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Sun Jan 22, 2012 10:09 pm

That Gearshift is pure Art, Nice job on the restore of that one.

Mon Jan 23, 2012 6:06 am

Wet sanded and buffed a bakelight knob? Very cool!
I had no idea you could even do that?

Care to share what grit you used? 1500 then 2000 I guess? Buffed with regular cutting compound like Norton Liquid Ice for example?

Great work Tim, looks amazing.

Sun Feb 12, 2012 2:30 pm

WOW :shock: Really super nice work you are doing !!!

This will be a fantastic car !!

Cheers from Sweden :D

Tue Feb 14, 2012 5:26 am

That shifter belongs in a museum! Nice work!

Wed May 02, 2012 3:18 pm

Such a nice project here! Congrats!
Any news?

Wed May 02, 2012 3:58 pm

okay kids…time for an update.

i’ve been bouncing around all winter long doing various things to the beetle. i’m finally ready to post something.

for those of you hoping for a metalworking update, i’m sorry to disappoint you as i’m not quite ready to post any rust repair. just hang in there…soon…i promise.

right, then…

the photo below shows the dashboard of my beetle soon after it was pulled out of the barn. notice the car has the original motorola “big m” radio.

here’s the radio pulled out of the car. the stamping on the right side of the chassis tells us it’s a motorola 8m radio. the “149514” might be a serial number (???) and the “25” could be an inspector’s stamp(???).

here’s the front…

closeup of the front. note the bracket to the left has an “L” stamped into it (red arrow) which will be helpful for reassembly.

the left side…

the back…

the top…

and the bottom.

i posted these photos for reference.

the radio doesn’t look too bad. it just needs a little tlc!

Wed May 02, 2012 4:00 pm

after reading several threads on the samba, i decided to send the radio to mr. wilford wilkes to see if it could be brought back to life. also, since he lives in pennsylvania, i figured shipping would be quicker and cheaper to and from ohio.

here’s his contact information:

Mr. Wilford Wilkes Sr.
Vintage European Radio Repair & Sales
Vintage Radio Shop
170 Opossum Alley
Brisbin, PA 16620

(814) 378-8526

i called him first to give him a heads up as well as shipping instructions.

a few days passed when i received a call from mr. wilkes. he said the radio looked pretty good. he estimated the cost to be around $200 to repair.

i gave him the go-ahead and asked if he could also straighten out the tuning shaft (the one on the right) as i noticed it was a little bent. he said that he would give it a try, but they are pretty fragile and usually snap off.

a week later mr. wilkes called to say it was finished. he replaced the vibrator and a few vacuum tubes and a couple other little bits. the good news was that it worked!

here’s a picture of the radio when i received it back in the mail.

i had also asked mr. wilkes if he could do a cosmetic restoration. i wasn’t sure what to expect and actually, i was a little disappointed with what i received. the silver paint was thick and had runs in it…and the black paint on the dial plate was obviously sprayed over the surface rust.

i hooked it up to a 6-volt car battery and after a few crackles, pops and puffs of ozone, it worked just fine. so, i was happy about that.

also…i’m not trying to diss mr. wilkes work. i don’t believe he offers full restoration services, so i was asking for too much…he did what he could and he got it running.

here’s a view of the back of the radio.

Wed May 02, 2012 4:04 pm

i spent several weeks contemplating what to do with the radio.

basically, i was afraid to take it apart. what if i messed something up and i would have to send it back to get repaired yet again? a radio delete panel is less expensive than the $200 i had already spent to get this thing up and running.

since the radio would be visible from inside the trunk (unless i can find a suitable wiring cover), i decided to just go ahead and take it apart to see what i can do.

first, i took off the top cover.

there was a lot of caked-on, oily dirt over everything from the years gone by.

i grabbed a bunch of q-tips and rubbing alcohol. i cleaned as much as i could.

much better…

i really wasn’t happy with the silver paint. the chassis looked like it was originally zinc-plated…if i bead-blasted it, i would remove the coating. chemical stripping would remove the paint, but not the surface rust.

when i took the top and bottom frames off the main chassis, i noticed several electrical parts were grounded by being soldered directly to the chassis. we’re a little spoiled nowadays…can’t just remove a pcb board!

so there was no way i could remove all the parts, have the chassis replated, reassemble everything and actually have it work!

i decided to just go ahead and bead-blast the radio. i was really nervous about this because of all of the holes…i was worried about glass beads getting inside and screwing things up.

so, i taped all of the sides from the inside with masking tape and shoved tissue paper into all the nooks and crannies, then masked the top and bottom…then i hoped for the best.

here’s the bottom taped up.

by the way, i removed the front dial plate before blasting, but i don’t have any pictures of this.

i used low air pressure and glass beads to just carefully “frost” the chassis. when i was finished, i removed the tape and tissue. i was happy that the glass beads didn’t find their way inside.

i hooked it up to the battery to make sure it still worked…it did, thank goodness!

after bead-blasting, i thought the raw metal looked pretty good. rather than paint it with a silver color that’s close to zinc, i sprayed some gloss clear on it.

it’s a little darker over original, but looks pretty good in person.

