Our BuddyBug Project

[andeez01]

Thanks Mike. We just realized something. The etching with Buddy's birthday is wrong! it should be 4-18-87
How we missed this? I will never know. Perhaps it was because Kelly and I were talking about how much we hated the other date. But now I have to buy another rear glass, and new stencil from vital signs and stencil it again before the 17th. UGH!!!

[buggyman]

 
Andy ,please consult with a glass scratch repair specialist 1st
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=windshield+scratch+repair&revid=1924895182&ei=0OK3S8ycL4a-sgOs36npDA&sa=X&oi=revisions_inline&resnum=0&ct=broad-revision&cd=7&ved=0CHEQ1QIoBg  .
I had reeeal deep scratches in my '89 Toy truck windshield from offroading it & the glass guy we were using where I worked then just used a series of ever finer polishing compounds(rouges) http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=polishing+rouge&aq=1&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=polishing+ro&gs_rfai= in order to create a new surface.
In order for this to be done right they'd have to pretty much take out the whole 3-18-87 in order to blend it out a ways,like ~3/4 the way toward the other close characters-the I above-the B below-the nose of the jet,then you should be able to just index & reetch the whole new correct date in the cleaned up spot with little to no visible distortion.

Worth at least asking about ,I've done a # of glass repairs since seeing how it's done by just using a common highspeed handheld drill with a series of 3 buffing attachments-1 for each lighter grade of rouge,it's how I got the mirror finish on the engine case

Maybe use one of the discarded side windows with the smaller logo etching as a quick practice test bed .
                               

[Mike9300]

Worth at least asking about ,I've done a # of glass repairs since seeing how it's done by just using a common highspeed handheld drill with a series of 3 buffing attachments-1 for each lighter grade of rouge,it's how I got the mirror finish on the engine case


                               

Nice case.....how much time did that take you think?

is that my screw driver? 

[buggyman]

 
"is that my screw driver?"
  Nope,I used it on a little fixit in the house today .
It took me ~3mos working section by section in the evenings after work each day to get it to the point of starting to use the rouges for the final polishing which only took 1 night.
Then I come to find out that what I'd done had actually encapsulated the case in a hard outer coating,like heavy painting or powder coating it,which'd trap all the heat inside ,took all of ~15min to rough it right back up with a wirewheel.
It'd probably be OK to do this on something like a showcar that's trailered & never meets real world pavement,but really shouldn't be considered for anything approaching a DD application,it'd pretty quickly cook itself to a grinding/overheated halt within a matter of days if not hours .
Pretty much nothing at all or a light coating of flat black paint baked on is the way to shed heat the best .
 

[Mike9300]

Then I come to find out that what I'd done  had actually encapsulated the case in a hard outer coating,like heavy painting or powder coating it,which'd trap all the heat inside


OMG all that work and you had to go back, I would have done the same  , but now to hear this that does makes sense

[andeez01]

Abracadabra...........

*poof*


It's gone! 2000 grit sandpaper for an eternity, then staged metal polishing rubbing compounds did the trick.

Dave Castleberry is putting in the b-quiet. He was Buddy's best friend and fellow electrician on the EA6-B. He will be dressing up the wiring this weekend while I am putting in the engine!


This is Mike Rosage, owner of Audio Plus. He is finishing the stereo installation and alarm setup. It works great. It lights up the park lights on arm. It's really cool. Maybe I will youtube it for you.



The wiring is completely done except for the oil pressure and temperature and the tach. The wires are run to the back but still need to be hooked up to the gauges.

LED turn signals, by the way, need a resistor. Two to be exact. The LED doesn't draw enough current to throw the relay. If you are curious, Radio Shack sells a 20watt 8 ohm resistor which works great for the turn signal and hazard flashes. PM me for details of the wiring.

[Rob 57 Oval (Talon)]

Lookin great bro!!    I will be getting with you for the LED resitor info.

[buggyman]

 
"Abracadabra...........*poof*"
GREAT JOB! on blending that out in such a limited space Andy .
For anyone else interested in attempting this there's pretty cheep kits used for headlight lens restoration available almost everywhere http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=headlight+restoration&aq=1&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=headlight&gs_rfai=  ,just a matter of that same degree of patience needed to restore a scratched or etched glass surface .
 

[andeez01]

Learned some other wiring tricks over the last couple of days too. Like after trying forever to figure out the wiring schematic for the ammeter, it really just comes down to this. 10 gauge wire from the alternator to the gauge, 10 gauge wire from the gauge to terminal one on the fuse block.


