I've never used angle iron for the floor so Jeffery will have to help you . As far as the dip for the pedals. I just shaved a bit off of the tabs on the pedals, kept the floor flat and welded in my pedal stop. On your build I would get the floor set in place and see how much clearnace you need. If you are using checker plate, you might be able to grind a bit off the pedals and notch the floor and bolt in your pedal stop.

brad

It won't break going down the road Tom...what you have there is probably 10 times stronger than the factory pans. Do the old bounce test....before you cut the pans out put all your weight on them and bounce up and down. Do the same thing after they are repaired...you will see what I mean.

For the angle I basically just transfer a level line from the tunnel lip across the span to the outer frame rail. That inner lip on the tunnel is your reference point.

I hope you are going to modify the rear lip. You really,,,really,,,need to.

For the pedal indent you can make a little clearance with a hammer and also clearance the bottom of the pedal cluster. A little combination of both will get you where you need to be.

Hi Jeff,
I hope you are going to modify the rear lip. You really,,,really,,,need to.

     I believe that you are referring to where the back of the pan extends down in to a sort of "well". The answer is Yes I will be modifying that area as you have suggested. Floor should be flat when finished. I am just trying to get all my eggs in order for the the Christmas break so that I am ready to make some headway.

     I have an idea for making a small press that will utilize the hole used for the pedal stop. Hopefully it will press the dent into the aluminum and still leave it somewhat mar free. Will need to try it on a piece of scrap first. If it works I will take a picture of it it and post it for the "Buggy Bunch" to approve.

     As far as the angle iron goes, one last question. It seems to me, at this point, it would be easier to attach the angle iron to the 1x2 box before I install the box tubing. Would make it easier and less time spent in the cold of the build sight and easier here in my lab where I have access to some cutting and forming tools. Do you know of any reason why I shouldn't do this now?

Tom

    

Merry Christmas From Maine all. Hope you find all your buggy wishes under the tree or in the garage.

Have a wonderful day,

Tom

Hi Guys,
     Hope your Christmas went well, filled with family making memories to enjoy in times to come. I have been working on the buggy, moving along slowly but, non the less, moving in the right direction.
     Late afternoon I had a friend help me flip the pan over so that I could get a better look at some corrosion on the right, outer edge of Napoleon's hat. Upon closer look I noticed that the pan had been cut away from the rear torsion bar brackets. Is this going to be a problem with respect to strength? Should I start looking for a new belly pan? In the photo you can plainly see the separation between the casting. Both sides are the same, and look like they were cut with a torch.

Tom

While I am not a professional...... I would say just weld them back together.

I will be working on mine around that are tonight and will post some pics of my progress.

Mine keep rebreaking over the years after welding it back together.
So when I redid pan a couple years back I used some 1/4in thick flat strap and bent it.  Then welded in place on both sides.
I replaced both pan side with the one from WolfBurg West.  They are the thickest ones I could find.

Here's the latest guys,
  After spending some time running errands I decided to try to weld the pan braces back together. They welded up, in my estimation, fairly good. Not like new but at least descent. Have a look at the picture and let me know.
     Yesterday I took some pictures of the work that I have completed so far on the pan. I had planned to get the new rails in place this week but you know how plans get changed. So far this week I have completed the repairs to the throttle tube, emergency brake tubes, clutch cable tube and run the new fuel line inside the tunnel. I also found some damage to the emergency brake tunnel hole and bracket. I repaired them as well. For the fuel line I used 1/4" brake line, coated, and attached it to the forward bracket and clutch tube in four places using neoprene fuel line that I slit and slipped over the metal line. To secured it I used two plastic ties on each section of neoprene line. The line is completely suspended in the tube up off the floor. Hopefully the neoprene line will keep it from chaffing.
     For the emergency brake tube I found some 1/2" steel tubing and steel spacers at Lowes. I used the spacers as  couplers for the two sections of steel tubing then braised them together. I used braising rather than welding because I can control the torch heat better inside the tunnel with less chance of burning through the tube, which could cause a chaffing to the cable running within.
    The clutch cable tube was broken away from the support bracket inside the tunnel, by the pedals. I broke the weld on the rear and slide the tube into position then braised the tube in it proper place.
    The emergency brake tunnel hole had cracks in all four corners and the e-brake lever, bracket was broken and misshaped. I removed the bracket and welded in the corners of the tunnel, then reshaped and welded the bracket, then welded it back place.
     I am presently working on a rusted out section on the passenger side of Napoleon's hat.
     Baby steps but I seem to be going in the right direction.  I have been finding that when presented a problem, if you just jump in with both feet you can usually come up with a viable solution to most things. For all else, use the the DBA and the Buggy Bunch.

