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Ghia Nut Samba Member
Joined: December 23, 2003 Posts: 1565 Location: B'ham Alabama
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Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2016 9:35 am Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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Two biggest issues I have dealt with. Vac leaks and rust in a fuel tank. Those will cause more headaches than you can imagine and no matter how perfect the valves, fuel mixture, or timing is it allways mucks it up. I have killed an engine over a vac leak. Congrats on the after college job, to me that was harder than the two degrees. _________________ '59 typ1 rajay turbo
'72 Ghia rajay 1641 dual 36DRLAs, 1 3/8" SS merged header and fat boy
78" GL Vert with ej22t swap
This will likely change tomorrow to something else. |
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Beetlebaum Samba Member
Joined: December 04, 2008 Posts: 2181 Location: Virginia Beach, VA
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Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 1:29 pm Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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Beetlebaum has a date with a local VW expert tomorrow to get him going again!
The greatest excitement from today was when I drove Beetlebaum into the street to hook him up to my mother's truck and the mailman drove by, who yelled, "Nice! NICE!!" It was the first compliment that I've received about my Super Beetle in many years, and it was so encouraging.
Here Beetlebaum was before he got ready to be towed tomorrow...
And here he is, basking in the hot sun and enjoying being back out on the open street.
_________________ 1973 Super Beetle
2003 New Beetle
Post your Super here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=331999
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Beetlebaum Samba Member
Joined: December 04, 2008 Posts: 2181 Location: Virginia Beach, VA
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Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 7:43 am Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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Beetlebaum runs again! The VW guys replaced the carb and the distributor, and now the engine runs. I'm not 100% satisfied with how it's running--it needs to be dialed in--but the fact is that he seems to be idling on his own now. It's a happy day for Beetlebaum.
What this means now is that I have to sort out some short in my turn signals, brake lights, and tail lights, get my high beams working again, and hook up the defrosters; then, I'll take him through inspection for the first time since January 2012. My goal is to get him through inspection by early May.
Also, the reverse lights are working again for the first time since mid-2011, so that's a pretty happy development. _________________ 1973 Super Beetle
2003 New Beetle
Post your Super here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=331999
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Bashr52 Samba Member
Joined: July 16, 2006 Posts: 5666 Location: On an island in VA
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Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 4:45 am Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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Are you planning on driving it around without fixing the rusty pan head? |
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Beetlebaum Samba Member
Joined: December 04, 2008 Posts: 2181 Location: Virginia Beach, VA
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Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2016 8:38 pm Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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Bashr52 wrote: |
Are you planning on driving it around without fixing the rusty pan head? |
I plan on fixing the tunnel rust once I get the car through inspection (assuming that the car doesn't fail for the rust). It should be a relatively quick job--the biggest challenge being finding some metal and bending it into shape. I already lost one car to rust (my trusty Ford Contour), so I don't want to lose another. My first goal is to get the car going and legal, because that'll provide me with the necessary motivation to fix other important things like the rust.
I also got some smaller things fixed today on the car in preparation for inspection; on Monday, I'm going to adjust the brakes for the first time ever. I'm legitimately frightened that I actually used to drive the car with the brakes as awful and unadjusted as they are right now.
But hey--that's part of growing up and learning, I guess...and having much higher standards for automotive safety than I did back in high school. _________________ 1973 Super Beetle
2003 New Beetle
Post your Super here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=331999
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Beetlebaum Samba Member
Joined: December 04, 2008 Posts: 2181 Location: Virginia Beach, VA
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2016 8:52 pm Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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Well, you'll be happy to hear that I'm working on fixing the tunnel before I take the car through inspection! The problem is that it has been raining pretty much nonstop for about three weeks down here in Virginia Beach, so I'm dodging raindrops while trying to get Beetlebaum ready for inspection.
I'm having trouble adjusting my brakes, because the star adjusters are frozen. How should I deal with them?
I've done a good deal of electrical troubleshooting on my car and finally got the highbeams operating properly once more. I don't know why they weren't working, but I ended up pulling the fuse box off and checking all my electrical connections.
And I finally reassembled the dash fully for the first time since January 2011, when I first had to deal with a broken speedometer cable and some other things! I also looked at some old pictures of Beetlebaum on TheSamba and realized just how far he has come in the (almost) eight years that I've owned him.
