The Viper's Tale. Lots of Fiberglass Repair

[neohic]

Very cool, Joe! I still hang around here just to keep an eye on your work. Very nice, sir!
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-Ben

I like to build stuff...

[joescoolcustoms]

Thanks Ben! Looking forward to seeing you continue on your build and posts too.

After being sick for a week and a half, then also taking care of a sick family member, I got some work done last night. Sorted out how I wanted to mount the seats and got them in.

I bought a beetle that was basically scrap and had these very nice older version of the Scat Procar seats that show very little wear and in great shape.

They have a lot of adjustability. And since the adjusters are on a slope, the seat rises as it comes forward for a shorter stature person.

They fit nicely and I was able to get the the rear of the seat bottom level with the top of the tunnel. I have found that a seat at this height is low, but still gives good advantage over the pedals. Having that advantage on the pedals is nice when stuck in traffic, town driving or spirited mountain curvey driving. It reduces driver fatigue and makes for a more enjoyable ride. And having the small body lift helps sink the seat down into the body for a less of a "Big Seat" look.

I bought this rear seat a few years ago off of ebay and it fits this body style very nicely. It has a lower flap that runs on top of the chassis mounting lip, and has snaps to hold it in place. Kind of a nice addition to hide the battery. These three seats will clean up nice and make a nice simple looking interior.

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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

[BIGMIKEY]

Joe, Something looks different about the 1" body lift on this one. Is that 'U' channel? It drops down to cover the outer body/chassis seam. Am I seeing right?
Nice detail. Again.

Mike T
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BIGMIKEY

Deserter Series 1 project.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=787047&highlight=

1973 Beetle Driver, Marina Blue.

[joescoolcustoms]

[BIGMIKEY]

I see. Ties in nice to the napoleon hat in front and it's rear counterpart. The result looks less like a Dagwood sammitch. More streamlined. Another JCC refinement.

Mike T
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BIGMIKEY

Deserter Series 1 project.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=787047&highlight=

1973 Beetle Driver, Marina Blue.

[Buggy Brian]

Great build Joe! Loving it, and can't wait to see it come to completion. I've been working 13 hours a day, 6 days a week for a few weeks now, and haven't caught up on anything lately. Glad to have today off to be able to cruise the site and see your work.
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-(Loretta) Manx # M2940D910E on customized 1970 chassis by Joescoolcustoms
-(Scarlett) Manx Resorter #12 (R0012B931S) on 1969 chassis.
-Original Home built buggy that started all. I learned to drive in it back in 1985.
Manx Club Member # 4436

Check out my Loretta here: http://www.manxclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=65&t=3365Manx

Scarlett is getting a Makeover! http://manxclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=82&t=3745&p=24983#p24983

[joescoolcustoms]

It has been a while, but I have made some progress on the Viper.

Moved the shifter back 3 inches. Even with my knuckle dragging arms, it was too far to reach for third gear. While the pan was open, I went in and added welds to the tubes to add extra security to them for the future. Then added a new 1/4 inch metal fuel line.

The rear seat mounts worked out very simple, and the way the seats are set up, they elevate as they move forward, nice for shorter drivers.

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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

[joescoolcustoms]

The last thing that needed to be done was a front bumper. In past builds, I would experiment on a buggy to see what an idea would look like. On the Sears Rascal, I did a reverse second hoop on the roll cage, which ended up looking good, and the idea altered for my Puzzle Manx with two reverse second hoops in the design.

So, I experimented on the front bumper for an advanced look at another project I am getting ready to start. Came out looking decent enough to go ahead on the other project.

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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

[joescoolcustoms]

After pulling it all apart completing all the finish welding, I blasted everything to white metal. On the chassis, every joint/transition was sealed with paintable automotive seam sealer. Then I used a catalyzed chassis shield to provide a good protection for any bare metal on bumpers, chassis and suspension pieces.

When the chassis shield was just about to harden, and I could still press my fingerprint into the paint, I shot Raptor tinted bed liner on it. Tinted to Sapphire Black.

Shifter relocation came out really nice.

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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

[joescoolcustoms]

I wanted to install adjusters in the front beam to help "tune" the front suspension for a better ride. Again, I experiment on things to see how they respond for future builds. Normally I install the adjuster for almost all upward movement. This is a first for me. These adjusters were installed for all downward movement with the highest point being stock ride height. Since it is a swing axle chassis, it is hard to lift one and still look in proper proportion.

First I measure/check a beam to ensure it is straight. Perform all the marking needed like finding center, then out on each side the correct distance. Hose clamps make a nice tool to get a straight circular line around the beam to follow when cutting.

I also scribe a line out of the way, then mark it with a center punch. Write on the beam the measurement between the two center punches so after it is cut and ready to weld, I can measure to ensure it has not sprung out of dimension.

I have seen these style of adjusters break the small weld on the adjusting box rendering the adjuster useless. So, during the welding process, I re-weld the box onto the adjuster for added strength and longevity.

I use a scotch pad on a roll loc in a angle grinder and clean the beam up again. Coat with the catalyzed chassis shield, then paint. Since I am always in a progression of building buggies, when blasting parts and everything is set up, I make a run on known parts I will use. So as when I go to paint.

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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

[joescoolcustoms]

I should have taken more photos, but it is just a chassis put together, so.....

But anyway, new ball joints, tie rods and ends, new rag joint, new wheel cylinders, new rubber brake lines, new dual stage Master Cylinder, new wheel bearings, new rubber spring plate bushings, new E-Brake cables and then you all of a sudden have a rolling chassis.

Yes, for the third time, I changed my choice for wheels.

And then, on schedule with this buggy build, another buggy moves ahead of it and the Viper again gets pushed to the back of the line. So, it was loaded with it's parts/engine and transferred to the house garage for several months while a orange buggy gets rebuilt in preparation for a race of my lifetime.

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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

[Laxkraap]

Joe,
I'm sorry to see that your selling this viper before completing it. I've read all your build topics/posts and its alittle like reading a good book and finding out the last chapter hasn't been written yet.

(i guess what i'm really sorry about is i dont currently have the funds to buy this project.its gonna be a great buggy for somebody, and i get that it'll help fund the build up of the puzzle manx for 'the race of a lifetime!)
good luck with the sale and looking forward to reading the next build!
tony
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'so I got that goin for me,which is nice'

[joescoolcustoms]