Really off road - like, in water !

[Mr Slug]

One last task is to strengthen the underside where it bolts to the body. I figured I would put a step in it to accomadate an existing rib under the beetle, and then wire the edge - that would make it stronger and take the sharp off it. The rest of the raw edge I will salvage by just folding it over.

Never done a wired edge befor, so this is probably all wrong and gets a good laugh.





Anyway, it kinda worked. Now it's almost done, bit of tidying up and a coat of paint - Bolt it on, and back to boring engines

[fusername]

I am soooooo glad you take so many pictures. never would have thought to rib it like that. what guage is that sheet metal? this inspired me to do a sheet metal body for my rail instead of just buying a FG one. I am very curious how you bent it around those ribs, did you kerf them? and how you bent it in general. very sweet looking.

[DannyK]

...a little inspiration, maybe you'll be following them into the water soon !

[Mr Slug]

I am soooooo glad you take so many pictures. never would have thought to rib it like that. what guage is that sheet metal? this inspired me to do a sheet metal body for my rail instead of just buying a FG one. I am very curious how you bent it around those ribs, did you kerf them? and how you bent it in general. very sweet looking.

Very pleased you are building in steel, you will not regret it.

I am not sure what "kerf" is ? ? ?

To bend the steel I use everything and anything. Short bends I use a piece of steel bar with a hacksaw cut in the end to the depth I need. Wider neater bends I clamp up the sheet in a sandwich of angle iron then beat it over. It is all very unproffessional, but I dont have much in the way of tools so I just give something a bit of thought and practice on test pieces befor I commit to the job.

[Baja4]

With the outcome that you make happen, I would definitely call your work professional. Nice job again.

[tikotiko]

truly amazing at least to me i wish i had more tools to play with

[ntsqd]

"kerf" normally refers to the slot created by some sort of cutting blade, so I'm a little lost by what is meant by that usage as well.

I second Baja4's professional comment. I frequently tell people that the difference between and Amateur and a Professional is that both know where the mistakes are, but only the Amateurs point them out.

[fusername]

kerf, to me, means when you are bending something rigid, like tubing or sheet metal with a ridge in it, so you cut most of the way thru, then bend it either towards or away from the cut, and then weld it all back up. It looked like your ridges had been heated by welding, although now I think about it you may have heated it w/ a torch to soften it for the bend? I am shopping for a oxy setup so I can play with fire.

your work is absolutely incredible.

[ntsqd]

I can see how "kerf" could be used that way, I've just not ever come across it before.

[Mr Slug]

"Kerf" - I like it, and it is my new best word now.

Yes, I did cut through befor I made the ridge and weld up afterwards. Of course that would not be necerssary when making one on a press tool, but that is the whole idea - to make one without those facilaties, and just use regular tools, initative and innovation.

Now, here is a lucky Schwimmer story, A real nice VW166 has been discovered in France, and snapped up by a lucky dutch man.

The vehicle had been owned for the last 60 years by a french guy that bought it in 1950 from a scrap dealer in Normandy region. I guess he is knocking on now, so deceided to part with it. It is a great thing to discover and purchase something like this, I really envy the new owner.

[Mr Slug]

Where can I get short dampers/shocks ?

I would like to cut the ugly shock towers off the front beam and make it look more authentic, I recon about 100mm/4" of travel will do the job, so I need to buy a short damper that will be approx 150mm/6" long when closed, and approx 250mm/10" long when extended - Any ideas guys ?

Thanks,

[ntsqd]

Aren't 'short shocks' sold for the slammer/"Cal-Look" ACVW guys? Seems to me that a 166 would have been a link pin, so their eyelet/eyelet shock config would look more appropriate.

AHA!
Something like this: "KYB344068 KYB GR-2 LIGHT GAS SHOCK FITS, TYPE 1 1949-1965 WITH LOWERED KING PIN FRONT END"

http://www.mooreparts.com/store/product/2865/KYB344068/



No idea what the extended and compressed lengths might be. Maybe KYB has those listed somewhere?

[PhillipM]

6" long with 4 inches of travel is a bit of a task, when you consider the eyelets add around an inch each, that leaves nowhere for the fluid to go
So you'll either need a bit more clearance when closed or a little less travel.

[Lotrat]

Aren't 'short shocks' sold for the slammer/"Cal-Look" ACVW guys? Seems to me that a 166 would have been a link pin, so their eyelet/eyelet shock config would look more appropriate.

AHA!
Something like this: "KYB344068 KYB GR-2 LIGHT GAS SHOCK FITS, TYPE 1 1949-1965 WITH LOWERED KING PIN FRONT END"

http://www.mooreparts.com/store/product/2865/KYB344068/

No idea what the extended and compressed lengths might be. Maybe KYB has those listed somewhere?

I thought the same thing, but he started with a ball joint front end...



I don't think I would lower it. Not when you're gonna want to climb out of water. The linkpin front end would be the authentic look. Every Vdubber that see your swimmer will know somethings up when they spot the ball joint shock towers.

[ntsqd]

I'm thinking that the original would have been a link-pin beam, so the upper shock mount would be an eyelet type rather than the BJ's stud type. As Mr. Slug is contemplating cutting off the upper shock mount I assumed that a new one would be made and that using the L-P type shock would look more period correct. Given the request for a short travel shock the first thing that popped into my head were those made for lowered Bugs. Since the upper mount may get re-made and a short travel shock is desired, using the L-P lowered application shock - even though it is not going to be lowered - seemed like a good fit.