Updating my '67 Manx UPDATED PHOTOS

How-to building, restoration, repairs, and fun with your authentic Manx!
Scott-Drolet
Posts: 400
Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2010 6:00 am

Updating my '67 Manx UPDATED PHOTOS

Post by Scott-Drolet »

It's been way too long since I've driven my Manx, and, I've been saying for at least the past three years it was time to go through her again. The last time she was restored is when I bought her . . . in the summer of '92.  And the day I bought it, I could have had my pick of 3 different authentic Manxes, all in original gelcoat, and all in pretty decent shape. I'm still kicking myself for not buying this dark forest green Manx that had a hardtop! The worst part? All of them were priced between $300.00 and $500.00. Dang!

The restoration I did back then was an old school look. I chrome plated the stock roll bar, added '56 tailights, and kept it as clean as possible.  I added an infant Beard suspension seat shortly after my son was born, and, as time went on, a drop down dash. (Again, I'm kicking myself for not buying the opening hood that Bruce introduced in the 90's, that would have been a cool addition!)   I painted it an ice blue metallic color that came off a 1966 Chevrolet Station wagon I remember my Dad buying new. I just liked that color and thought it translated well to the buggy given it was close to the same year. This was also the first car I ever painted, using an airless sprayer in a paint booth made out of plastic sheeting in my garage. There's one spot on the driver's front fender where I hit the fresh paint with the bottom of the spray gun during one of my passses.  I still smile when I see it.

Today I took the car apart, and within the next two weekends. I'll deliver it to David Barret to have him work his magic on a condor chassis for it. Mike Dario is going with me to have some work done on his Tow'd, so it should be a fun trip!  Here's the teardown pics . . .I wish it would go together as quickly as it came apart!

Cosmetically, it's pretty decent, but the chassis has cracked and been rewelded so many times I wouldn't take it offroad
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This is the seat I put in for Jake when he turned 5 years old, he's now 17 and 6 feet tall
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This is the drop down dash I added in the late 90's
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6 hours of using an impact wrench on some seriously rusted bolts and the body finally came off the chassis
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Now I just need to remove a few more things, fix the cut fenders, and get it up to David.  I'm going to keep it the same color. It's grown on me over the years. I might wrap it though, instead of painting it. They can do anything with that stuff nowadays in every color and pattern imaginable.
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Last edited by Scott-Drolet on Wed Apr 25, 2012 6:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Scott Drolet
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MC 47, DSB, RBC, Long Haul League, '64 Monocoque, '67 Manx, '73 Manxter, '64 Stainless Burro, '64 Corvair Burro, '65 Corvair Burro
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towd-dude
Posts: 279
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Location: Gardnerville, Nevada

Updating my '67 Manx UPDATED PHOTOS

Post by towd-dude »

Scott,
Looking forward to the finished product. I'm sure it's going to be one sweeeeet Manx....!

Bob
Scott-Drolet
Posts: 400
Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2010 6:00 am

Updating my '67 Manx UPDATED PHOTOS

Post by Scott-Drolet »

Mike Dario and I made the pilgrimage to the tube chassis Mecca yesterday.  We spent a great couple of hours going over our two projects with David.  He's got a lot of great projects in the works and I'm looking forward to seeing them when he's done. I'm always impressed with his workmanship.

Here's my Manx sitting on a completed street chassis. 

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Although It should look a little more like this when it's nearing completion (That's the Dario Tow'd on the forklift in the background:

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Last edited by Scott-Drolet on Mon Feb 20, 2012 8:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Scott Drolet
MC Vice President

MC 47, DSB, RBC, Long Haul League, '64 Monocoque, '67 Manx, '73 Manxter, '64 Stainless Burro, '64 Corvair Burro, '65 Corvair Burro
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Scott-Drolet
Posts: 400
Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2010 6:00 am

Updating my '67 Manx UPDATED PHOTOS

Post by Scott-Drolet »

