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JTRacing Samba Member
Joined: September 13, 2015 Posts: 2 Location: NJ
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Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2015 9:51 pm Post subject: |
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Is it running? have you figured out the issue? |
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EA812 Samba Member
Joined: December 07, 2008 Posts: 1223 Location: North central, CT
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Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2015 5:38 pm Post subject: |
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Beetlebaum wrote: |
Alrighty, so, it's been almost a month--and I've accomplished nothing except figuring out the direction in which I need to take my restoration.
The fan for the fresh-air box is still seized, so I just shut the box and ignored it.
Shockingly, his paint has begun to fail and fade at an alarming rate lately. Beetlebaum is going to enter into what I'm calling a "grunge phase", because he's going to look like the typical project car, full of primer and such. I'm also going to tear out his nasty OG headliner (which is all shredded apart in places) and shall make him a new headliner out of fabric from a local store.
Basically, I've had a reality check of just how much work Beetlebaum needs since getting that 2003 New Beetle.
Also, what would you all suggest I use to get the road junk out from under the fenders? I want to clean that area and put some undercoating on before my Super starts to rust away even worse. |
Take the direction of getting it running . Nothing will be more incentive to work on it more than driving it right now. If you start tearing it apart now it may be hard to find the motivation to finnish it. _________________ 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: Sat Oct 24, 2015 1:07 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, as much as I hate to admit it, you're right. And of course the car isn't running yet
But on a much more balanced note, I actually wrote up a list of all the stuff that I actually have to do and ought to do before I take Beetlebaum through inspection sometime early next year.
I'm planning to avoid posting any of my progress on my personal Facebook page, meaning that I'll be more motivated to post it on here and in the Super Beetles Only! group on Facebook.
So...with that...I cleaned the interior for the first time in four years and got the last of the junkyard grime off the dashboard today! Slow progress--and important steps for building momentum and motivation.
_________________ 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 Oct 26, 2015 3:25 pm Post subject: |
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I got Beetlebaum a peace offering today to make up for all the years that he has sat in the driveway.
As a promise of brighter tomorrows, I finally bought him new wiper blades--the first item is now scratched off of the official and extensive "Beetlebaum Fix 2.0" list! (And, yes, this new list is much more sensible than my previous lists and ideas for Beetlebaum. This list is what will make him a viable and driving car once more, so that I'll be motivated to tackle the non-essential work.) I finally have a job, so I can start buying parts for him (and paying off those pesky student loans).
Baby steps, baby steps...
Also, for what it's worth, Napa's computer system has the wrong size for curved-windshield Super Beetle blades, in case anyone was wondering. _________________ 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 Oct 29, 2015 9:06 am Post subject: |
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Hey all--
I was trimming the shredded remains of Beetlebaum's headliner today when I suddenly found these near the rear quarter windows (near where the crescent vents are on the outside).
What are these holes for?
I would imagine that the bottom one is for pop-out rear quarter windows and that the hole in the yellow circle is for shoulder seatbelts. If so, do you know what size bolts go in there, and do you have any recommendations for retractable shoulder belts?
Thanks! _________________ 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: Tue Nov 03, 2015 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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EA812 wrote: |
The seat belts come with the bolts if you get them from Wolfsberg west. I bet they can help with the pop out hardware too. |
Ooh, nice information to know. Perhaps all that will be a "happy inspection" gift to the car.
I went to a meeting of the local VW club tonight and discussed with them the possibility of having a get-together to get the car running again, since I'm pretty much at the limit of my knowledge with the engine. Watch this space as time goes on!! My car will return to the road--someday. _________________ 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 Dec 10, 2015 10:20 pm Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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Well, long time, no update.
I finally got a post-college job--but that means that I've also had no time for Beetlebaum. My 2003 New Beetle has also been hogging my attention--just two days ago, she had issues with her coolant system (insert joke about air-cooled being superior to water-cooled VWs) and required a frustratingly expensive repair.
But! I'm back. Kinda. Today, I worked on Beetlebaum and removed the old windshield wiper motor (which I broke about two months ago when I tried to get the wipers moving more quickly). I'll finish hooking it all the way up tomorrow morning before going in to work in the evening.
