Returning to Hapy Sounds - Part 1

In the midst of the Summer 2019, I added the ability to listen to music to Hapy, the 1972 TDI-powered microbus (See Making Hapy Sounds Part 2, for example). Today, I start my revisit with the front speakers. In this part of the front speaker improvement, I create very very small speaker boxes for a pair of 5-1/4" speakers with materials readily available at the hardware store; remove the speakers from the door cards and mount them into those speaker boxes; and last, get it all into the bus. Unlike most of my posts, the overwhelming majority of the measurements are in inches rather than mm. This is because here in the US, all of the published material about speakers is in inches. So, any information I put here can be more easily cross-referenced.

Why?

Diablo Royale pod

I guess it makes sense to start with answering the question "why are you making a change". There are a couple of reasons. First, the door cards that I made out of pressed cardboard are starting to fail. Unlike the original cards, the material I used was not designed for this purpose. So, over time, as some moisture appeared (this is the Pacific NorthWest, after all), the cards started to bend, and pull away from the doors. With the 5-1/2" speakers mounted in the lower part of the card, the card condition deteriorated more quickly as the speaker added a swing-weight whenever the door was opened or closed. So, when the door was closed, the bottom of the card (and the speaker) were not mated to the door, allowing the speaker to kind of hang in space a little bit.

I decided to replace the pressed cardboard cards with a laser-cut PVC set from WerksBerg. These precision-cut PVC cards are great, and many options are available, but a pre-cut hole for speakers is not one of them. I decided that I didn't really want to cut the PVC. This leads to our second reason: while the sound was okay, it wasn't awesome and maybe it could be better while driving. The only real upside to the speakers being in the doors was the added sound we got in the music festival camping lot when we opened the passenger door. When driving around, there was music, but it lacked some clarity. Of course, the road, engine and wind noise contributed, but that's another whole story... and solution path for another day. I think speakers just hanging in space (back not enclosed) negatively impacted the quality of the sound, and the cards were not going to last much longer.

Options

schedule 40 4" cap

So, if the speakers are not going to be in the door, what other options are there? There are a few. Some folks cut holes in the toe kick. This brings the advantage of having speakers facing you, but they are still down by your feet. Some bus owners replace the little fresh air vents with little speakers. This option moves the sound closer to your ears, which is great, but you lose those vents, and the only speakers that fit in there are super small (like 2" tweeters).

If you have a parcel shelf under the dash, you can set/mount speakers in boxes placed on the shelf. The shelf narrows on the outer edges, so speakers most likely fit best near the center of the bus, near the central air pipe. I don't have those shelves, but even near the center they do not look terribly deep. When I first bought Hapy, a prior owner (PO) had mounted small boxed speakers to the big metal air vent boxes. They didn't work, and the PO had taken the stereo with him so I pitched those speakers. Of these options, I do prefer rear-facing / under-the-dash locations over the door cards. The trick will be figuring out how to mount them, and exactly where they will provide sound best.

5-1/4" Thinking

test fitting 5-1/4 speaker

So, we start with figuring out a way to mount / hang speakers under the dash such that they won't get damaged yet they fling sound towards us. The 5-1/4" round speakers I have are kinda large for the space. Sure, 6-1/2" round speakers are bigger, and more common, so finding a speaker box or pod that fits the 6.5 is definitely easier. Still, I have the 5-1/4's and the smaller footprint will play to my advantage now, since the new location will be inside the cab, potentially near our knees.

Ever seeking cheap, yet effective, solutions, I constructed one. But, of course, not without checking out off-the-shelf options:

• There is a guy (Diablo Royale) on eBay who makes plastic speaker pods in Texas. I bought a pair of his mounting pods for Oliver so I could mount the front speakers down by our feet, against the outer walls (See MGB Interior Panels - Part 1 or better yet MGB Gets Sound - Part 1). Diablo Royale had pods that fit 5-1/4" speakers, but they were still open-backed, $50US per pair and at least 6 inches across at the top by 4 inches deep. The base was at least 7 inches across. Looking at the under-dash, that would have been pretty ugly. Without a flush backwall, which would be nearly impossible with the contours up there, the sound would not throw as well. To make them fully enclosed / flush, I would have to construct a rear side.
• There are MDF speaker boxes, wrapped in trunk carpet. These are also larger, but at least they have a back. The smallest ones I saw for the 5-1/4" round speaker were 8 inches square (or larger as rectangles) and 5 inches deep. If I had a parcel shelf, they might fit, but really only in the center since those parcel shelves get shallow as these near the door A-pillar.

better view of a
metal bracket attempt

Those are basically your off-the-shelf options. For the space we are targeting, they are not terribly good. So, we get out of the (speaker) box, and see what we can come up with. Our requirements are few: the speaker requires a 4-1/2" hole to sit into -and- it needs just under 2 inches (1-13/16 inches) from the mounting surface to the rear of the "box" for the cone and magnet.

It turns out that a 4" schedule 40 PVC pipe cap is a great starting point for a speaker pod. The one I found is 2 inches deep from lip to rear wall, but I saw deeper ones on the 'net. The inner diameter is 4-1/2 inches. I know; you're asking "but you said 4 inch cap". Yes, that's right. The schedule 40 4" cap refers to the industry standard 4" pipe, which is an approximation of the inner diameter of the pipe. Since the cap goes around the outside of that pipe, there is additional diameter to account for the thickness of a schedule 40 PVC pipe (here's a link for more dimensions). Neat, eh? Oh, and these are about 1/2 the price of the Diablo Royale pods at less than $15US each, made-in-USA, they are available at your local hardware store -and- they have a back wall.

5-1/4" Speaker to Cap

Once in hand, we need to figure out how to mount the speaker to it, and then how to mount the unit into the bus. I started with the second question first by moving the speakers around while playing the stereo. I concluded that the farther to the outside I could put the speaker, the better the overall sound. I resolved with placement directly below the dash vents. To mount, I bore a pair of holes through the cap, and mounted the cap/pod to the metal vent cover. Since the vent cover could be removed and replaced, I could use bolt/nut /washer fasteners instead of self-tapping or sheet metal screws. I think the nut-bolt combination creates a better, more reliable attachment.

plastic mounting tabs

For mounting the speaker to the cap/pod, I started with the smallest angle brackets I could find at the local Ace hardware store (3/4") when I got the caps. I also tried 1/2" brackets but they were no better. I probably could have super-glued something plastic, but that seemed flimsy. After a lot of drilling, cutting measuring and more cutting, I abandoned the 3/4" angles. I tried 1/2" angles, but they did not line up right with the speaker cover holes. I bought a set of angles online that had a channel, but even the smallest set like these were too large. I even tried constructing mounts with some scrap wood (1/2" wide and thick by 3/4" tall), but they were too bulky.

