quite agree that it was time just yet..




But the following weekend the snow had melted and the weather was nice and sunny! The trip meter rolled over to all ones on the way home, which made me pull over rapidly.




Not much has been done, I finally installed the 25mm hose to the aircleaner that had been spitting oil all over the coil...



Early in the project I wanted fully red lenses for the taillights as well as clear indicator lenses. The new clear indicator lenses I bought didn’t fit the original chrome housings at all and the shape was all wrong. Later I got hold of a few sets of SWF clear lenses, but they didn’t really fit my original Hella housings either. This winter I finally got hold of clear indicator lenses from Hella, and these fit perfectly!







Whether I’ll continue using the red lenses at the rear remains to be seen. I’ve grown quite fond of the red/amber original lenses.

[tpb_karl]

Small progress again. The new drums and spacers from Franke are in order.





The drums have been sitting in the car since last autumn, so I painted them with some zinc primer and heat-resistant paint before installing them.







Removed the old worn oval drums and inspected how the brakes condition after the Airmighty trip.






The brakes were dry and in good condition, albeit a bit dusty, which was expected. While waiting for some longer wheel bolts, I switched back to the original Euro lenses. Also event season has started to kick off, so I figured it was about time I dealt with the leaking tranny once and for all.. (Because no-one likes a leaking tranny)








Replaced the nose cone gasket and checked the breather hole.




Pulled out my 3D-printed plugs that I installed before the Airmighty trip and hammered in the new aluminum ones.






“Transmission should finally be sealed,” I thought, and set it down properly. Then I was met with oil from the input shaft seal. Probably because it had been standing upright for a while, but I wasn't going to take any chances. I ordered a new input shaft seal and replaced it.






Put the whole assembly back in, changed the engine oil, and filled up the transmission.




The new wheel bolts arrived and were cut to the correct length.




As usual, I’m terrible at taking photos, but as seen in the images below, the wheels ended up sitting much wider in the arches.






I’m still struggling with a leaking gearbox, though. The front mount continues to get completely soaked in oil. I suspect I may have overfilled it. I’m going to try opening the fill hole with the car on the ground and see if anything runs out.
Take care!

[tpb_karl]

This will be a very small update. The tachometer is finished and just needs to be installed in the car with the camera present.




I’ve started the prototype work for the roller pedal for my Fast Fab cruiser pedal. I’ve also acquired pedal rubbers with a matching pattern. I’m 3D-printing prototypes, and the finished product will be made from 6 mm bent sheet metal.





I helped a club member sort out his car a few weeks ago, and he had some parts lying around in boxes that might have been for sale. Bought these goodies off him. An unused EMPI sump and an older Berg mid-mount. Also completely unused.




Things are moving a bit slowly as I’m preparing the bus for Hessisch and EBI.. Here’s a picture of the car in its current form.




This weekend I’ll be at Malmö Raceway for Skania Flat 4 shootout! If you're there as well, let me know and lets get a beer! Cheers!
Take care!

[karl h]

mexx will be on his way tomorrow

[Steve67]

looks nice with the wheel spacers in the back.
did you check if the gear box ventig is open and not blocked by some sealant?

[tpb_karl]

I'm back home, sunburnt and satisfied with the weekend. I was crewing for a friend with a fresh transmission and was finally able to lay some good runs with the new engine. First two runs resulted in PB at 7,8 and 7,75 with some pretty slow 60ft.

looks nice with the wheel spacers in the back.
did you check if the gear box ventig is open and not blocked by some sealant?

Thank you! I did. The only thing i haven't done, (which i should have) is to replace the bushings for the hockey stick..

mexx will be on his way tomorrow

I saw Martin and his runs. It was a very grippy weekend!

[tpb_karl]

Finally, it's time for an update! Things have been at a standstill here for quite a while. Hessisch and EBI have more or less forced the bus to take priority, and on top of that, moving from an apartment to a house has taken up quite a bit of both time and money!

First of all, I got the engine case back from Servais Engineering when I was down in Malmö back in May.



During our trip around Europe, I at least picked up a crank pulley bolt in the style of the old dished Santana bolts. We also went to inspect a pair of potential seats for the car. They were definitely comfortable to sit in!




A long time ago I ordered 40 mm velocity stacks for my IDF40s because the stacks that came with the Chinese carburetors were 44 mm. When they finally arrived and I test-fitted them, I discovered something I hadn't expected: the CB filter base plate for the linkage. The hole in it is about 45 mm...



The solution ended up being 3D-printed velocity stacks that taper all the way down to the carburetor.





These will eventually be printed in ASA plastic (similar to ABS). Before that, I need to verify that they fit inside the actual air filters.

So this weekend I made some progress on the interior. It's time to replace the steering wheel and the gear shifter, along with all the related work. I also need to reinstall the tachometer.

The tachometer was already prepared and the mounting bracket had been 3D-printed, so all that was left was to install it in the car. And of course, polish the carriage bolt that holds it in place.




Unfortunately, the tachometer ends up sitting in front of the ashtray, so I won't be able to stub out cigarettes inside the car anymore. 

That little knob on the front of the ashtray felt a bit unnecessary, so I took it out to the garage and welded a screw into the hole where the knob used to be.










The screw in the ashtray was cut off and drilled out.




I vapor blasted the ashtray and painted it silver to make it look a bit nicer. Then I reassembled it and installed it back in the car.






As you can see, the steering wheel is missing from the pictures. That's the next part to be replaced!

The VDM steering wheel was taken apart and all the chrome was polished.









The steering wheel center, which is made of black-painted sheet metal, had started bubbling slightly from rust, so I sanded it down and repainted it.






I polished all the small parts and reassembled the steering wheel.




But I'm not planning to stop at just replacing the steering wheel... In the future, when the new engine is finished, I want to be able to shut it off with the key and coast safely to the side of the road without the steering lock engaging, for example if I lose oil pressure or the car catches fire. So the steering lock has to go, and the ignition switch will be relocated to the dashboard.






Drilling out the old steering lock and replacing it with a bushing was easier than I expected! I enlarged the hole in the dashboard where an auxiliary light switch had previously been mounted, and drilled an additional hole underneath the dashboard to secure the ignition switch.




I haven't had time to wire up the ignition switch or check whether the horn works yet... More to come!