Sily Räbit - The SwallowTale

that rabbit looks awesome man

Looks good.
Don't go too crazy putting trim on it before you color sand and buff it. All that trim will be a beotch to work around with the buffer.

Great job for your first try. Ask your parents to buy you a proper paint mask next time though!!
Something like this.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SSC-2600-40/

Michael, I wish I'd been as ambitious as you when I was your age. I had plans but no money nor the tools to do it. Keep on keepin on, looks good to me. Did you use single stage paint? What brand?

you could use this mask also....
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=69598-98-R6211&lpage=none


I used this one and if you can smell the paint it's not keeping it out. Worked perfect and I didn't smell any thing. They have the refills also. I keep mine in a coffee can to keep it clean and sealed from chemicals that may be in the air. This will lengthen the life of the filters.

Thanks for all of the complements guys, i really appreciate them.

BKiller, all of the trim that i have put on is very easily removed (would prob take 10 mins) and all of it really needs removing so i can polish the trim i was just too excited to not put it on lol

young and stupid we've all heard the phrase, i tried to save some money by buying the cheap mask, my parents only bought the paint seeing as it was $200 alone not including the primer, so i had to buy the rest of the supplies (thats my buddy Blake in the pic btw) i definitely learned my lesson next time i will have a decent mask, i had some coughing goin on afterwards, but Blake said it didnt really bother him, although i did a great deal of the spraying, so i was in the middle of the fumes, so now i know to have a decent mask while painting.

Bob, dont be fooled this rabbit is taking all my denaro, and im making do with the tools i do have and buying stuff as i go, as for the paint it is a single stage acrylic enamel from valspar with wet look activator

again thanks for all the comments and concerns they really help!

oh, and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!

Michael

love the color- nice job

Looking good.

thanks laith, zabo,

got a few items in
a cabby flap locking gas cap (which sadly i have no pics of)
and most importantly i received 2 adapters for my wheels so that i can dial in the stance

the front has alot of poke really more than i wanted but i think it will look ok when i get the back evened up (i have not installed a rotor yet so the front is likely to poke more afterwards, how much though im not sure)





one happy dude!


my carb is supposed to be here tomarrow, that is, if the stupid snow doesnt delay it

Got the engine in today and started on putting the new control arms on till I found out I had the wrong balljoints and started installing the stress bar

sry the engine is dirty, it has been cleaned and painted satin black

what size tires are you running my wife's car im building has 215-35-18 on it an i figured they were going to be expensive but they were only 46$ i think bryce posted this link a while back hey they can get you tires the tire stores haven't heard of it doesn't really mater with me any way we will just burn them up any way www.onlinetires.com

Looks awesome mocked up!

So is that a 1.6?

yea its the 1.6, dont really have the cash for a bigger engine at the moment maybe later on...

made some progress today

installed my eurosport 4 point brace


My carb also came in today, its a 32/36 weber dfav, should be just right...it came with the manifold, 2 air filters, electric fuel pump, mechanical fuel pump, and a mk2 throttle cable along with an adapter so that i can route the throttle cable behind the carb, that way i dont have a throttle cable running through the middle of the engine

















rabbit is going on the backburner, for a little while, until i figure out my oil leak problem on the oval

You may want to check out a topic on thesamba, about those progressive carbs. its under the engines and performance section. its about how to properly tune, and jet those carbs. its by the user john @aircooled.net . It seems the carbs come stock with bigger jets on the primary (32mm) barrel, and smaller jets on the bigger 36mm barrel, which causes the motor to lean out badly, on accel. i had the same carb on my turbo set-up and experienced the same thing. pretty crazy stuff. i'd post the link, but i'm having internet issues, and it'll be a miracle if this post actually goes thru, lol. good luck.
-Mike

Don't fret your engine choice. The 1.6 is a great motor. With a decent cam and exhaust it will give you good power in a light weight car like the rabbit.

I like that lower brace. I have a Techtonics which is a copy of the stock 16V brace.

Definitely jealous of your progress. I need to get off my ass if I am going to meet any of my goals for this year.

