Dub-N-Aire is off the paper into the garage! - Cut-Weld-Drive Forums

vwhabit · February 5th, 2009, 10:15 PM

I've been gathering ideas for years and finally started building my dream car. It's a "Roth/Starbird" combination where my imagination just took over. A Bubble Top Ghia with some small shades of '57 Chevy thrown in (fins somewhat resemble them - but I wanted a more rounded look; will reshape the wheel wells ala '57 style, but they will match the fins as well), some of the other mods include: duplicating the great ghia lines on the rear quarter panels onto the front quarter panels, extending the front fenders with dagmars where the headlights normally are, then putting headlights behind the front vents.

The interior is gonna be crazy kool - but I haven't been able to sketch it out yet - it's still stuck in my head - and if I try to explain the bubble wrap style seat covers - and chrome roll bar style door panels, etc, it won't make sense - but trust me they will be kool!

There are many more ideas I probably haven't come up with yet that will work themselves into this project - they always do! That's what's nice - no rules!

Here are the blueprints I came up with (remember, I'm no artist - but I have a vision (somewhat blurred though!):
Dub-N-Aire Computer rendition 02-05-09.JPG

So then I started....

small 1 11-28 rear fins begin.jpg

small 2 12-07 013.jpg

small 3 12-20 rear fins 2.jpg

Having a blast building the car I want - not doing it to please anyone else....... breakin' all the rules this time!

Mikelrome · February 5th, 2009, 10:21 PM

I always felt the older type III front fenders looked 57 chevyish.

vwhabit · February 5th, 2009, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikelrome

I always felt the older type III front fenders looked 57 chevyish.

Agreed - in fact since I'm spilling my guts on my ideas - I always wanted to take a squareback and turn it into a mini '57 Chevy Nomad. Those front fenders, with the right headlight treatment are very close.

Seems like it would be pretty easy to do..... and loads cheaper than the "real" thing!

Mikelrome · February 5th, 2009, 10:27 PM

I was thinking you could graft a set on to yer ghia.

vwhabit · February 5th, 2009, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikelrome

I was thinking you could graft a set on to yer ghia.

Yeah - I can see that in my head........but it didn't just knock me over and give me the warm fuzzies.....YET.

Scott H · February 6th, 2009, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vwhabit

I always wanted to take a squareback and turn it into a mini '57 Chevy Nomad. Those front fenders, with the right headlight treatment are very close.

Seems like it would be pretty easy to do..... and loads cheaper than the "real" thing!

That reminded me of this photoshop:

gowjobs · February 5th, 2009, 10:21 PM

I am so with you on this - look forward to seeing more. I have some articles I saved somewhere on blowing your own bubbletops...

vwhabit · February 5th, 2009, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gowjobs

I am so with you on this - look forward to seeing more. I have some articles I saved somewhere on blowing your own bubbletops...

Excellent! I have pulled everything I could find for the last 3-4 years - but know I still don't know squat!

vwhabit · February 5th, 2009, 10:49 PM

Here are a couple more pics.....
Fitting the front to the rear...
small 4 12-26-08 Rear Deck 1.jpg

Making the first big cut...no turning back now!

small 5 12-26-08 Rear Deck.jpg
small 6 12-26-08 Rear Deck 3.jpg

Moving the vents closer to the ground - My exhaust will be coming out through them - and '59 Caddy taillights will be filling the sunken taillight housings (big round holes)

small 8 01-08-09 002.jpg
small 9 01-13-09 rear view.jpg

Still have to fill the hole in the middle - and make a hide-a-way license plate setup that is flush with the body, then flips down when needed.

bigskizzy · February 5th, 2009, 10:51 PM

you didnt even show em updated pics of the rear end ya hold out...cars gonna be CRAZY. i cant wait to see it done :D

bigskizzy · February 5th, 2009, 10:51 PM

oh sure post em up while im typing :p

vwhabit · February 5th, 2009, 10:52 PM

Yer slow kid!

hotrodheb · February 5th, 2009, 10:57 PM

Holy shit Mark....

That is bad ass!

bigskizzy · February 5th, 2009, 10:54 PM

haha yea whatever...

cdscowboy · February 5th, 2009, 11:24 PM

Friggin awesome! Can't wait to see more!

Dungbug58 · February 5th, 2009, 11:32 PM

**Hebster52** · February 5th, 2009, 11:59 PM

Oh My!! This is great!!!

**Steve** · February 6th, 2009, 02:32 AM

THIS is what I'm talkin' about!!

Second set of pics made my heart jump... I'm SO stoked to see this one come about.

Don't get me wrong... I can look at nicely done fenderless rodded bugs all day long, but an all-out no-holds-barred custom reminiscent of those historic rule-shattering 50's kustoms straight out of the little books is where my heart really belongs.

Johns wild Type 3 project... and now THIS? Too awesome.

I'm going to enjoy watching this build VERY much. I have no doubt this is going to be one of those projects watched and talked about all over the globe, much like we saw happen with the KidVrod as it approached completion.

Right on, Mark.

yimbo · February 6th, 2009, 02:52 AM

I've thought about turning a fastback or squareback into a early 50s style car by raising the center of the hood and putting Ghia fenders on back.

bugdust · February 6th, 2009, 04:02 AM

Ooooh, oooooh....a full custom build!

Looks great so far. I'll be checking this thread often.

Ryan · February 6th, 2009, 04:53 AM

wow that is looking insane! love it!!!!

66 Shorty · February 6th, 2009, 05:09 AM

That certainly IS an Awesome Project! You do some great work there Bro!

vwfanatic · February 6th, 2009, 05:41 AM

woo hoo mark.....that is freekin awesome. cant wait to see the progress on this one.

fernon · February 6th, 2009, 06:09 AM

I like were this is going. I am a huge fan of the Build What You Want, FUCK Everyone Else mentality, after all just about everyone on this forum has this thought racing through their mind when they say they are building a Volksrod to a Samba Purists. Keep up the great work, can't wait to see this one on the road.

vwhabit · February 6th, 2009, 06:13 AM

So, as with any project like this, there are u-turns that are made. Think I ran into my first one with the rear hood vents. I made a jig and then made my first vent (they have to be a carbon copy of each other to look correct - harder than it looks for this old man!). I wanted to have the 3-D effect of the stock cooling vents punched into a bug/ghia but with the sizes that I desired, so I have to make my own. The hard part was making the ends which are critial to making the vents appear stock....So I tried using the stock vents and lengthening them - but my welding skills lack a lot to do all that welding w/o distortion on each thin piece. So I used round stock and tried to mate that to the end of the original vent piece (which had to be cut into individual pieces to achieve the staggered lengths - Jeez I'm a glutton for punishment!)

Here is what I got (remember, in this pic you are looking at the back side of the vent - still needs to be cleaner than it is here though!) -
small 10 01-17-09 vents on jig.jpg

Then I cleaned them up and set them on the car

small 11 01-17-09 vents on car.jpg

I do not like my work on these so scrapped this idea and am currectly working on the replacement: Made 2 identical forms out of 3/8 round stock and will trace them onto the hood, cut a hole and weld them onto the back side (to give rigidity and the 3-D effect) then will make a grill out of 3/8 stock of all the different lengths that will fit into the opening.
That is the plan for this weekend....Keep in mind with my busy life that I only get to work on my car a couple hours a week....it's my "therapy time" ....and I need a lot of therapy!