Tom

P.S. Got the trailing arms today, both sides. They seem solid but want to, at least, take a wire brush to them.

Note:
     I hope those on the DBA do not mind me posting details about the repairs that I have been making. I have found that the pictures and explanations have helped me with the vast number of questions that I have come up with so far in my build. The pictures are worth a thousand words when you are trying to follow a particular procedure. I hope my pictures and explanations will help others in a like manner. Thanks so much DBA.

Looks great.

Make sure you coat that inside rust with something while you have it all opened up. You can use some POR15 but I have also just used some rust converter spray to help keep it at bay. My reasoning is that it has only rusted that amount in 40 years while basically untreated so anything more should extend it beyond your lifetime.

Hi Jeff,
     Happy holidays. I was thinking of doing the POR 15 thing but was concerned with it catching fire as I weld the tunnel cut outs back. I thought that I could get into it almost as well afterwards through the front, pedal and shifter holes and again through the back. Maybe I am out to lunch and concerned about fires to much??
     Also, while your here, which way did you face the 3/4" angle iron? I have been looking a various builds but can't seem to make out the direction of the "lip". Should the edge that lays against the tunnel be up or down? Hard to get the positioning across with words but you most likely understand what I am asking.
     Have you had a chance to work on your build during this Christmas season?

Tom

I am right in the same spot as you are. I just wish I would remember the camera when I go out.

For the lip I take a small level and a section of stock and go from the tunnel lip out toward the frame rail. The bottom of the stock (which is resting on the tunnel lip) will be the top of the frame rail lip.

Once you see where the lip should rest you can decide how to mount the angle. Usually it is applied like an "L" and not a "7" if that makes sense.

Be sure you give some thought to the rear section. You have the stock piece that comes from the tunnel on an angle down to the outer frame rail mounting point. You need to complete that triangle with a pice of stock that goes from the outer frame rail to the inside of the tunnel horizontally.

The way I place it is to find a perpendicular line from the top of the angle section down to the floor. That imaginary point will be the outer rear most edge of the piece you need to weld in (I use 1" square stock from Lowes or HD). The top of this piece should be flush with your frame rail angle and meet up flush with your modified rear lip on the tunnel.  Imagine a flat surface starting on the tunnel lip, going rearward to where that angle piece comes from the tunnel to the outer rail mount, across the rear section, and onto the frame rail angle.

You can then weld (or rivet some diamondplate like I did) into this little triangle area. The florr will sit on the top of this 1" square stock and the rear section will rivet to the back side of it.

Confusing? I can try to get some pics if you like.

If your concerned with the fire you can always spray the inside down with some water (since it will have the POR15 on it anyways) to keep the fire risk down. I personally don't think its huge. Haven't had one yet burn my shop down (knock on wood!)

Hi all,
     I had a chance to take the trailing arms over to the build site today. I was told that any Type 1 frame 69 to 79 would fit. The arms that I received were for a single spring plate and my are double spring plates on both sides. The bolt pattern and number of bolts are different. Am I missing something when it comes to trailing arms replacement or do I have something different than what I have been basing my thoughts on? Could the buggy's back end not be a Type 1?

Tom

The main 3 bolts should be the same, one type had a 4th bolt but you can either leave that out of drill a hole to use it.

brad

Hi Brad,
     Only two bolt holes would line up!! I tried to install. I do have the fourth hole which is a threaded hole. I did not feel that using just two bolts would provide enough strength and it could effect alignment. I thought of drilling and taping but want to see if I could find the correct arm. I took both trailing arms back yesterday and got the one that I needed. I just need to make bump stop bosses. I will need to sand blast, but the trailing arm does seem to be solid at this point. I now need to find a couple torsion bar plates for the double spring plate set-up. Any that I have seen up here are routed away. I know that I can get them on line.
     Here is question for you. Where is a good, quality place to purchase VW parts on line? I was told the better parts come from Brazil.  How do I know where they were manufactured?

