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KAmes Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2014 Posts: 876 Location: Illinois
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2015 6:40 am Post subject: |
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tmitoraj wrote: |
Where do you find those mud flaps for sale? |
I bought mine from cip1. |
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KAmes Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2014 Posts: 876 Location: Illinois
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2015 2:02 pm Post subject: |
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I had seen your thread before and seriously considered copying what you did. It's an attractive idea, I like the simplicity of it. Really the only thing that gave me pause was the fact that I'm setting up to tow a trailer that's a bit heavy for the car, and I'm feeling a little sensitive about how well I have the bumper bolts torqued down. But that's just in my case and me being a little paranoid too, doesn't necessarily apply to anyone else. |
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KAmes Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2014 Posts: 876 Location: Illinois
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Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 10:00 am Post subject: |
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Here's a few details.
I put the fire extinguisher next to the driver's seat.
I put the reverse light here. It didn't work at first, my wife told me to check for bad ground. Correct diagnosis, she pays attention.
I bought the flashlight holder. I couldn't help myself.
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KAmes Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2014 Posts: 876 Location: Illinois
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Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 12:12 pm Post subject: |
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I installed this beetle console. I had to trim some off the front because my foot is too wide. It came with Thing-like beading around the bottom edge that hides my trimmed edge nicely. It has nice large cupholders that really work for a change.
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KAmes Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2014 Posts: 876 Location: Illinois
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 6:52 am Post subject: |
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I decided to try this VDO oil temp gauge in an autometer housing.
I went with the drain plug sender for now, I may change this later, we'll see how it works.
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imtb Samba Member
Joined: October 27, 2013 Posts: 360 Location: st.l
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 12:20 pm Post subject: |
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That looks pretty cool.
Where did you pick that up from.
I really like my floor matts I made fromt the stuff you suggested. |
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ALANSD Samba Member
Joined: April 16, 2015 Posts: 341 Location: Woodstock, GA
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 1:22 pm Post subject: |
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That looks like a great idea.. |
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KAmes Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2014 Posts: 876 Location: Illinois
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 4:22 pm Post subject: |
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imtb wrote: |
That looks pretty cool.
Where did you pick that up from.
I really like my floor matts I made fromt the stuff you suggested. |
The gauge parts and the fancy drain plate came from cip1. That's cool about the floor mats, glad to hear it! |
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KAmes Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2014 Posts: 876 Location: Illinois
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Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2015 8:48 am Post subject: |
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Got my new back seats! I'm still thinking about whether to put the rear seat belts back in. They are in poor condition and the truth is no one will ever sit there. It's real purpose is to be a spongy parcel shelf and look good.
I took one of the Marchal lights off my beetle and put here. I was never sure I liked two of them on the beetle, unsure to the point that i never wired them up in a year. I found it a bit much and they weren't a matched set anyway. We'll see if I get used to it on this car. Comes on with the high beams via a relay.
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KAmes Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2014 Posts: 876 Location: Illinois
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Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2015 6:38 pm Post subject: |
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We just returned from driving 1200 mile round trip to the north woods of Wisconsin. Here's some thoughts on our first thing road trip.
I measured 19 mpg on the interstate. I thought that was pretty good with a trailer and contents estimated 1100 pounds. Contents: one touring tandem bicycle, one mountain bike, two suitcases and numerous small bags containing personal items for myself and one american female.
I drove the same style I drive our old RV/school bus. Light on the throttle, no big inputs. Just slowly work up to a comfortable sounding rpm and let the car go the speed it wants too. Most of the time this yielded 55 to 60 mph, dragging down to 45 or 50 on long grades. Stay to the right, let the passing trucks drag you up the hill.
Drum brakes and trailers makes your leg tired.
I saw the dipstick temperature warning a couple times, so I popped the tennis ball in the engine door. It made a huge difference, it worked so well I can't see any reason to give the problem any more thought. The oil drain plate temp sender doesn't seem to work well, it appears to read way low. I think I'll order an oil galley sender and see if that works better.
The oil fill case vent being connected to the right side air filter turned the air filter into an oily mess. New plan in order.
Something rattles in the front maybe inside the tunnel.
The left rear exhaust to head connection worked loose and got loud, tightened it but it still pops a little, probably burned the gasket some.
The rear seat started as the location for hats, purse, and jackets. After ten days it had become the grand snack bar.
Top up, front windows out, rear windows in was the best combination.
I forgot to pack my extra throttle cable. Despite this, the throttle cable didn't break. Weird.
It was fun. Many other air cooled VWs have made this trip over the years. Family cabin on a lake, boats, national forest reserve with endless trails.
Here's the gratuitous pics. Here on county FR412 in Chequamegon national forest, five miles from the cabin. Roads like this go as far as you want to explore.