UPDATE! Here's some Spy photos of the progress on the Manx from David Barrett's secret lair . . . . I always thought my Manx was in pretty solid shape. Which is true, except for the 130 holes David has found in it so farImage. In spite of it's swiss-cheese-like condition, he's making great strides. And, it's now an EcotecImage

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Stay tuned for more pics as it progresses . . .
Scott Drolet
MC Vice President

MC 47, DSB, RBC, Long Haul League, '64 Monocoque, '67 Manx, '73 Manxter, '64 Stainless Burro, '64 Corvair Burro, '65 Corvair Burro
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Ed-Chenal
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Updating my '67 Manx UPDATED PHOTOS

Post by Ed-Chenal »

Scott,
Ecotec engine going in.
Where will the radiator be?
Ed
Scott-Drolet
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Updating my '67 Manx UPDATED PHOTOS

Post by Scott-Drolet »

Hi Ed, David is working on a design for a compact square radiator wing that will sit above the engine on the license plate bump. However, that's not set in stone as there is a thinner, wider radiator that could run along the lip of the rear seat area a little bit forward of the license plate bump.   He's experimenting with the radiator enclosure design since either configuration of radiator will work . . it's just a question of aesthetics.  I've kinda boxed David in a bit on the design. I want it to have a minimal amount of body modifications. The goal is to be able to pull off this body one day and drop a new Kickout onto it. I don't want any access holes in the body for shock towers sticking through the rear fender wells, or have the back of the engine jutting into the seat area.  He's had to really work to change the engine position to slide it back and away from the body, while still having the rear wheels fit where they should within the wheelwells.  The idea is to make it look like the old school Manx it once was (He's even trying to fit in a standard Bugshields By Deano windshield.) . . . with a state-of-the-art powertrain and frame stuck underneath it.  There's a bunch of other changes / inmprovements he's made that are really coming together. I'm not kidding when I say David is a true arttist.  The ideas he's coming up with exceeded anything I would have dreamed up.  I hope to unveil the finished buggy at the Reno Run in September.   
Last edited by Scott-Drolet on Wed Apr 25, 2012 8:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Scott Drolet
MC Vice President

MC 47, DSB, RBC, Long Haul League, '64 Monocoque, '67 Manx, '73 Manxter, '64 Stainless Burro, '64 Corvair Burro, '65 Corvair Burro
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5150bossman
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Updating my '67 Manx UPDATED PHOTOS

Post by 5150bossman »

Does the new motor/motor hardware, and pushing the motor back change the weight distribution front to back very much?
Scott-Drolet
Posts: 400
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Updating my '67 Manx UPDATED PHOTOS

Post by Scott-Drolet »

Hi Mike,  It shouldn't be too substantial a shift, but there will be a little more weight out there.  Talking in generalities, a stock VW engine fully dressed weighs about 215 pounds and the Ecotec hovers right around 300 pounds with the radiator.   The engine only had to be moved back somewhere around 3 to 4 inches, as it would protrude into the back seat area about 2 inches in the stock configuration.  Don't forget, however, that the transaxle and wheels move back with the engine, so the wheelbase gets a little bit extended as well. So I don't think the distribution will be too much different, until I stomp on it. That will definitely make the front end seem a bit light. 
Scott Drolet
MC Vice President

MC 47, DSB, RBC, Long Haul League, '64 Monocoque, '67 Manx, '73 Manxter, '64 Stainless Burro, '64 Corvair Burro, '65 Corvair Burro
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FulsGld
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Updating my '67 Manx UPDATED PHOTOS

Post by FulsGld »

That sure is some nice looking work there.
Gary Berry
Prosser, WA
1971 Turista
1969 ManxVair
Member #1112
Scott-Drolet
Posts: 400
Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2010 6:00 am

Updating my '67 Manx UPDATED PHOTOS

Post by Scott-Drolet »

Here's the surround David fabricated to incorporate a standard Bugshields by Dino windshield (don't know why but I attract windshield chips/stars/cracks), and it'll fold down onto the hood.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtqbndlGXVQ[/youtube]