Here he is way back in 2008, before I replaced the floorpans and dove into fixing my dashboard and removing the horrid things that the previous owner had installed.
And here he is as of just a few days ago, with his horn pad finally properly installed, the dash reassembled, and some of my own personal touches. (I also have a TARDIS that I'll put up on my dashboard once the car passes inspection, but that'll have to wait just a few more days!)
Anyway, I don't have all that much left to do before I try to get him inspected. The most important things to do are to fix my tunnel and to change my oil, which hasn't been changed since I rebuilt the engine.
"On the road of life, there are passengers and there are drivers..."
T minus two weeks until I hope to get my car through inspection. _________________ 1973 Super Beetle
2003 New Beetle
Post your Super here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=331999
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beetlenut Samba Member
Joined: May 27, 2009 Posts: 2980 Location: RI
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Posted: Fri May 13, 2016 5:20 am Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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Beetlebaum wrote: |
...I'm having trouble adjusting my brakes, because the star adjusters are frozen. How should I deal with them? |
You'll have to pull the drums off, undo the brake shoes, and tap out the adjusting stars from the wheel cylinders. Some Emory cloth and grease should have the stars turning again. _________________ scrapyards are for quitters
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Wetstuff wrote: |
... I spend more time shaking it than directing it?! I get a pretty decent blast for 8sec. then have to shake it again. |
- Words to live by right there!
My 74 Super rebuild thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6507104#6507104 |
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Lingwendil Samba Member
Joined: February 25, 2009 Posts: 3987 Location: Antioch, California, a block from the hood
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Posted: Sat May 14, 2016 12:23 am Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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beetlenut wrote: |
Beetlebaum wrote: |
...I'm having trouble adjusting my brakes, because the star adjusters are frozen. How should I deal with them? |
You'll have to pull the drums off, undo the brake shoes, and tap out the adjusting stars from the wheel cylinders. Some Emory cloth and grease should have the stars turning again. |
I had to take a torch to one of the stars on my passenger side rear, and even beating and prying on it took a good half hour to come out. _________________ 73 super beetle thread http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=649622 Back on the Road!
Modify your Kadrons for SVDA http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8115884#8115884
Cast iron VJU4BR8 SVDA reference thread- https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0
Need replacement filters for original Kadron aircleaners? WIX #42087 is a perfect fit, as is Napa Gold #2087! |
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gator Samba Member
Joined: August 12, 2004 Posts: 475 Location: Tookiedoo, South Carolina
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Posted: Sat May 14, 2016 5:47 am Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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I generally unthread the adjuster (13mm wrench head works great) and thread the top left engine bolt (or something similar from the bolt bucket) into the star, crank it down, and Bob's your uncle. Leave the star on the bolt and run it on the wire wheel. No heat, hammers, chisels, or busted stars. |
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EA812 Samba Member
Joined: December 07, 2008 Posts: 1223 Location: North central, CT
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Posted: Sat May 14, 2016 12:14 pm Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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Glad to see your sticking with it! When you do that repair job on the tunnel cover the welds with some seam sealer and paint the bottom of the car so it doesn't look like you worked on it recently. Should help from attracting attention at inspection. I don't know if you have a Tractor Supply near you but they sell tractor and implement paint that is real nice and a decent price too.
Do yourself a favor and take the brake shoes off so as to not get any grease or oil on them when working on them adjusters. You don't want to replace them if they are still good. Save some money that way. _________________ Project 66 Daily Driver http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=538786&highlight=
Herbie build
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=336044 |
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Beetlebaum Samba Member
Joined: December 04, 2008 Posts: 2181 Location: Virginia Beach, VA
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Posted: Mon May 16, 2016 12:23 pm Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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Thanks for the input, everybody. I'll let you know how the brake job goes, once I get around to it. I got really sick suddenly on Thursday at work and ended up fainting and going to the hospital, so I've been pretty much on bed rest for the past four or five days. My Bug has been put on pause for a few days.
Regarding the tunnel hole and inspection: they don't actually care how recently a repair has been done, as long as the repair satisfies the rules for inspection. My New Beetle actually failed for a front control arm bushing this past December, and my brother and I fixed it the next day; the technician who inspected the car wasn't concerned with when the car was fixed, but his job was to check that the problem was resolved.
