What did you do to your volkswagen today?

Attorney Isaiah Loophole wrote:
How do you plan on cutting the supports off? I think it would have been easier to cut them off before you welded it back together, but looking good so far. When is it going to be lowered?

I'll probably just use a cut-off wheel. I know you said earlier that way was kind of a pain, but it's the only option I have available. I cleaned the mating surface of them up pretty good and they look to only be held on by a few small stitch welds. You had mentioned some were welded all the way around, but mine don't look like that, so hopefully they will go a little easier. It probably would have been easiest when the beam was apart, but I was afraid to remove them first, then not get the beam back together exactly as the test jig was and then have alignment issues. I figured the extra support may help keep everything lined up.

I have to get back to work on the door so I can have it ready by the 17th, so I may have to take a break for a couple of weeks on the beam. I'll probably finish up the lowering in between bug-a-paluza and Y-U buggin. (assuming I have the cash left over from bug-a-paluza to get my spindles and brakes .)

I chased rust on the passenger door after I pulled it. DA-ed it and the right rear quarter panel. Shot 2 K on the outside of the door. I'll block with a guide coat tomorrow then flip it and do the inside.



Went by Stockornaut this evening and took all the brackets off of my beam by ziz-wheeling and grinding in prep for the adjusters.

Alex's wife, Billie's wife and Ben started pulling everything off of my old pan to transfer to the newly blasted and painted pan.

Topped the tranny off with juice!! And the boot I fixed ain't leaking!! Took the brakes apart, cleaned and adjusted on the rear wheel that keeps getting hot. They seemed a little out of wack so I hope the the shoe was just dragging and its not the wheel bearing going out. Plan on driving it in the AM and see what happens.

I blocked and re-primed the passenger door with (2K). I DA'ed the passenger door jam. Then I (2K) primed the front fenders. I (2K) primed the horn ring.

You could say it was a (2K) day. Tomorrow will be a blocking party. I don't like waiting 24 hours on the (2K) but it's best to wait.

Went by Stockornaut last night and the old pan is stripped. I need to blast the pedal assembly and pick up new axle berings and seals. I need a shift rod bushing. The waterbug should be a roller by Sunday night.

waxed the 74, i put new pics on my photobucket, https://s369.photobucket.com/albums/oo133/59eurorag/pearl/

Drove the bus this morning and wheel got hot again, went to pull the drum and the brake shoes were still pressed against the drum pretty good. Pulled the wheel cylinder and removed the rubber line. It looks like the line has probably swelled shut, but I plan to replace both line and wheel cylinder on Monday to make sure.

I blocked the front fenders and passenger door. I (2K) primed the inside of the passenger door. I spot acid etch primed all to the metal bare spots on all three pieces and the quarters and jambs.

Well my engine rebuild is under way. I'm not going with a 1776 right now. I'm building a stock 1600 DP. I hope to have it together for Bug-A-Paluza. I've got the machining done, rebuilt heads, align bore, mains, rods, cam bearings. Had case cleaned, I'll have to clean it more, they concentrated on the inside, thats good. I've got new stock cam, cam followers, oil pump, lube and that Gasgacinch sealer coming from CIP1. Oh yeah a muffler/header combo. This one...

I hope its not junk. It can't be any worse than my old header and quiet pack!!

I've started to gather tins that match and connect them, this way when I go to the car wash to pressure wash them I won't loose any. I'll even have flaps and a thermostat! Once I get it all bolted together I'll post a picture.

One other thing I found out that my doghouse shroud had the smaller 30mm fan installed, I have a 35mm that will go back in with the newly rebuilt engine. This may of been some of my over heating problems that you've read about.

I sand blasted the trailing arms and drove to Athens to pick up new inner and outer axle bearings and seals from Clyde for the Waterbug. I also blasted the pedal asembly and painted it black. I painted the trailing arms gloss black as well.

I sanded the inside of both doors with 500 wet paper and shot the base color on and then the urethane clearcoat. That little touch of color is stimulating because it feels as though I'm finally getting somewhere. It's inspiring me to push on. I've decided to not put the padded dash on. I welded up the two holes on the dash where the padded dash bolts on either end at the top edge. Also I'll weld up the two holes near the defroster vents left from the padded dash. I'll sand the rest of the dash and fill and low spots and prime it soon.

I sanded the steering wheel and primed it and that's when the cracks showed up. I'm deciding whether to replace the steering wheel or fill the ctacks with JB Weld.

I chased all of the hinge plate threaded holes with a tap and ground the paint off of the philip head screws in anticipation of re-installing the doors in the near future.

i replaced te wheel cylinder and shoes, on the rear passenger tire, because the wheel cyllinder broke and leaked brale fluid everywhere. feels much better to drive with brakes, hahaha.

I built a paper machine for 18" paper and it works just fine. It puts 3/4" tape on the paper edge and then slides under a cut off piece of band saw blade. I just pull what I need and then lift into the blade and pull some more and it tears clean. I built it so it can sit on a table or mount on the wall.