 

So, how did I resolve it? In true ghetto style, of course. While cleaning up my garage, I found a lid for one of those larger rectangular plastic storage tubs. The lip bent around 90* and extended about 3/4". With tin snips, I cut a series of pieces out, each about 1/2" wide and at least 1/2" into the top of the lid. This produced 8 little plastic "L" shapes to construct mounts out of. I marked and drilled holes, and then cut away the excess material with the snips. They are barely visible now, and once I wrap the pods with trunk carpet of some other fabric, they will mostly disappear.

 

5-1/4" Pod Wiring

With the physical mounting solved, I turned to wire routing. Ideally, I would have included a wiring cup. I omitted it because the flat bottom of the cap/pod will be pressed against the bus for mounting. Then, I thought about putting a cup on the side. I figured between the curvature and the shallow space within, it simply wouldn't work. So, instead, I drilled a small hole in the side of the cap/pod, and sent the pair of speaker wires through it. Leaving some slack in the wires within the cap/pod, I applied a blob of caulk into the hole to seal it back up.

Polyfill?

polyfill'd

My last step was adding some polyfill into the cap/pod. Simply, polyfill interrupts the sound wave moving on the back-side of the speaker when sound is produced by the cone. This interruption improves the projected sound out of the front of the speaker, and tricks the speaker into acting like it is in a larger enclosure: so, more bass. Using polyfill (or not) is kind of a religion with audio folks. I figure speaker enclosure manufacturers wouldn't use it if it didn't do something beneficial, and the 6x9 boxes I got for Hapy's rear speakers were polyfill'd. This cap/pod thing is super small for this speaker, so if it was going to do anything for a small speaker, this is the kind of scenario where it might. Still, the probability that I would really notice is virtually 0 (especially in the while-driving din), but I did it anyway. Ultimately, this cap/pod is about creating a safe means of mounting the speaker, with a hope that the sound is improved through it's proximity to the listener. The sound could not be measurably worse by moving it a foot closer in an enclosed cap/pod -versus- hanging in a loose, flapping door card down by your feet. Quite the opposite, I think it is much better. At least, it is set up to be.

isolation foam

When I get around to making the interior nicer with carpet and other fabrics, I will cover the cap/pods with whatever material I am otherwise using along that front wall so they visually disappear. Or, I'll simply cover them with trunk carpet. Before final assembly, I put some closed cell foam between the speaker cap/pod and the vent cover I mounted it to. This should help isolate the sound / vibrations a little bit. You can see the foam in the picture on the right as well as the markings I made to get the speaker aligned for drilling the mounting holes. Last, I simply plugged the wires into the speakers, set the speaker into the cap/pod, set the grill atop and attached it to the brackets. I took the assembly out to the bus and simply re-attached the vent covers with the speakers attached. The wires dangling from the cup/pods were tied into the existing front speaker wires that used to be in the doors, and then tucked away. I may apply a wire wrap to disguise them a little better, but I think they look good enough for now.

Testing

wired up and fired up

Because of my lack of a warm workspace where the bus fits, and a young puppy who can't be out in the cold for more than 15 minutes at a time, I still have not completed the install of the replacement seats. So, testing consisted of playing the stereo without moving the bus. Still, I think moving the 5-1/4" speakers made a difference. Considering that our legs no longer interrupt the sound waves, the speakers are about a foot closer to our ears, and the speakers are contained, there should be some benefit. Ultimately, I probably didn't need to move the 5-1/4's for sound improvement. It is absolutely possible that the open space behind the speaker in the door cavity actually helps the lower frequency sound form better. But, I didn't want to cut the new cards and this was kinda fun, and this was something I could mostly do in a warm garage, with a puppy underfoot.

That's it for today. thanks, as always, for following along-

Handling the Handling (Rear Anti-Roll Bar)

Today, I return from a break with a one-off posting. I remain distracted with non-post-worthy stuff, but I did this work on the bus recently, so I thought I'd post about it. This post covers my reasoning and efforts to install a rear anti-roll bar (called a sway-bar in the US). I could regale you with all kinds of scientific study and test drives leading me to doing this. The reality is, I bought the EMPI kit last Summer ($180US delivered) and it has been sitting in a somewhat large box in my somewhat small garage since. In a way, I installed it because I needed the room. I mean, we just can't keep tripping over, or piling things on, this box, besides I paid $180 for it. That's not a small sum to just not use.

Where Were We

Recall the drive to Leisureland (See Leisureland Road Report) and the drive to/from 4Peaks in the Summer of 2021 (See 4Peaks 2021 Road Report). The wind and passing trucks buffeted the bus, making handling extremely difficult. I had to slow way down on the drive east through the central Oregon desert simply because I could not keep the bus under reliable control. That was scary. I started with the simple: stiffen the adjustable shocks (See Handling the Handling - Shock Adjustment). This helped, but on our next drive out the US-26 for Hapy's birthday, the passing trucks and crosswind still impacted the handling. Consider this quote from that test drive: "he held the road. I needed both hands on the wheel, but it was not (a) white-knuckle experience." <- that is not exactly the description of a solid, love-this-handling suspension that you would want to take for long trips.

I want to see if I could make it better... besides, I have the kit, I need the room on my garage floor and after two months I really need to get my hands on a car with some tools.

Rear Anti-Roll / Sway Bar

CIP1 image has the
bar upside down

Back when I first considered the handling issue, thought through the causes, and was performing my research, I found some other bus owners with similar wind-sheer challenges. These folks were posting on threads talking about the pro/con of a rear anti-roll (sway) bar. RAtwell conducted experiments a few years ago, and most feedback on the interweb is consistent with his findings: the rear bar is great on highways, in windy conditions, going mostly straight, especially when you are burdened with some weight (like camping equipment). Sounds spot-on for my issue, right? Well, there are no upsides without downsides.

For these bars, the downsides include a tendency for over steer (vehicle turns more than turn of steering wheel would imply) while cornering, especially in city driving, and the rear suspension is not as independent so you will feel more bumps. So.. the bar is great on long trips, but around town, where there are speed bumps, sharp turns and potholes, they may make things worse. One point that I found especially interesting is where the long road trip meets city driving: freeway off-ramps. Since you are often pairing rapid deceleration with an increasingly sharp turn, the influence of the rear bar could come into play. This feedback, however, is the opposite of what both CIP1 and EMPI says about these bars. Taken from the CIP1 site: "...These sway bars provide the handling demanded by the enthusiast driver. They help to control body sway and help road adhesion under hard cornering...".

clean rear bar example

So, what about installing a bar and just disconnecting it when you're not doing the loaded-on-the-highway thing? I thought about that. The Jeep and off-road crowd will disconnect one or both anti-roll bars when they go crawling. The fancy new ones allow you to do it from the driver seat with a button. Old-skool involves rolling under your rig and disconnecting the ends, and zip-tying it out of the way. On an old bus, there obviously is not a push-button install option. The bar, however, is not a simple straight bar either. As you can see from the picture on the right, here, that I nabbed from "Goodhand77" who posted it on theSamba, it runs from the mount points at the wheels forward (front is front) and inward to the frame rails. It then dips in the center to create space around the transaxle. So, if you were to disconnect the ends and try to rotate the bar up, the lower center section would rotate up towards the transaxle. More importantly, it approaches the suspension arms. If you just disconnect the ends and let it hang there, it may interfere with the wheel movement. So that doesn't seem like a safe option. In the end, I concluded that the rear sway bar is an either/or: either it is installed or it is sitting in your garage. I got one last Summer and have tried the sitting in your garage option. The handling was unaffected, but the room in my garage was and is, with no value back. So, we're installing it.

