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AlexF2294
Samba Member
Joined: May 24, 2021
Posts: 29
Location: STL, MO
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 Posted: Mon May 24, 2021 7:17 am Post subject: My Street Rail Build Thread |
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Hey guys, my name is Alex and I bought my first rail buggy last week. I figured I'd join a forum because I will need help with something on it eventually. Let me start off by asking if anyone might know around what year my buggy was actually made because it has a "Specially Constructed Motor Vehicle" title and the year on it is 2002. The only things I really know about it are that it is built on a bug chassis and it has a 1672cc dual port dual carb engine in it with a 4 speed trans. Thanks in advance for any help and I look forward to talking to you guys.
Last edited by AlexF2294 on Tue May 25, 2021 10:43 am; edited 2 times in total |
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jimmyhoffa
Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2014
Posts: 1058
Location: St. Louis
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| Posted: Mon May 24, 2021 10:47 am Post subject: Re: New to The Forum |
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Welcome to the Missouri buggy club!  There are several of us on here somehow.
That looks to be either a fairly well executed copy of a Chenowth 2LW, or a real Chenowth 2LW. Is there a tag with a serial or model number on the dash bar over to the right of your passenger side grab handle?
Let's get some close-ups of the engine and trans, we'll tell you everything you need to know. Looks like a very clean car.
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1974 Chenowth 2RL #1244 Street Legal
My other car isn't ridiculous. |
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AlexF2294
Samba Member
Joined: May 24, 2021
Posts: 29
Location: STL, MO
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| Posted: Mon May 24, 2021 10:54 am Post subject: Re: New to The Forum |
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| jimmyhoffa wrote: |
Welcome to the Missouri buggy club! There are several of us on here somehow.
That looks to be either a fairly well executed copy of a Chenowth 2LW, or a real Chenowth 2LW. Is there a tag with a serial or model number on the dash bar over to the right of your passenger side grab handle?
Let's get some close-ups of the engine and trans, we'll tell you everything you need to know. Looks like a very clean car. |
I was thinking it was a Chenowth 2LW just from looking at pictures of them but I wasn't sure. I will look to see if it has a serial number and get some more pictures as well when I get off work.
It is pretty clean. Just needs a few minor things. First, I need to address the brakes. They lock up very easily. They almost caused me to slide in to the rear of another vehicle. The brake pedal is pretty hard when I push it. I was going to inspect them for any damage then possibly bleed them to see if that fixes it.
This is the first thing I have owned with VW parts on it so this will be a fun learning experience. |
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AlexF2294
Samba Member
Joined: May 24, 2021
Posts: 29
Location: STL, MO
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| Posted: Mon May 24, 2021 1:50 pm Post subject: Re: New to The Forum |
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I plan on re-wiring the entire buggy and doing a few other things to it, but I'm not going crazy with it. Its going stay mostly like it is. |
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AlexF2294
Samba Member
Joined: May 24, 2021
Posts: 29
Location: STL, MO
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| Posted: Mon May 24, 2021 3:02 pm Post subject: Re: New to The Forum |
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cbeck
Samba Member
Joined: January 14, 2014
Posts: 2495
Location: high ridge, mo
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jimmyhoffa
Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2014
Posts: 1058
Location: St. Louis
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| Posted: Mon May 24, 2021 6:06 pm Post subject: Re: New to The Forum |
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Nice! A real Chenowth. It only matters as much as you decide it does, but I surely like mine. 
Allow me to decipher your model number for you:
Volkwagen engine/trans mount
2 seater chassis
Regular cabin cage
Long back/rear cage section
100 inch wheelbase
Kit (shipped flat-packed from Chenowth, welded together probably somewhere near us, hopefully by someone careful)
Yours is serial 1537 so it's a decent bit newer than mine, maybe a year or two, maybe less?
You have the strongest beetle transmission (single side cover) you could have without having a bus box, you can have plenty of fun with those tires and probably not break anything.
IRS rear end and a link pin front end! You want more travel? There will be NO shortage of options for you. Killer combo. Great car, better than most around here.
First thing I was gonna say is tend to the wiring, but you're already on it! Looks like a solid build! Much better of a foundation than I started with.
_________________
1974 Chenowth 2RL #1244 Street Legal
My other car isn't ridiculous. |
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AlexF2294
Samba Member
Joined: May 24, 2021
Posts: 29
Location: STL, MO
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| Posted: Mon May 24, 2021 9:42 pm Post subject: Re: New to The Forum |
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| cbeck wrote: |
Gone, but not forgoten. What side of the state are you on?
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I'm in the St. Louis area. |
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AlexF2294
Samba Member
Joined: May 24, 2021
Posts: 29
Location: STL, MO
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| Posted: Mon May 24, 2021 10:44 pm Post subject: Re: New to The Forum |
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| jimmyhoffa wrote: |
Nice! A real Chenowth. It only matters as much as you decide it does, but I surely like mine.
Allow me to decipher your model number for you:
Volkwagen engine/trans mount
2 seater chassis
Regular cabin cage
Long back/rear cage section
100 inch wheelbase
Kit (shipped flat-packed from Chenowth, welded together probably somewhere near us, hopefully by someone careful)
Yours is serial 1537 so it's a decent bit newer than mine, maybe a year or two, maybe less?
You have the strongest beetle transmission (single side cover) you could have without having a bus box, you can have plenty of fun with those tires and probably not break anything.