So...eternally slow progress, I guess. I'm a bit bummed with myself for not having more time or energy to work on my Super, but I'll get the car working eventually. _________________ 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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Stock Steve Samba Member
Joined: April 10, 2005 Posts: 1963 Location: My Left Nutmeg State
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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: Mon Feb 08, 2016 6:17 pm Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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Hey all--
I finally had a good chance to work on Beetlebaum today, and it was a day of unfortunate realizations. The car has sat for four years now and certainly shows the effects of such neglect.
I had a few humbling moments today when I saw objectively just how awful this car is and how much it needs work.
The biggest problem is the massive hole in the tunnel.
I'll fix that over the summer, when it's warmer out and I can get the car up on ramps. While I had the front of the car jacked up, I saw that the front suspension is tolerable enough probably to pass inspection, but I don't trust the suspension to get me going on any highways. I'm pondering saving up to redo the front suspension. Does anyone have any suggestions of where to look for stock rebuild kits and such?
The driver's headlight bucket is rusting out, too, and the car has no functioning highbeams at the moment. There's also more of that death foam cancer in the rear quarter panels than I'd like to admit, so I'm trying to figure out when I can and should fix that.
That said, I did finally make some forward progress. I drained the gas tank of some very old fuel in the interest of getting some fresh gasoline in there.
All those things being said--
While I now see just how much needs to be done to my Beetle, I also have no intention of giving up; I would forever regret getting rid of it, and I know that I can and will learn how to fix him. I hope to begin a more thorough restoration in five to seven years (once I have my own garage in which I can keep the car), so, until then, I'll have to do several stopgap measures to stop the rust. Keep watching this space for a slightly more subdued but also more realistic approach to my Super Beetle.
And, of course, thanks for reading. Your support means a lot to me! _________________ 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: 2983 Location: RI
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2016 6:50 am Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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The tunnel rot is not fun to repair from the bottom, but can be done. I had much worse rot and started from the bottom, but eventually separated the body from the pan so I could lean the pan on its side to fix the rot. As far as I know, no replacement panels are made for the bottom of the tunnel. I took 18 gauge steel and fabed up my own.
_________________ 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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EA812 Samba Member
Joined: December 07, 2008 Posts: 1223 Location: North central, CT
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daisy71 Samba Member
Joined: July 17, 2013 Posts: 105 Location: Staten Island
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Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2016 8:00 pm Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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My pan was a bit worse than yours, but then I drove it t through a salt water flood let it sit fot a while and this happened. _________________ 71 Super beetle |
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caleb0101 Samba Member
Joined: August 26, 2014 Posts: 524 Location: Bristol Connecticut
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Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2016 7:24 am Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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Beetlebaum wrote: |
Hey all--
I finally had a good chance to work on Beetlebaum today, and it was a day of unfortunate realizations. The car has sat for four years now and certainly shows the effects of such neglect.
I had a few humbling moments today when I saw objectively just how awful this car is and how much it needs work.
The biggest problem is the massive hole in the tunnel.
I'll fix that over the summer, when it's warmer out and I can get the car up on ramps. While I had the front of the car jacked up, I saw that the front suspension is tolerable enough probably to pass inspection, but I don't trust the suspension to get me going on any highways. I'm pondering saving up to redo the front suspension. Does anyone have any suggestions of where to look for stock rebuild kits and such?
The driver's headlight bucket is rusting out, too, and the car has no functioning highbeams at the moment. There's also more of that death foam cancer in the rear quarter panels than I'd like to admit, so I'm trying to figure out when I can and should fix that.
That said, I did finally make some forward progress. I drained the gas tank of some very old fuel in the interest of getting some fresh gasoline in there.
All those things being said--
While I now see just how much needs to be done to my Beetle, I also have no intention of giving up; I would forever regret getting rid of it, and I know that I can and will learn how to fix him. I hope to begin a more thorough restoration in five to seven years (once I have my own garage in which I can keep the car), so, until then, I'll have to do several stopgap measures to stop the rust. Keep watching this space for a slightly more subdued but also more realistic approach to my Super Beetle.
And, of course, thanks for reading. Your support means a lot to me! |
wow those brizilian bumpers didn't last long did they _________________ Ruby red 1967 beetle sedan with a 2021cc
1967 beetle sedan baja project
April 60 euro spec ragtop beetle with a 1641cc |
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Beetlebaum Samba Member
Joined: December 04, 2008 Posts: 2181 Location: Virginia Beach, VA
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Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2016 7:32 pm Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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IT FINALLY HAPPENED.