Thanks
Tom

     P.S. The guys that I have been dealing with up here, have been into VWs for years, have never seen the difference in trailing arms. Actual one said he didn't know there was a difference and the other said that he couldn't remember. They were of the same opinion that all were interchangeable 69-79.

Thomas,

Here is some good reading:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=355686&highlight=double+spring+plate

As for parts there are lots of places and it really depends on what you are looking for. Some of the places I would suggest:

www.cip1.com  (free shipping)
www.socalautoparts.com
www.mooreparts.com

There are others as well.

Thanks for the come back Brad,
     Yes I did read that yesterday. And, of course, after I had solved my problem. So the answer to whether or not the trailing arms are interchangeable can be a yes and no answer. YES, if you are willing to drill and tap or change spring plates and NO if you want a direct fit. Would you agree? I, myself, like to go the direct fit rout, and not take the chance that something else may end up becoming a problem down the road, Of course, I would not hesitate to make modifications if the situation called for it, due to the unavailability of the correct part. It has been, at times in my life, that doing something to solve a problem, going the long rout or backyard mechanic rout, comes back to bite me in the butt later. Not that drilling and tapping in this case would be considered the "backyard mechanic's, way. I just would rather save that for when the situation calls for it. After all, what is a Dune Buggy? At this point mine is a conglomerate of 4 different years, and will most likely be more before I am done. Coming up with solutions to problems using critical thinking, and advice from the "Buggy Bunch", are two of the things that make construction fun, at least for me. I will leave the bailing wire and bent nails to others.

Tom

Thank Jeffery

brad

Sorry Jeff!!!!

Jeff,
     When you weld the two sections of angle iron onto the side of the tunnel, do (you) weld it on using tack welds or do you use longer sections of weld? This past weekend I managed to attach one of the angle Irons on with tack welds, as many as 20 on the top and as many on the bottom. Should I go back and weld in longer sections? Seems very solid at this point, do not want to overkill.

     From looking at the photos that you posted, the tunnel must of been deformed a slight amount as is mine and hence the reason for the plastic. I had an added dent in the lower section of the tunnel.  Is the need for the plastic normal? I had to use the oxy/act to weld the two sections, top and bottom tunnel, back together and this may have added to the deformation. The tunnel was very thin in the area of the joint where I ground the lip off, not rust but most likely the way the two sections were stamped at the factory leaving a rounded edge. I could control the heat much easier with the torch than with the welder. Back to old school techniques. I would of like to have used the welder but could not seem to set it low enough to keep it from burning through. My skill level is most likely having a great deal to do with my inability to control heat with the welder.

     Hope you have had time to work on your buggy.

Tom

I just use little 1" stich welds every 4-6" or so on the top and bottom to hold mine in. In my opinion that is plenty. I also weld up the relief cuts I make it them for the bends,

I actually am just about done with mine too.

I used plastic on my tunnel to give it a better shape since it was not being covered by carpeting. It was purely for details. I will be doing the same with this one. The tunnel has a whole bunch of factory dents and such and I fill them all in to give the tunnel a very smooth and finished look.

Its just my style...its not needed.

Jeff,
     I have been working on the buggy and thinking at the same time. I will be attaching the rails that I fabricated earlier and am studying/thinking about how each end will be attacked. On "Napoleon's hat end it seems to me that I will need to shape the end, cut it, to fit the "boss" that protrudes back. This would allow the top and sides of the rail to pass over the boss and align with the angular section of Napoleon's hat.
     The rear section, I am still trying to think about the strength and how it should be shaped. Should the top and outer edge lap over the old belly pan edge? Should I remove the outer section of belly pan and weld directly to the reinforcement bracket underneath?
     I have been like you of late, I keep forgetting my camera so I could show you what I am talking about. Maybe you have a picture of the way you shaped the ends on the rails to mate both front and rear pan sections.

Tom

     I have been working on it and will post some more pictures as soon as I remember to take the camera.

I will be heading out to my shop tonight and will take some pictures. My rails are now done (just waiting for paint) so I can take some pictures of what I did.