Rear Shock Mount Tie-In

instructions

This is the fun part, when we get to put hands on bus. The install is not mentally difficult, but does require boring 4 holes into your beloved, and it can be time-consuming. I have attached an image of the install instructions. The directions start with putting your bus up on ramps (not stands) so you have more room while the suspension is under standard load. They suggest suspending the bar temporarily while you install it, but I didn't. I just let it rest on the ground while I did the rear connections. We remove the lower bolts on the rear shocks, add an "L" bracket, and thread the nut back through. I thought about reversing the bolt so it pointed inwards, but decided that the VW engineers probably had it like this for a reason. Still, when I want to adjust the shocks, it will be a hassle. Into the "L" bracket goes a bolt with a series of bushings and washers, with the bar and the nut completing what looks like a hardware version of a Dagwood sandwich. The bolt through the middle is barely long enough to make the reach, so I had to compress the sandwich while getting the nut to catch a thread. One side was, of course, harder than the other. Slightly longer bolts (provided are 5-1/4") would have saved me an hour of wrestling with the Dagwood, with washer and nut sent flying with each failed attempt. Once the threading caught, I snugged the sandwich together with a few turns on the ratchet: just enough to set the stack and the locknut plastic, without compressing the bushings at all.

 

Frame Mount

p-side frame mount

With the bar connected at the ends, the frame mounts can be test-fit, marked, drilled and mounted. While test-fitting, verify the marked holes with the size of the u-bolt; since these holes are for the u-bolt to go through, this is super-important. I hit the center-points of the marked holes with a hammer and drift so the drill-bit wouldn't wander. My drill bits are getting worn, so the cutting of the holes took many cycles of progressively larger bits to reach the 3/8" target. Once bored out to 3/8", I set the bar up in place and could tell that the inner lip of the frame was going to prevent the bar from mounting flush, so I removed a curved section of the lip with my angle grinder to allow the bar (with the mounting plate in place) to rest against the flat part of the frame. The instructions mention filing, but it would take all day with a file. I shot the area with a quick pass of spray paint to prevent rust. Finally, we're ready to thread the u-bolt through. This is just an exercise in patience, unless one set of holes was not distanced correctly. Fortunately, my triple-checking during the measure-mark step avoided an issue here. The instructions say to put one nut on and to thread the u-bolt through. The nut is to prevent you from losing the u-bolt into the frame. Because of the tight tolerance, the nut needs to be near the tip of the u-bolt, but then it could fall off... leading to the u-bolt disappearing into the frame. Yep, this happened to me on the driver side, but I was able to coax it out with a thin-bladed screwdriver... and more patience.

Tighten Up

rear anti-roll bar installed

Once the u-bolts are dangled down from the frame, use one nut on the u-bolt as you work part of the mount on the other, starting with the base plate. Carefully, push the bar up and then wiggle the u-bolt through the clamp. Once both bolts are through , the nuts are threaded on, tighten the nuts down, shifting from one nut to the other until it is not going to work itself loose while you're doing the other side. Repeat on the other side, and then torque both mounts down. Last, return to the lower shock mounts and tighten everything down. I had left the lower mounts and the sway bar mounts loosely threaded so I had maximum maneuverability while the front was assembled.

Start to end, this took me a few of hours, but only because I move slowly, it was 5*C (just over 40*F) when I did it and my dulling drill bits were a challenge. I probably could have moved faster if I really wanted to as well, but even in the cold, it was really nice to love on Hapy for a little while. Since Hapy is off the road for the winter, and his front seats are out (See Hapy Seating), I was unable to execute a test drive. Still, I expect the handling to be much stiffer, and my garage has gained about 3 cubic feet of floor-space. Win-win. Soon, we will hit the highway for a suspension test.

 

That's it for today. I intend to complete the seat install next, but finding time when the puppy isn't underfoot is the barrier. He needs constant oversight or he will eat something he's not supposed to. He's like a goat that way. He has no interest in being, and it has been too cold (4*C) to have him, tied up outside with me while I work for more than 20 minutes. And, he's too wiggly to just hang out inside the bus while I work on him. So, until I can solve for him, thanks for following along. I will disappear for a while again. If I get the chance to do something, I'll post on it-

Cha Cha Cha Changes

Just a quick note to share today. Lots of changes around here causing car work to be set aside for a bit. Fair warning: no car content today.

Dog Daze

puppy needs a name

With the departure of our last child from the nest, Boo and I thought we now have time for a dog. While true, a new puppy takes up a considerable amount of focus, and that pulls time from other optional (and sometimes not optional) things. On 23-October, we went to a rescue adoption event at the Tanasborne PetSmart, where dogs and cats rescued in Texas were made available for adoption here locally. Why they need to come here from there, I didn't quite catch, but there were lots of people and many animals. In fact, the woman in front of us in the queue had driven from Eugene that morning, explaining that there simply are no shelter adoption animals in the valley, and she either had to get a dog from a breeder or drive up to Hillsboro. Who knew? Clearly, she did; she indicated that the store hosts an event like that about once a month and they are always that busy. She arrived mid-afternoon to the last one and the depleted selection did not include her new family member.

The scene was pretty crazy for the uninitiated: on either side of this 5 meter wide area, there were crates lining both sides. In the 15 meter long aisle in between, were maybe 40 humans, some potential adopters looking as a family for a new member, as well as volunteers helping people handle the animals and learn about them. One dog barked most of the time, and the dogs we interacted with were all a little traumatized, quiet, reserved, trembling. They had arrived that morning in a trailer from Texas, so it was to be expected. Boo and I took a couple (one at a time) outside of the venue to a grassy area behind the store to see if that helped them settle a little bit. We hoped to get a sense of the underlying personality, but with that much recent and arguably still-ongoing trauma, how could it? We visited with a few dogs, and this one black with white splotches puppy attached himself to us. And we to him. He trembled pretty much the entire time we were getting processed, but once we were in the main store looking for dog owner products, he started to settle down. He even fell asleep for a short time while one of us was carrying him. I guess removing the animal from the trauma for 30 minutes or so, if the animal is young enough, is enough for him/her to settle.

A few hours later, we're home, with a crate, a bunch of puppy stuff and a 3 month old puppy (name has not presented itself yet). So, there will be potty-training, and other training happening. He has been very responsive already. The day before, I had thought that my Sunday was going to be spent installing seats into Hapy while Boo worked a 12-hour shift at her new hospital job. Instead, after a night of sleep interrupted by scared-dog whimpers, it was spent going in and out my backdoor with a little puppy, followed by light playing or resting. Crazy how that consumes all your time. Even something as simple as eating a snack or taking a leak are perilous as puppy-bladder accidents happen quickly.

