Home Built Project Beetle (Full video build)

[Tim Donahoe]

Jeff, when installing running boards, it’s easier to remove two fender bolts—the ones closest to the running boards—from the fore and aft fenders. This gives you wiggle room for aligning the running board. After attaching the running boards to the fender holes, then reinstall the fender bolts.

Tim
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Let's do the Time Warp again!

Richard O'Brien

[Q-Dog]

You don't even need to remove the fender bolts. I just loosen the lower 3 on each fender. (and I wish Jeff would post pictures. Pictures are so much easier and faster than sitting through a video.)
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Brian

'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
'70 Beetle

[Dark Earth]

The car's looking good. Nice job !!
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My Build: '69 Baja - Dark Earth Version

~I'm almost done. I just lack finishing up.~

[Home Built by Jeff]

Thanks guys. In hindsight loosening the front and rear guards would have helped quite a bit. The quality of the running boards I have is still rough to be fair. They work now, and I was ok fitting them, but I am sure some people would really struggle with them.

As for photo's, I just don't get time to stop. I try to remember to take pics for instagram, and I do put up some, but my main focus is filming. It takes so much longer to get work done filming everything as it is

[Tim Donahoe]

I’d rather watch the videos.

Tim
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Let's do the Time Warp again!

Richard O'Brien

[joey1320]

Your vids are great. Keep em coming.
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**1971 Super Project
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

[Home Built by Jeff]

This weeks Beetle escapades move to doing something about the old ratty wheels and also refreshing the speedo.


Link

[Tim Donahoe]

I’d have used the cream color for the rims. But it’s your car, your color scheme.

I can’t wait to see those stick-on whitewalls. Hopefully, the brand you purchased is better than what I’ve see at the shows.

Tim
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Let's do the Time Warp again!

Richard O'Brien

[Home Built by Jeff]

I had a couple of people say the same thing. The main reason I didn't is because the blue with the white walls, will match the 2 tone of the car, where the cream next to the white walls would stand out as 2 different whites. I think once it comes together with the shiny new hub caps it will look good

[TX-73]

My build was "old school" pics lol, but I think the vids are a good way to capture long build sessions. Fast forward thru tedious or repetitive work helps a lot. I can see a lot of effort put into the filming.
Car is coming along really well 👍
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My 1973 Standard Beetle Build SOLD
Click to view image

[Home Built by Jeff]

My Beetle 'John Lemon' is really starting to look the part. This weeks task was to do something about the terrible old interior. It is getting so close to being finished. I love it.


Link

[Home Built by Jeff]

This week I try to button up a bunch of little things on John Lemon. 1 out of 4 will have to do.


Link

[jwp67]

I would count you at 2 out of 4. The seal you put on the engine may just fix your vapor lock. That is a BIG issue with over heating.

The wire for your horn should come out the center of your steering column. Wolfsburg West has the kit to install and insulate the wire for proper hook up.

http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=113998225

You've done such a nice job on the car so far, don't skimp on the little details.
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21 million of these cars were built,and everyone of them were sold...kinda astounding given how unreliable they are.---johhnypan

[joey1320]

Great work Jeff
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**1971 Super Project
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

[TDCTDI]

Great job. You might have better luck if you get rid of the black cat.
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Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[baldessariclan]

Jeff,

Fuel gauge and horn issues -- I feel your pain... Struggled a bit with these on my '71 standard Beetle as well. The good news is that you can get them working with a little more perseverance. I'll pass along a little bit of what I was able to figure out from my own experiences.

Fuel Gauge:
That float from your tank is just a form of variable resistor (rheostat?) connecting to ground. I think that Super Beetle uses that two-float setup to help compensate for the odd shape of the tank / sump -- averages the two resistances to give a more "linear" reading as your fuel level changes (standard Beetle has a more "regularly shaped" tank, and only uses a single float).

The fuel gauge does use a heated wire w/ bi-metallic spring to move the needle, as you noted. Simply speaking, power comes in through the gauge heater wire, and grounds through gas tank float resistor. As the resistance level changes, less or more current flows through heater wire, correspondingly changing its temp up or down and moving that needle. Of course it's a little bit more complicated than that -- there's a voltage regulator in the system ("vibrator"), plus some adjustment points in the gauge, etc. Recommend the following link for a much better explanation of all the finer details: http://www.speedyjim.net/htm/fuel_ga.htm

Horn:
To me it sounds like maybe somebody altered your turn signal switch and wiring (which includes the horn circuit) -- ?? Looks like you might have a 1968 - 1970 turn signal switch in there (hard to tell from video, though -- post more close-up picture, maybe?).

For early 60's up to 1970, the "hot side" of ground circuit from the horn routes to contacts on the steering column shaft (which is insulated from rest of chassis), making that shaft and metal hub in steering wheel "hot" with ignition on. An insulated ground wire connects to the horn ring on steering wheel (the "switch" in the system), and runs down through the hollow center of the steering shaft, connecting to a ground point just below the rubber coupler near bottom of steering shaft).

However, from 1971 and on, the grounding path was effectively reversed. The hot ground wire from horn runs to a spring contact plate on the turn signal switch, which in turn rubs on a contact ring mounted to back of steering wheel hub. A short insulated wire from that contact ring passes through a hole in steering wheel hub, to connect to the horn ring. When the horn ring is pressed, it contacts side of the metal steering wheel hub and grounds through the steering shaft, completing the circuit and honking the horn. Note also that the 1971 steering wheel is effectively a "one-year-only" part, since the 1971 contact ring wont fit on hub of 1970 and earlier steering wheels, even though they look identical from the front.

So if you've currently got a 1970 or earlier steering wheel and/or turn signal switch in your car, you'll need to locate the proper 1971 components to make it all work as originally designed. Otherwise, you'll have to cobble something else up to make your horn work -- there's no way to use the multi-jointed Super Beetle steering shaft with the 1970 and earlier horn wiring convention.
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1971 Standard Beetle — fairly stock / driver

baldessariclan -- often in error, never in doubt...

[Tim Donahoe]

Go to the Speedy Jim site that was mentioned.

Also, check the rheostat winding inside your sender. There’s a small opening to see through. If you see the wire winding burnt, the gauge will only register 1/2 full.

Tim
_________________
Let's do the Time Warp again!

Richard O'Brien

[Home Built by Jeff]

[plagos_g]

I just double checked the tip I mentioned in the video's comments.
As baldessariclan said, the variable resistor dictates the level shown by the gauge, basically. If you disconnect it and leave it in the air, it should go to zero, as no current passing means no heat, and no movement for the needle. Grounding it will let the full current go through, heating the spring, and moving the needle to show full tank.

However, I would advise not to keep it grounded for too long.
If you have a multi tester, it would be better to check the resistance values on the sender unit instead (Speedy Jim's site says 10 ohms is for full).


Patrick
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1998 Volkswagen Sedan (MexiBeetle, daily drive)
1987 Volkswagen Kombi (crew cab, br)

[Tim Donahoe]

Bending the arms and some of the gauge altering is just beating around the problem. Your gauge worked to half, so it works. Your problem is the sender, or the vibrator.

Tim
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Let's do the Time Warp again!

Richard O'Brien