I DA'ed all four quarter panels. I DA'ed the front fender wells after grinding off some rust and acid etch primed them. Then I undercoated all four wheel wells as well the underside of all four fenders. I wiped putty on the dash holes I welded up and shaped those spots and acid etch primed them. Getting closer to paint readiness.

I put new pedal rubber on the freshly blasted and painted pedal assembly for the Waterbug.

Replaced the rear brake lines with new ones I got yesterday from Clyde. (ain't he great?) Bleed the brakes and took for a test drive. No brake lock up and after 15 miles or so no discernable heat build up in any wheel. Electrical problems seem to be take care of. Debating on maybe driving in to work in the AM.

Bugapaluza here we come!!

DiggerD wrote:Replaced the rear brake lines with new ones I got yesterday from Clyde. (ain't he great?)

I second that...Clyde is a very fair parts supplier. I drove from Gainesville to Athens the other day; an hour and fifteen minutes each way to buy some much needed parts that not one of the local national parts chain stores had in stock. I couldn't order the parts online for less.

Worked on the lower outer door skin some more. I welded it on last week and it came out pretty bad (to put it lightly). I couldn't get the curves of the replacement panel to match the door contour at all. Today I cut about 3/4 of my earlier welds and tried again. It came out much better this time. It's still far from a perfect contour, and will require some bodywork and a little filler. After the first attemp came out so bad, I'm just happy to have some improvement.


I noticed this ad while loading my pic to photobucket.

I cleaned parts yesterday and thought that this would be a good tip of everyone.

Instead of running after the small parts when the pressure hit them I just screwed all the pieces together and cleaned it as one unit. See pic....


Today and this evening I put my old block together with Single Port heads....

And with all the tin on, still need to paint the breast plate tin...

I will install in the car tomorrow and see how it runs!

Oh yeah one other thing. I needed a degreaser to clean all these parts and found Purple Power at Advance Auto Parts. Fantastic stuff, its $3.99 a gallon though.

I stripped the roof and chased a few rust spots with a grinder and acid etch primed it. It took more time to remove the paint in (and on) the engine fresh air vents than the whole roof. What PITA. I welded up two more holes in the dash. I ground and filled them; worked them down and primed. Waiting on a break in the weather to (2K) prime the roof and all four quarters and the rear valance.

I went to Stockornaut last evening and Billie and I put seven patch panels on the Waterbug. I cut and prepped the patches with a plasma torch and grinder cut from new 18 gauge sheet steel and Billie welded them in.

Did I mention that Billie is an awesome welder? His beads look like a stack of dimes.

Found a lull in the weather and painted the inside of the deck-lid with base-clear. I cleaned up and picked up tools.

got used trans in - ah i hope its a good one!!! kinda nervous about everything since i had to do the nosecone swap as well to get it to fit in the 60.

going to try and get engine back in tomorrow or early this week.

zabo wrote:got used trans in - ah i hope its a good one!!! kinda nervous about everything since i had to do the nosecone swap as well to get it to fit in the 60.

going to try and get engine back in tomorrow or early this week.

GOOD TOSEE YOUR GETTING IT TOGETHER BRO. EVERYONE BEEN ASKING FOR YOU HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON. AND GIVE ME A CALL WHEN YOU GET SOME TIME

The single port is in it runs really well. I'm liking the throttle response.
I removed the bowden tube and placed three washers on it and reinstalled. I adjusted the clutch and drove the car. The clutch lets out at the bottom now and there is still a small chatter on an incline start. I can live with the chatter I have now. A larger improvement!!

I (2K) primed the roof, dash, front & rear quarter panels and the rear apron. I pulled the deck lid hinge assemblies and horn bracket and blasted and primed and painted them. I'll block everything tomorrow.

I went by Stockornaut Sunday evening and to my surprise my Waterbug is a roller now. Just some wiring and hooking up the radiator hoses. Replacing the headlamps and installing a pedal stop and it will be ready to test drive.

Was getting in a little more test driving time today in preparation for the run to Chattanooga on Friday. When I got back home, heard a weird rattling noise from the engine area.
Turned out to be the POS chrome alt. pulley was self destructing! Found a good old stock one in a box of parts, swaped it out and now all is good!

Well I went threw the stereo system again rewired it, added 4 new speakers, and 1 more amp, so now the bug has got 8 speakers...
2-6x4's - 2-6.25's 2-6x9's and 2 10inch subs about 7-800 watts!!!! its loud, tommorow Im going to change the oil and add a new tag light that I picked up today will post pics later

DiggerD wrote:Was getting in a little more test driving time today in preparation for the run to Chattanooga on Friday. When I got back home, heard a weird rattling noise from the engine area.
Turned out to be the POS chrome alt. pulley was self destructing! Found a good old stock one in a box of parts, swaped it out and now all is good!

Those chrome pulleys were bad for doing that. We used to have to warranty those all the time.