My ongoing Turbobaja build

[turbobaja]

Just a tiny update here to keep the build alive....and myself. Been pretty under the weather the past couple weeks. It's been getting into the teens at night and barely above freezing by the afternoon. Working in a garage with 40-50F temps is tough. I've got to get a heater that actually works!

I decided to seal up and insulate the areas under the hood where the defrost hoses come up from the heater channels. I made a template of the area and then a wooden dam to cover each side and back-fill with foam. The ducts simply plug into the hoses, almost like factory, but in a slightly different location now to clear my door check-rods. No more stuff falling down into those corner pocket areas too .






And I finally made my mind up on all the items that need to find a home in the dash. Each has a small template to represent the overll size of them so no suprises when install time comes. I'm pretty happy with this arrangement. I'd previously set up just the gauges with a 14" steering wheel and found myself with a lot of useless dash space. This new 16" unit lets me make much better use of the space available .

What's missing?

[sideshow]

You are missing the flower vase.

[Chris V]

DC outlets? Headlight switch?

[turbobaja]

You are missing the flower vase.

True

DC outlets? Headlight switch?

Headlight switch is peeking out on the top/right of the steering wheel in the top pic. It and the Hazard switch are swapped in the 2 pics. No room behind the lower location. The 12V outlet is that circle facing the pass side, left of the glove box area. Some of those templates are pretty hard to read after getting my grubby hands all over them so many times. You must have good eyes Chris .

I'm probably going to end up using the lower center console to put the stereo. Can't squeeze it under the dash on the pass side and don't want it in the glove box.

[Chris V]

Blower motor means, what? HVAC outlets?

For the glovebox door are you going to retrofit something more modern? Keep in mind when it opens it may interfere with the DC outlet accessories.

What'd ya' have in mind for the outlet? I've got about two dozen pretty cool new VW ones laying around... They're threaded body with a generous size plastic nut/washer to secure them from the back...I've got the factory wiring pigtails too.

I've got the best eyes in the family...I don't think I could stand wearing contacts/glasses, so I hope it stays that way.

BTW I've got some of those dashes/console if you want an extra to practice...hmmm, they may all be Ghia...even better

[turbobaja]

Blower motor means, what? HVAC outlets?

For the glovebox door are you going to retrofit something more modern? Keep in mind when it opens it may interfere with the DC outlet accessories.

What'd ya' have in mind for the outlet? I've got about two dozen pretty cool new VW ones laying around... They're threaded body with a generous size plastic nut/washer to secure them from the back...I've got the factory wiring pigtails too.

I've got the best eyes in the family...I don't think I could stand wearing contacts/glasses, so I hope it stays that way.

BTW I've got some of those dashes/console if you want an extra to practice...hmmm, they may all be Ghia...even better

The blower motors are a couple Jabsco 150 cfm @ 6.8amp ducted fans that recirculate cabin air through my heater boxes. I found some neat variable speed controllers made for the job and that's what the 2 blower motor knobs are, just small ~.5" dia knobs on the face of the dash. This way I can have my window down with an arm out and the cold blooded lady friend can pump heat to her face and feet. Turns out a '74 SB fresh air fan isn't up to the task, so I decided to try a dual fan setup. So why not dual climate control . I'll be watching things to see what cooling the exhaust on one side and not the other does to CHT/EGTs.

Thanks for the heads-up on that outlet location . I just darted downstairs and eyeballed it.....definately not gonna fly. I'll have to find a new home for it.....or possibly a couple of these "generous size plastic nut/washer" units you've got . Mine has a neat flap door on the front, but has the common thin metal collar for mounting. What do these factory units look like?

I'm not set on a door just yet. I'll probably make some simple surface mounted, cable check strap setup with some alumi. Maybe powder coat it.

What's the story on the Ghia dashes?? Do they fit better than this thing?? I've got some pretty bad gaps to deal with and I've already spent enough time trimming on it I wish I'd made my own. But I'm trying to "save time" by useing this one .


Hey, I need some info/opinions on a slightly different topic:

I've been thinking of adding or retrofitting a set of cooling flaps and t-stat to my scat shroud. I don't think I've seen this done, in person. Seems like lots of people get away without running them. But, I think especially in a colder climate, where repeated cold starts are likely, these parts have got to be pretty important. I'm in the process of getting a complete set of doghouse t-stat and flaps from a guy up in Port Orchard. What do you think a setup like this in good condition should run($$$?) L/R flaps, all the linkage and brackes and a t-stat. I'm about to lay down some cheese for these parts that sooo many people just threw away .

