Frankenwagon
The Frankenwagon Project is Finished!!
It's never really finished, right? But it's close enough! Here's some glamour shots of it around Portland OR.
DIY Steel Fender Flare Stretching - Project Frankenwagon, part 9
After dropping the suspension, I had a problem with the tires rubbing the inside of the rear fenders. Here's how I fixed it!
How to: Miata seats: Reverse foamectomy and raising the seat height
This is how I repaired my old miata seats, reversed the "foamectomy" that a previous owner did, and also raised the seats over an inch to get some extra seating height in the car.
VW Type 3 Windshield Install - Squareback, Fastback, Notchback
Everything you need to know to install a curved-glass windshield into an air-cooled VW! Step-by-step instructions, lots of pictures, and even a video!
VW Type 3 Headliner Install - Squareback, Fastback, Notchback
It's a big job and it took me a few weeks! But it's totally a do-able job for the average car restorer like myself. Here's how I did it.
The Frankenwagon is Assembled! - Project Frankenwagon part 8
Putting the "car" back together! - Project Frankenwagon, part 7
I get the doors mounted, new wheels mounted, repair the front apron, test fit the fenders, do some rust repair, and make brackets for the front bumper. Almost done with stage 2!
Welding the body to the chassis - Project Frankenwagon, part 6
It's been a few months since my last post on this project and a lot has happened since then! Including building custom rocker panels that connect the VW door sills to the Miata pinch seams.
Getting ready for the chassis swap - Project Frankenwagon, Part 5
With the Miata's wheelbase stretched to match the VW's I started prepping the rest of it for the body/chassis swap. And I got the Type 3 Squareback ready as well.
Change of plans! Project Meetle is no more, say hello to Fenchy the Frankenwagon
At the last second, I decided not to use the Super Beetle body for my Miata chassis swap after all, and instead use this beautiful gem: a '67 VW Type 3 Squareback.
Putting the Stretched Miata back together - Project Meetle, Part 4
After cutting it in half and pulling it apart 6" to get the wheelbase I needed, it was time to put it back together. This meant new driveshaft, a bolt-on extention for the aluminum PPF, extended fuel and brake lines, etc.
Frame rails on a Miata! Project Meetle, part 3
Before I can put the Miata that I cut in half back together, I needed to build and install frame rails. Here's how I did it.