The roll cage is moving quickly towards completion. In this video David is asking which rear support bar length would I like added to run from the top of the rear cage, down to the back seat/rear sill area.  I eventually want to run a full fiberglass or canvas Manx top on this car, so I felt the short bar (the second one that David holds up, yellow in color) would give me the more classic, old school Manx profile.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RckKAPe17o[/youtube]

This configuration allows me to use a standard Manx fiberglass top, and it will be configured so one of David's custom racks can be mounted through the top onto the cage. Here's the top fitted over the new cage:

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Last edited by Scott-Drolet on Thu May 03, 2012 8:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Scott Drolet
MC Vice President

MC 47, DSB, RBC, Long Haul League, '64 Monocoque, '67 Manx, '73 Manxter, '64 Stainless Burro, '64 Corvair Burro, '65 Corvair Burro
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towd-dude
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Updating my '67 Manx UPDATED PHOTOS

Post by towd-dude »

Absolutely awesome..! ! ! !
Ed-Chenal
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Updating my '67 Manx UPDATED PHOTOS

Post by Ed-Chenal »

It's really starting to look good Scott.

Keep the photos coming.
Ed
Scott-Drolet
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Updating my '67 Manx UPDATED PHOTOS

Post by Scott-Drolet »

Thank you Gary, Bob and Ed . . . David is doing an amazing job. But, actually, the chassis Bob had David build for him was the inspiration for mine.  Heck, up until a couple of months ago I was even going to paint it the same color as his!  Now it'll be repainted the same color it was before.
Last edited by Scott-Drolet on Fri May 04, 2012 12:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
Scott Drolet
MC Vice President

MC 47, DSB, RBC, Long Haul League, '64 Monocoque, '67 Manx, '73 Manxter, '64 Stainless Burro, '64 Corvair Burro, '65 Corvair Burro
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Scott-Drolet
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Updating my '67 Manx UPDATED PHOTOS

Post by Scott-Drolet »

I always planned on reusing the chrome '56 tail lights that were on the buggy originally. The prospect, however, of putting incandescent and slow-to-light bulbs on a state-of-the-art buggy made me wonder if I should go in some other direction.   Luckily, Shiney Hiney manufactures exact plastic replicas of the snowflake tail lights with LED arrays installed.  These look just like the glass Hella version, right down to the snowflake reflector embedded into the lens.   I was really impressed when I received them yesterday because they fit perfectly in my housings using the factory clips and fender mounting brackets.  Plus, you really have to look hard to see the LEDs and circuit board once they're installed.  Even better news is they make a version that fits '62-'67 VW tail light housings, too. 

This is a fairly inexpensive mod that makes your car easier to see, while having a pretty high cool factor.

Here's the link to their website:  http://shiny-hiney.com/ledt.html


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Here they are installed in the housings:

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Here are the offroad lights I'll be using. They're NOS Jackman Projeetor Lights. The only set I've ever come accross. But, they are beyond cheap. I'll bet they cost les than $10 bucks apiece new! I just like that they are from that era.

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Last edited by Scott-Drolet on Fri May 04, 2012 3:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
Scott Drolet
MC Vice President

MC 47, DSB, RBC, Long Haul League, '64 Monocoque, '67 Manx, '73 Manxter, '64 Stainless Burro, '64 Corvair Burro, '65 Corvair Burro
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Scott-Drolet
Posts: 400
Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2010 6:00 am

Updating my '67 Manx UPDATED PHOTOS

Post by Scott-Drolet »

Here's the completed rollcage using the "short bend" bar. I really like the way it turned out. David Barrett is on vaction now, so it'll be a little bit before the next update.

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Scott Drolet
MC Vice President

MC 47, DSB, RBC, Long Haul League, '64 Monocoque, '67 Manx, '73 Manxter, '64 Stainless Burro, '64 Corvair Burro, '65 Corvair Burro
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