'56 Oval Baja Build with RGB's

[joescoolcustoms]

Been awhile, but I have gotten some things done on this '69 white baja.

I have done a lot of East Coast rust repair underneath to this body. The front lower pan head, rear cross member, rear rocker caps, rear package trey and re constructed the heat tubes that come from the heat exchangers into the interior. All PITA work that I do not enjoy.

So, now back to the actual build.

I pulled the front beam off the body to perform a classic 1/4 inch "cut-and-turn" to raise it up a little.

Next step is to clean the beam tubes and mark a straight line for reference to how much turn is put in the beam.

NOTE: I am doing this with the torsions and trailing arms attached to save time. I have already installed new ball joints, bearings, brakes and wheel cylinders, then decided to perform the cut and turn. This can be difficult because the beam torsions do have some pre-load on them and can make getting it back correctly difficult.

Next it is helpful to mark the place you intend to cut the beam. I use painters tape as a guide.

Then take a deep breath and cut the beam. If you do this without taking the beam apart, be careful not to cut deep into the beam tube and cut into the torsion leaves inside. I used a sawzall. Note that because the torsion leaves are pre loaded, the tube turned backwards as you can see from the lines that do not line up.

Now comes the challanging part, getting it back, straight and welded. I use a 3 foot pipe wrench to help me get it where I need it. A 3 foot wrench is not needed, but it does make it easier for me to twist, measure, line up the cut piece and weld by myself, all at once. A helper is nice for this.

So, the tube has to be turned at least back to the starting point and then an additional 1/4 inch and welded. You can now see the turn I put in the beam. I used the radiator clamp on one side straddled over the cut to get the tubes lined up while I am twisting with the pipe wrench, measuring and spot welding.

Next, just finish weld the cut and you are ready to go to the next tube.

The 1/4 inch turn is not set in stone. Some turn 3/8 inch, some 3/16 inch. But once you do it, it is done. Excluding pulling the beam from the car, the top tube took me about 45 minutes to cut, turn and weld back. This can be done on a Saturday with ease and get about 1 1/2 inch increase in height. Which allows for taller tires.
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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]

Process completed this evening for the lower tube. The reference marks show the 1/4 inch turn on both tubes.

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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

[thext94]

Great write up, makes it easy to understand. Do you grind down the weld after to keep it flush?

[joescoolcustoms]

[pafree]

i like the pipe wrench technique. getting the spindles back on after turning is a PITA. when you turn with the center piece does it stayed lined up pretty good with the rest of the beam? seems like the pressure would move the center down out of alingment.

did you remove the center grub bolt/nut before the process? i would not think you would but just not see it on the pictures.

[joescoolcustoms]

[pafree]

[joescoolcustoms]

That is another good way pafree. I have used the angle technique before too.

It should also be noted to only cut one tube and weld it at a time. If both tubes are cut at the same time, it can be very difficult to line everything back up to keep the suspension beam straight.
_________________
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 finished off the front beam and it is ready to go back on. I welded the bumper on a litle better than the PO had done.

Before it goes back on, I will change out the Master Cylinder for a new TRW unit. That is the only old brake system part left. Now the complete brake system is new.

It is painted with rattle can Truck Bed Liner. Should last a little better than just paint.

I have set a goal date of March 17, 2012 to have this baja driving. That is the next get together of my VW club. I would like to drive it to the dinner.
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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

[24HOURSOFNEVADA]

You can add me to the list of naysayers about building a baja out of an oval... Until I saw the amount of rust that you're dealing with. I have no doubt that would have ended up at the scrapper.

Awesome build with great period details. It's going to be "New, old school." the NOS Baja!

[joescoolcustoms]

There are varied reactions to building a baja out of a Oval. Even with the fact that this body I started with was just days away from being cut up, I still get nasty PM's from people that cannot agree with the route I took with it. I am OK with it because once I am long gone, this body could still be returned back to a full body car in near stock condition, but not without me saving it from the sawsaw and scrap yard first.

Most every one I know in the VW community knows that I am building this '56 baja. One lady in our club has a beautiful, original paint '56 that is still 36 horse and 6 volt. The only thing changed is the tranny was updated to a tunnel type. We were at a show last summer in Columbus Ohio and she was having problems with the engine and had not driven it in 2 years (turned out to be dropping a valve). She was getting depressed about it. I have been know to hoard parts and VW's, and buy them on a whim. So I told her that if she was to ever decide to sell that oval, I would interested in it because it is so nice. Then I told her it would save me a lot of time in making a baja because I would not have to do any rust repair or paint.

She kicked me in the shin. And she knew I was joking.
_________________
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

[24HOURSOFNEVADA]

I meant it as a sincere compliment. You're a very talented fabricator and I'm really enjoying the build.

[EMPIImp69]

Joe, I'm just seeing your thread now and finished reading thru it. Awesome work!
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1963 Ragtop Bug

[joescoolcustoms]

Thanks for the props guys!

Just wish I was faster at it.
_________________
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]

Got it back to roller status! It has been close to a year since it has been on jack stands.

Also put the engine in it for the first time. If memory serves correctly, it has not had a engine in it since Spring '10. The air cleaner hits the rear valance, so I will modify it to lower it down about 2 inches.

The engine in it is short lived though, it has to come back out. Something is not right with the tranny. Sucks. Just put in new tranny oil. I was trying to avoid building a tranny, but just may have to happen.

Anyway, now I can get a good feel for how it will set with some weight on the rear. I will pull the torsions and re-index them for a little more height.
_________________
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

[Bashr52]

[joescoolcustoms]

[Dave24]

[joescoolcustoms]

Wow!

Working too much and not focusing on what I am doing on the White Baja.

The tranny was not bad. It was a severe brain fart.

As soon as I stuck the engine in, I thought to put it in a gear so it would not free roll in the garage (haven't hooked up the E-brake yet). So in a gear it went and then I gave a little push to see the engine hold the baja back. It just free rolled. I tried ever gear, pulled the inspection cover off over the shift rod coupler to make sure, worked on the clutch cable adjustment, adjusted the peddles (needed that anyway) and nothing made the tranny work.

So, no big deal, just pull it apart and rebuild it. The engine was only in with 4 bolts, no wires, no fuel line, no accel cable, no rear cage/bumper. So I pulled the engine out this evening. Manually put the tranny in gear, rolled the baja just a little and no input shaft movement. Grabbed my input crank and slipped it on the input shaft and gave it a whirl. Nothing.

So I looked at the CV flanges while I spun the input shaft with my crank. They were spinning, but the baja did not roll.

Then it hit me, I had not yet installed the axles and CV's.

I think I will drink a beer and go to bed now.
_________________
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

[dirtkeeper]