I got one of the fork legs cleaned up for the front end on the bike. The aluminum parts on the bottom of the fork are sprayed with some type of lacquer when they're new to prevent them from corroding. Unfortunately, the lacquer gets dinged up and turns yellow over time. This one still needs a little more polishing but like the title of this post states, it's a start.
I got two of my new tires mounted and put on the VW yesterday. I bought a pair of wheels at a swap meet a few years back. I sand blasted and painted them right after I got them, so they've been knocking around in the barn long enough to get scratched up a little but they look pretty good with the new skins on them. When I got the car, the previous owner was working on turning the car into some type of Baja bug. It's got big tires and plastic fenders on the rear. I'm not sure what he was planning on in the front but he had cut the fender openings to accommodate some type of larger tire and wheel combo. The edges of the wheel opening were in the as cut condition when I got it - no longer a rolled edge on them to give them some strength - just a sharp edge to cut yourself on. I smoothed up the cut and welded a piece of 1/4" rod along the opening. I also lowered the front end down a little so the larger opening isn't as noticeable as it would have been.
I stuck the turn signal on the fender for the photo op just to see how things were shaping up. The turn signals are off an earlier model than what was originally on the car. The Super Beetles had big-ass, federally mandated turn signals, both front and rear. Ugly as sin. The replacements are a nice compromise between size and looks.
The body work on the car was really rough when I got the car. I fixed quite a bit of it, stripping most of the paint off and patching up some rust spots. Unfortunately, it got knocked around while in the Weld Shop so it's got a few more dents in it now than it should have. I can't see this project as a candidate for a primo restoration, so a few bumps aren't going to hurt much. My intention originally was to try my hand at some mild customizing so I could develop my skills a little in order to work on another project car that I have. That's still the plan. I have no intentions of becoming a body and fender man but I do want to improve my automotive sheet metal working skills. I'm as good as the next guy when it comes to patching rust holes but I'd like to try some old school things like frenched tail lights and a sunken radio antenna.
The weather is supposed to be good today. I've got some fun things lined up for this morning but if the wind doesn't blow too much, I'm planning on replacing the roof sheets on the back of the barn that got damaged when it blew down later on today. I had to remove several of the sheets to repair the trusses and I never tightened everything back down like it should be when I re-installed them, knowing that I was going to have to replace them anyway. Hopefully, today will be the day.
Finishing up one project and getting a good start on a couple others. Just as it should be.
2 comments:
222glad to see you got started on the parts we brought back i've been sick since sunday afternoon got me one hell 0f a cold or something like itcoughing and runny nose worked a bunch of overtime last week maybe i should pull the plug had a great time at the races and all the extras we've got to get to a few more next season cuzzin ricky
Sorry to hear you've been under the weather.
We definitely need to get out a few more times next season. There are a couple tracks in Indiana I've never been to that I'd like to see - like Winchester or Salem. Make for a nice weekend. We need to check out midget week. Take the show on the road for a week straight.
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