Author |
Message |
parmaynu Samba Member
Joined: March 29, 2004 Posts: 182 Location: Kent, England
|
Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 9:19 am Post subject: My 64 Manx Build |
|
|
Last year my wife bought me a chassis, as a 40th birthday present. I’ve had a few projects before but not managed to finish any of them. I’ve wanted a Manx for so long now so will hopefully have the drive to get this one over the line.
After an early life as a beetle, the chassis started a new life in the ‘70’s as a GP beach buggy. A UK designed buggy based on the Manx. The shell had been moved on at some point and was completely bare by the time I go it. It is correctly registered on the logbook which is the most important thing when building a buggy in the UK. It’s also a 1964 chassis which attracted my attention as it was the year the Meyers Manx first went on sale. As my buggy will be very much an old skool build, I thought it would fit well being a ‘64.
I don’t have the skills to weld the chassis myself but I do know how to use a tape measure and angle grinder so will be marking out and doing the chop myself. I will then pass it on to a professional to complete the welding for me. I am basing the chop on the ‘Official’ VW method set out in their manual. Here is a link if you haven’t seen it.
http://www.ffbuggies.co.uk/floorpan-shortening.html
I’m a stay at home dad with 4 kids who take up the majority of my time so progress will be very slow and bitty!
The plan for the buggy is a very simple Manx using as many stock original parts from around the 1964era as possible. Something along the lines of Old Red and the other really early cars.
I managed to grab a couple of hours on the pan yesterday. Most of the time was spent thinking and waving the tape measure around! I finally dived in and removed a section of the bottom plate of the tunnel. This involves drilling out some spot welds and using a hammer and chisel to break it away from it’s the chassis.
Starting point
Marking out the spot welds
Drilling them out
Making the cross cuts
Plate removed. Very greasy in there! Has helped keep it in such good condition.
I then started to remove the seat runners.
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
57BLITZ Samba Member
Joined: June 12, 2012 Posts: 2385 Location: DEEK - U.S.A.
|
Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 11:26 am Post subject: Re: My 64 Manx Build |
|
|
Here's when you should deviate from the VW instructions . . . carefully grind the welds that attach the guide tubes (clutch, parking brake, and throttle) at their rearmost points.
After you remove the upper tunnel section, you will be able to push the tubes out the rear of the tunnel. Then, trim the ends of the tubes with a tubing cutter the exact amount you removed from the chassis.
Another tip . . .
Create a marking ruler with an arbitrary length, say 500mm, and mark the top and bottom of the tunnel as well as the right and left edges of the floor pan . . . center-punch those marked points.
After you remove the material from the chassis, you will have an accurate reference . . . the marked points should all be equal after the front and rear have been re-joined.
500mm minus 362mm . . . or whatever the amount you removed . . . and the marks should ALL be 138mm apart.
Check after "tacking" and BEFORE completing the welding! _________________ Jesucristo es mi Señor y Salvador! |
|
Back to top |
|
|
oprn Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2016 Posts: 12743 Location: Western Canada
|
Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 4:36 pm Post subject: Re: My 64 Manx Build |
|
|
Nice clean pan! I love the idea of making authentic, that was what I wanted to do until I found out my Manx copy body was too far from the original to even pass for one at midnight!
Now it's just another project Buggy. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
Dale M. Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2006 Posts: 20380 Location: Just a tiny bit west of Yosemite Valley
|
Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 7:27 pm Post subject: Re: My 64 Manx Build |
|
|
Do you have bodY?.... I would not cut till you have a body the variation can be as much as 1 to 2 inches (25 to 50mm)....
This is the way I cut pans, also careful where you cut the e-brake tubes, you want to leave about 6 inches (150mm) from rear most cut so when you slide half's together the e-brake tubes will go back into bracket...
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 ... |
|
Back to top |
|
|
parmaynu Samba Member
Joined: March 29, 2004 Posts: 182 Location: Kent, England
|
Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2018 12:14 am Post subject: Re: My 64 Manx Build |
|
|
Thank you for those tips. I appreciate any help along the way.
The body will be brand new and have taken advice on the perfect length for the chop. 14.75” or 375mm.
I think I will be moving the hand brake and the shifter back around 4-5” while doing the chop. That should help make it more comfortable to use. I am 6’5” so will need the seat all the way back too. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
manxdavid Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2003 Posts: 1841 Location: David Jones, Anglesey, North Wales, UK. Manxclub #678.
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
keithmanx Samba Member
Joined: December 28, 2016 Posts: 4 Location: Thatcham UK
|
Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 5:27 am Post subject: Re: My 64 Manx Build |
|
|
What body have you decided on dude, Flatlands or ECM? |
|
Back to top |
|
|
parmaynu Samba Member
Joined: March 29, 2004 Posts: 182 Location: Kent, England
|
Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 6:14 am Post subject: Re: My 64 Manx Build |
|
|
Thanks David, yes I saw that. Just don’t have the funds at the moment. Lovely colour though!
Still undecided on where to get the shell Keith. Depends how rich I am in a year or so’s time!
I removed the other seat runner. Didn’t drill out one of the spot welds very well and ended up damaging the floor slightly. Will repair this when it all gets welded together.
Using 57BLITZ’s alignment idea I centre punched the chassis in 5 places and again at 500mm spacing.
