Projekt Hoopty update -- assembly photos Sept. 28

Okay, folks. I worked with the Wrench almost non-stop for the last two days, and the results are pretty stunning. Everything is fitting nicely, and the best is yet to come. For now, though, the interior is done and it's back on four wheels with a dummy transmission.

Calling the engine numbers wizards: this is the block I just opened. I want to know for sure what it came from. Can someone look up this number? EA094581
Also, Jake, if you're reading this, the welded plates are here for you to look at, as is number one bearing. I can't see any obvious problems, as far as uneven wear, but I also don't see enough ear on the pistons to judge the possibility of distortion.

Thoughts?

Number one bearing, the interior and Mr. Meathead, Design Engineer.

Cory, when finished this will probably be the most radical Speedster made. I have little doubt that it'll make at least one magazine cover. Beautiful!!

Thanks, Lane. You'll still get stick time in it at Carlisle '07.
I'd love to do a photo-op with all the other East Coast cars when it's finally ready.
In my pie-in-the-sky dream world, I'd have a photo of it alongside Butch and the rest of the outlaw crowd!

BTW -- Mystery solved on the origins of my engine; by the numbers, it seems to have come from a VW 412.
http://www.tunacan.net/t4corner/gallery/

I'd love to see what the rest of y'all think, now that it's finally taking shape ...

Wow Cory, Looks great!!!! Nice to be different. Looks like you'll be rolling down the road shortly. What progress, what's your energy
secret, Red Bull, Mountain dew?
I have two suggestions(for what they are worth):
1. On your fire extinguisher tie down hooks(and anywhere else you have metal to paint contact/wear). Stop by radio shack or other electrical supply and buy shrink wrap tube. Slide a 1" piece over the
hook, heat and you have a nice surface that will protect your powder
coat.
2.From the exterior side of your aluminium panels-appy a tiny(I mean
tiny) bead of clear silicone caulk. Wipe, wipe and wipe again. If done (wiped) correctly only a tiny, invisible amount will remain,
keeping those seams water/duck free.

My two cents is added with full respect for what you have already done. ---Nice.

I continue to be very impressed with your imagination and effort in bring hoopty to life. You are going to have a unique and very cool ride.
I was looking at the pix of you sitting behind the wheel and was wondering if you had allowed access to under the dash. It looks like it is sealed from below. Does the front body tilt give you access and if it does, how did you weather seal it.
ed

Cory...
Impressive...you have a great vision..continue on...and watch the smiles on peoples faces!

Michael

Thanks, fellas.
Bruce, I'll do the silicone caulk. Great idea. I'm also going to replace the metal-to-metal contact for the extinguisher strap with a leather strap when the car's back at my house.
Ed, I'm not sure what you're asking with regard to the dash panel, but there's no way to get to any of the wiring connections from underneath. That last picture is the way that panel's going to lie, with the front of the car resting on the locator pins sticking up from the top of the dash support. All my wires will basically be living in the void space between the footwell's top panel and the underside of the body. I'll be shrink-wrapping all of those connections, too.
Wiring is set for this weekend. The engine's almost put back together. Should take about another 30 minutes, and then we're doing the transmission.
Energy source is Coca-Cola. May switch to diesel.
Axles should get here in a couple days or less, and the boots will be here at about the same time. Like I've been saying for a year ... Two more weeks ...

Woo-Hoo!

So you've got access to the dash wires from above. That was the question. I've hung like a bat trying to fix a under-dash electrical problem/switch installation or what ever many times (ask me how many british cars I've had) which is probably one cause of my siatica. Much better to work on that stuff from above.
ed

That's pretty much the theory I was operating on. Same thing with ease of maintenance, which is why I wanted to flip the ends the way I did.
All that flipping and exposing meant the pieces had to have new attachment points, which is why we've been so thorough with the welding and chassis mods.
Ultimately, it will appear to be a simple, no-nonsense race car -- nad nobody looking at it will realize what a headache it was to get it to that point.
Ironic, huh?
But yes, I wanted to put everything out in the open, but make the components durable enough to last.

Hey Meathead, why not a smile in your soon to be done racecar? Good job. It looks to be bullitproof.

I'm going to look like the Canadian kid on South Park when it's running -- you'll see a smile so big my head'll fall off backward.

Until then ...

But the list of parts I have to buy is getting shorter all the time. Got a Facet fuel pump. Red paint and shiny brass fittings; very distracting, really.
Got some brass seats for my new lug nuts, got some wire for little stuff at the terminus ends, got some shrink-wrap for the contacts and got some more tiny bulbs for 'pip' dash indicators. Got my rubber replacement seals for the tial lights, got my seat belts all cleaned up and ready for installation and got my contacts on re-usable electrical components all scrubbed clean.
Got the generator turning smoothly and got the cobwebs out of the fan itself. Doin' all right, cleaning as I go.
Still no sign of my short axles, although they're supposed to be on the way. Got some new push rod tubes, got some rubber short-shot hoses from a Ghia brake setup to make the corners from my rigid lines, got a whole new set of seals, bearings and gaskets.
The engine will be done by Tuesday at noon, the Wrench assures me.

Then the tranny ... then the electrics ... then the brake lines ... then the road test!

Woo-Hoo! Still no takers to 'wingman' me on the shakedown cruise ...