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runslikeapenguin Samba Member
Joined: August 07, 2005 Posts: 4674 Location: Federal way WA
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Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 7:27 pm Post subject: shortened Rat rod 64 |
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before i start off with the pics here i would just like to say that i did not do the cutting here, i just salvaged a project that was going to go the dump.
so here i am with a 64 body and a unknown pan, the pan has been shortened 28 inches makeing it so you sit in the back seat. it was free.
what it looked like when i got it
later that afternoon i pressure washed the body and pan, to remove some of the extreamly thick grease and old paint.
since we are finishing the project as it was started its going to bee a rat rod. we primed the body accordingly
and after the pan was dry we painted it.
and this is what we hope the project will turn out like
so over all we got alot done in one day, we still have to shorten the shift rod, find a new tranney (the one in it is a mystery tranney) and a motor. as for the body we will have to cut pie sections out of the heater channel area and bend the body in to meet with the front, im not sure how that will turn out but were hopeing for the best. _________________ never forget 1-31-07 |
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dirtydeedss Samba Member
Joined: November 19, 2005 Posts: 613 Location: Aldergrove BC Canada
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Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 8:29 pm Post subject: |
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I am sooooo goona do that
check these out
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submachinegun Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2005 Posts: 401 Location: NC
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Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 8:33 pm Post subject: |
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please dont do it to one that can be saved. _________________ Ostküste
http://OstKuste.com/ |
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bugnut68 Samba Member
Joined: June 10, 2003 Posts: 4180 Location: Eugene, OR
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Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 8:36 pm Post subject: |
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I won't let my own personal distate of that project come into play here, but something to keep in mind is that you can't just drive around a Bug with a hacked off roof and expect it to have any kind of structural integrity. Look at any Karmann-built convertible and you'll see what I mean. Not just the side reinforcement rails under the heater channels, but they're braced EVERYWHERE.
No offense, but odds are there's a reason that car got hauled off to the dump. |
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John M. Samba Member
Joined: July 22, 2005 Posts: 3833 Location: Boulder, CO
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Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 9:48 pm Post subject: |
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Good point Bugnut...
Looks like it was structurally weak where it broke. _________________
Current: 1972 Beetle - 96V EV
Previous:
1966 Beetle - Sea Blue - 1300SP
1966 Beetle - Sea Blue - 1600SP
1974 Beetle - African Red - 1914CC
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runslikeapenguin Samba Member
Joined: August 07, 2005 Posts: 4674 Location: Federal way WA
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Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 9:56 pm Post subject: |
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im not really worrying about the structure of the car, we are going to fab up custome body mounts and weld in the doors when we get some, the body will be one piece again. _________________ never forget 1-31-07 |
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bugnut68 Samba Member
Joined: June 10, 2003 Posts: 4180 Location: Eugene, OR
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Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 10:37 pm Post subject: |
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runslikeapenguin wrote: |
im not really worrying about the structure of the car, we are going to fab up custome body mounts and weld in the doors when we get some, the body will be one piece again. |
Good plan... Doesn't matter if you put the body into one piece again, that sumbitch is gonna flex like a mofo...looks like it's basically trash now. No offense intended AT ALL, but it looks like a waste of time and effort, especially given what you're starting with. Not like you're saving anything worthwhile, from the vintage standpoint.
Custom body mounts won't do shit for structure and keeping the thing from twisting and flexing. Not to mention that thing won't handle for shit with such a tiny wheelbase. I never did understand the whole "shortened" Bug or Bus thing, but, my opinion notwithstanding, I can't say you've got much to lose, it looks like. |
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John M. Samba Member
Joined: July 22, 2005 Posts: 3833 Location: Boulder, CO
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Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 10:39 pm Post subject: |
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bugnut68 wrote: |
I can't say you've got much to lose, it looks like. |
Except a whole lot of time and money. But maybe he can prove us wrong... _________________
Current: 1972 Beetle - 96V EV
Previous:
1966 Beetle - Sea Blue - 1300SP
1966 Beetle - Sea Blue - 1600SP
1974 Beetle - African Red - 1914CC
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runslikeapenguin Samba Member
Joined: August 07, 2005 Posts: 4674 Location: Federal way WA
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Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 11:06 pm Post subject: |
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John M. wrote: |
bugnut68 wrote: |
I can't say you've got much to lose, it looks like. |
Except a whole lot of time and money. But maybe he can prove us wrong... |
well i allready have so far i have spent squat. and i dont plan on spending any money, i believe in fact that i believe i have all the parts to finish this. as for the front end, i will show you in a while how we are going to extend the front beam back to a stock position. im not looking for critical pureist views, im just salvaging a project and makeing a bitching rat rod out of it, heck we even have some tail pipe flame throwers that were going to go into the T bucket _________________ never forget 1-31-07 |
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Matt Miller Samba Member
Joined: October 24, 2005 Posts: 282 Location: Costa Mesa, California
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Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 11:29 pm Post subject: |
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i know an old man that used to take beat-to-hell bodies off of bugs and drive the pan around his farm. he built a 2 inch square tubing frame around the edge of the pan and added cross bracing i have to say that pan was so strong you could put a cut open body on one with a little bracing in the body and you'd be fine. |
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bugnut68 Samba Member
Joined: June 10, 2003 Posts: 4180 Location: Eugene, OR
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Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 12:38 pm Post subject: |
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1962 x3 wrote: |
i know an old man that used to take beat-to-hell bodies off of bugs and drive the pan around his farm. he built a 2 inch square tubing frame around the edge of the pan and added cross bracing i have to say that pan was so strong you could put a cut open body on one with a little bracing in the body and you'd be fine. |
It's not the pan you have to worry about flexing, it's the body. Reread my posts again. Better yet, look at a 'vert from the Karmann coachworks and you'll see what I mean. |
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Kubel Nick Samba Member
Joined: August 12, 2003 Posts: 1369 Location: Fort Worth, TX
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Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 2:26 pm Post subject: |
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If there will be no doors then I wouldn't worry about flexing. Cutting the top will make the body flex, worse case scenario (unless you're racing, etc) is you can't open/close your doors reliably anymore. No doors, no real problem. Do dune buggy builders strengthen their pans, not really.
