So with the screen fitted, and the dash built, time to turn my attention to the bodywork... The biggest issue here, other than the masses of cracks, the roller paint job, and the general abuse of multiple owners over the years, is the fact that the panels that the headlights sit in aren't actually flat to the front of the car.



You can see how I had to put a load of spacers behind the light units to get them pointed in roughly the right direction.



Problem is I have never really liked the way the front end looks with the round lights. So, do I go for the easy life, and just change the glass over for LHD and say sod it, or do I start digging into the front end and try to pull it all back into line and fit the modified wartburg lights I started on previously.

One of the deciding factors will be when I can get it in for the roll cage to be fitted. If I am going to have weeks to wait for that I might as well have a go at the lights. Other than the painting and rewiring, the lights and cage are the two big things that will stop me getting it registered and on the road... Speed of getting it on the road, verses those ugly lights...

Now the condensed version of trying to make this screen fit, missing out the large amounts of swearing and despondency...

Now the first problem, the bottom seal is not a great fit...



I tried fitting it and just bending the rear lip out, but the angle was so extreme that the seal was pulling off the frame, and not touching the bonnet and the front. Not a good luck. So, out with the knife.



This at least gets the seal pointing in roughly the right direction. Unf I did end up having to remake part of the dashboard as it wasn't going to work. Was fine with the old screen, but not this one, oh well...

But it fits!



kinda... bit of a gap under the seal, but I think a bit of mastic when I come to fit it for the last time, and it will do.



Once the dash is wrapped I think it should look alright. Just got to find some decent vinyl from somewhere, ideally 2-way stretch to help with fitting the curves.

Time for an update. After the last update I got distracted with another project I have been wanting to do for a while, namely getting a decent air compressor. I had been keeping an eye out on marktplaats for some time, and a decent spec machine turned up at a good price, only issue being it was too big for my car, and over an hours drive away   But, 10 bar / 145 psi max pressure, 200 litre tank, and 400 lpm / 14 cfm. 3 phase, 4 hp.

Now I didn't want it in the garage with me whilst I am working, but in the shed behind the garage. This way the noise will annoy the neighbours and not me   Knock on effect of this was that I needed to run a 3phase connection out to the shed, and an air line back in. If you are going to do it, do it right, and the air line ended up being run in 25mm pvc pipe (rated to 12.5 bar), with 3 quick connect outlets spaced down the side of the garage, and a connection run out to the enclosed carport out the front.

Between installing all the pipework and borrowing a trailer to go and pick up the compressor that took about 3 evenings and most of last saturday. Worth it for new toys though



And back to the buggy, time to try and get this new screen to fit...

To be honest I'm not surprised it warped, the wood was crap quality fast grown pine, but best I could get at the time. As for the fabric store closing down, i knew they wen't into administration a few months back, so wasn't out of the blue, i just hadn't been paying attention.

Cheers guys, nice to know someone is reading

After the first coat of resin inside and out, some extra half-round profile wood was added to the edge



Unf the resin had warped the frame



So a piece of steel box was screwed into the back and that has pulled it back into line (ish). Close enough at least.
I've added another layer of resin to the front and will leave that to cure overnight. Tomorrow I shall give it a quick sand back and see how it looks. I'm not sure it will need it, but I might give it a layer or two of glass fibre on the inside. Not like it's got to take any load.



Plan is to cover it in vinyl, but think that can wait till later, need to see if I can find some 2-way stretch material. Place I would normally go closed down yesterday, doh!

Am I talking to myself in here? Anyway...

So, finished off the dash brace by adding a support for the steering column. Needs a tidy up and paint, but think it will do...



certainly better than what it replaced!





With that in place, time to start on the actual dash. Now if there is a job I dislike, it's woodwork. A lot less forgiving than metal.



This was then covered in some of Ikeas finest fleece. (Once the dogs had stopped using it for a bed of course...)



It's had the first coat of fibreglass resin on the outside, but a lot more to go yet. No photos though, far too sticky to be messing with a camera at the same time. Original Plan was just to use this as a buck for a mould to make one out of 'glass, but at this rate it may end just being covered in vinyl and fitted...

Not my best work ever, but the bulk of the dash support is done for, just got to make a bracket to support the steering column. Had to notch the bottom tube to clear the wiper motor, so welded an extra piece of angle iron to the back to reinforce it.

