Chuck's Baja Build

[dustymojave]

I haven't seen it for a number of years, but my mom has a photo that my grandfather took in 1920. He was living in LA and my great grandfather got transferred by his employer, Santa Fe Railroad, to North Platte in north-east Nebraska. So grandpa decided to visit the folks at their new place. He bought a race car much like what you show there. But not based on a Ford. I forget what brand car it had been originally. Paid a whopping $10 for the car, running. He and his brother put a stack of spare rims and tires on the back behind the bucket seats, kinda like on the yellow car, but 4 or 5 spares. Strapped on tools and other spare parts around the car. Then they put a big leather bag with clothes and food inside the stack of spare tires, and the 2 of them headed out across the country. He took the picture at the top of a pass in the desert looking east across the valley beyond. Not a road or trail in sight. Drove it there and back. Had to stop in Colorado and replace the poured babbit crank bearings. THAT was off roading.

[chuckput]

Out in the garage this weekend doing some head work. On my new engine I am using dual valve springs which requires trimming the valve guide bosses. The next step is to make some measurements and shorten the valve guide for clearance.

[chuckput]

Inching towards completing my other engine. Need to set the end play, then I can start transferring parts over from the other engine like the fan shroud. Then I can install the engine, fabricate new oil and fuel lines, make connections and fire her up. I also need to do some work on hooking up the power steering. At this rate I should be done by the Night Run (I just don't know which year).

[chuckput]

Today I began taking the things off my old engine and transferring them to the new engine - like the fan shroud. This was really just a mock up to see if there are any fitment issues with the dual carbs. The old engine has a single Weber. The power steering pump is a little tight so I will need to get a 90° line fitting. It is beginning to get warm here in the low desert - mid 90s today. I wish I had an air conditioned garage, but that's not going to happen. I need to remove the fan shroud and prep it for a coat of paint. Hopefully by Memorial Day weekend the engine will be ready to install in the bug.

[dustymojave]

Portable swamp cooler...Maybe a regular side discharge cooler sitting on an angle iron frame with casters, with a garden hose to the inlet valve. I used to have a rather large one that came from somebody who was upgrading their house to central refrigeration A/C.

[chuckput]

I have a two car garage and an attached workshop where I am able to park my bug. With the workbench and various other items there is not much space left. To build the engine I created a "Semi" Clean room at the front of the garage by creating a 2 x 4 frame and covering it with clear plastic sheet (you can see it in the picture of my engine). I did install a small window A/C unit in that and it does help a little. When it is 110 outside it can lower the temp in the room to about 95. Plastic sheeting does not offer too much in the way of insulation. I would like to find a swamp cooler, and it would need to be on casters because there is no place to leave it in the workshop. Being a school teacher my summers are my prime work on the car time. With summer time temps being above the century mark all summer long here, I definitely need a cooler.

[dustymojave]

2 layers of plastic, 1 inside the frame and 1 outside the frame would help insulate. Nothing between but air.

[chuckput]

2 layers of plastic, 1 inside the frame and 1 outside the frame would help insulate. Nothing between but air.

Hmmmm!

[chuckput]

Old engine out, new engine in.

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[Ol'fogasaurus]

Woof! That is one way of doing it.

The build looks like it going along pretty well. Enjoyed the pictures of the engine work but I think I would have spend some more time on some shroud paint .

Great job Chuck.

Lee

[chuckput]

Woof! That is one way of doing it.

The build looks like it going along pretty well. Enjoyed the pictures of the engine work but I think I would have spend some more time on some shroud paint .

Great job Chuck.

Lee

I hope you were being facitious about the shroud I spent a week body working it and repainting it. I will admit that it could be better, but patience when it comes to body work is not my strong suit. I always want it done yesterday.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

I hope you were being facitious about the shroud I spent a week body working it and repainting it. I will admit that it could be better, but patience when it comes to body work is not my strong suit. I always want it done yesterday.
[/quote]

Yes, one of the old pix showed scratches which probably would not have shown up anyway. Just trying to be cute to a nice looking job .

Le

[chuckput]

I'm now finding a new can of worms going from a single to dual carb set-up. I have found that the air boxes that are shown in some of my pictures are not going to work due to the cross bar in the roll cage (they will be for sale if anyone is interested). I am currently reviewing my options. CB Performance sells an air box with it's inlet on top. Or I may go with air filters and Outerwears.

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[Ol'fogasaurus]

Chuck, the air filters w/outer wears is what I use in the sand but if you go that way remember to put grease on the top and bottom of the filters to be sure that those seams/joins to the mounting and top pieces are tightly sealed as to not allow air to infiltrate through those areas.

The stamped designs can have movement or warping in them such as when bottoms are bolted to the carbs and when the top piece is either clamped or wingnut bolted in place.

Again, the main drawback to the outer ware is the linkage being in the way for a complete wrap around under the base.

Lee

[chuckput]

Had a bunch of stuff pop up that have prevented me from doing as much work on the car as I wanted.

Finally got the dual carb air cleaner issue worked out. Ended up replacing the Junkyard Special Dellortos and splurged on some new Webers.

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Also bought her some new shoes.

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