The Resurrection of Foam Car - 63 T6B

[bbspdstr]

"I opened up the small pencil holder on a compass to hold a Sharpee marker and set at 1/2", went around the opening:"


Wow.....I have to dig around for one like that. My father was first a draftsman and only became an ME after WW2 via night-school...but I inherited all sorts of drafting instruments like that and now that I see that you made a Sharpie fit in one, well......I like that! Great idea for us who need a more bold line to see, thank you!

Bruce

[Phil Planck]

Bruce
I doubt that old set will be "modifiable" for a Sharpee. I think most of them used just bare lead clamped in. I got the one above somewhere in the last 18 years. Could have been a hardware store. It holds a cheap golf scoring pencil and the clamp is not closed, so it was pretty easy to bend open to fit the Sharpee.

Next day update

I got that compass at Grainger
precision compass #3ZH45

[Phil Planck]

Welded locating tabs on the patch:



Got patch tacked in:




This was a somewhat grueling job as shop was a little warm and humid so took a few cool off breaks. During one I decided to remove the pressure plate from Foam Cars engine, which has been sitting on a stand since I sold the 55 coupe. The pressure plate had an adapter collar to work with the 519 throwout bearing and I needed to remove that. To my surprise, when I pulled back the pressure plate the collar fell right off. All but 3 of the tabs holding the locking spring had broken off. So far have found only one. Lots of powdered metal though. Can't see any signs of damage. I was lucky, as that engine took us to 3 Holidays, including a long run to Santa Fe.


Here is a pic from when the adapter was installed:

[Qtip]

Now I know why the one I.have would not work on my 55. No ring always used the 3 fingered one.

[Phil Planck]

Got the patch welded in and primed. Now ready for sound deadener.
Also a milestone, I hope, as this should be the last of many patches on Foam Car.



One headlight trim ring had a small hole drilled in it (why?) and the other had a lot of pitting on the show surface at the bottom near parking light hole. Did some searching and found a decent one on thesamba under old VW. Not sure if VW ever removed the parking light and put a filler in the hole. This is also same location for adjustment (5 and 7 o'clock). Arrived yesterday so took it apart and used trim ring on one side and rest of assembly on the other side. Now have 2 decent headlights to work on this winter.

[Jack Staggs]

If the small drill hole is at 3 or 9 o'clock, that bezel is for a VW bus.

[Phil Planck]

9 o'clock Jack. Thanks. Had a 70 camper bus years ago.

[Phil Planck]

Made pattern to start insulation in engine compartment. Large piece on firewall already made but will not permanently install until interior rear panel is in. Plan to use one layer of Dynamat and one of roofing tar paper.

[Phil Planck]

Well, my Dynamat is 18 years old and does not want to adhere like it should. It has peel off, self stick but not satisfactory. Bought a can of liquid nails and a can of contact cement. Plan to use liquid nails for outer layer of roofing felt and contact cement on dynamat. Got both lower sides glued in today. Hope it holds. Will do a peel test tomorrow.

[bbspdstr]

"Will do a peel test tomorrow."

I'd recommend letting a day or more (extra) go by. In our part of the country, most formulas have been neutered for products like Liquid Nails and most glues, so time is critical for bonding. Eventually, they are almost a strong as they used to be, they just now cost more.

Bruce

[Phil Planck]

Thanks Bruce

Dynamat seemed stuck pretty good so opened can of liquid nails and smeared it on both Dynamat and 30# felt. Let sit for 10 min. per directions and installed. When we open our old farts shop in FL you can do this part The Liquid Nails is taking a long time to set up. Used some magnets at the bends to hold it down:





Found a baggie I had put the little insulation screws in and cleaned them up. 8 holes but only 4 screws. Hope I can find something close at hardware store:



Another baggie had the hood latch and bolts. Cleaned those up, straightened bent and distorted latch frame and test installed. Will prime. Latch still had original body color paint on it.

[Phil Planck]

Back 6 posts ago you can see the finish primed patch I welded into the rear panel in the engine compartment. What is the hole for, near tail light? I used to know, but have forgotten. All insulation installed in engine compartment. There is a rubber plug for the holes. Should I cut holes in insulation?

[John Pierce]

Hi Phil,

My car has a hole on each side. I couldn't find a picture of wires going through, but as there is a tail light on each side I would suspect that wires would pass through here with a gasket to protect them.





HTH.

JP

[bbspdstr]

Phil, yes, cut insulation for access to rubber plug, i.e.; slightly bigger in diameter than the plug.

An aside: In case anyone cares, that plug was provided with a center hole in the later A models with US bumpers so the angled support tubes for the guards could be sealed with some fitment flexibility through similar sized holes in the outer body.

And no, the wires for the rear lights come from underneath the rear engine bay 'tray' and if an original wiring harness is being re-installed, that last transverse section of wiring will likely be brittle and hard from the heat of the muffler over the years.

That inner rear hole is there merely for wrench access to the inner nuts for the rear light units, A, B and C.

I'm off for the Ski Roundtop "air cooled only" event in a few hours, staying nearby to that location for an early start and hoping a surprising slightly favorable weather forecast holds for tomorrow, Saturday, given what we have been experiencing here in the SE part of PA and the mid-Atlantic area and what's swirling around south of us.

Bruce

[John Pierce]

Thanks Bruce! Stay dry and safe.