Aircooled VW South Africa

Hey Zero - don't you owe yourself a "holiday" in Cape Town - you're welcome to come play any time!
The rollers (anvils) are expensive if you buy the real mcCoy stuff. But plenty of guys have built fairly good wheels using castors, large bearings etc. If you have a friendly scrappy nearby, and are allowed to trawl through their stuff you will be amazed at what you can find. I try to make a habit of stopping for a quick look every time I pass my local one.......
Also you can do a surprising amount of shaping without a wheel - or any other machines for that matter. Learning the basics of what the metal is doing is actually probably best with hand tools - you tend not to make scrap metal quite so quiclkly
Let me know if I can help ever.
Barry

This is one wicked project. Nice to see that ZA guys are finally building world-class cars

Blitzkrieg wrote:Nice to see that ZA guys are finally building world-class cars

Might want to hold off on judging that until it's done......

Well done Barry that is awesome what you are building there

Quick update:

This doesn't look like a week's work , but that's how it goes sometimes..... I still have to shape the left hand side quarter section behind the door (but it is a simple panel so should be quick) then I can do final welding and mounting of all the rear sheetmetal. After that it's the enginecover inner structure & hinges etc. Then some simple covers to keep exhaust heat out of the upper section of the engine bay.
Then it's doors and finish off the cowl top. After that I get to hand build the windscreen frame..........

I am mightily impressed.

You are a legend!

ZeroAxe wrote:You are a legend!

......in my own bathtime bru

Kudos Barry awesome stuff !

Astonishing workmanship Barry!

Barry wrote:

ZeroAxe wrote:You are a legend!

......in my own bathtime bru

No seriously mate. I HAVE to visit you next time I come to SA. Or whenever you come to Europe, you have to come here!!!

ZeroAxe wrote:

Barry wrote:

ZeroAxe wrote:You are a legend!

......in my own bathtime bru

No seriously mate. I HAVE to visit you next time I come to SA. Or whenever you come to Europe, you have to come here!!!

Anytime!!
I won't be going to Europe again soon with a R13+ euro.........

Barry I love the rod....I'm off on hols but when I get back, I will call to pop round if still OK in Jan.

Anytime Dutch 0 you're only 2 minutes away from me!

Anyway yesterday, besides welding together some sub-panels (and metalfinishing the welds ) I made these recesses in the rear roll pan to take the tailights. The lenses are some plastic bits I probably found at a swapmeet sometime, but I think they will look cool.
Mark out position and cut out leaving diameter 10mm smaller than finished size. Cut a slot in a piece of flat bar and begin gently working the flange over. Needed to go around a few times.

I made up this piece to neaten up the edge. Simply hammer down over it. Rolled a tube to the correct diameter. This was done over a piece of pipe. When rolling anything (except maybe a joint ), cut the strip longer than needed as you will never get the first few centimetres to bend. Trim the ends to get it to the exact diameter and weld up. I sliced the desired length off the tube I'd made. Fit up to the flange ensuring no gaps. Tack in place.