How do you make it rain in California?... buy a speedster.

That's a good one, Ted!

The mechanical advance is probably very similar to what's in the car now, so you probably won't see any more power with the svda (and it's mechanical advance only at full throttle). You will notice better mileage when cruising on the highway, though. The vacuum (and more advance) at part throttle will allow you to lean out the idle circuits in the carbs a step or 2 more than with with a mechanical advance distributor.

 

I never mentioned this before, but I just wanted to thank Ted publicly for the reimbursement for running across the border to look at the Speedster in Bellingham for him. You're a stand up guy, Ted. Yoda out.

Ted, When you figure out what (and how) to replace that VC lid hinge latch pin with let me know!

 

It's been a topic (with multiple suggestions) on this forum before but I've misplaced my notes on the least complicated solutions!....What I'm hoping for is someone who's found junk yard 'click-up click-down' hinges off anything that can be adapted.

 

My friend and fellow SOC'er, Juan Gonzalez, found a pair of OEM 356 hinges...but those things now are as rare as hen's teeth and priced their weight in gold!...There's got to be a simple, inexpensive, unobtrusive alternative that just hasn't been recognized yet!  

Carl ,  Ted

 

I have a set of 356 hinges (click up and click down) that I'm cleaning and polishing.  I can't figure out yet how they mount.  Someone on here shows an installed pic, (Scott Hansen), but I can not figure how he attached it to the firewall.  I've made a comment on his pic post, no word yet.  My pair wasn't very expensive around $50, others on ebay have been in the $150 range.

Speedster....

Added the speedster scripts today.

Hey Carl and Art,

 

I admit, I haven't investigated this in any stretch yet. I will say that the blue car with the orange empi's that I looked at in Santa Cruz had an interesting home grown solution on the front bonnet. I wonder if I still have a photo of the front hinge? The new owner of the car is on this site now (he's looking for a new hard top.)  He should be able to provide photo of what the previous owner engineered for that hinge. If my memory serves right, I bet it could be adapted here. 

 

The only other thing I was thinking was some sort of spring loaded button that pops into a hole in the hinge bracket when you raise the lid up. To close it, you simply push the button in and lower the boot.

 

I'll have to keep chewing on this a bit.

 

Art - provide photos of the hinges you have. Maybe we can 'engineer' something on the fly. There are a ton of really smart guys on this site.

Ted

Update!

Debugging my front end.  Why is it so low with little to no suspension travel?

 

Top spring pack = 4 large and 2 halves.

Bottom Spring pack = 5 large and 3 halves.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that like... HALF of what it should have? 

 

The fix: Just order 1 lower spring pack and put 4 large on top and 5 large, and 1 small on the bottom?

 

Might as well order a front disk brake kit, drum skins and 4 beam shims at the same time, right?

 

The curse of Al continues...

 

Ted

Carl - do a 'Search' on here for hydraulic hood brace. I can't think of the name of those things (senior moment) but they are used for holding up tailgates, engine hoods & such. Several SOCers have installed them. 

       
       


Wait, maybe I have this wrong.  How many springs (full and half) should I have on top, and how many should I have on the bottom?

This is the problem when you lower a VW front end by modifying the beam (whether it's pulling torsion leaves out or changing the position of the center attachment point in the beam itself either by cutting, rotating and welding or installing center adjusters); you reduce suspension travel. The angle of the tie rods is also changed and this introduces some bump steer to the mix. Drop spindles (they come in drum and disc) lower the front end without changing suspension travel or ride quality. The only penalty is they add 1/2 or 5/8" to the track on each side.

 

 In a balljoint front end there should be 4 wide leaves and 6 narrow (3 on top and 3 on the bottom) of each leaf stack. So 8 wide and 12 narrow altogether. See the pic below. Put it back together and see where the ride height sits before you buy a front disc brake kit, as it may ride a little higher with the full compliment of torsion bars back in it. You may or may not want to add drop spindles to it (they lower the front 2 1/2"), so that's why I'm suggesting doing it the long way. Or, if you add them now and it rides a little too low, the fix is to add adjusters to both tubes (or turn and weld the centers). This means the beam has to come out and be completely disassembled again- would be a good winter project, and that way you're not cutting into summer driving time...