Looks like a fun project. Check out www.volksrods.com, less purist talk and more fun |
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onebad65 Samba Member
Joined: December 16, 2004 Posts: 374
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Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 3:12 pm Post subject: |
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that thing will be plenty strong with the doors welded up, looks like a worthwhile project to me, long as you dont speed a ton of cash on it. i think it great that you saved it from the trash pile just becouse its not something pure or vintage doesnt mean its not worth saving. it has the potential to be bitching and whoever says otherwise has no vision or imagination of any kind. rock on with that project. |
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bugnut68 Samba Member
Joined: June 10, 2003 Posts: 4180 Location: Eugene, OR
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Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 3:57 pm Post subject: |
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onebad65 wrote: |
that thing will be plenty strong with the doors welded up, looks like a worthwhile project to me, long as you dont speed a ton of cash on it. i think it great that you saved it from the trash pile just becouse its not something pure or vintage doesnt mean its not worth saving. it has the potential to be bitching and whoever says otherwise has no vision or imagination of any kind. rock on with that project. |
Whatever. His project, that's cool. But having common sense is not the same as lacking vision or imagination. VolksRods are for some, not me, but hey, rock on bro. |
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onebad65 Samba Member
Joined: December 16, 2004 Posts: 374
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Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 6:20 pm Post subject: |
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common sense tells me the shortened car could be made strong with the proper bracing and some imagination, certainly a fun inexpensive ride that would otherwise have been a total waste. |
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runslikeapenguin Samba Member
Joined: August 07, 2005 Posts: 4674 Location: Federal way WA
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Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2006 6:21 pm Post subject: |
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glad to see im getting a little support, i lowered the pan but i did not get any pics, the swing is sitting just under level without the motor and we only have about 1 inch of travel will this be a problem? i mean a crappy ride is a given but im looking at touching the ground.
well any way we found a motor and were starting to streach the front and lower it so ill have pics soon.
by the way how do you guys think this thing would look with a 6 inch wider beam? _________________ never forget 1-31-07 |
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Bravo 1 Samba Member
Joined: September 13, 2005 Posts: 407 Location: Richmond, VA
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Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2006 6:29 pm Post subject: |
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I think it's awesome that you're doing that. Clearly the car is in pretty poor shape (less than 60% of it? ) for a 'stock' restoration, my personal preference. However, I think it's great that you're trying to get something in this shape back on the road. Just because it can't go back doesn't mean it should be scrapped! Power to you!
However, just a suggestion, or rather, friendly opinion, I'd like to second the idea of not putting doors on it. If you're gonna keep it a convertible, fill it up so that you've got some support on there. _________________ 1964 Type 1 Sedan |
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VWRAT67 Samba Member
Joined: December 02, 2005 Posts: 134
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Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2006 6:43 pm Post subject: |
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I think it's fricken killer....What you have to understand is if you ask a purist what they think they will say that your wasting your time, but if you ask a rat rod guy they will say your building a show stopper...Take your pics. over to volksrods.com and I guarantee you will get totally different opinions than you will find here....Good luck with your project I can't wait to see it finished..And even if it doesn't work out they way you want at least you had the fun of trying to build a killer ratrod and if it does work out then you got yourself a sweet little car that would be worth a bit of money in the volksroders scene...I got your back on this one. _________________ DANIEL FROM RAINY WASHINGTON
1970 TYPE 1
www.franklinsvwwerks.com |
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Kubel Nick Samba Member
Joined: August 12, 2003 Posts: 1369 Location: Fort Worth, TX
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Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2006 8:40 pm Post subject: |
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on buggies, it's common to put caster shims on the front as it helps stablize it on highway speed, especially if it's been lowered alot. |
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VW_Buggsy Samba Member
Joined: April 15, 2002 Posts: 517
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 1:28 pm Post subject: |
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That car rocks. I don't think you'll have any big flex problems with it since it's shortened and you won't be running doors. Fiberglass buggy frames are allot less sound than a shortened steel body with no gap for the doors, and they seem to do okay.
I'd put the front end way the hell out in front of the hood. I'd look for nice stock bugs to park it next too, so the owner can get all mad when people walk past them to beg you for rides! |
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