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Thu Nov 05, 2009 8:43 am

great build. can you post some more pics of the "home made floor pan. did you modify heater channels, i see that you went a little higher that original floor level. I'm about to do that job myself.

Its funny how project from a simple small rusted hole in the back turns into re welding a whole structure of the car

Thu Nov 05, 2009 9:18 am

Great to see some more progress. This is my favorite build thread. Keep it up!

Thu Nov 05, 2009 1:29 pm

This is too good of a build. i cant bare to watch. It makes me too anxious. :evil:

Thu Nov 19, 2009 4:28 am

Let me start by appologising to my friends out there in the samba, there has been much neglect from my end the past few weeks. things are crazy at the present and i have to choose between working on the car or writing about it,

huuging corners - I don't have anymore photos of the floor pans, I tried taking some today but you really can't make anything of them because of how thick the paint is one them. Basically I drilled them out at the spot welds ect. and dropped then out the same as normal and cut around the perimeter leaving just the mounting lip (bit that bolts to the heater channels) then used the piece i just removed as a template. then back in with them.
Check out the photos again and it becomes really apparent, good luck

Thanks for the kind words fella's!

Have been very busy on this thing, I don't know where to start. front end is together for the last time, camber set, toe set, fuel tank done and alot of paint thrown around

Thu Nov 19, 2009 10:51 am

Dam bro you are pretty good at metal fabrication. I think this is one of my favorite builds on the samba. I like what you did with the stock fuel tank too.

Sat Nov 21, 2009 3:32 pm

Very cool car. Good job.

Mon Nov 23, 2009 3:45 am

Thanks satalite guy, just learning as I go. Looking better everyday though :D

got quite abit done this weekend,
brake and fuel lines and fittings are just about done
front bumper and mounts along with headlight mounts
Forgot to take photos though, cause i had to go see my grandma on sunday arvo :oops:

snapped a quick one on my phone on the way past this morning though just as a teaser :wink:

Sun Nov 29, 2009 2:03 am

OK! hasn't been a productive weekend, because we are getting storms every afternoon of late. (suppose I should spend more time with the girlfriend anyway!)
I finally got the photos of last weekends progress as well
Got the fuel system all but finished, ran a 5/16 line from front to rear just incase I decide i need a V8 to power this thing later down the track. My brother is trying to railroad me in the direction of a lexus 4L (not sure the engineer would see it as cool as my brother :lol: )
Front brake lines are hooked up, along with the bias adjuster. Am very excited to see how this goes. The rear line runs though the cutting break, so I think that a residual pressure valve is required in both outward lines (not sure on this, Any light on this would be cool) The last of the rearward line isn't finished due to a few parts i'm still waiting on.
The hook ups for the front bumper may look a little strange to some but there is method to the madness, Originally the engineer was talking about shear pins for the for the connect from the bumper to the chassis, because of the direct line between the two. Now it has a weak point built into it, fingers crossed he excepts it this way. Worst case scenario I can build shear pins into this set up. Also doubled as the wider mount for headlights.
The front bumper is all welded and ready to go except for the bash plate, the light bar is on a pivot so that it can fold forward to make it easier the take the bonnet off if need be. I did originally only buy two HID's but after looking at a few different light bar designs three just look so much cooler. The third is on the wish list.
Feel free to photochop the other 2 in :D
I started the rear bumper and am still thinking how to make this reach both sides of the car (part of legal requirement again) while still keeping that race look, For now the base tubes are there, once again feel free to draw in some lines, im really in need of some suggestions.
Oh! and the bonnet is finally in its spot, quick release DZUZ fasteners all round. They look great, but not really happy with the quality of these ones and the bonnet still needs some minor trimming before paint.

In the last photo you can see my hand brake cables, they are '64 bus cables. the sleaves are 550mm so work perfect with 3x3 arms, the cables can be wrapped once around the rearview mirror and back to the handbrake so will be shorted with the old fashion cable shorteners like those used on manx buggys. Irs T3 sleaves are the same but the cables are about 50mm too short, food for thought for anyone going 3x3.

Sun Nov 29, 2009 8:33 am

I noticed the proportioning valve location. To fine tune my brakes to the terrain while driving I moved mine close to the shifter. Nothing like a little more front brake for long steep down hills.

Sun Nov 29, 2009 11:01 am

For an engine upgrade may i suggest a J series Honda V6? Depending on which motor you get about 4 times the stock horsepower a 1600 makes and only about 70 lbs heavier. Sizes run from 2.5-3.7L

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_J_engine

I have been wanting one in my baja for a while. I found an online store that sells kits for them too. Kind of expensive though.
http://www.vtecperform.com/

Sun Nov 29, 2009 4:47 pm

I like the widebody front end
Whats your overall front track ?

Mon Nov 30, 2009 4:21 am

hey guy, bigger HP is a long way off, but thanks for the input

Pharaoh, the front track ended up at 1785mm (don't know what that is in inchs sorry)

Mon Nov 30, 2009 6:17 pm

nilza wrote: hey guy, bigger HP is a long way off, but thanks for the input

Pharaoh, the front track ended up at 1785mm (don't know what that is in inchs sorry)

70.276"

Did somebody say Lexus 4L 4-cam V8(1UZ-FE)? http://www.lextreme.com/

I want one also. They have over 200ft-lbs of torque available from 2000rpm on up. May not be the most practical, but it would be a V8 powered baja.

Edit: Those Honda J series engines look very promising.

Thu Dec 17, 2009 3:28 am

Quick post just to keep anyone listening in the loop,

finished rear bumper

started a pair of rear fenders. will now be steel frame ally skin, cause my alloy welding sucks

splash of paint,

Thu Dec 17, 2009 4:06 pm

what are your front tires?

Thu Dec 17, 2009 5:00 pm

Hell of a build! Very nice work!

Thu Dec 17, 2009 11:25 pm

no more white :( :( :(

Fri Dec 18, 2009 3:19 am

Thanks guys, Yes! no more white, there was a time when i was going to keep the herbie theme. But time to move on and besides change is a good as a holiday right?

Hey BAJA, the front tyres are. . . . federal Couragia MT's 205/85 16r's

Sun Dec 20, 2009 12:45 am

yay! doors!

hey guys look doors!

doors, doors, doors! hey everybody look what I got! :P

Mon Dec 21, 2009 8:20 pm

Nice!