 

Now would be a great time to add caster shims to the bottom tube, and Gene Berg Ent. makes thin (1 1/2 degree- GB 681) and thick (3.4'- GB 682) versions. Note that either stacking 2 thin ones together or using the thicker shims will require longer bolts for the bottom beam, and Berg sells them. Somewhere in his writings he recommends running a tap through the bottom threads in the frame head when using the longer bolts, but there was enough junk (weld spatter?) in mine that I couldn't run the tap in far enough so I just shortened the longer bolts 4 threads (put the thread chaser on the bolt first so you can clean up the threads after filing the ends smooth, as the hacksaw job I did wasn't pretty) and that did the trick. The thin ones should be enough for freeway speeds and a little faster; buy the thicker shims if you seriously like to blast down the highway.

 

I'm really sorry Ted, there's that damn curse again!  I really don't know what to do...

 

PS- Glad you're having fun with it! The madness you have bad, I must say...Your buddy Yoda. 

 

Ah, shoot! I forgot the picture..

 

PPSS- Holding the leaf stack together with some tape or elastic and  bevelling the edges of the leaf stack (I don't know if a file will touch them but a grinder will work) will make installation a little easier. Getting them started through the center collar can be a little bit of a bear...

 

 

Yoda - thanks for the deep dive on the beam. I totally appreciate it. Now I understand what 'normal' should look like up front.

 

The beam already has Avis adjusters on it. They are in the 'full up' position and even with that, the car has NO suspension travel at all. It's effectively bottomed out. When I raise the car on a jack, the suspension hangs just like it should, without hanging up at all.

 

Photos of what I'm up against:

Okay, so clearly I didn't count very well last night:

 

For the top: I count, 4 wide, and 3 skinny. (missing 3 narrow)

 

The bottom: I count, 4 wide and 2 narrow. (missing 4 narrow) 

 

This gives me a grand total of minus 7 narrow. I would have to order 2 spring packs to make up for all of the missing items. I was hoping to get away with ordering just one. </me raises a greasy fist at the sky and yells out "Al!!!....">

 

I will take your suggestion of rebuilding the springs to the stock set up. If that means ordering two complete sets, so be it. From there, I will reassemble everything and see how she sits. At this point I can determine if drop spindles will work for my application.

 

Once all that is done, then I will investigate which disk brake kit to order. I will also get the shims and longer bolts for the lower beam mount. Though, doing this will also cause me to have to adjust the front bumper bracket a bit. Not a big deal, just a mental note (made out loud...)

 

What are these beam stiffeners I saw someone asking about? Snake oil?

 

Oh, then I need to figure out the front sway bar issue. Then onto the rear.

 

At some point, it'd be really nice to drive it....

 

Something just struck me, with the way the top beam was set up, it's effectively riding on just the 4 wide springs and the two narrow. That third narrow isn't doing anything. As I understand how it's set up, the final narrow leaf should key into a narrow slot in the beam and trailing arms. Without the full set of narrow leaves on each side, there is nothing to hold that leaf into place. 

Do I have that right?

 

Ted

If you're going to go out and by 2 new torsion leaf packs, then (I would think) using the  new pieces and discarding the old ones would be best; what that will cost, I don't know. However, if you go on Craigslist (or to a local wrecker, it there are still any around) you should be able to find what you want relatively cheap. First, take out the leaves that are in there and make sure none of what you have isn't broken and the depressions the grub screws anchor into are good so you know exactly what you need. Re your comment about the small leaves not being held in place in your last post- I think you're right and wonder if any of the small leaves are contributing anything since the ones that are there are not being held in place. I think it will ride much different when you get it back together.

 

The beam stiffeners (the ones that go from near the shock tower to the pan are supposed to work well, although I've never used them. They aren't essential, but if you're ever going to drive your car hard I can see them being useful.

