1967 Autodynamics Race Car - rehab

[conductorx]

Jul 22, 2009 7:05:30 GMT -8 FRK said:

Nice work man!

if I had your skills AND the time / room to do all that I'll be doing it too. Are you keeping it the same color or you going to give it a different look?

My ZINK is yellow and green and my nephew who plans to pilot this car is leaning towards blue.

"G"

[conductorx]

Hammond, LA 16 October 2006 1968 Autodynamics Car #2

To correct the nose issue I reverted back to my boat building days. A friend suggested I cut slots in the nose of the car to fit the nose to the upper cowl. So I cut slots and used a boat building trick called stitch and glue. Using stainless steel wires I wired (stitched) the nose to the cowl and then glassed them into place.

Marked the cuts:


Made the cuts and stitched the panels into place:


Stainless steel wire stitches:


Glassed into place (glued):


All ready to flip the body over and do the inside:


Saturday, October 21

After I put two layers of glass on the outside of the nose I rolled it over and removed all of the tie wires. Once the wires are removed I will sand down the entire inside of the nose to remove any high spots. Once the high spots are down the spaces between each tab will be filled with body filler. The entire area will be covered with two layers of fiberglass non-woven mat. Also while the body is upside down I removed the glass and body filler from the double chin. The sanding also removed the gel coat so body filler will also be used to replace the gel coat removed and fill the sanding gouges.

You can see the wires holding the nose in place:


All the wires are out:


After all the wires are removed I sanded down all the high spots:


While the nose is upside down I also removed the double chin. It is no longer needed:


All of this excess bondo and fiberglass has to be removed:


All clean and ready to fill:

[FRK]

Great job on the nose!

So you use to build boats too Gary?

You are the man with a 1000 trades! I just wish I kew all this so I can apply it to my VWs.

Can't wait to see it all done.

[conductorx]

I built wooden boats in high school shop class. Years ago I crashed my sailboat into a concrete sea wall. I had to learn boat building and fiberglass techniques.

In Louisiana everyone has at least one boat. I am one of the rare exceptions in that I don't own any boats right now. I do have access to my brother-in-law's sailboat.

"G"

[FRK]

Cool!

I know this was 2-3 years ago but I like to see the progress as it happened.

[conductorx]

Stay tuned Frank because all of this work is going to take a radical turn yet again. Thanks for the good words.

Sunday, October 29 2006 Now that the "stitches" are out I will fill all the gaps with body filler. after the gaps are filled the body will be sanded down from the inside as thin as possible. Two layers of non-woven mat will be applied with about a pint of resin. I also filled the hole for the shut off switch that is in the wrong location.

Applying the body filler:



All the excess removed and the area sanded down:


I fitted the matt and cut it to shape:


First I brushed on a layer of resin in the affected area:


As each layer of mat was applied I rolled out the resin using a finned roller to squeeze out all of the air:


These are the tools I used, scissors, a plastic bucket, throw away brush and finned roller:


To finish up a filled the hole for the switch. It has to move to the roll bar.


Sunday, October 29 2006. I sprayed the underside of the nose with primer and started sanding. The primer acted as a guide coat. I use a long board air sander to insure a flat surface. Once sanded the low spots remain red. Once the under side of the nose was finished the body was rolled over. Finishing the top of the nose started next. While I am mixing body filler I also worked on the rear cowl final sanding and body filler.

The dark red is a huge low spot:


Filling and sanding the nose. A full eight hours of sanding and rubbing and looks like more to come:


Once the sandpaper gets like this it is time to stick a crowbar in my wallet and pry out a dollar to buy another sheet:


The rear cowl was sanded and filled then primed. Now it is ready for some 240 / 300 grit paper and some paint.

[FRK]

Looking good!

Man, that fiberglass repair looks like a lot of work. It seems to hard maybe, since I don't know how to work with fiberglass. Keep the process & pictures coming. I love seeing this king of projects.