IRS rear end and a link pin front end! You want more travel? There will be NO shortage of options for you. Killer combo. Great car, better than most around here.
First thing I was gonna say is tend to the wiring, but you're already on it! Looks like a solid build! Much better of a foundation than I started with. |
Thanks. The guy I bought it from said it was the third one he's owned and rebuilt. Apparently when he bought it, the front portion of the frame was bent and he somehow found the guy that built it and he still had his frame jig. So he got it straight and rebuilt most of it. All of the welds look pretty good so I think it will be strong buggy. |
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cbeck
Samba Member
Joined: January 14, 2014
Posts: 2495
Location: high ridge, mo
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| Posted: Tue May 25, 2021 3:58 am Post subject: Re: New to The Forum |
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Life lesson, buggy vs ram truck. Truck 1, buggy 0. Hit n run by a drunk. Chased him until I lost oil pressure.
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My cut in half and rebuild thread
www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=647779 |
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AlexF2294
Samba Member
Joined: May 24, 2021
Posts: 29
Location: STL, MO
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| Posted: Tue May 25, 2021 9:47 am Post subject: Re: New to The Forum |
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| cbeck wrote: |
| Life lesson, buggy vs ram truck. Truck 1, buggy 0. Hit n run by a drunk. Chased him until I lost oil pressure. |
I skimmed through your build thread a little bit the other day. You put a lot of work into that thing. I like the flat back part on it. |
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AlexF2294
Samba Member
Joined: May 24, 2021
Posts: 29
Location: STL, MO
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| Posted: Tue May 25, 2021 10:37 am Post subject: Re: My Street Rail Project |
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| Where do you guys put your fuse boxes? I'm getting things ready to re-wire the buggy and I'm just looking for some ideas. |
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jimmyhoffa
Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2014
Posts: 1058
Location: St. Louis
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| Posted: Tue May 25, 2021 11:46 am Post subject: Re: My Street Rail Build Thread |
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I made mine so that the fuse box is sealed inside of my aluminum extrusion dash. I wanted it up high to keep it out of moisture, and generally sealed from the elements.
Also, I used the Rebel Wire harness and was VERY pleased. Super high quality wire, USA-made fuse holders, well labeled. The cheap harnesses use cheap wire and it becomes very apparent in a year or so of exposure to heat and the elements.
In our area of wet springs and falls, being a little bit underwater is sometimes a reality.
_________________
1974 Chenowth 2RL #1244 Street Legal
My other car isn't ridiculous. |
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AlexF2294
Samba Member
Joined: May 24, 2021
Posts: 29
Location: STL, MO
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| Posted: Tue May 25, 2021 12:22 pm Post subject: Re: My Street Rail Build Thread |
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| After looking closer at my wiring harness, I found that the wires themselves aren't in bad shape but they are just a mess. Since I'm not going crazy with this build, I might just clean up the existing wiring and repair any bad areas in it. |
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AlexF2294
Samba Member
Joined: May 24, 2021
Posts: 29
Location: STL, MO
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| Posted: Tue May 25, 2021 3:42 pm Post subject: Re: My Street Rail Build Thread |
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| Nevermind, it needs to be re-done. There are so many butt connectors in this wiring. There was 3 of them on the same wire within a foot of each other. I would feel much better if I re-wired the entire thing. |
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AlexF2294
Samba Member
Joined: May 24, 2021
Posts: 29
Location: STL, MO
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| Posted: Tue May 25, 2021 3:56 pm Post subject: Re: My Street Rail Build Thread |
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| Jimmy, which kit did you get for your buggy? Rebel has so many different ones. |
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liquidrush
Samba Member
Joined: July 18, 2018
Posts: 588
Location: MO
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| Posted: Tue May 25, 2021 5:46 pm Post subject: Re: My Street Rail Build Thread |
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| Hey, st louis, I'm in the ofallon mo area. |
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AlexF2294
Samba Member
Joined: May 24, 2021
Posts: 29
Location: STL, MO
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| Posted: Tue May 25, 2021 6:11 pm Post subject: Re: My Street Rail Build Thread |
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| liquidrush wrote: |
| Hey, st louis, I'm in the ofallon mo area. |
What's up. What kind of buggy do you have? |
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jimmyhoffa
Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2014
Posts: 1058
Location: St. Louis
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2021 6:13 am Post subject: Re: My Street Rail Build Thread |
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My Rebel Wire harness is the "RW401BUG" harness, which is the "Rebel Wire Universal VW BUG harness"
It had just the right amount of stuff on it for a street legal rail!
_________________
1974 Chenowth 2RL #1244 Street Legal
My other car isn't ridiculous. |
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Dale M.
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2006
Posts: 20379
Location: Just a tiny bit west of Yosemite Valley
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2021 6:28 am Post subject: Re: My Street Rail Build Thread |
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Also if you are rewiring get a decent set of ratchet crimpers with changeable dies and don't use insulated connector but use bare one and heart shrink tubing.... The bare connector gives a better crimp with proper die.... I also put a daube of dielectric grease on end of wire before inserting into connector to seal out moisture and oxygen to prevent corrosion and no it does not cause a problem "eclectically" with crimp.... A lot of people spend good money on wiring materials and screw up the job with bad crimp tools and procedures...
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“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)
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All suggestions and advice are purely my own opinion. You are free to ignore them if you wish ... |
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