Still working! Ill gets some pictures together and post an update.

Time for an update. Slow progress but forward progress.

I made a custom muffler with internal baffling-

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1718861.jpg

Did some dress up on the engine-

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1718858.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1718860.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1718856.jpg

Custom oil fill tube-

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1718859.jpg

I also made a rear overflow tank that is plumbed into the heater circuit. Its attached with riv-nuts and allen heads now, the screws were for mockup. On the backside of the tank is a hole through the parcel tray that goes to a electric heater core unit that jegs/summit sell. http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS-Performan...RoCoWEQAvD_BwE It has two 3" outlets that will run back throught the parcel tray and into the factory heater channels. I will have multiple air speeds for the electric fan, and use of the factory levers for different air flow. I think it will work perfect.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1718857.jpg

This was fun to make. Finished up my airbox today. I also made the velocity stack inside, probably won't make a difference, but I have never made them before and wanted to give it a try. I am going to remove the foam in the rear pillar between the vent behind the rear window and the engine bay in an attempt for a "cold air" intake. I couldn't bring myself to use a cone filter floppin around in the engine bay, but I am a little crazy with stuff like this.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1721101.jpg

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1721102.jpg

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1721100.jpg

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1721099.jpg

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1721095.jpg

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1721094.jpg

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1721093.jpg

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1721092.jpg

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1721091.jpg

WOW the Workman Ship...

Brilliant! Now that I have a Subaru donor for the next project, I'm going to have to re-read...and expect you to post more often :D ;)

-Dave

Haha I’ll do my best. My time is mostly taken up by working on my bosses projects but I’d really love to get my car back on the road by next summer. Love your build Dave. If your ever down in the Seattle/Tacoma area I’d love to see it in person.

Forrest,

Nice work! I would love to have access to the machinery in the pics!

I see that you moved some of the pics from photobucket to thesamba. I've been thinking about starting a new gallery here on germanlook, that supports full size images, since cloud storage is so cheap.

I used to be in Seattle a TONNE, visiting Blake at NorthWest Auto Salon. Warwick used to have an office at Dirtfish, and I was out there six or seven times a years...but since moving to the island I make the trip only a paltry two or three times a year.

I will be in Seattle early September for Global Rallycross, and then passing through to Oregon middle of September for my CCA Hagerty Fall Classic event. Could definitely bring the Rally Bug down to one of those events.

Get your GL project finished in time for the Fall Classic!

-Dave

Yeah I really hated using photobucket. The sambas gallery interface is super easy. You can upload a bunch of pictures all at the same time, and I can do it directly from my phone which is a major plus as thats what I use to take all the pictures.

Ill have to make an effort to see it, and check out your event. Seems as if you are a big car guy like me. I am Richard Griot's shop foreman at Griots Garage if you have ever been to our headquarters in Tacoma. I manage his collection and maintain/restore/fabricate along with about a dozen other hats. If your ever in town and want to see some very rare and unique stuff stop by and ask for me and Ill show you around.

Forrest

Hahahaha, no way. We probably know many mutual friends/contacts!

I will definitely add a shop tour to my next trip's agenda.

-Dave

The last bit of the intake puzzle coming together. Had to go with the pie cuts for........ consistency sake with the rest of the build :Ds

I made a fitting that slips over the MAF with a very nice interference fit, and welded the tubing to the inside to start the piping. Everything is tacked together but I ran out of argon over the holiday weekend so I'll have to finish next week :(. The tubing will get a silicone coupler to mate up with the throttle body. You can see the welding wire I bent at the same curvature as the decklid so I could guarantee fitment.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1728310.jpg

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1728307.jpg

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1728309.jpg

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1728308.jpg

Happy New Year!

Looks nice but I think you'll need to allow for more movement than a silicone joiner so short will allow and you will end up damaging the MAF..

You could be right, Ive been thinking about that.

You can buy hump hose in silicone that would give you some movement

How about putting another silicone bit where the MAF is, or in the middle where you have a straight bit?

Just an idea...

Feels great posting after all this time..

