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vwwestyman
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004
Posts: 5688
Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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 Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2015 9:29 pm Post subject: |
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| germanbilly wrote: |
Looks great love the smoke. The way the carb looked and the fuel tank i would also say the pump is gone also. On my 73 that sat out in the open for 8 years it took the whole fuel system and after that fired right up and runs perfect.
Have Fun, GB |
I'm sure you're right. Every other part of the fuel system was pretty nasty!
I ordered a new screen and tank from TTS, but they were out of the fuel nipples. So I figured, no big deal, I'd just clean and use the old one. Unfortunately, the threads on the nut totally stripped out! Ugh. That's why I can't install the tank just yet. I have one on the way.
Anyway, the outlet was full of rust and crap. The whole system was clogged with crap!
I think the main line is OK, I sprayed carb cleaner in each end, and blew air though it. It shot a bunch of stuff out that way! I think if I just plan on a couple of fuel filters, it'll be fine after that.
As far as the fuel pump goes, I had dumped a whole can of SeaFoam in that small fuel tank so maybe I'll get super lucky and that gas with the strong dose of cleaner will unstick it. I pumped the fuel through the pump, so it's possible...
I'll order a pump from the FLAPS and will be able to return it if it is unneeded.
Do I have a generator or alternator? It doesn't have the bulge on the back end like I thought all alternators did, but I also thought by '73 they were all alternators.
_________________
Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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GI Joe
Samba Member
Joined: April 28, 2005
Posts: 2012
Location: Athens, TN
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doublecanister
Samba Member
Joined: September 23, 2008
Posts: 1184
Location: Richmond, Va
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| Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2015 4:50 pm Post subject: it's Alive! |
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Hey glad you got it running!
That carb was funky, I run Marvel Mystery oil in my gas, bout 6oz
to a full tank.
I was running it every tank when first got the thing cause it's carb was funked up pretty bad, my old tank was sealed pre-ethanol gas and it ended up melting and running thru the carb.
Now, I try to do every other tank or so. Sea foam is good too but $$$
(long story short, replaced tank, carb and dizzy) but the old carb was immaculately clean after running that MMOil thru it for the first few years.
It may help, I figured it'd help with being an upper cyl lube as well.
good luck with it, keep up with the photos!
T
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2020 - Mustang Eco Boost [High Performance]
1973 - Thing
1966 - Mustang GT- Fastback
1951 - Ford F1 pickup Flathead V8 |
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vwwestyman
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004
Posts: 5688
Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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| Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2015 8:55 pm Post subject: |
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I only got one wheel put together tonight. Darn family stuff-had to make dinner, go to the store, and so on. One kid also has his first job interview tomorrow so I had to take some breaks and help him work on answers to questions.
I suppose that stuff is more important than working on the Thing  but I'm also excited to take them on adventures.
So I got the front driver side done.
The tire shop wasn't able to balance the new tires, unfortunately. They thought that they could get it done tomorrow.
Slowly but surely...
_________________
Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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vwwestyman
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004
Posts: 5688
Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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| Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 8:59 pm Post subject: |
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For a minute tonight I thought that the pump had started pumping, but I think that must have been wishful thinking. I started the motor a few times mostly because I'm too excited about it, but also to show one of my foster sons that it runs.
Didn't have much time to work on it tonight because one of the other sons just landed his first job so I had to take him to get pants for work and help him find his wallet so he can give them an ID.
But I did get the new cylinder and shoes installed on one side.
_________________
Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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vwwestyman
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004
Posts: 5688
Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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| Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2015 3:38 pm Post subject: |
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I got to spend a lot of time with The Thing today, and I got a lot done! 
I've got the brakes all put together minus the master cylinder (and, of course, bleeding the lines). I was not satisfied that I'd be able to clean up the rust that was in the brake switch ports, so I ordered a pair from the FLAPS. That should be in tomorrow.