Boo Job Change

I just alluded to a change in Boo's employment. After years of working in specialized clinics (Pulmonary and then Cardiology), she took a new role at the hospital. If there is a "hood" in Portland, that's the hospital she is at, working a floor gig. This new role will be fewer hours per week, but they bunch all together. I mean... before, she worked 8 hour shifts monday-to-Friday, like an office worker. Now, she works 12.5 hour shifts (with a lunch break, its 12 hours paid with overlaps for shift changes) on any day of the week, but at least its daytime. Even with more time available in a week, any life schedule change has an impact as lives re-settle into a new pattern. 

Construction Junction

Before we got the puppy, we had started a plan to remodel some sections of our upstairs. The master bathroom was originally designed for one person, for example, and the laundry is in the far corner of the garage, about as far away from laundry generation as possible and still be in the house. We would like to resolve both of those issues, but that's a big scope. So, this work will be done in phases, and will mostly be completed by Boo (and specialized subs) with a little help from me but, nothing happens in a vacuum, and if one of us is swinging hammer, the other must be minding pup.

Getting Out

Bruxton Trestle

Last, Boo and I have discovered a shared enjoyment of hiking. This intersects well with life with a dog, as well as aligns well with a lifestyle change we have been making where we get up earlier, go to bed earlier and consume very little, if any, alcohol. Still, this means that time I would have spent during a weekend day wrenching on one of the projects may be consumed by a hike. We experienced the same slow down on projects where we were hitting the snow a lot, and that was a positive family-health tradeoff. Also, now that we're all vax'd, we have returned to hanging out with our musician friends more. I don't think that will have a meaningful impact, but time is fixed and consumption is cumulative. Before you know it, there isn't any left.

I guess, I needed to think this through so I don't become discouraged when projects are not moving forward. I know that Zed is effectively stopped due to cold/wet weather preventing painting anyway. I could probably do a thing or 2 on Oliver, but I really would like to get him through DEQ/smog before I invest any more time or money into him and the smogging won't happen until the nicer weather returns (there is a failed seal/leak where water can creep in under the windscreen). I expect I will be helping G on Nemo when he drops by, but my only real open project is Hapy's seats. Those seats and the related noise abatement might not be installed for a while. Time will tell. Perhaps the pup will like hanging out in Hapy as much as Boo, Schmidty (the kitty) and I do.

That's it for now. Over the years, I have forecasted a significant reduction in my car and posting activity only to re-appear in the next week or 2. So, I am sure you are taking this statement with a few grains of salt. I would if I were you too. Still, if I don't get back for a while, have a nice holiday season. If you can, give the gift of time and experiences, especially to yourself. While memories fade, material gifts fade faster.

Thanks, as always, for following along-

Hapy Seating

Over the years, Hapy has had 3 sets of front seats. Today, I start down a path of a fourth, and hopefully final, set. For the curious, I continue to Bondo-cycle on the replacement front fender for Zed, as well as sort through the garage. Boo and I have been taking advantage of the waning days of "decent" weather (read: light rain, around 8*C / 45*F) to get some hikes in before late Fall weather really kicks in. So, large steps forward on any car project is not happening right now. Sometimes, you just need to spend some time on a project that you actually want to do. These days, neither the Zed nor my garage are that project, but they are each getting some of my attention. So, as a distraction from that, I'm looking at Hapy's seats.

Seats 1-3

the '74s

I suppose it makes sense to start with what Hapy has had for seating. First, he had his original manufactured-in-1971 seats. These were built before headrests, and while they looked the part, they were completely clapped out, sagging painfully across the entire seat base. The horsehair stuffing was mostly gone and the fabric was dry-rotting away. So, while I was still working in Old Town (an area of downtown Portland now called "the Pearl District") I bought a set of blue-green plaid 1974 seats off craigslist for $20.

The blue-green set were marginally better. Maybe. The seats had been rebuilt at some point with foam, but I discovered along the way that they were getting ditched for $20 for a reason: they were very uncomfortable. Still, they were the seats I had, and they had headrests for better neck protection in an accident. After a few months with them, though, I would have probably gone back to my originals if I had still had them.

A few years ago, GratefulEd swapped out his original 1973 seats with minivan seats (which look and seat great), so he loaned me his seats while I figured something out. The 1973 seats served GratefulEd just fine, but they, too, were worn out. The fabric is so destroyed that the simple aftermarket seat covers cling to the foam underneath, not the seat fabric. Again, these seats are not the most comfortable, but they are better than the '74 set. GratefulEd put many miles on these seats. For, like, 2k of those miles, I rode with him. Still, at some point he wants these back, and at some point I would like a seat that will improve the ride... like the seats he put in Belle.

New Seat, What a Treat

Yeah, I've used that line before. In my scouting around craigslist, I found a set of "comfort" front seats from a 2016 Sprinter for $250. The "comfort" seats are so labelled because they have things like angle control and lumbar support that the "standard" seats do not have. Coming from seats that were little more than an uneven pile of flattened foam wrapped in shredded cloth, these things are puh-lush. With an arm rest. I read reviews of these seats where authors described taking road trips of 8-12 hours and not suffering from leg or back aches or any additional fatigue they could assign to their seats. Sounds perfect, but are they 10x better than those old ratty '74 seats I bought 15 years ago? I think so.

I drove over to the seller in Hapy. Upon arrival, I pulled the front passenger seat out of Hapy and set the Sprinter seat in it's location. It fit well enough to know that it could probably work, and then I jumped in to test-sit it. Ultimately, figuring out how to mount it, deciding whether I go whole-hog and do a swivel-seat upgrade, etc, all only matters if the seat is comfortable for a long drive. Just because some random internet authors said so, doesn't mean it will work for Boo and me. Of course, sitting in a seat for a few seconds won't tell the story either. But, I liked the seats, so I paid the guy, put the seats in the back and headed home. Hapy ran great, by the way: no codes, no stammering; he just cruised and felt peppy.

So, Will It Fit?

extra surround
getting cut off

Before I go too deep into the install, there are some basics. The Sprinter seats are much taller and the bottom is much thicker than any of the stock bus seats. When I placed the seat in, the headrest sat about an inch or so below the ceiling. Because of the original mountpoints in the passenger seat pedestal, I could not position the seat on top of the inner flat very well. As a result, I could only sorta-kinda get a sense for how it would be before the inner seat rail slid down into the well in the middle of the pedestal. So, regardless of what I do, that old passenger-side mountpoint will need to get cut off.

