My ongoing Turbobaja build

seabeebuggy · Post by **seabeebuggy** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 8:42 pm

Show off

yvre · Post by **yvre** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 1:09 am

WOW!!! Unbelievable build...

Post by **Leatherneck** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 9:09 am

Well I guess I can clean up the spit from me drooling on my desk, well at least for now. Nice, super nice build, you have some mad fab skills, thanks for sharing them with us, and I am pretty sure I called shotgun first!

DubsMcGee · Post by **DubsMcGee** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 10:25 am

holy hell, teach me.

turbobaja · Post by **turbobaja** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 11:54 am

Thanks guys.

Showoff? I'll trade my spoiler for your A-Arm front suspension setup Seabee. Well it might look a little funny(er) on your buggy, but I'll still take the A-Arms

.

Leather, your the first to call shotgun, so I guess you've got a road trip in your future. Give me another year to get it drivable. I hope it's ready in a year. Still have a long list, of course. Hopefully I can be ready for some paint by the end of this summer, wire it up and get the interior together this winter and be ready to start tuning it next summer.

Dubs, I really don't know where the hell I get some of this stuff. I'm pretty sure most of this build started life as one big pipe dream. Once I had the idea in my head, cardboard and plywood became very handy to template and fit before wasting too much alumi or steel.....or time. I do everything I can to prevent future problems and anticipate assembly and wear issues. These days I consider myself very fortunate to have a decent paying job and the time and a place to do what I do. At this point I'll just be happy to get it on the road before something major happens with fuel/oil supplies. I guess I'll just keep on grinding till she's a runner.

Thanks again guys.

Karl

bender · Post by **bender** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 12:50 am

As Piledriver would say, That is a work of art!

1303wasserbug · Post by **1303wasserbug** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 11:31 am

thats more than just art, thats a well thought out and well executed build that would make a pro proud. nice one.

turbobaja · Post by **turbobaja** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 4:20 pm

It's kinda tough to make progress when the weather is nice outside. The spoiler is done as far as fitting and making parts. I still have to do the final assembly and of course paint it eventually.

Here's all the puzzle pieces.

Total of 7 Dzus mounts and 2 countersunk pinch bolts to secure the lower tips good and tight. Just in case this thing makes some downforce, or just a whole bunch of vibration and drag. I don't want it falling off.

I reinforced the little horns that support a lot of the weight of the spoiler with some 18 ga exhaust tubing. I shaped it match the contour of the 'horns' and riveted them in place. I didn't want to weld them for fear of warping the narrow stretch of sheat metal and making a lot more work for me. All the riv-nuts that the mounts bolt to are riveted through both body and the reinforcement, so they're in there good. Had to keep them pretty low pro with the carbs right next to them.

I made it so all the odd shaped mounts can be unbolted from the body. Hopefully it will make doing the body work a little easier. Plus I can powder coat them this way

Just have to do some minor structural reinforcements to the cage and it's time to get the body straight enough to paint.

Steady as she goes.

Karl

turbobaja · Post by **turbobaja** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 2:37 pm

Got a bit of a sunburn yesterday, so I figured I'd pop the spoiler together once and for all.

About 165 pops later, here she is. The scoops and Dzus fasteners will be instlled after paint. Whole thing only weighs 15lbs. Feels real solid when it's mounted up too.

1303wasserbug · Post by **1303wasserbug** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 9:41 am

looks purposefull

, i think your gonna get noticed in this thing! hahaha love it

turbobaja · Post by **turbobaja** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 10:30 am

Thanks 1303wasserbug. I just hope I don't get noticed by the wrong people. like the Law.

Karl

turbobaja · Post by **turbobaja** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 9:03 pm

Here's some stuff I got done over the past few weeks.

Welded tabs for driving lights and turn signals.

Thinking about covering them with some expanded metal for protection.

Been 'modifying' my fuel thank a bit. The steering linkage got in the way some, so I had to slice off a couple gallons of capacity from the bottom of the tank.

I need more than 10 gallons of fuel for any kind of road/wheelin trip, so I had to get some more volume in the tank. I cut it in half at the factory weld arround the perimiter and added 3" of 16 ga sheet metal. Works out to just over 5.5 gal additional volume.

I had to fab some kind of sending unit (kinda mimicked a GM unit). I placed it down at the lowest point of the tank and put a wall behind it to keep from starving it when I'm really low on gas, and accelerating. Its a GM pump for a 3/4 ton big block vortec (port fuel injected). If this unit doesn't cut it, any aftermarket in-tank pump will mount right on to this thing.

The level sender had to turn about 145 deg around to clear the fuel pump and baffle. I also reshaped to float arm to accruately measure fuel level.

I'm bracing the lip of the tank with this 1" square tube. It will be part of the tank when it's done. Also raised the tank another inch above the factory mounting surface to help clear the under side.

Here's the bottom half in place.

And here's the top on. Probably could have got another inch or two if I really wanted, but I didn't want to push it. Hopefully about 13.5 - 14 gal will be good.

It's pretty much ready to weld shut for good, I think. Just wanted to get a couple shots along the way.

Going to try and do some camping next weekend and take a little break. Hopefully the weather will be nice.

Karl

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 5:50 am

hhhuuummm....what can I say?

WOW !
it's not a baja bug it's a Formula one !

very good job ! amazing !

volksnut · Post by **volksnut** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 7:12 pm

Karl, nice fab work, I'm impressed

Post by **Leatherneck** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 7:22 pm

SWEEETTTT! Does it hurt being THAT good? Thanks for the pics.