My Baja Bug Rebuild

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retrovan
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by retrovan »

Nice progress there, starting to come together, keep it up.

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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by Edmond »

Got a buyer for the old beam so can put that money back into the project, I need to get some new seals and thrust plates for the front wheel bearings and replace both tie rod ends on the drivers side, midas has them for R288 a set(1 inner and 1 outer)
I need to pick up some black etch primer for the front beam at month ends as well
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by Edmond »

I managed to make some progress today on my baja, front suspension and framehead got two coats of NS4 Anti Rust Primer, still deciding what to use for the final top coat maybe Chassis Black or ABE Autokote.

While waiting for the paint to dry in between coats I stripped out the interior of the carpets and seats and filled a plastic carrier bag with rust flakes from the floors, the drivers floor is completely seen better days but surprisingly my "boer maak n plan" fibreglass fix actually is still holding but the same cannot be said about the piece of galvanised plate I riveted under the floor, the metal has all rusted around the rivets.
The passenger floor is also holey, I might be able to save it with a back 1/4 pan repair piece but need to see how much good metal is left

I removed the handbrake and gear lever on the tunnel and done a visual inspection using a previous hole I used to repair the gearshift bushing hanger(I actually forgot it was there until I removed the carpet), the gearshift bush looks ok but will replace it to be safe and the gearshift coupling under the back seat needs replacement as the rubbers have to much play in them.
Also discovered the clutch cable mid mount weld is broken this caused the funny scraping/squeaking noise I used to hear when using the clutch, I will make a stronger bracket as the original is a poor design.
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by Edmond »

I also need to get 2 new or good s/h front brake drums, the ones that came off the car are worn down to 233mm in the ID where the max is 231.5mm no wonder the brakes always felt springy, the drum meat really looks thin
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by Chardivw »

Progress is progress. Have fun! The reward is always better when u tackle things yourself.
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by Edmond »

Front Suspension is back in wrestled with it for about 1.5hrs trying to get it in, everytime it would fall off the jack and having only one pair off hands made life difficult to try and stabilize the beam while pumping the jack so rigged up a ratchet tie down from the garage rafter beam and used that to lift in in place, worked an absoloute charm.

The beam got a coat of Black QD Industrial Enamel before it was refitted but am going to give it another coat has some areas got badly nicked, steering box, steering damper and tie rods back in their place

Front Brake backing plates got two coats of NS4 primer, will paint them with Black QD Enamel next time I work on the baja.

As soon as the car is back on all 4 wheels its time to tackle the floors, cut out the drivers side one and weld in the new one and see if we can save the passenger side
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by Edmond »

Front Suspension is all back together, tie rods all tightened, steering box adjusted, brake backing plates painted, front beam given another coat of paint,brakes back together and adjusted, front wheels finally back on and the car is back on the ground. Wheel alignment toe in roughly set.

Next time I need to start tackling the floors
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by Pine »

Looking good!
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by Tony Z »

looks good Edmond
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by acpaterson »

Coming along nicely Edmond. As for that Tunnel repair\inspection hole, I feel your pain pal, that REALLY was a b1tch when I had to fix a clutch cable shaft in the tunnel on my Speedster. Good job done.

regards

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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by Edmond »

Managed to cut the drivers side floor out but didn't want to come out without a fight especially by the rear mounting point that comes off the rear torsion bar housing. I have also started cleaning up the lip on the tunnel and the lip by the pedals. I managed to remove the pedal cluster with no problem but the steel reinforcing bracket has rusted to nothing, I will have to make a new bracket up from some 5mm x 50mm flat bar steel. I might be able to borrow a MIG welder from a work colleague to weld the new floor in and to fix the clutch cable tube.
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by Edmond »

Some more progress! All the old remains of the drivers side floor pan are gone including the remains of the pan stuck on the tunnel lip, it took a while to get the scrap of 2 pans of the lip but its nice and flat and shiny now. Mocked up the fitting of the new pan, it needs little trimming needed on the flange towards the rear of the tunnel and also the bolt holes are about 10-15mm out on the perimeter of the pan so I need to elongate these holes but otherwise it fits ok. I drilled holes in the flange in anticipation of plug welding the pan on the lip but that's next times job

The SS 4in1 Exhaust is on along with a new fanbelt, fuel lines and new wiring for the ext reg on the alternator
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by Edmond »

I have done a bit more work on my baja, the drivers side floor is in mounted temporarily with self tapper screws along the tunnel lip. I have bad news though, the passenger side heater channel has rusted right through you can stand on the vrot floor and the bottom closing panel of the heater channel just pulls right away from the channel itself, it looks to far gone to repair. The passenger heater channel actually sags if you stand gently on it, so there is major structural damage from the rust.
I might put this project on hold till i can buy a small MIG welder or till I can save up enough dough for another body, at worst I might abandon this project and just part out the car but we will see.
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by Denny »

Those heater channels are a bummer! Good luck with your decision!!
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by Tony Z »

sad news - hope you come up with a decent solution.
maybe a scrap pan with good channels?
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