A little concerned about how the driver-side would fit, I pulled the '73 driver seat out and set the Sprinter seat in its place when I got home. This made for a much better assessment because the stock driver seat is mounted with toothed sliders, not large C-hooks sticking up from the pedestal. Still, the height of the seat base wedged my legs under the steering wheel. I confirmed that the seat will be very comfortable, once I have figured out how to lower them. These are built for delivery drivers, service folks and RV's: designed to be sat in a lot for long periods, and Sprinter's are not cheap, so the seats are a reflection of that as well (read: these are good seats). I will not have to cut out the partition for the seats to fit, but removing the partition could make them more adjustable.

Seat Gets Trimmed

While I did not have to cut up the bus, I did have to cut a section of plastic off the seat base. These seats are adjustable in 3 ways: height, seat-back tilt, and seat-base tilt. The height is controlled with a lever on the outside along the base, and it raises / lowers the entire seat above the rails by as much as 3 inches. In the Sprinter, the seat is bolted to a pedestal that is smaller than the seat, so when it is lowered, the bottom plastic surround drops below/around that pedestal. This will not work in a bus installation, as the pedestal is larger than the seat.

new seat (with surround removed)
versus old seat

The plastic surround, however, seems almost designed for this modification. There is an indentation that runs along the lower edge of the cushion, maybe 3 inches above the bottom of the surround (see picture above). I scored this indentation repeatedly with a box-cutter until the lower section fell off, halving the plastic surround's height. The new now-the-bottom sets slightly above the seat rail at the seat adjuster's lowest setting. With this lower surround removed, the seat rests cleanly on the bus seat pedestal (see picture on the right). For a longer legged driver, there are now a few inches of headroom, if the seat needs to be raised.

Install Thinks

Boo and I would love to have at least the passenger seat swivel, if not both, to create more usable space while camped. But Hapy has steel partitions behind the front seats. Those partitions, I think, were critical for collision safety since the back of the passenger seat was literally mounted with a hook-and-ring connector thing to it, and the seat was unable to sit upright without leaning against it. Still, these partitions could also represent some stiffness in holding the sides  of the bus square against twisting or in case of an accident. So, we have a few options:

1. *Mount the seats in a forward-facing-only orientation, bolting the slider rails to the bus.
2. Remove the partition behind the passenger seat, install angle iron to take up the side-stiffness, install a swivel base and the seat. Driver side remains just like option 1.
3. Remove the partition, but don't install a swivel. Maybe, the seat is just removed, reversed and re-installed facing rear-ward when we camp? Maybe instead of using bolts, the seat is mounted with nuts on studs, making the reverse-swap that much easier.
4. Remove both partitions, install an angle iron for each side for side-stiffness, install a swivel on each side.
5. Blending options 3 and 4, remove both partitions, but don't install any swivels. One or both seats could be mounted rear-facing when camped.

both seats mocked

My biggest question for whether options 4 or 5 are possible circles back to the steering wheel. Unlike the passenger side, where there is a big open space for the seat back to go when you face it rearward, that wheel is big, and sticks pretty far back from the dashboard. Just looking at the picture on the right here tells the tale. It is hard to imagine that driver seat facing rearward. Frankly, I'm going to have to think carefully about how to just install the driver seat. Use of studs may be necessary simply for that. I asterisked option 1 since that's the most direct option that gets seats in. I can always grow from there. Knowing that any swivel is going to raise the seat more, all the others may not be real options.

Some Prep Is Universal

Regardless of what we choose to do, there are some universal steps I need to take. First, of course, is addressing any rust on top of the seat pedestals. I removed the pedestal carpet a few years ago, and need to re-install it or cut some fresh carpet to install there. I intend to add some noise reduction stuff while everything is open before the carpet goes back in. I would like to move the brake fluid reservoir down into that below-the-seat area to simplify things a little bit. This would also create more possibility for a driver-side swivel (though that is still very remote). I may need to cut off the old driver-side seat tracks, if I run into issues putting holes through for the Sprinter seat rails. On the passenger side, the pointing-up C-hooks need to be cut off. You can see how they interfere in the mock-up picture on the right, here: the seat is pushed further forward because of where the C-hooks are. All of these (except the carpet install) can be done while I mull-over whether I am going to cut off one or both partitions. 

Boo and I tried sitting the mocked up seats just like the picture above shows. Overall, they are very comfortable. They do sit high, though, for our shorter-than-average-for-a-US-person legs. I can fully activate the pedals all the way to the floor, though. For Boo, she may need something under her feet for longer drives so the leg-dangle doesn't negatively impact her lower back. I'm sure we have something that usually travels with us that could stow there which would meet that need. In the past, she has sat with her feet propped up on the dash, so a more permanent step isn't necessary. The partitions do impact the degree to which the seat-back can be tilted. For the driver, I'm not sure how much it matters. For a passenger who sometimes likes to sleep on the drive, this might lead us to removing that partition eventually. At this point, I am going to work on simply mounting the seats and leaving the partitions. We figure I can always circle-back around on removing a partition, but once it's gone, it's gone. Maybe there's a way to just lower the passenger-side partition a couple inches to enable a seat tilt.

That's it for today. I'll post more on this progress as there is some, leveraging the old "Part (x)" to keep them strung together. Thanks, as always, for following along-

$50 tool chest

This Summer, I got an unsolicited offer for a massive tool chest/cabinet for around 6% of something smaller at Harbor Freight (like this base and this topper ~$850US as of this writing). Curious as to what $50US can actually buy in terms of a new tool chest/cabinet, I ordered one. This post covers that mini-adventure, as well as some thoughts on tool cabinets, now that this adventure has me thinking about it.

What They Said

Let's start with the product description. They said a lot, but the key points were

Milwaukee 56 top
and bottom cabinets

• Ship within 24 hours after payment, Free Worldwide Shipping
• Assembled in La Palma, California, USA
• 150 lbs. rated drawers
• 2-deep bottom cabinet drawers have double drawer slides, offering a 300 lbs. load capacity
• 18-Gauge steel frame and drawers with reinforced 6-Gauge angle iron cabinet base finished with rust-resistant red and black powder-coat finish
• digital locking system, no need for keys
• 6-outlet/2USB power strip mounted inside chest till and on exterior cabinet side wall, cord hooks included to wrap the power cords for storage
• Assembled dimensions with casters installed (approximate): 56 in. W x 22 in. D x 64 in. H and weighs 643.8 lbs.

Company Policies

First, it should be noted that on the anthead.club (seller) website, it is indicated that all shipping is done through 4PX, order processing can take 3-10 days (as opposed to within 24 hours as mentioned above) and delivery time is 3-4 weeks. I translate the 3-4 weeks to 21-28 days from their warehouse to my driveway. Last, it says worldwide shipping is free.

So, all of that sounds really great, right? Like, within 38 days after placing an order, you get this massive tool cabinet/chest combo for $50US. But, of course, how could this possibly be? And, free shipping on almost 650 pounds? This can't possibly be right. For just $50US, though, seemed like it was worth spending the money just to see what would happen. Besides, I figured this might make a good post. So, I ordered one.