Thanks laith, that makes me feel better about going with the 1.6, seeing as how I have never even rode in a rabbit or any mk1 for that matter I really have no idea what I'm messing with. The eurosport brace came with the car deff one of the selling points, along with the coilovers. Next on the list is engine timing mantainance like belts points plugs ect, also rebuilding the axles the car also came with all new cv boots turns out they are 100mm and I need 90mm

Thanks for the heads up mike it is a used carb so the jets may have been changed I'll def have to take a look them

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=386388&highlight=progressive

Computer finally working for me, lol. here's the link. mine came with the standard jetting which was:

(Primary/ Secondary)
idle 60/50
main 140/137
air 165/160


John told me to go with this for my 1600:

(Primary/ Secondary)
idle 45 / 47.5
Main 125 / 175
Air (2) 180

As you can see its way off from the "stock" jetting, and also how the smaller primary 32mm barrel has the smaller jets, and the larger 36mm secondary barrel has the larger jets.

Was thinking about your drivetrain and I am assuming that you will be using the trans from the '78 and also assuming that it is a 4 spd. Also assuming that the swallowtail last had a 5 spd in it. If this is the case, you will need all the linkage for the 4 spd, including the bracket that bolts to the body.

Lots of assumptions and maybe you have already thought this out, but if not just wanted to give you a heads up.

Luckily I removed all of the shifter linkage from the 78, it's in storage but I do have it, thanks for the heads up

That thing would look pimp with a full cage in white installed in it!!

picked up some parts today from the junkyard!

i found some really nice window rubber that should clean up well!
i bought scrapers inside and out
two window channel seals
two stationary vent windows w/ seals
hatch seal
i left one of the window channel seals (the one that goes into the metal divider for the vent windows)
all for $30
so now i just need a passenger door seal, the window channel seal(^), windshield and windshield seal

also picked up some good plug wires, and a black flag mirror (pass side, although im thinking about just deleting it, for an olde skool look)

my biggest problem right now is wiring, i dont know what i have and what im missing, much less where it all goes... still need to find all wiring for cabby dash, and a cabby cluster.

Sweet...what yard was that?

It's Doug's personal yard in cartersville, Not really a junkyard persay more like his collection... It is the same person who runs Doug's VW, and the same guy I bought the 78 from

windows in!!!

I installed the hatch and rear 1/4 windows, aswell as the passenger door windows. i would have finished the driver's side but i left a seal at the junkyard which i will have to go back and pick up.

as far as windows and seals i just need a windshield and a seal for it

I also put on a new timing belt, installed the radiator and some hoses
I still need the bypass hose that goes from the waterpump to the top radiator hose or seeing as how i am deleting the heater and a/c I am going to block off the heater "crackpipe" and have the extra hole in the waterpump welded shut, would it effect the coolant temp or anything if i was to delete the bypass hose and have those holes welded up as well?

the car is very dirty, but its not water ready yet, so don't mind the dirt, and the engine will be cleaned up after i get it running...

I keep getting closer to wiring, the only part of the build that I am dreading

found another vent window seal so I finished the drivers door

interesting tidbit... a 67 and newer bug door seal is perfect fit for 2dr rabbit, and considering brazil bug seals are like 12 bucks and rabbit seals are listed 40+ bucks a very good alternative

bought some clips for the trim, turns out the bottom trim uses a larger size of clips, anyone have a lead on where i can get these?

i picked up the waterpump today,i had the waterpump's extra holes filled, so the heater hose and bypass hose are now deleted.
my cousin is making a block off plate for the side of the heads heater hose

i have installed the intake and exhaust manifold with new gaskets

I have most of the shifter linkage hooked up, just have to drill the the rod that connects to the bottom of the shifter... I lost the special bolt for it

the caddy dash mounts have been welded in and the dash is mocked up, i picked up a bezel and wiring harness, and i just ordered a instrument cluster to finish up the dash swap

while going through the wiring i found that i have all that i need the rear harnes, the front left and right harness and both the swallowtail and cabby dash harnesses, i plan on using the swallowtail dash harness and using the connectors off of the cabby harness to hook it all up. I still need to relocate the battery to the spare tire well also

the brake booster and MC is bolted up just not hooked up yet, still need rotors, and im not positive as to if the brake lines in the rear are intact ( prob should be at top of todo list )

working on getting windshield and seal also

I think thats most of it... If I think of more i will post it...