My New 66! Getting Back into Bugs!!

[justcruzin]

Finally, I have a running and driving bug!!

We had taken the carb that was originally on this motor off to try it on the other motor with no luck. So today I found that carb which is a 34 pict 3 and cleaned it all up. I took the smaller 30 pict ? off the motor and put the 34 on. It ran good at higher rpm's. No hesitation when you give it gas or anything, just doesn't want to idle. The same problem it had years ago when we had this same motor in my 64 bus. In fact it was the reason I wanted it out of the bus. LOL I didn't like doing the heal toe dance at the lights. Anyway, we played with the mixture, idle screw, and the choke, and finally got it to idle, but a bit high. I don't know if it is the set up that is causing this or what. It is a 1776 motor with a ( I think) 120 cam and a counter balanced crank. This motor was built by a friend of ours years ago and hubby doesn't exactly recall exactly everything that is in it. I can tell you one thing though, it will go down the road pretty darn good! LOL I was having a blast on my test drive. ZOOM ZOOM (oh, that is Mazda lol). I'm going to have a blast with this motor, once we get it idling a little lower. Hubby wants to re check the valves and all once more.

With feeling so good about the test drive and how it is running, I decided to do some other work on the car that i have been procrastinating on. I finally put the little door that slides over the hole for the heater by one's feet on. Don't know the actual name but I figure you guy's can figure out what I'm talking about. LOL I also was able to unstick my stuck speedo!! I was excited that I didn't have to remove it. With a little WD 40, the old broken cable, and a pair of pliers, I was able to free it up. Once it was turning a little with the pliers, I hooked my screw gun up to it and was able to get the needle to move up to about 15 or so mph. Couldn't really tell how fast it got to, but I could see it was going up. Once it was moving good I went ahead and installed the new cable that I had bought way back when I bought the car. So now I should be able to tell how fast I'm going!!

I also decided to clean up the bumpers. This is what dog pee can do.



After a bath and some chrome polish.





Now that it is a running and driving car it will no longer be parked in the backyard with the dogs. It will take it's rightful place out front in the driveway.

Now I can drive it when I can't drive my bus!! The bug is a bit more water proof then my bus is. LOL

I'm on vacation this week so I plan on getting some more done. I want to try to install the carpet kit I have for it and also get some door panels and install those. That will clean the inside up quite a bit. Then I will have to try to get hubby to get my seats built. I may try to do that myself too though. All that really needs to be done is add some padding and get the cover re sewn. I should be able to handle that.
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Kim
Sacramento, CA

1964 Split Window Bus
1966 Beetle Build Thread= http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=472933
1970 Westy Build Thread= http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=479538
1971 Squareback Build Thread = http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6652459#6652459

[33woodie]

Kim,
What chrome polish did you use? That bumper guard looks like night and day. It really looked bad and now great!

Jim
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'57 Vert-bamboo
'67 Vert-java green
'67 Cal-Look-black (2387 ida/Berg 5-speed)
'63 Caravelle Camper-dove blue
'67 SO42 Westy-velvet green/white

[sportin-wood]

That bumper guard looks like new! Can't even see any signs of where the rust spots were. Nice job! I have a '66 project I'm working on too. Keep up the good work, Kim! Good to see females doing their part to keep our air cooled friends alive! My wife won't even touch mine (which, really, is okay with me!! LOL).
_________________
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Click here to see my 66 project bug.
.
"Relax, all right? My old man is a television repairman, he's got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it." --- Jeff Spicoli

[Basketcase]

great project! lf you were here ln Ohlo you'd been repalrlng rust a long tlme before cleanlng chrome...lf the chrome was even worth otherlng wlth. these VWs are really gettlng under my skin slnce l got the Mrs her Ghia. just mlght end up wlth a Bug myself slnce she's drlvlng the Ghia more.

[justcruzin]

Thanks everyone!

I really do love working on my VW's myself. THe bug has been kind of fighting me all the way though. Seems like I try to do something, like the speedo cable, and something doesn't fit right or is to hard for me to loosin or what not, and I end up having to get hubby's help. I do try to do the majority of it though. Basically he just has to be the muscle sometimes.

The chrome polish I used is this,



Keep in mind though, the rust wasn't that deep. It was only from the dogs peeing on it. My hubcaps were the same way and they came out nice and shiney too.

Today I tackled the seats, like I said I was. I took them apart and then hubby got involved. Here is what I started with.



Took two seats to make one! I lucked out and the bottoms of both my replacement seats were in good enough shape that I just left them be.



Hubby had to do the welding. I'm not a welder.



Once the welding was done I put some padding on and covered that with a tie dyed t shirt. I have the actual seat cover that matches the bottoms, but they need to be re sewn and I haven't found anybody to either fix my upholstery sewing machine, or someone to just sew them for me. I will probably brake down and take them to Highland's Upholstery to see what they will charge me to sew them up. Then I can do away with the tie dye.



While the seats were both out I decided to try my hand at putting the carpet kit in. I decided to just do the floor for now. It is just laying in there. The kit must be for a different year as it doesn't seem to fit right. It looks better then nothing though! Someday down the line I will buy the correct kit. I want to go with the oatmeal color anyway.



Once the carpet was in I installed my new to me seat belts. The passenger side was a bit of a challenge. The PO had installed a new pan in the rear and it sat over the seat belt nut. I had to jack up the car, drill a hole from the bottom up, then go up top and make the hole big enough to get the bolt through. Got it done and now have a legal passenger side.

Here is the finished (for now) interior!



