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Wheeljack Samba Member
Joined: January 20, 2020 Posts: 99 Location: Utica, Nebraska
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2021 3:38 pm Post subject: Re: Future plans and would like some advice |
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I wont be fixing it until I have more stuff at my house to start the build anyway. Need to make some calls to electricians about putting a 100 amp panel in my garage, since it only has a 20 amp fuse dedicated to it from the house, not nearly enough for welding.
So in the mean time, I'll look at a type 2 transaxle, engine rebuild kit, engine sheet metal, distributor (may try a full electronic), 2bbl carb, may also look into propane kits. Always wanted a propane vehicle, but these dual fuel kits are not very easy to locate. |
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Aerindel Samba Member
Joined: May 30, 2015 Posts: 459 Location: Western Montana
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2021 4:29 pm Post subject: Re: Future plans and would like some advice |
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Dude, if you can build a buggy, you a wire panel.
Your main problem isn't going to be the panel anyway, its the gauge of wire running to your garage. You probably only have 14 gauge running there now.
Just get some direct burial 2-2-2-4 wire and go at it. Electricity is so EASY compared to anything on a car (at least to me)
Depending on how far your garage is, you can just make an extension cord. Just last week I made up a 50 AMP 20 foot long welder extension cord because I can't actually put my buggy in my metal shop but have to work on it in the driveway and my welder wouldn't reach. It only cost about $50 in wire and end plugs at lowes, not bad when to BUY one outright is usually $300.
Of course you may have other reasons to put in a full panel in your garage.
Anyway, just saying, given its 2021, you may be waiting a long time for an electrician and paying more than the buggy is worth to get the job done. _________________ Homemade woods/street, bug out rail. IRS, Balljoint front end. 1967 1600cc DP, Weber 32/36 progressive, tri-mil quiet pack. Rear only cutting brakes.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=630046 |
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Wheeljack Samba Member
Joined: January 20, 2020 Posts: 99 Location: Utica, Nebraska
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2021 4:39 pm Post subject: Re: Future plans and would like some advice |
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Its 12ga underground wire from the house. Before it was a 15amp breaker, but this past weekend, my dad and I installed the 20 amp. With my current 120v 140 transformer welder, I need 10ga wire and 30 amp dedicated breaker for it. All of which is going to be a slow process. I could spend the money on a fully welded frame vs spend the $700 for the knock down. But I don't have a large enough trailer to move a fully welded frame, it's only large enough for the knock down.
Actually, what I'm doing for my garage is going to be for a lot more than just this buggy. I took up welding in college as a trade that I thought I'd be going into, but now it's just a hobby of mine. Regardless if wiring up the garage will be worth more than the buggy doesn't matter, since this is a quality of life thing I'm doing g for myself anyway. The buggy is just a project for me to do.
I may do some side projects in there to make so cash on the side to help pay for stuff since I'm just a used car technician and certain times of the year gets a bit thin in the wallet. Plus I dabble in other stuff as well. So it isn't just because I need the power to build this buggy, it's for a lot of other things too.
But as of right now with my house being built in 1898, the breaker box was only ever upgraded to a 125 amp panel, so just running a 50 amp for this isn't an option. The garage is next to the house, but opposite of the service panel. They had run the 12ga wire from the breaker box, under the floor joists of the partial basement, along the staircase, under the house crawl space, through the siding and under maybe an inch of dirt about 12 feet to the garage, to a single outlet. From that outlet its split to several outlets with 14ga wire, then to two outdoor lights on the sides of the garage.
So there is probably 50 feet of 12ga wire from the panel to the garage at most. I have to have it ran from the outdoor cutoff under the meter, then through PVC conduit to the garage to a 100 amp panel I'll have installed in there. I would do all this myself, but I'd rather have it done by the book from a licensed electrician, since they need to put their stamp of approval on the breaker box in the house since whoever installed that, never had an electrical inspector sign off on it. |
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Aerindel Samba Member
Joined: May 30, 2015 Posts: 459 Location: Western Montana
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2021 10:45 pm Post subject: Re: Future plans and would like some advice |
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Regardless if wiring up the garage will be worth more than the buggy doesn't matter, since this is a quality of life thing I'm doing g for myself anyway. The buggy is just a project for me to do. |
Understandable. I barely did anything at all on my buggy for five years while I built my shop. The buggy is kind of a 'reward' for finally having a 'real' shop. All the work to get it from rolling chassis to something I could drive happened under a tarp in the driveway. Its a lot more fun with an actual shop right next to it even if its not a drive in shop.
