My Detroit sandrail/pleasure craft... or "Carmela's Concession"

[dennismcd707]

I picked up some 5 point Simpson seat harnesses yesterday at the Michigan Buggy Builders Show in Lansing, as well as another fan shrouding, a gasket set, and two sets of close ratio gears for my transmission. The gears cost the most, and I bought 'em without really knowing much about 'em. (keyed or splined, welded synchro hubs, etc.) The person doing my trans gave me a list of stuff to look out for at the show, but I honestly forgot everything I knew about gearing and bought these gears with a little luck and a prayer. Well..., I apparently bought the right ones because he told me I did ok with the transaction, although 4th gear could have been keyed instead of splined.

I didn't spend too much time at the show due to the fact that as soon as I walked in, I saw the seat belts and fan shrouding and bought 'em, and then the gears right after that. Now I had a handful of stuff, and I wasn't about to walk around the show holding all of it, so I split. There was a lot I missed. I'll be better prepared for the next one, hopefully. Now it's time to concentrate on finishing up the engine mantling on the 1760, and to keep checking things off of my 'to do' list. And .... it looks like we'll be tearing into my trans starting next weekend (St. Patrick's Day), so things are continuously moving forward at a fairly steady pace. Slowly, but surely! Mobility first.

[dustymojave]

Pretty low 3rd and 4th. I usually run 1.48 3rd and 1.14 4th for close ratios in a Type 1 gearbox. That's with a preferably 4.37 R&P. Although I've also used a 4.12 R&P for more top end speed. If you have a 4.12 R&P, then the close ratios you got will still work pretty well without so much tire spin in 1st gear.
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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.

[dennismcd707]

.....it looks like Sunday is the day to find out what's in my trans. Then we'll decide what the future holds for it. It seems the low ratio 4th gear that I bought might not work, so we'll see what kind of parts stash my trans guy has and we'll go from there.

I'm also having issues with my 74mm crank assembly. One of the rods is getting hung up when I tighten it around the throw, so it seems that 'nuthin' is easy'!!!

WELDING UPDATE: I had an electrician over to my house yesterday. I had him 86 the outdated 'plug fuse' electrical subpanel in my garage and install a new circuit breaker subpanel. The problem is the garage is wired with one 15 amp circuit, and that's not enough to be able to safely weld anything. So ........... until I dig a trench in my back yard and run a larger electrical wire to the garage, it looks like either an extension cord running to the welder from the house, or we'll have to keep waiting. (extension cord(s)....plural!)

[Bashr52]

nice score on the harnesses, not so much on the engine cooking fan shroud.... Do not run this thing, especially on a modified engine. They are about the worse ones out there. There are no vanes, flaps, or any way to direct air over then engine where it is supposed to go. It just blows it out wherever it feels like it, and leads to high engine temps/overheating. I had one on my 1776 back in the day, that sucker ran hot as hell.

[dustymojave]

Because some guys swear by those fan shrouds, I let it slip. But I agree with Bashr. I don't like those slanted shrouds. The sheet metal ones like yours or the cast aluminum ones. None flow air well. Many of the aftermarket 36hp shrouds also have no inner vanes to direct air flow, but at least they direct the flow with the external shape better than the slant ones.

My MIG welder draws 46amps. Make sure your new electrical service for the garage/workshop is adequate for the power your welder draws (usually the highest current draw).
_________________
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.

[dennismcd707]

Impulse Buying 101: the fan shroud is junk and I'll not use it for anything. When I brought it home, I realized it was junk, without anyone telling me so. I initially bought it for the bastard, but I've got the real deal fan shroud with louvers and vents inside it (times 3 .... I have 3 of 'em)

Welding in the garage is only gonna happen with it being connected to the house via long extension cords. I only have 15 amp service out there. I had an electrician out to put a new circuit breaker sub-panel in my garage to replace the glass plug fuse type sub panel. In the old panel there were two 20 amp plug fuses ........... but it's only one circuit out there at 15 amps, so somebody cobbled the electrical system in the garage PRIOR to me moving in.

So until I dig a trench in my back yard and run thicker wire to it, I cannot weld using power from the garage. It has to be extension cords running outside, from the house to the garage. Wait. Huh? uh...... didn't somebody mention to me that "NUTHIN' WORTH DOIN' IS GONNA BE EASY". Or am I thinking of "IF IT WERE EASY, EVERYBODY WOULD BE DOING IT"?

this welding hobby sure is getting off to a slow start....

[heywebonya]

Make a "temporary" extension cord using the same cable that you are planning to bury. Make it extra long, and plug it into your electric drier outlet until you are able to get it dug in.

-Jeff
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If I knew what I was doing; I wouldn't be building a buggy!

[BUGGUTZ]

I have a pile of "great deals" that I "had to have" from the buggy swap meet from over the years.
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66 Baja
73 standard
14 Jetta TDI
95 Escort
89 CUMMINS in whats left of a dodge body

Everyones gotta be somewhere!

[dennismcd707]

That would be me. Hi there, this is Dennis. This is his really cool rail, and this is his pile of 'extra' parts that he will never EVER use because it's all junk. He bought this stuff because of poor planning and low impulse control.