The seat belts through me for a loop though. I'm not exactly sure I have them installed right. I have the longer end on the outside, and the short end on the tunnel. It just feels funny when I go to unlatch them. Feels backwards. Putting them the other way makes it kind of messy with the longer ends all bunched up on the tunnel. I will have to get used to the awkwardness I guess.

I am going to go get my door panels on Tuesday and get them installed. Then the bug should look a lot better on the inside. Can't wait for Tuesday. LOL

As I said before, now that the bug is running, it took it's rightful place in the driveway. The best of both worlds! Yah, I'm a Pinto fan too!!




_________________
Kim
Sacramento, CA

1964 Split Window Bus
1966 Beetle Build Thread= http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=472933
1970 Westy Build Thread= http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=479538
1971 Squareback Build Thread = http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6652459#6652459

[Beetlebaum]

Do you know of an extra Pinto/Mustang II rear axle that can be put to use under Snorkelstang?
_________________
1973 Super Beetle from the junkyard--engine waiting for install!
1958 Edsel--front suspension reinstalled!
Post your Super here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=331999
Beetle Bums VW Club Member

[justcruzin]

[sportin-wood]

[justcruzin]

[sportin-wood]

Ahhhh...very innovative! LOL Thanks for the explanation!
_________________
.
Click here to see my 66 project bug.
.
"Relax, all right? My old man is a television repairman, he's got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it." --- Jeff Spicoli

[justcruzin]

Well, that was short lived! LOL

I took the bug out this morning to do my running around. It didn't want to run right when I first started it. I chalked it up as being cold. Took off down the road and about 5 miles later it was still running bad, like it was missing. It was ok if I got into it, but to just cruise along it acted as if it was missing. So I turned around and took it home. Later I decided to take it to put some fresh gas in it. I knew the tank was kind of low so I figured some fresh gas may help. Still ran like crap after gas. I parked it in the driveway and waited till it was time to go to lunch at hubby's work. Figured I would drive it over there (around the corner) so I could show hubby how it was running. Got in and it tried to start but acted like it ran out of gas. So I tried to start it again and all it would do was turn over. I took the other car to lunch. LOL

When I got home, I tried again. Didn't step on the gas or anything, still just turned over. So I held the throttle down and it still just turned over. So about an hour later I go out to it again. This time I took a finger nail file and kind of filed the points a little. Went to try to start it and it kind of tried, but then just turned over.

I'm thinking maybe the points may not be gapped right or something to do with the distributer? Hubby will help me when he gets home. I am just glad it happend at home and not on the road!!
_________________
Kim
Sacramento, CA

1964 Split Window Bus
1966 Beetle Build Thread= http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=472933
1970 Westy Build Thread= http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=479538
1971 Squareback Build Thread = http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6652459#6652459

[Basketcase]

gotta love old cars.
hey ln the plc of the Bus..what ls the little bulb ln the headllght for?

[justcruzin]

[Basketcase]

as soon as l read your reply l went Duh! the Boss's lntrepld has the same set up.

[justcruzin]

After hubby got home the other day, we were able to get the bug started again. It was flooded. I thought it was weird that me holding the throttle to the floor wouldn't start it, but hubby holding the throttle open on the carb did. Needless to say I am still having carb issues. Will deal with that later. LOL

Today I installed my new panels! Here is the old back panel,



The new panel



Old door panels.





New passenger side,



The driver side I had to make a new moisture barrier.





I tell you one thing. I'm not good at doing door panels! LOL Specially having to make new holes for things to fit. Some of the chrome strips aren't exactly straight, but it's not a show car and I am happy with the results.

Now to just get that carb issue dealt with.
_________________
Kim
Sacramento, CA

1964 Split Window Bus
1966 Beetle Build Thread= http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=472933
1970 Westy Build Thread= http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=479538
1971 Squareback Build Thread = http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6652459#6652459

[justcruzin]

I know this isn't much of an update, but I figured I would update anyway! LOL

I finally made room for the bug under the main carport, next to the bus. Figured with the summer coming on fast, I can now start driving the bus and bug more.



I drove it to work for the first time the other night!! Looks good under parking light lights!





It did ok on the way to work. All the lights kept working. LOL Except I did notice I am still having problems with my right side turn signal. Seems to be the front light causing the problem. I tried adding some solder to the bulb base, but that didn't work. I tried readjusting the bulb this time and so far it is working. I'll have to just wait to see what happens as the time goes by.

I also bought a dash wire cover. I am hoping this will help cut down on the air that is coming through the fuse panel. My legs got a little cold the other night! LOL



We found another motor to try in my bug. Although now I'm not sure if I really want to. LOL My hubby thinks it is either a 1300 or 1500. He say's it will be fine in the bug and will push it along fine. I'm a bit concerned though because I am used to 1600's and 1776's. He say's I will definitely fell the difference from the current motor and the 1300, but it will still be ok to drive it around town.

I would keep the built up 1776 in there but it really needs two carbs and hubby doesn't like that kind of set up. I did come up with another idea though. I figured maybe we could put one of those manifolds on there that excepts a bigger single carb. Not sure exactly of the correct name but I think it is called a webber carb? Gives me something to look for at BOR!
_________________
Kim
Sacramento, CA

1964 Split Window Bus
1966 Beetle Build Thread= http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=472933
1970 Westy Build Thread= http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=479538
1971 Squareback Build Thread = http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6652459#6652459

[slik]

Nice bug. I love the color

[Aynthm]

I get it!
_________________
'66 Beetle
Keep it simple, keep it stock.
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