Going under the knife

[Max Welton]

Looks like things are getting serious.

IMG_20200727_093841141.jpg

IMG_20200727_103139479.jpg

Max

[Max Welton]

Hey, where does one get supports like these?

IMG_20200417_100055370.jpg

Max

[Max Welton]

Also, how much would you guys say the body shell weighs? Looks like I'll be pulling the plug on the shop Robert works out of. No reflection on Robert.

Max

[Piledriver]

I suspect those are bent tubing or maybe pipe, and likely fabricated in house.
...are mostly just used to support hoods etc for prep/paint.

A t3 body shell likely weighs quite a bit more than a t1, 2 strong young guys can easily hoist a stripped t1 shell, id guesstimate t3 at 650ish, (late)
Ask Tom Notch or one of the other serial t3 builders over on TOS, one of those folk has probably weighed them..

If you are bringing it home, buy a good welder and a T size gas bottle, learn to use, and build a spit for it.(rotisserie)
Retail they run $800-1300... but a lot of folks just build one, there are probably designs and youtube videos how to build...

I really like my (now getting old) 181i, they even make an ac/dc version now IIRC.
Once my shop goes up this fall I'll probably build a water cooler for it and stick a 20 torch on it.
.

[Max Welton]

Well, it's coming home for the short term but there's another guy who actually looked at the car before it had been stripped. Need to see if he is interested in finishing it for me.

Max

[Ol'fogasaurus]

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=145975&p=1216384&h ... d#p1216384

I posted this in 2014 but I had built it a while before that. There are some good ideas also posted.

Lee

[Max Welton]

20200819_104623.jpg

Half the project retrieved. Going back for the body and remaining parts tomorrow.

Max

[Max Welton]

New home away from home for the fasty:

20200820_113216.jpg

Max

[Max Welton]

Well crap. When Robert had the front beam powder-coated he didn't take the needle bearings out of the beam. That means the needle bearings are caked in cooked grease and grit from the sand-blasting process. The grease fittings are of course blocked.

20200824_105941.jpg

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I do have 8 more 35x44x20 upper needle bearings from when I rebuilt the beam in 2016.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewt ... me#7936464

Does anyone know the size for the lowers?

Max

[Clatter]

Wow. Killer project.
Reminds me of mine, including multiple body shops and all...
Selling your soul to the devil at the crossroads can't have helped.

WRT the beam, there are bakelite (Phenolic?) bushings inboard of the roller bearings that will not survive a powder coat oven.
These are NLA, though someone did a run of them in AUS?
I'd be searching for another beam TBPH.

[Max Welton]

I replaced the upper bushings with oil-impregnated bronze in 2016 so they should be ok. Yeah ... the lowers may be toast.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewt ... c&start=80

The shop switch has caused other problems. Some rear end parts have gone missing. One axle tube, the inner bell parts that go on the tube, the retainers and both bearing housings (castings) are all MIA. The castings are the 67-68 unique parts. I suspect (hope) there's an overlooked box under a bench. But it may be time to do a short-axle conversion.

Max

[Piledriver]

Go IRS (ducks)
Actually many good reasons to go there, but I know you are doing a restore...

[Max Welton]

It's really more of a resto-mod so IRS is not out of the question. I'd start with an IRS subframe. Not like it's a type-1 after all.

But I am now fighting the calendar. There's talk of a Berg Cruise in April and this is my Cruise car. Winter is between now and then so I'm trying not to add to the project at this point.

But let's see if I understand the short-axle conversion. My axles are from the 68 (RIP) so they are long spline I think. I would need the short bearing castings, short axles and and trimming on the drum centers. Sound right?

Max

[Jadewombat]

IRS swap on a type 3 is easy. The whole rear subframe just bolts up. Don't quite know what you're asking about with axles. Is that to keep it 5 lug?

I did the swap on my 67 with a 68 IRS. Only took a couple of hours.

[Piledriver]

You can likely do an irs swap with your existing rear torsion and keep the frame horns, this also allows you to set the inner trailing arm mounts for a better camber range if you are looking to slam it.

Also the t3 rear top shock mount setup is set up double shear, so its coil-over ready when set up for irs.
Its also all stamped sheet metal so is easily modded if mount location changes are required.

CB sells a front rotor setup for 5x130 Porsche wheels, nice 6061t6 hubs, for bj or kp spindles.
I have some old damage to the late t3 spindles Im currently running, actually considering the kp hubs with the larger off-road metric spindles for strength.
(I would replace just the spindle spud)

The billet hubs come with trick looking bolt on rotors but look to be easily adapted to more serious vented Wilwood etc rotors if considering a BB conversion.
I will be buying a set for my 914 at least, CB will sell just the hub/rotors from the kit.

There are also a couple sources for rear t3 hubs with a variety of available bolt patterns.
I modded my t4 hubs to hubcentric, firts to vw then porsche size, made a significant difference in smoothness of ride.