Author Topic: the '55 Ragtop.....are we done yet? (Read 169144 times)

Russ · « **Reply #30 on:** February 15, 2008, 12:08:28 PM »

comming along nicely.
gotta say the whole metal work on that car is a dissaster.
better you than me bud

glad your fixing it right though

Tom H. · « **Reply #31 on:** February 15, 2008, 06:41:59 PM »

On my split I used the left heater channel for my wire loom. With the electronics under what will be some kind of floor/seat delete panel it was a natural. I left the mufflers in but cut a large slot in the bottom of it. The loom heads on back to the engine where the heater box should hook up, too.

Nice oval.

I do have a drivers rear 1/4 in nice shape sitting here. It was cut large and I can send you pix if ......

silas · « **Reply #32 on:** February 15, 2008, 08:22:06 PM »

$295 canadian, shipped, for both sides?? that seems like an allright deal for those parts. i know there is no other company making early rear bumper mount sections like that, so the alternative it to modify an aftermarket late panel. i have heard good things about wolfe & his quality of parts.

personally, i like the solid 55 rear apron (no exhaust cutouts). but it depends on header & muffler clearance and what you like. i know alot of guys have used a solid rear apron with the cutout in the center for exhaust clearance.

and as far as cutting the rear corners, i would suggest waiting until your donor arrives from cali and having a really good side by side look at what piece is better where and cut to fit. between the donor & your 55, it's all og german steel, so it shouldnt matter. however, i dont know if it's easier to blend a panel that has been welded higher or lower down on the 1/4....and as far as the body shifting and maintaining gaps whether the cut is higher up or not.....might be something to consider.

hopefully someone with more experiance than me will chime in.

looks good josh & it sure is nice to see you forging ahead.

josh · « **Reply #33 on:** February 15, 2008, 10:10:28 PM »

thanks for the idea on the wiring for the electronics tom, I may copy that.

yeah that's $$ for both sides on those panels from Wolf, prob gonna order next week.
I will be waiting anxiously with my zip wheel in hand for that clip to show up before cutting. there has been a decent dent worked out on the pass side of my car smack dab in the center of the quarter, that's why i'm thinking of a cut so high. I pondered doing the splice behind the body trim but looking at it from inside you can't access most of the weld to work the panel after.

josh · « **Reply #34 on:** February 16, 2008, 12:49:21 AM »

making some LED tail lights for the hearts

Started with a sheet of 1/8\" copper and cut out the shapes with a tab top and bottom. layed out the template/pattern and ended up with 29 LED's in each cluster. the template shows how I figgure i'll wire them, the black being running lights then all of them for the brake. keeping standard incandesent bulbs in the \"heart lense\" and using them as a signal to come on with the semaphores.

I still gotta make up my mind on how to solder them all together, leaning towards mini circuit boards. I did a quick test just by bending the tabs to contact each other and just about blinded myself and the guy next to me :shock: they get a little toned down behind the lense but still should be pretty bright.

ALSO MISSING ONE HELLA GLASS LENSE AND BEZEL (if anyone has a spare collecting dust)

Tom H. · « **Reply #35 on:** February 16, 2008, 08:17:31 AM »

Here's the hole and wiring in work.

more pix on the way soon.

josh · « **Reply #36 on:** February 16, 2008, 10:51:49 AM »

right on, did you run the main harness for the motor/tail lights with that?

did you get my pm on the panel?

Tom H. · « **Reply #37 on:** February 16, 2008, 11:08:40 AM »

motor, yes. lights, no. And the fuel pump, line loc, launch control wiring, etc, all is in the tunnel.

pix sent

josh · « **Reply #38 on:** February 16, 2008, 11:54:41 AM »

Quote

motor, yes. lights, no. And the fuel pump, line loc, launch control wiring, etc, all is in the tunnel.

pix sent

very curious, sounds like I have a map to draw out.......most of the stuff in my 57 came off the stock fuse panel, I didn't really like it.

e-mail sent back

surgerypending · « **Reply #39 on:** February 18, 2008, 05:26:05 PM »

this is a nice piece
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/det...l.php?id=531556

nivag · « **Reply #40 on:** February 18, 2008, 06:02:24 PM »

Josh, I might have an extra Hella lense for you... I will double check in my extras.
Gavin

Brassmonkey · « **Reply #41 on:** February 18, 2008, 07:37:29 PM »

Nice job with the lights I would like to put LEDs into my hearts aswell.