I eliminated the stock flasher relay too. From what I understand the early 68 had this big relay which combined emerg. flasher and signals. Problems with it caused vw to move to separate relays for later 68 -71. I had one of the old ones on one car and the donor car had a burned up one of these:


So I used the newer emerg. flasher switch which has two polls in it for left and right sides (so it doesn't short left and right sides together) and put a universal flasher relay before it's power source. Then I just used another universal flasher relay in line with the turn signal switch power source. This along with the resistors mentioned before made it all work.

More pics tonight.

[andeez01]

Here is a redneck white board diagram of the hazard and signal relays.

I almost forgot the resistors. They are not it the drawing but one goes on a positive wire on the left junction to ground and the other to a positive wire in the right junction to ground.

[andeez01]

Ok. My wife and decided you guys, since most of you won't make the show, and not many locals are following this thread, we would put a full pic up of the car so far. We still need to get the fuel door from the paint shop, but this is pretty much what it looks like at this point. Lemorris has been getting pics for the artwork. Can't wait to see that!!!

[Omar]

Looking real good, I like 

[Rob 57 Oval (Talon)]

Ok. My wife and decided you guys, since most of you won't make the show, and not many locals are following this thread, we would put a full pic up of the car so far. We still need to get the fuel door from the paint shop, but this is pretty much what it looks like at this point. Lemorris has been getting pics for the artwork. Can't wait to see that!!!

WOW!!  I can only say... you guessed it... SWEET!!!  You did a great job for a great reason!!  I'm sure I speak for all here, we admire your hard work and dedication, and I'm sure someone else is smiling big too!!  Great job to you and all of your family and Buddy's friends!!  If I could, I would be at that show!!  You did a hero proud!!!

Rob

[67Sedan]

I 2nd that!! awesome

[Rob 57 Oval (Talon)]

I'll probably get even more choked up when I see Lemorris work.     

[lemorris]

To say I'm proud to be a small part of this post is a major understatement.

Here we go.



They always start out nastee, but this one will land nice and soon.

Thank you so much for giving me an opportunity to contribute.  I literally shed a tear or 2 while sketching just thinking about what it means.  I will do my best.

[Kimbo]

Damn fine work on the Bug, looks amazing, everyone involved should be proud of what you've all achieved a stunning result, and, to be honest, way better than I'd imagined when you started off on this journey - thanks for keeping up the running commentary and the pics - it's not often that you see such fine work, in a short space of time, and see the scale of effort and teamwork that goes into the end result.

I'll probably get even more choked up when I see Lemorris work.     

Not to detract from the thred, but sorry had to comment on this, it was just too good an opportunity to miss....... Rob, I reckon Don and Joe get all choked up when they actually see Lemorris work as well 

....although I'm sure you meant when you see the work that Lem produces in relation to this, which no doubt will also be a fitting tribute.

Cheers ... Kimbo

[Mike9300]

OMG.....I am speechless.......

Incredible just Incredible

 

[andeez01]

The only frustrating thing about all of this is that you guys, most of you, will not be able to make it to the show, and there is a lot more interest here than there will be in the general public and at the car show where I will have one of the only bugs there. I would love to have you guys there. Your kind words mean a lot to our family.

"To say I'm proud to be a small part of this post is a major understatement."
Thanks Lemorris. I can't wait to see the final. It looks really cool!!

"and, to be honest, way better than I'd imagined when you started off on this journey"
Me too, Kimbo!!! I had no idea it would come out the way it has. It sort of happened a little at a time. We would decide to settle for something, and then say "that's not good enough" and do it a little better.

I'll probably get even more choked up when I see Lemorris work.     

The english language is tricky sometimes isn't it? It's amazing the difference a ' can make.

We are just going to have to make to some shows over the next couple of years. Maybe a trip to Florida is in the future. Who knows, maybe out west. We'll have to see.

[lemorris]

still rough but starting to find it's way

[lemorris]

for fun

[andeez01]

for fun

  look great! I thought of maybe the drawing having a whip antenna with a donate life flag on it.

[andeez01]

Ok folks I am putting the book together for this thread. I have it all in a word document and I am using your avatars. At the end I would like for all who are willing to have your name in the book plus city and state you are from. This thread has been a fantastic part of this project and I would like to include all of you. Please send me a private message with the info. As a bonus, if you could put a picture that would be great! Thanks again!

Andy

[qckdrw777]

Nice baja, turned out really great in the end.

[andeez01]

Here are a couple new pictures.

Rear speaker deck...