Well I thought my rails were done but since this is a keeper I started adding more steel. Does it need it? Probably not but its cheap and I like to weld.

Here are the frame rails:





I added this piece across the front tonight for some added support:


And I think I am going to add these pieces this week:


And then I might run two 1" square tubes down the center to tie in the front and rear pieces that run left to right. Will they make it stiffer? I don't know but its cheap and it won't hurt.

Bracing the front isn't nessasary at all. the center spline is plenty strong enough. The frame is starting to look very good, nice work!!!

brad

Brad,

Thanks for the kind words.

I know I don't need to do it but its just scrap (actually two pieces I fabricated for my Avenger that never worked right...the hit the wheels) and I am liking all that shiney tubing!

Jeff and Brad,
     Thanks for the pictures Jeff. I was able to copy them into "Paint" and zoom in some to take a closer look. Is the section that you installed across the frame head a solid or tubing? From the enlarged pictures I can see that you or the original owner engineered the frame differently than what I have contrived. I also seem to see some differences in the belly pans. Mine is a 1960 in the area forward of the transmission front mount and 1969 rearward. From the pictures I have also concluded that I just need to try to attach the rails in the manner that I outlined earlier and if I do not succeed, "They make 1x2 box tubing everyday." Hopefully it will not come to that. The weather has been cutting into my build time anyway so I may have to take a break for warmer weather, 7 below and 5 below this past weekend at the build sight. Will try to get some pictures of the buggy soon.

Tom

Its tubing. I just cap off all my ends.

And I feel your pain regarding the weather. I do thank myself for investing in my electric heater in the shop. It was 8 degrees outside the other day and withing 15 minutes of turning my heater on I was down to a sweatshirt and after about 1 hour I had turned the heater off.

Shouldnt this whole thread be under Build showcase? Just wondering! Nice build so far though.

Hi Brian,
     After the first few post I asked about that exact thing. I do not want to upset anyone out there, I appreciate all that has been shared with me so far from the "Buggy Bunch" here on the DBA. I have no idea how to to switch to the "Buggy Build Showcase" so if anyone would like to do that for me I would not object.
     Thanks for commenting on the build. I should have some more pictures soon but the cold weather takes its toll on me. It seems to be my age. I do not have a garage here at the house so a good friend of mine has graciously offered a section of space in his old chicken barn. I have it closed off, somewhat, but the space heater works continuously to just take the chill off. My feet take the cold the worst I have found. It is, however, very nice to be able to work on it during the winter months, even just the amount that I can.
     I started to fit the rails today.

Tom

John Shepard and/or Paul Moran should be able to move the whole thread to "Buggy Build Showcase." While I was building my Kellison Super T, part of my thread took on its own life and I had them move it to the appropiate board. 

So, How do you get in touch with them? Or do they monitor? They can just move it. To bad that I could not change the name at this point. Maybe, 'THE MAINE BUGGY BUILD would be a good name for what the build has become?

Tom

Here we go.... Just send them a PM with your request. Not 100% sure they can do it, but it's worth a try.

Paul Moran
http://www.dunebuggyarchives.com/forum/user_info.pl?uid=1

Jay Hart
http://www.dunebuggyarchives.com/forum/user_info.pl?uid=387

John Shepard
http://www.dunebuggyarchives.com/forum/topic_show.pl?tid=1377

Hi All.
     Thought that it would be nice to answer the original post on how or what I did to fix the "Bump Stops". If you will recall I had just touched the rubber bump stops making them break off. They had rotted off over the years. I know, some builds just cut them off anyway but I like to keep things original, or at least as much as possible. So here is my solution to the problem based on all the reading I did, thanks all those on the DBA and the Samba. I have to give credit due where it is due. I have just added my twists, thoughts and deviations.
     You will need the following items for each stud needed:
              1- 3/8 x 2 inch carriage bolt
              4- 3/8 flat washers
              2- 3/8 hex nut
              1- 3/8 Fender washer (optional)
              1- 3/8 split lock washer

