Well, its been a long time since I posted here. Been busy tweak'n my XR650R this Summer, cracking ribs, and so on...bascially, the usual.
My buggy is heading to Baja for the Winter this week. No time like the last minute to get back to work on it. Striped it down to paint. Shot it yesterday with Rust Bullet. Sprayed nicely and looks great. My hands are silver/grey today. Yea, I know, gloves next time.
While prepping for paint, did a few things. Removed the silly battery and installed a Optima-sized tray, changed out my steering bearings for a pair of good flange bearings. Will add headlights (very cool Hella free form headlights in an ABS housing) and tailights making it reasonably street legal for Baja roads. Still need to add a few different tabs and repaint those areas once installed, but mostly done with the frame...for now. Discovered my solid nosecone mount was crack almost completely, so welded that back up better than new. Still have to replace my 930 boots, and put it all back together. Was going to have Chenowth install side panels on the way down South. However, it seems the owner recently died and Chenowth is out of commission for a couple of months (at least when it comes to side panel installs). Will try and catch up with them on the trip north in May. Here's how it looks now.
Last edited by DeMinimis on Mon Oct 20, 2008 4:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Who is this strange guy from the pig mine? Hey DeMinimis, glad to hear from you again, silver hands and all but being a lawyer figured they would be dirtier anyway Let us know how the rust bullet holds up to the sand and rocks. How long you going to be in Baja? Don't be such a stranger.
I only get to go for two weeks and not until March. Seems like a bad idea sending my buggy down with the in-laws now and I won't get to play with it until March (and only for two weeks then). Just got a 2006 Big Tex car hauler to haul the buggy around. Hope it doesn't all get stolen before I get there. Better up my insurance.
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Those are some Soviet space shocks I smuggled out of wherethehellamIstan.
Hey, fabbers, I found a great mfr out of Michigan. They have everything a person could want (tabs, shock mounts, caliper mounts, etc.) and dirt cheap too. Way cheaper than buying tabs from McKenzies and the like. Its A&A Manufacturing and they have a good website (even has pictures for Bajaherbie).
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you will have to let me know what time in march you will be down there.
a couple of friends and me, are going to be heading down to the baja about that time for the San Felipe 250. Scott_the_viking, myself, and a buddie of mine that is not on this board will be driving down. should be a good time. it would be nice to have somebody that has been down there before to show me around. i know scott has been before. but the more the merrier
(sounds like a good time for leather to fire up the motor home )
Heading down with the whole fam around the 20th of March (returning around the 4th of April). All the way to the bottom at San Jose del Cabo.
I started using Rust Bullet a few years back to touch up a couple of areas on my Bug to protect it while waiting to get around to painting it. Also stuck some on a steel fence post just to see how it held up. All has held up great (without any top coat). Still haven't gotten around to painting the Bug. Had spilled a drop on concrete and its still there too. One nice feature is even if you let it freeze, its still good (down to -30 degrees or so). So, storing the paint in the garage is ok (unless you live in North Dakota).
I used a syphon sprayer as opposed to a gravity feed. Worked great. Actually gave it a nice orange peel texture (in part due to the paint, equipment and the fact I had to shoot it outside and I live in a sandy and breezy area). Provides a very nice even finish (I'd say its a satin finish- not too glossy, not too flat). Spraying a tube buggy is rather wasteful, but no way around that. Finally got the stuff off my hands this morning. If completely spraying a tube frame, plan on at least a quart if shooting outside. You need to apply two coats. Does not brush-on as nicely as POR-15, but, reportedly, lasts longer, does not require a top coat and can be top-coated if you choose.
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Mine's been bare and its been ok (WD-40 finish). however, sitting down in Baja for six months, 1/2 mile from the ocean, will certainly make it a rust bucket if unprotected.
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Buddy and I are driving down January 11 in my former Landcruiser (in-laws' now) hauling my buggy. Leaving the LC and buggy at my in-laws' place in San Jose del Cabo and flying back on the 19th. Still going back with the fam in late March. Buggy and trailer will return to the PNW in April/May. So, if anyone finds themselves that far south then, let's go riding!
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Will run headlights on the buggy. I've been stuck out in the desert in the dark before and headlights were nice (plus running around San Jose del Cabo in the evenings). Hate the crappy rusty chrome buckets, so opened the wallet. These are Hella lights with an ABS housing, glass front, free form, with H-4 bulb and city lights to boot. Got them from Susquehanna Motorsports (your Hella connection if you want Hella goodies). Pricey, but should do the job well. Very adjustible. Only concern is the lens..rather rocks meeting the lens. Will probably tape folded dish towels over the lens to protect them during the day (99% of my driving). Since they are free form, they should be very bright. edit by leatherneck- reduced pic size to 640X480. If that is a problem let me know
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If only I could. Those are ovals, not round. Perhaps I'll come up with something (I've got a lexan windsreen that I cracked that I might be able to use to fab a cover). We'll see.
CVs are done! That was a nightmare (missing spriolock, damaged corresponding star, etc). All clocked and good to go, sort of.
Don't know why I never noticed before, but damn. My flanges are nearly straight across (in line vertically) from each other at rest. So, we know that's not good, travel-wise. Running 1600 arms (stock +1), so the suspension arch is not that pronounced. Explains some slight mushrooming on one axle end. Ok suspension cycle experts, here's what I got. 4" wider than stock torsion. Bus trans. 930s. A 3x3 would seem no brainer, but I don't know if I'd be moving the stubs back enough in relation to the trans flanges from the current setup (of course it would be an improvement). The next thing I would consider is 4x5 arms. Probably the Eagle setup and have the arms reinforced. However, 4x5 is more of a sand setup, not a desert setup. Thoughts? Since someone will ask - No, can't move the trans forward. Thanks.
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Let us know how the rust bullet holds up to the sand and rocks. How long you going to be in Baja? Don't be such a stranger.
