Good... I feel better now... haha.

I did get the bottom side of the pan covered with Rubberized undercoating, and then top-coated with Truck Bed Liner....  Now I just need to flip it over once that's cured, and do the top side with the Bed Liner coating.

It sure does look cute all black and pretty...

The rubber undercoating gives some "give" when hit by debris, but can still get peeled away pretty easy.  The bed liner material is much more durable.  In this case, I am wanting a durable "hose-off" coating top and bottom, but the extra undercoating gives me both a little added bump protection for the underside, as well as noise dampening. 

I know, but it's a big open tub...  haha.  I'm just trying to make it a little less like a tin can banging around in a garbage can.  The extra bit of coating actually does help to cut down on the ringing sound.

Rick, several years ago I had a Manx replica.  Never did anything with it, and after it sat in the yard for about 5 years I sold it to a guy I work with.  He fixed it up, painted it and brought it to Bug-A-Paluza a few years back (#9 or 10) and sold it.  Why am I telling you this?  I just remembered that a while back he told me he didn't use the side pannels when he put it back together and said if I ever ran across anyone who could use them to let him know.

These are not the fancy ones that bubble out from under the lip of the body . . . they are flat panels that bolt to side of the buggy and flare out at the front and rear fenders.  So, there are better ones out there, but these do dress up the body a little and make the fenders a little more functional as fenders.  I don't know what he'll take for them, but I think he would let them go pretty cheap.  Let me know if you are interested.

So, since the pan is all done (well, almost) I  decided to toss the re-sealed transaxle and the front end back on, and sit the shell on top.  Partly to make it easier to shuffle around, partly to tidy the extra stuff up around the shop (Stuff was tucked everywhere)... Partly just so I could look at it and smile...

I was successful on all counts.

Loaded up the bus with all the build tools, stands, and remaining parts that I hadn't already taken home, and hauled that home at lunch.  The body is strapped down to the pan, so as soon as I shuffle the bus out of the garage this next week, the buggy can be towed home so I can start the final building process.  I am crazy excited by this little fella.  I have no doubt that I have timed my build finish date to coincide with the snows of February and March... 

And, on another note... I really need to buy a truck.  This stuff ain't gonna fly once the bus is all prettied up...

Will we ever get to see you finish a project!?!? You always list it when things get good...

booo

Well, now...  I got the no posts in at least 120 days note of shame...  

This thing was on back burner action for several months now, but I am finally getting back around to it...  A little time, and more importantly, the funds have started opening up a bit, so I can sink money into the bigger ticket items I needed to put it together.

Got the entire exterior wet sanded and polished now, so about 90% of the sunburn is gone.  Everything is shiny, with no real haziness, and just a slight discoloration, mostly along the driver's side where it was so badly oxidized.  Basically, perfect for an original gel coat driver.  

One mishap that occurred during the storage time back during the winter months was the paint lifting on the upper side of the floor pans.  Strange, as it's fine everywhere else.  Must have been poor prep at the end of a long day.  Crazy annoying, but better that I can go back and fix it now, instead of dealing with it when it's all together.  

Other than that, chugging along.  Dash has been glassed on.  I started installing the gauges directly in the dash, but after some consideration, I am going to make an aluminum panel that can detach from the dash.  Honestly, ease of access in the event of needed repairs is what's up.  I am getting to old and stiff to roll around up side down under a buggy dash.

For now, while I am awaiting the expensive stuff, I am finishing up things like the front axle, ball joints, etc, and gonna get the body wired as much as possible before mounting it back on the chassis.  

So far, it's looking like this thing should be ready to go in the coldest part of winter...  so, everything is going exactly as planned.