Yet another Project '66: Happiness definitely is a HotVW!

[roland]

I'm not sure what I did but no problem dude, with pleasure

Nice work btw!

[AssHull]

We're glad to inspire you! Keep up the good work!

[Wünderwolff]

Thanks Roland, I was refering to the dash lay-out by the way. Especially with the porsche wheel it will look very much like yours. Great minds do think alike 

Today I did some more cutting and pasting. Everybody can restore a car given time, it takes a moron 50 seconds to cut one up. Jelle could not agree more. I cut out the interior light switches in the door pillars as well as the door stop thingies and welded them all shut, I just have to finnish the lef hand side. I also shut one of the heating duct holes in the back and started clearing the rusted metal in the rear right corner (actually that was the only welding left, if I hadn't started customizing the car  ) Finally I decided to cut out the dash around the radio blanking plate, as the warping was just too bad to look at and I managed to grind a hole in the middle that no welder could plug. So back to square one.

[lowfastbus]

the pics

[Zach Gomulka]

The good news is, it's just metal! You'll get it whipped back into shape

[Wünderwolff]

This week I realised that I would have to get in second gear. Ninove Topless meeting will already be impossible, unless I push it to the showgrounds. But I would at least like to have it in paint by the EBI 3. So, if I can not go to the car, the car has to come to me, even if it is in parts.

So I have disassembled my steering wheel that I fought the worldwide Postal services for. I took me some time to find how to open it up without destroying it, but I succeeded. And I have been sanding and then polishing and have to say it will really be a nice wheel. A tad too big, but still.

Here is a pic, dissasembled. Next pic of it will be cleaned and finished.

[lowfastbus]

Some more welding done by Tim this weekend...

[Wünderwolff]

One hole less to fix!

I filled the gap where the heating duct enters the right back side (well both the duct itself as the gaping hole next to it). I had to fabricate a nice piece of rounded sheet metal, because there is no repro for pre 67 cars. It looks very good, very original, except that it is missing the small upright pressing.

I have also repaired the dash, although this weekend while grinding the result, I managed to make part of it to thin again. So next week I'll have to do some repair to prevent it from tearing when finally painted.

With all of this done, I have finished almost all of the welding, only the rear right fenderwell needs replacing. And some small holes. And then the fun begins: sanding, aplying filler, sanding again only to be topped by the cherry on the cake, new paint.

[Wünderwolff]

One week to go and my original deadline is there: the Ninove Topless meeting. And maybe I'll finish all the welding the day before. It is a good thing I evaluated in time that this was an impossible task to complete the whole car and have changed the deadline to the first weekend of July, just subsribed for the show and shine at EBI, so no turning back now.

To be honest, have a look back at all the welding that has been done and consider I was only going to replace the righthand T-bar support out back. I was going to cover all the other crap with a cloak of love  as it was only going to be a driver, not a show car. I might have reached my initial deadline that way, but winning prizes at the show and shine would have been out of the question then.

[nicolas]

slacker



 


nah, make it as good as you want it to be. my car was ready 2 EBI's ago and never has been to the show... yes it sucks, but it aint that bad.

[AssHull]

To be honest, have a look back at all the welding that has been done and consider I was only going to replace the righthand T-bar support out back.

It's amazing how quickly these things get out of hand. Mine is a driver and was only planning on putting together a new motor. Next thing I know, I got plans for new interior and paint...and now the body of the pan.   

It's worth it in the end though. 

[Wünderwolff]

Ah, springs is here, the blossoms on the trees, singing birds, search chocolate easter eggs tomorrow ... And the welding of the 66 shell has finished    We have taken it out of the workshop yesterday, out into the sun where it will sit under a blanket untill I finish the chassis. To be honest, it still needs some minor welding: the engine trays need to be put in and then Jelle will fix a piece of body he thinks my weldingskills are not up to yet.

So in place of the shell sits now the bare chassis. I painted the rear engine fork nad shockmounts. Next week I start cleaning the gearbox (even has some maggots living on there) and weld the adjusters to the front beam. I want it to be a roller ASAP.

Some pictures to follow if I figure out how to link my new camera to my laptop.

ciao,
Tim

[Wünderwolff]

Turns out I didn't take many pictures of my own car. Well maybe next week.

You can see my shell sitting in the left, you can just about see the closed of heater channel and inner rear fender finished. To the right is Jelle's 80's survivor cab, while behind is an old Convertible (63 or 64 I think) The spring is here.

[Wünderwolff]

And here is some of the stuff I have collected in the last few months. The MWS berms, 5.5 and (narrowed to) 4.5, the Aronson Style decklid, american sealed beam headlight buckets, a Springalex steering wheel instead of the Big and Burly Porker steering wheel and the EBI shifter from Denmark (still a hard choice between that one and the Berg). I have stashed away some Crow 5 point seatbelts and just not on the pictures two Simca Ralleye seats.

Soon I'll have to start unpacking and mounting to the car, I can't wait 

[wolfswest]

what's up with the vans box?    Do they have a beetle upholstery line out? 

[Wünderwolff]

Sorry Guys, no pictures!

But I can explain what happened for those who want to know. I cleaned the outside of the gearbox, painted the axles and now am just waiting for the rhino mounts to show up (though I might change my mind and go for the grey VW silent blocks) and mount the thing.

But a lot of other kit did show up for the party. So I started assembly with the new steel brake lines and dual master cylinder. Ah, and the gear shaft bushing. Very small, but a bitch to install if you dont know how. Now I do, and it is so easy, at least with the body off. Imagine trying to pry that in there with everything mounted and in the way. I also mounted the gear shaft coupler, handbrake and flexible brake lines.