Small amount of progress made in between other jobs / hobbies...


First thing was to add a bush to the bottom of the steering column, never liked the way the shaft just wobbles around in the outer tube. I didn't take as many pictures as I ought to have done but still, out with some plastic I had laying around...





and with a hole saw cut it down to roughly the right size. Then the fun beings An 8mm bolt through the hole in the centre with a nut to clamp it tight. Chuck the bolt up in the pillar drill and we have a hobo lathe. With a combination of different files the outer diameter can be taken down fit inside of the steering column tube, leaving a lip on the bottom to hold it all in place. The centre drilled out and it split in two, we are left with a 2-piece bushing





Which gets fitted in here





It should hold its self in place, but when I strip the column for paint I might add a couple of drops of glue to hold it firmly.


I've also made a start on a brace for the dashboard, but need to pick up some more flat steel bar to make the braces back to the body, so on hold until tomorrow night now...

I'm always a little sad to see a rat have the front end cut about - the headlights was the unique feature on them. That said, better to save it than it get trashed completely.

Not a lot of progress to show, but new toys arrived at least...




Now - where do all these wires go?

Anyone have a set of VW to Chevy wheel adaptors kicking around that they don't need?

So, whilst I had a few minutes to kill I thought I would turn to the front end. Now I never liked the round headlamps, they just don't fit the shape of the wings at all.



So, lets see if we can make these new ones fit...



Now, the issue here is that the adjusters stick forwards, so they are almost level with the front of the glass.



It would mean either having the adjusters sitcking out in front of the wings (ugly), the glass flat level with the wings (not ideal) or having to try and make some bezels (likely a PITA). So, out with a knife, and pull them apart.



The plan is to re-rivet the brackets for the adjusters onto the reflecter but pointing the other way around. Turn the plastic mount plate backwards, and make a frame to hold it all in place up under the wing...





Much better. I will need to get another pair, a) as one of these has lost a bit more of the silver than I would like, and b) because I need some more of the adjuster brackets. They use different ones top and bottom and the top one will be hard to re-use.

Now if the body was nice and square and strong, I think I could get away with screwing them directly to the fiberglass. Unf, if you look at the front end on shot you can see that the one wing (on the left of the picture) doesn't sit level, its twisting up and out. So a steel frame is going to end up going underneath to pull it all into shape I think...

right, so, small update.

Finished cutting the wood for the rear seat, all the welding was finished and reinforcing plates made for under the rear wings where it bolts through the fibreglass.



And I still have a small but usefull storage area behind the seats (though some space will be eaten up by the battery. Does make it a little more practical at least.



Been lots of thinking going on with regards to dash and screen and the like. It seems that all the people who can supply me a dash, can't supply me one in the right size. Same with the screen... Bonnet is 41" wide, screen is 41.5" wide between the legs. The original dash was clamped between the two, making up the extra 1/2". 2 different companies can supply me a dash, but they are designed to go inside of the bonnet, rather than outside of it...

So, I have a plan, but I need to experiment and see. First, I need some fiberglass resin, the stuff I had in stock was rather solid...

Managed to get the majority of the back seat framework welded up, but ran out of welding gas with only a small amount left to go. Typical...





So, got distracted and started cutting up some half inch ply to make the base and back out of.

Been a bit lax in keeping this thread up-to-date, so a quick post dump from my thread on another forum...

So, whilst waiting on suppliers to get back to me about a replacement dash, thought I would crack on with another job...




Now, previously it never had back seats, and well, I never wanted them either. But, a) not having them seemed a bit odd and the luggage box I had previously a bit bulky, and b) I think it is better to put them in now and get it registered as a 4-seat car. I can always remove them later. So, various bits of box, and a frame is starting to take shape.

I find it very usefull to have some form of enclosed kinda safe storage, so my back seats will be forward slightly. This does mean it will be a 2+2 more than a true 4 seat car, adults in the back might not be the most comfortable

I am hoping that I have understood the Dutch rules correctly, and being a 1974 car it doesn't need seatbelts on the rear seats. I don't really intend to carry passengers, so from a safety factor I am not too worried, it would just be easier not to have to fabricate structural mounts.