Field find 1954 Canadian custom

[sunroof]

So the story goes that there were bad noises coming from my engine compartment. I couldn't find the source so I figgered to wait and see what broke and then fix that. One day I was out for a drive and it was sounding so bad I just couldn't go any further. I opened up the decklid and looked and listened and could not see what was making the noise but it seemed to be coming from the fan shroud area. I reached behind to see if maybe the thermostat throttle ring was loose maybe? Anyways to my surprise the spring was off somehow. Easy enough to reattach it. Nope, noise still there. As I am looking and thinking I notice the fan belt really wobbling around and finally hit on the pulley which was obviously broken.

OK I see it now. I knew when I put the car together that the pulley was not the best but I really thought it would last longer than this.

Look through the classifieds here:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2477866

OK looks good, order one and it comes in a week. Very nice. I had to do a little filing to get the powder coating off the center but things fit snugly and look great. Best part: all the bad noises are gone. Very happy.

Back on the road. Now the other thing. These cars get so jealous, the beetle has been in the garage for the last couple of weeks which is where the TR6 usually lives now the TR6 is mad and making trouble, I'm hoping it's something simple. A little attention and she *should* be happy again.

Don
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Better and better mistakes!

[sunroof]

Here I am assembling a coral red '57 that I paid $500 for and literally dragged out of the bush.

This was the summer of 1999

Driving the car oot and aboot

The summer of 2001 I put a TR6 in Magenta on the road that I bought for.. you guessed it...$500. Sadly I have no pictures of it at that time. Well the beetle got a little neglected and felt very hard done by and for the first time ever I had a beetle with electrical problems. I guess he heard of Lucas, prince of darkness and thought that was a way to get my attention. It is so important to pay attention to them both or else they just make trouble. How do those Mormons do it with 16 or 18 wives?

Don
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[Dan22]

That '57 looks like it was pretty decent.
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1-0900722 die langsame grüne Schildkröte
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=765074

[Big Bull Shooter]

I bought this Coral Red 57 last month on Vancouver Island and drove it home to Jasper. I finally got my out of province inspection done yesterday, and plated. I'm going to drive the crap out of it now!

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Where would this hobby be if no one shipped parts.
crukab
Feb. 11, 2021
Smokey says.... only you can prevent Bug fires!
zerotofifty
May 16, 2023

[sunroof]

[VW_Jimbo]

[sunroof]

Suffered another failure today. I dunno, these parts are only 71 years old, should they really be failing?

Anyways I was howling along at 70 MPH in 35 degree heat and the old girl really seemed to be enjoying herself. Just as I was turning off to my buddy Steve's place the engine died. Not a hint of life. Some simple troubleshooting later we discover that the coil is dead.

A new coil is $100, a bit of a shock but after paying $300 for the pulley I guess it's not too bad.

Hanging out with the Austin-Healey club of course it's the VW that needs a push.

Don
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Better and better mistakes!

[sunroof]

Well the beetle is dead dead dead. It appears the cam followers are seized in their bores. The rockers are not rockering. Darn.

Don
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Better and better mistakes!

[sunroof]

Later...

I have a spare engine:

It came out of a 1959 Canadian custom in Mignonette my best friend bought in 1979 for $80 because it was the only car in the paper for $80. We fell in love with that thing. Started a tire fire in my head for '59 beetles. Well it dropped exhaust valve #3 and broke the motor. I saved the motor and we sent the car to the shredder. Kinda sorry about that now, we were 17 tears old with no tools or skills but it was a mostly rust free car that was totally fixable. Just not worth anything in 1979. Anyways... I rebuilt the motor in 1989 for a '59 I bought for $50 which I drove for a year until it fell apart from rust. The motor then went into a '59 Canadian custom in mignonette green

Which I drove for 10 years until it got hit really hard by someone tuning their radio.

The motor then went into a coral red '57

Didn't like that car. Sold it but kept the motor

The next life was my 1959 Canadian custom sunroof

That I drove for 13 years. Before I sold it I rebuilt the original engine and kept my old one.

So far the engine has been in 5 cars:
original car, 1959 Canadian custom in Mignonette green
1959 deluxe in Capri blue
1959 Canadian custom in Mignonette
1957 deluxe in Coral red
1959 Canadian custom sunroof in Fjord blue
Now it will go into my 1954 Canadain custom in Ultramaroon until I can get the '54 motor fixed.

But first I will clean it

Including all this stuff

BTW I hate cleaning car parts.

Don
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[Dan22]

You have quite the colorful history with VWs, Don. (but most of us probably do)

I hope you figure out why your pushrods seized. I had not thought that could even be a thing as long as oil was flowing. Give us the details when you figure it out.
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1-0900722 die langsame grüne Schildkröte
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=765074

[VW_Jimbo]

I hate cleaning parts, well really, ANYTHING, too!

Sorry man! Sounds like a lack of lubrication. Was there any oil on the dipstick?
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Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[sunroof]

[Dan22]

Sandblasting seems like a great way to clean a partially clogged heat riser!
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1-0900722 die langsame grüne Schildkröte
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=765074

[sunroof]

[sunroof]

Had a very productive day today. Built an engine stand that I can easily mount an engine to with the floor jack. It is also the perfect height for working on while sitting on my little roller stool

If I need to have it on wheels I can drop the whole thing onto a wheel dolly.

I got the idea from this guy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkckmSBW5HQ&t=3246s

Don
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Better and better mistakes!

[Rome]

[sunroof]

Looking more like an engine

Slid this out. Now I just have to figure out how to get the muffler off

Don
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Better and better mistakes!

[sunroof]

[sunroof]

Spent a couple of hours building this engine up

Man I love this old girl. She has been so great over the years and cars

Like I have said previously all this tin was powder coated in 1989 when I built the engine and has cleaned up wonderfully. It is so amazing to build something up that is not fighting me the whole way.

She will have to come back apart a little to go under the car but I wanted to buld it up to make sure everything fit together while it was easy to get to and not find a problem when it was already bolted to the car.

Don
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Better and better mistakes!

[VW_Jimbo]

Awesome man!

Hey, not to be a Debbie Downer but that fuel line so close to the exhaust might be an issue. Maybe?
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Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!