 

What's with your front sway bar- are there just no clamps on the ends? They look like this-

 

 

Regarding the sway bar - it's just not there! I think because of the front bumper brackets, Al removed the sway bar.

 

I'll poke around CL this weekend and see if I can find any parts. It looks like new spring packs run about 50-75.00 a set. It would sure be cool to not have to spend that much to correct this issue.

 

I think you're correct. If I do buy new ones, I would replace all of the existing items with new. No reason not to.

 

What's the purpose of this 'Kaffer' bar I keep hearing about?

Ted

The kafer bar ties the top rear shock mounts to the frame horns. This triangulates the area and helps prevent wheel hop (which breaks transaxles) under hard acceleration or "dragrace starts". It's beneficial if you drive hard.

Thank you.

 

I don't drive it much right now at all, let alone 'hard'.

 

If I put a bigger motor in it, I may look into something of that nature.

Ted

Found a guy in Santa Clara, with a 69 front beam. Ball joint. Has all the springs in the beam. $50.00. Should work, yeah?

 

Ted

Excellent work, Ted! Enjoy putting it all back together. Take the whole thing if he'll give it to you. Al

Phew. All back together. All the springs are back in place. 4 new tie rod ends, a new steering dampner, and a new 3/4" sway bar. Now with the beam adjusters in full up, it sits level. I dropped the front a tiny bit so it has a tiny rake.

I also picked up the lower beam shims. I will install those tomorrow morning when I can get loud with the grinder and drill press to elongate the bumper bracket holes a tiny bit.

Can't wait to get an alignment so I can drive it!

Next up, front disks and drum skins.

It's coming along!

Thanks for letting me share.

Ted

Great job, Ted! Do we get a pic or 2?

Huge progress from no car a few months a go to tons of angst in getting a car at all, to where you are today!

 

Great job Ted. I'm really happy for you.

You are hard-core, Ted! Hope it continues to progress well! 

Thanks for the encouragement gang!

I adjusted the front end alignment and put in the shims. Now I can take it to get an alignment tomorrow.

 

With all the work I've done up front, she handles so much better. I can actually drive it without cringing!

 

I need to figure out how to get the carbs right. It was backfiring a bit today and loading up if I coasted a bit. I also found that if I let it idle in the garage, it will leave a nice black/grey soot circle on the garage floor. Sounds like its still rich.

 

Anyway - I'm pleased as hell that the front end is all back together and that it rides so much better. A lot less 'floaty' the the steering wheel and the ride is completely different. The alignment should make it just perfect.

 

Which disk brake kit works best with the drum skins?

Ted

Ted;

I guess your street address, now has it's destiny fulfilled?

Art

Ted,...I like the 'rake'

 

Art,...No, that's not his street address.

        Must confuse the devil out of delivery people.

Hope he doesn't need the Fire Dept.?

 

I wondered if anyone would notice that. I actually used Photoshop to manipulate the numbers. My street address is 2835.

 

Thanks, Carl for the kinds words. The rake is with the rear of the aluminum side spear at 9.5" above the ground and the front is 8.5. Before I 'fixed' the front end, the front of the spear was 7.0".

 

Can't wait to get the front end aligned.

Art - I bid on those hinges. I doubt I'll win them, but it's worth a shot.

Ted

Lookin' good, Ted...you know what'll make that thing sing? Put your new badge on :-)

 

Rich, you've gotten enough pats on the back!...Leave Ted alone.

 

He's got important things to tweak.

Thanks, Carl, I'll go back to the drawing board now

       
       


I'm waiting until I install the grill from SMC on the car before I install my SOC badge. My original CMC grill had odd bar spacing and I can't in stall the badge exactly where I want it without it bending the mounting hardware. Damn wonky CMC habachi grills!  I'd need to mount it to one side or the other and I'm all about semitry.

Ted

Do the important things, Ted 

 

Your car kicks a$$.  Great job on the hard work.

 

Stephen

Thanks for the kind words.

Today I installed a new starter and cleaned/reundercoated the bottom of the pan.  I was going to install a rear sway bar but the shop didn't get it in.