All in all, I didn't do much, but how fun it is to work with all new material and build up knowing all will work well when finished.

The goal of EBI seems feasible again, even though I still have loads to do.

[roland]

Go with the grey VW silent blocks

And go go EBI!

[Wünderwolff]

Almost back on four paws. I mounted the gearbox today, standard 1200 short one, for the standard 1200 I'll drive with this year  It will be controlled by a Berg shifter (I found it too hard to unpack the new EBI1 shifter, yet) and is supported by Rhino mounts, what a bitch to get the front one on the chassis. I'll have to fab a special tool if I ever have to do that again.

I also finished the front beam I had narrowed months ago, now it has adjusters as well. A lick of paint, and next week I'll mount it. If I have the castershims by then.

[Wünderwolff]

The car is now on two of it's original 66 wheel, the back ones. And 1 more day of work will get it on all fours. Hopefully the set of wheels will be finished and shod by then. Narrowed to 4,5 fake BRM up front with 135/80 Nankang and 5,5 fake BRM with 205/70 Nankang out back. Wheels are blasted with fine sand (thanks for the tip DKK Fred) and I will finish them with black inserts.

Yesterday I finished the narrowed front end (which everybody advises against, but at least I'll be able to brag on how I narrowed it myself) and added all new balljoints and dampers. Cutting and especially notching the leafsprings was challenging as none of my drills felt like cutting the springsteel. Nothing some fine surgery couldn't help.

I also was able to finally tighten up the nuts on the Rhino mount. They are absolutely impossible to tighten with regular wrenches, so I fabricated one myself. I cut, welded and strenghtened my own metric 17 wrench. After testing I had to notch the handle a bit for added swing but now it works like a charm.

[lowfastbus]

Showoff 

[nicolas]

Showoff 

not only that but a liar as well.

quote: 'that berg shifter would look good in my girlfriends notch' 

  good choice on the berg shifter

will look good. but why not go with a slightly smaller tyre at the back, something like a 185/70 prehaps? or even a 165. would look perfect for a 70's looker IMHO.

keep up the good work. and looks like Jelle has some free time to help you out a bit more as he has time to be on the Lounge. 

[Wünderwolff]

Showoff 

not only that but a liar as well.

quote: 'that berg shifter would look good in my girlfriends notch' 

  good choice on the berg shifter

will look good. but why not go with a slightly smaller tyre at the back, something like a 185/70 prehaps? or even a 165. would look perfect for a 70's looker IMHO.

keep up the good work. and looks like Jelle has some free time to help you out a bit more as he has time to be on the Lounge. 

I know, I know, I was going to use the berg for the notch and had a new EBI shifter lined up for the 66. But with the EBI things only screenprinted on the shifter, I was a bit afraid it would rub off with a few quick shifts. Plus the EBI shifter is still packed, that will make good money some day in say 20 years 

As for the rubber. I know there is the current trend to go for the more sensible tire size. It seems every other topic is telling us to go an even smaller rear tire size and wider up front. Not before long we will be running the 205/70 - 145/80 combo but switched back to front 

[nicolas]

well the 'tyre debate' has been going on lately, that is for sure. but i just don't like the wide tyres on an otherwise nice 70's looker that i think you are building. but if you allready have the tyres, use them. and i have never been a fan off the 135's... but that is just me (and me having a type3). but they can look good on a beetle.
so have fun with the buildup and show some pics. 

[Wünderwolff]

Today the shell and chassis were reunited. Be it only for a week, then they will be divorced for a while to be, hopefully united for the next 10 years or so.

I put the chassis on all fours, like I planned to, luckily Jelle helped a bit with the front while I was cleaning the bottom of my shell in the backyard. A dash of white paint on one half of the bottom, next week she will be on her other side for some more white.

It's nice to finally see some result. Still a lot to do, but with a bit of hard work I'll reach Bug-In. Hopefully they'll not quarter me with the ratlook brigade. It does seem a bit like a hoodride right now 

[wolfswest]

Nice,

If everything follows my plan I should be done for EBI as well, so if you need some help the last two weeks before EBI of a fellow "WW"    just drop me an email,  so we can get this 66 ready as well.
I see you missed some spots on poppie, there's still a shade of black on her. 

Dem

[Wünderwolff]

Thanks Dem, I'll keep you to that promise  There is still alot to do to get it running before EBI, I'll make sure to be there with the car, but I'll have to be in the back of the VooVah Line Up and I'll probably miss out on that well deserved best of show trophy this year 

Yesterday I went to pick up the Fake Berms, I had them sandblasted after seeing DKK Freds wheels. I'm taping them of now to put the black back on and then they're of the the tire shop for some nice rubber.

[roland]

gotta put wrinkle satin black on those! I got a couple of spray cans left at my garage if you want..

[Wünderwolff]

Well actually I've got a trick up my sleeve (well actually Jelle had  ) If it works I'll tell you, if not, well it's only midland wheels 

[Wünderwolff]

I finished painting the rims today. And it worked out just fine 

You'll see in the pics below how the paint turned out real nice. Well paint, as promised I'd tell when it worked. Tipped by Jelle I used some sort of undercoating rubber guard. It is a bit sticky, but the texturing is just great.

Of course I had to mess up just at the end lifting the last piece of masking tape, where I put a finger in the still wet rubber. But I managed to touch it up, if you don't know, you wont see. But now you know ...

Tomorrow I'm getting the shoes fitted. Hopefully they watch out a bit for the still fragile paint. 

[vwcab]

That BRM looks very nice Tim,can you show that undercoating,I mean the name of that product.