Cheers
Chris

Ive switched gears a bit and am working on getting my new front clip figured out before I weld it to the car. Working on some support while maintaining airflow and I also made a fan shroud for my Spal puller fan.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1738129.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1738130.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1738128.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1738127.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1738126.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1738131.jpg

Nice fabrication!

Great stuff. You used a bead roller or hammerformed the raised edges on those pieces?

Thanks man! Your car has always been a huge inspiration for me.

I made a simple hammerform for the front clip piece, I used a bead roller for the radiator raised section and pre-stretched the area with an english wheel.

Nice.

Well this place is pretty empty these days but I figured I should post some pictures anyway. After many years I am almost done. So many modifications too much to list. If anyone here is on instagram feel free to send me a message on there @forrest__davis

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2298501.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2298498.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2298502.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2298503.jpg
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https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2298505.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2298506.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2298507.jpg

Nice work, have you driven it yet, must be a blast

Wouh!!

Really nice car.
Can you possibly post an audio recording?
Would like to hear the sound of the exhaust.
Possibly also driving?

Thank you.

I’m still doing some initial shakedown but it is clearly going to be a completely different car than before. I’m really happy with the power level as 150hp and all the Subaru torque really pulls the car along. Here is a short video-

https://www.instagram.com/p/CeoOBkYt2qz/?hl=en

Thank you.

Sounds really good.
Have fun with the beautiful babe.
Hopefully with little to no problems.

I'm getting ready to replace the long block in my turbo Forester and I've considered doing a similar swap in the future. I didn't realize you're here in Washington, I'm in the Yelm area.

Well so far I have about 300 miles on the Beetle. It has been pretty hot in the PNW and I was experiencing higher coolant temps then I was really comfortable with. The car would climb up to 210 when in traffic and the fan wasn't powerful enough to get it back down near 195 which is where the subaru ecu shuts the electric fan back off. I decided to nearly double my CFM of the radiator fan and revised a new fan shroud with rubber flaps that should open at highway speeds but close when the fan is running. I also redesigned my 3d printed intakes in front of the Kamei spoiler to get more direct force fed air while driving at higher speeds. This all seems to have done the trick and she stays plenty cool now even in hot weather. I have mostly been working on finishing the interior at this point, still need to do carpet, seat upholstery etc. The latest fab project is a rear seat "delete." I like the way the rear seat looks but I dont plan on ever having any passengers. I have been building this box to go in the same place, allow a bit more clearance than the actual seat to the backs of the recaro's and also function as a storage space for tools, access to battery etc.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2320952.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2320951.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2320949.jpg
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https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2320943.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2320956.jpg
"

Absolutely love how this car has turned out. Stunning.

Thank you!

I finished my rear seat delete/compartment and have been using it for a couple months. It is very handy and allows me to story my toolbox and other items so they aren't floating around the car. I also have built my own steering wheel. I started with a 914 steering wheel that looked like it came from the bottom of a lake. That didn't matter for me as i just needed the metal frame. My inspiration was the early steering wheels in late 60's 911's with the batwing horn button. I like these steering wheels a lot but I wanted a smaller diameter hence the 914 starting point. I laminated many layers of veneer mahogany to make 2 blanks for the front and backside. Lots of routing of different radii of the outside dimensions as well as a groove for the metal ring of the steering wheel. Some stain, powdercoat, and satin finish and I have something that I am extremely happy with. The batwing style horn button was a lot of work, with many individual pieces welded together and filed smooth.

I believe the most important parts of any car are the points that a driver comes directly in contact with. The seats, the steering wheel, the shifter, and the pedals being the highest priority. This was a fun project to make something a bit more special than what was available off the shelf.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2365098.jpg

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2365096.jpg

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2365095.jpg

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2365097.jpg

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2365094.jpg

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2365093.jpg

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2365092.jpg

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2365090.jpg

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2365089.jpg

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2365088.png

That steering wheel is fantastic. Well, the whole car is.

Geesh. We're 270 miles apart, we really should get together this year.

woah, killer job on that steering wheel!

