TheSamba.com :: View topic

Fri Mar 09, 2018 5:09 pm

I very rarely post here anymore but this thing is awesome, nicely done, very creative-dont see stuff like this much anymore.

Thu Mar 15, 2018 9:32 am

Suh-weet! So amazing! I love the picture with the two big guys in the bubble

Mon Apr 02, 2018 5:34 am

I love everything about this car, but I'm still not super keen on that rear light placement... Just seems like there has to be a way to tuck the lights in amongst the engine or something to keep with the clean lines of the car.

Tue May 26, 2020 8:14 am

So, not like I'm getting 100% back into this project or anything, but I have been working on something for it and figured I should share.

since frame is heavily modified, ebrake location is now ~1ft forward of shifter. Not much room in there for the stock length ebrake though given low cabin height and the trough in the gas tank and the dash.

So, I had the idea to just change the angle of the handbrake to more of a vertical sweep than a horizonatal sweep, kinda like a bus ebrake handle.

I drew up some models of ratchet plates that relocated the whole ratchet section up 30degrees and 45 degrees, wasn't sure how far I'd want to go. printed out on the new 3D printer toy. Shortened ebrake handle 135mm. In theory, should be able to just shorten the rod the same amount and rethread and everything will work. I did have to cut through the middle of the cam section the cables ride in. Not sure what extend of additional mods will be needed there but should be pretty easy to add some length to the cam.

all the bits laid out.

full release position.

full tension position.

full release position in car.

full tension position in car.

Pretty happy with fit and everything, so next step is to finalize some modifications to the CAD model and add it to my next laser cutting order.

Tue May 26, 2020 8:58 am

I am really happy you posted an update.

I feel bad I missed seeing the car at Autorama.

Thu May 28, 2020 4:54 am

I recently did some more work on an MG kit car that I got back on the road for a guy a couple years ago. E brake was way under the dash. I was not as ambitious as you, but needed to do somethind. I did a pie cut in the top of the handle and was able to angle it up about 45 degrees which made it usable.

Mon Jun 01, 2020 11:45 am

Yea pie cutting the handle came across my mind but I rejected it because I needed some pretty extreme angle shift and didn’t think the pushrod would work.

Laser cut piece received today. Spent some time deburring it but looks like it’s going to work well.

Sat Jun 06, 2020 10:39 am

awesome! glad to see you still around and working on this masterpiece! :)

Sat Jun 06, 2020 8:38 pm

Hey, your bubbletop made the homepage random photos! Cool!

I'd sure like to see that thing painted up, preferably in VW Blue (L 633)...even if a Krylon match :wink:

Fri Feb 19, 2021 11:47 am

Bump - wow, I just went through all 22 pages. :shock: 8) Amazing. any paint updates...?

Fri Feb 19, 2021 3:45 pm

vamram wrote: Bump - wow, I just went through all 22 pages. :shock: 8) Amazing. any paint updates...?

Funny, I was just thinking about this car today. I too, wonder what might be happening with it.

Sat Feb 20, 2021 6:00 am

Sorry dudes, 0 progress to report on this project, it’s in stasis for now.

Zwitter project and fiat project taking priority. Fiat just needs water pump installed and minor rewiring to be a runner (I hope). Zwitter needs about as many hours of welding as this thing did still.

I have excuses: cold season here in MI, work crazy busy & requiring travel every few weeks again, wife pregnant, new job transition period starting within a month, existing house projects at rental wrapped up, new property and new building in the works taking up lots of free time with all the research and design iterations. Blah blah blah.

But today I turned 33 and I’m going to do something VW related as a birthday treat to myself. Probably not on this project, however.

Paint will have to wait until I’m older, fatter, and wealthier I’m afraid. I will share progress as I make progress, of course.

Sat Feb 20, 2021 8:37 am

Certainly understandable. Thanks for the update.

Mon Jun 28, 2021 6:14 am

Goal to get this thing driving again for the cruise season in August. Going to have some time off work for paternity leave in the near future, so some short local trips may be in order. Last time I drove it I noticed oil cooler leaking, so before I put it all back together with new seals I figured it would be best to pressure test the cooler too. While I was looking around my shop for some Al scrap to build a tester out of, I had the idea to try 3D printing one. Happy to say it worked out perfectly.

T4 cooler pictured since I happened to have it laying around and wanted to know if it was good too.

Both this one and the T3 cooler on the bubble car only bubbled when I pressed the valve open. Tested @ 25-30psi.

So motor all back together now. I thought I may have dropped one of the T3 cooler spacers down into the fan housing so that was fun to deal with. Just have to charge up the battery and then hopefully I’ll be able to blow the cobwebs off of it.

Tue Aug 31, 2021 10:27 am

Thanks for documenting this, I very much enjoyed reading it. I need to get my welder fixed and get back out in the shop...

Tue Aug 31, 2021 2:42 pm

I actually saw a picture of your car in an image dump on imgur a couple months ago! I was on my phone and didn't think to favorite the post so i could link to it here :/

Fri Feb 24, 2023 5:00 pm

Ran across this again today. Hope it, you, and family are doing well.

Fri Feb 24, 2023 5:08 pm

Yea, thanks for checking in. Things are good. Expecting daughter #2 to pop out any day now. Between that, some rental property projects, new job couple years ago, major maintenance on my fleet of older daily driver Fords, and the Zwitter project, I'm keeping busy you could say. Might have to move this project soon since we've been house hunting. Might be able to squirrel it away for later, but may also be time to pass the baton.

Fri Feb 24, 2023 8:10 pm

nshaddox wrote: Yea, thanks for checking in. Things are good. Expecting daughter #2 to pop out any day now. Between that, some rental property projects, new job couple years ago, major maintenance on my fleet of older daily driver Fords, and the Zwitter project, I'm keeping busy you could say. Might have to move this project soon since we've been house hunting. Might be able to squirrel it away for later, but may also be time to pass the baton.
Glad to hear you are doing well! Congrats on the expanding family. It's a lot of work and a lot of joy too. Mine is now 35 -- it gets easy again when they have their own homes and careers. :lol:

Your bubble-top is an incredible build. I hope you continue to enjoy it! However, if you choose to let it go please let all of us in the Volksrods thread know. It is unique and I think it deserves an enthusiasts home. \:D/

Fri Feb 24, 2023 8:58 pm

EVfun wrote: nshaddox wrote: Yea, thanks for checking in. Things are good. Expecting daughter #2 to pop out any day now. Between that, some rental property projects, new job couple years ago, major maintenance on my fleet of older daily driver Fords, and the Zwitter project, I'm keeping busy you could say. Might have to move this project soon since we've been house hunting. Might be able to squirrel it away for later, but may also be time to pass the baton.
Glad to hear you are doing well! Congrats on the expanding family. It's a lot of work and a lot of joy too. Mine is now 35 -- it gets easy again when they have their own homes and careers. :lol:

Your bubble-top is an incredible build. I hope you continue to enjoy it! However, if you choose to let it go please let all of us in the Volksrods thread know. It is unique and I think it deserves an enthusiasts home. \:D/

Agreed. I have a daughter about to graduate high school and her first two years of college at the same time this spring. It is a fantastic feeling.

I also would love to see this wonderful car creation get taken to the next step, no matter whose hands get that job done.