TheSamba.com :: View topic - Yet another buggy build, here goes...........

Tue May 14, 2013 9:48 pm

Well, i figured I will start to post some info on the FG buggy I am in the process of building. First time for me. lots of learning. I have been lurking around various buggy sites (mostly samba, ha ha) for almost a year now. just reading and more reading. Planning my attack.

now I am finally starting to work on the pan. lots of rust

So here are the stats:

I got a 1970 VW bug pan. The title / registration is clean. Unfortunately the pan isn't.

I got a FG body, similar to El Lido / Lobo. Probably a generic knock off, who knows. this is the body style I was looking for.

the guy I bought it from gave me a sheetload of parts. even duplicates. Nothing was assembled. he just had a collection of parts and ran out of time / patience / desire.

I got a bug tranny. not sure the condition. hubs spin. shifted through the gears. will have to get it checked out.

I also got a DP1600 engine. PO told me he didnt know the history and wasnt sure if it ran. well it doesn't run. I pulled the fan shroud off and saw the engine threw a rod and punched a hole in the top of the case. oh well. My neighbor just upgraded to a 1776 and gave me his tired 1600. will use it for a core eventually.

I have been buying parts for the last year. tools too.

I also scored a set of US Indy mag wheels, 4 lug. 14" fronts and 15" rears. Started to restore them. I will post a pix soon.

I guess the PO liked the color yellow. I dont. I will change the color eventually.

Tue May 14, 2013 9:56 pm

so now I am working on the pan

I built a rotisserie

Tue May 14, 2013 10:15 pm

Time to get busy!!

Tue May 14, 2013 10:40 pm

the pan I got was already shortened. I took some measurements and it looks like all is lined up. the bottom of the tunnel wasn't welded however.

the PO made a chevron style cut.

A buddy of mine is acting as my welding tutor. the bottom weld he did however, since it was a little messy.

before

after

ground down the weld then added some flatbar as reinforcement on the bottom

Used a torch to heat and bang some flatbar onto the top / side of the tunnel. just tacked them in for now

Tue May 14, 2013 10:45 pm

yah time to get busy is right............

here is a pix of an overhead gantry lift I made. this, along with a load leveler, allowed me to build the rotisserie around the pan while it was suspended. It came in super handy.

Tue May 14, 2013 11:05 pm

jakerot wrote: I also scored a set of US Indy mag wheels, 4 lug. 14" fronts and 15" rears. Started to restore them. I will post a pix soon.
Nice! I have the same wheels. Been trying to locate wider ones for the back at a decent price though. Also have to restore mine since the buggy sat in an old dirt floor dairy barn for nearly 20 years.

jakerot wrote:
I got a FG body, similar to El Lido / Lobo. Probably a generic knock off, who knows. this is the body style I was looking for.

Is the nose on the hood pointed? If so it might be a Litha Springs manufacture. If not it would likely be one of the ones you mentioned.
Here's the front of my lithia buggy. Body is the same as the Lido/Lobo, but the hood has a pointed nose.

Tue May 14, 2013 11:21 pm

I like that pointed front. mine is recessed however. The base color on my body appears to be green flake.

dune buggy archives lists it as X-0011. this is what I suspect mine looked like once upon a time........

Wed May 15, 2013 12:01 am

here is a pix of the wheels. 14" x 6" in the front and 15" x 8 1/2" in the rear

the tires are crappy. I will eventually get new ones.

Wed May 22, 2013 8:28 am

so now on to the rust.

the ends of the front "napoleon's hat" were rusted out and cracked, both sides

it isn't pretty underneath either

so I cut out the rusted parts. The front of the pans are OK however

some rust inside the napolean's hat. will use some POR-15 in here

Wed May 22, 2013 8:34 am

back of the pans had some rust issues too.

One side I was able to just fill in with weld and a small piece of sheet metal

the other side I had to cut out the bad metal.