Chris · « **Reply #42 on:** February 18, 2008, 08:11:58 PM »

what type of leds are you using? you may have to upgrade to an electronic flasher relay as the older relays dont like the LEDS and may flash at a really fast rate. Also you can buy resister that goes in line to add the proper load to the circuit.

josh · « **Reply #43 on:** February 18, 2008, 08:33:31 PM »

Quote

this is a nice piece
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/det...l.php?id=531556

yeah but not so nice a price

don't wanna know what shipping would be from the UK

that'd be killer gavin, let me know

I had read that about leds and flashers, thats why the top heart lense will be using the stock incandesent bulb for the signal

josh · « **Reply #44 on:** March 13, 2008, 12:46:40 PM »

I've recieved my rear inner fenders from wolf.......very nice indeed just waiting for donor sheetmetal so in the meantime i've got a bunch of powdercoating and clean up of little parts done.

biggest hurdle were the IDA's, thought about polishing but ended up going semi-gloss black powder coated

they were a major pain in the A but I think they look killer. many hour went into prep not to fill all the threads with powder, stuffed every little hole full of tinfoil and it worked great. going for the low bling stealth bomber look on the motor, no chrome but a couple bits of polished alum, mostly black. I'm thinkin' annodize the velocity stacks black and then polish the insides and top lip to match the intakes.

my super fierce muts wondering what the hell i'm obsessing over

powdercoated dual circ master cylinder with rabbit reservior

lots more stuff done but not assembled yet like steering box, pedal cluster and torsion arms, link pin carriers, various other brackets and bits'n'peices. I LOVE POWDER COATING

Chris · « **Reply #45 on:** March 13, 2008, 12:58:04 PM »

That looks killer.

thumper911 · « **Reply #46 on:** March 13, 2008, 03:31:24 PM »

Wow, very nice!

vanBoven · « **Reply #47 on:** March 13, 2008, 08:01:34 PM »

nice stuff. i lovvve powder coating but hate paying for it

josh · « **Reply #48 on:** April 02, 2008, 01:00:37 AM »

so a little update, got all my sheet metal for the ass end of the car now. bumper mounts from wolfe, pass side rear quarter/wheelwell from california and Tom H hooked me up with the drivers side

imagine that, both my donor sections came from 55's

I started disecting the old heater channel chunks out of these and found a couple thin spots inside so I drilled out the spot welds and will bead blast and start fresh.
the section from cailfornia had the rear crossmember cut in half with a plasma cutter to fit it in a smaller box to save me on shipping so I had to stich it back together (I now have the mig at home) also cut out and patched where the heater box exits.

I'm pretty happy with my first attempt at butt welding sheetmetal with a wire feed.

not as much as a dent in either of these panels, much better than what I was up against.
still not 100% sure on where I will be splicing these sections in, i've changed my mind waaay to many times, just gotta do it

bwaz · « **Reply #49 on:** April 02, 2008, 08:34:36 AM »

Looking good Josh, I have project envy! (the car and the time to do it)

Russ · « **Reply #50 on:** April 02, 2008, 02:21:33 PM »

thats cool that you were able to find two clean panels.
tricky part is putting them in now
keep us updated good job man

josh · « **Reply #51 on:** April 03, 2008, 12:47:48 AM »

Quote

thats cool that you were able to find two clean panels.
tricky part is putting them in now
keep us updated good job man

welding them in isn't all that tough if you are real careful in trimming to get the fit perfect, it's just really time consuming!!

I plan on making some templates from heavy paper to transfer the cut lines.

Cut out the engine bay shelves tonight and seaperated the 3, count them 3 layers! of overlapped/stacked metal that made up the inner rear wheelwells :wacko: now they're prepped and put aside until the new sections are welded in.

Geoff · « **Reply #52 on:** April 22, 2008, 09:31:58 PM »

Nice work Josh, keep up the good work.

josh · « **Reply #53 on:** April 23, 2008, 01:03:10 PM »

thanks G, i'm tryin' but time is tight these days.

I scored some heavy duty aluminum framed work bench bases with shelves and some with nice drawers on a dumpster diving mission and am in the midst of a garage makeover. I was sick of all my stuff out in the open getting piles of dust and crap all over it. Once i'm done everything will have doors and be all dialed in hopefully a better workspace.

I was debating on a trade deal for my IDA's on a T04 and a set of staggs intakes but descided to stick to N/A for now.

finnished my pedal cluster.....rebushed, powdercoated and made a new wheel for Russ's killer cruizer to ride on complete with skateboard bearings, o-ring grip and speed holes of course

way better than the cheezy plastic stocker.

surgerypending · « **Reply #54 on:** April 23, 2008, 01:15:03 PM »

I like that wheel....keep up the good work!

Russ · « **Reply #55 on:** April 23, 2008, 02:19:29 PM »

ha ha that's killer love the o-ring grip.
you should start selling them

Tom H. · « **Reply #56 on:** April 23, 2008, 04:16:27 PM »

kewl, I like the looks of clean metal. Glad it all worked out for you.

oh, btw

remember me asking if it was ok to whack the B piller off for shipping?

well, I went to toss it and guess what?

It's a complete semaphore pocket piller

and I have one extra trafficator.........

Geoff · « **Reply #57 on:** April 23, 2008, 06:36:53 PM »

As a good VW friend likes to say.........."Thats Bitchin!!!"

josh · « **Reply #58 on:** April 23, 2008, 08:19:18 PM »

Quote from: Tom H. on April 23, 2008, 04:16:27 PM

It's a complete semaphore pocket piller

and I have one extra trafficator.........

was it filled over of something? I found a little old school lead filler repair on the quarter under the 4 layers of strange colored paint

silas · « **Reply #59 on:** April 24, 2008, 10:42:38 PM »

f@#kin kick ass roller pedal with o-ring gription & s-pee-d holes!!!!! good work josh....i love it!!