Next up, I'm looking forward to installing the front (and possibly rear) disks.

Oh, I also ditched the ugly chrome oil filler and went with a 912 style. I had to paint it, but I think it looks better.

Last thing I did was replace the ugly red wire to the alternator (no pics of that).

TedTed

I like the engine picture with the gunk and the oil.  Keeps everything from rusting underneath.  No better coating than a film of oil.  Mine is the same.

Dude! You are a MACHINE!!!! 

 

If I had a speedster with that coiled red wire it would be the FIRST thing I'd change.

       
       


This one is for you Ron!

So now the "Ugly Betty" wire is gone. BTW what service did it perform? And is that corkscrew wire a  "VS signature"?

 

Let me know how the Sierra Madre grill works out.  Side note: At the university I grilled a mean Hibachi steak.

 

And finally how come your engine compartment  is sooooo clean?

The red wire was legacy "Al". It connects the starter to the alternator. I ran it through the appropriate lower front engine tin. Now it's out of sight.

The engine compartment is clean because I've been cleaning, tweaking, tuning, obsessing, and fawning all over it for the past 3 months.

Oh, that reminds me! I just turned 610 miles on the car today! Can't believe I've driven it so much already.

Sure is so much more enjoyable with the front suspension all rebuilt and corrected.

Maybe I'll put the new distributor in tomorrow!

Then it's on to the new Sierra Madre grill and my SOC badge!

Ted

       
       


EL MACHINO!!!

       
       

Oh, thanks for reminding me!  What's that bar that under the transmission? I have no idea what it's for. I wonder if it should come out.

Some photos I took today while I was out for a drive....

I picked up the rear sway bar today. I will try to start the install this week.

I also ordered up the disk brake kit. That should be here Friday.

I was going to buy a tow bar and try to get it converted to be able to tow the car to the SLO event. We'll see if I get everything done in time.

Can I use the stock bug tow bar and just lengthen then 'arms' to reach under the speedy? I will also need to increase the 'reach' of the tongue to mate up to our Pilot.  What about the width of the arms? Do they need to be adjust at all?  I know Jim's bar will work on my car. I just need to recreate that bar.

 

(I did a search and found Jim's thread, just wasn't clear on the width adjustment.)

 

Thanks

Ted

Ted - the standard EMPI VW tow bar is too wide for towing our Speedster. Basically, here are the mods I made to tow my VS;

 

1. Cut & narrowed standard VW tow bar width by 8 inches (to fit between front torsion braces).

2. Extended tow bar by 24" to allow more space between towing vehicle and Speedster.

3. Modified hitch with a 10" rise to allow for ride height of tow hitch and ease entry/exit angles on driveways.

4. Added cross-member brace to stiffen the tow bar and minimize flex. Not shown in pic is perpendicular brace welded forward of torsion bar attachments and at rear base of x-member.

 

Hopefully these pics will demonstrate these mods for you.

 

...Tow bar narrowed by 8" and extended by 24". Increased rise for hitch up 10"...

 

...fabricated tow lights on 36" aluminum stock tubing, and attach to my luggage rack...

 

...and run the wiring under the convertible top (or tonneau), up through the opening for the trunk hinges, and out the front of the trunk lid...

 

...I cannot see the VS behind us when towing so I fabricated antennae for that purpose. 

 

...another shot of modified height of tow hitch. I also use a 4" drop hitch) to compensate for height difference between the two vehicles.

Jimmmaay!

That's the exact info I needed. Thanks for putting it all in one place (again).  The riser is the only section where I have a question (or two). Are we extending the riser up 10" or up to 10", so that when the bar is on the ground, the ball socket hitch part is 10" off the ground?

 

Oh, and I assume the 10" riser is predicated really on the height of the tow vehicle and the amount of 'drop' to the hitch on said vehicle? The end 'goal' is to have a flat (level) ball receiver when towing the speedster. Don't want it too put too much of angle on the ball hitch, etc.

