The Road to "Metallica"

So, a while ago I get a call from my friend Rick Dore, that he is putting together the cars to be in James Hetfield's display at this big metal rock concert a la palooza thing they are having in Atlantic City, New Jersey. "Are you and the Roswell Rod available?", "You betcha we are!". It's funny how things work out 'cause the Roswell Rod was fresh off a show tour with Championship Auto Shows and sitting in their warehouse in Detroit. I had to go pick it up anyway, and Detroit is kinda on the way to Atlantic City. Seeing as how I am gonna be so close to Long Island I might as well stop in and do some visiting. So Carrol and I pack our stuff and about 10 days or so before the Metallica show we head off to visit with Bob Larivee and pick up the Roswell Rod. Bob's a great guy and is the head honch at Championship Auto Shows. They put on a bunch of the indoor winter car shows that you have probably been to. Maybe next year they will take the "Baja Bandeeto" on tour, who knows! After I get all loaded and mess with a trailer brake problem that poped up on the road, we are off for long island. One of the fun places we like to stop is at "Skyline Chili" in Ohio. You Ohio guys know what I'm talking about. I get mine on spaghetti 5 ways! I usually go to visit with my folks for Thanksgiving but seeing as how it is Summer and I get to visit I brought my Harley Electra Glide with me so I could bust around in style, while seeing friends and such. The fist thing we did was stop at a diner and get a cheeseburger deluxe. It is a New York thing I guess, there really aren't diners any place else like there are in New York. In part 2 we'll check out James Hetfields hand picked car show in Atlantic City! Fritz

It's Exhausting

Since all the stuff I need hasn't come yet to rebuild the VW engine, I started working on the exhaust pipes. I had a box of old bends and some stock Harley exhaust pipes that I dug out of an H-D dealers dumpster. That's all I really needed to get going, and more then likely finish the Bandeeto's exhaust up! I used the head flanges from the dune buggy pipes I robbed from the ED Roth trike, and grafted them to the Harley 1 3/4 pipe. I plan on welding 4 chopper style baffles into each individual pipe, to give it a little back pressure, so its not to loud and annoying. Somewhere along my path in life I acquired these carb stack tops. I'm thinking they are from Webber's or something of the sort. Either way, they will make a nice bell trumpet tip for all 4 header pipes when I am done. I pretty much spent a good part of my weekend sitting in that little 5 by 5 foot space on the floor behind the engine. What did you guys get done? Get out in the garage and build something! FRITZ

Have a Seat

I haven't been getting as much done as I'd like. Been staying late at work trying to get a big job there done, and coming home to work on the "Baja Bandeeto" for only an hour sometimes less. So far, I have gotten the seats placed and I welded some bolts to 1/8th steel strips. I drilled a hole through the seat, and the floor pan, put the bolts with the steel strips in the holes, and bolted it all up from the underside of the floor pan. What I'm gonna do is fiberglass the steel strips right to the fiberglass bucket seat. This way the bolts will always be in place. That's it for now, get out in the Garage and build something. Fritz

Let There Be Tail Lights!

Not a bunch to report this time gang. I spent the weekend getting my trailer ready for a show we are doing on the east coast. I was doing brakes and wheel bearings etc., so my time in the garage working on the "Baja Bandeeto" was limited. I got the 1964 Ford tail lights mounted onto the body. I think they look a lot better then the earlier Ford units I had mounted on it 2 years ago. Also I took the stock exhaust system stuff off and fiddled around with the old header pipes that come off the Ed Roth trike that I robbed the motor from. Had to take the wheel off the passenger side, and when I went to put it back on, the stupid lug nut bound up its threads on the wheel stud and I had to breake it to get the wheel back off. What the heck man? I chased the threads on the stud and lug nuts when I put it all together the first time? "Ugh!" I'll hit the auto parts store after work tomorrow and get a new one, and maybe put a dab of axle grease on the threads this time. A bit of a set back nothing major. what did you guys get done? Fritz

The Baja Bandeeto VW Engine

OK so while I wait for parts to get UPS' d to me I figured I would rebuild the engine for the "Baja Bandeeto". I didn't want to pull the engine out of the car because I am still doing mock up stuff and need it to work around and fit things. So, I went out to my barn and pulled the 1500 CC engine out of my vintage Ed "Big Daddy" Roth trike! I figure how appropriate, the engine out of a Roth trike going into a Roth inspired bubble car! After I got it out I loaded it into my truck and drove around to the house garage. I bolted it up to my engine stand with a VW engine head my Dad gave to me a while ago. See Kids, when I was growing up in Long Island, NY my Dad was the Volkswagon go to guy! He started out building Dune Buggies in the late 60's as "HoBo Dune Buggies" and then later became "L&F Volkswagon Repair". When I was about 11 or 12, dad would give me $12 bucks to install a muffler, and so much to do brake jobs. Later on, after I got home from high school, I would rebuild engines all day every day. Pull 'em out and put 'em back in. So here I am, almost 30 years later, standing next to a 1968ish 1500CC flat four about to tear it down for a rebuild! I guess things have come full circle, so this is what I am doing in the garage. what are you guys up to? Get out in the garage and build something! FRITZ

Back on the Bandeeto!

It's been too long, almost two years I think. You know how it goes, you have other things to do. I made a How to "Chop a Model A Ford" DVD, almost cut my hand off, stuff like that. But now I have been back to work on the "Baja Bandeeto" for a little while now, about one or two hours after work every day, and I had a good solid weekend to really get some work done. I cut the pedal assembly down quite a bit so it would clear the body and column. Not having much room to work with, I did what I had to do, and worked with what I had. I used 1/8th plate steel to make up the floor pan starting up front in the "foot area". The major floor pan area is also 1/8th plate steel. I dropped it down as far as I thought was good, so my head wouldn't be banging against the bubble. I spent a lot of time climbing in and out of the car, and making cardboard templates to get it all in the right neighborhood. All the steel is tack welded into place and it seems to be placed fine. I set a fiberglass bucket seat in there, and slid the bubble on just to be sure. I bought an 8 foot length of 1 x 1 1/8th inch thick angle iron to make a battery box. It doesn't look like much, and you'd never know I used up most of the 8 feet either, but it does work. I'm thinking the gas tank will go on the drivers side, and an electric screw motor in between, to lift the bubble up and down. I know it must not look like I have a bunch of time in what I did but, add up all the test fitting, cardboard templates and what not, you get the idea. A hand made car is just that "hand made" every piece, wire and bracket. It all takes time, so if you are building stuff at home, just keep at it gang. A little at a time and you will get there. Look at me, after two years, I am back on it, and making it happen, so can you ! Now, get back out in the garage and build something! FRITZ

Dad's Flames Finished

So, I finally got my dad's tin all done. It looks pretty keen, all blue flake with the slime green stripe around the flame job. Been doing lots but just haven't had the time to blog about it. I just finished filming my new DVD "Lace & True Motorcyle Wheels", we still have to edit it and get it ready to be burned, look for it in about 2 months! The "Baja Bandeeto" is back in my garage and as soon as I get home from work on Monday (thats tomorrow gang), I'll be back at work on it and blogging my exploits! Its been tough getting all caught up after cutting my arm to the bone. There was the 6 months or so of being out of work, some therapy, and then trying to catch up on all the back log of things I needed to do, and little jobs to finish. I hope i am back on the rack finally. Thanks for sticking with me! I do appreciate it. I am back out in the garage and I am building something. What's your excuse? Fritz Greaser Mike sitting in the "Baja Bandeeto" when he visited me last week.