like the new pictures! very cool build!!

NIce! You could bounce off boulders with those spindles!!

Moved back to 'tech' forum....

Me likes the spindle! you make that or is that off the shelf?

(Nice use of the 50mm, and that is a "watermark", I can still see the picture)

They're curb and center median proof... The wife's going to be driving this booger to Albertson's on a regular basis.


I'm 75% sure that the machined 2" bearing section is a Pro-Am product, and HRT fab'd the uprights of the spindle? I'll ask.

you can buy those spindles from proam as a weld together kit.

i've always wanted too build an a-arm bug

the spindles look like the pro-am weld together kit. your really going to notice difference in handling characteristics from a full fuel cell to a empty cell with how far forward its mounted...

12gal x 8lbs = 96lbs delta

My wife weighs just over a buck. So, it would be the same as having her in the passenger seat or not.

I may be able to tell the difference, but I doubt it will handle adversely? I guess we'll find out. I opted for a 36" bench seat in the back were the optimal place for a gas tank would be. Centered front to aft and low in the chassis would be the best place for the fuel cell, but that spot is taken.

im not saying its gonna be a major affect but its gonna be alot more of an affect then having your wife in the passenger seat, unless your passenger seat is right over the front tires. not bashing, just saying...

Hey bro congrats on the build it looks like it will be a hell of a ride, and for the images ya they might be somewhat hard for people to exactly whats going on but from a photographgers point of view your images are great the lighting kicks (_|_).....

The front end is done minus welding. I'll post some pics this evening of the progress. I'm really digging the lower A-arm plating, Donny put some effort into the compound bends. Light and strong.

I'm digging the plate work on the bottom a-arm. The spindles are the do it yourself, Proam weld together "Econo" models. The rear hubs are Proam's Dual Sport Microstubs.

I like the reinforcement plates to the lower shock mount... I dig this project and I think would be a blast to drive!!!

This looks like a fun biuld. I have always wanted to build a bug.

Here's a quick iPhone update.

Seat sliders are mounted, front seats are mocked up, the rear bench seat is almost mocked up. The front suspension is all tig'd up: uprights, upper/lower arms and spindles. Fuel cell was remounted slightly in order to make way for a couple more inches of leg room. There may be a trick brake pedal assembly needed in order to clear the steering linkage.

Things are coming along.

one question I've had, and have never seen, or come up with a solution for is: where do you attach the shoulder straps for the front two seats to, and still be able get in and out of the rear?? I've seen a lateral bar behind the seats like on a normal rail when it was a two seater, and there was reason to get in the back, but I'm wanting to build a 4seater.. Am I missing the obvious answer?? Looking good!!Hurry up so I can harvest your ideas.

Even your iphone leaves a watermark and only shows HALF the pic due to the marking around the edge of the pics. Just make your pictures reular noone is going to reproduce those picture, i mean maybe a guy on ebay trying to sell this car as 100k car but only wanting 10k this weekend only but yeah cool build shiz on the pics!!!

You have didn't miss the obvious. There will be a bar across the back of the seats. There's no real good way around it.

I know the Honda engines run good....but are you going to turbo it....might need it depending on how heavy the car is.

I'm going to hold off on turbo'n it. Chris at Benchmark Performance is dialing it in for me and he seems to think NA is going to be fast enough. If I need some more poop I'll consider the turbo or a little juice. If I go with the turbo option it will no longer be SCORE legal...

Unless those swell guys in the 1450 class allow me to run a bug in their class with a turbo, I'd be knocking myself out of most sanctioning bodies. I'd be looking at MDR, SNORE or DRIVE to jump into the 1450 class?

This resurrection was a good read.

Nice DISTRACTED BY WATERMARK IN EVERY PHOTO build!

http://www.tineye.com is great for finding original sources of photos that are "stolen." In case there are concerns.

I just "searched" this shot on tineye.com, I know is all over the web. I came back with "0 RESULTS". I'm not sure that tineye.com works so well? Have you had luck with it?

I am curious about the build, but so underwhelmed by your watermarks, and etc around the pictures.

