63Ragtop

Minor maintenance tasks update. Thought I'd give the air filters a birthday day to protect my newly rebuilt Dells. Cleaning kit is only 40 bucks from ripco/supacrap autos. Stage 1, clean all the nasty. Once dry, stage 2, re-oil and done! Colour match filters. Other thing I've been chasing is this very annoying oil drop from the filler/breather. I wasn't sure exactly were it was getting out from. Pretty sure now it's from the breather hose connection as it's the factory fitting is slightly smaller and doesn't have a barb like the ones I put on the catch can. I had hoped just hooning on the hose clamp would work but no so I'll ad that to the list.

I've thought about making one of these for the bug. Bug-tech. As always, enjoy your work man.

Thanks @Lord Gruntfuttock I don't drive it as much as I use to, but it's just a VW, the corolla of its day and should be used. Future plans include, renew sound system, some kind of headlining which means some work on the sunroof mechanism, new running boards, and I just lost one of my wee hubcap things off my mags. Also a narrow beam, drop spindles and disc brakes would be nice!

Always looks better after a wash. And from my favourite angle. Finally got around to changing the oil, really should have been done sooner, there was so much crap in the sump, all that lifter paste. VW's don't really have a sump, or a filter, just a sump plate with a tea strainer around the pick up. Ignore the big square sump in the picture, that's aftermarket and my car is probably to low for such things All was going well until I went to reinstall the tea strainer plate arrangement. The gaskets in the oil change kit have recently gotten at least three times thicker, so now the six little studs are getting very short. Only had just enough engagement, one but had to go sans crush washer. Have continued tuning the carbs, @sluggy suggested cranking the accelerator pumps, so I've been doing a little at a time, everytime it's gets a little better and nicer to drive, idle is very low but very smooth and doesn't stall, just seems weird not having it shake the car at the lights. Mrs even commented on it.

Fuck that's a sweet set up. Nice work Matty.

And a permanent roof tent. Nice work on the interior, huge improvement.

Gentlemen, after a good six months of neglect, general wear and tear I finally had time to service the VW. Living outside had not been kind to some of the so called stainless steel. Was to embarrassed to pop the hoop open at Kumeu. It been driving okay, it runs hard but it's that traffic speed, just puttering along off idle, it just didn't sound right, but fine when accelerating, something was a miss. One of the projects at work is up Silverdale so popped in the see the carb Barrys at Weber specialist, got a complete rebuild kit for the Dells. Alfa Romeo, very fancy, much racing cars. Having been through everything else the carbs are the last thing needing sorted, I don't think sitting for nearly two years on a shelf whilst I built the motor and various other life admin got in the way, helped. Borrowed the ultrasonic cleaner from work and cracked into it about 8:30, Friday night. Fuck there are a lot of very small parts in a 36mm DRLA Dellorto, and I've got two. many hours later and into the early morning I was nearly finished, didn't want to stop half way and forget where something went or lose a tiny jet. Had to stop drinking so I could concentrate! In a very rare occurrence I got to spend nearly all weekend just working on the car and not the house or the yard or visit relatives or anyone. After forgetting to tighten half the screws on the right hand carb, it started and ran pretty good. So took the time to sand back all the rust and polished it all back to a mirror finish, cleaned and wiped everything. No excuse for a ugly engine bay. Carried on adjusting the brakes, always amazes me how much a badly adjusted handbrake affects the overall performance of the old drums, seems to take up a lot of slack in the system. Popped the valve covers and set the rockers and checked the headstuds were tight still. Just need to grease and adjust the front end and actually change the engine oil and the maintenance will be up to date. Continued playing with the carbs, the access windows I put in the rear wheel wells make this easy and actually possible. I'm pretty happy with how's it's running now, so much nicer to drive, smoother, quieter better performance, more responsive. Maybe the tiniest flat spot just off idle, but nothing like the spluttering bullshit I've been driving around. Much nicer at motorway speed, just cruises.

Congrats on the wof, always fun in a old car. I love the ratty og paint, it's only original once!

Was doing some yard work a couple weeks ago and my cheap tree saws plastic handle feel apart. Whittled this out of a old piece of the house, on Saturday the neighbour who is into his woodworking helped finished it. Came out nice, looks great, fits your hand mean. Could have just bought a new one but this was heaps better.

Me brother has a Grange, hsv number. Huge boat of a thing but so gangsta!

Awesome bro, no reason needed. Looks like you've been busy indeed! We are starting our Reno at the moment so I feel your pain.

This thing is so cool, I would love to have such a device in my lounge! Music, drinking, functional steampunk!! Even the noise the panel makes as it raises is cool!

Have been chipping away at the Dells, turns out several things were a miss. There isn't a lot of adjustment on the DRLAs. I don't have any other jets so it is what it is. One thing I can adjust is the wee nut on the accelerator pump that, this is why is been popping, have wound it and it loads up the little spring and has nearly completely stopped the carbs farts. The other issue was the stumble. It was better but still randomly there, usually after giving it beans. I thought it might have been a kink in the fuel line restricting flow, as above. Picked up some 8mm pipe and wouldn't you know it the tank was full! Better but still fucking about. Spent most of today trying to tune the bastard things, then it would start running like a bag of shit, this is a bit of corrosion behind the acc pump cover. Then I realized what I'd done, the fricking choke was randomly coming on! Once it was behaving itself, I had a go at adjusting the air correction valves, I think they are called, spend ages going back and forwards, using the temperature gun from work it I got the exhausts without 20⁰ of each other. And balancing the left and right carbs. It's idling so nicely now I can hear the camgears and tappets all rattling around. Which has completely transformed it's road manners, it so much smoother and doesn't pop and fart about, hopefully that's all the gremlins sorted, wife says it needs a exorcism!

Need to neutralise the acid, I've had the same thing just using vinegar, need to wash it in baking soda or something. I would imagine there is something similar for phosphoric acid?