Bradley GTE Electric - Build thread and VW-related questions

[BradleyGTE]

Hi everyone,

I'm a car novice, and I could use some help on the VW side of things.

I bought a 1980-ish Bradley GTE Electric based on what seems to be a 1970 VW IRS chassis based on the VIN.

I've confidently heard they only made 50, 51, or 126 of them total. Some low number I guess. Who knows how many ever got finished.

Structure-wise they are the same as the Bradley GT2, except maybe one minor difference at the rear to create a battery tray. The only things different are the bespoke electric driveline and gauges.

The Bradley forums are basically a ghost town, and I'm not a Facebook person.

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My GTE was professionally built by a custom car shop, from the Bradley kit, for an electrical engineering professor. It was only driven a couple hundred miles, and then due to a family medical crisis, parked for 13 years.

The second owner bought it in 1996, changed the batteries and controller, made some custom mods to it (Ghia front discs apparently) and drove it, even commuted in it until he moved in 2003. It's been garage parked as far as I can tell for the last 22 years.

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Bradley-wise, I'm probably fine-ish. I have pretty good documentation.

EV-wise, I'm probably okay, it's not my first EV. I removed 1000 lbs of lead-acid batteries and I'll get around to putting in something more modern.

But VW-wise, or even just general car maintenance-wise, I'm pretty clueless. I could use some help.

I'm not familiar with Beetles at all. I'm barely even familiar with car systems. I do have the Haynes manual for the VW/Ghia, but even that sometimes is over my head.

I'll have a few specific questions, but also, I don't even know what I don't know. Some obvious things to some of you about operating/maintaining an old car I will be oblivious to. I'm all ears for any general advice.

Oh, and I'm generally thrifty. I don't like sinking money into things.

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My short term goals are "get it rolling, get it legal" so it's not imprisoned in my garage. It doesn't need a huge battery pack, it can roll around on a spare 12v starter battery at walking speed I presume.

[BradleyGTE]

Motor:

First up, I needed to see if the motor worked.

I slapped some jumper cables on it, and it spun. DC motors are amazing.

The motor that's in there is a bespoke Bradley DC motor. Or rather, a nice, high-end forklift motor with a Bradley emblem on it:

The clutch and clutch spring things were removed, so I put those back together (not even really understanding which way they went and in what order, the Haynes presumes you have more knowledge than I do).

Motor is 170lbs, for anyone who cares.

It mounts right in place of the engine:

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I don't know how to drive stick.

Like, I know the theory, but, I've never actually moved a gear shifter. After some practice I discovered where reverse is (back and left, no lockout or having to push the stick inwards, maybe just have to go to 1st gear first?). I managed to move through the gears.

This isn't necessary. Most EV conversions with modern battery voltages can basically stay in 3rd gear all the time unless they're climbing hills. They have endless torque from zero.

The driveline appears to function (up on jackstands). The tranny seems to have some oil coating on it. The driver's side upper CV is wet with something oily, the passenger's side lower CV is similarly wet.

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Next up is brakes.

The rear passenger drum brake was dragging. Probably a stuck handbrake cable.

Bought a 36mm socket and brought out the big uggadugga gun.

Disassembled the wheel, loosened the shoe adjustors, got it spinning. But the pedal doesn't make it stop. Maybe seized cylinders, maybe swollen flex-line, maybe rotted hardlines, maybe seized MC? I'm working through it.

I added brake fluid, it was low but not dry (will bleed later).

Any "make sure you do X, Y, Z" stuff?

Do I need wheel bearings, new CVs, that kind of stuff?

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Steering:

The steering is quite sloppy. Seems like I can rotate the wheel maybe 20 degrees before it does anything on either end. So then I checked up front:


Link


That's at least part of it.

Is it VW? (I have no idea what Ghia or other parts might have been subbed in over time).

Something to look into tightening up, to rebuild, or to throw away and replace?


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Misc:

- I am an idiot and cannot figure out how to adjust the seat. Previous owner insists it's adjustable but it's been 22 years, somewhere under the front edge of the seat. There's no rod or lever I can see. Just upholstery and maybe a rail at the back.

Is this a normal VW handbrake? What are the two lever/knob things on either side of it for, what do they do? Is that the seat adjust? They don't seem to do anything:

- Is this a normal VW shifter?:

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I had so many more questions but they've slipped my mind for now.

[Letterman7]

Looks like a Kaylor EV conversion. Interesting. Ok, first, VW's are pretty basic beasts. Let's start with the seats: If the factory rails are still there, chances are they are adjustable. You'll just have to dig around the front and sides to see if there is a lever. On many kits, seats are fixed in place.
The shifter and knobs: knobs on the outside of the handbrake are for the heater ducts, which you no longer have. The shifter mechanics look odd - I don't know what that metal bracket and spring is. Maybe a contact plate for the motor?
Brakes/drums etc...: When diving into a new project, I just replace everything - literally everything - brake related. It's gonna cost, but at least you know that everything is fresh if you plan on driving this a couple times a week. I don't trust anything with brake fluid in it that's been sitting.
Transaxle boots: yes, it's transmission fluid soaking those, or appears to be. They crack as they age, so plan on replacing those and replacing the transmission oil. It's not a hard job. There are "split" boots that make things a little easier.

