63Ragtop

I must admit I've been spending quite a bit of time just staring at this thing, is that my car?it's come out even better than I'd hoped.nearly done with these bloody windows! screwed the felts in place.managed to get the scrapers to stay put, factory one piece window anyone? it's taken a lot of work but they are working well now, no rattles when you close the door, with the glass up or down, only a small 2-3cm gap at the front of the scraper, not bad."new" black door cards in place, handles on.I bought these NOS 67' window winders nearly twenty years ago, I get to use them now.I'm using 67 dash knobs to match these to keep the mostly black and chrome theme but also as a wee nod to my old 67, first love and all that, plus I like them more than the skinny early 60's ones.polished and fitted the rails the other night also.started taking the rag mech apart, pretty rusty.got the bows back today, looking much better!should look good after a wire wheel and paint.

I feel the wiring is going to beat me on this thing, I've got 98% all hooked up and I'm sure correct, but the last few details are tripping me up. things like the wiper motor and switch which is because they are 2speed and from a later car they appear to need a couple extra wires, also the Alternator for the same reasons.Adding to the confusion is the loom seems to be missing a few small, separate small wires, like the one for the speedo light and one for the flasher unit, both of which I was able to salvage from the old looms.I'll be happy if anything works and it don't catch on fire!Also had a frustrating night last night trying to get the door window scrapers in, or rather to stay in! very tight work and my fingertips are sore today, was hoping to have the drivers door finished last night, but by 1am I had to give up!help!

Go a bit more done over the weekend.zapped those door window winder things for 24 hours in the elecro-bath, came up pretty good!this process is just amazing! check it out!got the winder mechs painted and in.went and found all the seats and stuff, this is were it's been hiding for the last near ten years!got the VHT vinyl paint onto the door cards, one can used, will need more for the back seat, it says it works on fabric also, so I might do the fronts to match.I was kind of expecting the seats to be moldy or full of rat shit or cat piss, but they're as clean as when I bagged them up, which saved a job. Darrell helped me out AGAIN cleaned up the ol carpets and bung em in.big ugly rubber mats coz daily driver can still see my ass print! haha.not bad seats, if you squint they almost look like recaros. get in that hole you!door cards ready, spent a bit of time last night getting the window glass to work nicely, so soon.door scrapers, polished sunroof rails and door glass sills.sunroof mech, really in need of a full body off resto as well.all still working well though.cover has seen better days.top of the front bow.back and front together, getting them both drip stripped, hopefully there will be something left?? I imagine these are the most expensive parts on this pile!And!Front bumper and runningboards as well as seats and carpets! god damn it's almost a car!kids had to take it for a spin when they got home.

Yep, this thing is a badmutherfucker. That is all.

OH LOOK! A HOUSE.

It's been a long fucking road Goat, nearly there! Just used what I had K-trips, will keep a eye on it, they are both much easier to wind now, bugs are so simple it take about 3.5miuntes to disassemble a door. Chur!

Turn out they do work the same as the single reds, BUT! because the actual winder plate is pressed together over the tube, the inner wire could only go so far before the mounts would reach the plate and could go no mo. I gave them both a good clean and smooshed as much grease as I could back inside, that'll bloody do.

Cheers k-trips, thats a huge help bro, you're right, mine is the two point regulator, these are better for the one piece glass my car has, let's see if it comes apart the same.

continuing with my stupid daily updates.so fresh and so clean.nice to have all the trim on.don't think I've posted a pic of the Mighty wildcat in place yet.started cleaning up the window mechs, they have been hanging on the wall for the last couple years and are very dirty and crappy looking, anyone have any tips on re-greasing them? or how to clean out the old dried out stuff?was hoping to give them a lick of gray paint, but dunno how that will work with all that grease everywhere?love the way everything is date stamped, this one must be from my old 67, same date as the speedo I kept.made by Golde like the sunroofs?found the next candidate for a swim in the electrolysis bath I think.Also fitted door rubbers, door switches and interior light and ran the wire up the A pillar to hook it all together. Installed the glovebox after giving the back of it a quick matthew black to tidy it up, all of which I forgot to photograph, damn. anyone know where to buy vinyl paint for the door cards?

