(this was originally posted on VolksRods.com while I built the car)

Got the car a few mins ago and drove it to my friends house where the work will be going on.
It’s quite the conversation piece. I had some VonDutch-t-shirt-wearin-Scenesters pull up to me at a stop light and ask me why the shift knob was taller than the windshield. I just shrugged and made the ‘I don’t know’ face.

BTW: I highly recommend driving a POS roadster on a warm Phoenix evening. It was fun.

Immediate issues:

• – headlights are low-beam only. That’s fine but the dimmer switch is so close to the clutch pedal that it kept turning the lights on/ off while I drove
• – Wiring problems. Looks like 63 had the wiring go thru the roof? On quick first inspection, there are wires crudely pushed thru a rough hole under the dash to the back. Gotta fix that. Various lights inop, starter gets cranky/ hard to start.
• – leaky brake reservoir.
• – gotta remove the T4 motor and get it back to the owner. I’ve got another T4 to go in there for now, but it’s a temp until my 1915 gets the lifter bores fixed
• – crazy-ass shift lever may be too tall for car once there’s a roof. We’ll see.

I’ll take pics tomorrow, I’m going to start the tear-down of it ASAP.

(this was originally posted on VolksRods.com while I built the car)

New Project Time!
It’s a 63 that has had it’s lid cut off when the PO before last got into a fender bender. The PO picked it up on trade and just put various large motors in it to scare himself.

I’m picking it up so I can get rid of the Jetta Diesel I’m currently driving. If I’m going to drive a car w/o AC, it might as well have some style!

Every successful project needs a…
Game Plan:
-Get it home, seperate body and pan.
-Go over pan (mechanically)
-I have about 10′ of 2″ tubing and I’ll be fabing up an extended beam with inboard shocks. Might work, might not! we’ll see
-I’ll be choping a top onto the car– so it’s going to be cut into quarters and narrowed, a la ‘Leatherman Chop’.
-throw my other 1915cc 44mmWeber motor in it.
-drive it .

I’ve never chopped a car before, and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. Rather than dream about it, I’m doing it– now!

Goal:
To put less than $1500 in the whole car and daily drive it.
-I think I can do the chassis/ body for $900 (new brakes, 2 roofs, door tops)
-I own the motor, it needs some machining, cam, exhaust and assembly– I think that can be kept below $600.

I should be picking the car up today or tomorrow, so I’ll keep ya posted.