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wv181 Samba Member
Joined: March 15, 2009 Posts: 59 Location: Arizona
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Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2012 4:04 pm Post subject: My 73 |
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After searching and looking at cars for 6 months I bought this 73 in 2009. It was running but not very well. Took it to my local shop, full tune up. oil change, new fuel lines, gas tank flush, adjust brakes, replace a few lights and viola! I've been driving it for over 2 years. Now it's time to tear it apart and make it better? Newer? Different? I'll post as I go along. Here are a few pics from when I first got it. I did not get to keep the license plate, and yes that is a stretch of RTE 66 through N. Arizona.
_________________ 1973 Super Beetle - sold
1973 Thing - running project |
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guppysoup Samba Member
Joined: June 07, 2003 Posts: 387 Location: Jalisco, Mexico
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Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2012 5:16 pm Post subject: |
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Nice 73! What are those brackets on the rear fenders? _________________ 1973 Thing/Safari
1985 Bug/Vocho wanna be class 11
2014 Amarok TDI 4x4 |
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Pbotsonis Samba Member
Joined: January 09, 2008 Posts: 506 Location: Parker, Colorado
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Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2012 5:30 pm Post subject: |
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Bumper brackets |
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wv181 Samba Member
Joined: March 15, 2009 Posts: 59 Location: Arizona
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Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 12:17 am Post subject: |
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After getting it in my tiny shop I started to take it apart and didn't find to many bad surprises. The front has been hit and had a huge amount of Bondo on it but I ground most of it away and primered over it.
Drivers front fender
From the top
Passenger side a little better
The 6 1/2 bolts from the driver fender and 7 1/2 from the pass. _________________ 1973 Super Beetle - sold
1973 Thing - running project |
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guppysoup Samba Member
Joined: June 07, 2003 Posts: 387 Location: Jalisco, Mexico
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Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 9:02 am Post subject: |
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Pbotsonis wrote: |
Bumper brackets |
Thanks. Mine didn´t have them. _________________ 1973 Thing/Safari
1985 Bug/Vocho wanna be class 11
2014 Amarok TDI 4x4 |
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jjrannauro Samba Member
Joined: June 30, 2011 Posts: 217 Location: MEXICO
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Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 10:09 am Post subject: |
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Nice ride, once it's finished is going to look great. I own a 1977 Thing, it looked very nice, but it was in pretty bad shape with lots of bondo. Now it's at the bodyshop and it's getting a lot of new sheet metal parts. Thanks for sharing yor 181. Greeting from Cordoba, Veracruz - Mexico |
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wv181 Samba Member
Joined: March 15, 2009 Posts: 59 Location: Arizona
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Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 5:43 pm Post subject: |
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Getting it more apart. Rust holes in the rear rockers and battery tray but other than that seems to be solid. removed all the body to chassis bolts and didn't break one!
Drivers rear
Passenger rear
Battery tray
Where PO had a hood ornament
Lower windsheild frame looks nice and solid
Upper frame ends both look good
It seems to be going quickly right now but I can see progress slowing on the horizon. On another note does anyone know the approx. weight of the body minus almost everything ( doors, hood, WS frame, Rear deck lid)? Can 4 able bodied men pick it up? _________________ 1973 Super Beetle - sold
1973 Thing - running project |
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GI Joe Samba Member
Joined: April 28, 2005 Posts: 2012 Location: Athens, TN
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citroen Samba Member
Joined: February 28, 2010 Posts: 1578 Location: louisville ky
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Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 8:48 pm Post subject: |
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4 people can pick it up but we use a bar mounted between the door post bolted to the 2 bolt holes on both side and a engine crane to pick the body up it is a perfect center to pick the body up |
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wv181 Samba Member
Joined: March 15, 2009 Posts: 59 Location: Arizona
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Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 2:40 pm Post subject: |
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Just some more pics of taking things apart. Got the heater out without too much trouble. Got mad at the elbow going from the heater to the dash and broke it. Also once the gas tank was out figured out why the heater didn't work.
No fuel line or filter from tank to heater fuel pump
I have seen quite a few Things with these holes cut in the inside rocker to put speakers
I poked and proded the pan pretty hard and it feels solid except around the battery. If the rust hole is just limited to the portion under the battery should I just replace that small section or go to a 1/4 or 1/2 pan? Easier? Harder? Suggestions?[/img] _________________ 1973 Super Beetle - sold
1973 Thing - running project |
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wv181 Samba Member
Joined: March 15, 2009 Posts: 59 Location: Arizona
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 11:27 am Post subject: |
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Did alittle more work. Got the dash taken out. Iam gently taking the wiring harnesses apart and out. Trying to photo as much of this as possible. I'm not sure if I want to go back in with the original wires or just go with a whole new setup from Painless or Watsons or ? I am open to suggestions.
All apart and looks solid
Is this a grounding point?