     The stud assembly is constructed around a 3/8 x 2 inch carriage bolt. Using a file, or for those that happen to have a lathe, remove the corners on the square under the head of the carriage bolt until the 4- 3/8 flat washers will fit against the head of the carriage bolt. Using one of the 3/8 hex nuts, screw it onto the carriage bolt and tighten it against the washers. The nut acts as the spacer that is required to hold the lip off the mount on the trailing arm. I brazed the nut in place to make it a more solid assembly but you most likely will not need to do that.
     When it comes time to attach them to the trailing arms I will grind off what left of the original mount and drill a 3/8 inch hole. I have a 3/8 fender washer that I plan to use between the trailing arm mount and the bump stop but it may not be necessary. I will place the bump stop stud through the hole in the training arm and attach it with a flat washer, lock washer and nut in that order. Here is a picture of an assembled bump stop and one broken down into its component parts. Fairly basic but it at least answers the original post. Hope it works when I attach it to the training arms.

Tom

Hi All,
     It has been quite some time since I posted last and I find myself asking, "Should I post here in the "Showcase" or in the "Advice" section? So I just decided to post what I have been up to over the last month or so. I have been working! Baby steps is all I can expect at this time. I would welcome any comments from the Buggy Bunch as I would rather fix them now rather than wait till I have to tear apart, wasting more time and materials.
     Today I finished fitting the rails and tacking them in. Still need to "test fit" the body then I can finish the welding. The tunnel still has one section cut out so that I can treat the inside with rust inhibitor. Some pictures will show where I have used brazing to repair rusted sections. As I am still learning to flux core weld, I felt better dealing with the rust with the torch. Most of the brazing is at the the front and only in the non-supportive areas. The head frame really is in very good shape.
     I have been watching Jeff and Brad's build, as well as a few others, trying to glean construction tips, and have come to the conclusion that each build is truly an individual build, with all their varying circumstances and problems to work through. I can only hope that my adaptive solutions will stand the tests of time.

Tom

Tom,

It looks great. You have got it all figured out for sure. and yes...the best part about these builds is they are always unique. Don't be afraid to explore new solutions.

Just as a reminder for you as you progress (and only cause it popped out in a picture)....you want to make sure you don't forget the 2 tube spacers that go inside the front bulkhead for the master cylinder bolt holes.

You don't need them now...but you don't want to forget them either.

Good Morning Jeff,
     Nice to see you are still in there plugging away on your build. I was concerned last night when I checked messages. There was a message, but it said "Unapproved"? I checked your build and you had one too. I thought that I had inadvertanly said something "off color" in my post, although I read it a number of times but came up with nothing. It must have something to do with the way things are on the "Build showcase" that I do not yet understand. It was good to see it missing this morning.
     As for the "bolt spacers" at the master cylinder, they are both there. They did fall out but slid them back in and I do realize the importance of them. I will check to see if they fell out again while I was fipping and turning.
     I need to have my kids help me set the body back on to check its fit. I am not looking for a perfect fit but hope it will line up better than the first time I tried. Once I have that done, and am crossing my fingers, I will be welding for awhile.
     The guy that owns the barn where I am building is having some work done on the barn and the the crew needs the power shut off so I am not able to work on the buggy during the day. So things are going slower than I had planned for the week.
     I do have a question for you, or others. When I layed the ledger strips in for the diamond plate floors I noticed that I needed to "slope" the floor slightly toward the front to meet the ledge on the front hat. I leveled everything up but could not figure out how to get the ledge to line up with the nepolian hat's ledge. so I tacked the ledges in at both ends then leveled the ledge up toward the front about 32 inches, allowing the rest of the ledge to slope toward the front ledge. I wanted the seat area to be flat but figured the slight slant forward in the front will not be noticable. Any thoughts?
     I still want to add some support braces for the seat runners but can't figure out where they should be located. I think I would like to use the Corbeau seats with there runners. Maybe someone out there has done this already and can supply me with some measurements?

Tom

Tom

Good Afternoon All,
     Thought I would post the latest picture taken this afternoon of the progress on the frame and pan. I have been poking away at it lately with just small steps, grinding, welding, grinding, welding.... Well you get the picture. The weather has been nice up here in Maine during the week days but the weekends are either filled with other pressing business or it is too cold to put on the POR15. I need to get the tunnel coated before I can finish up with the pan. So I have been looking at past work and improving on the original. Its amassing how much you can find to improve on. I keep on telling myself that this is not just a winter's project but rather a labor of love that will take the time that it takes, nothing less and probably somewhat more.