I have nearly all the fuel lines installed and ready. All I'm waiting for is the fuel tank nipple which should arrive Monday.
Also got the shifter freed up and am able to put it in all 4 forward gears. (Need to adjust the shifter plate to get reverse, I guess.)
The new tires are installed as well.
So I think of all the major stuff to do, I just have install the master cylinder, bleed the brakes, install the fuel nipple, and adjust the carb on the to-do list.
I will have to sort out some electrical bits here and there, but largely it is close to being able to at least drive a bit!
_________________
Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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GI Joe
Samba Member
Joined: April 28, 2005
Posts: 2012
Location: Athens, TN
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germanbilly
Samba Member
Joined: October 18, 2013
Posts: 378
Location: Victorville
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| Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2015 4:59 pm Post subject: |
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Great to hear, Time and Patience is all it takes sometimes and other times a Big Hammer and a lot of Yelling do it, lol
GB |
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vwwestyman
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004
Posts: 5688
Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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| Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2015 8:43 pm Post subject: |
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I drove it! After resting dormant for 25 years, the old Thing has moved itself under its own power!
It was slightly scary because the brakes still needed adjusting... But I got those taken care of when I got home, so much less frightening now.
I still have a lot of bits and bobs to work out with it, I'm sure (mostly electrical things not working right) but as it is, I feel like I can safely drive it to the court house tomorrow morning to have the VIN inspected (in Kansas, to register an out-of-state car, you have to pay a retired highway patrolman $20 to walk out to the car and make sure the VIN on the title matches the one on the car.
They don't ever check anything like lights, horn, etc. Just the VIN and it costs $20... Oh well.
I'm thinking I'm leaning toward 8NOTHNG as a tag though I have one more potential source for a year of manufacture plate first.
_________________
Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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imtb
Samba Member
Joined: October 27, 2013
Posts: 361
Location: st.l
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| Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2015 5:11 am Post subject: |
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Congrats!.! Glad you got it running and driving, now the fun begins.
Keep us updated and with pics. |
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vwwestyman
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004
Posts: 5688
Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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| Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2015 7:23 am Post subject: |
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| imtb wrote: |
Congrats!.! Glad you got it running and driving, now the fun begins.
Keep us updated and with pics. |
Here are some pics. But first...
I did replace the fuel pump but haven't had many other real issues with the old Thing besides having problems with idling. That seems to have been cured with re-cleaning the idle jet.
I really like exploring old, abandoned roads. This one just branches off a back road near my house. The grass is about as tall as the Thing! Grass seeds flying everywhere! We briefly folded the windshield down for the trip down the road, but the grass was too much so it was quickly stood back up. A little ditch weed down there, too...
Each week, I have to go to a satellite office about an hour away in a much smaller town. I've been doing this for a little over a year. There was this one road I kept driving by and wondering where it went, but was never brave enough to take my Golf down it. Well, I've been driving the Thing the past few weeks and one week I was able to leave a little early and take a trip down it.
It went from mud/dirt with grass in the middle, to just some grass/plants, to a hilly curved area that was just rutted-out rocks and ending in just tall grass that had slightly-visible tracks (discernible only by shorter grass).
Finally, yesterday I took my friend for a ride in the Thing. We explored another abandoned road that is primarily large-ish rocks and not much else.
All pics are at "the end of the road!"
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Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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vwwestyman
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004
Posts: 5688
Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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CRM114
Samba Member
Joined: August 02, 2015
Posts: 34
Location: Sparks, NV
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| Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 9:11 am Post subject: |
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That's a lot of great work done to bring it back! I have a green one under a yellow coat. I'll get it back to green, so for now I enjoy a two tone green interior and yellow Thing LOL.
What tires did you settle on? I think I have one real Thing rim and three others that have a narrow-ish not oval cut outs in them - VW BUS? I saw a nice wheel/tire combination on imtb's yellow Thing post.
