low bay

[split64]

Hi all, meant to post sooner but been making progress on my project, the new years been good cos I've finally started the bay project, no hydros yet but they will be happening currently just choppin the van about trying a few things but I have squeesed a V8 in without putting a stupid box or bulge on the back.

my jig to make it easier!

Chassis mods to tuck the wheels

should sound a treat

going to tub the front and run my own 5" narrowed beam.

she will sit on the floor!

Hope you like the pics.

:wink:

 

[weldequip]

That's a fine looking weld in pic 4, must be quality kit you are using!!
weldequip

 

[dwc]

That will be an awesome beetle bus when its finished. I saw on one of the VW mags a guy put an Impreza engine in his beetle. But its amazing what you can get out of the original flat4 engines. I was into Beetles a few years ago, fun at times. Is that a Rover V8 you've got in her.

 

[split64]

...

weldequip, you only sell the best!!!

It should have 12" inches of rear travel and 8" on the front using hydraulics.

Its a 3.5 outa a rover SD1, going to rebuild it with high lift cams big valves etc! get some more bhp outta her

 

[lexi]

Yeah that`s a real project that is......keeps ya goin!

Alex

 

[malcolm]

Good looking workmanship there. What a load of rust to sort out after the mods are done.

SD1 V8 sounds like an excellent plan. Should improve fuel economy over the air cooled lump too The edelbrock carb is a nice mod for top end power (secondary throttles open up) at the expense of a few mpg worse economy than SUs (worth it though). Avoid any distributor with points, especially Mallory. Caused me one heck of a lot of problems. Standard Lucas 'opeless electronic distributor works much better.

Can't see any room for a silencer at the back. That's a shame.

 

[split64]

it should roar!

This is a mock up of what I'm thinking, I'm going to make removable baffles so that I can get it through an mot then remove them at shows, ill have to give ear plugs to my passengers!!!!!!!

Also can anyone give me advice on welding stainless with a mig set.

 

[malcolm]

Should get the tyres hot for those quick starts at Santa Pod. Though isn't it customary to point the exhaust gas outwards at the ends to avoid smelly rubber?

Stainless is very much like mild steel to weld. Just need stainless wire and a low CO2 content gas such as argoshield light or even pure argon.

EDIT> It's amazing what you can get past MOTs. My MGA is shockingly noisy with it's high lift cam, and straight through exhausts with all the stuffing blown out - would never pass a track noise test, but the MOT people don't complain. Rover V8 is a reasonaly quiet engine anyway - I've run them with tiny straight through silencers.

 

[Lippyp]

Good looking workmanship there. What a load of rust to sort out after the mods are done.

SD1 V8 sounds like an excellent plan. Should improve fuel economy over the air cooled lump too The edelbrock carb is a nice mod for top end power (secondary throttles open up) at the expense of a few mpg worse economy than SUs (worth it though). Avoid any distributor with points, especially Mallory. Caused me one heck of a lot of problems. Standard Lucas 'opeless electronic distributor works much better.

Can't see any room for a silencer at the back. That's a shame.

I run an Edelbrock carb (well actually a Carter AFB but they're the same thing) on my chevy and its great, you get a real good kick in the pants when the secondaries open up but it is a bit like tipping a bucket of fuel down the engine! Also supposed to be dead easy to tune up too. I also agree with the dizzy thing, the previous owner fitted a Mallory twin point dizzy and it is the biggets PITA to set up. I've got a stock HEI (factory electronic dizzy so a much higher voltage) to stab in when I fit the Edelbrock performer manifold I have sat in the garage.

 

[rusty69bus]

hi split64, nice to see a camper engine upgrade. i'm hoping to put a subaru engine in mine.
for some other like minded vw people have a look at http://www.vwkd.co.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?t=121
a split 65 with porsche running gear

 

[Lippyp]

This is a mock up of what I'm thinking, I'm going to make removable baffles so that I can get it through an mot then remove them at shows, ill have to give ear plugs to my passengers!!!!!!!

Also can anyone give me advice on welding stainless with a mig set.

Why bother with removable baffles, just put an exhaust cut out in before the boxes, get to the show and you simply uncork the cutouts and boom, loud exhaust.

I mean something like these

http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_10002_751312_-1_11529

 

[malcolm]

That's a good point. There's another step forward with those cut outs. Rather than blanking them off put a vacuum controlled turbo waste gate valve on them. That's what modern supercars do until the new noise regs catch them out. They have a flap that is closed when vacuum is present, and open otherwise.

Demon Tweeks will surely be able to supply a electric vacuum control so you can control the operation on a switch inside the cabin. Apart from on start up when the engine vacuum takes some time to build .

 

[Lippyp]

You can buy electrically operated ones and cable operated ones too.

 

[split64]

Hey thanks for the comments, more progress shots

That 65 split is awsome

Try this link for a fancy valve for your exhaust system, gives you the option to be really noisy!!!!!!
http://www.dynoflow.co.uk/dynoflow_erv.html

Heres some progress shots, got some more work done. Chopped most the floor out as I'm moving it and started assembling my front beam...

I have been suggested to purge the inside of any stainless tubes that I want to weld with the pure argon shielding gas, does anyone know the pressure/flow rate this should be done at, i intend to cap 1 end of the system but at any joins there will be gaps until fully welded. The tube will range from 1.5" - 4" and all 316L grade.

 

[rusty69bus]

wow thats an impressive front beam, i guess that you are making it so that it's going to be adjustable. is it all stainless steel?

 

[split64]

Bounce

Its going to include hydraulics, the front beam is steel, the stainless questions are regarding the exhaust system as I want to make it myself.

when complete it should look like this...

 

[rusty69bus]

wow, again. should post your project details on vwkd there's someone else on there doing hydraulics

 

[split64]

still no hydraulics but plenty of stuff for welding....

Rusty cheers for the link to that site, didn't know of it, there a lot of useful info on there and some really cool projects!

Heres some more progress shots, made my own trial drop spindle to get the front lower, will make a propper pair when I'm happy the wheels are where I want them. Been jacking it about seeing what the wheel movement will be like, theres a few pics of the roof as I'm not putting the pop top back on, going back to the tin top which meant all the littles holes needed pluging.

8)

original spindle in a jig

chopped spindle, shaft raised and tacked

trial drop spindle

low front

raised front

tucked

tucked and turned

roff with loads of little holes

plugged and primed, only temporary paint till the whole shell goes for shot blasting.

 

[rusty69bus]

how goes the progress

 

[split64]

Progress, yeeee haaaaaaa!

Haven't been on here for a while and until yesterday slow progress on my bay but heres some pics before during and after 8hrs of shot blasting.......

It would be more useful as a sieve

Hitched up an ready to get blasted

calm before the storm...

awful colours

Not much of the front is left, this is how it was when on the road but with the front panel removed

the sun came out just in time to get it home

I need a few panels