Rat Rod Nation - A place for motorheads
Rat Rod Nation General Area => Rat Rod Nation Intro's => Topic started by: Vermonter on August 05, 2014, 06:09:16 PM
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Glad to be here, even though most might not enjoy VW's or think of them as real rat rods, I'm here anyway so let's see how this goes.
I have a 1967 VW Squareback that is a low budget build. Currently it is rotting in my driveway on jackstands, waiting on me to find a free moment to get back to it.
It has a 1600 Beetle engine that had minor cosmetic surgery in order to beat properly in the Squareback. It also has custom installed air ride which is the biggest reason she sits on jackstands. I wasn't happy with the old setup, so I am going back through it and getting everything working the way it should.
Front beam is a home made 5-1/2" narrowed Beetle link pin beam with a single centered air bag mount.
The rear stock steelies are widened 2" for a more aggressive stance.
I have some random cosmetic peices I throw on it whenever I feel like changing things up, like a windshield screen visor, headlight visors, etc... I just like to switch it around once in a while.
Front tires are the smallest I could find for 15" wheels, I think they are the same size as a smartcar tire.
And about the patina... Well most don't like faux patina, and I am not a huge fan either. I did what I had to to get the best results I could from this project without doing any unnecesary paint or body work. I live in the Northeast, so we don't get that nice weathered patina on our cars. You south western folks might think you know what rust is, but in the northeast rust doesnt just sit on the surface and add character to our old hotrods. The northeast chews up our cars like you wouldnt beleive. I only fixed the wet rot holes on this car, and left the rest of it. The doors were pretty bad, as well as a couple other spots. The rear quarter panel on the passenger side had a crease down the length of it, covered with fresh paint that clashed terribly with the original weathered paint. So I pulled the quarter panel and sprayed it with a sealer primer and added a drippy red coat under the chrome trim. Everywhere else where there was nessecary bodywork, I sprayed with ruddy brown spraypaint which matched the original paint pretty well. The front passenger fender was sanded down aggressively one day while I was trying to keep my mind off something that had my blood boiling, so clearly that got out of hand, but it shows through a lot of the coats underneath the original paint and I dont think it looks too bad so I left it.
This car has gotten a lot of attention in the past few years of owning it. Not that it is a celebrity of any kind, but people seem to really love it. I've seen this car pop up on a couple websites, once as a main page background. If you search around on youtube for "wolfsgart limbo", you'll see my car and myself in it competing in a "how low can you go" contest.
That's my halfassed introduction, I guess. Feel free to clutter this post with pictures of other badass VW's or hatred comments about my car, whatever you got.
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Welcome to the NATION!!!!
There are a couple VW already here,please post some pics of yours
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(http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z356/Thomas_Peabody/1023111738_zps12ecc093.jpg) (http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/Thomas_Peabody/media/1023111738_zps12ecc093.jpg.html)
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(http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z356/Thomas_Peabody/406674_546351681264_1495591063_n.jpg) (http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/Thomas_Peabody/media/406674_546351681264_1495591063_n.jpg.html)
(http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z356/Thomas_Peabody/384708_546359440714_599118201_n.jpg) (http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/Thomas_Peabody/media/384708_546359440714_599118201_n.jpg.html)
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Cool auxiliary air tank. And I dig the curb feelers too.
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Welcome to the Nation. Don't worry you fit right in. Like the picture with the Bettie, she made it.
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Welcome to the nation, it's great to meet ya. I love vw's and really appreciate you sharing yours with us. It has an awesome stance.
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welcome to the nation Ive got the Boog Bug :o Im from S Illinois It's been kinda s t r e t h e d Look at my build on it :P
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Welcome to the Nation. Don't worry you fit right in. Like the picture with the Bettie, she made it.
Thanks, That Bettie did a good job so I gave her my last name on 07-19-2014.
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Welcome to the Nation. Don't worry you fit right in. Like the picture with the Bettie, she made it.
Thanks, That Bettie did a good job so I gave her my last name on 07-19-2014.
