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nick.falconer Samba Member
Joined: January 09, 2011 Posts: 79 Location: Stanmore Bay, Auckland, New Zealand
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 2:48 am Post subject: Body Fitment |
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I'm finally back working on the buggy again, I have extended the lip where the body joins the pan because it was cut too thin. Now I just have to make it fit properly.
First issue is that the body is too narrow for the pan. When one side is sitting correctly the other is about an inch to short.
To fix this I think I am going to cut the front and back along the red lines below and then push the sides out to fit the pan.
The second issue, where I'm not sure what to do is that I think the chassis is about 10mm too short for this body.
At the front it sits away from the chassis and hits the brake fluid reservoir.
At the rear it is touching the rear torsion tube.
For this I'm really not sure what to do. I could make a cut-out for the brake reservoir or get one that mounts remotely, or I could cut-out a section for the torsion tube and then fibreglass over the hole. Or I could find a way to space the master cylinder back a bit.
Modifying the front seems to be the better option as it seems easier and won't be as visible.
Anybody have any other ideas or input before I start cutting?
Thanks, Nick |
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hillmotorsports Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2014 Posts: 432 Location: Morrisburg, Ontario, Canada
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 2:59 am Post subject: Re: Body Fitment |
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Other than a Blue Flame chassis stretcher you likely hit the best option with changing to a remote reservoir master cylinder. You will still have an issue with sealing the pan to body seam at the front.
As for your notching the body, you would be better to cut on the corner rather than in a few inches as your red lines show, would be easier to blend the patch. _________________ Rosemarie and Paul Hill
Morrisburg, Ontario
(With way more projects than spare time!) |
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joescoolcustoms Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2006 Posts: 9054 Location: West By God Virginia
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 6:58 am Post subject: Re: Body Fitment |
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I have widened the rear of the body on several buggy's just like what you show on your red line. No adverse effects.
On the front, widening like that may cause a hood fitment issue. The bottom will spread apart, but the top my come closer together. I would install the hood and see what spacing you have before widening. It may be better to "shrink" the pan. Cut, pie slice and re-weld the pan mount ledge.
For the master cylinder, I would make a inward bubble in the glass to fit the master area. Moving the master may create other issues VW designed around. _________________ 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 |
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hillmotorsports Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2014 Posts: 432 Location: Morrisburg, Ontario, Canada
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 9:55 am Post subject: Re: Body Fitment |
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Joe:
I was suggesting switching to a master with the reservoir remote, not moving the master. _________________ Rosemarie and Paul Hill
Morrisburg, Ontario
(With way more projects than spare time!) |
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joescoolcustoms Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2006 Posts: 9054 Location: West By God Virginia
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 10:50 am Post subject: Re: Body Fitment |
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hillmotorsports wrote: |
Joe:
I was suggesting switching to a master with the reservoir remote, not moving the master. |
The OP had stated he may space the Master out some. Pulling off the Volvo res. and going to a remote res. would be a simple fix. _________________ 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 |
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Dale M. Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2006 Posts: 20365 Location: Just a tiny bit west of Yosemite Valley
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 11:57 am Post subject: Re: Body Fitment |
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When we encountered this problem...
We just did a cutout and created a recess for reservoir to go into so we could retain the one on MC, when you start going remote it can get to high and be a bear to check fluid level and fill....
Since you are deep into glass work its just one extra detail... You only need to bump it in maybe 1 (+) inch... And no it will not interfere with pedal operation...
Besides your MC is on wrong side of tunnel anyway (snicker)....
Dale _________________ “Fear The Government That Wants To Take Your Guns" - Thomas Jefferson.
"Kellison Sand Piper Roadster" For Street & Show.
"Joe Pody Sandrover" Buggy with 2180 for Autocross (Sold)
============================================================
All suggestions and advice are purely my own opinion. You are free to ignore them if you wish ... |
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nick.falconer Samba Member
Joined: January 09, 2011 Posts: 79 Location: Stanmore Bay, Auckland, New Zealand
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Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2016 10:03 pm Post subject: Re: Body Fitment |
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I sat the hood on today and I seem to have a lot of clearance. So cutting the front seems like it would help.