Wed May 02, 2012 4:07 pm

here’s a picture of the radio ready for reassembly after the bead-blasting and clear-coat.

…and here’s the back.

a nice view of the bottom electronics.

another reference shot of the electronics from the top in natural daylight…

the top and bottom frames have been bead-blasted and clear-coated.

the next picture shows the top and bottom frames installed onto the chassis with new #6 x .25” self-tapping screws (these screws will be used throughout the reassembly process).

here’s a view of the back.

the green arrow points to the original ¼”-20 x ½” bolt and ¼” star washer that holds the support bracket…both of which have been bead-blasted and clear-coated.

the red arrow points to the new speaker wire i installed. i found a local antique radio supplier who had this wire. it was “scrap” to him, so he just gave it to me…score! since the original wire was too short (must have been cut sometime in the past) and the solder joints were easy to get to, i figured new wire would look better than a splice.

Wed May 02, 2012 4:09 pm

back to the front, i’m ready to install a new bulb into the socket.

notice this isn’t an incandescent bulb, rather an led bulb that’s available from “my59vw” in the classifieds:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1260565

also, they are available in different colors…i chose amber.

next i installed the bracket that holds the dial plate in place (red arrow). it was bead-blasted and clear-coated, then installed with new #6 screws (white arrows).

the led bulb and holder slides onto the bracket from the left (yellow arrow).

Wed May 02, 2012 4:11 pm

let’s turn our attention to the dial plate assembly.

this photograph shows the dial plate (not sure what it’s called, so i’ll refer to it as the dial plate) which has been bead-blasted and painted gloss black.

the next piece i need to install is the tuning shaft.

now, before we go any further, we need to take a few steps back.

the photo below shows the front of the radio when i first received it from mr. wilkes. as mentioned previously, i knew the tuning shaft was bent. when mr. wilkes called me before shipping it back, he informed me that the shaft did indeed break. he tried to straighten it as best as he could, then he crimped a sleeve onto it (the blue arrow points to it).

initially, i didn’t mind…as long as it worked, but when i installed the knobs, i couldn’t help thinking i was looking at marty feldman as i turned the knob.

so i removed the shaft to see if i could fix it.

i removed the sleeve mr. wilkes installed and tried to reattach the broken end by drilling and adding a pin…then silver-soldering the pieces back together. this didn’t work as well as i had hoped.

also, the shaft was actually bent in the area where the dial cord attaches. i tried to straighten it, but nothing i did seemed to work.

here’s the bent and broken shaft:

Wed May 02, 2012 4:16 pm

This is great write-up! Your pics in the gallery brought me to your build thread. I'll definitely have to follow suit and do a similar number on a Big M radio for my oval after seeing this. AMAZING WORK : )

Wed May 02, 2012 4:16 pm

i searched the classifieds as well as the internet for a parts radio. i found a couple, but the shafts were missing or bent…seems like a common problem.

so, i took the sad remains of the original tuning shaft, reversed-engineered it and drew it in solidworks.

it looks like i will need to make another one from scratch.

i decided to make the new shaft stronger than the original. so i chucked up a ½” diameter piece of titanium rod into the lathe.

i used gibbscam to write the g-code (language the cnc lathe understands) from my solidworks model.

the photo below shows the lathe in action as it makes the final pass on the titanium.

the outer contours are done. a parting tool will be used to remove the shaft from the stock after measuring to ensure accuracy. (everything was perfect to .001”…damn, i’m good!)

here’s the part after cutting it from the stock.

next i need to drill a ¼” diameter hole about 3/8” deep into the aft end.

i turned a piece of delrin on the lathe to safely hold the part while i drill the hole. i drilled a 5/16” hole through the center, then i used a saw to cut a slit into the delrin.

when i clamp down on the delrin, the gap closes up so it grips the part without leaving any marks. (makes sense?)

the parting tool usually leaves a little bit of material as the part is cut from the stock…so this needs to be removed first.

in the photo below, the assembly is chucked up into the lathe. the red arrow points to the delrin. the cut i made with the saw is also visible. the blue arrow points to the 35° cutter i will use to face off the end of the part to remove the extra material.

the end of the shaft has been faced off. a center drill is mounted into the tailstock to use as a starter bit which will give me an accurate starter hole for the ¼” drill.

the starter hole is finished and the ¼” drill bit is mounted into the tailstock. i only need to drill about 3/8” deep.

all work on the lathe is finished!