Awesome.
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There's a good chance that I may be selling this car to support another project I may end up with. You guys think a 1951 Chrysler Windsor Coupe is a good upgrade?
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Driver? Whole lot different than the Vee Dub!!! :o Got pix?
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I am in the process of replacing the timng chain and getting it running. It was on the road 3 years ago.
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(http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z356/Thomas_Peabody/rat3_zps9cc5e2a9.jpg) (http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/Thomas_Peabody/media/rat3_zps9cc5e2a9.jpg.html)
(http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z356/Thomas_Peabody/rat2_zpsbafef477.jpg) (http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/Thomas_Peabody/media/rat2_zpsbafef477.jpg.html)
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Leave the patina, slam it all the way around, with wide whites. Will handle like an ocean liner but look really cool cruising.
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Leave the patina, slam it all the way around, with wide whites. Will handle like an ocean liner but look really cool cruising.
That's basically exactly where I want to be with a car this unmolested. I have never owned a big boat like this, so I will have to research what it will take to lower it without cutting/welding. I could care less what it handles like, as long as it sails over bumps. Roads up here suck
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I'd bag it so that the ride can adjusted to the roads (my 2 cents worth)
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I'd bag it so that the ride can adjusted to the roads (my 2 cents worth)
Well if I could bag all my cars, I would. But I don't think my budget will allow it on this project (if I even get it). I have a couple bags and a compressor kicking around, as well as a complete management system that is just sitting in my living room but we will see what I end up putting that in. It's still a possibility that I may bag my Honda Element in the near future.
Good news, though. My good friend and German car show coordinator/ aircooled restorer is offering the possibility of buying my Squareback with the intentions of getting the sheet metal cleaned and straightened, fixing the suspension issues, and possibly getting it show worthy by next season. Hopefully this works out, as I would love to see my VW go to a good home and at very least spend it's remaining years in dry storage. He probably won't offer me my asking price, but even if I take a huge hit on the price, at least the car will be taken care of, and that's more important to me. Besides, I only need $1600 to buy this Chrysler, so hopefully it all works out. :D
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wow, that is awesome..........
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Here's an update on my garage situation (I don't have a garage).
-With much regret and tears, I sold my beloved VW to the tune of $3500. (I couldn't turn that offer down, as I was about to sell it to another guy for $1500.)
The current owner of my VW owns a business building one-off performance parts for high end Porsche owners and is in the works of putting a 911 turbo engine in it. He has also already completely rebuilt the air ride setup in the car, so it is structurally sound and "safe".
-I purchased a 1987 Toyota Blue Marlin Motorhome for My wife and I to take on a honeymoon cross-country trip next year. (4 cylinder=slow trip). It has 60k miles on it and we are re-arranging the inside of it to be a little more comfortable for 2 humans and 2 dogs to live in for a month.
-I am back to discussing terms and conditions with the owner of the Chrysler Windsor (we hit a wall with diagnosing the issues with the car and our contact with each other stopped until today).
Seems he can't figure out what is wrong with the car and just wants it gone, so the offer is back on the table at $1000, with none of the collected parts he has, just the car.
So, I am at a crossroads... I need another project like I need a hole in the head, but it's hard to turn down that price. On the other hand, do I want a car in my driveway that I might have to end up putting a whole new engine in?
Here's what we have diagnosed so far....
The engine turns over and sounds healthy.
Timing chain is intact and turns fine when cranking.
Distributer is motionless when cranking.
Oil pump is good.
So my question is (for those of you who know flat 6 engines), Why is the engine cranking over and turning but the distributer is motionless? It is a new distributer and the old one did the same thing (hence why he replaced the distributer, he thought that mightve been the issue).
I am looking for reasons to buy this car, but I will heed any warnings.
Thanks and I hope I didn't dissapoint anyone by selling my badass VW. :(
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Damn, that had to be hard to do..........I hate selling my cars, but sometimes it's for the better. Someone is getting a great starting point and the seller is now able to buy another something and go crazy on a new build.