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I would do all this myself, but I'd rather have it done by the book from a licensed electrician, since they need to put their stamp of approval on the breaker box in the house since whoever installed that, never had an electrical inspector sign off on it. |
Right. If you live in a place with building codes I imagine that could be a big factor in itself. _________________ Homemade woods/street, bug out rail. IRS, Balljoint front end. 1967 1600cc DP, Weber 32/36 progressive, tri-mil quiet pack. Rear only cutting brakes.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=630046 |
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Wheeljack Samba Member
Joined: January 20, 2020 Posts: 99 Location: Utica, Nebraska
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Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2021 10:45 am Post subject: Re: Future plans and would like some advice |
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Building codes are one thing, but I also want to make sure that incase of an electrical fire, I don't want to have the blame put onto me for a mistake. Rather have it done right. |
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Wheeljack Samba Member
Joined: January 20, 2020 Posts: 99 Location: Utica, Nebraska
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Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2021 5:27 pm Post subject: Re: Future plans and would like some advice |
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What size battery are people using for their street legal sand rail? Talking battery group size and Cold Crank amps, as well as reserve amp hour.
Another question is, I'm debating whether or not use the original OE gas tank. It's either use that, or get a spun aluminum 10 or 15 gallon tank. With the spun aluminum tank, it would be mounted forward and above the engine. The stock fuel tank, not sure if I would mount it behind the seats or if it's better to mount it out in front between the cage rails? |
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Wheeljack Samba Member
Joined: January 20, 2020 Posts: 99 Location: Utica, Nebraska
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2022 9:49 pm Post subject: Re: Future plans and would like some advice |
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Are the Plano ammunition plastic cans the best out there for a fuse/relay box? Or what are you all doing for the electrical? I'm trying to figure out the best way to make a power distribution center (fuse and relay box). The plastic ammo cans seem to be what some go with. Drill a hole in the bottom with a grommet to keep it more water tight. But my real question is, what to use as the board for the fuses and relays to plug into? Kind of want to copy what modern vehicles have under the hood. |
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Matt Wilson Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2005 Posts: 2406 Location: Colorado
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Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2022 9:24 am Post subject: Re: Future plans and would like some advice |
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You can find a Bussman 'universal' fuse box with relay sockets that have weatherpack style gaskets for each wire and for the cover. They aren't too spendy either. Just a suggestion if you are not staying too close to the stock system.
Available too are these handy LED fuses that illuminate when they blow - of course they have to be plugged in a certain way to work right... _________________ 1972 Standard Beetle
1969 Baja Beetle |
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stevebaz Samba Member
Joined: March 14, 2008 Posts: 189 Location: El Monte CA
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Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2022 10:04 am Post subject: Re: Future plans and would like some advice |
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Wheeljack wrote: |
Building codes are one thing, but I also want to make sure that incase of an electrical fire, I don't want to have the blame put onto me for a mistake. Rather have it done right. |
Yea codes are one thing but once the electrician is called your stuck upgrading all prior work to current code to satisfy the electrical permit.
Got an electric dryer? plug into that to run your welder. |
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Wheeljack Samba Member
Joined: January 20, 2020 Posts: 99 Location: Utica, Nebraska
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Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2022 10:10 am Post subject: Re: Future plans and would like some advice |
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stevebaz wrote: |
Wheeljack wrote: |
Building codes are one thing, but I also want to make sure that incase of an electrical fire, I don't want to have the blame put onto me for a mistake. Rather have it done right. |
Yea codes are one thing but once the electrician is called your stuck upgrading all prior work to current code to satisfy the electrical permit.
Got an electric dryer? plug into that to run your welder. |
So that outlet is not the standard type that 240v welders would plug into. Would have to either replace cord on the welder or get an adapter to use it, and run like a 30' extension cord from the kitchen to the garage to do that. I could do the work myself, but I'd have to have an electrical inspector come out an certify the work. The breaker box in the basement was never certified by an electrical inspector, so I have to take it one step at a time. |
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