[conductorx]

Fiberglass work was described in a boat repair book I have.

"If you can take a cup of water and a paint brush then paint a piece of cloth with water using the paint brush then you can do fiberglass work."

Of course fiberglass work is a bit more than that. You need to understand chemistry a bit.

Fiberglass resin is a polyester liquid (yeah like those ugly pants old guys wear). You add a catalyst that makes the liquid get hard. It doesn't take much. If you don't add enough the resin will never get hard and you will have a mess. If you add too much the resin will "kick" in the bucket and you won't get to use it. This is dangerous in that the heat generated can set the resin on fire.

I usually add catalyst by counting drops. A one quart can of resin comes with a plastic cap. That cap, filled with resin takes about 30 drops. For the cap from a gallon can, it is about 75 drops. Of course you get a feel for it after a while since heat and humidity also affects when the resin "kicks". You want it to "kick" or get hard about 15 to 20 minutes after you apply it.

Now lets make it a bit more complicated: Standard resin that you buy at your local Home Depot, Lowes or auto parts store has Styrene in it. Styrene is a wax dissolved into the resin. As the resin cures the Styrene floats to the top and seals the resin from the air and allows it to cure. Unless you protect the resin from the air it will never cure. This causes a problem if you need to build up a thick layer of fiberglass. The new glass will not bond to the previous layer. You have to remove the styrene wax. Either sanding or cleaning with acetone will suffice. There is also a resin sold without styrene called laminating resin and it is used to build thick parts.

Gel Coat, is a laminating resin with a color additive and other stuff that makes it more like a paint. It is typically applied as the first layer in a mold. It can be applied to repair cracked gel coat or to coat parts that you want to cover with gel coat. Because it is a laminating resin you have to cover it with plastic wrap (handi-wrap) or (saran-wrap).

Bondo and Angel Hair body filler is polyester resin pre-mixed with a filler material. In the case of bondo it is mixed with talcum powder and angel hair is mixed with fiberglass cloth shreds. Typically body fillers are mixed with a color component to help it stand out from surrounding materials.

The term "fiberglass" denotes the finished and cured object. The mat and cloth used as reenforcement inside the object is actually strands of glass fibers woven into a cloth or in the case of mat it isn't woven. Reenforcement materials can also be made of Kevlar and carbon fiber cloth and mat. Before you think it would be cool to have a Kevlar and Carbon Fiber dune buggy you should win the lottery first.

I hope this clarifies things everyone.

"G"

[FRK]

gary, you make it sound so simple. Now if I only had the space to work with.

[conductorx]

29 October 2006 More sanding today. The nose of this car was trying to eat my lunch but I am close to
succeeding. It still is not 100% like I want it but I am burned out for today.

Before the sanding started:


After sanding all day but still incomplete:




This was the hole where the cutoff switch was installed. The switch has to be
moved up to the roll bar to comply with SCCA and CVAR rules:


Wednesday, November 08 I have to relocate the power switch. The rules say the switch has to be on the right side behind the roll bar. Actually it was really easy. The switch turns the postive lead off from the battery. A better option is to shut off the ground wire.

For the wiring changes I need to remove the dash panel. I had to disconnect the steering to remove the dash panel. So while the steering was out I changed the steering shaft coupler and replaced it with a urethane part.

Old coupler and urethane coupler, the black one is an original equipment VW part with the VW part number and logo:


The dash area support tubing is full of holes that needs to be welded and ground:


The coupler installed:


The power switch in the correct location:


While my posts may seem random I do have a plan for completion of the car. It has definite steps, It has a time frame and a budget. While I am not prepared to make my budget public I am prepared to show the list of steps required to make this car Vintage Racing legal. My schedule has already slipped from February to September because of additional requirements provided by the sanctioning body where I hope to race.