Here's a question that I'm suddenly asking myself. Yesterday, I dropped off my gearbox to Neil, my new trans rebuilding mechanic, and we tore it apart. Now I'm back home ready to order rear brake shoes and wheel cylinders, and I suddenly realize I'm guessing at "MAKE & MODEL". We think the trans is an early 60's type 1, so we'll say 1963 Beetle transaxle components. That means I have a short axle (which I do), but I thought with the big tires on the back, I needed a long axle. What gives? Is it because it's a rail and not a sedan with fenders? Does it matter on a sand rail which axle I have.... long or short? And what about splines. What does that mean? (ie: long axle, long spline or short axle, long spline????) Splines on torsion bar or splines on something else?

One door opens into the next

[dennismcd707]

I want to start cleaning up my axle tubes and bearing retainers and get 'em ready for painting, but if they're short axles and I need long axles, then there's no sense wasting time on 'em, am I right?

I was surprised to find the rail had short axles because it has such big rear tires, and from what I've read, big tires means it needs the long axles. What am I missing?

[dennismcd707]

Sawzall, bench centers, and a hydraulic press are still out there. A wood burning stove too. How do you like the difference between the sizes of these two vises? The small one is ........ funny

[pullstart]

Yeah, that red one is cute! Is it from a fly tying shop?
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4 seater Appletree buggy, road legal with 002 IRS, 3x3 Appletree kit, 6" over Dan's beam with 10" towers and Fox 2.0 shocks, '00 Subaru EJ25 with KEP stage 3 clutch and KEP adapter plate.

my build page: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=662104&start=0

[dustymojave]

I have one of those clamp on small vises, exactly the same except it's painted metallic green. I inherited it from my grandfather. There are uses for it that my 5" vise doesn't work so well for.
_________________
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.

[dennismcd707]

still putzin' around the basement these days (SEE THE GO PRO?), but haven't stopped thinking about my "to do" list. Plus, I keep getting updates on my trans, and that always gets me excited. It's all coming together ....... and it's gonna be mobile in a few months. Hell, I even know where I'm having my trailer hitch installed for my car. My tow bar is here, I have tow lights, plus I just bought some brake lights and a head light for the thing. (Mobility and safety)

.....and I ordered my complete braking system last week. E brake, brake lines and hoses, wheel cylinders, shoes, springs, etc...the whole ball of paraffin. Eager eager eager eager. And it was gorgeous outside today too. I was reading recently about one of the closest places to where I live to legally go off roading, and it's about an hour away. (The Mounds, near Flint) Eager eager .... and then with the tow bar and four days off a week, I can't wait to actually go to the Lake Michigan side of Michigan for a change. Yankee Springs and camping. I'm looking forward to the necessity of these things:

[oldschool5er]

I have been going to the St.Helens area which has a lot of off road trails. About 2.5 hours from you.
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HRE in Westerville,Ohio

Full machine shop with all types of CNC. Rapid prototyping available, CNC Plasma cutting, 3D printing and Laser engraving.

[dennismcd707]

[heywebonya]

Dennis,

The burro buggy is built by user mtnroads, he has a lot of great pictures

Here is a good picture:

and

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If I knew what I was doing; I wouldn't be building a buggy!

[dennismcd707]

I'll have to check out the St. Helen area....thanks. That's up by Houghton Lake. I'm sure I'll find some good riding around MI, especially when I have a love of camping too. A night here, a night there .......oh, and Carmela likes to camp too. Four days off per week, every week. (Sun thru Wed) Pretty sweet work schedule I have! Good thing I never have anything to do on a Fri or Sat night anymore. (Does that mean I'm gettin' old, or I have no social life?)

Jeff, thanks for the pics. I'll check more of 'em out. I needed to see a nicer version of Carmela's Concession. A little 'shot in the arm', if you will. Plus, I want to see some rear views along with a little engine porn. (Where's the oil filter? Where's the skid plate? Is it a centermount 2 barrel?, What type of gas tank? What kind of fan shroud? Is the engine painted? ........ those are questions I always have when viewing pics of Bajas, rails and buggies)

[dennismcd707]

.....oh, and I forgot to ask again. On a sand rail, apparently it doesn't matter that I have a short axle, is that correct? I was under the impression that if you had large tires in the rear, you automatically needed the long axles. (for clearance purposes) But that's not the case, right?

On a rail like mine, it doesn't matter? That's what I'm confused about. Don't get me wrong. I don't want to go out and buy more stuff for this thing if I don't need to. If big tires work on my short axles, then I'm good! But I must have misunderstood something that I had previously read.

[dustymojave]

Dennis. On YOUR buggy, you can use short axles. It's a matter of parts of the frame above the rear tire. On yours, there really isn't much of anything there. Many buggies DO have bars that the tires would rub on.

My Hi Jumper needs long axles and needs wheels with stock back space (3.75"). The tires gently rub the sides of the frame anyway. Not enough to remove the paint, but leave some rubber anyway.

Some brands of frames need long axles, some do not. The builders of my frame were proud that it provided room for dual Weber 48IDA carbs.
_________________
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.