I welded in some new metal. will add a picture soon

Wed May 22, 2013 8:41 am

started to address the bottom of the frame head. there was a small rust hole on one side of the bottom framehead.

so I decided to wire wheel it and see what I am dealing with. Not exactly what I was hoping for. all these dimples showed up in the metal after hitting it with the wire wheel. a poke with a screwdriver, and the hole in the metal was complete. then another, then another until finally:

the rest of the bottom of the frame head looks OK. went around with a hammer hitting all over and the metal seems pretty strong. Just this one spot is hurting.

So I said enough of this and sent the pan, along with a few other items, on to my local media blaster. no more yellow front beam!!

I want to know what I am dealing with and don't want any more rust surprises.

Wed May 22, 2013 8:44 am

so I am thinking on cutting the bad metal out to check out the integrity of the steel inside the frame head. If it looks OK, then my plan is to fill in the holes with weld and then weld the cut piece back in. Put some POR-15 inside maybe?

I have sheet metal I can reinforce this area with.

Anyone have experience with this kind of repair?

Wed May 22, 2013 8:54 am

Quote: Anyone have experience with this kind of repair?

When I get them in that shape, I usually replace the full "bat wing" and move on. For me, it saves time and then I know I have gotten all the weakness out of an important structural frame area.

Wed May 22, 2013 9:26 am

thanks Joe. so that is my dilemma. cut it all out and replace it all, or leave as much of the OE metal as I can and just repair the bad parts. this goes for the napolean hat as well.

By bat wing I assume you mean the frame head bottom plate?

If I could find a good quality OE bottom plate then I would love to remove the whole thing and just replace it. No brainer.

Of course, the one i saw at my local VW shop had thinner metal than OE.

The napolean hat I bought from there had thinner metal as well.
So I bought another napolean hat from another shop and it was the same POS.

so where is a good shop where I can get good quality parts for this repair?

my third option is look for a replacement frame head at a junkyard. No luck with this so far.

stumped.................

thank you all for your help

Wed May 22, 2013 9:37 am

Yes, "Bat Wing" is the bottom frame head plate. Different one for the L&P -vrs- the Ball Joint. The after market bat wings are decent, they are thick metal and come pretty close to fitting.

I agree on the Nepol Hat. They are thin and do not fit very well. I buy them and graft in the parts that are rusted badly, (curved areas, flat areas I use proper thickness sheet steel).

Chances are any used frame head you get will also need repair in some area.

Wed May 22, 2013 9:51 am

thanks Joe,

OK got it.

I am planning on splicing in the ends of the napolean hat. I will be using some DOM tubing around the pan perimeter to reinforce the pan and provide a body lift. I havent decided on a size yet. I saw a thread where you did the same thing with vwbowtieman that looked great. this tubing should overcome any structural deficiencies caused by the thinner metal on the napolean hat.

for the bat wing, well, I guess she is gonna have to come out. As much as I would like to keep the OE metal, it is what I cant see inside the head that worries me.

lets see what she looks like when she comes back from the blaster..........

thanks again.

Wed May 22, 2013 10:06 am

I am actually going this afternoon to pick up my steel for my Sears Rascal build. It will get a 2 X 2 boxed perimeter. This will provide a 1 inch raise in the body, (body lift) and the 1 inch down that a normal pan has. 0.120 wall so it will act as a structual member, give a great place to attach a roll cage to. It will receive a flat floor instead of putting in new pan haves. Makes mounting seats easier. I am also getting 1 X 1 tubing to go across the Nepol Hat and 1 X 2 to go across the rear section. Floor will be 14 gauge, all other roll cage and boxed/rectangle tubing is 0.120 wall.

Wed May 22, 2013 10:07 am

I would chop it all out and start will fresh steel, I never even noticed/ checked to see the thickness of mine...

Mon May 27, 2013 10:58 pm

awesome build pallen!! I have been following it. great stuff.

here is the pan section i repaired. got the pan back from the sandblaster. still got to hit it with grinder

took the batwing off. some rust in there. I think I can work with it.
I am thinking of reinforcing and coating with POR15.

Tue May 28, 2013 11:05 pm

here are some pix after I wire brushed

found a dollar inside the framehead. I'll have to find a way to make this a part of the build.