Oh, here we go…glorious black.
So the AiM PDM32 is going to replace the entire wiring and electrical system in the car. The 6” screen means I can have all my gauges, warning messages, etc all on the screen, saving myself from drilling a tonne of holes in the dash. I’m also using a Cartek wireless switch setup on the steering wheel, to control most of the things you’d find on the dash or steering column.
Fast forwarding past a whole whack of work and here’s the basic dash setup. AiM 6” screen, Cartek wireless steering wheel controls, a Key8 CanBus switch package, Zero noise intercom (under the dash) and the Brantz S2 Pro rally computer.
One of the things I’ve decided with this refresh is I want the car to be more enjoyable on the street and on our collector car rallies. I’m eliminating the dry sump oiling to cool down the interior, since the oil system in the red German Look beetle has been completely bulletproof. The car is getting full insulation (Dynamat style, plus a 1/2” of Jute style) and carpeting. Since a traditional carpet kit (on the floor) wasn’t going to work for me, I simply went custom with rolls of “trunk carpet” you might find in a modern vehicle. Future me is probably going to hate me, as it seems to trap dirt
really well.
Tracing so many holes over is “fun”…
For the rear luggage area, I did start with a traditional carpet kit.
The firewall was looking a little rough with all the holes (which are covered on both sides with aluminum tape if not being used currently). I figured a bit of carbon would spruce things up a little? I am the only person who’s ever going to see this. Painting it black would make far more sense. But…carbon? Genuine carbon fibre, a single lightweight weave in a very flexible resin. None of that carbon-look decal stuff!
Sliders under the footrest…
The old “backseat” setup was a bit of a mess.
I thought about moving all the fuel injection bits, but didn’t have a great spot to put it, so opted to just leave it…apparently I don’t have a “finished” photo of it to share at this point.
I did discover a small problem with the pedal box. Not dropping it down, and my big size 12 feet, means I rub the fuel tank area. Ultimately I knew this was going to be an issue before welding in the new floor plate, but I didn’t
really realize that I would have cleared if I dropped it just a 1/2”. Ultimately I didn’t want to risk the floor plate getting hit from below (especially since this all started with the rock hit) so figured I’d solve the problem later. When in doubt, cut and weld! I don’t have good photos, but I essentially created a “Gurney Bubble” for my foot in the body, and then modified the fuel tank to clear that bubble. The body remains welded and sealed, and obviously the fuel tank does as well.