Thanks for looking, it help to keep me going.

Tom

Hello from Maine,
     I have been away for quite some time, this time, sorry. I hope those that have been giving me help and encouragement are still willing and don't feel that this is just another one of those partially finished, got in over their head, builds.
     When I retired in the spring I knew that I was facing surgery soon but had no idea that it would be as soon as it was. I am still on BLT restrictions, for at least the next 6 weeks but have been trying to get some things done that only require a little amount of Bending, Lifting and Twisting. My kids have been helping out with any of that. Let's just say that "speed" is just not in my vocabulary at this point. Baby steps is better than no steps.
     Before I went in for surgery I manage to get the tunnel finished and the PORS15 applied. Rust was starting to form again from the humidity of the summer months. I was in such a hurry to get it coated that I didn't think of taking pictures but if you look at Jeff's posted picture of his tunnel you will get the same as mine would have been. I was so tired of filling dents by the time I got done.
     Last week I managed to find the time to make the patterns for the diamond plate installation. I used poster type cardboard which I cut the shapes for each section then taped them together to make the full pattern. I call this my linoleum floor trick. When I was quite young my mother hired a local carpenter to lay a new floor in our small bathroom. The bathroom was so small that he could not just lay the flooring out and cut around the fixtures so he cut the contours out in small sections using large paper, then taped them together as he proceeded along. When he was finished he just laid his full size pattern on the linoleum and cut it out. I thought that it was such a nice trick I never forgot it. $$$$$$$ saved.
      Next I laid out the pattern on the underside of the aluminum diamond plate. Noting left and right, top and bottom. I then taped it in place securely to keep it from creeping the during the cutting operation. Using my jig saw and a metal cutting blade I cut carefully along the edge of the pattern. Patience is the name of the game here. I did note this, as I was cutting I noticed that the saw cut quicker when I was cutting through the tape used to hold the pattern down. Maybe someone out there can give me an explanation for that???? Be sure to re-tape after the saw passes by to prevent the pattern from moving. Low and behold the floor fit first time and I only had to make a very small adjustment to be able to use the same pattern on the other side. That side also fit first time.
     I am in hopes to rivet the floor boards and make the end plates sometime this week. Tomorrow I will be cleaning the trans-axle to getting it ready for paint.

Tom

Hi again,
     I almost forgot about the inner corners by Napoleon's hat. Where the tunnel lip and Napoleon's hat meet there is a joint that does not allow the diamond plate to set down. If allowed to remain high, at that point, it would have interfered with the pedal assembly as well as the proper fit of the floor boards making them hard to pop rivets down. My solution was to bend, both driver and passenger sides, in that area so that they were alike. I made up a homemade press, using a bottle jack and structural lumber, and bent the corners up. I placed a 5/16 nut in the corner then used the press to push down on the floor which caused the corner to bend upward and the diamond plate to settle into place along the tunnel's ridge. I haven't pop riveted the floors down at this point but I don't foresee and other problem.

Tom

Greetings from Maine,
     I have completed the clean up and surface prep of the trans-axle, It was a labor intensive process but I think it came out rather nice. I will post pictures below for you to "judge" for yourself. A friend and former colleague of mine developed a water base degreaser for use in cleaning air filters in motorcycles and dirt bikes, which he asked me to try out on some of my degreasing jobs. It worked great for the grease but the oxidation from years of exposure to the elements here in Maine, salt mainly, really made it difficult to clean the small nooks and crannies, the ones that no finger can get into. I hunted all over but could not find a small rotary wire brush that would handle the job. Putting my head to work I came up with the idea of using small sections of 1/4 inch wire cable, which I placed in my electric drill. This worked great at getting into small areas, around bolt heads and small indents in the casings. These homemade brushes are generally a one shot deal but the price is right, especially if you have a broken dog run or broken GM spare tire hanger for your pick-up. I used short sections, 2-3 inches, in order to cut down on the wandering tendencies of the tip. I had one left over so I put it in the picture of my cleaning utensils.
     The first picture is of the trans-axle before I started and the next one is how it looked after the cleanup process. On the third picture the SEM, self-etching primer, had been applied. For the final two coats I used a hammered finish Rustoleum. I was in hopes the hammered finish would camouflage the imperfection in the surface created from the years of exposure to the road salt. The last picture is mainly of my cleaning utensils and some of my cleaning chemicals.
     Hope this helps someone who may be facing the same cleaning and painting process. Only time will tell if the paint stays.