Beetlebaum sprang back to life today, running for the first time in two years. His carb wasn't working right, so I made sure that the fuel cutoff solenoid was functioning--and it wasn't, until I took it out and moved it by hand. Now, it works!
He still doesn't idle, and he only runs with the timing set dangerously advanced. I'm going to try a few tricks tomorrow in hopes of getting him to run in a better and safer way, and I'm also going to make him move more than just a few feet under his own power (for the first time in four years).
Today was a major psychological victory for me. I'll post a video tomorrow if the quick drive actually works out.
...I'm ecstatic. Completely and totally euphoric. There's a light at the end of this long and arduous tunnel. _________________ 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 Mar 14, 2016 4:15 pm Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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For the first time in over four years, Beetlebaum traveled further than fifty feet! I took him around the block today after trying to get him to idle. He still doesn't want to idle consistently--he keeps cutting out--but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to take him on a spin.
The most remarkable thing that I noticed was just how mechanical everything feels when compared to the two daily drivers I've owned since I last drove Beetlebaum. No power steering, no power brakes, a mechanical throttle--it's back to the basics. And what a delightful experience it was!
Here he is driving as I turned off of the main road.
Next up--working on the engine. I need to get him idling properly before he goes around the block again, because it's just not healthy for me to drive the car with it running like it is. I also need to adjust the clutch and brakes and air up the tires.
Also, no video today--I'll save that for when he's running and driving better.
It was glorious to be behind the wheel of my Super Beetle this afternoon. The long wait of four years is almost over, and it's such a relief. _________________ 1973 Super Beetle
2003 New Beetle
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EA812 Samba Member
Joined: December 07, 2008 Posts: 1223 Location: North central, CT
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Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2016 4:36 pm Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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Beetlebaum wrote: |
Hey all--
I finally had a good chance to work on Beetlebaum today, and it was a day of unfortunate realizations. The car has sat for four years now and certainly shows the effects of such neglect.
I had a few humbling moments today when I saw objectively just how awful this car is and how much it needs work.
The biggest problem is the massive hole in the tunnel.
I'll fix that over the summer, when it's warmer out and I can get the car up on ramps. While I had the front of the car jacked up, I saw that the front suspension is tolerable enough probably to pass inspection, but I don't trust the suspension to get me going on any highways. I'm pondering saving up to redo the front suspension. Does anyone have any suggestions of where to look for stock rebuild kits and such?
The driver's headlight bucket is rusting out, too, and the car has no functioning highbeams at the moment. There's also more of that death foam cancer in the rear quarter panels than I'd like to admit, so I'm trying to figure out when I can and should fix that.
That said, I did finally make some forward progress. I drained the gas tank of some very old fuel in the interest of getting some fresh gasoline in there.
All those things being said--
While I now see just how much needs to be done to my Beetle, I also have no intention of giving up; I would forever regret getting rid of it, and I know that I can and will learn how to fix him. I hope to begin a more thorough restoration in five to seven years (once I have my own garage in which I can keep the car), so, until then, I'll have to do several stopgap measures to stop the rust. Keep watching this space for a slightly more subdued but also more realistic approach to my Super Beetle.
And, of course, thanks for reading. Your support means a lot to me! |
I hate to rain on your parade but that fame head should get fixed before any serious driving. We don't need to lose anymore VW drivers;). _________________ 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 Mar 28, 2016 4:54 pm Post subject: Re: Beetlebaum: The 1973 Super pulled from a Junkyard |
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You're right, of course; I just want to get the car going before tackling the framehead and tunnel.
I drove Beetlebaum again today! His engine is still being wonky and seems to have those pesky vacuum leaks, since he is really moody about idling. But I did get him up to 45 mph and into fourth gear for the first time since January 2012. I also rechecked his valves and worked with a bunch of other things on the engine, so I'm beginning to feel confident that I can get him going again! Stay tuned as I figure out how to get him not to die while idling.
He has a long way to go, but the two miles I've put on him this month mean a heck of a lot to me. _________________ 1973 Super Beetle
2003 New Beetle
Post your Super here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=331999
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