Center Console

My original design for the center console only included a single DIN radio.  I actually cut the sides as well as the radio and gauge faces last year.  Over the weekend I found a double DIN radio that I wanted to use.  So I modified the sides and cut a new radio face last night.  I also got the mounting tabs welded onto the sides.

Headliner

The headline in the bug is finished.  It turned out great but the last couple pieces sure put up a good fight.  The center section that covers the inside of the slider was over an inch to wide.  I had to rip all the seams for the bows and the tucks on the sides and redo them all.

The cardboard strip that clips into the back edge of the slider was not sewn on correctly.  The last several inches of fabric on one side were actually not attached to the cardboard strip at all.  But I was able to fix both problems and I'm very happy with how it turned out.

Headliner

I got a really good start on the headliner last night.  Both door posts are done as well as around the back window and the driver side quarter up to the windshield.  I could not be happier with how it is going.  I have to give a huge thanks to Chris Valone for his video series on installing a headliner.  Make sure to check it out before you install one of these.

Headliner Padding

Tonight I got all the padding cut and glued into place around the back window, up the B pillars and over the top of the rear quarters all the way to to the windshield.  I also filled in the section of the rear quarter between the window and the firewall with Quick Roof.  All the "grippers" on the sides of the back window and on the B pillars are prepped as well.

Seat Belts

After going all summer without driving the bug, it's time to get working on it again.  I finally got the last seat belt installed.  All 4 passengers will now have a 3-point belt.  All 4 belts came from a '95 Acura Integra, the same one that donated the front seats.  Each mounting point has a very large, very thick flat washer welded in behind the body metal, so they will not simply pull out.

Now that the seat belts are all done, I can get going on the headliner.  I have an oatmeal colored tweed headliner that I plan to start installing this week.  I think I have everything I need, so it's just a matter of getting time in the shop.

New Case

My new case arrived today.  I am building a 2276 for the beetle and this Autolinea case will the the starting point.  I already have nearly all the parts and I will start posting pics of the build process as soon as I get some of the customer project finished and out of the shop.  But for now, this little teaser will have to do.

Type 1 Case Cutaway

I was out in the shop the other night and I didn't want to work on my customer projects.  So I decided to make a cutaway of a Type 1 case to show the oil galleys.  Yeah, you can find lots of diagrams around the web to show this same thing.  There is nothing like an actual case with the galleys milled down so you can see them.

Air Cleaners

My new boring bar set showed up yesterday so I bored the holes in the bottom of the air cleaners and got them installed last night.  I still need to cut some sort of design into the tops and polish them.  I cut a VW logo in one of the tops before thinning them down but I didn't really like it.  I may just cut some straight lines in them...  Any other ideas?

More Air Cleaners

Last night I finished cutting the spacers that go between the top and bottom of the air cleaners, I carbon finished them, I cut the head of the screws down to just under 1/2" and cut the counter-syncs into the top and bottoms of the air cleaners.  All that is left is to bore the 4 holes for the carb throats and polish the aluminum parts.

Air Cleaners

The DRLA carbs have the fuel inlet sitting slightly above the top of the carb.  With cross bar linkages this is not a big deal because there is a plate that mounts between the carb top and the bottom of the air cleaner base.  This creates just enough space so the air cleaner base clears the fuel inlet.  I could have made a spacer but I decided to make a whole new set of air cleaners.

The tops will have another .250" taken off the thickness leaving them at around .500".  The bottom will also have .250" taken off, but only around the edge so the spacer is built into the air cleaner.  They will eventually have a red anodized VW logo carved into the top but the rest will be polished.  This is all being done on a manual mill with no CNC.  Even the VW logo.