Tom

Greetings from Vacation Land,
     Just wanted to update the build with what I have been working at this winter. I had originally planned to put the final top coat of paint over the POR-15 and apply the bed liner to the bottom of the pan but that got derailed in late fall with me accepting a part time job. I did manage to finish installing the aluminum diamond plate and installing the rear spring plate bushings and new chrome covers. I also got to install the first new accessory item, the shifter. Felt so nice to be putting something back together rather than taking it apart all the time. It's too cold to work in the the barn where the buggy is until spring so I arranged to work at a local used car dealer's shop on small parts, cleaning, sand blasting and painting. That's how I ended up with the job. Oh well at least its warm and I can get in and work on weekends. I have posted pictures of the items that I have completed and readied for installation on the pan.

Tom

Hi all

     Thought I would post a few pictures of the buggy as it stands to date. I still find it very ironic that Jeff and I choose the same color/highlights combination even though we have never talked colors. It has got to be that great minds think alike.
     I have not had much time to work on the buggy for quite some time due to having so many irons in the fire. Between working at, what I call my full time/part time job and constructing a workshop at my home and then there is keeping up with the small engines repair business. It's been difficult to find the time to even think about the buggy. Hopefully I will be able to locate more time during the winter months. This build is truly "baby steps construction". If you see anything that looks odd or you think is not right don't hesitate to post. I am always open to improvement. I learned many years ago that I do not know everything, or at least I forgot a lot since my teenage years.

Tom

Hi All from Maine,
     It has been a long time since I posted to my build, but I have been working on the buggy in one form or another. I put off working on the garage this summer but plan to go back to it over the winter with wiring and insulation on the work schedule. Getting old really "vacuums", a lot, so thing get done very slow.
    Last winter I constructed a rolling table to set the body on while I worked on the perimeter of the belly pan, nothing special but is great when you need to clean up, need some extra room or a large flat work surface for a special project for the wife. The table lead me to the next construction, a "Body Lift", but most likely not the type that you have pictured in your mind right now. I needed something that would allow me to lift the body off the belly pan and onto the rolling table. Did I mention that I am old? My kids have been helping out when they are around but I still needed something that I could use when they were off doing their thing.
     I surfed around looking for "body lifts" but came up with mostly the type of lift that goes around the perimeter of the pans. I did find a couple that, with modifications, would suite my needs. In someone's post, I forget were, I read that the bodies only weighed about four hundred pounds. Figuring that if the body were suspended from the trusses in my garage there would only be two hundred pounds on two cables and if these cables were suspended from more than one truss, say five or six, it would minimize the weight on each individual truss. You will need to anchor the frame in place on the trusses as the frame will "walk" with weight applied. Ask me how I know. Hey guys! Give me a break, I'm old.

     As you can see in the first picture I constructed a frame made of some scrap 2x4s and placed it across five of the truss above the buggy bay. On each end of the frame I mounted two 2x4s side-by-side and drilled a ½" hole down between their mating surfaces. This gave me a mounting surface for a bracket and pulley to channel the cable through from the two HF boat winches. On the outer garage wall along the top plate I mounted a 3" section of angle iron. The angle irons gave me a mount for the next two cable, guiding pulley's. As you can see, in the first picture, I had a slight problem when it came time to snake the cables down by the wall shelf. To solve this I mounted a surface pulley on the stud so that it guided the cable around the shelf. I mounted the two HF winches on 3/4" plywood and then used 2-1/2" deck screws to anchor them between the studs at about eye level. I don't have pictures of the pulley assemblies but if anyone is interested I can get them easily enough. With the exception of the homemade brackets, the hardware, pulleys, chain and nuts, bolts and washers came from Lowes and The Depot. See the second picture.

     In the 3rd picture you can see the finished lift. The body was held in place and hoisted by means of two 2x4s separated by two chains, one at each end of each of the 2x4s. The boat winch cables were attached at the centers of the upper 2x4s using 3/8" eye bolts and fender washers.

