My Project Car

[CalAltaDubber]

Well Project Save a Bunny has taken a large leap.

The car has been in the body shop for two weeks now and is progressing very well.

It is just about ready for a full primer coat. Check out the door where the handle used to be.


Nice and streight

In the meantime I have been doing some work on the interior components.

I wanted to add a vacuum gauge. Well I found one and decided that the three gauges on the console had to match it.

First I replaced the console gauges. These gauges are lit with LEDs so I had to modify the wiring harness for the console slightly. But I like the way it came out.



The big question became where to place the Vacuum gauge.
Since I don't smoke, the answer was simple. Where the ash tray is.

First I built a plate for the gauge, the cigarette lighter and a switch for one of the interior mods.


I also added an indicator light for the door opener.

Next I populated the plate

Here is another view

So when the car gets back here, I will get all this stuff installed

[bbrown]

Very cool . I am really liking the gauges. Aside for the slight wiring changes for the LED's, were the new gauges a strait forward swap for the old ones? I think I might do something like that in the future. Nice looking build. I will be interested to see the finished product. Good luck.

[CalAltaDubber]

Not quite a strait swap. these gauges need bot a steady 12V supply as well as 12V supply from the ignition circuit. Not to mention the lights.

They do come with their own senders, so I don't see any big problems.

[kamzcab86]

Nice custom work! And I rather like those gauges.

[Calimus]

Looking good man. Is that Vac guage for what I think it's for??

[CalAltaDubber]

Looking good man. Is that Vac guage for what I think it's for??

Thanks,

What do you think the vac gauge is for?

I am going to use it to measure the vacuum from the intake manifold (same place where the vacuum advance for the distributer is).

Sort of a gauge to replace the old Upshift Indicator Idiot Light.

[CalAltaDubber]

Now I am getting excited!

My car was painted last night, Here is how it rolled out of the paint booth this morning.


To day the doors will be reinstalled and it will be back here tomorrow

[sixsracing]

Nice color! Not easy to have the vision of a color when the car was never produced in it. Can't wait to see the finished project.

I hope FBG doesn't see this or the New Beetle conv. will need to be repainted.

[CalAltaDubber]

Nice color! Not easy to have the vision of a color when the car was never produced in it. Can't wait to see the finished project.

I hope FBG doesn't see this or the New Beetle conv. will need to be repainted.

Thanks,

Now that I am entering the next phase, I hope it will go a bit faster.

BTW if FBG wants requires the New Beetle to be painted, it is the same Indigo Blue my 04 Golf is.

[gull]

Looking good man. Is that Vac guage for what I think it's for??

Thanks,

What do you think the vac gauge is for?

I am going to use it to measure the vacuum from the intake manifold (same place where the vacuum advance for the distributer is).

I don't want to seem like I'm picking on you, but I want to clarify something, because this is a common source of confusion.

The distributor is connected to a vacuum port on the throttle body, not the intake manifold -- at least assuming you have a distributor with only one vacuum connection.

There's a big difference. The throttle body vacuum port is connected to the narrow part of the throttle body venturi. Because of the Bernoulli effect, vacuum here is proportional to the amount of air flowing -- more airflow = more vacuum, which is why it's useful for actuating the vacuum advance on the dizzy. Put your foot in it, more air flows, throttle body vacuum goes up, dizzy advances the timing.

Manifold vacuum is a different animal. It's highest with the throttle closed, and decreases as you open the throttle. If you didn't have any restrictions in your intake system, manifold vacuum would drop to zero at full throttle. Distributors with vacuum retard at idle, for emissions purposes, will have the retard side of the can connected to the intake manifold; but other than that the vacuum here is used mainly for powering brake boosters and other accessories.

[CalAltaDubber]

Looking good man. Is that Vac guage for what I think it's for??

Thanks,

What do you think the vac gauge is for?

I am going to use it to measure the vacuum from the intake manifold (same place where the vacuum advance for the distributer is).

I don't want to seem like I'm picking on you, but I want to clarify something, because this is a common source of confusion.

The distributor is connected to a vacuum port on the throttle body, ....

I don't want to get too specific here, but the throttle body is connected to the intake manifold. The port is located on the manifold where the TB is attached.

I intend to tap into the vacuum line for the distributer, same way the '87 and earlier cars do for the upshift indicator.

[CalAltaDubber]

Well the car is coming slowly. I hope to get the engine out to the rebuilder in the next week or so.

I have the solenoid system mounted and working

In the meantime, here are a couple of pictures of the progress.

A shot from the front. The shaved door handels came out great


Here is the new badging. I was able to find the "Rabbit" badge kit for the new VW Rabbit and that is all that will be on the trunk lid.


And another shot of the left side while it is sitting half out of my garage.

[SoCal_Cabby]

great color choice

[Calimus]

Looking good Phil, looking real good.

Not much to report from TRF HQ in the way of cabby work. The crabby herself has pretty much been in slumber mode. However, I did charge the batter over thelast few days and fire her up lastnight. Still fires on one try and purrs like a kitten. Only other thing happening is me trying to do the timing chains on the VR jetta. However, thats a different story.

Keep up the good work, car is coming along great.

[CalAltaDubber]

Yes there has been progress.

Now, I have the windshield in it is back to waiting for the engine.

I just took a couple of pictures.

The wheel flairs,, Euro bumper and the Air dam are all installed. I will probably install the driving lights on the week end.