CAPTAIN RATBAG (Mk1 #6) Pt4

I'm not running bumpers so I picked up new tow hooks, bonnet pins and some 1mm aluminium sheet to make plates to cover the holes where the bumper bars usually bolt on.

At the back the rear polycarb window and bumper cover plates are on. I used the existing bumper bar bolt points to mount the new tow hook, and mounted spring clips to hold the rear hatch down instead of using the standard lock.

Around the front I have the tow point, cover plates and bonnet pins installed. Along with some painted garden mesh across the centre and a badly repaired duckbill.

With all the polycarbonate windows in (the original glass windscreen just sitting in place for the moment) the exterior of the car is pretty much complete. I am looking forward to getting this car on the scales.

There has been work on the interior but some more parts have arrived so we need to side track a little. Here is a quick photo comparison between an old standard twin barrel Weber on the left and just one of the 45mm Weber's on the right.

Wot you lookin' at?

This set of grubby 45mm DCOE Weber carburettors are off my old car, they did the job but it always ran very rich so I figured it's best to rebuild them and sort out what was going on.

Stripped down.

With so much grease and grime on the Weber's, we figured the best option was to give them a degrease and an ultrasonic bath. Probably overkill but we had access to it and it did an excellent job.

A couple of hours, degrease, and water changes later...

Everything ready for the rebuild.

And putting it all back together with a couple of rebuild kits.

I had used these for a while on another car but never cracked them open, it was after the breakdown we discovered part of why it was running so rich, 28mm chokes.

... and constricted 36mm auxiliary venturi's (bottom left). So I picked up a set of 45mm auxiliary venturi's and new pump and idle jets.

I replaced the 40 pump jets with 55's, the F8/45 idle jets with F8/55's and Andy down at Mitchell Auto Engineering put the 28mm main chokes on a lathe and bore them out to 38mm.

Just as a point of reference, the old aux venturi (on the left) and the new (on the right).

Now it will flow much better.

Put back together with the manifold and new rubber gaskets ready to bolt onto my car.

Now to the interior. I know what I'm about to do is a VW crime but it's the only way to re-mount the dash around the cage. I am also going to mount a battery kill switch in the dash with a cable release that is accessible from outside the car.

To hide the dash mutilation I made up some aluminium cover plates and ran rubber strip around the edge.

I've got the kill switch and lengthened battery lead hooked up to a carbon fibre (sticker) plate. The cable release runs underneath the dash, through the firewall near the drivers side door and out to the bonnet.

A quick a test fit of the instrument panel to see how it's all coming together.

To hold me in place I picked up a Velo race seat and 3 inch six point harness with Sparco seat rails. I was going to bolt the seat directly to the floor but adjustable seat rails will cater for multiple drivers (mates going for a spin).

As I said earlier, I'm a tall guy and this is a small car, so I need the seat as low as possible. With the added height of the seat rails I was still sitting too high, so we had to make room.

Cut...

Lowered...

... and re-joined with 5mm steel plates for the front seat rail mounts and some box section for the rears.

Finished and reinforced. Also a quick shout-out to my neighbour Tim, cheers for the great work you did making me a new place to mount my seat.

Now to my drive shafts. Just remember to always keep your work area clean and free from dirt and grease :/

Another messy job out of the way, unfortunately both the outer rubber boots were torn. The new ones came with fresh grease, new gaskets, bolts, nuts and washers. The shafts then got a coat of paint, I chose white so I will know the moment anything leaks.

One of the 100mm CV joints was very badly worn and needs to be replaced.

A few weeks later and the new CV arrived.

Continued here.