Anyway, adding to my Beetlebaum Saga: I smelled an awful lot of gas fumes a few days ago and discovered that my car's fuel filler hose is rotting, so that's coming in this week from Wolfsburg West.
And that's it for now! If I'm well enough, I'll change the engine oil tomorrow and restart work on my tunnel repair. Stay tuned! _________________ 1973 Super Beetle
2003 New Beetle
Post your Super here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=331999
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Bashr52 Samba Member
Joined: July 16, 2006 Posts: 5666 Location: On an island in VA
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2016 4:19 am Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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Did you take it to the mechanic to have the engine looked at? |
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Mao31 Samba Member
Joined: June 18, 2016 Posts: 1 Location: California
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Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2016 1:37 pm Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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Now that Beetlebaum is looking good, are you going to sell Jenny? |
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Beetlebaum Samba Member
Joined: December 04, 2008 Posts: 2181 Location: Virginia Beach, VA
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2016 9:59 am Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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Bashr52 wrote: |
Did you take it to the mechanic to have the engine looked at? |
I took it to some members of the local VW club, and they got me a new Brazilian carburetor and (gasp) a 009 distributor. Those changes got the car to idle, mostly, but it still wasn't running right.
So I took the car to the BugOut last month, at which a member of TheSamba (thanks, Sean!) gave me some major pointers on the car, including diagnosing the car with some hidden vacuum leaks.
So I took the engine back out this past Saturday and replaced my intake gaskets and tightened everything down more than I did previously. I also dealt with the transmission mounts, since the old ones were severely deteriorated. Unfortunately, the replacement ones were junk, so I had to wait a few days to buy better ones!
And so here's how Beetlebaum sits, waiting for the rain to pass today so I can get the engine back in.
Mao31 wrote: |
Now that Beetlebaum is looking good, are you going to sell Jenny? |
Since Beetlebaum isn't going to be a reliable driver anytime soon, I'm keeping Jenny, but, on the subject of Jenny...
I got in my first-ever fender bender two weeks ago. So Jenny's at the insurance shop, and I'm stuck borrowing other people's cars. It's miserable and reminds me of being in high school, so it also has provided me with that necessary push to get Beetlebaum back. I didn't realize how much I valued my own independence in terms of transportation until it was all gone.
I'm now just waiting for this afternoon's rain to pass so that I can get the engine back in my Super, and then I'll get him tuned up properly (or so I hope). Then, my biggest problem is that hole in the tunnel.
[Oh, and I finally banged out that dent in the hood on Beetlebaum--it just took me eight years to get around to it. ] _________________ 1973 Super Beetle
2003 New Beetle
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Beetlebaum Samba Member
Joined: December 04, 2008 Posts: 2181 Location: Virginia Beach, VA
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2016 6:09 pm Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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Before I start: yes, I've been lame, and no, the car's not done yet.
But hey, today marks eight years since I bought my car, so I figure I'd be in error if I failed to post about that anniversary today. Just a few days ago, Beetlebaum turned forty-three years old.
And here's the first time I've ever posted a picture of myself with my cars--the man behind the madness. So, hello, and hopefully soon I'll stop being lame and get the car going again.
_________________ 1973 Super Beetle
2003 New Beetle
Post your Super here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=331999
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EA812 Samba Member
Joined: December 07, 2008 Posts: 1223 Location: North central, CT
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Beetlebaum Samba Member
Joined: December 04, 2008 Posts: 2181 Location: Virginia Beach, VA
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Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2016 3:08 pm Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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I haven't had anything worth posting in the past few months--I'd been working a lot before leaving my job in mid-July, and then I was traveling a lot since then. So, now I'm finally settling back in and trying to find a new job while simultaneously trying to save up to move out of my parents' house. Needless to say, Beetlebaum hasn't been foremost on my mind during that time.
Anyway, given that I'm trying to move out and am trying to decide whether to move up to Washington, DC or to stay down here in Virginia Beach, I don't actually know what Beetlebaum's immediate future will be. With that in mind, I've begun treating the rust on the car with the hope of stopping--or at least slowing--the slow destruction until I can begin a full restoration. Therefore, I took the mildly heart-wrenching step of beginning to cover Beetlebaum's (ugly and destroyed) original paint in the interest of sealing him off from the elements.
