1963 VW Beetle:Ragtop Resto.

[63Ragtop 32,562]

So on the vw started making a weird fluttering sound. I checked the basic things like oil and removed the fan belt to see if the fan was rubbing on the housing. Guessing it was a massive exhaust leak I finally admitted that I'll never have a working heater system, I went and bought these.

Which replace these old shitters.

Volkswagen heater boxes, which are air heat exchangers, the hot exhaust goes in those ports at the back, turn 180 under the heads and connects to rest of the system, whilst the engine fan pumps cold fresh air (hahahah) though the large holes over the alloy fins that incase the exhaust and into the cabin. 

Fair to say these things have done their dash and weigh about 5kgs each.

Now factory vws have these annoying slip joints were the heater boxes attach to the muffler. As mine a bit low and the aftermarket exhaust flange is the first thing that hits the road pulling into a driveway (which can be seen in the last pic of the last post) it would crack the seal and would start leaking again. 

So I was able to reuse the flanges off the boxes and weld them in place thanks to my brother in law's weld as mine decided to die.

Ugly welds but strong. So much better using gas! I told what I was doing and mentioned that the muffler was also on its last legs and he pulls this out from under his house.

The openings are a little bigger as it's off his V8 prem, but the can looks to be exactly the same size as the bugpack muffler I have tucked up under the bugs fender. Next project sorted.

Here is are J pipes in place. Please ignore the oil slick under the engine.

So after fucking around all day, I start it up and bugger me if it was still making the fluttering sound! Me and Darrel spent a couple beers trying to suss what was making the noise, getting pretty gassed in the process, carbs need a tune, running very rich. So I go down the road to turn around, give it the old italian tune-up, and waa hey, problem solved! Still not sure what it was but I'll take the win.

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Had a busy week with the bug, changing gears was be coming rather hit and miss, by Wednesday I was having to start it in gear if I wanted to use reverse.

One thing I'd meant to do during the rebuild was to replace the plastic bushing that holds the shifter rod in place inside the tunnel. I even bought the part, but, meh I had a whole car to build and it worked okay before, also it's a cunt of a job. The problem is to change the bush you need to completely remove the three foot long shifter rod.

And this is the only access.

You gotta take the spare tyre out, the front bumper, two access plates and as it turns out both front beam adjustment bolts, and poke the shifter rod out the front. Fuck me.

Old thing new thing. Didn't end up taking to long, an hour or so.

Gears still fucked, adjust clutch. Ah, much better.  these two things have made the car so much nicer to drive it has reinvigorated my enthusiasm for the car. 

So on Friday I cut the muffler off.

Old shit.

New shit.

Some shit welding and a lick of paint. And a short five hours later. Tried to kick The tail up at the end. Sounds so good, very happy with it, I'd had the old one nearly twenty years so not bad. Makes prober vroom vroom sounds now!

Also cut a hole out of a large trapezoid of mdf.

For the jbl to sit in, speaker only just fits.

Sub doesn't have the same punch of the when it was in the box, bit more boomie, but heaps of volume and is fine with a few twiddles of the eq. Was going to cover it but it's fun watching it move in the rear view mirror.



Random photo of small mount on can I had to jigger. Note self clearance flange.

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Had a play with the sunroof the other night, things been a bitch to open and close since the resto, put some of it down to not having a headliner to help pull the second bow forward, but it also a dickhole going the other way. Had a good look and tried the second set of hole in the end of the wheel holder thing.

Much better! Why the fuck hans drilled the second set I do not know.

The only other instructions I've been able to find say bend the outer runner to fit? Was never sure how. After some careful prodding with a screwdriver and little progress, I found the use of the round hole in the runner.

The two small rollers inside need to be even so the bow moves smoothly, by putting a screwdriver in the hole in the opposite side you can easily and gently bend the steel to just the right tension. Clever hans.

These are castor shims, and longer beam bolts. These improve the road manners of a lowered vw at highway speeds. I already had a set installed but on very low cars, another is needed. As the shims space the bottom beam away from the pan longer bolts are required. 

Managed to install them without dropping the beam out. Easily the best 40-50 bucks I've ever spent on the car, it will sit on 60-70mph, one hand on the wheel, relax. Before you needed to keep your wits about you as it was very twitchy and unsettled.

Now, just need to sort the vibration at and after 70mph, the deafening noise and smell of hot engine fumes and we're sweet.

An't she cute dough?

 

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Nice day for a hoon up a volcano.