     I could finally lift the body off the pan without having to wait for my kids to come around to help "Old Dad". This contraption came in handy for my next endeavor, the "Perimeter Body Lift". I have completed this also and will post it in my build as soon as I can get it written up. It is Chuck Sawyer's basic design with my bent mind applied.

Tom

Looking pretty good Thomas.  Puts me in mind of a set up an older fellow worked out for his aluminum boat in his garage.  He did support weight across several rafters, and had pulleys at each corner. He braided in the rope lines to a central point then ran a single to a ratchet windlass on the wall, he could lower and fasten down the 16 ft aluminum boat in about four min, and take back up in about the same amount of time.    I like your set up, high enough rafters and you can put it up and walk underneath without problems!

Hey Lloyd.....3 year old post....

Actually Jeffrey, if you look above mine, the OP just posted an update.  ;>)

Really? The only one I see above yours was 2013....

Although my computer sees this:

"Hidden post (unapproved) "

Right above your comment. I have never seen that before. Does that show up as a post on your computer?

-/- By Thomas B 2944 Date 2016-11-06 03:29
Hi All from Maine,
     It has been a long time since I posted to my build, but I have been working on the buggy in one form or another. I put off working on the garage this summer but plan to go back to it over the winter with wiring and insulation on the work schedule. Getting old really "vacuums", a lot, so thing get done very slow.
    Last winter I constructed a rolling table to set the body on while I worked on the perimeter of the belly pan, nothing special but is great when you need to clean up, need some extra room or a large flat work surface for a special project for the wife. The table lead me to the next construction, a "Body Lift", but most likely not the type that you have pictured in your mind right now. I needed something that would allow me to lift the body off the belly pan and onto the rolling table. Did I mention that I am old? My kids have been helping out when they are around but I still needed something that I could use when they were off doing their thing.
     I surfed around looking for "body lifts" but came up with mostly the type of lift that goes around the perimeter of the pans. I did find a couple that, with modifications, would suite my needs. In someone's post, I forget were, I read that the bodies only weighed about four hundred pounds. Figuring that if the body were suspended from the trusses in my garage there would only be two hundred pounds on two cables and if these cables were suspended from more than one truss, say five or six, it would minimize the weight on each individual truss. You will need to anchor the frame in place on the trusses as the frame will "walk" with weight applied. Ask me how I know. Hey guys! Give me a break, I'm old.

     As you can see in the first picture I constructed a frame made of some scrap 2x4s and placed it across five of the truss above the buggy bay. On each end of the frame I mounted two 2x4s side-by-side and drilled a ½" hole down between their mating surfaces. This gave me a mounting surface for a bracket and pulley to channel the cable through from the two HF boat winches. On the outer garage wall along the top plate I mounted a 3" section of angle iron. The angle irons gave me a mount for the next two cable, guiding pulley's. As you can see, in the first picture, I had a slight problem when it came time to snake the cables down by the wall shelf. To solve this I mounted a surface pulley on the stud so that it guided the cable around the shelf. I mounted the two HF winches on 3/4" plywood and then used 2-1/2" deck screws to anchor them between the studs at about eye level. I don't have pictures of the pulley assemblies but if anyone is interested I can get them easily enough. With the exception of the homemade brackets, the hardware, pulleys, chain and nuts, bolts and washers came from Lowes and The Depot. See the second picture.

     In the 3rd picture you can see the finished lift. The body was held in place and hoisted by means of two 2x4s separated by two chains, one at each end of each of the 2x4s. The boat winch cables were attached at the centers of the upper 2x4s using 3/8" eye bolts and fender washers.

     I could finally lift the body off the pan without having to wait for my kids to come around to help "Old Dad". This contraption came in handy for my next endeavor, the "Perimeter Body Lift". I have completed this also and will post it in my build as soon as I can get it written up. It is Chuck Sawyer's basic design with my bent mind applied.

Tom

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Hi Guys,
     I wrote this offline and then copy/pasted the text into the archives then added the pictures. Hope working offline didn't screw things up. Let me know so I will not make the same mistake twice. I noticed in Loyd's paste the picture links became unreadable for some reason, so here they are again'

Tom

P.S. I hope its alright to work offline as I feel a little more at ease, not rushed, when I do the write-up that way. Its easier to get a cup of coffee or visit the little boy's room.