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Post by Matt of the Vivas on Feb 18, 2017 19:19:45 GMT
Lots more progress.... Im aiming toward making it a running, driving car asap as im fed up pushing it around... :lol: First thing was to make some new body mounting plates out of alloy:  They were then riveted into place. This sounds easy, but it took 3 evenings of hassle, and drilling out failed pop rivets that had not taken properly. I hate pop rivets. At least the body wont move now - although ive still got some to do in the boot.  The new Hagon shocks i ordered turned up:  And inspired by their beauty i decided to finish off the rear axle. No brakes at all:  But they are Mini drums so everything is cheap and available. So everything is new apart from the backplates and drums, and i skimmed the drums up on the lathe.  I then ran new brake lines, and tidied up the rear axle:  Looks ok! I took the top off the steering box to inspect it, and was pleased to find it was like new inside, not ever having seen grease or wear. It now has plenty of grease and gear oil mixture inside as recommended by the Bug club.  I then painted the column:  And fitted it and the box back.  The gearstick has had a coat of paint too. |
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Post by Matt of the Vivas on Feb 18, 2017 19:20:31 GMT
Ive finished the rear body mounts. No pics as its just a sea of blackness in there.... But the body is solidly mounted for the first time in years. Ive rebuilt the front brake, kingpin, and wheel bearing:  And cleaned up, painted and fitted the throttle pedal and steering column stay:  Also the throttle cable is in and working, it was a bit of a pain as its not running on the original carb now, so i had to make up a mount etc...  I also have a choke cable..  its getting very close now to being able to drive it.... |
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Post by Matt of the Vivas on Feb 18, 2017 19:21:08 GMT
Im itching to drive it. Not properly, just round the yard...... Final hurdle is the pedal box. its seized and rusty and horrible. So seized that the brake and clutch pedals work together as one pedal.  Heat required. One for work tomorrow i reckon.  Sorting out the brake and clutch master cylinders. They are both identical Lockheed cylinders. One of them (the clutch) was seized solid so ive scrapped it. The brake one is pretty good internally and free moving, so ive cleaned it up and re-rubbered it, and it will become the clutch master as thats less critical. Ive got a new-old-stock unused cylinder that came with the car, that will be the brake master once ive fitted fresh seals to it ( i never fit new-old-stock hydraulics without inspecting and resealing first..)  They look pretty good, although the cap on the older one is very grubby - i'll pick a new one up some time.  One more little job. The front shock / spring unit is still quite serviceable, although the bushes are shot. Id prefer to replace the whole thing but they dont seem to be available at the moment. Ive fitted new bushes to it and it will do for now. |
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Post by Matt of the Vivas on Feb 18, 2017 19:21:47 GMT
Cheers guys... Pedal box cleaned up and free'd off ok.  Area behind the pedal box painted as its inaccessible with it in. As you can, see ive chosen the colour at last...  |
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Post by Matt of the Vivas on Feb 18, 2017 19:22:47 GMT
Nights are drawing in, damp weather is not too far away.... I cant stand doing bodywork in winter, miserable occupation, so with a long weekend upon us ive resolved to try and finish the sanding. My mate Jason (who is painting the thing soon) runs a bodyshop. He has lent me this for the weekend:  Its an electric DA sander with a dust extractor built in. Wonderful thing!      More soon. Its booked in for paint middle of October...... 8) |
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Post by Matt of the Vivas on Feb 18, 2017 19:25:35 GMT
Anothers days labour saw the Canopy all done and primed.  With some fiddling to get the hinges set right, and de-seizing the locks me and Mark got it fitting nicely. Its the first time ive seen it all one colour, straight and smooth. Look at it. Im in love. :oops: :lol:     Next job is to fit the headlights. They are Allegro / Toledo units, with Allegro Mk1 backing panels. Ive got some good used headlights and backing plates to replace the completely rotten originals. The headlight covers are re-manufactured ones, and it may well all need some tweaking and grinding to get it to fit right. Id rather find this out BEFORE its painted... |
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Post by Matt of the Vivas on Feb 18, 2017 19:26:12 GMT
Bit of filing, shaping, grinding... THE HEADLAMPS FIT   |
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Post by Matt of the Vivas on Feb 18, 2017 19:26:53 GMT
Not a lot of progress recently. Was away at Beaulieu last weekend and been working all this weekend, so only had an odd few hours. Ive fitted the canopy gas strut so that all works properly, and ive fettled the canopy fitment, its as good as i can get it. Ive also been improving the gaps round the light pods as they were not as good as i wanted them to be. Thats the nice thing about GRP cars, you can soon add a bit or grind it away until its right... I have a new wiring loom courtesy of Autosparks, ordered at Beaulieu as the very, very nice lady on their stand did me an excellent deal. It arrived next day, and its Beautiful. Well, for wiring... Its certainly nicely made.  Beaulieu yeilded a lot of useful bits, including screen rubbers, lights, dash instruments..... Most pleasing is a pair of proper 70s slotmags in 10" to fit the back of the Bug. I forgot to photograph them and they have gone off to a friend of mine with a lathe who is going to weld and tidy the rim edges where they have been graunched against kerbs.. Pics when i get them back! |
