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joescoolcustoms Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2006 Posts: 9054 Location: West By God Virginia
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 12:44 pm Post subject: |
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Two more difficult tubes to make on the topside. Goal is to nail the angle dead on to transition from the two horizontal top tubes into the rear down legs and through the body to the underside bracing.
May finish the top side roll cage this coming weekend and transition to the steering column support and underneath the rear of the buggy. Our Club, WagenFolks has a dinner get together at 1 PM on Saturday, most likely work on it after then until the wee hours of the morn. _________________ Bad News Racing 2018 NORRA 1000 3rd in Class
Best Day Ever Racing 2022 NORRA 1000 2nd in Class and first All Female team to complete the race
Everyone is gifted. Some just do not open the package.
Looks like it was painted with a live chicken,polished with a brick and buffed with a pine cone |
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wvbowtieman Samba Member
Joined: September 16, 2010 Posts: 195
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Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 4:11 pm Post subject: |
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We did get a little work done on the Roll Cage this past weekend. Using some welding wire we formed the rear section of the roll cage and bent the 1 5/8" DOM tubing to match the shape of the welding wire by using angle finders and a protractor.
Instead of having to make some brackets that would show up inside the rear seating area we decided to make some threaded ends for the 1 5/8" DOM tubing and bolt the rear sections through the fiberglass body for a extra clean look.
We proceeded to tack weld the joints of the roll cage with my new welder I received on Thursday. A new Hobart 187 MIG welder. My old 110 volt Hobart works well up to 1/8" steel but was strugling to penetrate the roll cage DOM tubing. Well worth the money.
Hoping to get to the rear supports for the F/G body this coming weekend and fabricate some front body mounts and headlight supports. [/img] |
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wvbowtieman Samba Member
Joined: September 16, 2010 Posts: 195
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Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2012 7:14 pm Post subject: |
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Been a couple of weeks since I put up any updates to my Buggy build. Here are a some photo's of where we are at this point.
Front body mount to front beam with headlight supports to keep the headlights from shaking . Mount is made from 1"x2"x 14ga. rect. tubing with 3/16"x2" steel flat plate.
Steering column is a aftermarket unit from Speedway Hot Rods. 32" to 42" colapsable column with quick disconnect steering wheel. The purple anodized quick disconnect will be painted satin black. 20 spline coupler with homemade rag joint bracket. Stock VW steering box with bracket and new rubber replacement rag joint.
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wvbowtieman Samba Member
Joined: September 16, 2010 Posts: 195
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Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2012 7:43 pm Post subject: |
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Here is the steering column mount. I need a better photo of this. will post better veiw later. Hood will need to be removed. 1" steel tubing .120 DOM welded to roll cage base plate and looped up to the steering column and 3"x4"x 3/16" flate plate for steering column 3/4" heim joint. Simple and strong. This 1" will also act as a hood support to level the hood at final assembly.
I wanted some side impact protection so we fabricated some 1 5/8" DOM under the body sides and made some brackets to sandwich the roll cage and the side impact bars at the FG body. Home made 3" x 3" x11ga. brackets with 3/8" s.s. button head bolts. These also will act as my conduit to run my wiring back to the lights and the motor. These took a little time but well worth the end results.
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joescoolcustoms Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2006 Posts: 9054 Location: West By God Virginia
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Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2012 7:56 pm Post subject: |
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A note here, we have not yet performed the finish welding. Most everything is tacked to semi welded. Final welding will be done at tear down before paint.
Those side impact bars are totally hidden. You will have to lay on the ground to see them. _________________ Bad News Racing 2018 NORRA 1000 3rd in Class
Best Day Ever Racing 2022 NORRA 1000 2nd in Class and first All Female team to complete the race
Everyone is gifted. Some just do not open the package.
Looks like it was painted with a live chicken,polished with a brick and buffed with a pine cone |
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karu Samba Member
Joined: November 11, 2008 Posts: 229 Location: Cross Lanes, WV
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Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2012 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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Everything looks great!!! Looking forward to seeing the finished product. (Yes, I've heard, these things will never be finished).
Joe, seems like your new bender is working fabulously. |
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joescoolcustoms Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2006 Posts: 9054 Location: West By God Virginia
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Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2012 8:35 pm Post subject: |
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Joe, seems like your new bender is working fabulously. |
The bender works good Upali. But every now and again the operator gets the analytical geometry backwards. _________________ Bad News Racing 2018 NORRA 1000 3rd in Class
Best Day Ever Racing 2022 NORRA 1000 2nd in Class and first All Female team to complete the race
Everyone is gifted. Some just do not open the package.
