ugh, not again already

[cbeck]

Those were cheap heads that are intended to be temporary and won't be reused. I will begin to take apart the motor in the next couple of weeks. I am hoping to find out why I have low op when warm after exhaust was crushed on crank pulley. I am planning on replacing crank and case. I don't have the proper measuring tools, mics, etc. so I may never know unless it is that obvious. I will be farming out machining and assembly.

[Leatherneck]

Learning from taking apart and putting back together is the fun interesting learning part. Farm out the machining to a reputable one who knows VW's and do the install yourself. That way it goes south you will know how to fix it, don't always have a "mechanic" on hand so will have to do the repairs yourself. You can do it, we can help. Slow and easy, just like Bajaherbie.

[cbeck]

Thanks leatherneck, I don't know it all, but if I can't figure something out I know enough to ask first before I butcher anything. Fabricating, welding, and wiring is something I do every day working on gate operators. I'm a sick puppy, I love wiring,quite anal about it. Makes me feel good when everything works right the first time.
So, spent some time this past week stripping the rail. sure was more fun putting it together. The torsion is not bent, just a arm. The 3x3 arm kit I ordered today should fix that. Before I cut much off I need to do some measuring first. The first piece to go will be the 1" bar right behind the seats. I want to put a piece of 120 x 1.5 between the kickers on the nerf bars, also 120 dom. I will remove all that is bent after I replace that one piece.
Found a new toy in my garage this week, a bender not a kinker. I will be helping my buddy do most of the frame fab in his shop, but maybe when it is time for a engine cage I will be up to it. Sorry, not a master fabricator, no lathes or mills laying around my house. I get my thrills out of running the piss out of something.

[cbeck]

No stopping now. My buddy stopped by this morning and said don't worry about it,just cut it all off. I suppose I should fab seat mounts so the roll bars can be made to fit me. Should only get better from here.

[bajaherbie]

[Ol'fogasaurus]

The general rule on the sand is the bottom of the cage tubes should be about four inches above the driver's head. This is in case the cage digs into the sand during a roll over. That way your is more protected.

Also.for the street the bars that connect the front and rear hoop can be closer together aka a Tee top allows for easier entry and quicker egress. For trails and the sand these bars usually are to the outside to protect the occupants from trees and other nasties if you happen to lean into a tree for example.

For what it is worth, I mounted my seats low to get the c.g. as low as possible and for protection.

Get measurements of the engine and transaxle and figure out the cooling before you do much tube bending. I liked the down tubes for the trans mount and it might be a close guide for the engine mount. Look at side to side movement as well as front to rear movement, you never know what can happen.

I am enjoying this build so don't disappoint me!

[Leatherneck]

Look at the build threads, see what others have done, nothing wrong with copying a build. You have almost a clean slate so have fun.. How does that tubing bender work?

[cbeck]

I haven't tried it yet. I was looking at the flat die when I dug it out. My buddy said that is for flat stock? I thought dies were round. I need to dig deeper and see what else turns up. My oldest has no respect for the only place in the house that is mine. He just tosses his crap in the garage. I still have the deadbolt on the door with the keyhole facing into the house.

[cbeck]

Well I will start this one by that this frame is titled as a 2014, assigned a state spec dune vin and currently registered. That is one of the two reasons I am fixing this frame. I am keeping records in case the state has a issue when it is time to renew my plates. The safety inspector does take pictures and the police use special rivets to hold on the vin tag.
Anyways, rough fit of the seats, first try, these seats are much larger than the poly seats I took out. Floor bar is in the way. If it was easy everybody would do it, right? Can't really move them back, the frame kicks in. Can't [don,t want to] go down because I tied the nerf bars in at the cross bar and really don't care to redo that. I tacked the front mounts on top of the cross bar and tacked a piece of 1"x 125 side to side flush on bottom And will tack some tabs on top of that for the rear. Still way to early to make anything permanent yet. Sat in that for a half hour to make sure I could live with the slight amount they are leaned back. I guess I won't be the first person to raise their windshield bar a couple of inches. It was nice to not have my ass hanging 4-6 inches lower than the pedals, I felt like it was a more natural position to sit in. Need to place the other seat and see how my shifter and ebrake lever fit. This has already affected 3 more things. Bet I find more.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Are you going to move the steering wheel up on top of the cross tube or is it comfortable as is? Make some quick spins of the wheel from lock to lock. Also make the turns working the turning brakes with one hand then making a quick grab for the steering wheel without looklng. All stuff you might actually have to do some time.

I still want to raise mine a bit. Sometimes it doesn't take much to get it really comfortable. No too long ago we went through this when fitting a sandrail to my oldest stepsons wife after a front end rebuild and making it her toy. It looks like we hit it right for her and others to fit and be comfortable in.

[Leatherneck]

You have the chance now to make it fit you and be comfortable.

[bajaherbie]

Be sure and make engine sounds too...

Sent from my SM-G920R4 using Tapatalk

[Piledriver]

"On Any Sunday" playing in the background is an excellent motivational tool.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

With the angle the photo of you was take I wasn't sure how the front hoop and steering wheel was located for you which is why the comment was made. All kidding aside, as Leather alluded to: you now have a chance that most of us don't have; make it yours and make it comfortable for you. I think I might even go to the extent of maybe getting some plastic tube and mocking thing up including the dash or location of the switches before I started bending tube. Something I still wish I had done when I had a chance. Something I will do on my black buggy... assuming I keep it.

If the front hoop is too low then having to see under or over it gets a bit awkward. My stepson's first rail had the front hoop located low to him (and me); you get somewhat used to it but the hoop was always there... in front of you. His front hoop also tapered in quite a bit so when I got into it the first time I felt like I was looking down a tube. I sure like to see where I am going.

I had my cage built by a guy who built race car cages. He took measurements with me in the seats based on where I had remounted them. Even with the cage was fitted to me it is not the easiest vehicle to get in and out of. When climbing up a dune, until you get past the transition from flat to the "face" of the dune, you still have that front hoop in the way to see if there is anyone who has pulled in front of you. Until I took the windshield off, it's frame was limiting my vision also.

Originally my glass buggy was a street legal buggy but as good as it was on the street ( ) off-road it was, at least, a bit awkward to drive on the sand. Before I bought my buggy I sat in and even drove several differently built rails, up to and including a sand rail with "laydown"/fully reclined seats; it was a long time ago now but I think it was a Prowler frame that had been modified specifically to run the Baja. The reclining seats were awkward to say the least and the sun seemed to be in you eyes most of the time. Granted you back was well supported but I'm not sure that after a few hours of banging around on the dunes that I could have gotten out of the rail.

Even after 20+ years I am still modifying my buggy to fit me better.

[cbeck]

Been sick all week. Got up yesterday to go to doctor, got up today because a brown truck showed up bearing gifts.
Yes, definitely going to make everything fit me. The dash bar is where I need to tread lightly, the vin is riveted to the left side close to where I intend to cut and raise. The windshield hoop shows signs of being replaced once already. I am thinking about a whole new hoop as opposed to splicing and sleeving. Don,t know how much I will get done this weekend, I must do taxes and FAFSA, I still feel like poop, and my boss is getting antsy about me coming back to work. I would like to mount other seat, and see about getting it to my buddy's shop to start on a @ b roll bars. Still need to get trans back, carbs and exhaust before I can start on rear of the frame. I swiped this pic from beeline, guess it doesn't matter since it's site is shut down, this is what I am aiming for.