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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12860 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 6:29 am Post subject: Re: The Warthog |
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Forging ahead in my quest to improve upon the beast daily, I procured another roll of 3/16” brake line.
After uncoiling & lopping off a couple sections, I bent them to follow the body as the original lines would have & clipped it into the retaining tabs.
Oddly, the brake line is far cheaper than the German cloth bound hose that I looped in temporarily.
However, to replicate the factory routing as closely as possible, I needed a T fitting. Not having one, I decided to make one but I couldn’t find my roll of solder (yep, another one of those items that I put in a “safe” place.), so I welded it together.
And then drilled a hole through the side.
Yeah, it’s ugly but it works.
I installed it but I still need to bend up one last section to complete the routing so I just laid the extra vent hose over the tank for now.
_________________ 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. |
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PeteSC Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2011 Posts: 881
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Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 1:36 pm Post subject: Re: The Warthog |
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Nice work bringing this back to life. Always enjoy your build threads. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12860 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2021 6:42 am Post subject: Re: The Warthog |
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PeteSC wrote: |
Nice work bringing this back to life. Always enjoy your build threads. |
Thank you sir!
Now on to today’s mechanical mayhem. Since the wiper motor was so ornery, I scheduled its repair. However, coming to the conclusion that a Thing is so aerodynamically screwed that even though RainEx causes water to bead up instead of sheeting on the windshield, they just sit there instead of blowing off like any other car.
So I removed the wiper motor to send off for repair & it dawned on me that, well... it’s right f%*#^ng there, why not just make a crank handle.
So I liberated a wiper shaft from a Beetle, and just to give it a VW feel, I snagged a window crank from another & fused them together.
The outer sleeve was just a bit too short to work but, by locking a couple of retaining nuts onto the sleeve..,
I was able to create enough friction to thread the crimped stop back enough to pass through the windshield frame.
I now has mechanical wipers.
If ida thought about this before paying for the wiper motor repair, I probably wouldn’t have ever had it fixed. It would definitely be less of a visual obstruction with the windshield folded down. _________________ 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. |
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olspeed Samba Member
Joined: May 01, 2008 Posts: 489 Location: In the shadow of Denali, I still don't give a damn how they do it outside
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Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 12:53 am Post subject: Re: The Warthog |
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That sir is a true work of art! _________________ 66- Ghia
76-Beetle |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12860 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 8:45 am Post subject: Re: The Warthog |
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olspeed wrote: |
That sir is a true work of art! |
Thank you sir!
I noticed a bit of water inclusion over the past few rainy days. There is one obvious hole in the soft top that was covered with some duct tape, I peeled it back to expose what appears to be a hole gnawed by a rodent.
The tape, while still attached, was barely so as the adhesive had degraded to something resembling warm snail snot.
Falling victim to the onslaught of an extensive ad campaign of infomercials & “as seen on TV” banners, I bought a roll of Flex Tape & after cleaning off the pre-existing goo, I covered the offending hole in the top, both inside & out. (C’mon, they really cut a boat in half, taped it back together & then went fishing in it, it’s gotta be good. )
And then the other small tear in the roof behind the driver seat.
I will say, this shit is almost like super glue, it sticks to you better than what you’re trying to fix.”, but it really does adhere well.
Believe it or not, this beast actually stays dryer inside than the Ghiapet ever did. _________________ 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. |
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Chickensoup Samba Member
Joined: January 06, 2018 Posts: 5368 Location: Good Hope, GA
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Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 6:54 pm Post subject: Re: The Warthog |
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of course i just now discover this amazing thread. that thing is dope.
those windshield wipers are awesome too. my dads 5 top has vacume powered wipers with a hand power option.
did you ever measure to see if something like an ALH would fit under the hood? that would be dope imo.
also, i remember seeing a thing in a magazine with these super dope off road bumpers and a electric powered winch. i will find the picture tomorrow.
if you end up tdi swapping it, you could probably fab up a mount for an air compressor head, so you could run air wipers, horn, etc.
just some ideas. i like where this one is going!
also, i called that shop i was talking about, but didnt get a call back yet. but in the meentime, ive put the word out. what year title do you need or will any year do? _________________ -'85 c10 5.3 LS, 222 cam, long tubes, x pipe, 3 inch spin tech's
-'05 B5.5 TDI Wagon 17in sport rims ;EGR + BSM + ASV Delete, Stage-2 Tune, straight pipe
'65 Tourist Delivery Build
'66 RIP
'69 RIP
Hosea 4:6 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12860 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2021 9:51 am Post subject: Re: The Warthog |
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Thank you sir. Stuffing a TDI in would require cutting on the body above the engine & I don’t really want to do that.
I don’t need a title, I was suggesting that you should see what busses in the yard have titles & that you should buy those to flip.
