Work day at Wolfgang's March 19th Northern VA

OK Guys,

I am posting this to get a little help this Saturday to help Greg
get his speedie to Carlisle ( This year! ).
The last couple of weekends we were able to sort the electrical issues at the front of the car and fix the butt sag at the rear.

So... unless Greg corrects me here I think we need to finish the
electrical items at the rear - including all rear lights and engine
items and tie it all into the fuse box and button it all up electrical wise. After that it's onto installing the interior and complete punchout on the car - start in the front and work to the rear. Lot's of work, but I think Greg has a list.

Please post if you can help this Saturday, but we will be working
on it most every weekend till it's done.

Dale

THXs for your support Shubbie! We fixed the rear butt sag this past weekend. We used 1/8x2" steel pieces and 2x3" angle iron per the article and pictures posted on Forum earlier. Rear is really stiff now. Wiring has been the bugaboo - was a reason I dropped being an EE major in college. Doesn't help that I'm using a Painless Wiring control panel and 914 switches with VDO gauges.

Looks like we'll be there. Nothing else on the calendar, and we'd love to help out!

Well, why not -- gonna have to have someone hold the beer and go for pizza.

Don't feel bad about the wiring, Wolfie.

I'm using a (now heavily modified) CMC harness, VW switches, Porsche 924 gauges and some sort of cobbled up VDO/Suby sending units, along with an aftermarket ECU.

I'll make it work, it just takes a little longer.

Got the hood dry-fit and hinges bent to fit the mounts last night, will button that up and get the hinge covers in tonight, then on to the door latches (doors and rear lid are already hung and lined up, butt sag was fixed a few weeks ago). Next on the list after the door latches is the windshield.

Don't have the trailer here, so getting it to Carlisle is moot this year, but it would be nice to get it to NE for the Summer - Don't know how, just yet, but we'll see.....

Did you investigate U-Haul one-way rentals yet Gordon? Website says $369 if you do it next week, check it out. Only $184 for a one-way dolly rental..........Beaufort to Grafton!

Greg, I'd volunteer to do wirework, but you have to move VA closer to NY! I hope I never get that wish, though, as I am now thinking of the Japan quake!

The $184 one way is a deal ! Temp windshield posts and rear seat will go out to you USPS tomorrow.

Thanks for the offer guys!
It looks like we will have a good crew in the morning.
Based on Cory's email it looks like 9:30 - 10:00 start time.
I think everyone knows Greg's address, but if anyone else
wants to come I sure we can post - let us know.

It looks like mostly electrical sortIng, but there are plenty of
other things as well.

Daaaaang! You guys are gonna have some fun. Wish I could be there.

Just remember: If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer.

PICS!

Greg,

Well let's see where you at, email me particulars as to where you are on the project. ~Alan

THXS for HELP! We put off the "rocket science" stuff - since Kelly didn't make it. Alan - I need a 55 gallon drum of the "Merklin Magic." Can I get the concentrate? Ship COD. I did find a bunch of spare parts lock washers. Danny - will send you some wiring photos for triage - we found that go nowhere.

Wild Bill - you're too quick on trigger!

Paul Rich showed up with his TR inspiration - just in time for lunch break! He looked over my CAD house design too!

I see your problem, Greg. You're trying to build on the side of a cliff. How'd you get it to stick to the side of a... oh wait, those pics are just sideways. Never Mind ;-)

Wish I could have been there to stand around and sound knowledgeable.

Was there enough beer on hand for that project? Anytime you can hang with your buds in the garage is a good thing. Looks like Dale was doing most of the work. 8-)

There were a few folks there. We were joined by Paul Rich (who brought a working example of a Speedster) and by Wolfgang's neighbor Patrick. Wolfgang provided a feast of sandwiches (AND delicious and refreshing beverages) for lunch.

We didn't really FEEL like we did a whole lot at the end of the day, but every time you mess with wires, you end up taking things loose to put things right, then re-installing.

We mostly fussed with the wiring for the rear lights, discovering along the way that there are two extra wires in the back section (he's using a VW harness and a Painless fuse and relay block). We think they're ground wires, or maybe the backup lights from the Beetle's clusters. The wires all "talked" well, being tested from a battery, grounded by a test-light indicator. All the connections were either new or cleaned before being made.