 

Did you start with the EMPI bar and just make these mods? or did you start from scratch?

 

I wonder if the muffler shop in town would be willing to make these mods without too much grief? I really need to learn to weld, it would make my life a whole lot easier.

 

I'll add this to the list of 'to do' items before SLO.  I still need to book a room! (ha!)  Alexis (My lovely bride) said 'sounds like fun, so long as we can go wine tasting.'  I will have to make that happen or I"ll be in trouble.

 

Thanks again for the info,

Ted

 

Great mods Jim! Very purpose built for your needs.

And great work on the car, Ted. The dual activity weekend will be a winner for both of you! I'm sure it will be easy to convince a few people to duck out for a drive and a little wine tasting; a good reason to go for a drive it I've ever heard one.    Al

Ted, you're going to tow your car from Morgan Hill to SLO? Really?

Must be your wife's request...

 

       
       

She who shall be obeyed...

Ted-meister, Ted-O-Rama, Tedenheimer, Tedinsky...

 

I bought an Empi tow bar from the local VW shop, cost was $75. Used this as the base for my modified tow bar.

 

The 10" rise I mentioned is the application I used to mate the lowered Speedster to my Range Rover. As you mentioned, use the riser dimension that best suits your tow vehicle. 

 

I will post a pic of the tow set-up tomorrow and label with dimensions!

 

Show your wife this attached video of last year's West Coast Cruise to allay her Jonesing for a wine tour. Be sure to adjust video quality to 720HD by clicking on the 'gear' icon when video starts playing. 

 

 

Jim, love your tow bar! I made one from 2 bars, a regular Bug bar and a Super Beetle bar(which is narrower to start and the right width for my Vintage Spyder). Mine got lengthened about 18-24 inches also and got lowered about 1.5" to clear the bodywork.

 

Ted, get the bar made up first, then hold it level to get your hitch height, then buy a riser or drop piece for your receiver(I use an 1.25" receiver, Class I, this is all I need) to get the correct height.

 

I ended up running a trailer wiring extension through the car permanently, and use the car's taillights when towing. Back plugs into tail when needed, front is coiled up and comes out the hood to plug into tow vehicle. I know I should put a "car in tow" sign on but I always forget. Besides, it's registered and insured so.....

Last night I didn't find the time to work on installing the rear sway bar. I was side tracked by a different project:

 

This is how it arrived. Complete, from Canada even had the oil filter and oil still inside. ^^^

 

About an hour or so later ^^^

 

High temp primer ^^^

 

High temp paint, also resistant to chemicals. Should hold up okay. I ordered the 'Fram' decals for it, even though it's actually a H Filter unit.  The H Filter decals are boooooooring. It's just going to be decoration.

 

It seemed like a quick and fun little project. I got all the parts at a good price and it's complete... so why not?

 

I'm not sure when I'll mount 'er up.

 

Ted

 

Ted- I can only see your first pic.

       

Doh! I think I know why. Let my try it this way...

 

 

From top to bottom...

• The previous post is how 'it' arrived.
• Then I cleaned it up and stripped the paint. The unit was originally that silver-ish gold color.
• After it was cleaned up I decreased it and primed it.
• Finished it up with a sort of stock 'two tone' job.
• I picked up a bracket and strap for $25.00. Those are all cleaned up and ready to go as well.

 

Sorry for the photo flub,
Ted

 

Looking good, Ted!

Another weekend, another project or two...

This weekend it was a rear sway bar and front disks. All items went on sight issue. The kit had the wrong inner wheel bearings. I used my originals, they were German and in great shape.

Three bucks came out to see what I was up to.

Thanks for letting me share my progress.

Ted

Dang, Ted! You are a MACHINE!!  Looking forward to seeing your 'new & improved' Speedster at SLO!! 

 

Great job, Ted.

 

Who else can say they put on new front discs for three bucks?

 

 

Very cool, Ted! What size tires are on it (same front and back?), and what do you think of the new brakes?

The tires are just run of the mill Perelli 185/60's. Square set up (all the same size). They work well for the kind of driving I do. No complaints.