Lets do it Dave!

Nice work! Always interesting to see how to incorporate the radiator in a discreet way!

I think Dave keeping his threads alive has inspired me-

Earlier this summer I wrapped up the interior of the car. I purchased my own bulk square weave carpet and made my own carpet kit. I used vinyl as my binding and broke out my 1950 singer sewing machine.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2442279.jpg

I was also able to work in my buddies upholstery shop down the street and got my first go at some real upholstery work sewing a cover for my back seat that matches my door panels.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2442275.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2442274.jpg

I made a speaker tray for the rear to cover my heater and associated engine wiring/ecu. I also inset 2 cool vintage ads speakers but currently don't have any pictures.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2442273.jpg

I was pretty annoyed with my walbro fuel pump situation. It was located below the tank on the shelf in-front of the passenger footwell. It had issues during the summer when it was hot and the fuel level was low, causing the pump to get too hot as its cooled using the fuel it flows. It was also annoying and loud. The best style pump is really an in-tank setup for fuel injection cars as the pump sits in the fuel and this helps it maintain temperature and keeps it quiet. I also think I was having aeration issues as the fuel was returning into the tank at a less then ideal location. Ive learned since that the return line should dump fuel under the fuel level, this helps keep aeration to a minimum.

I decided to build my own in-tank setup as I didn't like the aesthetic of the aftermarket options. I already had a baffle in the tank so I used this same location but made my own holder utilizing a factory subaru denso pump. I struggled to find a wiring passthrough that would keep the fuel sealed into the tank, and ultimately purchased a fuel lab hermetic unit that has worked great but was a bit expensive.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2442277.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2442278.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2442276.jpg

I did a few aesthetic upgrades as well since I have been content with my cooling package. I remade my radiator surround, it is painted body color now. I also painted a few 3d printed items including my front radiator intakes as previously they were raw plastic.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2442270.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2442271.jpg

Other than that I have really been enjoying driving the car. I have taken it to a few events, and recently took it up a local mountain pass that is a great twisty road. The Subaru engine really makes the car a joy to drive and pulling up the road in 4th gear on a steep slope feels so foreign after driving the car with 50hp for so long.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2442269.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2442268.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2442224.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2442223.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2442225.jpg

I am still hoping to add a subaru transaxle to the mix as I would love to drop the cruising rpm's. I have a donor transaxle ready to go but am waiting for the right financial opportunity to purchase a r&p setup from subarugears.

Hope everyone has great workshop plans for the winter.

Forrest,

The build quality on this is phenomenal. Ugh. I really need to up my game!

(actually spending some time on my to-be-subaru-powered 1303 wouldn't be a terrible idea either...)

-Dave

I can only second the above. You really are extremely crafty and seem to be able to do everything, even interior/upholstery!
Big kudos!!

Big thanks to both of you. I have looked up to your car for a long time Wally, and also Dave's many projects. I was looking how long I have been on the forum yesterday and its been since 2007 which is almost as long as Ive owned the car :eek:. I always dreamed of being able to build the car how I wanted with inspiration from other people on this forum and its been a blast learning and bringing it to fruition.

Forrest,

Can I get a link to your photobucket or where you've been hosting photos? They aren't showing up for me in the thread :D

Nothing much to share besides some pictures. I am working on a rear spoiler design, trying to tie in the aggressive look of the front kamei spoiler into the rear. At one point I built a duckbill for the rear decklid but aesthetically i think its a bit much, so I have designed something for the rear window area shaped out of aluminum. I will most likely paint this satin black like some of the other components/front spoiler.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2453701.jpg

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2453704.jpg

About 17 years ago I took this picture in Gig Harbor Washington where I grew up. I had it printed and its lived in my house/apartments ever since. I wanted to redo the photo in current day-

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2453698.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2453703.jpg
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2453702.jpg

The spoiler previously mentioned-

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2453699.jpg

nice craftmanship! and different than other designs of roof spoilers. I like it.
Are you going to color code it or leave it as is?