Looks all original to me _________________ 1973 Super Beetle - sold
1973 Thing - running project |
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Semper_Dad Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2005 Posts: 3513 Location: Indiana
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 11:50 am Post subject: |
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Nice work. Hope everything goes back together without much trouble. PO hacked in speakers to my rockers as well. Suprising, they work pretty nice.
Your electrical harness looks to be in pretty good shape. I'd use it as long as it's all there.
I am presently "upgrading" my electrical system. Reworked a left dash panel to include gauges and installed it on the right side. Now I have an accessory fuse panel for fog lights, winshield washer pump, radios, amps and whatever else I want. Check out photos in my gallery. _________________ Walküre Restoration Thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=737492 |
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Ron Domeck Samba Member
Joined: August 05, 2007 Posts: 1466 Location: louisville Ky
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 2:34 pm Post subject: |
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When we have a harness out I put it in my sand blast cabinet and blast all the ends to get the crud gone. |
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wv181 Samba Member
Joined: March 15, 2009 Posts: 59 Location: Arizona
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 6:52 pm Post subject: |
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Besides breaking almost all of the plastic connections this is my main problem with the harness
When I bought the Thing this portion of the main harness right next to the battery was damaged and most of the wires were worn thru. I seperated them and coated them with liquid wire repair goo. Then covered the whole mess with another coat. It has worked but I thought if I replace this section why not all the wiring.
I also removed the rear deck lid seal and found a little rot.
Not too bad, just on the lip but probably should repair it. _________________ 1973 Super Beetle - sold
1973 Thing - running project |
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wv181 Samba Member
Joined: March 15, 2009 Posts: 59 Location: Arizona
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Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 12:49 pm Post subject: |
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Got some more work done. Body separated from the pan, cv's removed, tranny removed. Coming along slowly but surely.
My brace for lifting the body
Simple but effective
Up in the air and I can spin it 360 for more room were I need to be
I'm no Master VW mechanic but I don't think that cv is supposed to be an oil bath cv
All the joints look about like this, old, crusty, dry
Pulled the trans and the mounts split in half and one fell out
The other one stayed with the trans _________________ 1973 Super Beetle - sold
1973 Thing - running project |
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wv181 Samba Member
Joined: March 15, 2009 Posts: 59 Location: Arizona
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Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 2:42 pm Post subject: |
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I have a couple questions about my transaxle also
I'm pretty sure this is the original trans
I can't seem to get this nut off. A socket won't fit, there's no room for a wrench, any suggestions?
What is this little hole for? It was just plugged with dirt/oil mix.
Thanks for any help. _________________ 1973 Super Beetle - sold
1973 Thing - running project |
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Ian Epperson Samba Member
Joined: January 12, 2005 Posts: 2262 Location: Alameda, CA
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Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 2:44 pm Post subject: |
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wv181 wrote: |
I'm no Master VW mechanic but I don't think that cv is supposed to be an oil bath cv |
The caps in the center of the drive flange (the black rubber bit in the middle) were probably leaking trans fluid into the CV. Been there, done that, caught it fairly early so it didn't ruin my CVs. If you're not planning on doing any other transmission work, drain it (it'll keep leaking fluid until you do), buy a new set of drive flange caps, pry those old caps out (it's OK to ruin them by stabbing a hole in them with a screwdriver), clean up the inside of the drive flange pretty well, smear the edges of the new seals with form-a-gasket or similar oil-proof sealer, then press/gently tap them into place. Make sure to let the sealer set before refilling the trans fluid.
If you ARE doing other work on your trans, well this'll be the first/last step You'll want to pull the drive flanges completely off before sending it to a rebuilder - those flanges have a habit of magically turning into the smaller, cheaper bug version during a rebuild. _________________ VW-181 shirts and stickers.
http://ian.epperson.com/vw |
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wv181 Samba Member
Joined: March 15, 2009 Posts: 59 Location: Arizona
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Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 3:48 pm Post subject: |
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I plan on having the trans rebuilt. Any suggestions on reliable rebuilder in AZ or SoCal. Getting a new engine in Cal so .... 2 birds 1 stone. _________________ 1973 Super Beetle - sold
1973 Thing - running project |
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onebigjohn Samba Member
Joined: February 07, 2011 Posts: 18 Location: Mira Loma
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Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 6:15 pm Post subject: |
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wv181 wrote: |
I plan on having the trans rebuilt. Any suggestions on reliable rebuilder in AZ or SoCal. Getting a new engine in Cal so .... 2 birds 1 stone. |
Wright Gear Box in Riverside Ca.
951-372-0404
"Rick Wright is the man" |
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63ziggy Samba Member
Joined: June 19, 2005 Posts: 1100 Location: The Woodlands, Texas
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Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 8:36 pm Post subject: |
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moving your project right along.
looking good so far '
as far as wiring harness, I went with a Watson's Streeworks VW replacement. It is designed for Beetle. It worked out great. little pricey but piece of mind with all new wiring and modern fuseblock etc. I did swap out all switches as well.
keep posted pics. keeps us motivated in the hobby |
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