They're all shrink-wrapped, soldered and clean as a whistle. I have the pictures of the wiring nightmare somewhere; I'll try to get one or two of them up before too long. Right now, it looks like a spiderweb with a rat's nest caught in it under the dash. I imagine that'll be the next big hurdle.

I did hear Dale remind Wolfgang that the goal is for this car to drive its way to Carlisle in May. I think it can be done, with a few more morale-building days like yesterday.

Thanks to everyone who showed up - and Jim I think everyone did about the same amount of work - Cory took the pictures so it looks like the rest of us were doing everything.

Going through the wiring takes time and hopefully we will finish that soon and be on to istalling carpets etc.

I hope to have another work day soon to give everyone a chance to push Greg on to Carlisle ( This Year! )

Dale

I thought maybe I'd rotate the pictures so Lane doesn't get Taco-Neck Syndrome looking at them.

Dale clipped and soldered as many of the connecting wires as he could get his wire cutters on -- which may be contributing to the record build length. I hope Mike McKelvey isn't doing the same thing, or we'll never see either car at the show. ;)

Dale, the machine behind the progress this week, surveys the task ahead of us as he rounds the fender. He told me that the bumpers HAD been on the car as recently as last week, and had to come off again after Dale and Wolfgang fixed the CMC "butt sag" problem. That, by the looks of things, was a nicely executed bit of plastic surgery.

The front of the car has a couple neat features attached -- the 914-sourced foglights have brass trim rings on them. That brass really looks a lot better in person than it does in the photo. It seems to class up the front of the car well.

The CMC tail light assemblies in Wolfgang's car are upside-down from the way mine are installed. It makes sense in his, since the orientation of the bulbs won't be underneath the flat, top section of the lenses -- and his light sockets don't encroach on the CMC box tubing. That makes it easier to wire than the average CMC, and he won't need to replace melted lenses every five minutes.

The inside of the car looks like it's just getting started, but each of the wires hanging out of there has some reason for being where it is. I don't think it's going to be all that difficult for Wolfgang, Dale and I to continue to "talk the wires," like we did for the lights, and Wolfgang has a label-maker gizmo he's using to label them as he goes. I just couldn't resist taking what will likely become the "Before" picture.

He's still smiling, despite the daunting task ahead of him. I think he's happy to finally be making good progress, and I really do think this will be the year.

God dog go! Sorry I couldn't be there. As you know, got my own wiring project heartily underway.

Wolfgang and SOC boys rock! What a great crew you have out there. Hopefully it wont be 20 yrs before I get my Speedy done and go to a car build day out here, I dont want to think of what kind of bra Cuz'n'Vinny will need then!

Dang!! If you add in Gordon Nichols of Five-cent Racing fame, sounds like we have a Speedster build-a-thon race competition thing going on here w/ all sorts of projects in process. Who's going to win?? Well, I can't answer that one, but I will assure you of at least one thing. If Wolfgang here actually gets his to Carlisle there is going to be an extra special prize to go along w/ longest drive to the show. Not sure what to call it, exactly, but it will be for the longest build. Maybe we'll call it the Methusala (?) Award?? The SOC management in charge of prizes and such at Carlisle will have to get busy and figure out what this will be. Or maybe they will have plenty of time after all. Come on Greg!!! You can do it. THIS is the year!!!

IMHO, it should be the Rip Van Winkle award! 20 years has this car been resting, growing it's beard of dust, but the awakening is near! But if any or all of the cars get finished, I will be very pleased to see any of them run under their own power.

Go, Dog, go!

Greg, possible nickname for your car: Rip? or Van Winkle?

I should, be done with project #23 aka ...."Taco Hell" in time for Carlisle, I have a lot on my plate between now and Carlisle including a quick once over of El'Diablo, it will be close though.

Um, I have been working (mostly not working) on mine longer than Wolfgang.

I think I started in 1983.

Cory,

You did not post a picture of me drinking the beer?! Someone has to do it!

Paul - no need, EVERYBODY already has pics of you drinking. 8-)

Since Paul's asking for (almost) embarrassing photos, how's this from '09? Feeling kinda plaid that day, I think.

Ahh, the infamous Gordon adjusting the carbs picture.....and a bunch of knuckleheads looking on, me included!

Here's a couple of pics of Danny P dialing in the Webbers on Lane's Speedster...with the usual suspects looking on!