Tracking

The timeline for my order is below. We should probably start with the fact that the website said that this was "Assembled in La Palma, California, USA". Not sure how that works if it is shipping from Guangzhou, China. For the benefit of the doubt, let's pretend that it ships as a pile of bits to an assembly space in La Palma where it is assembled into this final shape before continuing on its way. As I document this, it would not be fair to at least recognize that supply chains are a mess around the world. So, delays could be attributed to that. Still, the data is the data:

12-Aug: ordered, paid for

20-Aug: (8 days later) order accepted and shipped out of warehouse in Guangzhou City, China by China-Post (not 4PX). This is within the policy time window, just not the designated carrier.

23-Aug: arrived / departed Chinese port (Shenzhen) on a ship

 5-Sept: (13 days at sea) arrived in USA. Port unclear, but let's assume Los Angeles, since they're the biggest US port for ships from China.

29-Sept: (24 days in US, 41 days since left china warehouse) Message from vendor rec'd. Cabinet still not arrived, current shipper unknown. Could be languishing in a warehouse, shipping container, customs, or maybe it's with USPS and they didn't know how to provide a tracking number to me. Yeah... right...

12-Oct: (54 days since left China warehouse) posting published. No further updates from vendor nor on the trackers.

Learnings

After over 40 days days of waiting and multiple requests-for-update, I finally heard from the vendor. They indicated that there was a "problem with logistics" and that they would cancel my order, returning my $50. I wonder if it will be another 40 days before I see my $50, if ever. So, what did we learn from this? Well, I learned how to track a shipment from China using AfterShip and Track17. I think we all also learned that no, you cannot get a 56"W x 22"D x 64"H, 645 pound tool chest shipped to you from "La Palma, CA" (read: China) for $50.

Husky 52 top
and bottom cabinets

I do wonder what was actually shipped from China, where it US-landed on 5-September, and what its final destination was / will be. I mean, the tracking number was valid for something leaving China for the US. I suspect, whatever was sent will not go back to China. Instead, will end up in a LA-area warehouse for local sale, covering the real cost of manufacture and shipping with some profit cooked in. Maybe it was pre-arranged swiped off the dock a-la the second season of HBO's "The Wire". But, why the internet ruse for $50? Perhaps there are import limits placed on the local-to-LA-area seller, and this is an end-run around that? Maybe what was shipped was something else entirely, and they just needed a cover story for customs. I don't know, but there is a reason the too-good-to-be-true tool cabinet/chest combo experienced a "problem with logistics" when I have never had that experience with Alibaba or other clearly-direct-from-China orders from, like, eBay or whatever. I did discover, however, that this exact tool chest set up is available from Home Depot for $1500, and most of the images on the 2 websites are identical. Before you ask, yes I have been watching the account I used to place this order, looking for suspicious activity, and no, there has not been any.

Cabinet Options

Husky 41 bottom

I realize that I will have to break down and buy a real tool cabinet (maybe a topper chest too) if I intend to get my tools in order. The combo bottom/top "red rollie" I have now is too small (27" wide), to the point where I have tools sitting on storage shelves.... or worse, sitting in a pile on the crowded garage floor. In short, the current-state is not sustainable. I learned that too: thinking about tool storage opened my eyes to one of the underlying factors to my garage disarray. So, what are the real options out there?

Like I said, Home Depot has this exact unit for $1500. Home Depot has a Husky (this, pictured alongside "Learnings" above) that's 2/3 the price (at $1000US) of the Milwaukee brand, but 52" wide rather than 56. Of course, for 1/2 of that, I could just get the bottom 44" deal from Harbor Freight I linked at the beginning, and get the upper later, if I feel the need for more. For that matter, I could look at Husky's 41" (picture on the right) for about the same price. The Home Depot models have things like integrated power strips, a bottle opener and soft-close drawers. I figure you're paying for those, so if the prices are otherwise close, where is that difference getting made up?

 

US General "44" bottom

I have been unable to find drawer spec's on these US General "44" cabinets. So, I went to Harbor Freight with a measuring tape. The cabinet is genuinely 22 inches deep but only 42" wide, not 44. I know. It puzzled me too, so I measured twice. The image on the right here has the measurements I took. The drawer width measurements are the inside space, between the sidewalls. For height, I measured the distance from the deck with the rubber mat installed to the bottom edge of whatever is above it, be it another drawer or part of the cabinet. By measuring the actual usable space, I hope these measurements help others. I expect that as I plan my shop tool storage upgrade, these will be useful.

Comparing

As a way to consider the various options, I took the published "cubic inches" of storage and divided that by the price to get square inches or storage space per $1US. In all cases, when just the lower cabinets are considered, the square inch per dollar is lower/worse than when the top is added. For example, the upper for the US General "44" costs $330, but adds 11700 cubic inches of storage space (35.45 square inches per $1US). Since I don't know if I need an upper, I just considered lowers. In order of most to least (square inches per $1US) with some other data bits:

1. Husky 52           - 22934 cu in -  9   drawers (35.28)  - $1000US
2. Husky 41           - 17221 cu in - 11  drawers (34.44)  - $500US
3. US General 44   - 14000 cu in - 13* drawers (28)       - $500US <- $600 as of 6-Nov
4. Milwaukee 56    - 23583 cu in - 10  drawers (26.2)    - $900US
5. US General 56   - 21500 cu in - 11  drawers (25.3)    - $850US

Unless you are just going to throw everything in your cabinet with no organizational thought, overall capacity is not terribly informative. The number and shapes/sizes of the drawers really speak to use more than an overall number. So, I need to consider that against what I need. For me, overall footprint and how well it will compliment my existing "red rollie" are also factors. I intend put hands on examples of the Home Depot offerings before making a decision, but I am leaning towards the US General 44 (asterisked) because of the 2-3/4" most-shallow drawers compared to the 2" most-shallow from Husky and Milwaukee. And because there are more of them. Impact drivers and some larger wrenches would not fit the smaller 2" clearance without laying them down, defeating some of the storage "gain". Also, those other cabinets offer a few large drawers that the US General does not. For me, those big drawers may not be very useful, or space-wasteful, attracting something that could just as easily sit on a shelf (like my MityVac or Dremel, still in their plastic carrying cases). Last, I have seen negative reviews about the plastic bits in the soft-close drawers breaking in a couple years, so that might be influencing my thinking too.

That's it for today. When I get to solving my tool storage, and sorting the garage, I'll post on it. I do have to spend some weekends organizing in there. You'll know when that's happened by the lack of interesting car-related posts... like this one. Hahaha. Thanks, as always, for following along-

Resolving the Stammer

In the 2 major trips I took this Summer (2021), my road reports focused mostly Hapy's handling, the wind and the traffic or road conditions. I mentioned, sort of in passing, about the engine stumbling or stammering, having an error code thrown, and the occasional blanket of smoke. Today's post covers how I resolved this condition.