Looks like it was painted with a live chicken,polished with a brick and buffed with a pine cone |
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wvbowtieman Samba Member
Joined: September 16, 2010 Posts: 195
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Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2012 8:38 pm Post subject: |
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Rolled the buggy outside last weekend to work on my family car. Nice sunny day had to take a few photo's.
Mocked up the motor and new Tri-Mil header to start fabrication of the rear bumper and mounts.
Made the rear bumper mounts so they would connect to the roll cage and rear body supports. 1"x 2" rect. tubing and 1 5/8"x.120" DOM tubing.
Had a pair of ladder bar safety brackets left over from my 1970 Camaro bracket car and they worked perfect for my lower bumper/cage mounts. Welded on some 1 1/4"x.120" pipe to slide 1 5/8" DOM over and secure with 3/8" grade 8 bolts.
Started to bend the rear bumper/cage for the buggy. First design was scrapped and we come up with this new bumper design after a few sketches. We were trying to come up with something different for this buggy build. So what do you think...I think it looks origional and bad ass!!
Top cross bar on the rear bumper/cage was drilled out with a 1 1/4" hole saw to let the wires through for the license plate light to be added later. Welded up cross bar and will feed the wires through at a later date.
Front bumper 1 5/8" x .120 DOM and 1" x .120" DOM.
All the welds will be completed after tear down before painting. |
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hcallaway Samba Member
Joined: September 06, 2008 Posts: 333 Location: Richmond VA
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joescoolcustoms Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2006 Posts: 9054 Location: West By God Virginia
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Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2012 9:12 pm Post subject: |
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The side impact bars also connect the front hoop and the rear hoop making it a stronger cage. They brace for a side impact, but are not in the passenger compartment taking up passenger space in the small interior of a buggy giving it a more open and comfortable feel.
They will not interfere with the fiberglass side pods if someone wanted to install them with the exception at the very top, inside most portion where the impact bar runs so far forward or rearward. In that area, a notch may have to be made in the pod to allow the bar to pass through the inside flange of the side pod.
The other advantage is they can carry the whole wiring harness from the front to the rear. _________________ Bad News Racing 2018 NORRA 1000 3rd in Class
Best Day Ever Racing 2022 NORRA 1000 2nd in Class and first All Female team to complete the race
Everyone is gifted. Some just do not open the package.
Looks like it was painted with a live chicken,polished with a brick and buffed with a pine cone |
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MURZI Samba Member
Joined: August 25, 2005 Posts: 5063 Location: Madisonville, La
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Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2012 9:22 pm Post subject: |
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Looking good!!!! Fab work is top tier!!!! Love the "no lift air cam" _________________ 62 vert
2276
Tim’s welded heads
45 Dells
A1 sidewinder
Fk44 cam |
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joescoolcustoms Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2006 Posts: 9054 Location: West By God Virginia
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Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2012 9:35 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: |
Love the "no lift air cam"
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Dang it!!!
I kept telling David I thought something was wrong when we put the engine together. _________________ Bad News Racing 2018 NORRA 1000 3rd in Class
Best Day Ever Racing 2022 NORRA 1000 2nd in Class and first All Female team to complete the race
Everyone is gifted. Some just do not open the package.
Looks like it was painted with a live chicken,polished with a brick and buffed with a pine cone |
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JamisonWorkshop Samba Member
Joined: June 28, 2011 Posts: 116 Location: Boonsboro, MD
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Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 6:53 am Post subject: |
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Looks great. Front bumper is tits.
Also like that bung for the rear down tubes. May have to use that one. |
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wythac Samba Member
Joined: August 02, 2004 Posts: 2791
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Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 8:27 am Post subject: |
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All great work, but of course you guys know that and don't need me to tell you.
I particularly like features such your rear cage attachment points and the front headlight supports. I have to build some supports for my fuel tank in front,and now that I have seen your headlight supports, I think I will incorporate something like that into the fabrication.
Cant wait to see you guys rolling it. Down the road that is. |
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wvbowtieman Samba Member
Joined: September 16, 2010 Posts: 195
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Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 12:22 am Post subject: |
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Well... been looking at the rear cage/bumper for a couple of weeks and was not really happy with the size and decided to remove approximately 4" from the main hoop. Also added a 2" receiver hitch to the cage/bumper for a tow hook or an aluminum hitch rack for long trips.