[sideshow]

...of adding or retrofitting a set of cooling flaps and t-stat to my scat shroud...

I've done it, not to a Scat, its not hard and judging by the rest of your project will not be a challenge.

[Chris V]

I've got a few of these cool ones with spring loaded covers, and a bunch of the traditional tethered plug style...I grab little stuff every time I get up to the junkyard, you should see my growing 'lightly used' fuse collection.





Ghia dash thing was a joke - they look hideous in a Ghia - better to cut them up for learning purposes

[turbobaja]

...of adding or retrofitting a set of cooling flaps and t-stat to my scat shroud...

I've done it, not to a Scat, its not hard and judging by the rest of your project will not be a challenge.

Sounds do-able at least then. And thanks for the vote of confidence! I came pretty close to pulling the shroud out of the GF's daily driver just to eyeball the flaps and take some measurements and pics. Then I'd spend hours and hours reinventing the wheel again on something that VW already did all the work on. I finally came to my senses and decided to shop around for some used factory parts. Hopefully paying top dollar for a complete setup from a reputable VW shop/person will save me some time and headaches in the long run. Only real issue is I've already installed rivnuts in my shroud so I can bolt the cyl tins to the shroud. I expect to have to pull all 8 of them out to even get the flaps in there.....we'll see.

I've got a few of these cool ones with spring loaded covers, and a bunch of the traditional tethered plug style...I grab little stuff every time I get up to the junkyard, you should see my growing 'lightly used' fuse collection.

Those look great! Lots more surface area being clamped onto = good . The top pic looks like the socket is made for a cig lighter, but with a flap on it too?? Don't think I've seen one like that before. What are those out of? I really miss going to junk yards and finding things like this, it's been years .

[Chris V]

They're from newer WCVW's - Passat/Jetta/Golf I think - most of them have two accessory outlets in the trunk, passenger side.

I like finding OEM parts - many of them just have a nicer design/look as opposed to aftermarket stuff.

[turbobaja]

Well, as luck would have it, I ended up having to put another (3rd in 6 years) alternator in the old Super Beetle just last weekend. So I pulled the shroud all the way out and got real familiar with the T-stat and flaps for future reference. Not what I really wanted to do, but I must have jinxed myself earlier.

I've decided to go a different route with the dash as well. I wasn't looking forward to mounting and sealing up that fiberglass dash, and I would have had to use some kind of center console to mount up the radio. Gotta thank Chris V for hooking me up with a couple nice 12 V outlets and a spare Ghia dash to try out. But fitting that Ghia dash would be some work, so I decided to see if I could get away with just skining the dash w/alumi and still have room for all this stuff. I made up a cardboard template and from there into some .100" 6061 T6.....I think I'll powder coat it and mount it up after painting the rest of the body. Still can't fit any tunes in the dash, but at least now I can fit it under the dash on the pass side. And plenty of leg room .












Just about got all the goodies for the dash, just a few more switches and lights still coming in the mail...


Here's a comparison shot of the two dashes. Too bad they're basically the only contoured dash available for these cars...at least that I've seen.





I used to have a '71 Ghia, it was my first VW (after I totaled my dad's '66 baja @ 16 , tard!) I took almost every cool feature of that car for granted back then. IRS, front disks, sweet 1641 screamer. I sold it cause I was tired of it leaving me stranded and having to fool with the wiring. I had a short venture outside the word of VWs before picking up this jewel right after HS graduation ... memories. Chris, there's no way I'm buying/building the GF another VW before I get this baja on the road . Although I'm sure she wouldn't mind a sweet ghia to cruise daily. I like that pic with your bus out in Greenwater, I bet the snow's falling out there now!

[turbobaja]

Getting closer to a finished dash. Just need to make a couple check straps for the glove box door and do a little bending on the door itself the match the dash contour. I decided to make a trim piece to clean up the top a little....should look pretty good in a dull black textured powder, anti-glare

[hpw]

AWESOME JOB!!!!!!!!

[turbobaja]

Thanks for checkin' out the build hpw!

[shag55]

Looking good!