Project `55

[fahrvergnugen]

You better hurry Kev, Pas is getting close.

[Pas]

You better hurry Kev, Pas is getting close.

The clocks ticking  

Good stuff Kev, keep it up.

[kev d]

I'm better under pressure!
Uk drag day??
 

[peach_]

I'm better under pressure!
Uk drag day??
 

Would be cool to see this at the drag day 

[Pas]

I'm better under pressure!
Uk drag day??
 

That's my plan, see you there?

[kev d]

Yep, that's the new target

[kev d]

So I had a shuffle about in the garage so I can get this back on track
I need to get the paint finished but the doors need hung so I can get them gapped & bolt the shell down, theres a lot of movement in the shell with all the guts of it having been cut out of it!
Thats holding up going any further with the alloy paneling too so I need to get it done asap.
Hopefully get some progress this month though

[Pas]

It's starting to look like a proper race car Kev 

[kev d]

Well I had to take a step backward to go forward here
When I did the beam I didnt take into account how much the dropped spindled would drop it & fitted the adjusters a bit too far round...
At its highest setting it looked ok but had very little chance of ever getting onto a trailer that didnt have 20ft skids...
So off it came to be cut & turned so I can use some of the adjustment to raise it when needed. Also added a towing point welded directly to the beam that'll go through the RH wing.
Now the fuel cell, pump etc can all go back in for good
Just need to make a pair of limit straps for the shocks, bleed the brakes & that's the front end done

[kev d]

Remembered to get pics this update

The limit straps are made thanks to Jo, all for the cost of a bottle of wine..

The throttle cable was giving problems as no matter how I routed it it was binding & sticking open.. obviously not a good thing
The plastic conduit was a tight fit on the cable but at the ends where it met the stops it was crushing slightly which just gripped the cable.
A trip to the DIY store got some 8mm bore steel pipe which could be bent to shape with a small pipe bender, I ended up making it in 3 pieces & drilled out some alley bar to use as sleeves to join it up and be able to adjust exactly how it sat.
At the carb I made a new clamp for the cable & fitted it to a higher point to give a little more leverage, all was going great till I broke the end off the cable where it bolts to the pedal..
Progress is progress though!

[fahrvergnugen]

One step foreward.......................
Which car will be ready first, the black one or this one?

[kev d]

This one
I want it out this year even if its just to make sure it all works & set it up for next year, it's going to be quicker than any other beetle I've driven so I've got a bit to learn!
I'd like the 56 finished for this time next year, hopefully it'll be in paint by summer but how quickly it goes together depends on how much time I'm home. This years not totally out of the question though..
Cheers
Kev

[Pas]

Good stuff Kev. You can almost smell the track glue now 

[kev d]

Good stuff Kev. You can almost smell the track glue now 

Getting there

[kev d]

Another day another update..
That's all the panels flatted & going to the paintshop tomorrow
Best news is I've persuaded an absolutely awesome old school sign writer I worked with 25 years ago to come out of retirement to letter & stripe it

Brakes are now bled, worked better after removing the instructions on bleeding from the reservoirs & connected the line loc the correct way..

[fahrvergnugen]

DAMN, you re on steam now. Keep going and show us what you re up to dude. we need visual.

[kev d]

Most of the things I'm doing right now aren't noticeable by anyone but me
Heres a pic of the freshly mounted tacho though

[BossHogg76]

Steaming along there Kev, you reckon you'll still be home on the 2nd April?

[kev d]

Not 100% sure yet but probably.. That when you get back?
Looking forward to seeing your car

[fahrvergnugen]

Looking good. Can you see it when youre behind the wheel. it's so far to the left

[kev d]

Looking good. Can you see it when youre behind the wheel. it's so far to the left

 

[BossHogg76]

Not 100% sure yet but probably.. That when you get back?
Looking forward to seeing your car

Well now the third...   however gives some time for bits to arrive and be finished in time for me to pick them up. Then it's full steam ahead to get it done, though at this rate you'll be finished before me 

[kev d]

Back onto this today after being sidetracked by an afternoons work on a mates mini that turned into almost 2 full weeks..

I bought a nice battery box from summit racing but it didn't fit where I wanted it to go so I knocked up a frame for it to sit in which bolts to the floor. Also ordered more ally sheet so I can get the rest of the interior panels made.
Hopefully see the panels back in the next week so they can go on...

[kev d]

Got stuck into the alloy panelling this weekend, wasn't a job I'd been looking forward to but its coming together!
Don't think john Webster or chris issac etc have to loose much sleep though..

The panels fitted are there to stay, the gaps are where removable panels are going to get access to the msd, turbo etc.
I've started making them but with folded return edges for a bit more strength in them as this new sheet is a bit thinner that I wanted

Hopefully tomorrow will see all the panels fitted, the fronts are done & just need tweaking & refitting.

After that its onto the wiring & getting it fired up

[kev d]

Battery box ready to go in

[dth]

Kev mate ,looking good ,got a bead roller here if you wanna run some beads in those panels?
Give me a shout if you want ,cheers Donald

[kev d]

Kev mate ,looking good ,got a bead roller here if you wanna run some beads in those panels?
Give me a shout if you want ,cheers Donald

Thanks for the offer bud
I'm expecting to have a lot of it apart again over the winter so will add that to the next 'to do' list
Cheers
Kev

[dth]

No worries ,give me a shout any time:)

[Pas]

Looking good Kev. Nice work on the panels.

[kev d]

Looking good Kev. Nice work on the panels.

cheers

Got the back end finished off today so re-fitted the seat & battery box, will probably move the MSD into the LH foot well somewhere.
Also fitted the side windows, cant really see it in the pics but its got a light blue tint & works well with the paint

Getting there...