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Really like this idea, specially sourcing most of the material from old fixtures, ill keep my eyes out!

Got around to the battery tray, i horded a piece of the Beetle firewall for the nice stamping and its finally gone to good use!
The tray is offset towards the RH side for the birds nest of brake lines, this of course is all part of my meticulous scheme to offset driver weight.

Turbo drains have been bent and installed for both sides, with clearance to the chassis being an issue it made sense for the majority of the drain to be prebent steel instead of the typical braided. Took a while to get this one done, first I needed a bender, then a weld on drain flange, cut the chassis sheetmetal for access, finish the motor mounts so its all resting in the right spot, etc.

Couple small projects but its a relief to get them done as they've both been on the backburner all year

Radiator support is about 75% complete, just need to make tabs to clamp it down. During that process the m4 strut brace also has been located with the mounts welded in place, it serves little structural value other then holding the radiator support steady Left to Right, perhaps with more effort it can serve a greater purpose.

The Fiddling never stops






PedalBox cover is largely complete, just need a few mount screws and paint, maybe pedal stops and holds for pedal return springs.

Lower most section of both rear fenders has been rolled out and set in place. Fiddling in that area included setting the rear fender heights w/ the trunk side panels, located/ welded sections of the C pillar window, and formed a section of the trunks upper ledge (just need more steel and the trunk can be closed off completely, should be straightforward)


My biggest fear with this project is the body will be too put of wack to be presentable, while I'm actively cutting some corners to keep the project moving it also must meet a certain level of symmetry. With that in mind I've brought in a laser level to set reliable references for measurement and to ensure important areas are coming out straight. Various bits and bobs are up to 1/4" off side to side but all the important parts have come in right where the measuring tape said it would. (This far into the build I don't trust many points of the car to measure against, compliments to several years of tolerance stacking and this being my first foray into fabrication)


Thanks for tuning into the monthly ramble!

Nice update, it is looking sweet.

What is the story behind the pickup? Andre from HP Academy doing interview in background at SEMA??

I was going to add some sema photos for fun but decided against it, somehow one of the uploads added itself (too difficult editing on mobile to try and actually fix the issue)
The truck was fantastic! Didn't even notice HP Academy was in the backround, love their videos

Adding flanged edges for the hood to sill interface, this way the panels keep their shape and are much stronger. Making all the edges at once means the profile at the panel gaps are uniform.


Trunk is largely closed off, there are still small pockets to fill on both edges which will take some doing.

Happy with how the C pillars turning out, the real fun will be trying to copy this panel on the opposing side. A thin strip will be welded on to mimic the rain gutter and a Z shaped flange for the Hatch seal.

The C pillars ended up being six seperate panels, I shudder to think how much welding this bodys going to require.
Using the English wheel to tip edges isn't exactly kosher but it works well enough, just less sharp or precise then a beadroller.
Once again without the correct tools the Z shaped flanges were made by folding the edges over with a hammer and vice. The surface is rumpled in places however nothing hammer/dolly can't smooth out, Using 18ga steel also give some leeway to grind material flat.
With the flange in place and the drip rail taking shape! The panels overlap in places as the VW roof is incredibly thin, butt welds arnt really an option.
Both C pillars are tacked together and the hatch template is taking shape, most of it will be the plexiglass window however I'm not quite sure how to bend the plastic evenly. The obligatory shots of the body now that I've added another tiny section.

Superb result, initially I couldn't see how it was all going to blend smoothly but the final lines are gorgeous. I want one.

1/2" square tube perimeter withe the hatch skin roughed in on top, still need to form the window and make hinges.



Door handles and latch/ striker sorted for the drivers side! Managed to break the latch a little in the setup process but either way the hard part of alignments done, still need to setup the passenger side.

Progress is a little slower lately but I've also been tidying up smaller projects on the car with panel alignment and kounting brackets for various odds 'n ends.

Nice work, what vehicle is the handle sourced from?

93 Miata handles, latches, and strikers. Figured it'd be easiest to use parts that are all designed to work together

NA Miata would've been my first guess, if he hadn't already confirmed.
Also, temp panel on the rear? Or are you not going to run a rear glass in the hatch area?

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1975 MG Midget
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13B Powered Rotus Geauxkart
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Its a half finished hatch panel, the current shape will be used to form the plexiglass window then the skin will be inset with the windows outline using a bead roller and trimmed.

Spent the past several weeks trying to get the car up and running again, all the systems are sorted but the engines got bad compression. I've had a long run using 1uz's and it been particularly rocky, decided to cut my losses and in its place will be a 2jz-ge (converted to turbo)

The decisions not taken lightly however it's necessary to maintain motivation, likely the forward section of frame will require modification however this is an opportunity to properly rebuild the engine bay to accommodate the cars weight. Along with that I'm hoping to rework the front suspension with stronger pickups and suspension arms.

Hate to have gotten so little done this past couple months but life happens, I'm determined to get this car on the road and frankly if the 1uz wasn't borked the car would be driving right now. 3 steps forward and 2 steps back