I then started marking out where I wanted to cut. As said before, I am basing the chop on the German method. I will be making a few alterations to hopefully neaten things up a little.
I was only planning to just mark it up to get a feel of it but I can be a little hot-headed. So this happened!
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
manxdavid Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2003 Posts: 1841 Location: David Jones, Anglesey, North Wales, UK. Manxclub #678.
|
Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 6:25 am Post subject: Re: My 64 Manx Build |
|
|
You can have my body when I win one of the ManxClub prize giveaway ones! |
|
Back to top |
|
|
parmaynu Samba Member
Joined: March 29, 2004 Posts: 182 Location: Kent, England
|
Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 7:08 am Post subject: Re: My 64 Manx Build |
|
|
Still talking buggies right? |
|
Back to top |
|
|
manxdavid Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2003 Posts: 1841 Location: David Jones, Anglesey, North Wales, UK. Manxclub #678.
|
Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 7:10 am Post subject: Re: My 64 Manx Build |
|
|
parmaynu wrote: |
Still talking buggies right? |
Ha! Yes, my old bones ain't no good to no one! |
|
Back to top |
|
|
parmaynu Samba Member
Joined: March 29, 2004 Posts: 182 Location: Kent, England
|
Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 4:30 am Post subject: Re: My 64 Manx Build |
|
|
Got another 2.5 hours on it this morning with the aim to finish the chop. There are two reasons for doing the chop myself. First it should be cheaper and I am on a tight budget and second is that it will fit in my car if I cut it in two!
I started removing the panel that forms the access hole for the gear shift linkage.
This allowed me to break the welds attaching the conduits to the rear of the tunnel.
I then proceeded to chop the chassis spine. Measure, measure, measure! The stepped parts were a little fiddly but weren’t too bad.
I did nick a couple of conduits which will need to be carefully repaired.
Finally got some distance between the front and rear.
Had a few bits to trim then I slotted it together.
I used some ratchet straps to pull it together. It went together pretty well. Once it’s in the workshop we’ll get a real idea how good my cuts were.
If it’s too far out it is because I wore the tape measure down from measuring so much! |
|
Back to top |
|
|
manxdavid Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2003 Posts: 1841 Location: David Jones, Anglesey, North Wales, UK. Manxclub #678.
|
Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 5:25 am Post subject: Re: My 64 Manx Build |
|
|
You did wear the tape out, it's missing six inches, half a foot, it's bottom right in the last photo!
Looking good mate! I've done half a dozen or so chops but never the VW way, always the old GP chevron method. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
parmaynu Samba Member
Joined: March 29, 2004 Posts: 182 Location: Kent, England
|
Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 8:09 am Post subject: Re: My 64 Manx Build |
|
|
That’s my old size 14!
Thanks David. Is my first chop I’ve done myself.
Hopefully going to drop it to the welders next Monday. They will put it all back together, fill a bunch of holes, move the hand brake and gear shaft back, shorten the shift rod, fit a new shift rod mount as this chassis has the early style that doesn’t have a nylon bush, run a new fuel line, delete the heater knob and choke conduits and fix the conduits I damaged.
Sounds a lot but hopefully won’t take too long. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
BIGMIKEY Samba Member
Joined: September 24, 2007 Posts: 1105 Location: North East Pennsylvania
|
|
Back to top |
|
|
manxdavid Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2003 Posts: 1841 Location: David Jones, Anglesey, North Wales, UK. Manxclub #678.
|
Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 12:27 pm Post subject: Re: My 64 Manx Build |
|
|
BIGMIKEY wrote: |
Looks good from my house...
How did you splice the parking brake cable tubes together?
Mike T |
They're best left in one piece, pulled through the rear of the chassis and rewelded, then trimmed to length. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
parmaynu Samba Member
Joined: March 29, 2004 Posts: 182 Location: Kent, England
|
Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 12:28 pm Post subject: Re: My 64 Manx Build |
|
|
They are just pushed through at the moment. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
keithmanx Samba Member
Joined: December 28, 2016 Posts: 4 Location: Thatcham UK
|
Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 4:58 am Post subject: Re: My 64 Manx Build |
|
|
looking good! I've never been brave enough to chop one myself, maybe next time! |
|
Back to top |
|
|
BIGMIKEY Samba Member
Joined: September 24, 2007 Posts: 1105 Location: North East Pennsylvania
|
Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 5:25 am Post subject: Re: My 64 Manx Build |
|
|
manxdavid wrote: |
BIGMIKEY wrote: |
Looks good from my house...
How did you splice the parking brake cable tubes together?
Mike T |
They're best left in one piece, pulled through the rear of the chassis and rewelded, then trimmed to length. |
True. As the clutch, throttle and choke tube were. But I see that the handbrake tubes have been cut off next to the handbrake mount there. I was going to offer a solution.
Mike T _________________ BIGMIKEY
Deserter Series 1 project.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=787047&highlight=
1973 Beetle Driver, Marina Blue. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
parmaynu Samba Member
Joined: March 29, 2004 Posts: 182 Location: Kent, England
|
Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2018 5:50 am Post subject: Re: My 64 Manx Build |
|
|
I was going to trim them to length and fit them back in the hanger under the hand brake. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
|