 

The brakes work great so far. The pads are a little louder than what I'm used to. I'd like to source some better ones. I used a vacuum system to suck all the old brake fluid out of the system. Complete flush also allowed me to get all the air out of the lines. Everything is pretty solid. I was going to replace the rear rubber lines with new stainless ones, but I figured I would wait until I decide what I'm going to do about the rear drums. I may upgrade to rear disks. I can't decide. If I do that, I think I have to upgrade the master cyl as well. I'm not really in the mood to make that commitment yet.

 

Next weekend I think I'll tackle the distributor and possibly the Sierra Madre engine grill. I started some work on that this weekend. The paint on the rain tray under the CMC grill was peeling really badly. So I remove the CMC grill and went in there with some sandpaper and a sharp paint scraper.  Most of the paint just flaked off. I will get in there and clean the area up and re-shoot the area while the grill is off.

 

OH! I wanted to ask - what's the best way to shorten / adjust the rod that is attached to the inside door handle? My passenger side handle doesn't work because the rod is too long. I need to shorten it. Right now it has a silly z bend in it to try and shorten it. Ideally I'd replace the rod with one that is the correct size. Anyone know where I can get a new inner door actuator rod?

 

Thanks!

Ted

 

Good grief Ted !!!!

Take it easy. Kick back and relax...You're making me feel very guilty.

Ted,

 

Your car is looking great!  You can make the door release rods from a coat hanger.  Use one of the thicker hangers and bend the "z" shape on the ends at the appropriate location.

 

In an earlier post you asked about the trans mid mount.  It is an extra support for the transmission to take some of the reaction forces off the nose of the trans housing.  Here is a link.  http://vwparts.aircooled.net/E...yeball-mid-mount.htm

I would not remove it.

 

Also, what width wheels do you have?  Are they 4.5 or 5.5?  They look really good with the 185 tires!

 

 

ted you do need  to change the master cylinder for rear discs

 inline residual valve will keep pressure up

I was just coming here to ask that question.

 

So, with the dual master cylinder that's in the car right now (stock 67 cylinder) - do I need a residual valve for the rear drums, if so how big (how much pressure) and where does it go inline? Do I need to shorten any of the hardlines? (because that sounds like a PITA).

 

Thanks!

Ted

All - Thanks for the kind words. It's been a great journey so far. Fun little toy to work on. Once the weather heats up around here I will slow down. Mostly because it will be too hot to work in the garage.

 

James - Thanks for the info on the trans mount & the door actuator.

 

The rims are just run of the mill 5.5" chrome knock offs. I keep thinking about getting silver knock offs from CPI.

 

Ted

Ted, both HD and Lowes carry metal rod material in various dimensions, not sure if they have anything small enough for door release rods. I think, they have aluminum and steel.

Took the day off work today. Worked on the speedster.

Installed new H4 headlights.
Installed Dynamat in the doors.
Installed new weatherstriping for the doors.
Installed Dynamat in the front trunk
Fixed the passenger inner door handle.

Car is sooooo much quieter on the road now. The doors don't rattle and the car just sounds so much more solid.

Now I need carpet for the front trunk.

Ted

Any photos or directions for install of dynamat for doors?

And what did you use for door weatherstripping?

Ted ;

 

When you did the doors, is the dynamat placed on the outside wall?

 

Thanks,  Art

Yes.  I used a product called B-quiet, which is very similar to Dynamat but less expensive.  It certainly makes the doors sound more solid.

Hello Ted:

 

I'm impressed by the improvements that you've made so far on your car.  I am getting ready to replace by front brakes with wide 5 disc brakes and was wondering what kit you went with.  To me it looks like either an EMPI kit or an AC Industries kit.  I would be interested in knowing what you used and your impression of its performance.

 

Also, regarding the Dynamat, I would be interested in how you tackled the door pannels and whether you also considered installing dynamat in the rear of the passanger compartment to quite down the engine noise.  I know doing this is a big job as it pretty much means peeling off the existing carpet when may or may not be able to be reused.  However, I'd have to thing doing so would make on heck of a difference considering what you noticed just with the doors and noise and solidity.