Danny P - "...right here is where you put the muffler bearings..."




Wild Bill - "OK!! WHO FARTED"?

Well, Wolfgang is a little farther along today than he was 24 hours ago.

Dale, Wolf and I spent yesterday morning and part of the afternoon formulating our plan of attack on the dashboard wiring project. For some reason, this seems to be the most daunting part of the whole car.

The wires all have a place to go, the diagrams are pretty clear ... and it all looks like it ought to make sense. Instead of using a new harness, however, we are working with the old VeeDub harness that came with the chassis. There is a Painless fuse block there though, so we have that going for us.

We fabbed up the ground section of the dash wires yesterday; cut, terminate, solder. Lather, rinse, repeat. All the 16-ga. grounds coming from the gauges will go into a single, 12-ga. lead, which will then find a home on the passenger's side of the 2"x2" box tubing behind the dash. The fuse block will be mounted directly behind the box tubing to the right of the steering wheel, and all of the hot-side wires will be loomed similarly from there. After that, it's just wires from the sources (we think) and it should go pretty smoothly if the wires are good. We still need to make tails for the idiot lights, but they'll tie into the same trunks as the gauges without any problem.

We also mocked the gauges and idiot lights into a piece of cardboard in order to cut the wires to length without having to do the hunch-monkey under that damned dashboard all day. I think my back feels much better today than it would have if we'd have done it the old-fashioned way.

We stuck the driver's seat in the car and got Wolfgang to sit in it in a fair approximation to his driving position, just to check light and gauge placement. That seemed like a practical thing to do; it will also help with where the dead pedal winds up, as well as the where the radio will hang under the dash.

It took a while to get him situated in there, but it looks like it worked out okay.

In case y'all didn't know this, Wolfgang is one hell of a fiberglass fabricator. He could have been happy with the CMC dash defroster vents and their openings, but he wasn't satisfied ... and he made new ducts instead. They look pretty tight. No photos of them just yet, but they were pretty good-looking units, from what I saw. They will line up with the Speedster vent trim pieces he has very nicely.

We had some fun, laughed a bit, drank some good beer and made a little progress. It's ambitious, but still very possible this car could be at Carlisle!

I wish I was closer and could pitch in. I love group projects like that. Heck, I'm driving one.

Again - THXS Dale and Cory for assistance and inspiration. Cory drives well over hour to get to Spgfld and Dale a good 40 minutes. Both on the unpredictable DC Metro I-95 --- world's longest parking lot (weekends included).

I'll post a photo of the vent tubes - I'm sure while I was making them Alan finished up another car! Think I've had 4 different defroster vents in car - like the 3 Bears. Ones from Yota pickup (too long), ones from CMC (too small), hot rod billet ones (too hot rod) and ones from VW Bug (too ugly). Finally got the right Speedster grills from Klasse356. I separated the straight long Yota ones in half. Cut piece of wood to curve of the new vents grills. Tacked plastic to the curves and applied several coats of fiberglass. They line up nice with defrost holes I cut in dash and now just need to be fiberglassed in place (Gorilla Bondo should do the trick). Passed my molds on to Dale for his! Ha, must have good 6-8 hours in just the vent pieces - plus need to fiberglass the old initial attempts! Itched all night from fiberglass hairs.

Man, those CMC Speedster bucket seats shrunk from 21 years in garage (wife says 22). Barely get my butt in them now. Probably a 34 waist back then and 38 (plus a little now).

I feel a bit remorseful as I should and would have enjoyed being there to help. Had I not been sick for five damn weeks, I would have been just about done with my speedster project and could have participated as wiring is my forte'.

Great progress, Greg! Full speed ahead.

Alan - hope you're feeling better real soon. Hopefully you're taking care of yourself and not wearing down your body's defenses with a grinding tow/delivery schedule.

Almost up to par, thnx Jim ~

We're pullin' wires again today. Greg glassed the body to the pan yesterday, and he's trying to figure out how to attach the ducts today.
We may get the gauges done. We'll see.

Ed, if you're not busy ...

Ducts:
Run a bead of seam sealer or similar "glue" around the surface that will mate to the underside of the dash, pass a wire through the duct opening and up through the dash hole, twist the wire around a small piece of wood until the duct is set firmly against the dash, let it set for 24 hours.