Required Safety Items

Replace plastic fuel cell container with a metal container.
Relocate power shut off switch to right side behind roll bar. (done)
Wire car with appropriate circuits and fuses.
Create battery cover system
Vintage Correct Tires
Increase height of roll bar.
Install forward roll bar braces.
Install fire protection system.
Install seat belts (purchased)
Secure brake lines
Secure wiring harness
Mirrors

Cosmetic or comfort items.

New Dzus fasteners
Sand blast and powder coat wheels
Paint brake drums
Fill excess holes in chassis
Paint chassis
Install new dash and gauges
Paint exterior
Paint interior of body

Driver Requirements

Helmet (done)
Firesuit (done)
Gloves (done)
Shoes (done)
Nomex Socks (done)
Nomex Balacava (done)
HANS Device


11 November 2006 1968

I tried to use an old spray gun I have had for a long time to spray some primer on the body. The gun was totally messed up and has no paint feed adjustment. First shot out of the gun nearly emptied the cup. I got some primer on the body and then threw the gun away.

After the primer I fitted the body back onto the car. It does not fit at all. The bottom section fits the frame but does not fit on the bottom inspite of my cuts to the nose. The sides do not fit on the top section either. It takes too much folding and pressing to make it come close to fitting correctly.

I plan to cut the body parts on the marks and re-glass it to make this thing work correctly.

Cut marks:


Primered car driving around::

[FRK]

A lot of work Gary but you are the guy for the job!
The last picture, is that after you were done with it or was that before all this work? You are doing a great job Gary. Keep the progress and pictures coming? Can't wait the end results.

[conductorx]

The photo with the primer body is my nephew driving the car in the yard. that was after the work was done. I am still not happy with the fit of body, so I cut the nose off again and started a new plan of action.

In the mean time I bought the ZINK and concentrated on racing while the Autodynamics car has sat up for over a year.

My nephew is again working on it and I will have more photos coming as we get it ready for the track over the next few months.

"G"

[FRK]

Aug 1, 2009 11:36:29 GMT -8 conductorx said:

The photo with the primer body is my nephew driving the car in the yard. that was after the work was done. I am still not happy with the fit of body, so I cut the nose off again and started a new plan of action.

In the mean time I bought the ZINK and concentrated on racing while the Autodynamics car has sat up for over a year.

My nephew is again working on it and I will have more photos coming as we get it ready for the track over the next few months.

"G"

On the photo, it seems that your nephew is driving pretty fast. Keep us posted on the changes you'll make on it. and again thanks for sharing that project with us Gary.

[conductorx]

JAN 2007 - Hammond, LA

It has been a while, but during the holidays I accomplished a bunch of work on the car. The upper body is round and the lower half is straight. To make the Dzus fasteners work the top has to be straight up and down like the bottom half.

First I cut the strip with the Dzus fasteners from the upper section.


I fitted the Dzus fasteners to the bottom of car body to insure all the holes line up.


The gaps and bulges can be seen in the body and the two halves are wired back together.


Once the wires are in place the body will be glassed back together the bumps and bulges will be massaged out.

At this time I have completed powder coating the engine tin and I had a busy weekend, reassembling the engine and replacing the firewall. I installed the original VW oil cooler so the car can qualify as a Vintage Racer.

Today I assembled the tin on motor and it is ready for the carb, pulley and wiring. It turned out pretty good.


The valve covers turned out the best:


I made a new firewall. I removed the old aluminum fire wall with holes and made a new one from 18 ga galvalum sheet metal. I think the steel has a higher melting point than aluminum. Also you can see two holes where the seat belts are mounted to the chassis. I eliminated these holes and made dimples in the sheet metal to accomodate the seat belt mounts.


Old firewall. Round hole is for access to generator pulley nut.


New Firewall made from same thickness of galvanized-aluminum (GALVALUM) steel. (aluminum and zinc coated)

[FRK]

That weekend you were busy Gary. On the motor, you can not install a custom oil cooler besides the original to make it qualify? Can you install two (and original & a custom)? Can you inastall a bigger oil sump? or that has to be og as well?