Wed May 02, 2012 4:18 pm

here’s another solidworks screenshot. i designed a fixture to hold the shaft while i drill two .046” diameter holes for the dial cord to pass through.

i will make the block out of another piece of delrin…this is the transparent rectangle in the screenshot below. two vertical shafts can be seen in the fixture just above the holes in the barrel of the shaft. these will act as drill guides for the tiny 3/64” drill bit.

the fixture with the shaft is mounted into the vise on the mill. you can see the 3/64” drill bit mounted in the tool holder. i drilled through the delrin and the titanium as a set.

i was really afraid of breaking the drill. i used a straight-flute cobalt drill bit and hoped for the best. i kept the feed rate slow and pecked .005” at a time. also, you can see i flooded the parts with cutting oil to keep things cool and lubricated.

success! and i didn’t even break the drill!

Wed May 02, 2012 4:20 pm

next i made the slot on the aft end. i used a keyway cutter to do this which can be seen in the photo below. once again, .005” a pass…nice and slow.

a slot needs to be cut into the other end as well. another fixture was made from delrin, then the slot was cut.

the finished part (sorry it’s blurry…gotta work on my depth of field photography…) which is alongside the original shaft.

by the way…to answer your question…yes, it’s super light!

Wed May 02, 2012 4:23 pm

back to the assembly…

i placed the new titanium shaft into the hole on the far right of the dial plate which is held in place with the original circlip.

after several searches on the internet for the string that operates the indicator needle, “vintage radio dial cord” got me where i needed to be. i found a supplier that had a spool of 25’ x .028 diameter dial cord for $4.00. i measured the original dial cord which was about .025 diameter, so this should work okay.

i read a few vintage radio forums and beeswax is recommended to coat the dial cord for smooth operation. a plastic container with beeswax can also be seen in the photo below.

i cut a piece of cord about 12” long and threaded up, through and down the holes of the shaft.

i purchased the sams photofacts schematic for the 8M radio. i sent the jpegs to everett who posted them in the technical/owner’s manuals/technical instruction manuals/radios section of the samba:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/big_m.php

let’s have a look at the second page…

notice the illustration in the lower right-hand corner that the dial cord is wrapped around the shaft 8 ½ times. it also shows how the dial cord is looped around the pins.

it was impossible for me to take pictures of the cord being installed as there was too much going on.

so…in the photo below, i have wrapped the cord around the shaft clockwise (the part of the cord from the hole closest to the dial plate) 8 ½ times. then i looped it around the pins in the dial plate as seen in the sams photofact illustration.

i dipped a toothpick into superglue to secure the knot.

here’s a better picture of the dial cord installed.

if i use my thumb to straighten the shaft in the dial plate, notice the dial cord is nice and tight.

the red arrow points to the slot in the tuning shaft. although it’s vertical in the photo below, i made sure it was horizontal when the knot (yellow arrow) was all the way to the right (green arrow). you’ll see why in a minute…

Wed May 02, 2012 4:31 pm

i went to the hobby store and found fluorescent red paint which was a perfect match for the original indicator needle. after mixing the paint, i used tweezers to hold the part and i just dipped the needle into the paint. i left the patina on the rest of the part since it isn’t visible.

i slid the indicator into the dial plate and pushed the dial cord between the tangs.

i didn’t crimp it yet…

i’m not sure what to call this piece…the radio dial? fortunately, it’s made from glass…not plastic like today’s crap. so it cleaned up real nice!

it’s held in place with these two clips.

the radio dial is installed onto the dial plate.

notice the indicator needle is right above the adjustment dot in the photo above. if we go back to page 1 of the sams schematic, there’s alignment instructions.