I'm using spray paint for this temporary paint job.
First up--the hood. (I'm looking for a driver's front fender to replace the rusting one currently in place, and I'm ordering a lot of new body seals so that I can paint the rest of the car.)
Here's how he looked back in 2008, showing the progression of the decay of the paint.
Here's how he looked yesterday before I began sanding down the rust and rock chips. (Notice how badly the paint had deteriorated since 2008.)
Sanding down the chips and rust. I didn't smooth it out as much as I needed and will be redoing the paint again soon, but it was important for me to stop the rust for now.
My super-ugly masking job...
He went goth with a black "rust converter" primer.
And here he was last night, green again.
And here is how the hood looks at the moment, with the chrome strip just set in place. I'm ordering new trim clips from Mid-America tomorrow. What's remarkable is how much more substantial and solid the car looks with the hood in one color!
Over the next two weeks, I'm going to prep the car for its cheap and temporary spray-paint paint job, which should slow the rust and effectively put Beetlebaum in stasis until I can actually begin tearing him down for a full restoration--hopefully in about five years. (Yay for needing a place of my own and financial stability!)
I'm still hoping to get the car legal before I move out. _________________ 1973 Super Beetle
2003 New Beetle
Post your Super here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=331999
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Beetlebaum Samba Member
Joined: December 04, 2008 Posts: 2181 Location: Virginia Beach, VA
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Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2016 7:34 pm Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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I worked hard on Beetlebaum today and felt really good about it (even though he threw some challenges at me).
I spent the day working on freeing the adjuster stars on the front brakes so that I could adjust them for the first time since they were installed back in 2010. I do have a problem, though--since adjusting the front brakes today, my car lost its semi-solid brake pedal, which now goes almost to the floor. I did have a problem with the brake fluid level having gone down out of the reservoir in the trunk before I adjusted the brakes, so do you think that I may just have some air in the lines now? Also, are the brakes supposed to scrape lightly on the drums when the wheels are turned by hand, or are the wheels supposed to spin silently?
Finally, allow me to say that I'm proud of myself and how far I have come since that time. When I first got this Beetle, I knew nothing about cars, so I had to take it to the mechanic to get the brakes fixed. Well, today, six years after I first took the car to the mechanic for the brake work, I realized how far I have come, because I was totally at ease doing brake work. And I couldn't have been prouder of myself and how much I have learned (mostly thanks to those of you who read my thread and comment--so thank you for your support!).
Also, the new paint on the hood totally transforms the look of the car; I'm going to continue my bodywork when a load of new parts comes in on Wednesday.
_________________ 1973 Super Beetle
2003 New Beetle
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Bashr52 Samba Member
Joined: July 16, 2006 Posts: 5666 Location: On an island in VA
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Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2016 5:24 am Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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You want to hear a light drag of pads on the drum when the wheel is rotated. |
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Beetlebaum Samba Member
Joined: December 04, 2008 Posts: 2181 Location: Virginia Beach, VA
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Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2016 3:49 pm Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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Bashr52 wrote: |
You want to hear a light drag of pads on the drum when the wheel is rotated. |
Got it. Thanks--that restored the pedal feel to what it should be, and the brakes work very well now. I might go back and tighten them up just a little bit more, but, for right now, I'm satisfied.
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Well, I finished adjusting my brakes. I also fixed my hood latch (so that it now has to be unlocked from the glove box, a feature which hasn't worked properly in eight years!) and properly installed a piece of engine tin. After that, I took the car for a brief test-drive down the block. The car desperately needs a tuneup, which means that it isn't accelerating how I'd like, but he did drive pretty well.
On the test drive...
Looking at things objectively, I've got to weld shut the holes in the tunnel and reinforce the slowly-failing heater channels, tune-up the engine (which sort of frightens me, given my awful track record with it), and sort out one or two shorts in the turn signals.
It's a long shot, but I think that I may finally actually be close to getting the car back on the road. And that's a pleasant surprise. _________________ 1973 Super Beetle
2003 New Beetle
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