My Baja Bug Rebuild

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retrovan
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by retrovan »

As Tony said may work, but normally on good steel, and not rusty stuff, as whichever way your cables, the rust blows your steel away leaving a hole.

What I did on thin sections, is cut out till you get good metal, make a new section, tack weld scrap steel to the back of these edges, and then weld in the new steel. The scrap will work as a heat sink.

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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by Edmond »

I haven't had much time lately to do much on my baja but managed to get the doorwindows sorted, got the window lifter channels and a good s/h window mechanism from a guy in ruyterwacht for an absolute steal the window lifter channels even came with free door window glass as a added bonus

Its nice to have windows that actually wind up and down again, the old window lift channels were rusted literally to pieces

Also getting a door for free as long as I remove it myself from the scrap body again from my contact in ruyterwacht.

Still need to cut the steel I got for the passenger side floor to shape and to remove the last remains of the old floor on the tunnel lip before I can start the welding, my work colleagues MIG welder and is ready and waiting for me so need to get cracking with the preparation
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by Edmond »

After a two month break from this project I finally got some work done, I have started making the bottom closing panel for the passenger side heater channel. I have cut the pieces from 2mm mild steel to the basic shape but need to make a template from a good floorpan to get the right bolt hole pattern and to create the right shape for the floorpan lip which I'm making from rectangular tubing.
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by Edmond »

Haven't done much to my baja the past few months but did start to check how bad the rust is and it's quite bad, there is a lot of rot in the area of the front bonnet seal channels even to the point of holes rotted right through. What's the best fix here, to cut the channels off and weld new strips in and get a donor piece for the upper windscreen scuttle area and weld that in place. Otherwise the body doesn't look too bad, the paint still shines after a quick wipe down.

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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by Edmond »

Things are not looking good on this project, I had a good look under the car and around it, the heater channels look to far gone to save, the drivers side channel is rotted from the door post to the front bulkhead, the passenger side channel is not much better. There is just to much of the critical rigidity lost on the body due to the rotted heater channels, I think the only way to fix it properly would be to replace the heater channels with new ones or find a better body. To make things worse my wife recently lost her job so I don't have a cent to spend on fixing the Baja now, if things don't get better in the next few months I will be selling it as an unfinished project or part it out😢
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Tony Z
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by Tony Z »

thats sad news from all directions.
Hope you come out smiling. Keep you chin up, hopefully it works out for the better in the end.
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by MrHappypants »

Sorry to hear that, I myself had a rough 4 months but it is now starting to look better.
Just keep telling yourself that it won't always be like this.
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by Edmond »

Its amazing how quick things can turnaround in two weeks, my wife got a job as an admin assistant/stock controller at a plastic injection moulding company plus I got a cash back bonus on friday from the baja's insurance (actually clean forget the 4 yrs were up) and looks like im getting some cash from the taxman as well:)
This project is back on the go, i'm going to get some steel bent up this week using the heater channels I got from Donovan D as a template and then to try and get a welder or a small magmix gas cylinder. I also had a good look at the heater channels Donovan D gave me and it looks like I can cut some donor pcs from them especially the piece for the drivers side from the door post to bulkhead.
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by Tony Z »

Fantastic news!!!
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by freddiebooysen »

Agreed very good news indeed






Sent using Pigeons eating mielies !
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MrHappypants
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by MrHappypants »

Great stuff! I'm keen on following this build.
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by Edmond »

Im just keen to get this car back on the road:)
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by Edmond »

I have ordered the bent up sections to replace the heater channels, having them made from 1.6mm steel, also ordered the angle iron to brace the body and door posts for when i remove and replace the channel sections.
I also found some semi sealed headlights from Midas that look like they will fit my headlight housings with a little modification, they were only R97 ea
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by Haans »

Just hang in there,.....!

Break it into tasks per dayor week,......fing that it works for me. You are not the only one depending on the taxmanfor a bit of "funding" forward.
I sometimes,......mostly sometimes amaze myself in how a person can find a solution when you know funds are extremely. Tight
You have to feed the the addiction !!

Haans
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Re: My Baja Bug Rebuild

Post by Edmond »

Got the bent sections to repair the sills/heater channels, made from 1.6mm Mild Steel and they only cost R135 ea from ABSO Steel in Stikland.
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