So, for the first 900 miles or so, the transmission shifted great. Then, last Thursday, I inexplicably missed a shift & over the next couple hundred miles, the ease of shifting deteriorated quickly. I should have gone ahead & replaced that bushing before I started driving it, oh well.
Yesterday, with the inability to find second gear without engaging reverse first , I made the 50 mile trek (in rush hour traffic) to source a new bushing from the only semi-local VW place around.
That brings us to this morning’s quest, replacing said bushing & thats when I noticed....
REALLY?!?
After drilling out more rivets, I removed the shifter & then disconnected the coupler and then removed the access plate at the front of the tunnel. I then notched my handy section of PVC pipe.
And slid it into the tunnel.
After zip tying it to the shift rod & pulled it out the front of the car & then proceeded to sand off the rust. Rust makes it far more difficult to reinstall the shift rod into a new bushing.
I then located the spring collar & fit it over the bushing.
(I also began ripping the carpet out, who puts carpet in a Thing?!?)
I then tucked one side of the bushing under the other & clamped it with a pair of pliers.
Yeehaww, check out them patches. I think I understand the carpet now.
And maneuvered it into the tunnel & the bushing into the shifter support.
Once you release the pliers, the bushing snaps right into place.
I then polished my rod, lubed it up & stuffed it into the Thing & slid it all the way in.
Since the coupler was still fairly decent, I crimped it a bit to tighten it up.
I then reassembled everything & took it for a quick jaunt to make sure that it shifted as it should. _________________ 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. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12860 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2021 8:37 am Post subject: Re: The Warthog |
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The Warthog has received it’s first donation from Skullduggery in the form of a more appropriate steering wheel to replace the ‘70s cheapie boat & buggy steering wheel.
(Hey, check it out, I’ve already put 2,000 miles on this beast. )
I even swapped the cheesy wrap to hide a few cracks. _________________ 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. |
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kent70ghia Samba Member
Joined: June 15, 2020 Posts: 176 Location: Tacoma, WA
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Posted: Fri May 07, 2021 6:50 pm Post subject: Re: The Warthog |
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Damn Chris, 2000 Mike's do you live and breathe I'm your rides? I took a vw cruise to Snoqualmie Pass on Sunday, and that was the most I have driven in 15 years, about 120 miles round trip |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12860 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Mon May 17, 2021 12:50 pm Post subject: Re: The Warthog |
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kent70ghia wrote: |
Damn Chris, 2000 Mike's do you live and breathe I'm your rides? I took a vw cruise to Snoqualmie Pass on Sunday, and that was the most I have driven in 15 years, about 120 miles round trip |
I dunno about living in it but I definitely roll through the miles. In fact, 120 is pretty close to a daily average.
Here’s today’s ODO readout.
_________________ 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. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12860 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Sat May 22, 2021 7:30 am Post subject: Re: The Warthog |
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I treated the Warthog to a bit of maintenance this morning, I was about 800 miles over an oil change so I dropped the plug & while the engine was draining, I went to the front & pumped another tube of grease into the beam.
I’ve done this every 3,000 miles for the last 55,000ish miles & the grease in it seems to evaporate, it always takes at least ten pumps of goo per trailing arm before I get any displacement of the old grease.
After that, I went back to the rear of the car & removed the sump screen & cleaned & inspected it for anything ominous & satisfied with the lack of anything horrific, I put it all back together, filled the engine & gave the bay a quick wipe down.
While underneath, I found my next project.
_________________ 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. |
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[email protected] Samba Member
Joined: March 07, 2002 Posts: 66
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Posted: Sat May 29, 2021 4:51 pm Post subject: Re: The Warthog |
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not sure how i missed your new project. i sure enjoyed your ghiapet adventures over on the ghia forum. now i know where to tune in for more adventures and cool pics. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12860 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Mon May 31, 2021 6:49 pm Post subject: Re: The Warthog |
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Thank you sir! After stuffing most of the underpinnings of the Ghiapet under the Warthog, I’ve been just driving it. In fact, I’ve already logged almost another 1,500 miles since the last Odo update. Most I’ve my free time has been focused on yet another project here in the Thing forums, “Skullduggery”.
However, I did make some time to attempt to save the original CVS & toss a pair of boots on the driver’s side axle. My local parts source didn’t understand “Thing”, but I was able to score a set of Lobro boots by having them look up 944.
After a thorough cleaning, I was happy to see that the cages were free of pitting & excessive wear so I reassembled the CVs, indexed them & flipped them so they were driving on the fresh side & cinched them back down.
_________________ 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. |
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didget69 Samba Member
Joined: July 22, 2004 Posts: 4927 Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
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Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2021 7:03 pm Post subject: Re: The Warthog |
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TDCTDI wrote: |
While underneath, I found my next project.
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... saw post, came away disappointed.