 

Your input and observations would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks, Grant

Grant- Instead of mounting the soundproofing on the inside (under the carpet), how about putting it on the outside of the rear cabin wall? It would probably mean that the engine would have to come out, but you wouldn't be pulling (and possibly ruinning) the back wall carpet. Sounds like a good winter project...Al

Guys, I used B-quiet in the engine compartment and a thicker product (whose name I forget) under the carpet in the interior.  It was quite a job and while it's a bit quieter, it's hard to say if it is enough to justify the work.

Hey Guys,

 

With the Dynamat, I removed the door panels and the interior hardware and installed the Dynamat on interior of the door skin. For some loony reason I wanted to do it in one piece. I rolled it up like a big taquito (or for Vince... like a doobie). I peeled 2" of the backing off one end and rolled it down. Then I removed a little of the backing as I unrolled and the taquito (doobie) - rolling it down as I went. I could have saved a lot of headache if I had just did it in three or four small pieces. However, now I have one neat piece on each door, hidden forever behind the door panel. The doors no longer sound like a drum.  My next trick will be to do the engine compartment. Next time I pull the motor I'm going to build an aluminum firewall similar to Mango's but I'll lay down some dynamat first. Coating the inside of the rear seat would be much more difficult and would require pulling the carpet (and likely ruining it.) When it comes time to replace my carpet I will go ahead and do the entire cabin area. No reason not to.

 

The weatherstrip was the standard 5/8 x 1/2 D profile shaped stuff from McMaster-Carr. I used the D shaped stuff and backed it up with a strip or two of 1/2 x 1/8" rectangle stock. I will try to attach some photos in a bit. I basically used the rectangle strips to 'build up' the thickness of the D stock on the vertical seams. I took care to cut the corners in nice 45 degree angles to they would look tidy.

 

I also took on a bigger challenge this weekend. I replaced the CMC grill with one from Sierra Madre.

 

 

GT Man - Thanks for the kind words. I used the AC Industries kit. It's a little bit heavier than the other kits that are out there, but I like the fact that it uses standard and readily available break pads. Super simple install.

 

Ted:

 

Thanks for getting back.  I am planning on running the AC Industries kit as well.  I know Andy at So Cal Imports (the "A" in AC), and he is a good guy making quality products.  In fact, these are the parts that Vintage Speedsters uses when they run 5 wide options on its cars.

 

Glad to hear the install went well.  Mine will be alittle more involved as I'm already running stock VW 4 lug discs up front.  So going to the AC kit I will have to change out my disc spindles for drum spindles.  At that point is also makes sence to change out the ball joints as I know both lowers are bad.  But I am looking forward to the conversion as it will allow me to get rid of the 4 lug wheels and run the Mangels 5 wides with drum skins that I've been wanting to do since I bought the car over a year ago.

 

I'm now looking at black 12x1.5 studs to run all around with open lug nuts to finish off the look.

 

It's a work in progress.

 

Thanks, Grant

 

First I started by masking off the existing hole. I traced the shape of the new grill onto the tape.

 

 

It appeared that I would be trimming off most of the inner molded lip of the existing decklid.  It was going to be messy.

 

 

So I masked off the car with drop cloths.

 

 

And some news paper..

 

 

After a bit of cutting and fitting and cutting and sanding and fitting.. it was pretty close.

 

 

 

The inner tray was cracked and peeling a bit, so I primed it with some hight temp primer.

 

 

And then some high temp black. In hindsight, I should have used matte black or dark grey.

 

 

About this time a buck showed up...

 

He came across the street and ate my wife's roses.

 

 

After I removed the masking tape and the paper, it looked pretty good.

 

 

 

 

The decklid was a bit flimsy so I epoxied some L channel aluminum to the inside of the lid.  I predrilled the mounting screws.

 

A quick shot of the mostly finished product.

 

And another...