I think half the people are looking at this thread because of these comments, it would be better to see the pictures without all the shiz crappola. Liek who cares wether you got more traffic than the Fusion build? leave the competition to the race course, not visits to threads

It be one hell of a cool car

From the school of teamfasteddy.

Headed over to HRT this week for some updated shots. Radiator is moved to the front to keep from turning the intake around.

Turning the intake around to face out the back created a snow ball. A new HOWE Power steering pump would be needed and relocated to the bottom left of the engine. The exhaust would have to be re routed under the oil pan to clear the pump, and a new rear cage would have to be re-fabed to clear the exhaust. Frankly, it was fiscally responsible to leave the intake were it was in the cab, and re-plumb from there.

Did i just say fiscally responsible?

Wow,

Thought this was going to be the wifes grocery getter. She must have lost a lot of weight by now. What's the hold up. JK
Good luck with the build and would love to see some updated photos.

If it is done, can you get a picture or show how you did the shift linkage on the Weddle HV-1. With the linkage coming off the right side of the trans I have wondered how it was going work.

Hey Lorenz, as a professional artist my self I can understand you wanting to use watermarks, (me personally I wont use them, but that's just cause the people I work for will sue the people that steel my images and try to use them for any profit, haha).

However I suggest one thing with your watermark, get rid of the lens that you have embedded with it. It is super distracting, and really pulls my eye away from anything I am looking at. Your photos are nice, maybe a bit to artsy for a build thread, but still nice. However I cant stand looking at any of them cause im constantly distracted by that lens. And maybe pull the opacity down on the whole watermark a bit more...

Anywho, build looks really good, and good luck with everything else!

The Aluminum and Tin work is 75% complete. Thank you Curt at CRBalumiFab.com in San Diego, I'm very impressed with your attention to detail. Here's an iPhone photo update.

The Shock Coils and Bypass' were covered from the inside so the little ones won't pinch a finger off, and nobody can scald themselves on a hot bypass while they're riding in the back seat. You can see the shocks through the window though, and they get some air from the space that was left between the window and the cage. I can get a wrench back there too for tuning.

I saw this at curts the other day. It's going to be a pretty cool Baja!!!

iPhone update:

Dash is complete, with a trick eyebrow for the single gauge. I'll be integrating eyebrow with the graphics scheme and racing strip. I plan on having a 3-5" racing stripe from front to rear, off center, that will catch the dash right at the gauge's eyebrow and through the center of the steering wheel. Lorwarance hds5, Sony Marine Radio, Levorsky 4 in 1 gauge, and a glove box on the passenger side. I have a Vintage Levorsky Tach to match the 4 in 1 gauge, but I'm not sure were it's going to go at this point. Should I run the tach centered over the steering wheel, and 4 in 1 gauge off to the side, or the other way around? Curt threw a nice curve into the dash so the driver has a better view of the GPS, radio, and the Gauges. Everything is angled in slightly towards the driver, for a airplane / cockpit feel.

6x9 Speakers were inlayed, just in front of the rear bench seat. I'm going to run them in a simple 2channel config off the Sony deck, nothing too fancy.

Radiator is now mounted and in. The front bars were moved around a little to accommodate it.

The Beetle Body has been integrated into the cage. Curt at AlumiFab did a fantastic job of keeping the Super Beetle lines, and swooping the rear quarter panel into the back half of the cage. The speakers have an enclosed box that sits between the outside of the cab and the inside of the cab. I was going to go the standard wood box enclosure route, but Curt insisted on doing a better job, and making the speaker boxes water proof.

The Doors are aligned now, and close perfectly now with a simple little "click". The front clip of the bug has a double walled aluminum firewall. 1 wall on the outside to knock down the debris and water, and another wall inside to keep the environment sealed out, and the cab looking clean without the jungle gym look of tubing around your feet.

Body dings and cancer were cut out, patched with steel, and brazed in old school style. Very little bondo will have to be used for the final prep and epoxy coat. Amazing craftsmanship, I'm super pleased.

Amazing paneling....Alumifab is doing it?

That Dash is Awesome...

NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sparco will steer the Grocery Getter.