You can expect the roar of tires at a maximum speed of 80kph. My fatherinlaw had a couple of these, two with 202s in them, until he went all fancy and got a V8 one. made me laugh coz he's from northern England, Bloody Grand is that one boyo! Please don't paint it, it looks awesome!

and now for some real fun.being the incredible tightass I am, I'd only orders enough trim clips that I needed, thinking I'll just reuse the old ones. Well the old ones look like shit, very rusty shit. I also needed to clean the rust off the window scraper clips for the door glass and the metric nut only had a handfull of these in stock.So, electrolysis is my new favorite word! I was talking to the acid stripper guys about these small parts but he said the acids can take the carbon out of the spring steel and ruin them, then I remembered reading about electrolysis on OS,did some research and came up with this.dissolve some of this in water.fashion a crude metal tray to hold the small clips, optain metal bar for positive side.hook up 12volt battery charger and watch the fun begin.this was after 2 hours, didn't do a whole lot to the clips but sure cleaned up the metal tray!so I left it going all day in a quite corner at work, before/\/\and after/\/\. seemed to flash rust while drying, so I gave em a quick wire wheel and painted them last night.

all these small things take some much time.details details details. cleaned up door swtiches.stuck foam stuff under the tank.front end looking nearly complete!this is the problem with my old 67 fuel sender, if It's any where near full it will leak and ruin any new paint. any suggestions on how to fix this small but important issue, would be great, or should I give up and convert to the electric gauge as my gauge wire thing is bung as anyway.

Yeah, as small a gap as possible the better, try less heat and another trick I found is to have the wire sticking out of the gun more, this changes the voltage/whatever at the weld just enough sometime to make it work, are you grinding that zinc coating off the new metal? that shits nasty and fucked my welds up.

ticked a couple more things off the job list. you can just about see the steering wheel there. and managed to finally remove the old wiper switch.shoulda done that before I painted the flippin thing!, luckily no paint was harmed in cutting it out with the dremel.Cleaned up a couple things.and painted them.polished up some other things.and got the first bits of trim on, swoon.

that's a big ass window!

cheers man, got plenty to do thats fa sure.

wait wait, an actual update as well!box fresh out the acid.and new starter motor, 2 speed wiper switch and many small things, fresh out the metric nut.

forgot how tiny it is! I can stand at the front and reach the windscreen!Honda is allowed back in the shed(can fit back in)can't wait to get some weight in it and correct the stance.

Cheers boys! I've had the 2speed motor for ages, since I converted to 12 volt, but never got around to fitting a switch. Keen to give those new tunnels a good reaming out!!! My exhaust has no baffles left. Need a stinger for maximum fart lolz and car alarm setting off.

looks like they're doing it right with the stud puller thingy, instead of an inch of bog, which is nice.

tiz the fastest colour. cheers rich, hoping to have it running soon. job list-bolt body down.paint and install new steering box.install and connect steering column and wheelFinish wiring, install 2speed wiper switch, find wire connectors for rear lights.also install front indicators in headlights, wire up headlightsmake wiring work! find grounds?paint and install gas tank.plumb soft fuel lines.install windows and rubbers and door glass mechs.fit stainless hinge screws.run door light wiring and install rubbers and switches.acquire and install interior light.- anyone have a nice old 2nd hand one??guess I'll need some seats?spray interior panels black and installinstall seat belts.install gear shifter.clean up ragtop mech and install.acquire new ragtop cover.clean, paint and install rear view mirror and sun visors.clean up and install running boards.polish and install chrome side trim and witches hats.and bonnet trim and badge.install bumpers.install rear engine bay seal.find four more wheel nuts to replace the lock nuts I lost the key to.and then there's the engine...

and thanks to Darrell, his Father, Fatherinlaw and my brother...I don't usually do this butthis guy is a happy ass me!and Felix thinks it pretty cool.It all went pretty smooth, except for nearly smashing the new MC fluid res(which is full of brake fluid now!) with the body and forgetting to move the gas pedal and bending the shit outta it, but no scrapes or dents, the shell is much heavier with all the fenders and doors etc, and I can hammer the pedal flat again.yee haww

so while the steering box is getting acid washed, more polishing.more stuff no one will see.buttoned up the tail lightsmore polishing.and jammed it in.more allan nuts.ground control to major tom.Commencing countdown, engines on.Check ignition and may God's love be with you.

many late nights, much caffeine.I noticed my ol' box has been leaking oil from the input? shaft, just sitting in the shed, not so good.so I pulled out the spare and it actually feels smoother that to one on the pan, so I'm going to use that one instead.splitters cleaned up okay.getting to grips with the huge amount of wire in a 60's volkswagen this might actually work!soon.

Got these.and the grill meshdipped next door, gave the mesh a lick of same grey I used on the pan parts.rear seat bolts, the ODC is real.yes I cleaned the inside of the trims, flash shows it up, it actually pretty subtle.my 67's old gas gauge.cleaned up well, shame it doesn't do much!steering column cleaned up.painted the bottom as it was very rusty.also sanded and paint the column tube and indicator arm gloss black, plus the other bits and bobs gray also.very happy, been wanting to do that for years, even before I took it off the road.more stainless buttom head hex bolts.