Project Slowly Underway: Berrien 295

[Vanapplebomb]

I made a drawing of the floor for a buddy of mine who runs a sheet metal shop. He is going to shear me a piece of aluminum, something around 1/8" or 11-12 gauge, whatever works out to be the cheapest. Then I can get my seats and pedals bolted down.

I talked to my transmission guy just the other day. He got all the parts to rebuild my late Vanagon transmission. Hopefully I will have that back in hand in a couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to fabricating the front mount for it... and also running in the engine. Should be great fun. Starting up a fresh engine is always a thrilling event.

I am still debating whether to go solid mount in the front, or if I want to make use of my extra urethane trailing arm pivot bushings to make a good poly front mount. I think that will be easier to decide once I work on fitting the bell housing mount. We will see what kind of room I have to work with.
_________________
1800 Type 4 Berrien 295

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=487021

[dustymojave]

I use 16ga (1/16" thick) 6061 T6 aluminum sheet for my buggy floors. Have since the early 70s. Never had a problem with that material. The original floor for my Hi Jumper is still fine over 40 years later. I'm not so sure why so many folks like floors for an M60 tank.

I don't recommend using 2024 or 5052 aluminum. as they're both soft and easy to bend. 1/16" diamond plate with the tread side up is also quite good, in fact probably better than smooth sheet. Diamond plate is generally quite tough material. Diamond down makes aerodynamic drag and drags over obstacles, while being slippery to step on. Diamond up makes it easier to climb in and out of the car, while making for smooth aero and over obstacles.
_________________
Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[Vanapplebomb]

Richard, unfortunetly for me the sheet has already been sheared. If I remember right it is 3003. Also not the strongest stuff on earth, but at ~1/8", that will be plenty strong to mount my pedals to since they sit right between two tabs where the floor bolts to the frame.

Richard, in the past my buddies have had great luck with solid bellhousing mounts and CB Rhino up front on bug transmissions. For my 091-1 Vanagon transmission I have a solid bellhousing cradle. I also have extra trailing arm pivot bushings I could make a front mount with... that said, I am having second thoughts about that. Since the front of the 091-1 has a stronger four bolt mount and my frame horns are braced to the frame, so I'm not very concerned about the need for a slight freedom of movement up front via poly mounts. I am now thinking maybe I should just go solid mounts all the way around. Any wisdom on that subject?
_________________
1800 Type 4 Berrien 295

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=487021

[Vanapplebomb]

I mounted the floor I drew up for my sheet metal buddy to shear. Worked pretty slick to hold it up agains the frame by clamping it up with some 2x4s and drill down though he mounting tabs. M8 bolts and lots of washers... needed five washers between the floor and tabs due to the position the tabs were welded on. I could have used spacers, but packs of 100 washers are cheap at Fastenal. The washer stack also let me suspend the floor about an 1/8" below the frame rails to helo keep crap from packing up between the frame rails.

_________________
1800 Type 4 Berrien 295

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=487021

[dustymojave]

The floor of my Hi Jumper has strategically placed 1.5" holes hole sawed in the rear corners to let junk fall out. Good for desert sand and small gravel. Water would exit that way pretty well also. I might worry a bit about a spaced out panel getting snagged.
_________________
Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[Brian]

Hmm, looks like your bolts are upside down.
_________________
Wash your hands

'69 Bug
'68 Baja Truck
'71 Bug
'68 Camper

Only losers litter

[Vanapplebomb]

Brian, what do ya mean the bolts are on upside down? You got a problem with installing bolts from the bottom up?

Just kidding ya Brian.
_________________
1800 Type 4 Berrien 295

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=487021

[Brian]

One of the guys I work with down here is an airplane mechanic, he was telling me that it's a rule that all bolts have to be pointing down. That way if shit gets loose, at least you don't lose the bolts Or something like that haha
_________________
Wash your hands

'69 Bug
'68 Baja Truck
'71 Bug
'68 Camper

Only losers litter

[Vanapplebomb]

That makes sense from that perspective. I guess my thought was it would be less hanging down under.
_________________
1800 Type 4 Berrien 295

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=487021

[dustymojave]

OTOH...
Floor pan bolts inserted from the top down, will have the excess bolt hanging down and getting sandblasted and perhaps scraped. They will often wind up with damaged threads. Far better in that case to install them as Van has them already. I even prefer to use carriage bolts so they can slide over things.
_________________
Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[Redneckgearhead]

With that thick of material I would have countersunk them and ran flat socket cap bolts. Nothing to hang down at all.

[JabaDubRider]

Gonna need some Grip tape! Looks good Dirk!
_________________
America, everybody is in too big a rush. Lay back, take a sip of tea, mow a little grass. Then if you get tired, take a nap.


http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=536093

[Vanapplebomb]

Thanks Joseph. It's like you were reading my mind. I think I am going to put a strip on each tree bar, and also a patch at the forward edge of the seats for stepping into the buggy. They sell 6"x 24" sections at menards cheap I can cut to size to stick to the floor.

Right now I am working our just how exactly the seats will be mounted. Once I get that sorted out I can figure out the placement of other details.
_________________
1800 Type 4 Berrien 295

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=487021

[JabaDubRider]

[Vanapplebomb]

I picked up couple 6"x24" adheasive backed anti-slip tread for the floor the other day. Should be perfect when trimmed to size.

I drilled my fiberglass buckets and frame for 10mm mounting bolts. I have to modify my buckets slightly for the harness. I need to cut holes in the fronts for the submarine belt. I haven't yet decided if I am going to also cut holes for the lap belt. I'm thinking I should because the sides of the fiberglass buckets are so tall. I'll have to do the sit down test to see how things sit when the seat cushions are on.
_________________
1800 Type 4 Berrien 295

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=487021

[Vanapplebomb]

Rolling with this as a guide for now...

_________________
1800 Type 4 Berrien 295

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=487021

[dustymojave]

That's a fine drawing of belt installation Van. Better than some of the ones that some belt makers offer.

Getting the shoulder belts right may require adding a shoulder bar in your frame. Most buggy frame DO NEED one added.
_________________
Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[Vanapplebomb]

[Vanapplebomb]

These would be the 1-1/2" clamps I would use to mount the seat belt shoulder bar.

_________________
1800 Type 4 Berrien 295

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=487021

[Vanapplebomb]

This is what I was thinking. Red dots are the above clamps with the blue 1-1/2" shoulder belt bar welded between them. Yellow are the belts coming up from the mounting tabs, over the blue bar, then forward to the shoulders. That should get me to the correct exit angle back from the shoulders.

What do you think?

_________________
1800 Type 4 Berrien 295

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=487021