 

 

A few more. I installed the grill and a new gasket as well. Looks good. I may have to go back in enlarge the hole a tiny bit more. The grill is hanging up on something so it wants to 'teeter totter' a bit.

 

All in all, not a bad quick project.

Thanks for letting me share,
TEd

 

 

So, I took a drive today to see my mother-in-law. On the way there I came upon this little guy crossing the road. I had to pull over and save him. I named him Ferry.

I need fo find some... (Wait for it...)

TURTLE WAX!!!

Oh, here are the shots of the weather strip...

You can see where I doubled it up to increase the thickness. Love the 45 degree mitered corners.

Ted;

 

Your D trim looks first rate, factory install!

 

Art

Hey Grant,

 

If you find those black lug studs and bolts that thread in, please let me know. The 'correct' ones have to be pressed in and unfortunately we can't do that with the AC kit.

 

I want to do the same upgrade.

Which skins are you going to go with? I think the Fibersteel ones are what I will be going with. I just need to sort out a tow bar for the West Coast meet before I can focus on any other updates / modifications.

 

Looking forward to seeing how your work in progress... progresses.

 

Take care,
Ted

How is the B-Quiet holding up to the heat in the engine compartment?

 

Any concerns with it falling down or slipping?

 

T

Ted - I found the black studs and will send you the contact info.  The are the type that needs to be pressed in.  However, I am going to cut that end off, screw/locktite into the drums and discs.  Then the issue is what color for the open lug nuts.  Black or zinc ?

Ted - also I ended up buying the drum skinz from CB performance I believe.  They were less expensive, and I ended up painting the wheel bearing cap black myself.  About a 30 minute project.

 

Thanks, Grant

Hey Grant,

 

Thanks for the info on the skins. CB has the drum skins on back order.

 

With the lugs, will that work? Cutting off the end and then using loctite to secure them? Could be a great idea it it works out!

 

Ted

Slow weekend. Pulled the alternator and couldn't find anyone to test it.

I decided to mount some badges:

       
       

Drum skins on back order.

Thanks for the info on the black lugs.

Ted

 

If you're buying wheel studs that are meant to be pressed in from the inside, why not have the drums/discs drilled for the proper interference fit (and the insides spot faced) and press them in the way they're supposed to be done? I know it's a little more work, but I don't know if I'd trust a threaded piece that's loctited in place, especially with no interference fit. Doesn't sound too safe to me....

I agree with concerns about using loctite and cut down studs.  The issue at hand is that the AC Industries  disk brake kit doesn't allow for press in studs. There isn't enough clearance to get the press in lugs in there.

 

I will watch from the side lines to see how this shapes up.

 

Ted

 

You may be right, Ted; I've never seen the AC Industries brake kit. I have Karmann Ghia rotors. We spot faced the back sides of the holes (after the rotors were drilled for the 5 on 130mm wheel pattern) and pressed oe Porsche studs in.

Ted; I think the right side is a half of a millimeter too high.

You are correct. The right side mounting hole of the 1600 badge scootched up a tiny but when I was drilling it out. I realize you were kidding, but it really is higher on the right.

I moved my plate frame up slightly to match, the ill positioned emblem and it tricks the eye into thinking all is level.  I am probably just as bad as you.  Before my wife and I were married I used to hang my shirts, in color order (ROYGBIV).  She broke me of that 23 years ago!

ART, I had the same process. I only owned two shirts! 

Ted, did the buck leave your wife a thank you note? You've got more deer than I do. ( There's actually about 8 of them out there only camoed).

TRP - Sorry for the delay in my reply but I was at Carlisle and away from the computer for several days.  The B-Quiet in the engine compartment is holding up fine.  Once that stuff is pressed on with a roller it's darn near impossible to get off.

Ted, I've been following this thread. Awesome work and awesome car!

Thanks, DCM!

 

Much appreciated.

 

 

Did my first oil change and vale adjustment.  Did some minor clean up on the motor.  I think I need some more period correct air cleaners and a black bosch coil, but it's good enough for now.

I think it's ready for SLO!

Ted