(Project) Boat tail-4 Door Sedan VW Mk2 (1990 Jetta GL)

[JethroBodine]

Welded the end plate on the tail today and smoothed out some of the clumps on the right side.



I cut the shapes with a plasma cutter and smoothed/final fit with 90 degree die grinder with a 2 inch 36 grit roloc pad( don't look too close at the left one). The center hole is just big enough to fit my arm in for plugging in the lights and tightening the nuts on the light assemblies.



All together and now I can start smoothing/shaping from rear to front. Hopefully doing some tomorrow between raindrops.

[blownb310]

Nice to see the progress. Love the dedication!

Mike

[JethroBodine]

Thanks, Mike. The next week will, hopefully, see a smoother, quieter( and maybe even one color) tail. Tire noise gets pretty bad above 60mph as the rear is still open in places underneath. Besides, I've got a certain someone to try to beat this coming weekend.

[redyaris]

JethroBodine
I'm impresed! I'm looking forward to the mpg outcome when it is all finished. As to the gathering of crawds to talk about boat tails, the same happens to me on my motorcycle which has a boat tail also. They are impressed when I tell them that I get 2.9L/100km [81 mpg US] I have gotten as good as 87mpg on one tank that had lots of tail wind.
Keep up the good work.

[JethroBodine]

Thanks Redyaris.

The recent cooler weather had me down into the low 50s mpg before the tail. So far, according to MPGuino, this tank is around 59. 500 miles, so far and just below the half-tank mark. I'll be filling up on Thursday or Friday before my trip to Fonda, NY to meet up with blownb310 on the field of (mpg) battle.

[redyaris]

Originally Posted by JethroBodine

Thanks Redyaris.

The recent cooler weather had me down into the low 50s mpg before the tail. So far, according to MPGuino, this tank is around 59. 500 miles, so far and just below the half-tank mark. I'll be filling up on Thursday or Friday before my trip to Fonda, NY to meet up with blownb310 on the field of (mpg) battle.

Is this "mpg battle" an organized event or a personal "grudge match" between you and blownb310?

[JethroBodine]

No grudge here. He's putting on a small rally before winter and invited me( or I invited myself... not really sure). I've always loved racing, and this is a great opportunity to get more experience for next summer( If I don't have to have any more surgeries).

[deathtrain]

you know as much as i am on here i just now seen this.... so this is your trick to stay ahead. you evil B@#%!$D!!!! your cheating

LOL j/k man looks good. your going way more than i am willing to go.

[JethroBodine]

BWA-HA-HA!!! I mean... Oh no! You found my SECRET weapon.

It is a bit too weathery to work on the tail outside and I promised my son we would only spend one day at the shop( he chose Saturday). I see a few long days ahead( after work) this week.

[JethroBodine]

Did a little "living with it" work tonight. As the rear window and trunk were eliminated, the openings in the tail were generating a lot of noise in the car. Tonight I added a vertical partition out of 1/4" plywood. Cut WAY down on the road noise.



View from the front seats. I would have done more, but my last can of expanding foam decided to not work... at all... except around the seal on top of the can, not through the tip. There is a hole cut in the left side( right side of the pic) for tail light wiring and the wall had to be installed in two pieces( there is a back strap down the center).

Tomorrow night... well, every time I try to plan something, it goes awry. Will update as I go.