Daily driving my 58

[buckswilde]

Well, this is taking an unexpected turn. Since daily driving the beetle my back issues have flared back up. I can't get in and out of it easily anymore so I'm selling it to a friend. I want to find an automatic Bay Window or maybe even an air-cooled Vanagon. Easier to slide in and out of and easier on my left knee.

[minirailz]

Sorry to hear that.
Hopefully you'll find a suitable replacement that gives you equal amount of fun!

Dennis

[VWNate]

So sorry to hear about the back issues, I have them too so keeping the seats original ( no foam EVER !) is critical .

I love survivors and your Bug was the shiznit, bummer about the rusted out heater channel .
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-Nate

One last Beetle : 1959 #113 DeLuxe survivor ~ 36HP & full synchro tranny, 6 volts etc.

[buckswilde]

Update since my last post. I still have the Beetle and have put almost 600 miles on it. PT has helped with my back but I still shouldn't drive it as often as I do. It's just hard not too.... pick between the beetle and the mini-van and the beetle always wins!

I topped off the transmission oil and it's not leaking as much as it was, but still leaks pretty good after a long drive.

The engine is still running great. Fires right up no matter the weather and cruises very, very nice. Great little engine. And according to my calculations I'm getting around 33 mpg.

I still plan to sell it to my friend, but in the meantime I'm enjoying it the best I can.

[VWNate]

Silly question but : have you checked to see if the seat back adjuster is cranked up all the way ? .

It has three positions and the third one kills my back, I can go all day in the first position....
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-Nate

One last Beetle : 1959 #113 DeLuxe survivor ~ 36HP & full synchro tranny, 6 volts etc.

[AlteWagen]

This is an occasion where a Huls recliner would be a great investment. Can you write it off on your taxes as health aid?
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Grapes of Wrath $200 Engine Rebuild
Official Dual Carb Thread
Cylinder Head Quick Reference Sheet

[buckswilde]

[VWNate]

Gotcha ~ I have a broken back and neck, the plate in my fused neck required 8 screws, what I usually do to facilitate exiting the car is : swivel my butt in the seat so both legs are out then I find it easier to stand up .

Interestingly, I always prefer the backrest as close to vertical as I can get it .
_________________
-Nate

One last Beetle : 1959 #113 DeLuxe survivor ~ 36HP & full synchro tranny, 6 volts etc.

[buckswilde]

Update: I didn't sell the beetle and continue to use it as my preferred vehicle. I've put just over 3000 miles on it since March. Runs fantastic and fires up instantly every time.

The transmission continues to leak and I just top it off as needed. Decided to pull it this winter and go through it again. Maybe with a different split-case core.

A couple of issues have developed in the past week.
- Carb icing. The risers were cleaned out when the engine was built but I'm not sure if we can actually get everything out of them due to the age? As a result, I'm relying on the choke to keep it running at stops. Not all of the time, just when needed.
- Fuel in the oil! I noticed this a few days ago and haven't driven it since. My thoughts are the fuel pump. We rebuilt it with a kit from WW but maybe the diaphragm is cracked already? Haven't had time to investigate further b/c we moved recently and have limited tools at the moment... basically nothing until I move everything from my garage in Louisville.

But, this car rocks! I love that it looks good but isn't a show car, so I don't worry about driving it. Heck, I even took it on some four-wheeler trails and it did great. Still need to give it a bath after that.

[VWNate]

I'd take the carby apart first and see how full the float bowl is ~ I recently was 150 miles from home when the car suddenly decided to not idle, the float valve was the culprit, I carry a spare carby in the car and robbed it of the correct 1.5 SOLEX float valve and presto ! it ran fine again .

Unless you add a micronic paper element fuel filter you're going to encounter endless fuel issues .

Last week I made up a simple tool to scrub the primary fuel pipe clean and my paper filter nearly instantly was filled with incredibly fine particles of crud, much of which whistled as it zipped through the new filter and joined hands in the float bowl and accelerator pump circuits of the recently cleaned 28PCI carby so that it still idles perfectly but I now have off idle flat spots that sometime stall the engine and an irregular miss under part throttle .

Be cautious, check the basics first .
_________________
-Nate

One last Beetle : 1959 #113 DeLuxe survivor ~ 36HP & full synchro tranny, 6 volts etc.