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Good news, everyone. The '51 Windsor is mine.
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Congrats.......
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Thanks. Now I need to learn up on Chrysler flatheads. For some reason everything turns fine except for the distributer. Replaced distributor and same issue, shaft doesn't turn.
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I should mention... The guy ended up giving me the car. He is moving and I was the only "decent" guy interested so he said come get it!
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look down the hole and see if the cam gear is turning. Maybe the chain is bad or the gear is stripped.Double check the gear on the distributor its usually held on by a roll pin make sure it's still good
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The chain cover was removed and the chain is perfect. Distributor is new. I have not looked into the distributor hole to see what it looks like in there. I know parts are supposed to be a dime a dozen for these engines but does anyone know where my best shot at getting a new camshaft if that's the issue? I'm having trouble finding these "plentiful" parts.
I will take a look inside the dist. hole when I get a chance. The car is being stored outside for the winter and it's about 20-30 degrees here.
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If you can locate one, go with a hemi..........would have a wow factor for sure.
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It would be nice to have the power, but at the same time I kind of want to keep this car original. If I can. I figure the flat six is the same amount of work, with more available parts. I plan on driving this car as much as possible and having the parts available is a huge plus to me.
I'm thinking I want to fix this engine enough to hear it run, then maybe pull it out and clean it up piece by piece and put it back together. I think I know some people locally who can point me in the right direction in finding someone in my area that knows old flatheads so I can get some hands on learning with the confidence of not making any big league mistakes. I'm pretty pumped, this car is so ratty. The previous owner gave me all the original literature, a replacement front fender, a complete gasket kit, and NOS wide white walls, along with every chrome piece I need to get the car back to 100%. (100% rat) The chrome looks like the surface of the moon.
(http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z356/Thomas_Peabody/mopar_zps7b574a01.jpg) (http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/Thomas_Peabody/media/mopar_zps7b574a01.jpg.html)
(http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z356/Thomas_Peabody/mopar2_zps6aeb844d.jpg) (http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/Thomas_Peabody/media/mopar2_zps6aeb844d.jpg.html)
(http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z356/Thomas_Peabody/mopar3_zps37db5636.jpg) (http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/Thomas_Peabody/media/mopar3_zps37db5636.jpg.html)
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That thing would look so cool lowered!
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has a great patina, should be an awesome build........
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Thanks guys!
I'm not sure if it will be lowered or not. I kind of like the idea of keeping it a time capsule and buying all the correct replacement parts I might need to fix the engine. But... we will see. Knowing me, if it does get lowered it'll be throwing sparks unintentionally. I really can't afford to dump a huge amount of money into this so if I can find a way to lower it safely without bagging it or buying all new suspension, then I probably will. I don't know much about cutting springs or compressing them with heat, or anything else... that's something I will have to reasearch more. I don't even know what kind of suspension is under this thing, I never even looked at the suspension. I have a bunch of literature in front of me so if work slows down at work, I am sure I will know more about it by the end of my shift!
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According to the paperwork I have...
Leafs in the rear.
Springs in the front.
Lowering should be a snap :)
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Very sharp car Great find!As far as the motor I'd check the cam for sure If the chain cover is off i'd look really hard at the cam sounds almost like someone else was thinking like me. As far as a motor I found a 1966 318\727 combo off Craigslist for 200 bucks.I also found a motor home that a tree fell on for 800. Strip the motor tranny out and scrap the rest! The 302 donor was scrapped and I now have motor tranny (302\EOD) for 50.00 off craigslist also. I had to travel bout an hour 1 way(Good trip with the wifey) LOL
Boog out
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I'm in for a long summer if it is the camshaft. Looks like a good amount of work to get it torn apart and back together. Plus I would have to locate a new camshaft. My fingers are crossed that it's not a "broken part" issue. I'm praying that it's just something out of adjustment...
If anyone has any leads on a mopar guru I would appreciate it. Especially someone that is a genius with flatheads.