I should call out that the last trip of the season (for Hapy's birthday) did not include a code being thrown. He struggled into the headwind on the way there, but cruised with a tailwind on the way back. In neither direction did he throw a code nor dump smoke, but there were bumbles. So, I did this maintenance so the next trip would not be wanting for power.

P1550

Let's start with the code that was getting thrown: P1550. This indicates: Solenoid Valve for Boost Pressure Control (N75) - Control Deviation. in short, the thing that controls the turbo is not behaving consistently. So, the turbo is dumping boost to protect the engine. The result is a loss in power, sometimes a considerable loss. When I first noted the stumbling engine, I assumed it was fuel related. I replaced the clear fuel filter, because it had some stuff in it, but while that may have helped with consistent fuel delivery, it did not meaningfully address the engine stammering.

As I reflect back on the drives, we should have had WAY more power. I just got bigger nozzles and had the computer chipped. We should have been flying down OR-22, limited solely by the completely soft setting on the adjustable shocks. Instead, I was back to climbing hills in 3rd. It didn't register while we were driving, but it is now. Since we were sporadically getting a P1550 code, the turbo was sometimes dumping boost on the ground.... and creating a nice smoke blanket in the process.

Vacuum Lines First

stock hoses

Throwing parts at a problem is one way to solve it. Most people don't like resolving that way, though. When you have vacuum issues, which a P1550 error code usually means, there are some parts you kind of need to throw at it. If you only want to change the one thing that's wrong, you need to check all of the vacuum lines and appliances (turbo wastegate, N75, N18, EGR, ASV, vacuum ball, brake line, etc) and replace the one that is not holding pressure. The least expensive solution is to disconnect and re-connect all of the hoses. Sometimes they work themselves loose, and when you put things back together again, they just work. While cheapest and least guaranteed, this is also the least satisfying path.

If your vacuum lines are over 10 years old, like the ones on Hapy are, then you are due for replacing the lines anyway. Many of Hapy's hoses removed with little effort, almost falling off. Others were brittle and baked on and some others looked like they could have been replaced a couple of years ago. My hoses were following the stock pattern, but the other 2 valves (for Exhaust Gas Recirculation - EGR and Anti-Shudder Valve - ASV) were just blocked off. So, I switched to the simplified version (image below, courtesy of DaveLinger of TDIClub), leaving the unused valves in-place and wired, but without a vacuum source. This should reduce the opportunities for vacuum leaks to appear in the future.

There are kits on the 'net for a couple of meters of 3mm hose and a couple of meters of 5mm hose. The 5mm is for the line from the N75 to the bottom of the turbo and from the N75 to the air cleaner. The rest on Hapy are 3mm, but from looking at the diagram, I would expect that the line from the "T" to the N18 should also be 5mm. All of the lines I removed from Hapy were 3mm: I didn't have any 5mm when I did these 10 years ago. I am sure the VW engineers used the bigger diameter hose for a reason, though, so I installed 5mm hose to/from the N75. Anyway, replace one hose at a time, cutting the old hose off by slicing along the plastic nipple (to avoid breaking it). This will cost, like $30US, in hoses and in about an hour your hoses will be good as new. Possibly better. P1550 possibly fixed.

Brake Booster Line

So, you still have a code or lack of power? Next, I would replace that big vacuum line from the vacuum pump to the power brake. These age and crack like the others, but the replacement is not in the hose kits. For another $30US, you can replace this. I was about at this point when I kinda remembered that my brakes were not as responsive, and I had to push harder to get the bus to stop. Sometimes. I had thought it was weight-related and even hit a trucker scale on the way beck from 4Peaks to see if I was especially heavy (4400 pounds, btw). I wasn't. Perhaps I was stopping with only partial vacuum boost or even power boost free. Hoping the power booster on the brake was not the cause, I continued down the path of parts I had on hand. My hose was original, and while there was a little cracking at the vacuum-pump end, it looked pretty good. Still.. you can't tell if a hose is failing by looking at it. Glad I replaced it.

Replace the N75

no EGR, no ASV

Last "inexpensive" thing to look at is the N75. I put quotes around it because it is still $70US. I suppose the vacuum ball or the little grey/white check valve could be the issue and these are fairly inexpensive. If you are still getting the p1550 after all the replacements above and the N75, you may have an issue with the wastegate actuator, or your brake booster. Remember the booster failure on Oliver, the MGB? For reference, here are the links for the finding and the fixing posts. 

Replacing the N75 is usually as easy as replacing the hoses. 3 hoses and a 2-pin plug-on-a-cable connect to it. It is held to the firewall with a couple 10mm bolts. I ordered both the hose kit and the brake booster line as well as a N75 when I attacked this problem. Since my engine is a first-year ALH, the 2-pin plug is different from most others, so the N75 on-market does not direct swap in. The plug needs to be re-wired or the pins pushed out of the old / into the new. I left the N75 in my supply heap and just did the lines. I figured that if I need to cut some wires or play with the pins, I want to be sure that it will actually solve a problem, rather than just create work. I had to remove the air intake to get to the vacuum lines so I cleaned the air filter while it was in-hand.

Test Drive

With the vacuum lines replaced and simplified, I was ready to see if the stammering issue had resolved. Prior to doing this work, I was still driving Hapy around as my "daily" driver (quoted because with the pandemic I don't actually drive everyday. Maybe I should say my "weekly" driver), and I was still getting sporadic stammering issues. So, I figured if I could just drive to my favorite burrito place (Taqueria El Gordo) without a stammer, I'd have solved the problem, and gotten dinner. I say that because it is just far enough away for the stammering to appear. Even if it didn't solve, I would still have a killer burrito. It was on a drive to Gordo's that I could easily re-create the stammer problem within a short trip, so I figured it was a decent test-track.

What's that saying about "the best laid plans"? Well, instead of going to the burrito place, Boo and I drove right past it and out to Cornelius (west of Hillsboro) to see some live music. Hapy suffered no stammering, and he had plenty of power. I didn't really put my foot into it, but he popped off the stop lines well. At no point on the drive there and back did he stammer, nor lay down smoke. I am calling this solved: failing vacuum lines. 

That's it for today. Thanks, as always, for following along-

Zed's Slow Crawl into Fall

It's time for another update on the slow-moving restoration effort on the 1979 Datsun 280ZX lovingly called "Zed". Completely unrelated to Zed, Nemo, the 1997 Audi A4 was sold to a family friend. While he is no longer a permanent resident of our driveway, I expect there will be some ShadeTree adventures as he is improved upon.

Where Were We

p-side front fender gap

We entered the Summer with the goal of having Zed painted before the weather changed from warm-dry to cold-wet. Some years, that change happens as late as Halloween. Other years, like 2019, we lose the end of August to things like wildfires or an early rainstorm. With such a wide range for when the end date might hit, I worked a bunch in the early Summer to set myself up for paint. This year, we have had multiple "false-fall" weather periods, and this week looks like solid rain, leading me to believe that the goal will not be reached.