Expected to see FlexSeal canister in use... 🤣
bnc _________________ I never found the need to impress people with any mechanic certifications, trophies or track wins... unless it was for Mom to post on the refrigerator door. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12860 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2021 5:44 am Post subject: Re: The Warthog |
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didget69 wrote: |
... saw post, came away disappointed.
Expected to see FlexSeal canister in use... 🤣
bnc |
Only because CV boot kits were cheaper than a roll of Flex Seal.
Sandwich bags & zip ties were a possibility though. _________________ 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. |
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olspeed Samba Member
Joined: May 01, 2008 Posts: 489 Location: In the shadow of Denali, I still don't give a damn how they do it outside
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Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2021 12:16 pm Post subject: Re: The Warthog |
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TDCTDI wrote: |
didget69 wrote: |
... saw post, came away disappointed.
Expected to see FlexSeal canister in use... 🤣
bnc |
Only because CV boot kits were cheaper than a roll of Flex Seal.
Sandwich bags & zip ties were a possibility though. |
Or an old bicycle innertube and hose clamps ... If the women don't find you hansom they should at least find you handy _________________ 66- Ghia
76-Beetle |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12860 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Sat Jun 19, 2021 12:14 pm Post subject: Re: The Warthog |
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Shortly after recommissioning this beast, I started hearing a groaning creak of sorts while turning. It started getting more consistent & I finally traced it to a loose/worn lower bearing in the steering box. Well… yesterday, it suddenly got significantly worse & I began to experience a heavy pull to the right when braking that immediately pulled back to the left when the braking force let up.
This pull was due to gross alignment changes as the forces on the wheels pushed the pitman arm forward & then allowed it to return as the car slowed. THEN, I suddenly got about 1/4 turn of the steering wheel before there was any input from the steering.
So I yanked the old box this morning &, after packing the replacement with CV grease & assembly lube, I attached a new steering coupler & bolted it in place.
Apparently I managed to smear some grease on the phone.
It’s hard to see due to a shitty photo, but the seal is visibly wallowed where it’s supposed to seal around the output shaft.
And here is another spectacularly awful pic of the box in place.
_________________ 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. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12860 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2021 1:42 pm Post subject: Re: The Warthog |
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One thing that has been irritating me is the fact that the header bow on the roof is rotten. While it is intact enough to keep the top on, I can’t lower the top for fear that it will finally twist apart & I will no longer be able to put the top up, much less secure it.
As you can see, it’s pretty rough.
And the pop rivet wizard has plied his marvels on this too.
So, needing to gain access to the header bow underneath the soft top, but not quite willing to commit the car to being topless, I peeled back the tarp on the other project (Skullduggery) & began making a template from the remains of that header bow by taping some printer paper to it.
And slowly worked my way across until I got to the one place that the top had yet to let go of, so I ground away at the last remains of the rivet…
And removed what was left.
With that out of the way, I continued to attach paper to the header bow.
(Huh, it’s got that Acapulco vibe goin, if only ida used blue painters tape )
Once I got to the corner, I cut the template from underneath, using the header bow as a guide.
And then folded the end down & sit along the bow from the outside so the edges would meet.
After the corner was sorted, I trimmed the template along the back of the bow.
While the original header bow is 18ga to 20ga steel, I ordered two strips of 16ga steel, 60” x 8” to make my new header bow, I then attached the outer template to the first one.
_________________ 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. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12860 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2021 8:04 am Post subject: Re: The Warthog |
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This morning I stopped by the local big box hardware store & grabbed a couple pieces of angle iron & a section of pipe.
To start with, I trimmed the corners out of the sheet where the ends would be folded back to the front edge.
Then, wanting to keep the piece as straight as possible as I bent it, I tack welded the angle iron to the sheet to reinforce it where I wanted to keep it straight.
Once done, I flipped it over in the press & laid a section of pipe over where I wanted to bend the sheet & began applying pressure.
After slowly working the piece back & forth, I finally got it to the desired angle.
In retrospect, the radius of the pipe needed to be a bit larger, probably 2”, but this seems to work (we’ll find out anyway.) (AND, it woulda been a hell of a lot easier if I stuck with the thinner gauge steel. )
_________________ 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. |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12860 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2021 9:18 am Post subject: Re: The Warthog |
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The factory header bow has a relief stamped into it where the bow is attached to the rest of the frame & I wanted to recreate these as close as possible.
After determining that the frame rails were roughly 12ga steel, I found a piece of scrap & cut out the appropriate shape & then tack welded both pieces of it, one on either side of the end of the header bow.
I then placed the piece into the press & began forming the relief.
After working the bow back & forth & pressing it, I removed the bow to inspect it.
Satisfied with the results, I ground away the spot welds…
And removed the “dies”.
With that done, I finished trimming the excess from where the ends would meet, folded the ends down.
_________________ 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. |
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