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(http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z356/Thomas_Peabody/IMG_2715_zps6bd46116.jpg) (http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/Thomas_Peabody/media/IMG_2715_zps6bd46116.jpg.html)
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Gonna be a wicked ride.........Love the stance
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Stance will make her dance!
(Disclaimer: I have no idea what that phrase is supposed to mean)
If I get bored enough, the stance will improve in the spring. Looks like it's coils in the front and leaf springs in the rear, so it should'nt be too much work to lower it a bit. We will see.
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Well I found 4 parts cars in my local-ish scrapyard and ended up nabbing 2 autolite bullseye headlights and an upper chrome grill piece for $50! I know, I already had an upper grill piece, but the previous owner sanded it and painted it silver and it looked terrible, so this original rusty chrome piece is a major find for me! Also, I only had one original bullseye headlight, so having a full pair and one spare is a good feeling! (http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/31/f329886f68f97dad34dbdfaa0fe702fc.jpg)(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/31/3a807128deb124c1e7e3299917040fc0.jpg)
Installed upper grill:
(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/31/5cc9fe047c7df900954a40ffb7792923.jpg)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Here's the rig I found the headlights in:
(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/31/27e29796a3b7ac3746c71fe0b4c03cfe.jpg)
What really irritates me is that I was in this junkyard last year looking for these headlights. I must've walked right by this jeep. Sometimes I forget that jeeps are mopars too! And this picture was taken Last year, which means not only did I walk right by These headlights, but I actually took a picture of them and had this pic stored in my phone for almost a year and never noticed I was looking right at them! I didn't even see them until I was walking the yard a couple weeks ago and said "you gotta be kidding me!" When I walked by. I'm glad no one else nabbed them, since they are hard to find these days, especially in a state that is so hard on vehicles. I'm happy, to say the least.
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I'd also like to raise the question: my fender is dented right in the headlight bucket area, crimping the metal. What should e best approach to straightening the metal to accept the chrome headlight trim without messing up the patina too much?
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Looking at the picture of the dent, you would be best to take the fender off and work that spot with a body hammer.....Just go slow and have some patience...You may get most of it out.
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Thanks, yeah that was my first method of choice, but didn't know if the old timers had any tricks for stuff like this. I'd hate to mess up the metal and have an "obvious fix" but I guess it's either make the attempt or deal with the dent.
I'm pretty excited that I'm starting to acquire parts and knowledge. I know I won't get anything done on it this year but I am really looking forward to next year.
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Any tips for removing that ugly spray paint without ruining scrubbing? Has anyone tried that "graffiti remover"?
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Great car, and welcome to the world of "how does this work" on the fender dent, if you can't put a dolly or hammer behind it the fender needs to come off. Spray paint can be removed with over cleaner, different degreasers, carb cleaner, and a scrubby pad, but watch out, real easy to remove too much and clean to well.
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I used a cleaner from dollar general I believe it's called Thats Amazing or something like that Worked well
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Thanks for the ideas! I will take a crack at it. Not sure if this will turn out to be one of those "shouldve left it alone" type ordeals..
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Photo Editing. I liked how this one came out, but I wish I took the tarp off the windshield.
(http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z356/Thomas_Peabody/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-05/2901F62A-FCAC-438E-8417-8BDD8B4B6798_zpsfmoyiika.jpg) (http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/Thomas_Peabody/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-05/2901F62A-FCAC-438E-8417-8BDD8B4B6798_zpsfmoyiika.jpg.html)
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I like it, especially with the tarp on the windshield. Gives it that extra look........
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I've never straightened anything shiny before.... How can I straighten that front bumper without scratching it up? I'm thinking bend it the best I can and use a dolly and hammer to refine it as much as possible, using maybe a rag between the dolly and metal? No idea what I'm doing.
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That's about all you are going to be able to do........I've tried in the past and have not had much luck keeping anything from showing hammer marks.
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Dang. I like the beat up look, but I still have a bit of OCD pumping through my veins. Metal needs to be straight.