“pointer adjustment: set radio to high frequency end stop. slide pointer so that it coincides with calibration dot at extreme right. cement pointer to dial cord.”

in the photo below, i installed the dial plate assembly onto the radio. the hole on the far left (hidden by my hand) slides over the power/on/off shaft.

notice the indicator is still to the far right of the dial (red arrow). the slot in the tuning shaft (white arrow) needs to align with the cross pin in the other half of the tuning shaft that’s attached to the radio (green arrow).

i turned the stub shaft (the part in the radio) clockwise until it stopped. this made the cross pin horizontal. if you recall, when i installed the dial cord, i made sure the slot in my new titanium shaft was horizontal when the knot was at the far end of it’s travel.

then i crimped down on the indicator needle instead of cementing it per the instructions.

hopefully this makes sense.

the dial plate is held onto the bracket with the same #6 self-tapping screws as before (red arrows).

Wed May 02, 2012 4:35 pm

the next parts to install are the two brackets that mount the radio to the dashboard as well as mounting the chrome “big m” faceplate. they have been bead-blasted and clear-coated. also, remember the left bracket has an “L” stamped on it…so i put it on the left side.

by the way, i have seen some radios with an “R” on the right bracket. however, it isn’t on mine.

they are held in place with #6 screws.

here’s my original “big m” faceplate and screws…

…and here are the parts after rechroming. also note two washers which belong under the faceplate and outside the metal dashboard.

if you look at this picture, which is also available in the radio section of the technical archives, you can see where these washers go. look for the trimplate on the right.

the chrome faceplate installed onto the radio…

Wed May 02, 2012 4:41 pm

here’s my original radio knobs which are correct for an 8M radio.

i cleaned them up a little and mounted them onto the radio.

gary at brezelwerks offers repro knobs in the classifieds.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=322749

i didn’t like the black knobs since they don’t match the ivory knobs on the rest of the dashboard. so i’ll keep the original knobs tucked away safe and sound.

i ordered ivory “bullet style” knobs which are actually correct for the earlier 5M radio. but they look so cool and so “50’s” i had to have them!

i also noticed gary offers a chrome insert for these knobs as well as a colored one, which can be any color you want. since i still have some coral red paint i mixed up a while ago, i decided my dashboard should be a “symphony in coordination.”

i used a small windsor and newton series 7 brush (really nice brushes!) to carefully paint a ring of coral red onto the knob. i also used a little rubbing compound to polish them up a bit more…after the paint dried, of course.

looking at the back of one of the knobs, the red arrow points to the center hole that the tuning shaft slides onto. the green arrow points to a larger bore.

it would be nice if this bore wasn’t there, especially since it isn’t necessary. the knob had a slight “wiggle” in it after installation on the tuning shaft.

i decided to make a shouldered bushing to replace the oillite bearing gary supplies in the dummy knob. this will tie the two pieces together.

i chucked up some brass rod into the lathe.

i also drilled a 3/16” hole through the center and reamed it .005” oversize (.1880” diameter) for a nice tight fit over my new titanium shaft (which slid into the hole perfectly).

i drew the part i wanted in solidworks and wrote the g-code in gibbscam as usual.

here’s the part still attached to the stock.

i slid the dummy knob onto the bushing.

then i slid the tuning knob onto the bushing.

the brass bushing after cutting it off of the stock…

right then, here’s the knobs laid out in front of the radio.

the treble/bass knob has a “bosch symbol” cutout in it as seen below.

then i installed the rest of the knobs.

Wed May 02, 2012 4:45 pm

okay…most of you will think i have fallen off the deep end with this next phase of the project. if you can’t stand how anal i am, please stop reading right now.

if we look at the right side of the radio before restoration, there’s a “25” stamped on the chassis (red arrow). could it be an inspector’s stamp? maybe the factory assembly worker? regardless, just for shits and giggles, i thought i’d see if i could reproduce it.

i drew a stamp in solidworks…trying to match the font the best i could.

i have some machinable wax left over from a previous project, which is a synthetic wax used for rapid prototyping…also, it’s easy to machine. i wondered if i could use it to make the stamp.

i squared up a block that’s ½” x ½” x 1” long as seen below.

then i used gibbscam to write a surface milling operation using a miniature .025” diameter ball end mill.

you can see the tiny end mill in the photo below. it’s just going back and forth… real slow so as not to break the end mill. this took almost two hours.

here’s the finished stamp.

next i sprayed gloss black paint onto a scrap of steel and made a few test stamps.

after i started to get the feel of it, i stamped the chassis. the clear paint on the chassis was well cured…so, if i didn’t like the stamping, i could just wipe it off and try again. after a few tries i got one that looked pretty good. i tried to keep it random-looking and uneven.