[EVfun]

You don't have to know how to drive a stick shift to drive an EV with a stick shift. You can take off, and come to a complete stop, without using the clutch. The only time you will need to use it is to shift from 2nd gear to 3rd gear, and since the motor just freewheels when the throttle is released that doesn't require any grace. You will want to use 2nd gear around town and 3rd gear when it feels like 2nd is running out of the ability to accelerate. My EV buggy used a Prestolite MTC-4001 motor and Curtis 1221B controller with a 120 volt battery pack. That combo ran out of steam at about 40 mph in 2nd, third was good for about 65 mph, and 4th... well I hit 80 mph once.
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[MrGoodtunes]

[BradleyGTE]

[KAmes]

[BradleyGTE]

A pretty specific question...

The Master Cylinder might be wrecked (more on that later).

This car has Ghia front discs (uncertain which year), and normal 1970 rear drums.

What replacement Master Cylinder should I get?

Someone told me that MCs that were built for front/rear drums, or front/rear discs, or front discs/rear drums will have different... I dunno, stuff in them to balance things correctly. Otherwise I might need a proportioning valve or a residual valve or something.

Is that true?

Basically, what should I buy, even if the previous one was incorrect?

[BradleyGTE]

More Brake work:

- To get to the master cylinder, I had to take off the cabin air intake, which was some corrogated tubing hoseclamped to.... galvanized water heater chimney pipe? This was part of the 2nd owner's modifications. If it works it works.

- Previous owner upgraded to front discs from a Karmen Ghia. Not sure what was involved in that, but, I suspect he re-routed (and mis-routed) the brake reservoir hoses to be under the tie rods, where it squeezes them and has abraded them nearly all the way through. Glad I dug in and caught this. Eventually I would've just... not had brake fluid.

- To get the master cylinder off, you have to disconnect it from the brake pedal in the footwell. This photo is deceptively spacious. What I'm showing is the farthest I can reach into the footwell, even with a screwdriver. I can't get my shoulders between the side of the car and the steering wheel, and I can't get my chest between the steering wheel and seat. So, having the turning stock in my ear was the farthest I could reach.

- I have to get the pushrod (red) slid sideways off its pin (yellow), but the return spring (blue) is blocking it. I am worried if I ever get that spring un-wound on that pin, I will never, ever, ever get it back on there with tension. Certainly not with only with the fingerips of only one hand. This isn't what the manual says it should be. It doesn't mention removing the spring. So instead I just unbolt (green) the master cylinder directly, barely.

- Blech.

- Well this needed doing anyways.

- I guess it comes apart and there's probably a couple pieces inside that make the brakes work? I've never done that before but as long as it's not a million little pieces, I'll just take it slow and be fine.

"I'LL JUST BUY AN EXISTING EV" I SAID. "THAT WAY I DON'T HAVE TO BUILD AN ENTIRE CAR" I SAID. "THIS WILL BE THE SHORTEST AND EASIEST PATH TO ME DRIVING AN EV" I SAID.

rage intensifies

- A couple places with some galling, but cup seals don't look wrecked.

- Honestly nothing too bad. Dirty, some rust, but nothing damaged.

- Let's clean and check the bore:

Honestly, the camera makes it look worse than it is. Feels smooth to my fingertip. Maybe a little pitting (or crust) on the ceiling on the left side there.

Maybe a little dip in the ultrasonic and a bottle brush in a drill could rescue it.

Or ~$65 for a new one to Canada.

I expected to find shredded seals and massive rust.

My current thoughts on why it stopped building pressure are that it sucked rust and crud in through the basins where the fluid reservoir enters, and once I'd started bleeding it jammed them up , or, maybe got air in it and it was squishing air. Tempted to clean it up and reassemble and see whether it holds pressure or if it feels like stepping on lightbulbs.

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As above, the one thing I don't know is, since the 2nd owner upgraded to front discs, instead of drums front/rear, if this is even the correct master cylinder anymore, or whether I should be using an MC from a Ghia that was designed for Front Discs/Rear Drums.

[BradleyGTE]

Found a 1970 Beetle at the junkyard.

I grabbed a few bits and pieces. The dust cover plugs for the wheel backing plates. I'll grab an e-brake cable bracket since one of mine is broken.

I'm considering buying the rims ($33 each). Tires are trashed and free.

Not because I like these rims, but because I'm considering keeping a set of snow tires (I'm in Canada). Is that a dumb idea? Are these some weird non-Beetle rims someone slapped on so that it could roll to the yard?

Anything else I should consider grabbing when I go back for round 2?

[Q-Dog]

That is a super beetle, so it is not a 1970 model. For the most part, everything from the A pillar back is the same as a standard Beetle. The rims look like original Beetle wheels, but some supers had different backspacing than standard Beetles, so pay attention to the backspacing if you are trying to match other stock wheels.

The thing hanging under the rear fender suggests this may have been an autostickshift, which should not matter to you unless you need the transmission.
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Brian

'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
'70 Beetle

[BradleyGTE]