Das Auto Gasser build . Slant Six VW bug

[Dolmetsch]

Yes. Seems to be building itself
Don

[Dolmetsch]

My free shocks are too long for the car so I ordered a pair by length. Made everything to fit them and tacked them on place fairly heavily. They control the bounce, are at mid travel at rest and will not allow the springs to escape at full extension. So far so good. Poor lighting in the shop today but here is a couple of pics.
Don

[Dolmetsch]

Late last night a couple of old racer friends from the Picton Airfield Armdrop group dropped by with a FREE truck load of slant six parts. Two blocks (one with only 25000 miles )and their heads and hardware and another new style head. (good for turbo use as they have extra bracing on the dist side so tend to hold the head gasket better.) Also a standard unsilenced air cleaner for a slant six.  I now have a pair so the tunnel ram for the rail will sport two of these beauties in line after I make bottoms. Now you may not think this is a big deal but slant sixes are now hard to find. With all the scrap being bought during the last big boom they disappeared from all the local yards and what was once I can find one anywhere is now very hard to find. I will put the low mileage one back together and if I find a Buick Regal /Grand National Turbo Set Up I will whip it on this motor. The other will be apart today and go for boring. I could do it here on my huge vertical mill but I would have to buy or build a boring fixture which is more trouble then it is worth. Going .100" over. (Current dragster engine is .153" over)
Don

[GlennLever]

Late last night a couple of old racer friends from the Picton Airfield Armdrop group dropped by with a FREE truck load of slant six parts. Two blocks (one with only 25000 miles )and their heads and hardware and another new style head. (good for turbo use as they have extra bracing on the dist side so tend to hold the head gasket better.) Also a standard unsilenced air cleaner for a slant six.  I now have a pair so the tunnel ram for the rail will sport two of these beauties in line after I make bottoms. Now you may not think this is a big deal but slant sixes are now hard to find. With all the scrap being bought during the last big boom they disappeared from all the local yards and what was once I can find one anywhere is now very hard to find. I will put the low mileage one back together and if I find a Buick Regal /Grand National Turbo Set Up I will whip it on this motor. The other will be apart today and go for boring. I could do it here on my huge vertical mill but I would have to buy or build a boring fixture which is more trouble then it is worth. Going .100" over. (Current dragster engine is .153" over)
Don

Love to see some shots of the shop.

Post them here
We are all proud of our shops Post pictures here.
http://www.frontenginedragsters.org/forum/index.php?topic=82.0

[Dolmetsch]

I'd have to spend a week cleaning it first. Not particularily proud of it. Not like it was when I was working out if it. Most of the machines are gone and half the light bulbs are out. And I am not safe on a ladder.
Don

[Dolmetsch]

I put the good free slant six engine back together and took the bad one apart for boring. I have the pistons, .100" oversize.

[ricardo1967]

Don, you work FAST! I'm trully enjoying this build, wish lived close by to see it live.

[Dolmetsch]

One of the joys of retirement I guess. Thanks
Today I stripped the bad block completely ready for my degreasing tank and boring but I have cone across perhaps a better piston for it so I am going to hold back a bit and think it through before jumping off the deep end. Got lots I can do on the car itself . Non of which cost money, only time and effort. Just a couple of weeks now till Picton Airfield so I have to make sure the other car is ready. I need a little break anyway.
Don

[Dolmetsch]

Back at it after a long winter. Yesterday I started making a paper pattern to mount the steering box which I had given to a friend before I got this car but he was sure it wouldn't work so I suggested he return it then. Works fine here I think. I hade a paper pattern for the bracket that I can use to make the steel one then will weld it solidly to the frame and bolt the box on. Attached shaft is long enuf as is with no u joints and it looks like I can make that work nicely. Also trial fitted the rear fenders. Looks not bad. I am in no particular rush but find I need something to do for a few hours each weekday. As my ancestors would say ruhig gehirn ist der werkstadt von teufel. Roughly "An idle brain is the devil's workbench". My wife would say it keeps me out of trouble. I now enjoy puttering away at it. I have no goal date, just something to do I enjoy. I just finished installing the tunnel ram on the slant six dragster yesterday morning and all looks good so I turned back to the VW in the afternoon while she was at the hair dressers. Also got the pistons and now the blanks to make the pins to put these secret pistons on the / 6 rods. May start that process underway next week after I finish testing and tuning the tunnel ram to be sure it is good to go May 17 at Picton. BTW my friend Will Vilneff has almost finished his VW gasser (WVs VW) .He took the engine and trans out of his 64 Beaumont (Canadian Pontiac sold Chevelle)gasser and put it in the bug. It is a 383 Chevy small block. He built a set of fenderwell headers from the same material I did (Lowes steel conduit bends and straights. They look store bought. Said it cost him under $100. His Moser axles will be in on Tuesday. I am hoping to see it perhaps this coming week (about 60 miles away) We all promised if required we would do a Saturday burn with him to help get it finished of required although my guess is he will have it done anyway. Aside from being a duly licensed mechanic Bill is also a very good welder having spent many years welding for Surge milkers and doing welding construction and maintenance at the 3M mine. When I see his welds and fitment I get jealous.
It was Bill who gave me this VW body.
don

[Dolmetsch]

I have been poking away on Das Auto between other work. Before I had this body I gave away a steering box and shaft. Through a great stroke of luck I recently got it back. It is now installed on a newly fabbed bracket. I went to our secret supply today , an old unknown wrecker and old friend. Within minutes he came up with the proper pitman arm for the box. Looks like it will work with very little modification. This dumb car sometimes seems to be building itself.
don

[Dolmetsch]

Pitman arm was shortened and recentred by removing some of the teeth. Box and pitman arm is now permanently installed.

[Dolmetsch]

Good day! My friend Mike gave me a set of aluminum rims he found in the dump. They were pitted a flaking and are the ones often seen on 70s T birds etc. I cut the three steel hubcap teats off with a cut off wheel and ground them flat. I bought a fresh flap wheel for my 41/2 inch grinder and polished the flat pitted face and all the tops of the ribs . I also buffed the rim face and edges. I blew it off and gave it a coat of VHT silver header paint. WOW! Suddenly a set of worthless rims look like something again. I drilled the rims for the dragster slick tubes and installed the slicks. Now they are on the car. I am smiling. But wait as Carm Nobes  used to say. That's not all. tonight the VW Whisperer Arron Christopher brought me the rare 73 Super Beetle hood I had been unable to find. As I said it was a good day.

[Dolmetsch]

Lower centre hood pin and windup key

[Dolmetsch]

The trans I am using for mock up has no drums in it as they were stolen for other projects or repairing a friends RED trans. Went to the wreckers friday to see what a parts trans would cost. He said $50  I was hoping for $20.
don

[Dolmetsch]

I try to accomplish something everyday however yesterday was our 44th anniversary so I knew better then to stay home and work on it. However I made up for lost time today. As some of you know I had to make the centre section of the front end as it was completely missing. Getting the rough fenders to fit smoothly to the new piece was my project for today.  It was a success. I am doing all the rough body work( ie repairs) first before I start the finish work. I also made and installed the steering wheel adapter and the wheel. And I purchased the steel to make the new steering arms. I have to lay out the Ackerman then transfer it to the new arms. Experience has taught me that even though in a straight line it is unimportant the ease of driving loading turning around the pits and staging lanes with a car with good Ackerman will bring a smile to even the most cold hearted builder. No tire scrubbing, no fighting the wheel , no bending or twisting parts.  The photo is of my work today on the lower fender body seams despite the fact you cant see it they come apart and are not welded to the body. Before painting I will install the normal VW welting in the seam. don