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Post by 454bug on Feb 16, 2009 22:15:31 GMT -5
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Post by 454bug on Feb 16, 2009 22:40:22 GMT -5
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Post by 454bug on Feb 16, 2009 22:46:02 GMT -5
Everything is really fitting well. We had to cut out most of the original wheelwells to make room for the new frame rails. We left the back portion in place where the custom-built 17-gallon aluminum gas tank mounts. We cut the rear frame rails off right in front of the rear sheetmetal. When we rebuild the interior sheetmetal we will construct a removable access panel so I can get to the upper coilover shock mounts as well as the upper control arms.
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Post by 454bug on Feb 16, 2009 23:02:48 GMT -5
Also, as a "heads up", I have decided to go back with a more traditional "race car" look and redo the dash and console with analog gauges. I just posted some pictures of my old dash and console on the new guy's, Darrin's, thread offering them up to him. Let me know if any of you would like to purchase any of my old setup. The dash face is fiberglass and the console is bent out of aluminum. Both of them have been covered in a simulated gray leather. The horizontal piece of the dash is made out of aluminum but we ripped the simulated leather material off of it during deconstruction... All the gauges are Dakota Digital. The main pod has a Speedometer, Tachometer, Oil Pressure, Water Temperature, Voltage, and Fuel gauge. The square gauges below include: Engine Oil Temperature, Transmission Oil Temperature, Vacuum, and a Clock. The switches include: horn, flashers, headlights, turn signals, electric fuel pump, electric fans, and a couple more I can't remember...
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Post by 454bug on Feb 16, 2009 23:08:36 GMT -5
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Post by darrinoddiebear on Feb 17, 2009 2:45:14 GMT -5
Hello Dont want to waste your thread This is Darrin and wandering about old wheels drag lites I think and old fenders looks like you went with aftermarket
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Post by darrinoddiebear on Feb 17, 2009 2:47:48 GMT -5
And did you make drive shart loop with exhaust cut out in it I also want to keep everything up under car
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Post by 454bug on Feb 17, 2009 8:42:04 GMT -5
I sold all my old wheels and tires to Simon who is building a V8 bug in England.
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Post by 454bug on Feb 17, 2009 8:56:27 GMT -5
Here's a sneak peek of my new engine setup... It's amazing how much more hood clearance I am going to have with the new engine with Fuel Injection versus my old setup with the Single Plane Manifold, Spacer, Dominator Carb, and Filter assembly...
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Post by V8 Super Beetle on Feb 17, 2009 10:24:56 GMT -5
Very cool Ray! I think your bug looks tough with those fenders and wheels. Those are vette wheels, right? That engine is down right bad@ss! Thanks for posting the date here. I have seen some of you're recent updates on the pro-touring site, but I don't think I saw the rear frame mock up pictures and tranny mock up. It's really looking good and coming together nicely. When do you think you'll have it all finished?
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Post by V8 Super Beetle on Feb 17, 2009 10:27:00 GMT -5
That aluminum block is sexy! It's amazing how much more power that engine has yet how much more compact the complete engine is. Got to love modern technology.
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Post by V8 Super Beetle on Feb 17, 2009 10:32:05 GMT -5
Between getting rid of the front leaf suspension, that crossmember with the driveshaft loop, the engine, and the whole rear setup, you're freeing up a lot of weight. That's awesome!
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Post by 454bug on Feb 17, 2009 14:48:28 GMT -5
And did you make drive shart loop with exhaust cut out in it I also want to keep everything up under car Hey Darrin, That front crossmember came with the rear sub-frame I purchased from Chris Alston Chassisworks. It looks like you can buy it separately from them for $300.00... You'll need to verify that with them. Here's the link: cachassisworks.com/CatPages/CAC/CAC9987.pdf
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Post by 454bug on Feb 17, 2009 14:55:39 GMT -5
Very cool Ray! I think your bug looks tough with those fenders and wheels. Those are vette wheels, right? That engine is down right bad@ss! Thanks for posting the date here. I have seen some of you're recent updates on the pro-touring site, but I don't think I saw the rear frame mock up pictures and tranny mock up. It's really looking good and coming together nicely. When do you think you'll have it all finished? Yeah, those wheels are C6 Z06 wheels. They are 18" x 10-1/2" in the front and 19" x 12" in the rear. They have my road racing tires on them. I am setting all my hub depths that all of my sets of wheels have a similar Vette offset so I don't have to run big spacers with whichever wheels I am using at the time. These front wheels have roughly a 3" front spacing. My street wheels and my other race wheels will all have about the same offset, + or - a 1/2". These rear wheels have a 3.64" front offset to them. My street wheels will have a 4" front spacing and my other race wheels will have a 3-3/4" front spacing. I think the widest spacer I will ever run will be 3/8"... The whole purpose of setting it up this way is to make the "drive plane" of the front match EXACTLY with the "drive plane" of the rear... It makes it "track" better on the race track when they are the same, front to back. My goal is to have it ready for an event with the Pro-Touring.com group at Pigeon Forge, Tennessee in the middle of September... Hopefully, the car will be complete and have enough time to do some "shakedown" runs to work through the "bug" (no pun intended) with any new custom build...
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Post by 454bug on Feb 17, 2009 14:57:24 GMT -5
Between getting rid of the front leaf suspension, that crossmember with the driveshaft loop, the engine, and the whole rear setup, you're freeing up a lot of weight. That's awesome! Yeah, we figure we are in the 600-700 pound range... that's quite a diet!! I wish it would be that easy for me to shed a few pounds... 2,300# - 2,400# should be a very interesting combination with this kind of power...
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