Hot Wheels 2 - Pine's new Buggy build thread

[Dutch_Diver]

Pine, These any use to you?

http://capetown.gumtree.co.za/c-ViewAdL ... 01e_18.JPG

[lowlight]

When do you register your bus.

[Dutch_Diver]

Lowlight, you taking to me or Pine?

[Pine]

When do you register your bus.

Look in the 'restoring my Bay' project thread

[Pine]

Pine, These any use to you?

http://capetown.gumtree.co.za/c-ViewAdL ... 01e_18.JPG

Those are nice, but I'm going for the Sprintstars I already have

[Blitzkrieg]

When do you register your bus.

Look in the 'restoring my Bay' project thread

Can't seem to find the Bay thread

[Pine]

Update 24/11/2008:

This 'pin' (?) (the thingy between the brake pedal and the master cylinder) is in a terrible state. I dropped it in the caustic soda for a few days, and will clean it afterwards with the wire brush and some penetrating oil to see if it can be saved.

Took the 'pin' out tonight (still don't know what it is called), and gave it a quick scare with the wirebrush on the electric drill. Quite surprised with the result, seems like I'll be able to save the rear part, but the front part (that goes into the master cylinder) is badly pitted and will probably have to be replaced.



I mentioned before the problem I have with the lower torsion arm bars (is that the correct word?). The metal bush inside the rubber of the old shock absorber seizes solid on the studs, and I managed to get one off already with great difficulty (soak in penetrating oil, put arm in bench clamp, and lock vice grip around metal bush to remove it). Will copper compound on the stud prevent this from happening to the new shocks as well?

(PS Airpower, my torsion bar arms are all the same length)



So I continued with cleaning some of the smaller parts with the wire brush, on the pic below the two metal plates that lock the bolts on the front suspension, the four 'threadless nuts' on the tierods, (that lock the tierods to the thread of the tierod ends), and the two large rear bolts that mounts the gearbox bracket to the rear suspension. My electric drill is starting to give notice, and will probably not see the end of this year, so I reckon I will save the new replacement drill a bit, and continue with wirebrush cleaning by using the angle grinder instead (fitted with an angle grinder-specific wire brush, of course).



Interesting to see that the heads of the bolts are VW-specific, the 'B' probably refering to Brazil, does anyone perhaps know what the '88' means?



The buggy will be fitted with front indicators from an early Type 3, with the chromed housings slightly trimmed to adapt to the angle of the buggy body. Got new lenses a while ago (thanks Calooker ), but couldn't find the correct screws with the fine thread to fit the lenses to the housings.



Found by accident an old ic board in a box in the garage, with small screws that fits perfectly!



The buggy body has now been moved indoors (probably for the first time ever in its life), but will stay as it is for a considerable time, since I want to finish the chassis and mechanicals first.

[beetlefanatic]

Looking good Pine. You've been busy!

Is it my imagination or maybe distortion of the picture, but your top torsion bar looks like it's not 100% straight.????

[Pine]

Looking good Pine. You've been busy!

Is it my imagination or maybe distortion of the picture, but your top torsion bar looks like it's not 100% straight.????

Thanks B/F - you had me worried there for a moment but I had a quick check with a steel ruler this morning, and they are both perfect. I think the photo distorted a bit when I cropped it. Phew!

[eben]

Its called a brake-actuating rod if I'm not mistaken Pine

[hitlers revenge]

John Muir called it a "master cylinder push rod"

[Tony Z]

the number 88 is actually 8.8
its a grade of steel used for the manufacture of the bolt. Good grade

[AirPower]

Aaah HAPPI bolts - just the thing for a buggy. Ja I'm worried if I run my buggy now it will drive in a permanent circle

I like that blue colour - it cries out for some (a lot) of chrome bits. I must say you do pay attention to the details - all rebuilds should be done like this. Hot wheels is coming along nicely

Mario

[Tom Bishop]

The thingys Official VW name is "Push Bar" and should be part number 113 721 205

[Pine]

Thanks to all for the VW part naming nominations, I kinda like 'brake-actuating rod' the most

Updated 27/11/2008: Let there be light

27 November - my oh my how does time fly It's been two months since I have started this thread and looking back I am simply speechles on the (unplanned) progress so far. In a month's time most of us will have barely recovered from Christmas dinner, looking forward to New Year's eve celebrations a few days later.

As mentioned before, I will however go into a 'doldrums' phase for the next two months, till the George Challenge is finished. It is a lot of bucks for the 2500+ kms (petrol, accommodation etc.) and I must keep the savings for the trip. Can't really do a lot more work till the chassis (shortening) is completed, this will hopefully happen in a few weeks' time. The suspension (installation of lowering adjusters, detailing) will also have to be completed, before I can continue with the king/link pins overhaul, steering, and disk brake conversion. And all of that costs bucks, A LOT of bucks...

In the meanwhile, some pics of the headlights I'm going to use. I got a genuine Hella set NOS lenses at an automotive shop in Pretoria a few weeks ago, for next to nothing. They are not glass but some kind of very durable plastic (polycarbonate I think?) The shop owner said they are intended for use in underground mining machines/vehicles, and that they are virtually indistructable. To proof his point - he gave me an old lense of the same type with the instructions 'go home and hit it with a hammer as hard as you can'. In disbelief, I tried it - and the hammer just bounced back, with NO cracks, just a few scratches on the plastic. If anyone doesn't believe me, I'll show you when you come and visit me. Unfortunately they are a little bit smaller than >67 Beetle, Type 3, Bay lenses (165 mm diameter), but I have found chromed spotlight housings in which they are a perfect fit. There are many more of these lenses at the shop, lemme know if you want some as well.



At the back you can see that they take a standard dim/bright bulb assembly, as well as a park light.



Writing on box in Afrikaans, nogal!



Got some of those cheap park light LED's, and trial fitted them tonight - this pic was taken, without a flash, in pitch darkness after I have wired 'em up. I kinda like the 'whiteness' of the LED's, compared to the dull yellow shine of a normal park light. I think if you ride with them on at day time, it will almost look like an Audi R8? Or perhaps not...