After searching all day looking for a fuel cell to adapt to the buggy I have discovered why nobody has used a aftermarket fuel cell....THEY WILL NOT FIT!!
I began to alter a stock VW tank and thought this was going to be alot harder than it really was...well we will see as soon as I weld in a flat plate and move the filler neck... but it clears the hood by approximately 1/2".
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wvbowtieman Samba Member
Joined: September 16, 2010 Posts: 195
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Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 4:24 pm Post subject: |
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Sheet metal welded into buggy gas tank. welds look good but will seal inside of tank with POR-15 tank sealer and for extra protection JB Weld over weld stiching just in case.
Soon as I get my Cobra style flip cap I will relocate the fiiler neck.
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kentga Samba Member
Joined: February 26, 2012 Posts: 25 Location: North Alabama
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 12:20 pm Post subject: |
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wvbowtieman wrote: |
Worked on the Buggy the last couple of weekends. Started the fabrication of the 1" x 2" rect. tubing for the body lift/chassis stiffner and also will be used to tie into the roll cage. Welded in the battery box I got from Jegs...this battery box was a perfect fit and compact.
Battery Box -
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Wow! I'm new to VW's and dune buggies, but my son and I just started one based on a great-condition 1970 Beetle. We're a couple of months behind you, but I'd like to get a battery tray/box like the one you ordered from JEGS and weld it in while we're rebuilding the IRS rear. Any chance you could post the item #? Thanks! |
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kentga Samba Member
Joined: February 26, 2012 Posts: 25 Location: North Alabama
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 12:36 pm Post subject: Wheel / Tire combo |
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[quote="wvbowtieman"]Rolled the buggy outside last weekend to work on my family car. Nice sunny day had to take a few photo's.
More beautiful work - surely glad you're sharing some really great ideas. We've been struggling with how we'll run the tubing around our flimsy body to support the back - now we know! Your wheel/tire combination looks awesome. What are they, A/R Torque Thrust? I like that stance! What size are the tires? Keep up your post, and THANKS! |
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joescoolcustoms Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2006 Posts: 9054 Location: West By God Virginia
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 7:09 pm Post subject: |
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kentga wrote: |
wvbowtieman wrote: |
Worked on the Buggy the last couple of weekends. Started the fabrication of the 1" x 2" rect. tubing for the body lift/chassis stiffner and also will be used to tie into the roll cage. Welded in the battery box I got from Jegs...this battery box was a perfect fit and compact.
Battery Box -
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Wow! I'm new to VW's and dune buggies, but my son and I just started one based on a great-condition 1970 Beetle. We're a couple of months behind you, but I'd like to get a battery tray/box like the one you ordered from JEGS and weld it in while we're rebuilding the IRS rear. Any chance you could post the item #? Thanks! |
Your '70 Beetle donor pan is IRS rear suspension. That suspension has diagional arms that take up the space where David mounted his battery trey. David's buggy is running a swing axle rear suspension and that space is open so the battery trey will not interfere with anything. _________________ Bad News Racing 2018 NORRA 1000 3rd in Class
Best Day Ever Racing 2022 NORRA 1000 2nd in Class and first All Female team to complete the race
Everyone is gifted. Some just do not open the package.
Looks like it was painted with a live chicken,polished with a brick and buffed with a pine cone |
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wvbowtieman Samba Member
Joined: September 16, 2010 Posts: 195
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 8:15 pm Post subject: Re: Wheel / Tire combo |
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[quote="kentga"]
wvbowtieman wrote: |
Rolled the buggy outside last weekend to work on my family car. Nice sunny day had to take a few photo's.
More beautiful work - surely glad you're sharing some really great ideas. We've been struggling with how we'll run the tubing around our flimsy body to support the back - now we know! Your wheel/tire combination looks awesome. What are they, A/R Torque Thrust? I like that stance! What size are the tires? Keep up your post, and THANKS! |
Yes the wheels are TTO American Racing Torque Thrust wheels. Fronts are 14"x 7" (215/70/14) and rears are 15" x 8.5" (275/60/15). I have ordered a set of 15" x 5" TTO AR Torque Thrusts for street use with 155/80/15 for the fronts. I will use the 14" x 7" for off road/beach driving.
joescoolcustoms is correct about the battery box for your IRS. Here is the Jegs battery box part # if you still want it. JEGS Performance Products # 10220
Thanks for the compliments!! David |
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