The plan I have now is to cut the back and front, then drill the holes to mount the body to the chassis. After I will try and mount the hood. I will drill the holes and use long bolts to slowly pull it all together over a few days.
When I do the cuts at the back how high should I go? To the top of the first bump or most of the way up the tape as shown below? The front I was planning on going up about 3/4 of the way.
Also I'm pretty sure the master cylinder is on the "Right" side of the car |
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joescoolcustoms Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2006 Posts: 9054 Location: West By God Virginia
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Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2016 10:24 pm Post subject: Re: Body Fitment |
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For the rear, I go all the way up to the package trey. If you go any lower, it forms a bridge or gusset and stresses the body a lot. Cutting to the package trey allows for a pivot point.
I have never done the front, but would suspect you would need to go all the way up to the top of the firewall/fuel tank ledge for the same reason as the rear. _________________ 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 |
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clonebug Samba Member
Joined: January 29, 2005 Posts: 4026 Location: NW Washington
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Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2016 6:25 am Post subject: Re: Body Fitment |
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It seems to me you would be better off lengthening the pan and building new floors to fit the body.
A little metal work would surely be cheaper than repainting a body. _________________
vwracerdave wrote: |
Take a good long look in the mirror and report back on what you see. |
Paul.H wrote: |
That one line on that chart is probably better info than you can get from this place in a month |
My Megasquirt Fuel Injection Turbo Buggy Build
Water/Alcohol Injection
Audi TT intercooler
Upgraded to MS3Pro-Evo
EcuMaster PMU16
ECUMaster ADU5 Digital Dash
http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=127936 |
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joescoolcustoms Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2006 Posts: 9054 Location: West By God Virginia
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Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2016 6:31 am Post subject: Re: Body Fitment |
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clonebug wrote: |
It seems to me you would be better off lengthening the pan and building new floors to fit the body.
A little metal work would surely be cheaper than repainting a body. |
Of the 12 buggies I have built, only 1 did not need widening to fit the chassis. And it is super nice to gain that 3/4 to 1 inch width per side in the rear to aid in fitting seats into the tub.
For me, every body I have gotten has needed painting do to poor gel coat condition, or PO hacks needing repairs. The two bodies in the pictures above were both cut in half or worse. _________________ 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 |
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HeidelbergJohn4.0 Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004 Posts: 1199 Location: Havre de Grace, MD
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Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2016 10:18 am Post subject: Re: Body Fitment |
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Is that blue one the one I sold Vince with the stencil's painted down the side. that was cut in half? I kick myself for selling that one. _________________ 71 LWB Manx style dunebuggy
71 Beetle
71 Volksrod
Machette Speedster
2012 Passat TDI SE (sadly sitting in a buyback parking lot somewhere waiting for it's heart to be ripped out.) |
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joescoolcustoms Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2006 Posts: 9054 Location: West By God Virginia
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Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2016 11:16 am Post subject: Re: Body Fitment |
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HeidelbergJohn4.0 wrote: |
Is that blue one the one I sold Vince with the stencil's painted down the side. that was cut in half? I kick myself for selling that one. |
Mine came off of Roy R's Manx and was cut before he got it. It did have some unique stencil pattern on it.
You can see the cut doors in it here.
Last July during the cross US trip in Moab UT on the Shafer Trail.
I do know Vince put a Manx that was cut in half back together for Scott J, who lives there and works at the MOTB Host Hotel, Travel Lodge. I think Vince put it back together summer last year, maybe. Just too many builds and they start to run together. _________________ 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 |
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nick.falconer Samba Member
Joined: January 09, 2011 Posts: 79 Location: Stanmore Bay, Auckland, New Zealand
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Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2016 1:10 pm Post subject: Re: Body Fitment |
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Thanks for the tip joescoolcustoms I will hopefully make a start this week sometime.
clonebug wrote: |
It seems to me you would be better off lengthening the pan and building new floors to fit the body.