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Post by Matt of the Vivas on Feb 18, 2017 19:27:25 GMT
Progress this week:   The bootlid on these things are plywood - and mine was pretty rough. My mate Mark Davenport (Zephyr6Boy) took it away to show his wifes father, who is a retired carpenter. He returned this week with a perfectly fitting new one - cheers!   Also, the rear screen is in - it was removed before i got the car and i wanted to fit it before the car goes for paint just in case the aperture needed reshaping or whatever. It fits fine - thanks to another mate of mine Mark Tidd who is a glass fitter. He also changed the chrome trim in the front windscreen rubber which has made a huge difference. I think the screens might as well stay in now, i'll mask them up for the respray rather than remove them again.  Ive also, with the help of Mark D, got the new wiring loom in. Its an Autosparks one and its pretty well spot on. Everything is where it should be, ive connected up whats already in place on the car, and all i have to do when i reassemble the car after paint is simply plug bits in.   |
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Post by Matt of the Vivas on Feb 18, 2017 19:27:59 GMT
Ive also started on the engine cover. Problem - with the new 850cc engine and bigger carb it no longer fits.  It needs a bulge for clearance. I thought i would have a go at making one, but i needed a suitable mould. Luckily, Tescos keep them, and it means you get to eat the contents first 8)     Should work out ok, i think... |
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Post by Matt of the Vivas on Feb 18, 2017 19:28:32 GMT
The Autosparks loom is excellent. Ive connected up some more, and so far everything works first time....  Fusebox  Rear lights  Instruments Ive done a bit more to the engine cover:  Moulding glassed in  And blended And finally, the fuel tank is out, ready to go off for a refurb. It still held some very old, smelly fuel which is probably a good sign.  |
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Post by Matt of the Vivas on Feb 18, 2017 19:29:08 GMT
The fuel tank has been tested, cleaned and de-fumed - its fine, no repairs needed at all which is a nice surprise. Its now back on the car and has had a good couple of coats of paint  Ive also finished the engine cover:    Quite pleased with it actually... |
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Post by Matt of the Vivas on Feb 18, 2017 19:29:43 GMT
Handbrake and Seatbelt mounts.....  This reinforcing plate goes under the transmission tunnel and ties the handbrake and centre seatbelt mountings to the rear of the chassis above the axle. Its made up of 2 parts, and on my car was held by one tack weld.... This is it after derusting, welding up properly, and painting.  The handbrake could then be mounted.  New handbrake cable from the Bug Spares Scheme  And all fitted and adjusted to give a working handbrake. Grease nipples on the new cable is a nice touch. |
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Post by Matt of the Vivas on Feb 18, 2017 19:30:22 GMT
Pretty much at the point where i could do no more without at least painting the interior. My mate Jason Wilde is going to paint the car for me very cheaply, but hes also very busy and im not going to hassle him - it gets done when it gets done. This weekend my employer, whos a decent sort to say the least, asked if i would help him prep and paint his Mini project at work. I cheekily suggested we did my Bug interior at the same time - he said "sure"..... Great! Only issue was how to transport it the 6 miles to work from home. It wont fit on either of our trucks as the front wheel will fall through. The best thing about being in the Motor Trade is Trade Plates though, which mean you can drive Literally Anything Anywhere* so i hung them on and drove to work. I will add it is insured properly for road use although lacking an MOT. One small issue was a puncture - in retrospect the ancient "Goldline Remoulds" were not fit to drive on and it was a stupid thing to do...... I accept a slap from everyone :oops:    Apart from that though, the little Bug performed well, its such fun to drive! Anyway, with the use of a lovely workshop, and some advice and a loaned spray gun from Red Feather of this parish, our resident welder Ian watching on and offering his usual quiet but excellent help, and Mark Zephyr6boy to make tea, i made a fair job of the painting. Its been done in Cellulose as thats all ive ever used - its many years since i held a spray gun....          |
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Post by Matt of the Vivas on Feb 18, 2017 19:31:13 GMT
Starting to think about an MOT.... Speedo was partly seized, gummed up with years old grease and grit...  Completely stripped down and cleaned up...  Then reassembled. Also visible here are some of the new / cleaned up bits ready to go on, the regulator box, heater vents, horn push.....  Speedo installed properly, along with the cleaned up original switch panel. All the switches are brand new, as is the oil pressure gauge.  Wiper motor stripped, cleaned, painted and reassembled. |
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