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imtb Samba Member
Joined: October 27, 2013 Posts: 360 Location: st.l
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Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2015 5:22 am Post subject: |
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Nice post and your thing looks good. That was a pretty good journey and pulling a trailer. |
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Metal Twister Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2013 Posts: 405 Location: licking, MO.
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Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2015 9:39 am Post subject: It's Friday! Whatcha doing with the Thingster this weekend? |
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Very nice car and write up. I can truly apreciate the time and effort that went into that project. Enjoy _________________ Change is Opportunity!
Instagram=metaltwister |
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KAmes Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2014 Posts: 876 Location: Illinois
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Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2015 9:00 am Post subject: |
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I'm trying this alternator stand breather box with a filter on the top to avoid the terminal oiling of my right side air filter that's been going on. I can see how connecting the breather hose from the oil fill to an original oil bath air filter probably worked really well. My school bus/RV has an oil bath filter on it, it's the size of a vacuum cleaner. Every year I look in it and the oil always looks clean, it's surprisingly maintenance free. Has any one ever engineered dual oil baths? I'll bet someone has.
I installed this oil galley temp sender to replace my drain plate sender. When my dipstick/oil light temp warning was starting to flicker the gauge was reading about 180, that's not right. I wonder if there is a stagnant pool of oil under the screen where the drain sender is, since it draws in around the sides. Before it would hardly move the gauge off the peg during my six mile drive to work. This morning on the way to work with the oil galley sender it came right up to 170 before I arrived, that seems more correct.
I installed a sand seal to stop the slow drip that was occurring. I suspect it was due to the spacer I put behind the pulley to get the belt to line up. Crappy aftermarket fan shroud and tins at the root of that probably, or maybe it's that shiny but cheap alternator pulley. All seems good with the new seal. I have a good thing only fan shroud with flaps in it but the dual 35mm solexes won't fit with it. Maybe a good excuse for dual weber 40 IDFs. Hmmm.
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VolsThing Samba Member
Joined: August 09, 2015 Posts: 6 Location: Central Florida
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Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2015 4:08 pm Post subject: |
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KAmes wrote: |
I installed this beetle console. I had to trim some off the front because my foot is too wide. It came with Thing-like beading around the bottom edge that hides my trimmed edge nicely. It has nice large cupholders that really work for a change.
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What year of Beetle did you get the console from? |
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KAmes Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2014 Posts: 876 Location: Illinois
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Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2015 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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VolsThing wrote: |
KAmes wrote: |
I installed this beetle console. I had to trim some off the front because my foot is too wide. It came with Thing-like beading around the bottom edge that hides my trimmed edge nicely. It has nice large cupholders that really work for a change.
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What year of Beetle did you get the console from? |
That's from Mid America Motorworks. They call it Basic Black 1965-1979, stock #304-734. http://www.mamotorworks.com/vw/product/basic-black-center-console-304734 |
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KAmes Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2014 Posts: 876 Location: Illinois
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Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2016 6:38 pm Post subject: Re: My 181 project pics |
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With Kubel Treffen East coming up, and me having made my reservations, I somehow worked out that it would be a good idea to disassemble the car. I decided to replace the transmission with a new thing shop unit as the old one seems noisy and I don't quite trust it. I bought this motorcycle jack and I must say it's a real game changer, no more laying under the car balancing the engine on a single point.
I tried my school bus jack, 20 ton lift air powered, to lift that extra little bit to roll the engine out still on the motorcycle lift. It seemed plenty stable but still made me nervous, I'm going to think about my method before I do it again.
When I removed the exhaust the gaskets crumbled easily. My wife was standing nearby and observed that I "needed new pinchy bits". Indeed.
That's it for today, I'll pull the transmission tomorrow. That will be new territory for me.
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KAmes Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2014 Posts: 876 Location: Illinois
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Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2016 6:57 pm Post subject: Re: My 181 project pics |
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To pull the transmission does one always remove the cross member with the rubber mounts or can the transmission be worked out over the top of it? I'm thinking about those two big bolts haven't moved in 43 years bolts.
Last edited by KAmes on Sat Apr 23, 2016 8:39 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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63ziggy Samba Member
Joined: June 19, 2005 Posts: 1100 Location: The Woodlands, Texas
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Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2016 7:31 pm Post subject: Re: My 181 project pics |
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no reason to pull the cross member.
just unbolt rubber mounts, front mount and disconnect shift linkage as well as reverse switch. disconnect clutch cable.
of course CV's, bag those ends.
think that's all, hopefully |
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KAmes Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2014 Posts: 876 Location: Illinois
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Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2016 7:48 pm Post subject: Re: My 181 project pics |
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Thanks 63ziggy, I'll approach it leaving the cross member in to start with and see how it goes. |
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KAmes Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2014 Posts: 876 Location: Illinois
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Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2016 6:00 pm Post subject: Re: My 181 project pics |
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It's out!
New Thing Shop unit.
It's in! Put in new mounts too, front and rear. Easier than I thought.
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