A little metal work would surely be cheaper than repainting a body. |
Here in NZ they are quite fussy on what is allowed on the road and all modifications like this must be certified. The certifier has already seen the chassis and is happy with it and I don't really want to go and change it.
Changing the fibreglass is much easier as there is no need to be a quailfied welder. |
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nick.falconer Samba Member
Joined: January 09, 2011 Posts: 79 Location: Stanmore Bay, Auckland, New Zealand
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Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 10:31 pm Post subject: Re: Body Fitment |
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I finally got around to looking at this again. I have made the cuts and bolted it down. But the body seems twisted a bit. The front left fender is sitting low and the rear right corner is also low. I have checked that the chassis is sitting level.
I'm thinking that since I am doing lots of fibreglass work anyway I might cut the body horizontally by each corner and lift it up then fibreglass the gap.
If I put the bonnet on I can get it looking alright but the front fender is still quite low and i think once there are lights on there it will look really off.
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BL3Manx Samba Member
Joined: August 29, 2006 Posts: 6767 Location: Northern California
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Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2017 5:42 pm Post subject: Re: Body Fitment |
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Nick, I like what you're doing. Your body will fit the chassis very well |
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nick.falconer Samba Member
Joined: January 09, 2011 Posts: 79 Location: Stanmore Bay, Auckland, New Zealand
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Posted: Sun Jul 02, 2017 1:30 pm Post subject: Re: Body Fitment |
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Body has been removed from the chassis and flipped ready for fibreglass.
Just need to bevel the edges and add some tape to the wooden backing panels to stop the fibreglass sticking.
Luckily my garage just fits the chassis and body end to end
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nick.falconer Samba Member
Joined: January 09, 2011 Posts: 79 Location: Stanmore Bay, Auckland, New Zealand
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Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2017 2:27 pm Post subject: Re: Body Fitment |
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Made a start with fibreglassing in the gaps. I have done most of the way, had to leave a block in place to hold things while I did the top (bottom in photos).
I will also add the lip over the Napoleons hat while it is off the chassis as well as the cut out for the master cylinder reservoir.
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nick.falconer Samba Member
Joined: January 09, 2011 Posts: 79 Location: Stanmore Bay, Auckland, New Zealand
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Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2017 1:06 pm Post subject: Re: Body Fitment |
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This weekend I finished up the last of the gap at the back and added the lip over to napoleons hat at the front. All that is left now is to remove the wood, fill the screw holes and add a few more sheets of fibreglass. Then I can put it back on the chassis and see what work is needed next.
To fix the front I made a cardboard template of the napoleons hat on the chassis, then transfered this into CAD on my PC. A mold was then made using multiple layers of MDF cut on a laser cutter.
This was stacked together to get the thickness needed. For the clearance around the MC reservoir, I CNC machined a block of aluminium and inserted that into the wooden mold.
I test fit it just as a sanity check before wrapping it in tape and screwing it to the body and glassing over it.
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nick.falconer Samba Member
Joined: January 09, 2011 Posts: 79 Location: Stanmore Bay, Auckland, New Zealand
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2017 6:25 pm Post subject: Re: Body Fitment |
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I have finally flipped the body back over and put it back on the chassis.
The width is now very good and the cutout for the MC reservoir worked out very well.
Now I just need to sort out the height difference between the two front fenders. I was going the cut the left side and raise it up. But now I'm thinking I will cut out a wedge and lower the right side.
The back is close enough to level that I don't think it will be necessary to make any changes.
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joescoolcustoms Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2006 Posts: 9054 Location: West By God Virginia
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2017 6:40 pm Post subject: Re: Body Fitment |
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I don't think I would cut the fenders to make level. It may make the hood fit badly.
It looks to me to be the body warped. I would bolt the right side secure, and slowly jack up the left side using time and heat to match the other side. This way the fuel tank will sit level and the very front will make the hood sit level too. _________________ 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 |
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