I wish our registration process was that simple in VA. I have a lot to do before I get it to the inspector's - lots of deteriorated rubber components to replace in the suspension area.
Great job again! |
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vwwestyman
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004
Posts: 5688
Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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| Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2015 8:11 pm Post subject: |
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| CRM114 wrote: |
That's a lot of great work done to bring it back! I have a green one under a yellow coat. I'll get it back to green, so for now I enjoy a two tone green interior and yellow Thing LOL.
What tires did you settle on? I think I have one real Thing rim and three others that have a narrow-ish not oval cut outs in them - VW BUS? I saw a nice wheel/tire combination on imtb's yellow Thing post.
I wish our registration process was that simple in VA. I have a lot to do before I get it to the inspector's - lots of deteriorated rubber components to replace in the suspension area.
Great job again! |
Thanks!
What shade of green is yours? Mine needs repainted and I like the look of bright green Things!
I went with General Grabber AT2 tires, 27x8.5R14LT so far so good.
_________________
Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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emersonbiggins
Samba Member
Joined: February 18, 2003
Posts: 1681
Location: Nebraska
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| Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2015 8:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Looking Good! |
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vwwestyman
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004
Posts: 5688
Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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| Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2015 9:08 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks! I haven't done anything big with it since the last pics, just some small stuff like hooking the reverse lights back up (I used the last power lead on the coil for the pertronix so I had to get a piggyback connector) and little stuff like that.
I took my kids in the Thing to the Jeep Jamboree a couple weeks ago and we all had a good time. The Jeep drivers were impressed with what I did with the Thing.
I guess I did do something somewhat big, I got the heater working! So while I don't have windows or a top, the season has been extended a little bit because now I can have hot air blowing on me when driving. ha ha.
Otherwise, it has just been driving it and having fun, though now it really is getting cooler out so driving is, unfortunately, less and less.
_________________
Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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vwwestyman
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004
Posts: 5688
Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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| Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2016 3:29 pm Post subject: Re: My Thing Get It Driving Thread |
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Yesterday morning I set about welding up some small holes in my mufflers. I also created a flange for the driver side tail pipe.
I used a wire wheel to grind away most of the surface rust around the holes, and made small patches out of some 22 gauge sheet metal. The welds aren't pretty due to a little bit of remaining rust and tight work spaces.
Unfortunately it didn't really quiet anything down.  But at least now the exhaust exits the bumper properly. Before, I was driving around without tail pipes so it was just sort of blowing towards the bumper holes.
_________________
Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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vwwestyman
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004
Posts: 5688
Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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| Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2016 3:31 pm Post subject: Re: My Thing Get It Driving Thread |
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Also while working on the car, I adjusted all the brakes and put the parking brake handle back together. The pawl had popped off the gear last fall due to cable stretching. It works well now!
I also have ordered a set of the Vintage Car LEDs for the headlights. The current ones are very, very crappy! Can't wait to install those.
_________________
Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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vwwestyman
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004
Posts: 5688
Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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| Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2017 5:25 am Post subject: Re: My Thing Get It Driving Thread |
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Been a while since I've updated this thread. The Thing is running again after pulling the engine to reseal it:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0
And fixing up the front suspension. All the tie rod ends and the ball joints were very worn and floppy.
I do have a question about that though. I got it back from the alignment shop yesterday and I'm not sure I'm happy with how it drives. It feels very tight to turn. Some parts are nice like how the wheels turn when I turn the wheel (i.e. very little play in the steering wheel now), but it takes more effort physically.
Then if I'm correcting the tracking a little, it seems very easy to over-correct.
Basically before it felt fairly light and nimble to drive, and now it takes a lot more effort.
I gave them a Beetle Bentley manual I have for the instructions on setting the alignment, assuming that it was essentially the same.
Is there possibly something not set correctly?
Or maybe do I need to let the new parts (all 4 ball joints, completely new tie rods) wear in a little?
_________________
Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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vwwestyman
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004
Posts: 5688
Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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