Recall, we hit a snag with CoViD-19 related manufacturing delays on the body kit. I ordered the kit in May, and it delivered in August. During the delay, I perfected the body as best I could, got the final primer shot and clowned on other cars while I waited. Once the kit arrived, I let it sit in the sun on my deck for a couple of weeks to complete the off-gassing while I took a few camping trips. Of course, sitting outside like that allowed the various pieces to get dirty and have nature fall on then, so they are not as pristine-looking as they were on delivery day. Regardless, they need to be sanded, and primed at minimum before painting, so this just added a cleaning step before the sanding.

Front Bumper

d-side front fender gap

To prepare for the front fiberglass bumper install, I first needed to expose the steel bar wrapped inside the chrome and rubber bumper originally installed on Zed. I had removed the bumper, brackets and all, earlier for access to the radiator supports for primer shooting. The bracket-to-body bolts are 17mm, and there are 4 per side. The bracket-to-bumper nuts are 14mm, and, again, there are 4 per side. I addressed the surface rust on the brackets, shot them with the same finish primer and set them aside.

The original / stock bumper cover is held on with a myriad of bolts and screws. The (10mm?) bolts removed easily. The screws were so rusted on, I had to cut them off with a grinder. Once the steel bar was exposed, I could start test fitting the bumper. I spent a while just fiddling with it: setting it on, tilting it at various angles, etc until I could see how I wanted it. I temporarily mounted the front bumper brackets and the steel bar next, and sat the bumper cover on top. The original location of the bar was 1.5" too far forward.

To recess the front bumper, the gas in the mounts needs to be released, and then the bracket pushed backwards into itself. To release the gas, the steel bar needs to be removed and then a Phillips bolt head is exposed. Remove the bolt, and the gas is released. Then, push the end in. I measured the 1.5" and marked it so I knew when I had it in the right spot. At first, the brackets did not want to compress, even with the gas gone. I encouraged them with a rubber mallet and pushed until the bracket compressed to my mark.

Once compressed, I re-attached the steel bar, and then set the new bumper cover on the bar. This time, it set exactly right, though the ends initially appeared much wider than the fenders want to sit (witness the top two pictures). After about an hour of fiddling with it I found that when the ends of the fender rotated upwards (and the fiberglass shifted left-right a little bit, the steel bar readjusted, etc), they were much closer. Still, actual mounting to the fenders will wait until I have the fenders secured firmly. The fender bolts, like most of the others, have disappeared. The internet thinks these bolts should be M6x1, but I could not even start threading that size. They are also not M5x.8 as those fall right through. I tried generic slotted #12-24 machine bolts next since they are effectively "M5.5", though they also fell straight through. I will return to the M6 bolts and see if I just gunked up the threads with primer. Anyway, with the bumper in place, I can see that I will need to open up the turn signal indicator holes a little bit to allow for the lenses and bulbs to be maintained without removing the bumper. Also, I expect there will be some shaping needed where the hood opens since the bumper is 1.5" deeper.

Rear Bumper

The original rear bumper was the only real rust on this car, which is why we tossed it. I sourced a replacement bar and rear mounts from our friend in Hillsboro. After addressing the surface rust on the brackets similar to the front brackets, I acquired nuts to mount the brackets to the rear (M10x1.25) and attached them. I needed a washer between each of the outer holes on the mounts and the body to angle the mounts inward enough to fit the rear bumper. Onto the brackets, I set the steel bar and test fit the rear bumper. Again, the bracket pushed the bumper out too far to fit. So, I repeated the gas-out process, pushing the rear bumper in an inch. Unlike the front, the rear bumper does not provide an easy means of getting your fingers on the mounting nuts and studs. But, with some perseverance, I got one nut on each side so I could see how it set. As good as the front looked, the rear looked even better. The kit snugged into the body contours, as you can see in the picture below.

Setting the Gaps

p-side rear alignment

When C bought this car, it had been messed up by the prior owner in 2 ways. First, he stripped the interior in the interest of saving a few pounds because he wanted a drift car. Second, he drifted the car into something or someone, damaging the driver door and front fender. We replaced the front door with a donor from WA, but tried to straighten the fender. Off the car after many days of working on it, the fender looked great. Once I re-mounted the doors, hood and rear tailgate, however, the gap between the leading edge of the driver door and the trailing edge of the fender could not be resolved. The edge along the front valence (in front of the windscreen) and above the door also did not line up well. The fold in the driver-side fender had erased the trailing edge and attempts to re-establish it by my amateur hands did not get it there. The image below shows how far off the fender-to-door gap is; the misaligned edge above the door is slightly visible. The passenger side, however, gapped perfectly, with about 1/4" along all of the seams of both the door and the fender so I have a target for the driver side. I spent a couple of hours shifting the door around and improved the gap at the top, but the long edge between the fender and the door could not be resolved. I did not reproduce that edge on the fender quite right.

The efforts to straighten the driver fender has been instructive, but, I will be replacing it. Unfortunately, these panels have not been produced in years, so I needed to find one from a donor car and the one I found is not dent-free. Fortunately, the edges are perfect and it aligns properly with the hood, bumper and driver door. So, once the dents above the wheel well are coerced back into place, the panels will be right. I will then set the driver-side gaps so we have a solid base for the kit. Then, I'll finalize the placement of the bumpers.

Bumper Plan

Both the front and the rear bumper will require a little bit of fit and finish. The rear aligns very well, with only some small smoothing needed to achieve the line I am looking for. The front may require more, even after the fender fit has improved, the gaps are larger. I will see how much this gap closes once I send a couple of screws through. I expect I will need to add material to the inner edges of the bumper along the fenders to make it look right. Once I have the front and rear looking as I would like, I will shift to the two side panels that run under the doors between the wheel wells and then priming the kit.

I do not intend to seal the seams between the fender/quarter panels and the front/rear bumpers. Instead, I intend to have a clean, visible, seam line. This way if there is some kind of damage to the fiberglass from parking curbs or a small accident, the repair will not have to extend past that seal line. This also gives me the opportunity to try mixing flex additive into the fiberglass bumper paint. The "flex additive" increases the paint's willingness to bend without cracking. If I sealed the seam and painted the body as a whole, that flexing additive would need to be part of the paint on the seal or further up fender/quarter panel paint. Otherwise, there could be cracking at the seam, forcing the repair into the steel. This way, the bumper can be removed, repaired/replaced, painted and installed.

What's Next

The ultimate question remains: will the car get through paint before the weather changes? No, but I would rather have it look right than be hurriedly finished. First, I need to get the driver fender replacement undented and prepped. Then, I will get the body kit fitting completed with mounting holes drilled, etc. This would allow me to finish the kit separately (clean, sand, Bondo, sand, clean, possibly high-build primer, sand, clean, finish primer, sand, clean, paint) and then mount it when it's ready. I don't expect a weather miracle that would allow me to get all the way to the end of that task list, though. I expect the weather will turn for good before I'm through primer. Actual paint on the body and the kit will have to wait until next year.

Thanks, as always, for following along-