What did you do yesterday on your buggy?

[MrGoodtunes]

Over 46 years working on and driving my buggy, I finally install'd a tachometer:

Thanks @joemama for the motivation provided by one of his many interesting posts:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9885377&highlight=#9885377

The size of his Bosch tach look'd like a good fit for my application, and the ponytail of wires coming out the back of it could fit nicely into the hole in my dash instrument panel:

That hole was for reading the digital display of an AM/FM/cassette stereo unit (hidden from view of thieves) back in the 1980s. The small thermometer I've had over the hole has been moved to a different dash area, making way for tach wires. But I've always felt a kitcar should be easy to take apart and reassemble. So I set out to convert the tach's ponytail into a pigtail, by using "helping hands" to splice in an electrical connector / disconnector:

I stagger'd the splices (left) and used Shoe Goo (middle) as well as a segment of the sleeving that came with the tach (right) to protect and keep splices from shorting out:

Next, I want to splice in a connector / disconnector for turnsignal stalk wires. Plus, I feel my new tach needs a chrome trim ring (like "Spooky" had on the old Sunpro; hmm, too bad it got crusty).

[slayer61]

Yesterday I put the engine in my buggy project for the first time!

FFS Have you tried to buy an 1 5/8 merged header lately?
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[slayer61]

Last time I was in the shop, I installed a couple of tunnel cover plates

Installed the shoelace that bonds the pan to the trans

Installed the cooler

and the body... temporarily.

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[Unknown-VW-User]

[slayer61]

Put in the tail lights

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[MrGoodtunes]

Did some PRT (pushrod tube) work 'cuz two were leaking oil drops on Cyl#2&1 side:

Those two were in backwards, hoping to avoid the pushrod rub that was obvious when smaller inside diameter was at the head end. But I found clear evidence that if the small ID is at case end, then rubbing occurs there! So I switch'd the small end back to the head, clearanced the small ID, and rotated so cleanancing is in the right area (~5:00):

This fix'd both the leaks and the rubbing.

I like the jam-nut style PRTs because they fit with my primary objective of having a kitcar that is easy to take apart and reassemble. The one gold PRT (there's another one on Cyl#3&4 side) is made by Scat. It has three (yes, 3!) O-rings inside of it, along with a spring that is soo long and strong its hard to work with. That's what the hose clamps are there for, so I can use channel locks in my struggle to squeeze its way-too-strong spring (it's probably extra long so it works for long strokers). Only one of my stock PRTs has survived the 30+ years since rebuilding this engine (there's also one stock PRT left on Cyl#3&4 side). No problem avoiding rub with stock PRTs, their accordian ends allow for bending into a slight S shape.

[Skulptorchaz]

Creative with the hose clamps.

[MrGoodtunes]

[slayer61]

I roped the mechanics here at the plant to do a little welding job for me. I now have a bracket on the dash, on which to mount my monster tach! Thanks guys!

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[MrGoodtunes]

I rebuilt my buggy's plexiglass side windows. They had become yellow and hard to see thru.

New plexi is clear; 4 top edge bolts are now stainless, front edge is beautiful chrome (found as a leftover at an accident site).

Notch in bottom edge helps with both the closed window position and with the open gullwing position as shown in this video:

https://youtu.be/qo9mFnXgrjw

[slayer61]

Sway bar on the rear of a swingaxle? Everybody says NO and that's just an invitation for me to try it. I need to know why everyone says no. Tribal knowledge? Cuz the internet says so?

I'll bite. It's only a couple hours of work to put it on, and if it doesn't work, it's reversible & I'll take it off. The camber compensator doesn't fit with the Rhino case trans, so this was the remaining option.

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[EVfun]

[slayer61]

[MrGoodtunes]

Hook'd up a "Quick Start Hot Wire" on my buggy.

Before & after pics (new wire is red):

Buggy has almost always started fairly quick. But occasionally, she would crank for a full second or two. Well, I'm running a 6-volt starter for my chosen 180mm clutch and 12-volt power system. So after 1~2 sec cranking, I let the ignition key back off from start position to on position; and in that instant, the engine fires! Makes sense because upon releaving the starter motor from draining the battery, there's suddenly more battery power available for the ignition coil to provide a strong spark.

Recently, I traded some parts with Samba member @Rust Bucket 52 who gave me a 12v solenoid with an extra male spade terminal that's been missing from every solenoid I've ever had during my 47 years with this car. That terminal (VW#15a) provides a 12 volt unfused connection directly from the positive battery terminal only when the solenoid is activated (i.e. while starter is cranking).

In the following pic, I push'd back the protective sleeve so you could see this end of the red wire coming from the solenoid (shown in after pic above), using a piggyback spade connector on coil positive (VW#15) terminal:

It works great. I totally love the "click-a-vroom" sound of a quick strong start up! But I wonder. Could the same result have been achieved without the extra solenoid terminal, by connecting to the coil from the big heavy duty terminal that feeds power from solenoid to starter thru woven copper?

[Murphy's Law]

I got my adjustable beam from Scat yesterday. I am thoroughly disappointed in the quality.

Looks like I'll be removing the bearings and bushings to complete the welding on it. Three spot welds between the tubes on each side, uprights between the tubes (where vw usually rots) are welded front/rear but no weld on the top or bottom. I don't understand that. The frame head mounts are just enough off square to be noticeable and it's powder coated. Ugh. I hate to clean powder and I hate the way the steel welds afterward, too.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure it's made of substandard material. It sounds that way anyway.

The only good thing I see is that the holes for the zerk fittings are drilled much lower than stock, but I didn't see any threads inside the holes. Probably not. I'll just do the right thing and pretend not to notice.

$385 delivered from CA to NY, guess you get what you pay for. This is a dune buggy addon, it's a good thing this will not be driven a whole lot. There is a whole slew of reasons I'm not sending it back, the biggest one is Scat's recent history of "customer service". Not to mention the length of time it took for them to actually ship it.

And yes, I knew the chance I was taking in making this purchase.

[joescoolcustoms]

Ya'd think those Chinese kids would do a better job than that.
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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

[EVfun]

Uh... My 1963 factory front beam is not welded all the way around the uprights to the torsion tubes. I just ran out to my garage to take a look. I don't see how that is a quality problem if VW didn't do it.
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[YDBD]

yep OEM beams were not welded all the way around:

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'56 pan Dune Buggy since '69
don't live in the past...but when I did:
'67 bug
'64 baja
'60 dune buggy
'73 Personenkraftwagen Type 182 "Thing"

[Skulptorchaz]

There is very good reason for not welding a solid bead on something - less continual stress along that line makes it less apt to break along the weld.

[slayer61]

Stripped the seats and roll cage out of the buggy and dropped the cage off at the powder coaters. Price today is less than quoted a year and a half ago! That doesn't happen very often!

Going blue like the seats & cooling tin
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