My $50 rail, it's gonna need help

Tom McKinney · Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 8:56 pm Post subject: My $50 rail, it's gonna need help

I've been looking at building a vw based offroad vehicle for some time. Today on CL I found a sand rail frame fo $50, and I couldn't pass it up. Went and paid for it so I wouldnt lose out on the deal and will pick it up next week.

The first thing I will be doing is removing the remnants of the corvair suspension. after that, there's a whole lotta work and parts to get. Going to have a big list and hopefully a big wad of cash for the next Pomona swap meet.

Anyway, after read the thread "Almost lost a friend" I think I should beef up the frame a bit. Plan to add the following:

A pillar (IIRC, the area just behind the "windshield") support abbot 18 inches up from rail and back approx same from windshield.

Move the top bars out and include an x set across the middle

Vertical set of x bracing across the back parrellell with the rear roll bar

X bracing across the front tied into the currently non existent front beam.

Thinking of using RGBs in the rear to make it a hill climber, hunting buggy, nothing fast. Maybe use a whole bus rear suspension rather than adapt it. Especially if I can get a free one.

I wonder just how cheap I could build this for? Probably 3 times what I could buy a used one for with my luck.

Anyway, this is the first post in what will hopefully be a nice build thread.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Let me know what your think.

pafree · Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 9:56 pm Post subject:

seems to be a nice frame. double check all the welds. hate to say it, but you almost need to find a donor car to have a parts supply unless you know of a VW gold mine of parts. it can be done with catalogs and online ordering but the price of the build will climb quickly. how are your fab, welding and imaganation skills?
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1972 vw hunting truggy

sand it, fill it, paint it, throw some mud on it and then baja it.

Tom McKinney · Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 10:56 pm Post subject:

shred625 · Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 10:38 am Post subject:

Gonna be a hell of a lot cheaper to buy one already complete. I would say you can easily drop $5-10k into that build.
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Vanapplebomb · Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 11:23 am Post subject:

retterath · Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2013 5:29 am Post subject:

Do you have a title? I'd start there.

peterd3060 · Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 5:59 am Post subject: 50 buck sandrail build

looks like a good start !

Tom McKinney · Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 1:04 pm Post subject:

ddewey78 · Samba Member Joined: December 14, 2008 Posts: 29

You mentioned checking the welds. It's the reason my first step is likely to be san blasting the frame so all the paint is gone and I can see the welds clearly[/quote]

Have fun with that!! I blasted mine over the summer to have the frame powder coated, Id rather jump off a cliff than do that again. It seems that where two tubes meet, there are 720 sides. It too me probably 15 hours to do it.

Tom McKinney · Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 9:22 pm Post subject:

Tom McKinney · Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 9:40 pm Post subject:

score!!!!

Purchased a king link beam front end today drum to drum with steering box for $100
Also a vw tow bar for $50.
Fun day off.

IRS torsion housing and the rest better watch out, you are next.

Snappy · Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 10:29 pm Post subject:

If you taking down to bare metal pick up some Aircraft striper. It will eat the paint clean off...for the most part. It will save you a TON of time and I mean shitons of time.

Wear gloves and a mask and don't get it on anything that's not metal, that stuff is potent!
Just glob it on and watch the paint wrinkle, then take a wire brush or something similar to it
-Snappy
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'63 Ragtop Baja
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=546212

03 AE GTI
www.norcalbajas.com

tntmo · Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 5:38 pm Post subject:

ORANGECRUSHer · Samba Member Joined: June 09, 2006 Posts: 130

wow $50 I don't think I could resist that either

as long as you're adding X's you better put a big one between the two down tubes that go back from the rear roll bar and behind the engine. I heard in a roll over these will buckle like nothing. That and an X behind the seats and a brace behind your windshield hoop down to the arm rail will be your biggest assets in making it tougher.

have fun. I just welded in an IRS into my frame and I gotta tell you I'm getting impatient to get it back together. There always seems to be one more part to order.

As far as sand blasting, I don't know what everyone is making a big deal about. You gotta do it one way or another to do this right IMO.
If I were you, I would get the biggest pressure blaster I could afford to start out. If you get siphon feed you'll be monkeying with the constant plugs. And then pick up a good respirator. I spent two weeks, hours at a time every day with nothing but a bandana four years ago and I'm paying for it today with my lungs. Then if you have room in the garage section off an area to work with plastic sheeting or plywood. Then all your sand will be contained and you just sweep it up and strain it quick with an old window screen and get a couple of uses out of it. Sand blasting sucks anyway you do it, but it will leave your metal in the perfect state for welding not to mention spotting damages.
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Berrien Warrior swingaxle. 2.4L GM Quad4 and IRS in the works!
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